Rwanda: Gisenyi, Gitesi, Ruhengeri, Kigali
The Biryogo Food Street has a remarkable offering of foods, with a high dose of creativity taking place there. There's plenty of restaurant optionality, but I'd recommend Mococo.
Kweza Craft Beer, offering a splendid selection of Made In Rwanda craft beers — with a variety of tasty options, including those from sorghum. Currently with only one store option at Zaria Court.
There is a restaurant in Gisenyi, very close to the border between Goma and Congo, and close to JJ supermarket, at which I'd recommend requesting for beef stew combined with a fresh chilli, along with rice, and fries. It's a remarkable meal.
Gitesi has a really small trading center, but near the main petrol station, you'll locate a splendid resto-cafe named Kivu Coffee Cup. This place has remarkable chicken pilau, just make sure to ask for some gravy to wetten it up a little.
Kigali has a hilly landscape, mainly with low-rises, one doesn't have to look for a high-rise to obtain a view of the city. I'd recommend simply walking to walkable areas, and finding various hilltop points along your walk, to obtain a view of the city. But if you're keen on identifying a building with a high view point, Crystal Lounge (8th floor) offers a splendid option.
While in Rwanda, you have to visit Gisenyi, in Western District. Gisenyi, a border town next to Goma in Congo, offers way more than I'll state here. Border towns are usually decrepit and falling apart, but Gisenyi offers a charming little town, located between hills and beautiful Lake Kivu. Keep in mind that Lake Kivu has top beautiful locations in Rwanda. The town consists of a few small vibrant trading centers, and scattered, gated residential quarters mixed with a hint of commerce in the form of tiny shops, a border stop, some beaches, massive but not daunting hills.
There's something charming about towns/cities located next to both hills and waterbodies, and Gisenyi is one of those. Walk along the main tarmaced road and make your way into the winding murram roads and gravel roads. Spend more time in the areas with murram roads and gravel roads. Gisenyi is also where you'll find the Bralirwa factory.
An apt visit is one to Gitesi, in Western District, which is a huge distance from Gisenyi. This destination is jawdroppingly beautiful. If there's one place you have to visit in Rwanda, let it be Gitesi. The hills, green, and lake, when set side by side make for a remarkable destination. Walk, hike, run, or sail, and you'll be amazed by what you encounter. Go beyond the tarmaced road and get deep into the weedy bushes. The town in Gitesi is non-existent or near non-existent. You have a trading center, scattered neighbouring government agencies, and a central bus park — all worth visiting as well.
If you're able to do so, make your way to Ruhengeri, in Northern District, and walk the urban section, especially the commercial section, and the area around the bus park. This offers a glimpse into one of the approaches to urban planning deployed in Rwanda.
Walk the walkable parts of Kigali, including cobbled and non-cobbled streets. Kigali can be quite hilly, so get ready for a leg day. At raised points along your walks, ensure to briefly stop along to glimpse at views of all houses laid out on the slopes of hills and within valleys.
For transportation, you have an array options while in Rwanda — huge buses, the coasters, which are a bit smaller than huge buses, car-hailing services, the vans, and boda bodas. All of these are at your disposal and attainable at a cheap price. For coasters and buses, it's usually the case that ticket-purchasing offices are at bus station, and other times they are online. I'd recommend use of buses and coasters for long intercity travel. There is unfortunately no operational passenger train, and RwandaAir is only provider of domestic flights within Rwanda.
The boda bodas are incredibly convenient. I'd recommend using them safely while in the towns/cities.
The accommodation options in Kigali usually alternate between pricey and central, or cheap and non-so central. But if you're looking for a cheap option, there are guesthouses in suburbs of Kigali that I'd recommend. You'll be amazed by how low you can currently get nightly stay and breakfast at some of these places.
Make a visit to the Bralirwa factory in Gisenyi. The doors are wide open, and you're able to obtain a look into the day to day operations at the factory. Then later have a taste of some of the beers bottled and output by Bralirwa. Be even keener on Bralirwa. I'll stop at that.
Partake in the fromages that is usually sold on the streets, and do not hesitate to relish the cheap fruits usually sold along the streets within Kigali, making sure they are fresh. Also obtain and partake in roast, an boiled maize — making sure it's hot — sold on the road side.
These had to be added to the artisan list, but if you've made it to the end of this, you'll get this information about a remarkable chilli oil, made in Rwanda, called Akabanga. It's portable and conveniently packaged and I'd recommend adding it to your everyday carry to spice up your meals. I'd also recommend looking for a banana wine called Yuliyana. Additionally, look around for a drink called Agashya, and savour it.