Packing up to permanently leave Uganda? You may want to read this.
Don’t panic – the Muzungu has no plans to leave Uganda! – but the reality of expat life is that many people move on after a few years’ living in the Pearl of Africa.
In this week’s guest post, Flavia and Mark share some insights with Diary of a Muzungu readers:
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to leave Uganda permanently, after having lived in the country for a long, or maybe, a short time?
Or are you planning ahead of your uproot from your home country to Uganda? If so, this read was curated for you too. In a few paragraphs – and presumably delicate scrolls – you will get up to speed with the legal and financial aspects involved in leaving Uganda permanently.
In a similar situation as yours, many expats leave Uganda to look for a new adventure, employment in a foreign country, or to simply return to their country of origin. However, many people wonder “What does it take to start the process of leaving the country indefinitely?”
‘Do I just pack my bags and head for the airport? Or are there procedures to be followed?’
Permanently leaving Uganda, whether you’re an expat, employee, or businessperson, must be easy, wouldn’t you think? Here are some insights on a few things you may need to work through before packing up.
If you stick around long enough, you will learn a lot; how to deal with your departure process when it comes to work or business engagements, tax implications and even, how to handle your landlord or effectively dispose of property.
Planning on how to leave your current employer on good terms
All contracts of employment in Uganda are governed by the country’s Employment laws.
So, what exactly does this mean?
If you are an independent contractor, you will be required to complete any pending engagements to the satisfaction of your clients before leaving the country.
However if you are engaged under an employment contract, you will be required to formally end your employment before your departure. This can be triggered through resignation with prior notice. There are no fast and hard rules about resigning but it’s important to do it professionally and graciously. At this point, you might ask:
‘What happens to the money I have saved up with the National Social Security Fund(“NSSF”)?’
As a member of NSSF, your employer is required to remit 15% of your monthly income as savings. The 15% is a shared responsibility between you and your employer, where 5% is deducted from your monthly salary while your employer remits 10% of your gross monthly salary to NSSF. Once you decide to permanently leave Uganda, you are entitled to the payment of your remitted savings for at least four financial years. The claim for your savings is made online on the NSSF portal, or your nearest NSSF office. To support your claim, the following documents are necessary:
- Current passport size photo.
- Copy of your passport with a valid work permit.
- Proof of your bank details. The bank account must be held in the country you are heading to.
- Resignation letter, termination letter, or any document showing severance of the prior employment relationship in Uganda.
- Evidence of permanent residence status or citizenship in the Country you are moving to.
- Evidence of exit from Uganda e.g. exit stamp from Uganda and/or entry stamp to destination country.
- Notarized Passport and/or permanent residence card (if claiming online).
Expats running businesses
“Alright, but I run a business in Uganda, and before I leave I would like to dissolve my partnership, transfer stakes, or dissolve my company?” This shouldn’t be strenuous, right?
Getting out of a partnership
For starters, a partnership venture may not take so much time to dissolve since you may have a partnership deed that indicates the terms of dissolution. However, in case you have no such clause in the deed, the partnership can be dissolved by an agreement between you and your partner(s).
Leaving a company as a shareholder
Upon reaching the decision to leave Uganda permanently, and you desire to sell your shareholding, in order to have a smooth process you should consider doing the following;
- Engaging with other shareholders in order to reach a consensus on any outstanding obligations and also to set up a road map for your exit from the company.
- Conducting a financial audit.
- Valuing your shareholding to arrive at a fair market value at which you can sell your shares.
At this point, a common question comes to mind:
“What if I fail to find buyers for my shareholding?”
An alternative to selling your stake would be to dissolve the company altogether. However, we hate to say this but, the process of shareholders dissolving a company, is slightly longer than that of transferring shares or that of dissolving a partnership.
Engaging the Taxman
When you are no longer generating income in Uganda owing to your pending departure, you may consider applying to the Commissioner General of the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to deregister your Tax Identification Number (TIN).
Dealing with a Landlord
Just like any other relationship, landlord – tenant relationships are different for everyone. However, the relationship between the two is usually governed by the Tenancy Agreement. Termination of this contract, to some, may mean the beginning of exit obligations, for example, restoring the premises.
