Language and privacy are some of the main reasons why sometimes people prefer to do self-guided tours in Africa. In the case of Rwanda, self-guided tours usually come with a need to rent a car. There are usually two car rental options, renting a car for self drive in Rwanda or hiring a car with a driver.
In the case of self guided tours, renting a car for self drive in Rwanda seems to be more desirable than renting a car with a driver. So here are some of the things you will need to know before you rent a car in Rwanda for your self guided tour around the land of a thousand hills.
Driving License
In Rwanda, you do not need an international driving license to rent a car. Your local driving license can suffice as long as you have not been in Rwanda for more than three months.
Automated Traffic Tickets
Rwanda has automated traffic tickets. Therefore if you are to rent a car for self drive in Rwanda, always remember that you may incur more fees by simply making mistakes on the road. If you hire a car in Rwanda, continually check the traffic fines portal to ensure that you do not end up paying surcharges for failure to clear your traffic fines in time.
Required Documents
Besides the driving license which we already mentioned, you will need to present a valid identity document. In most cases, car rental agencies prefer passports to national identity cards.
Popular Destinations For Rwanda Self Guided Tours
Once you have your car to explore Rwanda at your own pace, you would wish to know some of the destinations to consider adding to your list of destinations. These include but not limited to:
- Volcanoes National park
- Akagera National Park
- Nyungwe Forest National park
- Kigali Genocide Memorial
- Lake Kivu
Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park is the prime destination for Rwanda safaris. The park offers main gorilla trekking safaris making it the most sought-after destination in Rwanda. A gorilla trekking permit goes for $1500 for a foreign non-resident and a minimum age requirement of 15 years.
The same park also offers golden monkey tracking an activity that can only be done in Rwanda and Uganda for now given the fact that these species are only found in the Virunga conservation area which encompasses Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Akagera National park
Akagera is Rwanda’s only savannah national park. Given the hilly nature of the country, it is hard to imagine a savannah in this Land. Akagera National Park stands out as a popular destination for encountering Africa’s big five in Rwanda. It is the only park in Rwanda where game drives are possible
Nyungwe Forest National Park
Chimpanzee tracking is another important activity to do in Rwanda and it is currently only possible in Nyungwe Forest National Park. Though chimpanzee tracking is one of the things that set Nyungwe forest apart, it is also popular for its canopy walk.
Kigali Genocide Memorial
Rwanda is one of the countries with the darkest recent history on the African continent. The 1994 Rwanda genocide is one of the things that made Rwanda what it is today. It could be that Rwanda is currently the only African country that has chosen to ditch tribal identities and focus on building a non-tribal-based nation.
Part of the history that inspired this shift can be witnessed when you visit the Kigali genocide memorial where some of the remains of the genocide victims were laid to rest.
Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu is one of the places that will you some of the best aquatic experiences that Rwanda has to offer. One of the things that stand out in this place is the swimming cows. If you intend to complete a self-guided tour in Rwanda, Lake Kivu should be considered your second last destination before returning to Kigali because it is very good for relaxing.
In conclusion, if you are planning a self-guided tour in Rwanda, consider hiring a car for self-drive and drafting an itinerary that avoids backtracking.