Most parts of Rwanda can be safely visited by travelers, provided they take common sense safety precautions, much as recommended in most countries and big cities.
Here is some good Rwanda safety advice:
- Avoid deserted areas in Rwanda at night, stick to busy and well-lit streets.
- Don't wear flashy jewellery while in Rwanda - in fact leave it at home.
- Keep photographic equipment close to you at all times.
- In Rwanda, Keep car doors locked and windows closed, and carry a map in case you should get lost. Don't leave bags or valuables on the seat next to you - rather lock them in the boot. Park in well lit areas
- Don't leave luggage unattended.
- Store valuables in the hotel safe and leave your hotel room door locked at all times, even when you are in it.
- Limit the amount of money you carry on your person while in Rwanda. Don't accept offers of assistance at ATMs and keep your pin numbers out of the view of others.
- When using a credit card in Rwanda’s’ restaurants, ask the waiter to bring a portable credit card machine to your table. Report stolen or lost cards immediately.
- If you're in doubt about a place you wish to visit Rwanda or how to get there, have a word with your hotel concierge first or contact the Rwanda development board. If you need a taxi, ask the hotel to order one on your behalf from a reliable service.
- In Rwanda’s rural areas, watch out for wild or farm animals - road signage will warn you when you need to take care.
Smoking In Public Areas in Rwanda
- On June 7, 2010, Dr. Richard Sezibera the Minister of Health introduced a bill on banning smoking in public places to the Rwandan Parliament for floor action. However this bill has not yet been passed. Smoking in public areas in Rwanda is prohibited (which are defined as 'any indoor, enclosed or partially enclosed area which is open to the public and includes a workplace, a club and a public conveyance'). Rwanda airports, as is common around the world, are strict on their anti-smoking stance. Restaurants, bars, hotels and other public places offer designated smoking and non-smoking seating.
So throughout your travels in Rwanda, be sensitive to these regulations, and look out for prevalent 'No Smoking' signage.
Rwanda Shopping Leaves Shoppers Spoiled For Choice
- Shopping in Rwanda can be exhausting - there are such attractive goods specific to our country, decisions can prove trying. And, when compared with prices in hard currency countries, there are bargains galore.
With art crafts being among our most-famed resources, a highlight on the
- Rwanda shopping list is art crafts. Shoppers are often attracted to the wood carvings, drums, beads, T-shirts etc. Colorful curios and carvings, representing a myriad of Rwanda and African cultures, are also great for personal or home ornamentation. They include wooden and soft stone carvings, beading, weaving, pottery and basket ware. Articles imaginatively made of ostrich eggshell, wire and recycled goods are extremely popular.
With the price of antiques sky rocketing the world over, it may be worth your while to check out the local stock in Rwanda. You'll find antiques in the big cities as well as in smaller country towns.
Where to shop in Rwanda?
You can spend hours in the country's sprawling shopping malls and at the airport- usually open 7 days a week - or why not find yourself a treasure in our commercial art galleries? You can indulge in some good-natured haggling in flea markets, found in most Rwandan towns, or score a bargain at a roadside vendor. Bear in mind that on expensive items, tourists can apply for a refund on the VAT levy of 14%. Shop dealers will assist you with the documentation, but remember to request a full tax invoice.
