Rwanda is a small landlocked country making part of the East African community. The country is emerging up as one of the leading tourist destinations in Africa. Among the places to visit in Rwanda include Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest, and Akagera wildlife park as well as culture and genocide museums. The magnificent Volcanoes National Park Rwanda is the leading tourist destination in East Africa due to the presence of the endangered mountain gorillas. Gorilla tracking is the most popular tourist attraction in the country.

It’s important to remember that what may be acceptable behavior, dress, and language in your own country, may not be appropriate in another. Please keep this in mind while traveling.
Below are the top responsible travel tips for Rwanda
1. Be considerate of Rwanda’s customs, traditions, religion, and culture.

2. Descent dressing is highly recommended. In other words, visitors to Rwanda are advised to dress modestly and respectfully- Clothes which cover body parts are highly recommended especially in worshiping places.

3. Ask permission, remove your shoes, and cover your shoulders with a jacket or wrap before entering a place of worship.

4. To protect the environment, avoid polythene bags or papers, and try to avoid buying bottled water. Carry a reusable water bottle or canteen with filtered water instead.

5. Learn some local language and don’t be afraid to use it – simple greetings and thanking will help break the ice.

6. Shop for locally made products like crafts and wooded materials. In doing so, you are supporting local artisans to help keep traditional crafts alive.

7. Avoid supporting businesses that exploit or abuse endangered animals and birds.

8. Always seek permission before taking photos of people, businesses, and buildings among others. Without people’s consent, please do not take photos.

9. When on community visits or homestays, refrain from giving gifts or money to locals. However, if you are visiting orphanages, please give it to the needy.

10. Respect Rwanda’s recent history. Try to avoid discussing politics, ethnicity, or genocide because some Rwandans would not like to remind about their past bad experience.

11. Always follow instructions when trekking primates like Gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys, colobus monkeys among others.

12. Always listen to your safari guides’ advice and try to ask where you have not understood.

13. Try to keep the time set to start any activity. Gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking starts in the morning at around 8 am among others.