Kofi actually does hikes and other trips for people who visit the area. He doesn't have a website or anything like that, but if you visit the Lake Kivu area in Rwanda and want him to take you around, this is his Whatsapp: +250 788589296 EDIT: It's 2022 and Kofi is now making videos of his own. Check him out here: th-cam.com/video/09H7LjfFIdA/w-d-xo.html
Your guide even if he was getting paid, he was amazing. Kind, friendly,honest, talkative and he was explaining and translating everything in details . Amazing guy.
This is the Africa they won't let you see on mainstream media,yes we have our conflicts but we are warm and welcoming and share the little we have,what you see is genuine happiness from locals.I wish most foreigners would visit African countries and experience the Ubuntu lifestyle first hand,you are all welcome
@@alha7040 Well, I guess it's refreshing to see that xenophobia and dislike for people with a different skin colour also is universal around the world. Hopefully you are part of a small minority with this negative way of looking at people.
@@alha7040 I know that, of course. But we are not the same people because we share the same skin colour. People like you don't understand that the common, poor folk in European countries (farmers, workers, etc.) were treated badly by the European elite as well. The problem is not Europeans (or Arabs), or skin colour... It's the elite (of all skin colours and countries) who think they own the world and can do everything to poor people. Those people are the problem. I hope you can put some more love into your heart where there is distrust and hatred right now.
@D Rocket it's up to you what you watch, my friend. I got rid of my cable subscription and TV a long time ago. I only watch TV when I'm visiting other people, and what little I see on those occasions mainly pisses me off and makes me glad I'm rid of it. It's 99% lies and propaganda anyway.
I was born in rwanda and my parents are 100% rwandese. I moved to the Netherlands at the age of 1 so I can't speak the language Kinyarwanda, well. i have always regretted not having a good command of my native language or that I had never been to rwanda. last year I went to rwanda for the first time and I immediately got a warm welcome from all those people. Best experience ever! Rwanda surprised me. Like many people, I had the wrong idea about Africa. I thought rwanda was very messy, a lot of poverty, no structure. But when I was there I saw that rwanda is much more beautiful than most countries in europe. super friendly people, very clean, well developed and it's very safe. Thank you Tommy for showing us how beautiful Rwanda is. I hope I can go back soon.
@@LG-universe So your basically implying Africa is 200 years behind.... This vlog definetly makes it looks very poor with the living conditions you see them in. I think your right.
The wedding would of been cool to have seen but buying dinner and eating with the locals they will cherish this memory forever! I like this humble video ❤💚
I respect your innate ability to seamlessly interact with the people despite the language barrier. I have learnt much, and there is much to learn. Respect sir!
Oh my God that song at the end❤️ . It's what we play at our weddings talking about how we are going to miss the beautiful sister who's leaving us. Man your work is pure gold. you remind us the most important thing: we are not that different after all.
I definitely would have switched gears and headed off to that wedding…..”for the woman of my dreams” . Spent a month in Kenya and drinky~boy Tommy is becoming my favorite anticipated video posting.
Tommy, any wonder you spend a lot of time smiling, the people you are meeting are so welcoming and friendly. I find myself smiling at your travels as well, the best kind of infectious happiness. Thanks. 🇦🇺
Incredible video as usual Tommy. For me as a Celtic fan it was special to see a Glasgow Celtic top being worn by a woman (17:36) across the world in a tiny Rwandan village! Keep up the good work mate! 😊🍀
In Rwanda they like football,streets are full of European big football teams jerseys and we also have our own rivalry derby between Rayon Sport(Blue and white) and Kiyovu Sport(Green and white like Celtic),due to lack of local made jerseys, in Kigali roads you may find Celtic jerseys like those of Henrik Larson et, Al.
30+ minutes that went by real fast. His videos are always interesting, but this seemed to have no down time. Always informative, something new around every corner, and entertaining.
I just wanted to add this note: in Rwanda, "muzungu" did traditionally refer to "white person" but in general practice that doesn't tell the whole story. I'm an American of Rwandan descent (both my parents were Rwandan Tutsi), however when I went to Rwanda years ago with my family, I was frequently called muzungu along with other members of my family. This included members who actually were born in Rwanda. And we're all black. Muzungu nowadays is used towards any outsider, someone who's clearly not a local, and/or someone who's wealthy that the locals are not familiar with. Going to rural areas or rural markets, they sought to sell me and my group just as hard as they did to you. It's just that a white person would stand out even more. But in reality, this is how they would treat anyone who's clearly not a local, and someone who's not of modest means.
@@bazimyan I’m a Rwandese, born and raised in Rwanda , ain’t no fuckin way Rwandese can call you umuzungu unless you’re biracial. We don’t call Nigerian or other foreign black tourists “abazungu” lol
@@Yvesmurekezi what you are is a clown since you're trying to tell me what my own experiences were. Both my parents are Rwandans from Rwanda, and so is my family, so no, we're not biracial. We were called abazungu when we were out as a group together. Unless you're some sort of moron, you shouldn't be talking about things you don't have any idea about.
@@Yvesmurekezi I'm not sure about Rwanda, but as a black American, the locals in Kenya insist on calling me muzungu although I tell them to refer to me as ndugu.
Spent 3 weeks in Rwanda and Uganda in 2016. Haven't been able to re-visit due to financial and medical issues but your videos bring back so many memories, good and not so good ones, tbh. You record very genuinely and without frills - which I appreciate a lot. Watching you traveling countries I also visited makes me see them through a fresh set of eyes while also evoking wanderlust. Thank you for bringing me many hours of wholesome entertainment. Today I talked with my Ugandan sister-and-law and she was amazed I could suddenly talk more Luganda than ever before - I picked up some of the words you mentioned in your videos and also recommended your channel to her and my brother. Keep up the awesomeness, man!
