Traveling from Kigali to Kibuye

If at all possible, avoid taking a mini-bus to Kibuye. Depending on your budget, however, this may not be possible. Alternatively, you can try to hitch a ride or spend the money to hire a private car. The latter option is easy - and well worth it - if you are part of a group of 4 or more, or if you can pool your resources with other travelers who have the same plans.

If you must take a mini-bus, I would brush up on the following French phrases: a) a request for the driver to slow down, b) ditto to pay attention, and c) ditto to prioritize the safety of the passengers over arriving fifteen minutes faster. Also try to avoid sitting in the back row, as you get whipped around.

We took an Okapi Travel and Tours mini-bus. Avoid them. Okapi and Atracao are two examples of 'private' mini-taxi companies. Okapi vans are newer than public buses and may be less crowded, but the same mentality exists: a speedy trip is a successful trip - at the expense of safety and comfort. These vans are not equipped to handle either the roads or the weather conditions (see TRAVELOGUE).

Unfortunately, there are very few vehicle options to travel out of Kigali, and this situation must be improved for tourism to increase. The Volcano buses to Butare are tolerable rides, but we don't recommend any other out of town transport companies right now. There are big green government buses, but we haven't taken one yet. It is difficult to judge if their larger size will make a trip through the mountains safer or more nerve-wracking.