Disposal of assets
When most of the processes are over and you are drawing closer to the departure day, if you still possess property, you are at liberty to dispose of them before leaving Uganda.
Now let’s talk about safety for you and your loved ones
COVID-19
At the time of writing, it is mandatory to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of your departure from Uganda. Tests can be done from any accredited laboratory. Before you travel read Latest COVID-19 health measures at Entebbe International Airport, which is updated regularly.
Travelling with Pets
If you plan on travelling with your pet, or “fur buddy,” here is a roundup of what you may need to do to avoid inconveniences.
The first thing to do is contact the airline you are planning to fly with for full information.
Depending on the country you are travelling to, you may need a microchip for the pet, rabies vaccination, and a health certificate. Additional blood tests may also be required.
Finally you will need to register your pet with the airline, make payment and ensure that they are placed in a cage or kennel for the duration of the flight.
Lastly, the process of leaving Uganda can be quite unsettling especially if you are a business owner or have spent a considerable amount of time in the country.
However, with an exit process plan, coupled with professional advice, you can be able to seamlessly overcome the numerous obstacles that may lie ahead, and be packing within no time.
The guest writers are Kampala-based multi-disciplinary lawyers who specialise in relocation services for expats. In case of any questions or need for clarifications regarding this guest post, please reach the writers directly on the following contacts:
Flavia Asiimwe, LLB (Hons) University of Kent (UK)
Tel: +256 773360315 Email: fasiimwe@origolaw.ug
Mark Kizza, CTA (ICPAU), LLB (Hons) Makerere University
Tel: +256773091830 Email: mkizza@origolaw.ug
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Please read my Guests Posts page for guidelines on the kinds of stories I feature on Diary of a Muzungu.
Miss Tourism Uganda leads clean-up of Fort Portal
Miss Tourism Uganda to lead 3-day clean-up of Fort Portal 29th October 2021. Environment conservation is a top priority for the reigning Miss Tourism of Uganda as she makes her maiden visit to Tooro land
In this week’s Guest Post, Isaiah Mwesige of AFRIYEA (African Young Environment Activists) invites us to join 3 days of environmental activities in Fort Portal. I’ve been following Isaiah’s work for a little while. His passion and commitment are infectious – let’s do what we can to help suport his excellent environmental campaigns!
Isaiah writes:
The world is faced with adverse effects of global warming and climate change which define a crisis of our time. This is happening more quickly than we feared which has affected most major sectors of the economy not sparing the tourism industry as well. However, we are far from powerless in the face of this global threat. As António Guterre, United Nations Secretary-General pointed out in 2019, “the climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win.”
For Miss Tourism Uganda, majority of her efforts are being put into environmental conservation through activities such as tree planting, plastic collection, proper disposal of waste and awareness campaigns. These are among the key highlights on her agenda for her maiden visit to Fort Portal under the theme “An eco-friendly environment for sustainable tourism and economic growth,” organized by Fort Portal Tourism City Council in collaboration with AFRIYEA, scheduled for 29th October 2021.
Fort Portal has a mostly tropical climate characterized by stable rainfall patterns. However, the effects of climate change have turned the seasons around with the area experiencing shorter or longer rains and harsher dry seasons.
Since the elevation of Fort Portal municipality to a tourism city, different stakeholders have joined efforts to protect and conserve the environment
As we all know, the Rwenzori region in which Fort Portal lies is a hub for most of the tourism sites in Uganda and it is upon this basis that key regionl role players have collectively worked to create sustainable environments which will bring in more investment opportunities through tourism and other sectors.
As everyone gets ready for the homecoming of Queen Suzan Adyeeri, the Uganda Miss Tourism 2021, notable leaders are pledging full support towards the success of this event. These include: the City Mayor, the Resident City Commissioner, the Security Forces and their respective offices. Through good terms and coordination, AFRIYEA has been able to organize Miss Tourism Uganda’s homecoming event. This will be followed by 2 days of environmental conservation thus making it a 3 days event of thorough cleaning of Fort Portal City, tree planting, and proper waste management especially along the banks of River Mpanga.