@@dennischapman8683 The Rwandan people were very hard to read. I was the only single unmarried female in our group - apart from my widowed 70 year old mother - and somehow, the Rwandans seemed to think that this was an invitation to either hit on me constantly or question my character. It would have been funny had it not happened so often. I am a rather shy person, also kind of self-conscious and at that time, I was going through a rough patch of time because I had a chronically inflamed bowel that wasn't diagnosed yet, meaning I was not feeling my best and had to steer clear of most of the food. Maybe, other people would have shrugged the advances off but me being generally sensitive and timid, I tried to stay polite while also feeling put on the spot. In Rwanda, there was a language barrier. My French is okay, I tend to understand a lot but I can't speak it well enough to communicate my disinterest in flirtations in a way not offensive to people who are flirtatious by nature. My mom, who rather enjoyed the banter and attention was also getting annoyed at some point and kinda acted as my guardian because the guys would not understand my polite ways of refusing, lol. Also, their blatant questioning sometimes hurt. Maybe I was overthinking but it really bugged me. Examples: upon arriving the first time at Kigali airport, we stood in line to get our visas. I was dead tired and feeling very dizzy. The guys at the counter (actually one was supposed to handle my request but he ended up roping his colleage in) didn't ask me the usual questions about my travel plans. They immediately inquired my age, my marital status and from then onwards they tried different ways of either flirting with me or driving me nuts. My mom, whose English is so-so, was done after 5 minutes of her questioning (nobody was interested in her marital status or anything else personal). She had to watch me being kinda interrogated for 10 more minutes and it also attracted the attention of the other people in the room. In the end, the guys supposed to just inquire about why and how I wanted to visit their country had asked me everything about my single life, how come I didn't have a husband, what my boyfriend was like, what I liked in guys and my plans on getting married in the future. XD What really hurt me though was that they claimed my English sucked. I knew it didn't. They expected me to speak Kinyarwanda, which I knew ony a few words of. The reason why they questioned my English skills on top of everything was that I really had a tough time communicating with them. I didn't understand their pronunciation well, I was almost fainting because of nerves and feeling ill and I was afraid of offending them and not getting my visa. Normally, I would have told them neutrally that I wasn't interested. But that wasn't an option. They even mocked me and asked me to speak French instead. They constantly snickered and talked among themselves in Kinyarwanda. It was humiliating. It was my first hour of being in Rwanda, I had no idea that Rwandan guys were that way. In the end, they grew bored and gave me my visa. Later, I was told that Rwandan people in 'powerful' positions sometimes enjoy leaving muzungus guessing. We made that experience again when wanting to fly from Kigali to Entebbe. We had several pieces of luggage but the only one the male security guards wanted to open and search was mine. My family stepped up to save me the humiliation of my underwear being publicly displayed (they searched not in the airport but at the entrance to it). The guys argued heavily but relented eventually (my Ugandan sister-in-law can be fierce when she senses guys getting too offensive). During my stay in Rwanda and Uganda, everywhere we went male staff were hitting on me. I became used to it but was still bad at telling them no. Waiters kept messing up orders to have incentive to talk to me. They also wanted to bring me the same juice three times to get my number. The flirtations aside, the Rwandans also don't like to tell whenever they are unsure about something. We experienced that many times and it always amazed us because in my family, we appreciate honesty very much. It also became sort of annoying when we were running on a tight schedule. Ordering food was a daily adventure because the waiters would take orders, then go check for 30 minutes if the items we ordered were available and then come back to tell us which was finished. Sometimes, it would take us up to 2 hours to get our food - at a restaurant. XD One chef at a hotel restaurant at lake Kivu told us the lake was closed because my brother had ordered a specific fried fish from the menu and the chef obviously didn't know how to fry it (we found that out after another lengthy discussion). Don't get me wrong - we would have been totally ok with ordering and trying other stuff. What irritated us was not stuff being finished but the waiters not telling us in a timely manner or lying to us instead of admitting it. One of our drivers was supposed to refuel the car the day before a long trip. We gave him money for accommodation and fuel. He didn't want to sleep at the hotel - we offered. The next day we had to stop during our journey because the car still needed fuel. We found out that the driver didn't know where the gas tank was and instead of telling us, he had taken the money, given it to his family, slept in the car and pretended that he had refueled. All that because he was too proud to admit he didn't know where the tank was... I get it - Rwandan people are proud and want to please the muzungus. But ironically, they ended up really annoying us sometimes. The children asked for money, soda or various items of 'luxury' wherever we went. They asked in several languages and they expected specific amounts. They also would perform songs or other stuff we didn't ask for and then demand we should pay them. My brother told them beforehand when getting out of the car they shouldn't bother and simply move on. He told them in Kinyarwanda but they stayed and asked for cigarettes, candy or 1000 Rwanda-Francs. Whenever we would step out of the car to stretch our legs and enjoy the landscape, all the kids in the area would gravitate to us. It was kind of uncanny how fast the news about muzungus being present spread. Within seconds, a group of children would surround us and insist on touching us or getting money. We refused kindly, repeatedly. My brother told them in Kinyarwanda to go to school or go play and not waste their time on us. My sister-in-law told them to get lost. Any way we refused, they still pestered us. It didn't faze them. The only times they did scatter was when any local adult would come along and threaten to call the police or hit them. As muzungus, we always tried to be kind and not offend. But that meant having to stay polite even in very unpleasant situations that could have used some drastic