Reset search
Rwanda
Satellite

Rwanda
Kicukiro District

Discover travel destinations of travelers writing a travel journal on FindPenguins.
Travelers at this place
    • Travelerstatus report 2022
      Day 85

      kigali (reload)

      August 18, 2022 in Rwanda ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

      Kigali merkt man den Umbruch wirklich an. Rwanda will etwas verändern und arbeitet dabei auch seine prekäre Vergangenheit offen auf. Heute zieren das Stadtbild Hauptstraßen, die unter anderem durch chinesische Fördergelder finanziert sind. Von ihnen gehen Straßen ab, die auf das frühere Stadtbild verweisen zu scheinen.

      You can really feel the upheaval in Kigali. Rwanda wants to change and is openly working through its precarious past. Today, the cityscape is adorned with main streets that are partly financed by Chinese subsidies. Streets that seem to refer to the former cityscape lead off from them.      Read more

      See translation
    • TravelerSoutheast Africa
      Day 37

      Lunch with Annie

      March 3, 2023 in Rwanda ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

      Lunch for today was something special. We'd found out about this lunch event happening in the private home of a Rwandan grandma. We went there by moto (Anne's ran out of fuel again...), and then enjoyed a wonderful three course lunch with fantastic views over the many hills of Kigali.

      Speaking of hills. One thing we were not quite clear about before we came was that Rwanda is known as the "Land of a thousand hills". A fitting name, because once you master one hill, another one awaits behind the next corner. These hills are everywhere.      Read more

    • Traveler2023
      Day 267

      Kigali, Rwanda

      September 13, 2023 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

      We had a few more days to fill in before our trip home from Johannesburg, so we took a three hour flight to Kigali. The city was green and very hilly. The locals seemed friendly and we felt very safe. Unfortunately mum was quite sick, so we didn’t do too much in the city. I really wanted to trek with the gorillas but it was extremely expensive and we didn’t have much time. The highlight of our visit to the city was the genocide memorial, where we learnt about the genocide between the Hutu and Tutsi people of Rwanda. It took place in 1994 and between 500000 and 80000 people were killed. The country has recovered remarkably well and now is a leader in Africa in many progressive areas (women’s right and climate change). Rwanda is also famous for it’s coffee culture so Alex and I enjoyed trying out the trendy cafes around the hillsides.Read more

    • TravelerSoutheast Africa
      Day 33

      Working from Impact Hub Kigali

      February 27, 2023 in Rwanda

      There is no WWF office in Rwanda, but a very active Impact Hub community. This morning the plan was to go to Impact Hub, Anne would give a presentation, and I would use the time to find a new home for the next week or so. Well, it turned out to be near impossible to find a cab for the 7min ride to IH. Whenever I ordered a taxi, the driver would immediately call me to reconfirm my location. A bit annoying in times of GPS, but easy to explain.

      But then they would just not show up! It was extremely frustrating. We ended up calling four different taxis across multiple platforms and even more attempts. Only after around 25min the second taxi we had called showed up, looong after I had already canceled the ride with him. He must've remembered the address, gone to run an errand, and then check up on us 20min later... Or something like that.

      Anyways, we finally had a taxi, and made it to IH a bit too late, but all was well. While Anne was working her magic, I worked mine, and after I finally heard back from our desired Airbnb's host (she's away on vacation, unable to host us this week, but would love to host us in Kigali *another time* - two magic words that would've been helpful to write in the first message she sent us), I found another incredible looking place within our budget not too far away, which was then immediately confirmed.

      When we got there in the evening after a day of work, it turned out that the room we rented was located *inside* of a super cozy looking coffee shop, through a door leading to the back area. There was a secret garden in the back, good for doing yoga or other exercise, unlimited fiber optic internet, and a good kitchen on site, with fresh breakfast included in the room rental. It was pretty cool 😎 It was owned and operated by a female entrepreneur that also operated a travel agency from within the premises.