The prestigious visit of Miss Uganda to Fort Portal is aimed at conserving the environment whilst boosting the tourism potential in Tooro.
Fort Portal city has embarked on her journey of being the cleanest city in Uganda. The campaign is fronted by His Worship Asaba Edson Ruyonga, the Mayor of Fort Portal City. His team are working with stakeholders that include learning institutions (Mountains of the Moon University, FINS Medical University), religious institutions, private companies (Kalya Courts Hotel, Nyaika Hotel, AADI Enterprises), civil society organizations (KRC, RFPJ), non-governmental organizations (JESE, IDP, AFRIYEA, Protos, Enabel) and several other partners both new and old. All of these shall be taking part in the prestigious visit of Miss Uganda to Toro region and you are welcome to join us!
Are you in Fort Portal on 29th October?
We welcome volunteers from all walks of life to plant trees, make a donation, promote the event or help clean the streets and River Mpanga.
Out of my element: climbing Mount Elgon
Do you love a physical challenge? In this week’s Guest Post, Jean Byamugisha, CEO of the Uganda Hotel Owners Association swaps her self-confessed boujee lifestyle for walking boots and a tent!
Sleeping in a tent up a mountain – for several days in a row – is not for the faint-hearted, especially when it is your first time camping! Add a rainstorm, heavy walking boots, difficult terrain (and no hot showers for two days) and you start to get a picture of how demanding a hike can be. Jean shares a personal account of the demanding climb of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda, a hiking adventure that led her on a journey of many personal firsts. Congratulations on this huge endeavour Jean – and thanks for sharing your story!
Going beyond my comfort zone
On Good Friday 2021, Adolfo and I set off on what I deemed to be the craziest holiday I’ve ever taken – conquering the mighty Mount Elgon. I say it was crazy because it was so out of my element. My idea of a holiday is – and has always been – a 5 star hotel, with a 7×7 wide bed and 500 thread count Egyptian cotton bed sheets. A swimming pool and spa don’t hurt either. For all intents and purposes, I am a girl that loves a ‘boujee’ holiday.
Adolfo organised our hiking trip after I lost a bet. He wanted to get me out of my comfort zone and also take a ‘bite’ of his world. As an experienced mountain climber, who has even scaled – what looks impossible to me – Mount Rwenzori and all the Virunga volcanoes, he was very much looking forward to climbing Mount Elgon. For me, on the other hand, it was a different story.
Climbing with experienced climbers has both its advantages and disadvantages: my biggest fear was not being in shape and holding back the team so my first order of business was getting in shape. For the most part, I do some simple exercises and eat clean but to climb Mount Elgon, I had to up the ante; I had to go to the gym. I took on a personal trainer and worked out six days a week, from 5.30 – 8.30 am in preparation for our trip.
We arrived in eastern Uganda late and spent the eve of our hike at the Uganda Wildlife Authority banda accommodation in Kapchorwa on the edge of Mount Elgon National Park. Adolfo – or “Alfie” as I like to call him – had estimated that we could climb Mount Elgon in three days, spending two nights in the bush. However, after discussing the route options with the UWA guides, we were advised to spend an extra night at the top as the distance would be too tough for an inexperienced climber like myself. This, we agreed to. After making all the payments with UWA, we entered Mount Elgon National Park via Kapkwata Gate setting off a bit late (10 am). Our team of seven climbers were me (Jean Byamugisha), “Alfie” Adolfo, two UWA rangers, two porters and a cook.
“When I look at the videos of my Mount Elgon hike now, I can see my state of mind change: when I started the hike, I was full of beans; when I finally came down the mountain … I looked and felt so ratchet!!!”
Jean Byamugisha is all smiles as she sets off on day one of her Mount Elgon hike
Day 1 on Mount Elgon – a shock to the system! Overnight at Pichwa Camp
For a novice, the walk up was fair. Compared to all other routes, our route was by far the most gentle of them all. However, the hike was a shock to my system despite all the work I had done in the gym.
By the time we reached Pichwa Camp, an eight-hour walk later, I had sweated beyond what I ever thought possible. However, I was still strong and felt no aches.
