{"id":2590,"date":"2023-07-26T22:21:37","date_gmt":"2023-07-26T22:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.afomastravels.com\/?p=2590"},"modified":"2023-07-26T22:27:31","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T22:27:31","slug":"things-to-do-in-rwanda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.afomastravels.com\/things-to-do-in-rwanda\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Exciting Things to Do in Rwanda"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re planning your first trip to this East African country, this article is packed with recommendations on what to do in Rwanda. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we visited Rwanda in July 2023, our main goal was to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery this country is known for. However, Rwanda ended up surprising us with plenty to do during our stay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"hills<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whether you love history, great coffee, books, or outdoor adventure, there\u2019s something for you in Rwanda! We\u2019ve included 7 things we did and 3 things we really wanted to do but couldn\u2019t get around to on this trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Do in Rwanda: 7 Things We Did<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are seven things we did and highly recommend:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you only do one thing in Rwanda, let it be a visit to the Genocide Memorial. I\u2019m not a huge history buff, but this is the most impactful and memorable museum I\u2019ve ever been to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"afoma<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

This memorial documents the Rwandan genocide starting from life before to life after the genocide in Rwanda. It also includes mass graves and a wall of names of those lost during the genocide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can\u2019t take pictures inside the museum itself, but it includes incredibly moving interviews with the Genocide survivors, and we couldn\u2019t stop thinking about it weeks after we\u2019d left.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"mass<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u2708\ufe0f Hot Tip: The museum includes graphic imagery, and I wouldn\u2019t recommend it for kids. I consider myself highly sensitive, and I could get through the whole thing, albeit with some tears at the end. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, it\u2019s 100% worth doing because it changed my view of the country\u2013my respect for the people grew a thousand-fold. Entry is free, but the self-guided audio players cost $20 per person to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a Road Trip to Lake Kivu<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One thing that surprised me during our trip to Rwanda was how far everything was. We\u2019d read that the country was pretty small, so I expected everything to be nearby? Alas, I was wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lake Kivu is a huge lake in Gisenyi\u2013about 4 hours by car from Kigali, where we stayed. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"lake<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u2708\ufe0f Hindsight Tip: In hindsight, it would have been smarter to stay for a night in Gisenyi. We hung out for a bit at Hotel Serena, which I recommend if you decide to sleep over. There are less expensive places like the Hill View Hotel, though.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lake was such a nice experience. We did a tour of Gisenyi with my friend Deborah (happy to share her contact details). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"black<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"lake<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The tour cost 30,000 RWF ($25), and we also paid for a boat trip across Lake Kivu for another 30,000 RWF. We did a shorter tour which lasted just over an hour. The full tour is over two hours long and costs 50,000 RWF ($42).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"lake<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We stopped by a small village during the tour and saw a small natural hot spring (the water was boiling!). We also grabbed lunch at Migano cafe, which had some of the best food we ate in Rwanda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"frappucino<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Get Coffee at Shokola Cafe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shokola Cafe is a buzzy coffee shop in Kigali. It\u2019s in the same building as the Kigali Public Library. We went for breakfast, and the coffee there was excellent! The food there was not great, but it\u2019s totally worth stopping over for a quick to-go coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"shokola<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"shokola<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Buy Souvenirs at Caplaki Crafts Market<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re big souvenir people, so naturally, we headed to the Caplaki Crafts Market in Kigali to buy some locally-made items. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We found a few cute things, like these earrings, but like many craft markets, there were a lot of similar items. Thankfully, the vendors are less aggressive than those in some other countries we\u2019ve visited. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"earrings<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u2708\ufe0f Tip: Whenever you\u2019re visiting a crafts market (or any market) in Africa, be sure to haggle!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go Book Shopping at Charisma Bookstore<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you didn\u2019t know, I\u2019m a big-time bookish gal (I run an entire website all about books<\/a> and reading). So in Kigali, I was determined to visit a bookstore. We found our way to Charisma Bookstore at the Kigali Heights Mall right opposite our hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a Christian bookstore, but we found a ton of great books for kids and adults in English and French. I made a whole Instagram Reel about the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>
View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/a>

A post shared by Afoma (@whatafomareads)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>