      The coffee shop was super chill, and only closed from 10pm to 9am, so plenty of quiet time for restful sleep outside of opening hours.      Read more

    • Dobbs Away IIDobbs Without Jobs
      Day 104

      Kigali

      August 18, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

      A short, very scenic drive took us back to Kigali. However, poor timing meant we hit INSANE traffic and endless road closures as President Kagame’s inauguration ceremony was just wrapping up in the nearby stadium. It was also Friday rush-hour, and raining. It took us nearly 2 hours to find our way to the Airbnb we’d booked.
      We were very suspicious of Rwanda’s president, who has been described by some as a benevolent dictator and who won his 3rd term with ~98% of the vote. However, he is absolutely LOVED and REVERED by every Rwandan we’ve met. He’s credited with ending the genocide, unifying and re-building the country. It’s hard to argue with his results. The reality is that Rwanda has incredible infrastructure in terms of roads, quality of housing in the villages, and free education and good healthcare. This is a place where you feel corruption is not a big issue and that international aid is actually getting to the people.
      We decided to spend a few days in Kigali relaxing, exploring the city and visiting the excellent Genocide Memorial that explained in painful detail how the 100 days of killing unfolded.      Read more

    • TravelerTom et Momo au soleil
      2
      21
      Day 128

      La Suisse africaine : le Rwanda !

      March 13, 2019 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

      Oui oui, vous avez bien lu : le Rwanda ! Il nous évoque la Suisse pour sa propreté, son organisation, son développement, sa campagne verdoyante et vallonnée. A l'image du slogan de Kigali, le pays aux mille collines est "clean, green and safe" ! A mille lieues de l'idée qu'on pouvait se faire du Rwanda ! Ce long post pour vous partager notre fascination et notre admiration pour ce petit pays et ses habitants.

      Qu'on traverse le pays ou qu'on marche dans les ruelles proprettes et fleuries de Kigali, impossible d'imaginer l'horreur qui a frappé le Rwanda il y a exactement 25 ans. En seulement 100 jours, un million de Tutsis et Hutus modérés ont été massacrés par des Hutus extrémistes, sur une population d'environ 7 millions d'habitants. Autrement dit, 10 000 morts par jour pendant près de 3 mois, incluant femmes et enfants. La morbide apogée d'un conflit qui couvait depuis 30 ans. Terrifiant.

      Comment ce peuple réputé pacifique et uni a t il pu sombrer dans cette folie meurtrière ??? Tout est parti de la colonisation belge. Vu qu'on aime bien mettre des gens dans des cases, ils ont utilisé le statut Hutus/Tutsis pour créer 2 ethnies distinctes. Alors qu'originellement c'était un simple statut socio-economique qui pouvait s'acquérir ou se perdre : devenait Tutsis qui possédait plus de 10 vaches ! Après avoir catégorisé la population, favorisez une ethnie créée vis à vis de l'autre pour développer jalousie et rancœur, ajoutez quelques extrémistes pour attiser la haine, couvrez un bon moment et éloignez-vous pour regarder, de loin parce que c'est explosif, la lutte fratricide ainsi déclenchée.

      Les belges ne sont pas les seuls à blâmer ! Les Nations Unies n'ont pas bougé un petit doigt malgré le "plus jamais ça" martelé après chaque génocide. Et la France a même soutenu jusqu'au bout le régime génocidaire, en armant les Hutus extrémistes et en leur assurant la fuite en RDC en fin de génocide. Voilà voilà...

      Avoir tout ça en tête permet d'apprécier encore plus l'immense chemin parcouru. C'est le pays le plus développé qu'on ait visité. Pas un plastique ne traîne par terre, vu qu'ils sont interdits depuis 2008. Des salariés des municipalités balaient le bord des routes et entretiennent des jolis massifs fleuris. Les moto-taxis portent tous un casque + un 2eme pour leur passager. Tout est super organisé et les gens sont adorables. Et pas seulement dans la capitale. On hallucine complément, sommes nous vraiment en Afrique ?!

