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With its long history of hierarchical social relations, Rwandan culture puts great emphasis on practices of etiquette that demonstrate respect and emphasize social rank both inside and outside the family. Within the family, chairs are traditionally reserved for men, while other family members sit on mats on the floor. Men eat first, with women and children  eating after. Visitors are given the best chairs and the first choice of food and drink. Rwandans have an elaborate system of salutation that varies depending on the relative social rank and familiarity of the greeters. Rwandans almost always shake hands upon encountering someone. When greeting someone of higher rank, a person extends his or her right hand while placing the left hand on the right arm in a sign of deference. Close friends and others of equal rank may embrace, holding one another by the shoulders and brushing their heads together first on one side then on the other.

The following information is intended as a guide only and in no way should it be used as a substitute for professional medical advice relative to a travellers individual needs and vaccination history. No guarantee is made as to its accuracy or thoroughness. For further information, please contact The Travel Doctor on 1300 658 844. Vaccination against hepatitis A is recommended for travellers to Rwanda. Frequent or long stay travellers should consider vaccination against hepatitis B. Vaccination against rabies (particularly if working with animals) and typhoid (particularly when travelling to areas with poor sanitation and hygiene) should be considered by travellers to Rwanda. Cholera is reported in Rwanda but vaccination is generally not recommended. Care with food and beverage selection is far more important. There is a high risk of malaria in Rwanda and dengue fever also occurs, thus insect avoidance measures and anti malarial medication may be necessary depending on your itinerary. Do not swim in fresh water to avoid exposure to diseases such as schistosomiasis (bilharzia). Yellow fever vaccination is usually required. Travellers returning to Australia (or entering many countries) within six days of visiting Rwanda will be required to present a yellow fever vaccination certificate (see www.health.gov.au/yellowfever for further information). Regardless of destination, all travellers should be up-to-date with their routine "background" vaccinations including a recent annual influenza vaccination. Please consult a medical practitioner or contact The Travel Doctor for your specific risk to these preventable diseases and the appropriate avoidance measures. Australians travelling to Rwanda should ensure that they have adequate travel insurance to cover the length of their stay. Medications that are legal in Australia may be illegal in other countries. For further information on insurance, taking medication overseas and other issues please visit www.smartraveller.gov.au/tips.

Rwanda has possibly the best roads in East Africa. All of the major centres are connected with local and luxury bus services, although as with most of Africa these can be unreliable at times. Rwanda has no railways but there are many small airports dotted across the country making it easy to take a chartered flight between destinations

Kinyarwanda 99%, English and French.

Electrical Socket: European Voltage: 220-240 volts (same as Australia) Special Tip: Rwanda also uses the Swiss three pinned plug that will accept most European deceives and adaptors. Source: Korjo Travel Products. To purchase electrical/modem adapters, or for further information on this matter, please view the Korjo adapter guide at www.korjo.com.au.

Country Code for Rwanda: +250 Visa Global Assist: Call the US on +1 303 967 1090 Emergency Services: Police - 112 Traffic Accidents - 113 Report Police Abuse - 3511 (including bribery) Police Headquarters - +250 7 8831 1155 King Faisal Hospital - 252 588888 or 58 88 88 (Kigali)

The best place to buy souvenirs is the Caplaki craft co-operative in Kigali, where a number of craft traders have gotten together to build colourful wooden huts stocking a wide selection of handicrafts. Here you can find wood carvings including traditional masks; raffia work baskets, mobiles and jewellery; musical instruments; paintings; batik; bags, scarves and beading. It is all of good quality, but be prepared to bargain. ln town, the UTC building (Union Trade Centre) houses a good supermarket for buying coffees and teas to take home, and also stocks books, there are also a number of clothes shops and a gallery. Plastic bags are banned in Rwanda, so it is best to take a strong bag with you when shopping, particularly if buying bottles of beer, otherwise everything will be given to you in brown paper bags.Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1300 and 1400-1730, Sat 0830-1230.

It is customary to tip for service in local bars and restaurants, though you may sometimes want to leave a tip (in fact, given the difficulty of finding change in Uganda), you may particularly be forced into doing this in some circumstances. A tip of 5% would be very acceptable and 10% generous.