Red tape
Check well in advance that you have a valid passport, and that it won’t expire within six months of the date you intend to leave Rwanda. Should your passport be lost or stolen, it will generally be easier to get a replacement if you travel with a photocopy of the important pages.
Visas are required by all visitors except for nationals of the UK, Germany, Sweden, Canada, USA, Hong Kong, Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa Tanzania and Uganda (for says of less than three months). For all other they cost around $60, depending on the place of issue. For air travellers, visas are now issued at Kigali airport on arrival, and you can also usually buy visas at overland boarders, but do check via embassy that this is still the case when you travel. Nationals of countries without an embassy can also obtain a visa on arrival by prior arrangement with their hosts, who can arrange a facilitate de’ entrée.
If there is any possibility that you’ll want to drive or hire a vehicle while you are in the country, do organise an international driving licence (via one of the main motoring associations in a country in which you are licensed to drive), which you may be asked to produce together with your original licence. You may sometimes be asked at boarders for an international health certificate showing you’ve had a yellow-fever shot.
For security reasons, it is advisable to detail all your important information on one sheet of paper, photocopy it, and distribute a few copies in your luggage, your money-belt, and amongst relatives or friends at home: the sort of things you want to include on this are traveller’s cheque numbers and refund information, travel insurance policy details and 24-hour emergency contact number, passport number, details of relatives or friends to be contacted in an emergency, bank and credit card details, camera and lens serial numbers, etc. You might also want to email this information to yourself immediately before you leave, so it is stored in your in-tray throughout your travels. It is also handy to carry a photo of your suitcase or other language, to save trying to describe it if it is misplaced by an airline.
Details provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kigali.
PACKING
In 1907, when the Duke of Mecklenburg set off on an expedition through Rwanda with a group of scientific research, he carried (or rather his team of bearers carried) numerous cases of soap, candles, rope and cigars, as well as such items are salt, wire, beads and woolen blankets to barter with the natives. You could probably cut down on this a little.
In fact Rwanda is a relatively well-stocked little country, in terms of clothing, toiletries, stationery, batteries and so forth. Unless you have particularly exotic tastes (or your schedule is too crowded to allow you time for shopping), you should be able to find most of the everyday items a traveller needs, even if the brands are unfamiliar. Obviously you should bring a supply of any personal medication (and some extra, in case your return home is delayed); also bring a stock of whatever type of film you like to use, as well as enough sunscreen. Otherwise, unless you plan to go way off the beaten track (or you need camping/trekking gear, which is in shorter supply), don’t feel that you must fill your bag up with a lot of semi-useful items ‘just in case’. The comments below apply as much to any neighbouring African countries you may pass through or visit as they do to Rwanda.
CARRYING YOUR LAGGUAGE
Visitors who are unlikely to be carrying their luggage for any significant distance will probably want to pack most of it in a conventional suitcase. Make sure it is tough and durable, and it seals well, so that its contents will survive bumpy drives and boisterous baggage handlers at airports. Travellers carrying a lot of valuable items should look for a bag that can be easily padlocked. A locked bag can, of course, be slashed open, but that would be highly unusual in Rwanda – you are more likely to be exposed to causal theft of the sort of which a lock would be real deterrent.
If you are likely to use public transport, then a backpack is the most practical solution. An internal frame is more flexible than an external one. Again, ensure your pack is durable and that it has several pockets. If you intend doing a lot of hiking, you definitely want a backpack designed for this purpose. On the other hand, if you’ll be staying at places where it might be a good idea to shake off the sometimes negative image attached to backpack.
However you travel, a small daypack will be useful for gorilla-tracking and other walks, and so stow any breakable goods on your lap during long drives – anything like an mp3 player or camera will suffer heavily from vibrations on rutted roads.
CAMPING EQUIPMENT
There are only a few appointments for camping in Rwanda, and the financial advantages are limited since affordable accommodation is generally available. Balanced against that, for those without transport the campsite at Nyungwe is a far more convenient base for walks than the rest house, and a tent is essential for hiking in off-the-beaten track areas. Also, though there is now accommodation in Akagera Park, camping there gets you closest to the wildlife.
For backpackers who decide to carry camping equipment, the key is to look for the lightest available gear. It is now possible to buy a lightweight tent weighing little more than 2kg, but make sure that the one you choose is mosquito proof. Other essential for camping include a sleeping bag and roll-mat, which will serve as both insulation and padding. You might want to carry a stove and Camping Gas cylinders (not readily available in Rwanda). A box of firelighter blocks will get a fire going in the most unpromising conditions. It would also be advisable to carry a pot, plate, cup and cutlery.
CLOTHES
Try to keep your clothes to a minimum, especially if you are travelling with everything on your back. Back in mind that you can easily and cheaply replace worn items in markets. In my opinion, the minimum is one or possibly two pairs of trousers and /or skirts, one pair of shorts, three shirts or T-shirts, one light sweater or similar, one heavy sweater or similar, a waterproof jacket during the rainy season, enough socks and underwear to last five to seven days, one solid pair of shoes or boots for walking, and one pair of sandals, thongs or other light shoes.