      Et surtout, comment ont-ils fait pour réunir un peuple qui s'entretuait ???
      Tout d'abord, en s'assurant que justice soit rendue. Ce qui a été fait au Rwanda de façon exemplaire, à tous les niveaux et dans un laps de temps relativement court. Un tribunal international pour ceux à la tête du génocide, et de très nombreux tribunaux populaires, de proximité, pour tous ceux impliqués de près ou de loin. Près de 2 millions de personnes y ont été jugées !! On ne sait pas combien ont été condamnées, mais toutes les personnes avouant et s'excusant pouvaient transformer une partie de leur peine en travaux d'intérêts généraux, afin de ne pas saturer les prisons déjà pleines et d'aider à la reconstruction du pays. Ces tribunaux populaires ont également joué un grand rôle de catharsis de masse, l'occasion pour les rescapés, traumatisés, de parler et de s'unir. De véritables thérapies de groupe !
      Ensuite les notions d'ethnies ont disparu au profit du sentiment d'appartenance au peuple rwandais. Pour renforcer l'unité et effacer les divisions artificiellement créées. Le nouveau gouvernement du président Paul Kagame a en outre judicieusement utilisé les aides internationales pour développer le pays.
      Enfin, il faut reconnaître l'intelligence humaine des rwandais, qui ont su ne pas tomber dans le cercle vicieux de rancœur et vengeance, et ont choisi d'aller de l'avant...

      Petit revers de la médaille, car tout n'est jamais tout rose, mais le gouvernement de Paul Kagame, au pouvoir depuis 19 ans, s'avère un poil autoritaire... Mais il reste plébiscité par une majorité de la population, auprès de qui il incarne unité, stabilité et développement. Après ce qu'ils ont vécu, on ne peut pas les blâmer !

      Venir au Rwanda, c'est se prouver que l'homme est capable du pire comme du meilleur... Et on vous assure qu'il faut le voir pour le croire !      Read more

      See translation
    • TravelerRwanda & Tanzania 2018
      Day 4

      Campaign Against Genocide Museum

      February 3, 2018 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

      Woke up finally around 10:00 am, effect of last night’s clubbing. Called up Joshua my car man and negotiated a per drop rate of RFW 4,000 with him as I didn’t want to hire him for the entire day. Had breakfast at the sky lounge after bathing.

      Headed out for the Campaign Against Genocide museum located within the Parliamentary building driving through the neat and beautiful city of Kigali. Security at the gate was tight, had to come down from the car for a thorough check, and then pass through a scanner. The museum was opened late last year by the president and gave in a chronological order the battles fought by the RPF to recapture the country from the genocidal forces of the government in power, it also shows the connivance of the French government in providing cover for the genocidal forces under the disguise of providing humanitarian services, this probably prompted the government to switch from a French speaking to English speaking country years later. The visit was well worth it even though I had to pay RFW 6,000 as entry fee (foreigners entry fee into all museums in Rwanda)

      Left the museum stopped over at the hotel to pick up my power bank before heading off to Afrika Bite for a local meal of rice with beans source and beef, with a helping of mashed plantain. It was a nice meal, but the mashed plantain was too hard to eat.

      After lunch I visited Kigali Height, bought an interesting book on Rwanda and had a 3 flavor ice cream at Java Café. Eventually left the Kigali Height for the hotel at 6:00 pm      Read more

    • TravelerRwanda & Tanzania 2018
      Day 2

      Arrived Kigali, Rwanda

      February 1, 2018 in Rwanda ⋅ 23 °C

      Woke up at 6:00 am to get ready for the trip. Went down for a buffet breakfast. Left for the airport at 11:30 am arriving 11:52 am. Check in was smooth. Luggage were scanned at the entrance into MMA. Not much queue at the RwandAir checkin counter. No queue at the immigration counter just before the security scanners.