After a quick meal and relaxation, I felt like ‘myself’ once again. I managed to take a hot bathe and eat a heavy dinner. Alfie and I even mastered the strength to walk around the camp and visit some local communities in the evening.
This was the first time I was sleeping in a tent. It was quite comfortable thanks to Adolfo’s advice; he had made sure I came equipped with the right gear. Previously, I had no idea about the different types of sleeping bag, mattresses and waterproof tents that would be invaluable in keeping me warm during the night.
Pichwa Camp was the last place with telephone network; after checking in with home and making sure all our loved ones were ok, we set our phones to airplane mode and braced ourselves for what was to be an excruciating day two.
Day 2 on Mount Elgon – higher and colder at Hunters Cave
We woke up at 6:30 am on day two. The cook and UWA staff had breakfast ready and we set off a few minutes before 8 o’clock since day two was going to be a much longer hike.
Day two was much harder on me than day one. The hike was longer, the climb steeper and the weather hotter. Although I had managed to keep up with the team on day one, by day two I was starting to fall a few minutes behind. The higher we went, the thinner the air got, making the climb more difficult with each step.
On the flip side, the vegetation changed at different altitudes and the views from the top of Mount Elgon were simply breath-taking. Being a small team, we had the whole mountain to ourselves; this made it even more special and – dare I say – romantic. Adolfo took on the difficult task of documenting the entire trip. For a girl who loves selfies and pictures, this was amazing (not so much for Adolfo who had to keep at it for the whole trip!)
“While the gym tests your fitness levels, the hike up a mountain tests your endurance levels and many times this is beyond anything the gym can prepare you for.”
Jean Byamugisha
Day two really knocked my body off balance. We arrived at our second stop, Hunters Cave, 12 hours after leaving Pichwa Camp. I was exhausted but – thanks again to the gym sessions – I didn’t have any aches or muscle pulls of any kind.
Hunters Cave was a completely different experience from Pichwa Camp. We were completely in the bush: no bathroom facility, no kitchen and no rooms. Worse yet, it was a much higher altitude and a lot colder than the previous nights. It felt like negative degrees centigrade at this point. For a ‘boujee’ girl like myself this was a complete nightmare. I had to use the bush for all private activities like taking a shower – and worse – going to the toilet. Most shockingly, I enjoyed this experience, mainly because Adolfo made it fun. Actually, without him, I’d never have dreamed of taking on such a challenge in the first place. He carried his favourite speaker and always played music in the camp which cheered everyone and made us forget about the tough hours we had spent walking up the mountain.
We had a lovely dinner of local chicken and rice at Hunters Cave; this was a very welcome delicacy at this point. Taking on such a humongous challenge requires a lot of energy which means that one needs to eat a lot of food. This was a struggle for me who is used to only eating one solid meal a day. Adolfo had articulated the importance of eating a lot on this trip but it’s not something I took seriously; I soon paid for my stubbornness.
Adolfo pitched our tent while I sat with the rest of the guys near the fire as they made dinner. The weather was extremely cold at this altitude and it rained a lot during the course of the night. Once again, it was agreed that we would leave the camp by 8 am as day three was going to be a longer day. I literally passed out when my head hit the sleeping bag. My body was beginning to show signs of fatigue and dehydration.
Day 3 on Mount Elgon – altitude sickness at Mudde Camp
We woke up again early on day three. I still had no aches at this point and felt fit enough to continue the climb, only wishing I had a few more hours of sleep. Waking up in the mornings is hard for me and ordinarily, I am a late riser. This was worsened by sleeping in the bush and being dead tired after walking over 12 hours each day.
“I started off our third day on Mount Elgon feeling like I was running on empty. I felt weak, fatigued and sleep deprived. This was the point at which I started wondering… what in the world made me crazy enough to take on a challenge like this?”
My pace fell several minutes behind the team and I felt extremely weak. I suffered from altitude sickness and at one point I felt like I was about to faint. Adolfo had warned me about not eating enough and this was the day his warning came to pass. The team organised a few breaks where we stopped to eat some pineapples for energy. Adolfo had also packed some high sugar sweets to give one energy in such instances. These helped but day three still felt like a bad dream.
