Why go au Rwanda?

Government departments are open Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm, with 1 hour for lunch. The private sector is generally open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, with a 1-hour lunch break. Many companies also work on Saturday mornings. Banks are open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm, sometimes later. Finally, most shops are open from 8am to 6pm during the week. Some are also open at weekends from 8am to 5pm. Simba supermarkets are open daily from 8am to 10pm. Some mini-markets are open 24 hours a day. Museums and historic sites are open daily from 9am to 4-5pm.

And don't forget: every last Saturday of the month is dedicated toUmuganda, a community service in which the entire population is called upon to take part from 8am to 11am, including the President of the Republic! Most services, shops and museums remain closed. Participation in Umuganda is enshrined in law. There is a fine for non-participation.

All reservations and permit purchases for Volcanoes National Park are made exclusively online via the Visit Rwanda website (https://visitrwandabookings.rdb.rw/). It is strongly recommended to book mountain gorilla tracking in advance via the same website. The number of entries per day is limited to 96. You will be asked to select an available period, fill in a form, upload supporting documents (tip: download a single PDF document containing the various supporting documents) and pay the fee online. The minimum age for tracking gorillas is 15. You may be refused entry to the park if you are suffering from a cold, flu or any other contagious illness. You must wear a mask to see the gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and the chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest. Finally, to plan a visit to the museums, visit the Irembo website (https://irembo.gov.rw). Permits for Akagera National Park and Nyungwe Forest can be obtained directly on site, but it is also advisable to book in advance, especially for the chimpanzee trek (www.africanparks.org).

Celebrations focus mainly on the events of 1994. Independence Day, on July¹, is celebrated less than Liberation Day, on July 4, or Heroes' Day, on February¹. The week of April 7 is devoted to various commemorations throughout the country, which then lives in slow motion. This is a week of national mourning. The Christian festivals of Christmas (December 25) and the Assumption (August 15) are public holidays, as are Muslim festivals such as Eid el-Fitr and Eid el-Kebir. A major festive event is Kwita Izina, the naming ceremony for baby gorillas in Volcanoes Park in early September. Sporting highlights include the Kigali marathon in June, the Tour du Rwanda (cycling) in February and the Rwandan Epic (mountain biking) at the end of the year.

With a sense of adventure, a bit of resourcefulness, time and... a good travel guide, independent travellers will be able to organise their stay independently, without any problems. Rwanda is an easy and well-organized country. As long as you book early, especially for visits to the national parks, you shouldn't encounter any obstacles. However, if your budget allows it, in autonomous driving, a chauffeured vehicle is more comfortable, while still keeping the freedom to explore the cross-country trails. In the end, with an organized tour, even if you know what to expect, you will save time and you will be able to let yourself be totally carried and won over by the magic of this country. It's also a guarantee that you won't miss out on a must-see and the possibility of making other local discoveries.

Since 2013, smoking has been prohibited by law in public places, including restaurants, bars and hotels. Establishments are required to provide smoking areas. Smoking outside these areas can result in fines of up to 50,000 Frw. Shisha is also banned in Rwanda, as of 2017. Overall, you will not see any Rwandans smoking. Smokers are very discreet.