behaviour to defuse. The children begged, the adults tried to trick us. Note I had a 4 weeks visa, given to me at the Kigali airport after lengthy discussions. After 3 weeks of traveling, we wanted to cross the border to get back from Uganda to Rwanda, this time by walking. Our group of 5 was immediately allowed to pass through...everyone except me. The male border guards told me that my visa was no longer valid... My mom had the same one, btw, and they had no trouble allowing her passage. By then, I've had enough experience with the locals to know they either wanted to flirt with me or get extra money. I told them I wasn't interested in flirting. Then they demanded even more money. XD My entire group and me told them they should recheck because there was no way that the visa was no longer valid. They did recheck, kept us waiting for 20 minutes and then miraculously gave up, handed me my passport and visa and allowed me to move along. I got the impression they were sour about me not wanting to flirt and that they rather enjoyed having the 'wealthy' muzungus at their mercy. And before you say we shouldn't have paraded our 'wealth' : we truly didn't. We traveled light, we wore jeans and t-shirts, we didn't show our cellphones or cameras, we let my Uganda sister-in-law handle all monetary situations, we had local drivers and guides, we didn't have lots of accessories or bling with us - just hats and sunglasses. We don't like pompous appearance, we don't like to parade as rich muzungus because frankly, we aren't rich. And most ironically, I was back then the 'poorest' member of the group but was expected by the locals to pay the most simply because I was unmarried and seemed eligible... Long story short: I like Rwanda as a country and nowadays, I would feel more comfortable in coping with the advances, but back then, it really put me in a defensive spot that wasn't all fun. ;-)
@@ch3shire_kat oh wow, quite the adventure you had, well atleast you came out fine :) we live and learn, but yeah I can’t say the same because I’m a male but Africa seems great to visit, but me being extremely introverted.. I would get too burned out the second I land with all eyes and hundreds of people wanting to practice their English or want to rip me off or whatever, which is why I came across this channel a couple months ago, stay safe ka x
@@dennischapman8683 haha, definitely an adventure, also because my brother was getting married then and we got to experience an Ugandan wedding in church AND a traditional tribe wedding. We muzungus were accepted into their tribe despite having to skip the usual ritual of initiation (allegedly swallowing several coffee beans? Nobody had brought coffee beans though, hence the procedure was skipped). As sister-in-law, I had a special role during the traditional wedding. Trouble was nobody instructed me in advance because they knew I was shy, lmao. I would have liked to be prepared but they thought they were doing me a favor. I was told I only had to sit, take pictures and clap along to the music. The reality was: I had to perform dances for a crowd of several hundred Ugandan family members and more hundreds of curious onlookers from Kampala, I had to present gifts to the bride, the audience and the bride's parents, I had to hold a speech (improvised because nobody had told me to write one) and banter with the two priests (one talked in Luganda, the other one in English). It was any shy person's nightmare and I only managed to get through it because there was always a sibling or friend of my sister-in-law tugging at my dress to guide me along or whisper last second instructions at me. In the end, I sat down for maybe 5 minutes and took only a few pictures because I was on my feet and performing for most of the ceremony. A traditional wedding is very exciting, as everything is cheerful, colourful and people celebrate themselves, the presents, the occasion and anything positive. I also learned the "kaloo loo" (spelling?), the Ugandan way to cheer in a singsong way and wave your hands accordingly. It truly was a fine adventure. Thanks for your kind words. :) In retrospect, I'd recommend any muzungus in Rwanda should learn some necessary phrases in Kinyarwanda. To make sure people don't misinterpret due to the language barrier. It definitely is a very lovely country with breathtaking sights to see.
@TRAPPER OF THE YEAR TV are you out of your mind? Hate is a strong word. Truth is all I said, so do not twist and turn my words and keep on fighting for them...do some reverse psychology..if they would fight their own for you
Common man, come to Kakamega in Kenya through Naivasha, Kericho, Eldoret. You'll be swept off your feet by the diversity and beauty of the diverse landscapes and people and languages. Jaribu ndugu. Love u
So far Rwanda is my favourite african country... People are so polite and welcoming... Plus everywere you look is beautiful. Well done Rwanda!!! Love from Malta...
Clap! Clap! Clap! Big respect to you Tommy! A smile stuck on my face all the way through this video and I got a kick out of viewing the activities of the whole event. Very interesting! Many thanks Tommy! Cheers!
I rarely comment but today lemme leave this one here so that when anyone likes it I come back to watch and sample this GREATNESS!! Ardent follower since Day 1.
I’m currently living in the states but originally from Uganda 🇺🇬! I enjoy watching your videos! It’s always good to see home, I have seen a couple of places I know from your Uganda videos. Your so good at picking up new languages and overall an amazing person!! Keep the videos cooking please🙌🏾👊🏾.
This makes me cry because Tommy learns and communicates with the people that live in the places he travels. It has always been my dream to travel the places he has been.
Looks like Kofi's house is truly a prime property with a lake view, probably worth a million in any western country. Your videos give us a true idea of how a normal man lives in these countries.
This so much like my experience traveling in the Philippines off the tourist track. often I would take a bus to a random town, go to the public market, buy some food and ask the vendor if I could get someone to cook the food for me. Easy to find a family willing to do that in exchange for your generosity. and you can meet some great and interesting people.
I never thought Rwanda would be a place I would want to visit but after watching this video it was a mistake to never have considered it. Thanks for showing this whiteboy what a beautiful place it is.
You really are a big fan of local beers from Mbega in Tanzania, Mukomboti in Uganda something IK in Kenya now you are drinking urwagwa in Rwanda. Tommy you are one strong man
Now, you are my favourite travel vlogger. I am in awe of your language skills, unpretentiousness and I love how you interact with respect and an open mind with all the people you meet.
