Safety in Rwanda

Overall: This is one of the safest countries on the continent, and walking around after dark is entirely normal. Police patrol the streets around the clock and the order they keep is genuinely exceptional.
Plastic bags: Polythene bags are banned outright and get confiscated right at the border. Pack paper or reusable bags so you are not arguing about a fine before you have even left the airport.
Health: The real risk is malarial mosquitoes, particularly in the low ground near the lakes. Use repellent and talk to a travel doctor about prophylactic tablets well before you go.
Water: Never drink from the tap, and buy bottled water with the seal intact. Use purified water for brushing your teeth too rather than gamble with the rest of your trip.
Roads: Be careful on moto-taxis, because some riders take the corners far harder than they should. Check that the helmet strap is properly fastened under your chin every single time.
Umuganda: On the last Saturday of the month everything stops until midday for community work. Transport does not run and shops stay shut while the whole neighbourhood turns out to clean up.
Advisories: Nothing here is politically tense for visitors, but it is still worth checking your own government's travel advisory before booking, particularly for the areas along the western border.

Rwanda is one of Africa's safest and best-organised countries. Kigali is clean, lit and calm at night, and street crime is extremely low. Schemes barely exist.

Taxis and moto-taxis. The Yego and Move apps operate, and moto-taxis have officially fitted meters. A helmet is provided, as the law requires.

Currency exchange. Use banks and licensed bureaux at fair rates.

Gorilla permits. Very expensive and sold only through the Rwanda Development Board. Cheaper offers are fraud.

Souvenirs. Woven baskets and craft goods are sold at fixed prices in cooperatives, where haggling is not the custom.

Car hire. Rwanda's roads are excellent by African standards and claims on return are rare.

Rwanda's defining feature is order. Rules work here, and it shows in everything, including the absence of litter and the ban on plastic bags.

Plastic bags have been banned since 2008, and Rwanda was among the first countries in the world to do so. They are confiscated at the airport, with luggage searched. This is enforced seriously.

Umuganda. On the last Saturday of the month from 08:00 to 11:00, nationwide community work takes place: shops close, traffic is restricted, and everyone cleans. Tourists are not required to take part, but moving around then is difficult. Plan for it.

The genocide. Denial of the 1994 genocide and "divisionist ideology" are criminal offences. Discussing people's ethnicity is not done: officially there are no Hutu and Tutsi in Rwanda, only Rwandans. Memorials are visited with respect and photography inside is restricted.

Photography. Military installations, police and government buildings are off limits. Poverty and "unsightly" subjects are also received badly.

Drones. Permission is required.

Gorillas. Trekking rules are strict: distance, masks, time limits, and exclusion if you are ill.

Same-sex relations are not formally criminalised, but society is conservative.

Drugs. The law is strict.

Yellow fever. A certificate is required from arrivals out of endemic countries.

Malaria. Risk exists but is lower than in neighbouring countries: Kigali sits at 1,500 metres and the highlands are less affected. Prophylaxis is still discussed with a doctor, especially for the lowlands around Lake Kivu and the east.

Vaccinations. Hepatitis A, typhoid, meningococcus and rabies.

Water. Bottled only.

Altitude. Kigali at 1,500 metres, with the Virunga volcanoes rising above 4,000. Gorilla trekking takes place at 2,500 to 3,000 metres and is physically harder than expected: steep slopes, mud and humidity.

Healthcare. Well organised by African standards. Kigali has King Faisal Hospital and decent private clinics. Anything serious means evacuation to Nairobi. Insurance is needed.

Lake Kivu. Safe to swim in — schistosomiasis is essentially absent there, unlike other lakes in the region. But the lake holds dissolved gases at depth and deep diving is not practised.

Emergency numbers: 112 police, 912 ambulance.

Rwanda is among Africa's least corrupt countries and one of its safest. Bribes are not taken from tourists and the police work correctly.

Kigali at night. Safe. A rare case in the region where an evening walk raises no questions.

Police. Presence is visible and response is fast. English is official alongside Kinyarwanda and French.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates issued. Cases are rare.

Traffic police. Rules are strictly observed: seatbelts, helmets on moto-taxis, speed limits. Fines are issued.

Order as a system. Rwanda is known for firm governance, and the other side of high safety is a high level of control. Political subjects are best left alone, and criticism of the government is received badly.

What actually matters. Almost nothing threatens a tourist in Rwanda. What needs planning is not safety but logistics: gorilla permits, Umuganda, and physical readiness for the trek.