It’s widely held that jeans are not ideal for African travel, since they are bulky to carry, hot to wear and take ages to dry. In their favour, however, jeans do have the advantages to durability and comfort, and of hiding the dust and dirt that tend to accumulate during public transport rides – and they are excellent for gorilla-tracking and other forest walks. A good alternative is light cotton trousers, which dry more quickly and weigh less, but tray to avoid light colours, as they show dirt more easily. Skirts are best made of a light natural fabric such as cotton. T-shirts are lighter and less bulky than proper shirts, though the top pocket of a shirt (particularly if it buttons up) is a good place to carry spending money in markets and bus stations, since it’s easier to keep an eye on than a trouser pocket. A couple of sweaters or sweatshirts will be necessary in places such as Nyungwe, which get chilly at night.
Socks and underwear must be made from natural fabrics. Bear in mind that re-using sweaty undergarments will encourage fungal infections such as athlete’s foot, as well as prickly heat in the groin region. Socks and underpants are light and compact enough to make it worth bringing a week’s supply. As for footwear, only compact enough make it worth bringing a week’s supply. As for footwear, only if you’ are a serious off-road hiker should you consider genuine hiking boots, since they are very heavy whether on your feet or in your pack. A good pair of walking shoes, preferably made of leather with good ankle support, it is a good compromise. For gorilla-tracking, a pear of old gardening gloves can be handy when you are grabbing for handholds in thorny vegetation.
Another factor in selecting your travel wardrobe is local sensibilities. In Rwanda, which is predominantly Christian, this inst the concern it would be in several other parts of Africa, but travellers are nevertheless advised to dress relatively modestly. For women, the ideal garment is a knee-length shirt, though long trousers – while unconventional female wear in rural Rwanda – are most unlike to give offence. For men, shorts are not unacceptable, but few local men wear them and it is considered more respectable to wear trousers. Walking around in a public place without a shirt is dodgy.
Many Africans think it is insulting for Westerners to wear scruffy or dirty clothes in their country, reasoning that we wouldn’t dress like at home. It is difficult to explain that at home you also wouldn’t spend a morning slithering around the muddy Virungas in your last clean outfit! If you are travelling rough, you are bound to look a mess at times, but it is worth trying to look as spruce as possible particularly since many Rwandans dress well.
OTHER USEFUL ITEMS
Most backpackers, even those with no intention of camping carry a sleeping bag. I have never seen the necessity for this, particularly in Rwanda. You might meet travellers who, when they stay in local lodgings, habitually place their own sleeping bag on top of the bedding provided. Nutters, in my onion: I imagine that a sleeping bag placed on a flea-ridden bed would be unlikely to provide significant protection – it would be more likely to become flea-infested itself.
I would not leave home without binoculars, which some might say make them the nutter. Seriously, though, if you are interested in natural history, it is difficult to imagine anything that will give you such value-for-weight entertainment as a pair of light, compact binoculars, which these days needn’t be much heavier or bulkier than a pack of cards. Binoculars are essential if you want to get a good look at birds (Africa boasts a remarkably colourful avifauna even if you’ve no desire to put name to everything that flaps) or to watch distant mammals in game reserves. For most purposes, 7x21 compact binoculars will be fine, though some might prefer7x35 traditional binoculars for their larger field of vision. Serious birdwatchers will find a 10x magnification more useful.
Some travellers like to carry their own padlock. This is useful if you have a pack that is lockable, and in remote parties of the country might be necessary for rooms where no lock is provided. If you are uneasy about security in a particular guesthouse, you may like to use your won lock instead of, or in addition to, the one provided. Although combination locks are reputedly easier to pick than conventional padlocks, I think you’d be safer with a combination lock in Rwanda, because potential thieves will have far more experiences of breaking through locks with keys.
Your toilet bag should at the very minimum include soap (secured in a plastic bag or soap holder unless you enjoy a soapy toothbrush!), shampoo toothbrush and toothpaste. This sort of stuff is easy to replace as you go along, so there is no need to bring family-sized packs. Men will probably want a razor. Women should carry enough tampons and /or sanitary pads to see them through at least one very heavy period, since these items may not always be immediately available. If you wear contact lenses, be aware that the various intense sun and dust irritate their eyes; you might consider reverting to glasses. Nobody should forget to bring a towel, or to keep handy a roll of toilet paper, which although widely available at shops and kiosks cannot always be relied upon to be present where it is most urgently available at shops and kiosks cannot always be relied upon to be present where it is most urgently need. A lot of washbasins in Rwanda lack plugs, so one of those ‘universal’ rubber plugs that fit all size of plughole can useful.
Other essentials include a torch, a penknife and a compact alarm clock for those early morning starts. If you are interested in what is happening in the world, you might also think about taking a short- wave radio, though these days the ubiquity of internet access probably makes it redundant. Some travellers carry games – most commonly a pack of cards, less often chess or draughts or travel Scrabble.
You should carry a small medical kit, the contents of which are; mosquito nets. For those who wear glasses, it is worth bringing a spare pair, though in an emergency a new pair can be made up cheaply (around US$10) and quickly in most Rwandan towns, provided that you have your prescription available.
Parc devocanoes gorilla tracking park, Nyungwe national Park, Lake Kivu and Akagera National Parks.. Detailed information. 
Banks, Forex, real estate, medical services, NGOs, crafts, insurance, internet cafes, courier services, jobs, music and lawyers