Great video..very informative.murakoze,Tommy!... 30:38 Rwanda is very progressive. women and men eat together ..very unusual in rural Africa! I think in Rwanda, it is underlining tension...LAND is the issue...too many people, land very fertile but very scarce! Its a ticking time bomb with no feasible solution in sight ! henry. dar,TZ
I'm Rwandan and really proud of what we've been achieved but we're still have a long way to go. We're a small landlocked country but with a good leadership. Rwanda is definitely in right direction .thanks to the best president Paul kagame 👌but i don't like pple who always compare country with other African countries cz it usually ends up only in jealous rather than learning from each other. About Europe forget it Africa is miles away the best thing we can do is to appreciate what they've been accomplished 🙌 and learn from them. Then together we'll make this planet more fun and beautiful.
Your English is very good. I am from North America. we have a lot of hostile people here. i live in a part of the country that is usually known for how nice and polite its citizens are, but a part from opening doors for strangers and the random small acts of kindness most people are hostile and untrusting of each other. I just love how nice and polite and honest the people in your country are. I would do anything to live like that..
This channel is beautiful. Thank you for the kind but still raw exposure. Such beautiful people, I wish nothing more but prosperity and the defeat of corruption in such places. People like them deserve so much more. Much respect and one love from Central America, Costa Rica.
Hey T, I think an interesting thing to add to your videos (by way of conversation with locals, of course) would be insight into some of the dangerous creatures in the areas you visit. I'm certain there are loads of bugs, spiders, snakes, etc. that we either don't know or can't imagine. Encounter stories from locals would be so, so cool. Hoping your travels are safe and your shoes stay dry, brother!
I saw one of your videos by chance and since then i don't do without your channel. As an african i am just amazed to discover my continent through you. One Love !
These friendly videos are what I like to view versus the videos that you do on a scale of "Live or Die" doing!!! Keep these videos coming,Hello from Beryl Utah in Iron County Home to the Original Desert Cannibal's USA
Kofi seems like a genuine good person, it makes me feel good knowing people all over the world are still mostly kind to each other. If these folks can be so hospitable and excepting there is no reason we all can’t be. Makes me wonder what happened to cause us Americans to get so divided, I believe politics has played a huge part and it was 100% on purpose.
Kofi actually does hikes and other trips for people who visit the area. He doesn't have a website or anything like that, but if you visit the Lake Kivu area in Rwanda and want him to take you around, this is his Whatsapp: +250 788589296
EDIT: It's 2022 and Kofi is now making videos of his own. Check him out here: th-cam.com/video/09H7LjfFIdA/w-d-xo.html
Good afternoon sir I'm new subscribers I'm from Philippines. I'm enjoying watching your video. Keep safe and healthy sir. God bless
Do you delete comments? My comment is gandhi
You make the best videos man. If you keep it up you will hit 500k no problem. Stay safe brother.
Very beautiful place man
What’s your next destination
Your guide even if he was getting paid, he was amazing. Kind, friendly,honest, talkative and he was explaining and translating everything in details . Amazing guy.
Electricity 🤨
@@fegow-farmland8399 lol but he figured it out quickly
This is the Africa they won't let you see on mainstream media,yes we have our conflicts but we are warm and welcoming and share the little we have,what you see is genuine happiness from locals.I wish most foreigners would visit African countries and experience the Ubuntu lifestyle first hand,you are all welcome
@@alha7040 This is doesnt sound very nice.
@@alha7040 Well, I guess it's refreshing to see that xenophobia and dislike for people with a different skin colour also is universal around the world. Hopefully you are part of a small minority with this negative way of looking at people.
@@ThePathOfEudaimonia hmmm I dont know about that but if you know what europeans did here and still doing you would understand
@@alha7040 I know that, of course. But we are not the same people because we share the same skin colour. People like you don't understand that the common, poor folk in European countries (farmers, workers, etc.) were treated badly by the European elite as well.
The problem is not Europeans (or Arabs), or skin colour... It's the elite (of all skin colours and countries) who think they own the world and can do everything to poor people. Those people are the problem.
I hope you can put some more love into your heart where there is distrust and hatred right now.
@@ThePathOfEudaimonia are you European? You speak some sense though
Your friend/guide Kofi is such a nice guy. God bless him
Such a softly spoken guide
Kofi? I had no idea the name Kofi is also used in the Congo. Thought it was unique to the Akans and in Ghana and Ivory Coast or Togo! Wow!
This should replace mainstream tv! Another cracking episode showing the kindness and rural life of many lovely people.
Exactly. Instead of only negative things happening in the world.
@D Rocket it's up to you what you watch, my friend. I got rid of my cable subscription and TV a long time ago. I only watch TV when I'm visiting other people, and what little I see on those occasions mainly pisses me off and makes me glad I'm rid of it.
It's 99% lies and propaganda anyway.
I was born in rwanda and my parents are 100% rwandese. I moved to the Netherlands at the age of 1 so I can't speak the language Kinyarwanda, well. i have always regretted not having a good command of my native language or that I had never been to rwanda. last year I went to rwanda for the first time and I immediately got a warm welcome from all those people. Best experience ever! Rwanda surprised me. Like many people, I had the wrong idea about Africa. I thought rwanda was very messy, a lot of poverty, no structure. But when I was there I saw that rwanda is much more beautiful than most countries in europe. super friendly people, very clean, well developed and it's very safe. Thank you Tommy for showing us how beautiful Rwanda is. I hope I can go back soon.
Ik neem aan dat je goed Nederlands spreekt
Im surprised as well. The people are very friendly
@@annieford6530 Never? Hmm go back 200 years or so. 🤮
@@annieford6530 yet they still leave cleaner lives than most poverty stricken areas in Europe or America
@@LG-universe So your basically implying Africa is 200 years behind.... This vlog definetly makes it looks very poor with the living conditions you see them in. I think your right.
The wedding would of been cool to have seen but buying dinner and eating with the locals they will cherish this memory forever! I like this humble video ❤💚
I agree!
@@jasonpetersharpe me too
Agreed!
