Cultural Shocks to Expect on a Self Drive Trip to Rwanda.

Rwanda, sometimes known as the “land of a thousand hills,” is among the most intriguing locales on the planet. An essential place to visit! The idea that this is the same country that was the site of a genocide less than thirty years ago is almost unfathomable to foreigners. A Self Drive Trip to Rwanda is an exhilarating experience. Find out here some of the cultural shocks you might expect.

As soon as you set foot in Rwanda, Kigali, the capital city, welcomes you with serenity, order, and cleanliness. After a campaign that claimed the lives of over a million Rwandans and forced almost two million more to leave, the government worked with a number of foreign organisations, such as the UN, World Bank, and World Vision, to reconstruct the country.

Many genocide survivors continue to experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of witnessing the terrible deaths of loved ones. This occurrence has had a profound impact on Rwandan society, which many foreigners may find surprising, and has a significant influence on how many people behave. We’ll lead you through five potential culture shocks during your self-drive journey across Rwanda in this article.

Staring

This is extremely startling to many tourists, particularly those from the west. To be exact, a lot of them leave reviews about this on websites like Google, YouTube, and social media, among other places. But Rwandans—who can blame them?

They’re presumably wondering: How long will this individual be staying here, and what does this person do for a living? I could go on and on about how gorgeous this person’s hair is. But, since gazing is wrong in Western countries, where people are taught this from an early age, the target of the stare may feel offended or disrespectful.

When you are in Rwanda and someone stares at you, remember that it’s out of curiosity and try not to become upset. In an attempt to strike up a discussion with the individual staring at you, try to put on a nice front.

Eating while walking

It is considered impolite to eat while strolling in Rwanda. It is common for many tourists, particularly those from Western nations, to stop for coffee and a bagel and eat on the way to work, particularly during rush hour.

Usually, you’ll be instructed to either take your food home and eat it there or to sit at a cafe or restaurant and eat there. Eating while strolling is simply frowned upon. While some people no longer struggle with it, others still do.

Time keeping

Reviews from tourists indicate that Rwandans keep very bad time. Consider the following: most events go longer than planned, people rarely arrive early for work, the honouree will arrive really late when everyone is exhausted, and wedding guests arrive quite late.

It is astonishing that despite Rwandans’ habit of arriving late for work and events, they still whine about being late, show up late the following day, and so on. This is very annoying to Westerners who respect their time.

Meatless Meals

The majority of meals in Rwandan families are prepared without meat. This is due to the fact that meat is typically reserved for special occasions or weekends and is seen as a luxury in many families. The majority of Rwandans cannot afford to eat meat often. Many visitors believe Rwandan cuisine to be bland or uninteresting because they are accustomed to eating meat or fish at every meal.

Compulsory Community Work

Towards the end of the month, if you happen to go on a Self Drive Trip to Rwanda, you will see that people get together to perform community service. This event, known as Umuganda, takes place on the final Saturday of each month from 8 to 11 a.m.

Rwandans are required to participate, and not doing so carries a fee. On Umuganda, offices and businesses are closed. The president instituted this, and it has been crucial in maintaining cleanliness throughout the nation. Additionally, this strengthens Rwandan unity because forgiveness and reconciliation played a vital role in the country’s rehabilitation from the genocide.

It is an unusual custom that many tourists find upsetting because it is unique to this part of the world. You will definitely have a great time in Rwanda, as it is a pleasant destination to visit. If you make an effort to fit in with the locals, you will have a memorable time.