Beyond the physical effort of climbing Mount Elgon, it was an incredible experience to take in Elgon’s beautiful caldera, which I came to know as the second largest caldera in the world. It was also amazing to see the stunning vegetation at this altitude; it looked like something out of an alien movie.
At the lunch stop, I managed to take in enough food to give me the energy needed to complete this leg of the hike. Day three was by far the toughest part of the Elgon hike up to this point. It was made worse by torrential rain which we had no choice but walk through to make sure we reached the next camp before nightfall.
The last night before we started our descent was by far the toughest of the entire hiking trip. Once again, I was lucky not to have any body or leg aches but at this point my body was beaten to a pulp with fatigue. Having almost fainted the day before, I was weak and completely worn out. I dreamt of taking a long hot shower and sleeping in a warm comfy bed. This was also one of the coldest nights of the trip. Despite all this however, I was excited that this was the last night on the mountain.
For the most part, climbing Mt Elgon was fun and – other than the fatigue of walking 12 hours a day – my body was strong.
Day 4 on Mount Elgon – my biggest fear becomes a reality
The last day of the hike was filled with so much hope and excitement. I was excited to finally be returning to civilisation but, most importantly, I was excited that I would count hiking Mount Elgon as one of my greatest achievements. This experience was definitely one for my books. However, I didn’t take into account what an overwhelming feat it was going to be to climb down the mountain. I was informed that it usually takes 8 hours to get to the bottom (and I thought maybe I would do it in 6 hours). This was not to be.
We set off after a sumptuous breakfast of the Uganda delicacy, rolex. I had learned my lesson from the previous day and started day four with a pretty heavy breakfast. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and Adolfo and I even signed our names on the camp door before we left. After taking the obligatory final picture with the rest of the team, off I went, literally hopping down the mountain.
The guides did warn me that climbing down Mount Elgon was in many cases more challenging than actually walking up but I didn’t believe them; it seemed a lot easier to start with, until my boots started hurting my toes. Mountain climbing boots are unlike any other kind of ladies shoes (especially high heels, my shoe of choice for most of my daily chores). Mountain boots are tougher and heavier, and can make your feet more sore when it rains. The weather on the mountain changes from hour to hour. Very soon, the warm bright sun gave way to a dark cloud that turned into heavy rain. This made the descent almost impossible and a lot slower than I had tuned my mind to tolerate. I fell hours behind the rest of the team, especially when my boots started squeezing my toes as I tried to prevent myself from falling in the mud.
My biggest fear became a reality: I was holding the team back. Adolfo would wait for me at different stops but it soon became clear that I needed to descend at my own pace because my legs could not carry me as fast as the rest of team. If I tried to keep up with them, I’d hurt myself even more. The worst was yet to come: due to the pressure of the constant downward incline, I hurt one of my knees. The pain was excruciating. My guide, Justin, sympathised with me and remained by my side the whole way down. Adolfo kept encouraging me; for him I made sure I powered through without complaining because I could see everyone doing their best to make it easy on me. It took almost 12 hours of a very slow, very painful slope to reach the team (who waited almost two hours for me to reach them at the rendez-vous spot).
Lessons learned from my first Ugandan hiking adventure
Climbing Mount Elgon was by far one of the best and most exciting holidays of my life. It took me out of my comfort zone and made me realise I am a lot stronger than I ever gave myself credit for. Crazy as it felt, I’m sure I’d do it again… although not for at least the next 6 months!
“One of my biggest regrets is not making it to the peak of Wagagai. We were just four hours away from the summit but were advised that for safety reasons, we should start to descend since we had a 12-hour hike ahead of us. This was the right decision because it ended up being a very exhausting day.”
Tips for climbing Mount Elgon
Through my experience hiking Mount Elgon, I learned some lessons that I feel every new climber should consider before attempting such an activity:
1. Climb with someone you love and care about (better if they have experience hiking mountains). The only person I could ever have done this with is Alfie. Enough said on this one 😊
2. Get in shape before attempting to go hiking. The mountain tests every muscle in your body. Even if I had gone to the gym for almost a month to prepare, I was not ready for how hard it was at times. However, my muscles were very grateful for my weeks of training and it took just a couple of days after I got back to start wearing my beloved heels once again.