It all worked out...he was with Kofi and his family...way cool!
he should have went to the wedding
I respect your innate ability to seamlessly interact with the people despite the language barrier. I have learnt much, and there is much to learn. Respect sir!
@@rickjason215 ikr lmao. He is a language god.
@@mwanikimwaniki6801 He's the travelling Laoshu. lol
@@-LovedOne I wanted to write something like that but thought people wouldn't get the reference.
@@-LovedOne rip
While boy 😀😀😀 we appreciate your videos of holistic views of Rwanda. We are able to see the other side of beautiful Rwanda.❤️💕🇯🇲🌺🇱🇷
Oh my God that song at the end❤️ . It's what we play at our weddings talking about how we are going to miss the beautiful sister who's leaving us. Man your work is pure gold. you remind us the most important thing: we are not that different after all.
I really enjoy your videos Tommy. I watch them from Chile.
What a polite and respectful people in Rwanda! Great country!
Me gustaría visitar Santiago de Chile. Soy senegales
It’s so beautiful there. The people are so very friendly. This was one of my favorite videos.
You should just livestream all day, we're here for it. 😂😂Thanks for taking us along for the journey. Safe travels
I definitely would have switched gears and headed off to that wedding…..”for the woman of my dreams” . Spent a month in Kenya and drinky~boy Tommy is becoming my favorite anticipated video posting.
See, he heard it too.. That very well could have been your dream woman.. i wish everyone could affordably travel the world.
Tommy, any wonder you spend a lot of time smiling, the people you are meeting are so welcoming and friendly. I find myself smiling at your travels as well, the best kind of infectious happiness. Thanks. 🇦🇺
Same here! This tommy got me stuck with a smile planted on my face. Amazing guy indeed! Cheers!
Incredible video as usual Tommy. For me as a Celtic fan it was special to see a Glasgow Celtic top being worn by a woman (17:36) across the world in a tiny Rwandan village! Keep up the good work mate! 😊🍀
Long live the Celts (even though I believe your talking about football)
In Rwanda they like football,streets are full of European big football teams jerseys and we also have our own rivalry derby between Rayon Sport(Blue and white) and Kiyovu Sport(Green and white like Celtic),due to lack of local made jerseys, in Kigali roads you may find Celtic jerseys like those of Henrik Larson et, Al.
30+ minutes that went by real fast. His videos are always interesting, but this seemed to have no down time. Always informative, something new around every corner, and entertaining.
The way this man learns these different African languages so perfect is amazing
I just wanted to add this note: in Rwanda, "muzungu" did traditionally refer to "white person" but in general practice that doesn't tell the whole story. I'm an American of Rwandan descent (both my parents were Rwandan Tutsi), however when I went to Rwanda years ago with my family, I was frequently called muzungu along with other members of my family. This included members who actually were born in Rwanda. And we're all black. Muzungu nowadays is used towards any outsider, someone who's clearly not a local, and/or someone who's wealthy that the locals are not familiar with. Going to rural areas or rural markets, they sought to sell me and my group just as hard as they did to you. It's just that a white person would stand out even more. But in reality, this is how they would treat anyone who's clearly not a local, and someone who's not of modest means.
Nahh, that’s a cap!
@@Yvesmurekezi lol you're trying to tell me what my own experiences were in Rwanda? Who are you again?
@@bazimyan I’m a Rwandese, born and raised in Rwanda , ain’t no fuckin way Rwandese can call you umuzungu unless you’re biracial. We don’t call Nigerian or other foreign black tourists “abazungu” lol
@@Yvesmurekezi what you are is a clown since you're trying to tell me what my own experiences were. Both my parents are Rwandans from Rwanda, and so is my family, so no, we're not biracial. We were called abazungu when we were out as a group together.
Unless you're some sort of moron, you shouldn't be talking about things you don't have any idea about.
@@Yvesmurekezi I'm not sure about Rwanda, but as a black American, the locals in Kenya insist on calling me muzungu although I tell them to refer to me as ndugu.
Spent 3 weeks in Rwanda and Uganda in 2016. Haven't been able to re-visit due to financial and medical issues but your videos bring back so many memories, good and not so good ones, tbh. You record very genuinely and without frills - which I appreciate a lot. Watching you traveling countries I also visited makes me see them through a fresh set of eyes while also evoking wanderlust. Thank you for bringing me many hours of wholesome entertainment. Today I talked with my Ugandan sister-and-law and she was amazed I could suddenly talk more Luganda than ever before - I picked up some of the words you mentioned in your videos and also recommended your channel to her and my brother. Keep up the awesomeness, man!
What was not good about it ?
