Second Gear Through Rwanda

On an 18-month, 50 000 km journey from France to South Africa, Patrick and Marie Gurney explore Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills.

- Patrick And Marie Gurney

Rwanda might be small, but it holds its own when it comes to sensational scenery. A little tired from all the game viewing in the dusty parks of Tanzania and Kenya, we were keen for some greenery in Rwanda.

We crossed from Tanzania via the Rusumo border post. All went smoothly with our EAC (East African Community) visa in hand, which we had bought when we arrived in Kenya. The EAC allows you to hop easily between Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.

South Africans will know of the Valley of a Thousand Hills in KZN, but Rwanda goes one step further: It claims to be the Land of a Thousand Hills. Driving the first 70 km to Kibungo, which took three hours, we experienced this first-hand. Rwanda is a sprawling mass of hills. Our Hilux would struggle through the next three weeks in second or third gear, as we heaved our three-tonne weight around the country on a constant journey from valley to crest.

Plastic-free pleasure

I could sense a different feeling when we crossed the border into Rwanda. Rural households and villages had immaculately manicured gardens in their front yards. People seemed proud of their country.

Only a little bigger than the Kruger National Park, Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa: 12 million people in 26 798 km². Maybe being so small makes it easier to manage, and for the government to get citizens to comply with laws.