I’ve been planning this Christmas/New Year trip since I arrived in Uganda six months ago. With my current work permit, I can just go to Kenya or Rwanda whenever I please because it will be visa free and I only need an Interstate pass.

By October, I already booked my accommodation and plotted my itinerary. Come December, I encountered a couple of hiccups mostly brought by my work commitments so I needed to cut my travels and just accept that a couple hundred dollars that I paid for a non-refundable airbnb will go to waste.

I’ll write about my experience in Kigali first because it’s still fresh. Actually, I’m currently waiting for the bus to Kampala to leave the terminal. I don’t have a data bundle so I’m really bored.

My original plan for my Kigali trip is to stay in the city from the 27th of December to the 2nd of January but due to unprecedented circumstances, I needed to cut my trip to December 30 to January 2. And with what happened in Nairobi, I did my last minute research for the d&d’s in Kigali. That’s when I came across GoKigali, the best tour company in Rwanda.

I was alone for the entire tour. I got the half-day option because I’m not sure at first if I could make it for the full-day tour.. I paid 55 USD for the entire tour and it was a 55 USD well spent.

Question Coffee. The tour started with coffee tasting in Question Coffee. The barista willingly explained all the process to get the flat white which I ordered for that afternoon. This coffee shop uses locally-grown Rwandan coffee beans which really helps local farmers and provides sustainable life for the locals. The coffee that I ordered was so good I needed to buy a bag of freshly roasted coffee beans for myself.

Boat Ride. We also tried this boat tour from one part of Kigali to this residential area. It’s situated in a lake and the boat ride helps reduce the travel time for the residents going to the city proper.

Mural Walk. I love a good mural. And the murals in Kigali did not disappoint. Every mural has its own story or agenda. There’s one for every topic you can think of. Equality, teamwork, HIV/AIDS awareness, women empowerment, education, nationalism, etc.

Kimisagara Market. Next agenda is this local market. I’ve been to different markets here in Uganda but there’s something with the busyness of this particular market that makes it special. I had the chance to try some of the local fruits also like the passion fruit, local banana, and the tree tomato which is my favorite.

Milk Bar. I’m lactose intolerant but tasting fresh warm milk makes my cold heart warm too. Milk is very important in Rwandan culture. The common welcome drink is coffee, tea or beer. But in Rwanda, the welcome drink is milk. They even have milk bars which is very cool. People flock to these places just for a cup of warm milk and some snacks.

Mt. Kigali. We are very lucky we encountered a group of monkeys here. There’s also a breathtaking view of Kigali from up here.

I really enjoyed my tour of Kigali. I learned a lot and I’m craving for more. I’m looking forward for the lenten season and come back to this glorious city of Rwanda.