@@dennischapman8683 The Rwandan people were very hard to read. I was the only single unmarried female in our group - apart from my widowed 70 year old mother - and somehow, the Rwandans seemed to think that this was an invitation to either hit on me constantly or question my character. It would have been funny had it not happened so often. I am a rather shy person, also kind of self-conscious and at that time, I was going through a rough patch of time because I had a chronically inflamed bowel that wasn't diagnosed yet, meaning I was not feeling my best and had to steer clear of most of the food. Maybe, other people would have shrugged the advances off but me being generally sensitive and timid, I tried to stay polite while also feeling put on the spot. In Rwanda, there was a language barrier. My French is okay, I tend to understand a lot but I can't speak it well enough to communicate my disinterest in flirtations in a way not offensive to people who are flirtatious by nature. My mom, who rather enjoyed the banter and attention was also getting annoyed at some point and kinda acted as my guardian because the guys would not understand my polite ways of refusing, lol. Also, their blatant questioning sometimes hurt. Maybe I was overthinking but it really bugged me. Examples: upon arriving the first time at Kigali airport, we stood in line to get our visas. I was dead tired and feeling very dizzy. The guys at the counter (actually one was supposed to handle my request but he ended up roping his colleage in) didn't ask me the usual questions about my travel plans. They immediately inquired my age, my marital status and from then onwards they tried different ways of either flirting with me or driving me nuts. My mom, whose English is so-so, was done after 5 minutes of her questioning (nobody was interested in her marital status or anything else personal). She had to watch me being kinda interrogated for 10 more minutes and it also attracted the attention of the other people in the room. In the end, the guys supposed to just inquire about why and how I wanted to visit their country had asked me everything about my single life, how come I didn't have a husband, what my boyfriend was like, what I liked in guys and my plans on getting married in the future. XD What really hurt me though was that they claimed my English sucked. I knew it didn't. They expected me to speak Kinyarwanda, which I knew ony a few words of. The reason why they questioned my English skills on top of everything was that I really had a tough time communicating with them. I didn't understand their pronunciation well, I was almost fainting because of nerves and feeling ill and I was afraid of offending them and not getting my visa. Normally, I would have told them neutrally that I wasn't interested. But that wasn't an option. They even mocked me and asked me to speak French instead. They constantly snickered and talked among themselves in Kinyarwanda. It was humiliating. It was my first hour of being in Rwanda, I had no idea that Rwandan guys were that way. In the end, they grew bored and gave me my visa. Later, I was told that Rwandan people in 'powerful' positions sometimes enjoy leaving muzungus guessing. We made that experience again when wanting to fly from Kigali to Entebbe. We had several pieces of luggage but the only one the male security guards wanted to open and search was mine. My family stepped up to save me the humiliation of my underwear being publicly displayed (they searched not in the airport but at the entrance to it). The guys argued heavily but relented eventually (my Ugandan sister-in-law can be fierce when she senses guys getting too offensive). During my stay in Rwanda and Uganda, everywhere we went male staff were hitting on me. I became used to it but was still bad at telling them no. Waiters kept messing up orders to have incentive to talk to me. They also wanted to bring me the same juice three times to get my number. The flirtations aside, the Rwandans also don't like to tell whenever they are unsure about something. We experienced that many times and it always amazed us because in my family, we appreciate honesty very much. It also became sort of annoying when we were running on a tight schedule. Ordering food was a daily adventure because the waiters would take orders, then go check for 30 minutes if the items we ordered were available and then come back to tell us which was finished. Sometimes, it would take us up to 2 hours to get our food - at a restaurant. XD One chef at a hotel restaurant at lake Kivu told us the lake was closed because my brother had ordered a specific fried fish from the menu and the chef obviously didn't know how to fry it (we found that out after another lengthy discussion). Don't get me wrong - we would have been totally ok with ordering and trying other stuff. What irritated us was not stuff being finished but the waiters not telling us in a timely manner or lying to us instead of admitting it. One of our drivers was supposed to refuel the car the day before a long trip. We gave him money for accommodation and fuel. He didn't want to sleep at the hotel - we offered. The next day we had to stop during our journey because the car still needed fuel. We found out that the driver didn't know where the gas tank was and instead of telling us, he had taken the money, given it to his family, slept in the car and pretended that he had refueled. All that because he was too proud to admit he didn't know where the tank was... I get it - Rwandan people are proud and want to please the muzungus. But ironically, they ended up really annoying us sometimes. The children asked for money, soda or various items of 'luxury' wherever we went. They asked in several languages and they expected specific amounts. They also would perform songs or other stuff we didn't ask for and then demand we should pay them. My brother told them beforehand when getting out of the car they shouldn't bother and simply move on. He told them in Kinyarwanda but they stayed and asked for cigarettes, candy or 1000 Rwanda-Francs. Whenever we would step out of the car to stretch our legs and enjoy the landscape, all the kids in the area would gravitate to us. It was kind of uncanny how fast the news about muzungus being present spread. Within seconds, a group of children would surround us and insist on touching us or getting money. We refused kindly, repeatedly. My brother told them in Kinyarwanda to go to school or go play and not waste their time on us. My sister-in-law told them to get lost. Any way we refused, they still pestered us. It didn't faze them. The only times they did scatter was when any local adult would come along and threaten to call the police or hit them. As muzungus, we always tried to be kind and not offend. But that meant having to stay polite even in very unpleasant situations that could have used some drastic behaviour to defuse. The children begged, the adults tried to trick us. Note I had a 4 weeks visa, given to me at the Kigali airport after lengthy discussions. After 3 weeks of traveling, we wanted to cross the border to get back from Uganda to Rwanda, this time by walking. Our group of 5 was immediately allowed to pass through...everyone except me. The male border guards told me that my visa was no longer valid... My mom had the same one, btw, and they had no trouble allowing her passage. By then, I've had enough experience with the locals to know they either wanted to flirt with me or get extra money. I told them I wasn't interested in flirting. Then they demanded even more money. XD My entire group and me told them they