3. Invest in the right gear for the mountain. Hiking can be an expensive sport. The right gear is quite pricy but once you are on the mountain you realise that it was worth every penny. Most importantly, ask an experienced climber to guide on the right gear to buy before you make the investment. Alfie went shopping with me and his advice was invaluable.
4. Get the right snacks and food. Biggest lesson learned is that when you go hiking you cannot eat as you normally do. You need high energy foods to get the right calories to take you up – and down – the mountain. Every climber should invest wisely in the right snacks to ensure they successfully complete their climb. Pack enough water because you need more than you originally think while hiking.
5. Most of all, have fun! This is a once in a lifetime experience, not one that’s easy to forget. Choose to make the memories fun. I look back on the videos and pictures we took and they always bring a smile to my face.
The Muzungu adds: I hiked Mt Elgon once and I can feel Jean’s pain! Read my blog “Climbing Mount Elgon – with a girl named Kevin.”
If you enjoy reading inspirational stories by Uganda’s tourism heroines, read Lilly Ajarova’s account of “The euphoric Rwenzori Mountains.”
The land of 1000 … surprises! A solo exploration of Rwanda
Want to explore Rwanda? An ABC of Rwanda’s tourist accommodation – AirBnB, boutique hotels, camping and luxury lodges
A recent trip to Rwanda revealed such a wide variety of places to stay that I thought I must share them with you. Although Rwanda pitches itself as a high-end destination now – and has some wonderful luxury lodges like the remarkable Virunga Lodge – the country has a wide variety of accommodation for all budgets. It’s a very easy country to travel around too (although Ugandan friends did freak out when our vehicle started driving on the right side of the road!)
I seem to have developed this habit of leaving home for three days and returning after three weeks. It’s hard to resist the invitation to visit new places, especially when you’re already far from home (and your toothbrush is packed!)
The early morning bus from Kampala to Kigali is so much more pleasant than the night bus. (Why on earth did I take all those night buses?) I used to think I could kill a night by sleeping on the bus but sitting on the bus is no recompense for lack of a bed. I love Jaguar’s new wide ‘VIP only’ seats. There’s plenty of legroom and – hooray! – working seat belts. I’ve been using Jaguar Executive Coaches between Kampala and Kigali since 2011.
Despite rumours of bad politics between Uganda and Rwanda, I couldn’t tell whether anything was different at the border. Rwanda immigration’s new building is just having its last coat of paint. Those immigration officials must be relieved. If you cross the border late at night, they sit there in open-sided shipping containers, wearing thick jackets and suffering the cold of the damp river crossing.
At Nyabugogo bus park in Kigali, I met my new friend and kindred spirit Denis Senechal, a French-Canadian who has relocated to Rwanda’s capital with his Rwandan wife. Read my story about the cobbler of Nyabugogo bus park that I wrote while looking out of the bus window.
Denis and I swapped stories about their former life in Kampala as he drove me to the cosy and colourful Umusambi Bed and Breakfast in Kibagabaga, my home for the next few days.
After a leisurely breakfast the next morning – “don’t rush me, I’ve only been sitting at the breakfast table for an hour and a half” – I got chatting to an Australian couple who invited me to tour Inema Arts Gallery and the Caplaki craft market. I’ve managed to finance my nomad lifestyle by not visiting craft shops (so it was rather weird to be seen as a tourist).
Rwandan arts and crafts: Inema Arts Gallery and Caplaki Craft Market, Kigali
Caplaki Craft Market has excellent quality crafts – and divergent prices! Luckily we had the lovely Tony from Burundi to negotiate and whisper “don’t pay more than that” under his breath as we wandered from shop to shop.
We’d established that I could buy a snake (made from recycled bottle tops) for around 8,000 RWF (around $8). The shop next door asked for 15,000 RWF. At shop number three, the man with boozy breath said “I give you good price” and then asked me for 25,000 RWF for the same item! (He was the reminder to not buy the first thing you set your heart on).
