After a month in Nairobi and running down the limit of my tourist visa in South Africa, I felt there was another box to tick on the continent to round off the experience. After much research of viable destinations, Kigali emerged as one of the better options in Sub-Saharan Africa, looking like an ideal place to work from with a reputation for being one of the cleanest and safest cities in the region.
There isn't a huge selection of properties on the market when it comes to modern, high-quality apartments, but I had a great experience staying at the recently completed Urban Oasis apartment complex. I can't imagine there are many better options across the city, both with regard to its location and the quality of the fit-out.
Given the amount of construction going on in the city, the number of choices on the market is likely to grow year by year. Air conditioning is not a common feature, but there wasn't any time when it would have been required.
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New legislation
Recent changes introduced by the Turkish government has made short-term rentals for under 100 days more restricted. Keep an eye on Reddit threads for up-to-date assessments of how the new legislation is impacting short-term rentals in practice.
There's a sparse selection of dedicated coworking spaces across the city, but none quite at the standard as what you can get in Nairobi or in Europe. That being said, there is no shortage of coffee shops to work from and the quality of both Wifi and 4G across the country is impressive.
If you are earning a foreign wage, the cost of living in Kigali is very reasonable. Local food is tasty and particularly inexpensive (a good lunch can cost under £3), while international cuisine is more in line with what you may expect to pay in Europe.
You may want to budget ahead for excursions like Gorilla Trecking ,with prices commanding up to $1,500 a day due to the limited availability. The prices for guided safaris appeared to be in line with those in neighbouring Kenya.
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The yen is currently at a 34-year low
While this is undoubtedly a negative for the Japanese, it makes for an exceptionally good time to visit Japan from abroad. Although this trend is unlikely to reverse significantly in the short term, it's still worth checking before visiting.
Read moreAt its heart, Kigali is an inherently quiet city. It’s often hard to imagine that it has a population of over 1 million.
It lacks many of the typical characteristics you might expect from a European city, particularly a central urban focal point. Can it be considered boring? Perhaps. Can it still offer an enjoyable stay? Undoubtedly.
As long as you set your expectations accordingly, there is still much to appreciate, though it will undoubtedly be a more peaceful and serene experiences.
Rwanda follows Central African Time (CAT), placing it 1 hour ahead of Central European Time (CET) during the winter months of the year and aligning with CEST during the summer.
I've written a guide on how to structure your day to get the most out of the time difference.
Without doubt, being able to speak Spanish with a degree of fluency is a huge asset when visiting South America. I had always put off visiting the continent due to my Spanish skills not extending beyond requesting a "cerveza grande".
But even with my incredibly primitive linguistic capabilities, it was not in any way to the detriment of the trip. English is spoken sparsely, but armed with a few phrases, some polite enthusiasm and a translator, it shouldn't deter you from visiting.
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The quality of roads across the city centre is impressive, making cycling a viable option throughout the city.
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Buffets are a popular lunch option - this plate of avocado, stewed matoke, peanut sauce and grilled chicken wings comes in at £2.20(!)
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Kiyovu resembles something of a commercial hub in the city, but there is little of interest there.
Given the instability in Argentina over the past few years, I found that most advice on key topics, even if written within the last 12 months, bordered on being dangerously outdated.
I have attempted to summarise some of the most misleading points I encountered.
Card availability is now excellent across the city. Even if you are purchasing a single empanada, bananas from a greengrocer, or buying cans of beer off a man in the street before a football match. Some businesses may offer a 10% discount if you use cash, or charge a small surcharge for card payments.
"It's difficult to get a SUBE card"
This was true in recent years, as there had been a shortage of the cards across the city due to a lack of the plastics needed to create the card. I had no problems going to the nearest off-licence and getting a card on my first attempt. It's worth asking your Airbnb host who may have a spare.
The biggest misconception that may still linger, even if you are reading articles from 2023. If planning on eating out heavily, then expect European prices or even higher on more imported day-to-day goods. Eating out aside, day-to-day expenses are still good value by global measures.
This advice would continue to make sense for Americans who already have dollars, but I wouldn't recommend making an effort to purchase with the intent of exchanging them on the ground. Collecting money via Western Union was convenient and good value, which I would recommend to anyone visiting from outside the US.
"Make sure you get the blue-dollar rate"
The dramatic stabilisation of the peso by late 2024 means that this difference is nowhere near as significant as it was 12 months ago. At the time of writing, there was only a 10% difference between the official and blue rate. If you are only in the city for a short period you may not even have to grapple with this.
"Restaurant service is poor"
I did see some evidence of this, especially in cheaper, traditional restaurants. In comical fashion, drinks would not appear or the bill would never materialise. In more contemporary outlets, it was never a problem.
"It is a football mad city"
There is absolutely no doubt that this is as true as ever in 2024.
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