Is the land of a thousand Hills safe for Americans or any other traveler? This is a commonly asked question by most travelers but be assured that Rwanda is actually one of the safest countries you can ever visit during a safari. The answer is definitely yes, because every tourist will be safer in Rwanda than any other African destination.
Did you know that Rwanda is ranked the 9th safest country is the whole World in 2017? In most cases, the Germans, Canadians, Brits, Belgians, Chinese, Kenyans, Ugandans and Russians rarely ask whether Rwanda is safe but the Americans always raise concerns of whether the country is safe for them.
Well, it’s safe, secure and stable and most importantly, residents are very friendly to strangers and all tourists but due to the negative publicity and information you read on Internet makes tourists believed that African countries are generally unsafe which is just a myth.
Nonetheless, its undeniable that Rwanda also suffered a painful past due to civil wars and worst still the 1994 Rwandan genocide where more than 800,000 people lost their lives and over 2,000,000 others moved to the neighboring countries of Uganda, DRC, Burundi and Tanzania as Refugees. But that is now in the past and the new Rwanda is what you will always wish to visit during a safari and interestingly, majority of the tourists that visit the country leave with nothing but unlimited excitement and memorable experiences.
You will read about demonstrations, terrorism and pre and post-election violence in Uganda and Rwanda but rare will you read anything of that kind with Rwanda, also known as the land of a thousand Hills or the Switzerland of Africa.
Common things like credit Card fraud, overcharging on products as well as petty theft happen in most countries hence are bound to happen within this country. When you visit Rwanda, you will notice that most Hotels, Lodges, Guesthouses and some Backpacker destinations use security personnel to offer safety and security to guests. Additionally, Supermarkets, Banks, offices, restaurants, Bars and stores also station security personnel in and outside of their facilities. If you are an American citizen that longs to access the Embassy, you will find it as a stronghold with many security procedures to ensure safety and security of everyone. But above all, the Rwandan Government is fully aware of its duty of ensuring the safety and security of its own Citizens and Tourists too. You will find Policemen patrolling the streets (tourism police and traffic police) to make sure you are very safe within the country.
Therefore, Rwanda is safe for Americans or any other tourists. However, most people think otherwise because of the negative or outdated information spread through media or the internet. This is a country where individuals don’t own weapons like it is done on the US, because the country is safe. Even with the high rates of murder, the USA is always considered a safe place and yet a destination like Rwanda with no gun violence is still perceived to be unsafe due to the past (Civil wars and the 1994 genocide).
While in Rwanda, you won’t hear of shooting of concert goers, no terrorist attacks, mass shootings are never heard of, bombs are rare and gun permits are seldom provided. All religions (Christians and Muslims) live in harmony hence making it one of the most religious tolerant countries in the World.
Therefore, Rwanda is a very safe country for Americans and any tourists wishing to explore the country’s precious resources such as mountain gorillas, riveting cultures, Chimpanzees, golden monkeys, Big five animals, antelopes, primates, magnificent Lakes and Rivers as well as the Virunga Volcanoes among others.