should recheck because there was no way that the visa was no longer valid. They did recheck, kept us waiting for 20 minutes and then miraculously gave up, handed me my passport and visa and allowed me to move along. I got the impression they were sour about me not wanting to flirt and that they rather enjoyed having the 'wealthy' muzungus at their mercy. And before you say we shouldn't have paraded our 'wealth' : we truly didn't. We traveled light, we wore jeans and t-shirts, we didn't show our cellphones or cameras, we let my Uganda sister-in-law handle all monetary situations, we had local drivers and guides, we didn't have lots of accessories or bling with us - just hats and sunglasses. We don't like pompous appearance, we don't like to parade as rich muzungus because frankly, we aren't rich. And most ironically, I was back then the 'poorest' member of the group but was expected by the locals to pay the most simply because I was unmarried and seemed eligible... Long story short: I like Rwanda as a country and nowadays, I would feel more comfortable in coping with the advances, but back then, it really put me in a defensive spot that wasn't all fun. ;-)
@@ch3shire_kat oh wow, quite the adventure you had, well atleast you came out fine :) we live and learn, but yeah I can’t say the same because I’m a male but Africa seems great to visit, but me being extremely introverted.. I would get too burned out the second I land with all eyes and hundreds of people wanting to practice their English or want to rip me off or whatever, which is why I came across this channel a couple months ago, stay safe ka x
@@dennischapman8683 haha, definitely an adventure, also because my brother was getting married then and we got to experience an Ugandan wedding in church AND a traditional tribe wedding. We muzungus were accepted into their tribe despite having to skip the usual ritual of initiation (allegedly swallowing several coffee beans? Nobody had brought coffee beans though, hence the procedure was skipped). As sister-in-law, I had a special role during the traditional wedding. Trouble was nobody instructed me in advance because they knew I was shy, lmao. I would have liked to be prepared but they thought they were doing me a favor. I was told I only had to sit, take pictures and clap along to the music. The reality was: I had to perform dances for a crowd of several hundred Ugandan family members and more hundreds of curious onlookers from Kampala, I had to present gifts to the bride, the audience and the bride's parents, I had to hold a speech (improvised because nobody had told me to write one) and banter with the two priests (one talked in Luganda, the other one in English). It was any shy person's nightmare and I only managed to get through it because there was always a sibling or friend of my sister-in-law tugging at my dress to guide me along or whisper last second instructions at me. In the end, I sat down for maybe 5 minutes and took only a few pictures because I was on my feet and performing for most of the ceremony. A traditional wedding is very exciting, as everything is cheerful, colourful and people celebrate themselves, the presents, the occasion and anything positive. I also learned the "kaloo loo" (spelling?), the Ugandan way to cheer in a singsong way and wave your hands accordingly. It truly was a fine adventure. Thanks for your kind words. :) In retrospect, I'd recommend any muzungus in Rwanda should learn some necessary phrases in Kinyarwanda. To make sure people don't misinterpret due to the language barrier. It definitely is a very lovely country with breathtaking sights to see.
@@dennischapman8683 stay safe, too :)
Sabbatical is great company, down to earth a gentleman. From that status you see better at close range.
It is really helpful to understand the rural life of Africa through your vlogs🙂
Very pleased to have you in Our Country Tommy,See how u made friends already,that's a good thing
you go to this country...you will be treated like dirt
You deserve a million subs Tommy. Love your channel
You the man Tommy. Africa loves you. We need more like you to show the true heart of Africa
we do not need the validation of anyone...Africans Wake up
@TRAPPER OF THE YEAR TV truth hurts right
@TRAPPER OF THE YEAR TV are you out of your mind? Hate is a strong word. Truth is all I said, so do not twist and turn my words and keep on fighting for them...do some reverse psychology..if they would fight their own for you
Bravo Tommy hiking with a hangover 😅🤣 thank you enjoyed the content as always ❤ 🇬🇧
Common man, come to Kakamega in Kenya through Naivasha, Kericho, Eldoret. You'll be swept off your feet by the diversity and beauty of the diverse landscapes and people and languages. Jaribu ndugu. Love u
Yet another impressive vlog, I always like how positive the people who you meet are.
Thanks for sharing the good moments with us!
The realest travel/cultural blog. Much respect Tommy.
This video makes me want to travel to Rwanda. People seem so nice and the view is absolutely gorgeous. Just a chill vibe
Don’t worry, tommy paid the guy who helped him! 🙏 ❤️
Saw a comment that he paid him.
God bless you tommy :)
And can’t wait for future videos man!!
Thank you so much for taking us along to experience Rwanda in 2021. These videos are amazing.
I love love your videos! Africa ❤️esp 🇷🇼 enjoy tommy!
Thankyou Sabba, for providing us real journalism that shows the human in all of us.
This is my favorite video to date. Love Rwanda!
Man I wish I was out taking a walk through a beautiful country right now. It looks so serene and the people are nice
Hi Tommy your vloggs are fantastic, I love your beautiful smile, watching from Scotland 🏴 xxxxxxx
So far Rwanda is my favourite african country... People are so polite and welcoming... Plus everywere you look is beautiful. Well done Rwanda!!! Love from Malta...
Yes and they are not afraid of white people which is great.
😂😂"am a Gwagwa Farmer"!? Lol.. well that phase would definately churn out a funky hit song
Right...I caught that being a "Ganja Farmer"...lol
I like it so much. Thanks for making videos with a hangover. 😀
I fully approve the frequency of these uploads. Kofi was a great guide, very helpful :)
Everytime one video ends I instantly can't wait for the next one! Thanks Tommy for the videos!
Clap! Clap! Clap! Big respect to you Tommy! A smile stuck on my face all the way through this video and I got a kick out of viewing the activities of the whole event. Very interesting! Many thanks Tommy! Cheers!
I hoep to visit Rwanda one day ! It looks really interesting to me !!
Damn Tommy thanks for the vids man always have me smiling ear to ear
What a beautiful place.
Let's go hiking!
I love "you cant speak english? No problem, i'll speak in your language" kind of mentality, very fundamental to communicate
I rarely comment but today lemme leave this one here so that when anyone likes it I come back to watch and sample this GREATNESS!! Ardent follower since Day 1.
was checking your channel everyday for new post..Finally
Now i miss my rural home thanks for a take back. Memories! Imana iguhe umugisha.
“White man come with me to the wedding” 😂😂😂
😂😂
I’m currently living in the states but originally from Uganda 🇺🇬! I enjoy watching your videos! It’s always good to see home, I have seen a couple of places I know from your Uganda videos. Your so good at picking up new languages and overall an amazing person!! Keep the videos cooking please🙌🏾👊🏾.
This makes me cry because Tommy learns and communicates with the people that live in the places he travels. It has always been my dream to travel the places he has been.
