North London Food & Culture

Free Week? Explore Rwanda


A few glasses of white wine, an all-you-can-eat Ethiopian buffet and some shots of sambuca while discussing the relative merits of the Lock Tavern versus the Hawley Arms with fellow NW Londoners. Sounds like a regular Friday night? Yes, except after a photo opportunity with military police we moved to a dive bar where, as the only female in the group, I was charged with fending off the legions of prostitutes attempting to ‘charm’ my male friends. This, after all, was a typical Friday night in Kigali, Rwanda.

There’s more to Rwanda than the genocide that convulsed the country 18 years ago, but it would be disingenuous not to acknowledge the huge shadow it cast on the tiny, landlocked central African nation. Despite this, tourism is booming: it’s now one of the safest countries in East and Central Africa, with good roads, clean cities and traffic rules that people actually obey – a rarity in this part of the world.

I went to Rwanda for work and spent a few extra days in the capital Kigali and travelling in Eastern Rwanda, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bizarrely, two of the first muzungus I met in Kigali were North Londoners – from Camden and Finchley. Along with some slightly cagey boys from Jo’burg, my fellow NW’ers and I devoted three nights to sampling Kigali’s nightlife. Although it doesn’t rival the legendary revelry of neighbouring Kampala, Kigali is safer and alcohol cheaper. One major black spot however: Rihanna is ridiculously popular. You’ll hear four or five of her greatest hits per bar, meaning by the second or third bar you visit, you are begging the DJ to play more bad Nigerian rap just to avoid hearing What’s My Name again.


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By day, Kigali is a relaxed city. There are some great craft markets such as the Caplaki Artists Collective and good African coffee shops to while away the time. Aside from the thought-provoking Genocide Memorial Centre, there aren’t many obvious tourist attractions, but overall it’s a good place to sample East African life. In fact, being safer than Nairobi and more chilled than Kampala, it’s the perfect introduction for any East/Central African virgins amongst you.

And so after a few days in Kigali, our merry bunch of actual and honorary North Londoners headed east, making lame jokes about Shoreditch.

Three hours on a winding Chinese built road took us high into the mountains, towards the conflict-ridden DRC, to the shores of Lake Kivu. Standing over 1,000 metres above sea level, the bed of Lake Kivu lies upon a rift valley, causing some volcanic activity in the area. With misty clouds hanging low over terraced mountains providing a suitably scenic backdrop, we spent two enjoyable days trekking, sun bathing and drinking the ubiquitous local beer, Primus. You can hire a boat to visit some of the beautiful, uninhabited islands on the Lake and there are some great beaches for swimming (although Lake Kivu does emit potentially deadly methane gas so swimming too far out or for more than an hour or so at a time is not recommended). It’s all surprisingly accessible from Kigali with buses leaving every half hour, in both directions, between 9 and 6am, seven days a week.

Although it’s a bit of trek to get there (typically 13 hours from London to Kigali, including connections in Brussels, Amsterdam or Addis Ababa), Rwanda is definitely worth the planning. It’s especially suited to first-time Africa visitors, being small, safe and manageable while still having enough varied attractions. Be warned Gorilla tracking permits alone cost at least $500 dollars, however. And that hefty price only gets you one hour with the endangered primates.

Travelling to Rwanda is not cheap either. The cost of flights can be prohibitive but book well in advance (on say KLM) and you may make it for £500 return or less – a bargain when you’re packing volcanos, gorillas and some good old R&R all into one trip. And the cheapest way of travelling around Rwanda is probably by overland truck.

One last tip: when in Kigali, use motorbike taxis, known as motos. The cheapest and fastest way of getting around the city, motos are all required to carry helmets for passengers. Just never tell a moto driver you’re running late: they will screech through traffic lights and on footpaths to get you to your destination quicker. And then expect a tip for doing so. Exactly.

Accommodation
In Kigali, we stayed at the Impala Hotel which was reasonable at $60 per person per night (there’s no website, sorry!) The Discover Rwanda Hostel is one of the best hostels in East Africa and great for those on a budget. Those looking to do it luxe should stay at the five star Mille Collines (of Hotel Rwanda fame).

In Kibuye, the Home St. Jean is the best place to stay in town. Surrounded on three sides by Lake Kivu, it has a full bar and restaurant (and a church on the compound, if you’re that way inclined). It’s difficult to book ahead so best to just show up. There are dorms, single and double rooms and private cottages available there’s always a bed going. We paid $10 per person per night for a five bedroom cottage.

More info from Absolute Africa. Or feel free to ask me a question below.

Words & Photography: Louise Hogan


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