Rwanda is one of the most tourism-friendly countries in Africa, as evidenced by 1.4 million people who visited Rwanda in 2023.
Rwanda has opened its gates to all people from all over the world, as citizens of all countries are allowed to get a visa upon arrival without prior application.
Citizens of countries that are members of the African Union, Commonwealth and La Francophonie can get free visas upon arrival in Rwanda for a visit of up to 30 days.
A citizen of an East African Community Member State can receive a pass/entry visa free of charge upon arrival for a six-month stay in Rwanda.
Hobe Australia has prepared an article to inform you about five things you should know when you visit Rwanda for the first time.
1. Location and Relief of Rwanda
Rwanda is located in Central Africa between latitudes 1°04’ and 2°51’ south and longitudes 28°45’ and 31°15’ east.
It is bordered to the north by Uganda, to the east by Tanzania, to the south by Burundi and to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It has a surface area of 26,338 km2.
The Rwandan relief is hilly and mountainous with an average altitude of 1700 meters. The highest point, Mt Karisimbi, is 4507 meters above sea level.
Rwanda has volcanic mountains in the northern fringe and undulating hills in most of the central plateau. The eastern part of the country is relatively flat, with altitudes well below 1500 meters.
2. Administrative Structure
His Excellency Paul Kagame is the President of the Republic of Rwanda.
Rwanda is currently composed of two layers of government (central and local) and six administrative entities, which were reorganized under the 2005 reform.
The country is divided into four Provinces – Southern, Eastern, Western, Northern province, and the City of Kigali, which is the Capital City of Rwanda.
These are further divided into 30 districts. Additionally, the districts are further divided into 416 sectors. The sectors are further divided into 2148 cells, and lastly, these cells are divided into 14837 villages.
All these subdivisions are headed by different people at every level, with different roles, though all directing towards the same cause.
3. Weather Conditions
Rwanda has favorable daily weather conditions. The warmest annual average temperatures in the country range between 20 and 24°C, while the coolest range from less than 17°C to 19°C, with an average rainfall of 1,250 mm per annum.
4. Language
In Rwanda, the first language or mother tongue is ‘Kinyarwanda’. However, due to the good quality of education, Rwandans are capable of using English, French, Kiswahili, and Sign Language.
So wherever you come from, you will be able to communicate with Rwandans.
5. Tourist Attractions Sites
Rwanda is known for the Mountains Gorillas of Volcanoes National Park, but in the ‘Country of Thousands Hills,’ there are many tourism sites like Akagera National Park, Nyungwe National Park, museums like King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza, Ethnographic Museum in Huye district, and water bodies with clean beaches like Kivu Lake.