      Flight took off at 13:45 hrs naija time and after traveling for 4 hrs we landed at Kigali airport at 20:45 hrs local time (19:45 hrs naija time). Joined the visa queue, no visa form to fill. On getting to the immigration official I was asked nature of my visit, duration of stay and where I plan to stay and if I have any local contact, thereafter I was asked to pay $30 for the visa which was then stamped onto my passport.

      Met an old colleague, Norbert on the Visa queue. Says he runs a business here and visits 6 times a year. He was a bit guarded with information so I didn’t press him for more info.

      Taxi driver was at the arrival hall waiting for me with my name on a cardboard paper.

      Changed $200 to RFW 170,000 and then wasted a lot of time buying an MTN sim card. Paid RFW 600 (RFW 200 for sim, RFW 200 for 1 week 1.5GB data and RFW 200 for voice calls). Phone refused to recognize the sim card and kept showing emergency call all night till next morning.

      Asked the driver what he would charge to drive me around the next day and he called out RFW 60,000 after much discussions he agreed for RFW 45,000. I insisted for RFW 30,000 not sure he accepted but he said he would come for me at 10:00 am next morning. Eventually got to the hotel quite late almost 10:30 pm, went to the restaurant order a rice and beef meal with a bottle of sprite. The room is very big and spacious but looks old and worn out.      Read more

    • TravelerRwanda & Tanzania 2018
      Day 3

      Kigali Musuem & Memorial Visits

      February 2, 2018 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

      Woke up at 6am tried to sleep again but no luck. Ivans, Juliet’s friend called to tell me he has organized a taxi to take me around all day for RFW 35,000 but if I do half day I can pay RFW 20,000. So I sent an SMS to the airport taxi guy cancelling our arrangement, but he later called after Ivan’s driver had arrived stating he was also available. I thank him and promised to use him on subsequent outings.

      Left the hotel at 10:00am. Our 1st point of call was Kandt house / museum of Natural history. Paid RFW 600 as a foreigner, was assigned a guide. The museum was nicely arranged, with picures from 1907 depicting the life of the people and the conquest of Rwanda 1st by the Germans and later by the Belgians who took over during world war 1 when Germany was defeated.

      Other places visited were in the following order:
      • Drive around Nyamirambo
      • University of Rwanda
      • Belgian Soldier Memorial
      • Kigali Genocide Memorial center

      After which I met up with Ivans for lunch at Java coffee shop at Kigali Heights.
      After lunch I continued to the Presidential Palace Museum, a large palatial house built for the Belgian administrator and later occupied by the first 2 presidents of Rwanda, also visited the crash site of the presidential plane shot down in 1994 while carrying the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi, this act is believed to have triggered the genocide.

      Got back to the hotel at 16:40 hrs. Waited endlessly for Ivan to pick me up he finally came at 22:30 hrs with his cousin and namesake. We headed off to Riders Lounge at Kampala height for drinks. I ordered Skool larger bear, tasted nice like naija beer, another cousin of his Phina short for Josephine working with GT Bank joined us. We left Riders at 1:30 am for Sundowner Lounge and spent another hour there before they announced that they would drop me off at Cocobean night club. The club was packed full no space to move, I couldn’t locate Norbert so I told my host (Ivan’s Cousin) we should leave. We later stopped over at Papayrus to buy Brochete (Goat suya). I couldn’t taste the goat in the meat. Took a taxi for RFW 5,000 back to the hotel at about 03:30 am      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Kicukiro District, District de Kicukiro, Akarere ka Kicukiro

    Join us:

    FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android

    • 2024© FindPenguins
    • Home
    • About us
    • Blog
    • Group Tracking
    • Press
    • Terms
    • Privacy Policy & Cookies
    • Support
    • Legal notice
    • English