Kigali Night life

Travelers are drawn to Rwanda to have a unique encounter with nature, an hour with the rare Mountain Gorillas of the Virungas.  This exciting exposure to the Silverbacks in the wild is bringing wildlife lovers from near and far, and none are disappointed.  For some, hiking the muddy trails in search of their assigned Gorilla family, is a life-changing experience, one that they will tell family and friends for years to come.  Others come to experience some of the other many primates that live in this paradise called Rwanda; there are over a dozen of the Great Ape species here, the more popular ones being the Golden Monkeys and the Chimpanzees.  Still others enjoy hiking the many trails in the various National Parks; climbing volcanic mountains or mountain biking through the forests.

In contrast, there is an escape from all this natural beauty, the capital city of Kigali.  The same explorers that trudge through the muddy forests, sometimes in heavy rain, also enjoy some “down time” of just having a beer with friends or listening to a local band.  Kigali has many offerings; there is something for everyone.  Two of the more popular venues, particularly for expats are Ogopongo and Papyrus.  Both of these bars are in a section of Kigali called Kimuhurura.  Another, slightly cheaper option in the same area is the Sundowner; here the music focuses on oldies, especially on the weekends.  All three of these bars attract large crowds.

In the sector called Kacyiru, there is a place called Shooters, which regularly has cultural performances such as poetry readings; the audience attracts musicians, writers, poets and various

other artists and their fans.  The performances are free and the atmosphere is very inviting.  Another such venue in Kigali is Le Must; it is much smaller and sometimes gets overcrowded, but there is a terrace for those feeling claustrophobic.  Le Must has a cover charge of 5,000 Rw. Francs.  Muhima Club charges 5,000 Rw. Francs for men to enter, women get in free of charge.  Here the music is considerably better than Shooters, but as the night goes on, the place gets very crowded.

Two extremely popular nightclubs are the Planet Club and the New Cadillac.  Here there is lots of space and the drinks are sold at a lower price than most.  The music is a mixture of local and Western pop.  The Planet Club has a number of pool tables for those interested in more than just drinking.  Locals favor the Car Wash, where you can have a cocktail at the garden bar while your car is being washed.  In the suburb of Remera, across from the Amahoro Stadium, there are a number of popular local bars with such names as Mukunzi, Jackson’s Bar, Selecta and Vaticano.  The beers are moderately priced and there is lots of dancing to the local music by the energetic young crowd.  If its

Reggae music that you enjoy, the One Love Club is a good choice.  There is lots of outdoor seating and a fire pit to sit around.  

For live music, there are a number of venues.  City Beach usually has a jazzy-type band playing on the weekends, plus a dance floor, with seats around.  Another Reggae spot is the bar in the Hilltop Hotel; Fridays are Reggae night.  For live background music, the bar in the Hotel des Mille Collines is the spot, although they usually wind up around 9 or 10.  On the weekends, the Fantastic Restaurant has live music.  There is a Congolese band playing on Fridays at Tiamo; here they have both indoor and outdoor seating.

Kigali has many other nightclubs to entertain both locals and visitors.  The Black and White Club is very popular; it is inside the Alpha Palace Hotel in Remera.  Club Next is another late night spot, but the drinks are a bit pricey.  At the Top Tower Hotel, the Crystal Club is a rooftop space with great views; not very crowded and is a venue for private parties from time to time.  Inside the Lemigo Hotel, the Golemi is a true ‘club’ with mirrored walls, a sunken dance floor and a full bar.  A good place to go with a group.  The most popular ‘clubby’ place in Rwanda is the K-Club; here they have a 5,000 Rw. Francs cover.  And there is the Le Must and Papyrus, which was mentioned earlier.

There are dozens of ‘Sports Bars’; here football is the only sport watched.  There is the Car Wash in Kimihurura, Chez Lando in Remera, Meze Fresh, and American-owned bar, Ozone Sports Bar in Kigali City Tower, Sportszone in the Top Tower Hotel, complete with a casino and lastly, the Serena Hotel has a venue to watch sports, but it is not very popular and has a fairly cold atmosphere.