In the afternoon, Greg Bakunzi from Red Rocks in Musanze introduced me to the Inzora Rooftop Café at Ikirezi Bookshop / Librairie Ikirezi. This stylish – bookish – café is definitely my kind of place and one I plan to revisit.
A highlight of my time in Kigali was feeling free to walk wherever I wanted. Wide (motorbike-free!) pavements and street lights make walking a pleasure. From Ikirezi Bookshop, I walked to the famous ‘peace basket’ structure that is Kigali Convention Centre. It can be seen from all corners of the city, particularly at night when it is lit in a variety of mesmerising colours. Radisson Blu Hotel forms part of the Convention Centre complex. The presidential convoy of Range Rovers with black-tinted windows sped past me as I left the hotel.
Photo highlights from Kigali and Musanze – click on the photos to reveal their location!
Did you know that Google Maps continues to work even when you’re not on Wi-Fi? (You can see who failed physics, can’t you?) To start, I logged onto the free Wi-Fi at Radisson Blu and typed my destination into the app. Google Maps traced the route and the arrow kept moving, even as I left the WiFi zone behind me to walk 5.5 km uphill and down towards Umusambi Guesthouse. Rwandans are generally polite people, and some greeted me as I walked. Walking the streets of Kigali was a wonderful experience (although not everywhere is as developed as the route between the Convention Centre and Kibagabaga, as I found out the following week when I stayed in a residential back street). First the muzungu got lost, then the moto got lost and later Google Maps dumped me in a field of maize! (But tell me, what is a travel blog without the occasional detour?)
I felt so relaxed at Umusambi Guesthouse, that it was an effort to haul myself off the sofa! I chatted in French with the guesthouse’s Belgian owner and had an eye-opening conversation with an Italian lady who is vaccinating frontline staff against Ebola. “Prevention is better than cure” and we are thankful to see numerous interventions in place across the region.
I’ve travelled by bus from Kigali to Musanze many times and it couldn’t be easier. The Virunga Express from Nyabugogo takes a couple of hours from the city as it winds upwards through some of Rwanda’s one thousand hills.
From Musanze, I took a 7 km moto(rbike) ride to the Red Rocks campsite. Here at high altitude, evenings can be cold. I was glad to have a friendly dog lying on my feet as I warmed myself at the campfire while chatting to two very cool trail-blazing chicks: Harriet, one of Red Rocks’ co-founders and Angel, one of Rwanda’s few women tour drivers.
Red Rocks Campsite and Red Rocks Initiatives, Musanze Rwanda
Red Rocks is a popular campsite with super friendly staff who make a point of greeting you with a big smile. I enjoyed chatting French with the chef. Quels petits déjeuners énormes! (The breakfasts were huge!)
Red Rocks is home to authentic community tourism and I was honoured to spend some time with Kamana Theophile, an environmentalist with a passion for community projects. In the Red Rocks Museum, he demonstrated how banana beer is made in a giant wooden canoe-type structure. (I tried some on a previous trip – it’s delicious!) Profits from Red Rocks Campsite fund the indigenous tree nursery and gardening demonstration plots. Kamana discussed in French (ooo la la) how the local community are given seedlings, learn gardening techniques and good environmental practices – all for free. Through Red Rocks Initiatives, local communities – and the environment – directly benefit from tourism. Every aspect is environmentally sound: the ‘raised bed’ kitchen garden is made of volcanic rock and tree seedlings are carried home in pots made of banana fibre (plastic bags are illegal in Rwanda and the ban is strictly enforced).
For a change of scene – we travel bloggers are rarely off-duty you know! – I was escorted to the new Classic Lodge where I did the full tour of the extensive buildings. The night before, over a thousand people had attended an event there. Had Musanze ever hosted such a large number of people?
Classic Lodge in Musanze is quite a set-up!
Here I was given a tour of the presidential suite (which President Kagame himself visited while it was under construction), a family cottage, suites, superior rooms and others. There are at least 40 different rooms and conference facilities.
Café Crema in Musanze is a cosy setup with charming and courteous staff. It’s the kind of place I love to hang out. The cappuccino was excellent, and I was happy to kill a few hours there (the first 30 minutes of WiFi are free).
