Kigali

A central hub, ready to attract new business. Economic growth, better healthcare, gender equality… Rwanda is on the rise! And this is especially evident in Kigali. Alongside the colourful and vibrant African atmosphere, the city boasts towering office buildings, large shopping centres, a fantastic modern conference centre, and luxurious hotels. The city is stunningly beautiful, exceptionally clean, and plastic is banned—so make sure to leave your plastic bags at home! On the last Saturday of the month, you might as well leave your car behind too, as it's a nationwide clean-up and car-free day. You've never seen a city this spotless!

Kigali is a city of many faces. While it showcases modernity, it also carries the weight of the country’s painful history. Visit the Presidential Palace, where President Juvénal Habyarimana lived until his death in 1994. Here, you’ll learn more about the genocide that began after the plane crash carrying Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira, the then-president of neighbouring Burundi. The wreckage of the aircraft can still be found in the palace’s garden. You can also explore all the rooms, which seem to have been suddenly abandoned, as if frozen in time.