Before this East African trip, I had gone on a work trip to Barcelona and had the opportunity to also visit Amsterdam and Belgium in October of 2023. It felt terrific and I must admit, this is where I caught the travel bug. Ever since I got back, I had been itching for another trip.
Fast forward to Dec, I started to take interest in Zanzibar. If you’ve seen those pictures and videos from Zanzibar, you’d understand why I wanted to go there. Also, I thought it’d be the best place to start my solo traveling adventure as there were many activities to do that wouldn’t leave me feeling lonely, especially the aqua activities. The only problem was Nigerians required a visa (a process that wasn’t so straightforward) to enter Tanzania and for the time I was looking to travel, ticket prices had gone over the roof.
I started to research how to self-apply for a Tanzanian visa and everyone said to use an agent as you needed an invite from a Tanzanian citizen if you wanted to fast-track the application process. I saw posts from East African residents and Europeans who visited Zanzibar by road and a thought sprung up in my head – instead of 1.5m for a return ticket to Zanzibar, how about I fly to a cheaper destination and do the rest by road? The thrill I felt at this point was the confirmation I needed. I considered entering from Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. Kenya and Uganda had weird visa application processes and I wasn’t about to go back and forth, so I settled for Rwanda.
Rwanda is visa-free for Nigerians anyway, and although there was nothing online about them granting East African visas to Nigerians on arrival, I read some white travelers’ posts about getting the EAV on arrival for $100. I also asked Muna of Travelletters on Twitter if she knows about the EAV and she said confirmed Nigerians can get it. If you have a Nigerian passport, you’d understand why I have to double-check. Just to be safe, I booked a one-way ticket to Kigali, Rwanda, and tried to stay flexible just in case I don’t get the EAV, I can decide to come back home after 2 weeks in Kigali. Plus, there’s nothing much to do outside of those expensive Safari activities – or so I thought.
Checking in at the Lagos Airport, Rwandair refused to board me because I didn’t have a return ticket. On that spot, I was forced to pay for my return ticket, and because I arrived > 1 hour before check-in, I didn’t have the time to scour the internet for a cheaper ticket. At this point, I was beginning to panic. Luckily, I found a ticket under $500 but unfortunately, it was for Jan 24th and that’s how I was forced to spend 1 month and 15 days in East Africa. At this point, it was either I get the East African visa which will be valid for 3 months or I cry at immigration because the free single entry visa is for only 30 days.
💡 Some airlines allow you to hold a flight reservation for some days for a small amount of money. There are even some services that allow you to reserve a real ticket just to pass through immigration. Don’t be like me. Book your return flight or use those ticketing platforms.
Got to Kigali after 4hrs and it was giving low-budget Europe. Chilly, no one had prepared me for it, not even the Rwandan friends I met on Couchsurfing.
I moved through immigration swiftly and the officials were very kind and professional. I requested an EAV because I wanted to do a road trip across Uganda to Kenya. After sharing the details of the person I was going to be staying with (my couchsurfing friend – I can introduce you to him if you want to have a GOOD time in Kigali), I paid the $100 in cash and my passport was stamped. I highly recommend having someone’s name and number you can mention at immigration, it just makes your process smoother and faster. You won’t be sent back anyway if you mention Airbnb or a hotel, it just makes them pry further.
There was something definitely different about Kigali. The airport wasn’t crowded, officers on their best behavior, organized taxi pickups, the air was clean. Even though I landed around past 7, the city was lit from all angles and it was welcoming.
One of the things I don’t like about Lagos is the lack of trees and greenery; I fell in love so hard waking up to feeling nature – the trees, clear sky, hills, clean roads, and how people were unrushed (this is something I’d come to hate so bad in my road trip across country, lol) – sold this for me. I reckon Rwanda is the calmest in all of East Africa.
I don’t think there’s a Kigali travel guide/tour out on the internet that does not recommend GM. It was a sobering moment while in there and I think visiting helped me understand and appreciate Rwandaneses and their culture. More importantly, the average Rwandanese has a positive mindset towards their country, maybe it’s because every part of their city reminds them of the struggle of how they got here. Another place to visit for the genocide experience is the Nyamata Church. Whenever I tried going, it was either closed or I lost track of time. The Genocide Memorial costs nothing and although you can tip, you’re not obliged to. Although I went here when I was at Kabeze, it was just at the back of the Gisozi apartment. I’d always pass here on my way out every day.
Rwandanese are expressive people. They do this through their arts and music. There are several art galleries in Kigali. I visited the Inema Art Center and the Niyo Art Gallery because they were in the same area. Had plans to see Ivuka Arts Kigali but there were light showers and had to just return home. I had a not-so-good start at Inema because of the gigantic dog and I wished I had seen a heads-up online about the dog. The owner of Inema was around when I visited and engaged with people about the exhibitions but the dog scared the life out of me. The Niyo Arts Gallery was nice. It had more exhibitions than Inema (the latter is a private gallery), and there’s this chilled restaurant just at the entrance at Niyo. You could ideally work all day there while staring at the hills that surround the city.