Caffeine levels boosted, I dropped by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund exhibition. It was humbling to spend a few moments reconnecting with my first reason for travelling to Rwanda, that being to support gorilla conservation.
Next stop Kigali.
The advantage of having fluid plans is you can take up new opportunities as they present themselves. The downside is you occasionally get stuck without a place to sleep! Thanks to Moses Nezehose who booked me in at the Tea House, another great establishment which is walking distance from Remera, a part of the city that I’ve come to know a little over my years of visiting Kigali.
On my first trips to the capital, I would stay at hostels run by various convents. (You can’t argue with $10 a night, even if the shower is cold). Centre Christus Hostel in Remera is set in green, bird (and monkey)-filled gardens away from the main road and I’ve been happy to stay there on several occasions.
On the second leg of my trip in Kigali, I was spoiled rotten. I spent three nights at the fabulous Pili Pili Boutique Hotel. My – it was heaven – so much so that I didn’t leave the compound for three days! My heart skipped a beat when the beautiful breakfast tray arrived in my room.
The cosmopolitan bar and brilliant music at Pili Pili were quite a thrill for this girl from the village! I loved the fresh grilled Sambaza fish from Lake Tanganyika and enjoyed my chats with Rudy, Pili Pili’s owner. I was fascinated to hear about his former life running hotels and bars in Bujambura. I visited Burundi in 2012 and really fell for the place. J’adore l’Afrique francophone!
Pili Pili Bistro and Boutique Hotel, Kigali
Pre-booked visitors ousted me from my little pad – goddamit – meaning it was time to download Air BnB and try my luck getting a cheap room in the city. Within minutes I was booked in to stay with Josiane and her four young sons. It was hard to understand where she lived so she came to meet me midway on a moto. She couldn’t have been nicer. She almost fell off her chair when I told her that Uganda is the Source of the Nile. She was quite adamant that it is in Rwanda! The debate continues…
After the comforts of a luxury set-up, it was nice to spend time with a Rwandan family. They treated me well and the meals were huge. (As for the cockroaches, well I’m glad I didn’t see any on my first night there; the longer I stayed there, the bigger the cockroaches I saw!)
I happened to be in Kigali on a Sunday when roads are closed to allow city residents space to run and exercise. Groups were exercising at Amahoro Stadium that morning as I walked to Java House in Remera where I fell in love with rhinos! Did you know Rwanda has just successfully relocated five black rhinos from Europe to Rwanda? The transformation of Akagera National Park is sensational, as I have witnessed on my last two visits there.
On my last day in Kigali, I headed to the Rwanda Development Board offices, also in Remera. Tourism, conservation and many other departments are managed by RDB. Boy what an impressive setup. Did you know that it’s free to register a business in Rwanda? Did you know that it generally takes only six hours to do that? The ‘one stop shop’ at RDB really is that. You can make bank payments, get advice from copyright specialists and immigration officials and have someone sit with you and guide you through the whole process of setting up a company, from start to finish. Let’s not do comparisons with Uganda…
Upstairs, I was delighted to see Moses, one of our hosts at the brilliant Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony. Kwita Izina is the annual celebration of conservation and tourism in Rwanda and now lasts a whole week.
Lunchtime took me back to the famous Chez Lando for my final brochettes (grilled meat on skewers) of the trip. I do enjoy Rwandan food. Read How to eat like a Rwandan – 10 snacks (I bet you’ve never tried).
The final leg of my trip took me back to Kampala. Life is easy when you can jump in an Uber as soon as you hit the city outskirts! Boutique B&Bs were a bit of a theme on this trip and I was thrilled when Albert Ntambiko invited me to stay at the new Mahali Guesthouse in Makindye. Albert is also the owner of Coffee at Last. Mahali is housed in the new Coffee at Last building, just a few steps away from the original establishment.
Like I said, I seem to have this habit of leaving home for three days and returning after three weeks! Last year’s four day trip to Mombasa led to invitations to visit high-end hotels in Nyali, explore backpacker hostels and luxury beach resorts in Diani and attend Diani’s Five A Side International Beach Touch Rugby Tournament. (I arrived home three weeks later!)
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