Follow up Workshop on a Pilot Design for Air Quality in Africa - Rwanda Travel Information
See a list of general Rwanda information below
Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements
U.S. passports must be valid for six months after the date of entry into Rwanda. Travelers can obtain a Rwandan visa through the following procedures: Obtain a 30-day tourist visa at the port of entry for $50 (single entry) or $70 (multiple entry).
Currency
1 Rwandan franc = 0.00096 United States Dollar
Accommodation
The most popular hotels are:
Radisson Blu
https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-blu-convention-kigali
Marriott
https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/kglmc-kigali-marriott-hotel/overview/
Serena Hotel
https://www.serenahotels.com/kigali
Ubumwe Grand Hotel
https://www.ubumwegrandehotel.com/
Heaven Boutique Hotel
All of the above hotels are close to Kigali City Center and are about a 20-30 drive to the CMU-Africa Campus. The conference site will be at CMU-Africa 2 – our campus is located at the Special Economic Zone, Zone Phase II, Kigali, Rwanda.
The Special Economic Zone is a new development by the Government of Rwanda and is designed to be an innovation hub and it’s a bit out of the city center, (20-30 minute drive) but most of the good hotels are in the city center,
Trip advisor list of best hotels in Kigali
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g293829-Kigali_Kigali_Province-Hotels.html
Affordable and Good Quality Local Hotels
Hotel Portofino - decent hotel with a nice pool. They have their own restaurant and they are not far from a few restaurants. It shows up as $44 per night when I look at some dates around the conference. You might check yourself or call the hotel.
https://www.hotelvillaportofinokigali.com/
This is the closest hotel to the conference location (but still needs transport to get to the conference):
https://olympichotel.rw/
It is $60 per night for a single. You can contact them for a better rate.
Rwanda Information
- Time zone: Central Africa Time (GMT/UTC+2hours)
- Capital: The political and economical city of Rwanda is Kigali.
- Language: Kinyarwanda is the mother tongue and the commonly spoken language by the locals. Additionally French and English are also official languages.
- Visa: Any genuine acceptable travel document valid not less than 6 months. Rwanda is visa on arrival for everyone, for more information see here. A single entry, Free of charge and it is given at the entry point is provided for countries which are part of the African Union, Commonwealth, and la Francophonie for a stay not more than 30 days. For others (e.g. US citizens) it is $50USD. You can pay with cash or a credit card when you arrive at the airport.
- Currency: Cash payments are made in Rwandan Francs (1USD= 1060Rwf, National Bank of Rwanda average rate as of 06th/12/2022). Please note that small bills (Below US $50), the exchange rate is smaller.
- Payments: A growing number of places accept credit and debit cards, with Visa being more widely accepted than Mastercard. It’s best to check when making a booking.
- What to wear: The forecasted weather is 62°F - 81°F (17° - 27°C), light clothing is usually preferrable but you might want to bring a light sweater or jacket as there is a chance of rainfall in January.
- Please refrain from bringing plastic bags to Rwanda
- Power adapter: plugs in Rwanda are the same as in most of Europe — two-pronged, round plugs (type C); the voltage is 240V.
- Health: Covid-19 testing is no longer a requirement prior to coming or departing from Rwanda. However, regular Covid-19 testing is encouraged.