Rwanda Country Information & Latest News/Advisories
Latest News/Advisories
The US Department of State uses a four-level system to advise travelers about safety and security risks in international destinations. Visit here for the State Department’s Rwanda Travel Advisory page.
Visit here to read The New Times, Rwanda’s national English-language newspaper.
To check out ASYV in the news, click here.
Language
The main language in Rwanda is Kinyarwanda, however, most Rwandans speak a little of at least one international language (English, French, or Swahili). In 2008, the government switched the second official language from French to English, and English is now the primary language taught in the school system.
A list of key Kinyarwanda phrases can be found here.
Location
Rwanda is a landlocked country that shares its borders with Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Rwanda is made up of 5 provinces. Agahozo-Shalom is located in a rural part of the Eastern Province, 40 kilometers east of the capital city, Kigali.
Time Zone
Rwanda operates on Central African Time, which is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, and does not have daylight savings time.
Weather
Daily high temperatures are around 81°F, rarely falling below 75°F or exceeding 87°F. Daily low temperatures are around 62°F, rarely falling below 60°F or exceeding 65°F. Since it gets cooler at night, we suggest bringing layers.
Rwanda has two wet seasons and two dry seasons. January to February and June to September are dry, while March to May and October to December are wet. During the wet seasons, it is likely to rain very hard each day for an hour or two in the afternoon, and then get sunny again. When this happens, most Rwandans stay wherever they are and wait for it to end.
Rain, especially in a place with few paved roads, means mud. Mud means that it is good to pack waterproof shoes (and waterproof pants if you plan on serious hiking or trekking.) These are not necessary in the dry seasons.