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An update from Evaneos
Kigali

Kigali (Rwanda)

Practical information about Kigali

  • Spa and massage
  • Encounters with locals
  • Viewpoint
  • Park and garden
  • Countryside
  • Horse
  • Festivals
  • Music
  • Museums
  • Handicraft
  • Sustainable Tourism
  • Essential
3 / 5 - One review
How to get there
1h15 min from Nairobi by plane and no less than 10 h from London as there are no direct flights
When to go
Preferably in the dry season: from June to September and December to February
Minimum stay
1 to 2 days

Reviews of Kigali

Travel writer
13 travel articles

Rwanda's capital and mostly known for the tragic events of 1994, Kigali has been modernising itself as fast as it can ever since. If English is now the official language, French is still widely and very well spoken.

My suggestion:
Plastic bags are illegal in Rwanda: do not try to hide any away in your luggage as it can be opened for checking at the frontier.
Summary:

There is not really that much to visit in Kigali's city centre. My favourite attraction: motorcycle-taxi rides. If you take necessary precautions , it is the most practical means of getting around and an excellent way to enjoy the city and its scenery. By day, a visit of the genocide memorial is at once informative and very moving, I actually burst into tears in the middle of the visit. To take my mind off it, I went walking in the Muslim neighbourhoods of Biryogo and Nyamirambo where the atmosphere is relaxed.

There is no shortage of places to go to in Kigali by night. The Kimihurura area abounds in bars and restaurants with a variety of cooking where mostly expatriates hang out. For a more modest price, I chose to go back towards the city centre and dine in a "cabaret" (small restaurant) which offers delicious shish kebab served with fried plantain and Primus, the local beer.

Kigali centre