This does not by any means exhaust the list of possibilities, but it is a fair sampling of the more popular spots in and around the center of Kigali.  There are many different venues, with various price ranges and catering to an assortment of audiences.  One thing is for sure, you will not be bored in Kigali at night; and the city is fairly concentrated, so hopping from one place to another is always a possibility.  Here in Rwanda, you can spend your days immersed in nature and your nights immersed in entertainment.  The beauty of this small country is that the center of Kigali is only a 2-hour drive from the Park gates where one goes Mountain Gorilla tracking….so enjoying both very different activities is very possible.

Many Western travelers get nervous when considering a trip to an exotic destination such as Rwanda; their biggest concern is what they will eat.  Others, relish the thought of embarking on a trip to a new destination, specifically because they welcome the thought of trying new local foods.  Of course, tropical destinations such as Rwanda, have a plethora of fruits and vegetables that may be available in the West, but at a huge premium; mangoes, papayas, pineapples, passion fruits, avocados, cassava, jack fruit are all plentiful in Rwanda.  Staples such as tomatoes, onions, peppers, potatoes, cabbage and carrots are also readily available in local markets across the country.

The Rwandan diet consists mainly of sweet potatoes, beans, corn, peas, millet, plantains (bananas), cassava (a root vegetable) and fruits.  German colonialists introduced the potato to Rwanda, and now it is quite popular amongst locals, particularly French fries.  In terms of meats, chicken and beef are

the most popular; near the lakes, fish is regularly consumed as well.  In Rwanda, meals are not lavish by any means, and the food is simple and the focus is sustainability; people eat in Rwanda to survive.  Rwandese dishes are either boiled to produce stews or pan fried.

A traditional Rwandan breakfast consists of sweet potatoes and porridge.  Lunch and dinner is usually one of the following combinations:  boiled beans, bananas and sweet potatoes or cassava.  A dish of cassava and corn is called Umutsima; cassava leaves with eggplant and spinach is called Isombe; fried plantains is called Mizuzu.  All of the foregoing are common dishes eaten by locals; preparation is in a sauce and a starch such as Ugali (cornmeal), rice, French fries or Chapati

(flatbread) is served with them.  Snacks are most commonly fruits such as avocados, bananas, mangos, pineapples and papaya.  On the side of the road, there are vendors in most urban centers roasting corn and barbecued meat (usually beef or goat).

Kigali, the capital has a lot of international-food restaurants.  Here in the city you can find pizza shops, Indian, Chinese, Italian, French and Japanese.  All of these restaurants have full menus with a variety of starters and main courses.  Outside of Kigali, in the villages, one cannot find such a variety of offerings; the only exception being the town of Butare, which does have a couple of restaurants other than those serving only local dishes.

The large hotels, lodges and resorts all have restaurants that serve International cuisine; these establishments cater to tourists and their menus offer both local dishes as well as different more traditional Western foods.  The ingredients for both the International and Rwandese dishes are the same; it is the preparation and combination of foods that differ.  Local dishes are not spicy or hot; blandness is the norm.  Hotels serve eggs, pancakes, fruits and cereals for breakfast.

For travelers, there is little to be nervous about with respect to eating in Rwanda; the dishes are simple, made from well-known ingredients and prepared without a lot of sauces and spices.  There are few surprises, such as in neighboring Congo, where monkey is regularly eaten, or in Uganda, where the traditional breakfast favorite is a stew of bananas and cows intestine; the favorite snack in Uganda is fried grasshoppers.  So, when you come to go Mountain Gorilla tracking, birding or hiking one of the volcanic mountains in Rwanda, you have nothing to fear in terms of what you will eat.

Another new baby gorilla has been born from Mgahinga national park.

Amazing. Anew baby gorilla has been welcomed to the Nyakagezi gorilla family at Mgahinga national park situated in south western Uganda. The new born was given birth to by cyizanie of the senior female gorilla in that family. It’s always good news when there are births in the endangered gorilla families as its assign of hope an increment in number of the gorillas, it’s also thrilling experience when the occurrence is evidenced by the tourists on gorilla tracking tours. This time round it was witnessed Dina Tamimi an American tourist.

 following the link below  to view the view.  

click here to watch the video