The average restaurant becomes a club at night. Kigali is a very clean, cultured, and quiet place. Once it’s 1 am, everyone packs up according to law. However, be assured that there is always going to be a reason for you to shake your body every night. My Rwandanese friend took me to all the happening places and it was fun. There was so much variety in the choice of music ranging from all over Africa. The experience was a 10/10. I attended some live band events and I wasn’t disappointed.
This is one of the places that offers adrenaline activities. At Mt Kigali, you can hike the mountain and be wowed by views of the city of a thousand hills. I couldn’t hike that day because it rained and everywhere was muddy. However, I ziplined for the first time and it was so much FUN. I’m glad I did the quad biking as it proved to be an alternative for hiking as we couldn’t get enough of the views of the hills. I also made a Nigerian friend that day.
Many tourists will walk around Kigali during the day and while that is beautiful, a night walk is even more pleasing. The way Radisson Blu and the convention center lit up at night, chef kiss. Kigali is safe and well policed, but it’s always good to have someone around as the language barrier is a THING.
If I wasn’t on a budget, some other things I’d have done would be:
Before leaving Nigeria, I had planned to stay with my Rwandanese friends I met on Couchsurfing. However, it was my first time and I wasn’t that confident about staying with a male friend I met online, so I checked into a guest house that night. The place did what it needed to do for me that night and the next morning I checked into another apartment.
The second apartment I checked into was at Kabeze. I found it on Booking, it was a beautiful place, very similar to the apartments you have on the Island. Surprisingly, the owner of the apartment was a Nigerian and he (or his brother) had a Nigerian restaurant in Kigali. The jollof rice from their restaurant was so good, my Rwandanese friends tried jollof for the first time, and let me say, I won them over.
The Kabeze apartment was a bit far from where things happen in Kigali, however, a boda-boda or cab out and you should be fine. Beside the Kabeze apartment, there is an amusement park you can go to, especially if you have kids. The view from the apartment is also a 10/10. You can see the hills and the topography in general – it was uplifting.
The third apartment I stayed in was at Gisozi. I tried doing a road trip to Nyugwe Forest by myself but I lost my way. On getting back to Kigali, the hotel I booked canceled on me and I ended up staying in an apartment in Gisozi. Surprisingly, it was owned by a Nigerian. The good thing about this apartment here is there’s a hearty breakfast included as part of your stay. I got to this apartment sick and close to passing out due to not eating or drinking water during the 16-hour road trip to Nyungwe but the owner was kind enough to get me some drugs from the pharmacy. That meant a lot to me. Another reason that made my stay here interesting is there’s a Nigerian restaurant Gisozi and their jollof rice was so good. I had it for lunch for several days after I got back from Kenya.
There are tons of restaurants in Kigali and your options are limitless. The first day I arrived in Kigali, I had brochettes – it’s just beef and chips and it was delicious. Whenever I go to a restaurant, I usually order Pasta, Pizza, and Nyama Choma while alternating sides – ugali, chips, and rice. I also ate a lot from Nigerian restaurants. I was on a budget so I didn’t get to do restaurant hopping. I also had nice time working from Java House at Remera, their hot choclate and chocolate fudge was my fave.
I spent a total of $437.50 in Kigali for 15 days excluding flights which was $751.22. I would have spent less if I hadn’t taken that Nyungwe Forest trip which was a total flop and had me paying for medicine out of my pocket.
The cost of the guest house was 30,000RWF. The cost of my stay at Kabeze came down to $21 per night with a discount from Booking. That was the most expensive place I stayed in Kigali. My stay at Gisozi came down to about $11 per night with a discount code from Booking.
Nigerian food was expensive as always but for the value I got, it was worth it. The most expensive thing will be moving around. Cabs cost a lot and they are metered. I took bikes most times and it wasn’t the best because of the language barrier, but it served its purpose. The total cost I spent at Mt Kigali was about $25 for Ziplining and Quad Biking. Other miscellaneous expenses include purchasing sim card, data for when you’re outside of the hotel or apartment.
Special shout out to Eversend. Sending Naira to my Rwanda Momo line was so easy and it saved me in many situations where my card failed me.
I had a good time in Kigali, Rwanda and I would love to do this again at the end of the year. I think I found my location for my digital nomad break.
My solo travel adventure through East Africa with insights from this firsthand journey. Learn how to navigate visa hurdles, explore budget-friendly activities in Kigali, and discover affordable accommodations and dining options. From cultural experiences to adrenaline-pumping adventures, get ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant tapestry of Rwanda without breaking the bank.
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