Kigali is a very pleasant, safe city which ranges over several hills. If your flight connections mean an overnight stay, you won’t be disappointed. It is a noticeably clean and efficient city. With plenty on offer from local markets, coffee masterclasses & a sobering Genocide Memorial visit.
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Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, is a city that surprises many visitors. Set across rolling hills, it’s clean, safe, and efficient — not always what people expect of an African capital. (Though there is a thriving motor-scoter taxi system - in common with many African cities - which is a sight to behold).
If your flights mean you need to overnight here, you’ll find plenty to enjoy.
Unusual Fact: Kigali banned plastic bags back in 2008, making it one of the cleanest cities in Africa — a fact that surprises many visitors.
We recommend a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Museum. It’s a sobering, but essential, introduction to the country’s recent history and remarkable recovery. Ideally, see it at the start of your trip to put the rest of your journey in context.
Kigali also offers a range of experiences that make a stopover worthwhile. Wander through bustling markets to find authentic crafts or join a coffee masterclass to learn how Rwanda’s prized beans go from crop to cup.
For accommodation, you’ll find everything from reliable international hotels to stylish boutique properties like The Retreat by Heaven.
From Kigali, scenic drives take you out to Rwanda’s other highlights — the misty Volcanoes National Park for gorilla safaris, the chimpanzee forests of Nyungwe, or the savannas of Akagera National Park. The scenic driving through the countryside is very much part of the attraction of Rwanda. Along the way you’ll pass terraced fields of tea, coffee, and cassava, with hillsides that show why Rwanda is truly the “Land of a Thousand Hills.”
The city is also renowned for its “Umuganda Day,” a monthly nationwide community clean-up where even the president joins in.
The Retreat is probably my first choice in terms of Kigali Hotels. As it has a little bit more character and life compared to the larger branded hotels such as the Serena or Marriott. It offers good-sized contemporary rooms with a minimalist feel to them. In the Superior rooms, there’s a lovely stylish bathroom with an indoor shower which leads out into the outdoor shower. This in turn leads out to a small courtyard garden with comfy chairs.
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