Travel Checklist

-Airline tickets, Passport, yellow fever card, immunization records, confirmations, etc… (A passport wallet that hangs around your neck or a money belt is advised for all important travel documents. We recommend scanning all important documents, records, passports, credit cards, etc., front and back, and emailing a copy of each to yourself, or carrying a PDF file on a small jump drive, in order to easily access your documents in case of an emergency. Please be advised that a color copy of your passport is needed in order to replace lost passports.)

-Travel Insurance

-USD: The cash you bring into Rwanda should be $100 bills (most places will not exchange anything smaller) that were printed in 2006 or later and in good condition (no rips or discoloration, because Rwandan merchants will reject old money).

-List of important phone numbers you might need in case of an emergency.

-Camera and/or camcorder with extra batteries and charger, SD card and/or film, etc…

-Laptop and accessories (Be aware that WiFi access is available on a limited basis in the various hotels and internet cafés are scarce).

-Binoculars

-Daypack/Backpack (Useful for gorilla trekking and hiking).

-IPod, DVD player, games, headphones with extra batteries and chargers, etc…

-Electrical outlet converter kit and multiple plug adapters, (Rwanda operates on the same voltage as France and Belgium at 230/240 volts/ 50 hertz).

-Personal toiletries: Shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, floss, hair accessories, razors and extra blades,

-Medicines, prescriptions including malaria pills (Larium or Malarone), Pepto-bismol, Immodium, Aspirin, Advil or Tylenol, mosquito repellent with Deet 30%+, antibiotic ointment, band aids, small first aid kit, tissues, sleeping pills for jet lag (Ambien), prescription antibiotic (Ciprofloxacin), and motion sickness pills (Meclizine) for planes and rough roads.

-Extra contacts, glasses, and screwdrivers for glasses

-Sunglasses

-Sunscreen / suntan lotion

-Blow-up neck pillow, sleeping pillows (for plane).

-Earplugs

-Books, reading and writing materials, spiral notebook to keep trip notes. If you are an avid reader you might want to check out the Amazon Kindle or Barnes and Nobles Nook, as there are no real Libraries or Bookstores in Musanze.

-Needles and thread

-Travel alarm clock

-Safety pins

-Spot remover and anti-wrinkle spray for clothes.

-Umbrella, Raincoat, and rain boots for the rainy season

-Addresses and stamps, there is a post office in Musanze, although (as of 2011) somewhat unreliable.

 

Women

-Dresses

-Blouses

-Knit shirts

-T-Shirts

-Skirts

-Slacks

-Shorts (Longer shorts are advised for women. It is not culturally acceptable for women to wear shorter shorts or skirts out in public).

-Shower cap

-Stockings/Leggings

-Lingerie

-Nightgown

-Swimsuits

-Shoes (Walking shoes, boots, etc…)

-Jewelry (We recommend leaving expensive jewelry and valuables at home so as not to attract unwanted attention and petty theft).

-Belts

-Handkerchiefs

-Hats, caps, visors

-Feminine Protection

-Coat

-Fleece Jackets/ Lightweight sweaters

-Lightweight knit gloves

-Handbag

-Slippers, flip-flops, shower shoes

-Robe or beach cover-up

-Cosmetics, makeup

-Underwear

 

Men

-T-Shirts

-Slacks

-Shorts

-Swimsuits

-Shoes (Walking shoes, boots, etc…)

-Belts

-Handkerchiefs

-Hats, caps, visors

-Coat

-Fleece Jacket/Lightweight sweaters

-Gloves

-Slippers, flip-flops, shower shoes

-Suits (For Business or Formal Occasions)

-Underwear