What a beautiful country with some super nice people!
Looks like Kofi's house is truly a prime property with a lake view, probably worth a million in any western country. Your videos give us a true idea of how a normal man lives in these countries.
Happy to watch another video :)
Cheers, Welcome Back Tommy !!! :)
I seriously love ❤️ Rwanda’s 🇷🇼 People!
You are welcome to Rwanda too
@@patig8018 visiting Rwanda 🇷🇼 would be a GREAT honor for me! If God permits I will visit.
@@jasonpetersharpe you are welcome anytime Jason
@@patig8018 Rwanda 🇷🇼 is somewhere I pray 🙏🏽 to visit someday
@@patig8018
I feel my heart longing to go there & be with these beautiful people. Love to you all from USA
This so much like my experience traveling in the Philippines off the tourist track. often I would take a bus to a random town, go to the public market, buy some food and ask the vendor if I could get someone to cook the food for me. Easy to find a family willing to do that in exchange for your generosity. and you can meet some great and interesting people.
I never thought Rwanda would be a place I would want to visit but after watching this video it was a mistake to never have considered it. Thanks for showing this whiteboy what a beautiful place it is.
You really are a big fan of local beers from Mbega in Tanzania, Mukomboti in Uganda something IK in Kenya now you are drinking urwagwa in Rwanda. Tommy you are one strong man
Tommy lives for moonshine!
@@Jackie_360 we have Mokomboti down here in RSA,just dont know if its exact same ingredients ,and also if its has been brewed the same.
Thanks for your videos bro!
Bye far the nicest people I've watched you with in Africa, really enjoyed these videos brother . Stay safe
Sabastical you're a very lovely guy; I watch your episodes with so much passion 👍👍👍
Now, you are my favourite travel vlogger. I am in awe of your language skills, unpretentiousness and I love how you interact with respect and an open mind with all the people you meet.
People out here are so nice!!
:)
Thank you for showing my boy tommy some love, and showing him around 🙏
Sabbatical always looking out for the "entrepreneurs"... stay bless.
And a drink
@@michaeltaylor8835 🥃let's drink to that
Another lovely video, thanks Tommy. Go easy on the Rwagwa though. 😂Much blessings,🙏🏽🙏🏽
I really like Kofi, he is so natural, just a true friend. Good bless him
First longer video in Rwanda, big up to Koffi 🙌🏿
Great video..very informative.murakoze,Tommy!...
30:38 Rwanda is very progressive. women and men eat together ..very unusual in rural Africa!
I think in Rwanda, it is underlining tension...LAND is the issue...too many people, land very fertile but very scarce!
Its a ticking time bomb with no feasible solution in sight !
henry. dar,TZ
I'm Rwandan and really proud of what we've been achieved but we're still have a long way to go. We're a small landlocked country but with a good leadership. Rwanda is definitely in right direction .thanks to the best president Paul kagame 👌but i don't like pple who always compare country with other African countries cz it usually ends up only in jealous rather than learning from each other. About Europe forget it Africa is miles away the best thing we can do is to appreciate what they've been accomplished 🙌 and learn from them. Then together we'll make this planet more fun and beautiful.
Your English is very good. I am from North America. we have a lot of hostile people here. i live in a part of the country that is usually known for how nice and polite its citizens are, but a part from opening doors for strangers and the random small acts of kindness most people are hostile and untrusting of each other. I just love how nice and polite and honest the people in your country are. I would do anything to live like that..
@@JohnSmith-id8kz thank you
You should be proud to come from such warm & beautiful people.
Man you are so blessed with knowledge and respect for cultures too,keep it up as you can only get better and better
One of my favourite episodes!
Best youtuber around and regular output which is fantastic
I like this whiteboy, hes chill and boss
Ayo😂😂
And his accent from New York makes him sound like a member of the Corleone family.
@@patbenz4327 his accent reminds me of Steve buscemi
This channel is beautiful. Thank you for the kind but still raw exposure. Such beautiful people, I wish nothing more but prosperity and the defeat of corruption in such places. People like them deserve so much more. Much respect and one love from Central America, Costa Rica.
Blessings from Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean 🇹🇹
Tommy i am a brazilian and a subscribe of your channel, i like so much your way to interact with all these people.
I bet you are experiencing a whole new world there mt Tommy.
Thank you for showing us how beautiful Rwanda 🇷🇼 is ❤️🙏🏾
Thier lifestyle similar with my culture,very accommodating and respectful.
I can't imagine I have watched from 5 months ago to 1day ago😂😂🥳🥳I love your adventure 💗 ❤
Hi Sabbatical!! If you come to Argentina someday you'll be welcome to stay in our home! Keep it up man!!
Wow Tommy, this is the best video ever..
Please keep it up..i love love your videos
Hey T, I think an interesting thing to add to your videos (by way of conversation with locals, of course) would be insight into some of the dangerous creatures in the areas you visit. I'm certain there are loads of bugs, spiders, snakes, etc. that we either don't know or can't imagine. Encounter stories from locals would be so, so cool. Hoping your travels are safe and your shoes stay dry, brother!
I saw one of your videos by chance and since then i don't do without your channel. As an african i am just amazed to discover my continent through you. One Love !
Yeeey your stalker here😍😍 i love your content this was a peaceful one i think rwanda is not as loud as kenya is...
I also wanna stalk you😅
Definitely not as loud, Nairobi is like another planet
Ha! If Kenya is loud, what shall we say about Kampala 🤣🤣
@@somina4003 🤣🤣🤣 is kampala loud
@@lydiathuku Woi! It's chaotic 🤣🤣🤣. Where there's boda bodas expect madness
I love this one this video is the best one to me the views are breath taking, the people are so natural and beautiful
As a Kenyan exploring our continent through sabbatical eyes, I can say am fully addicted to this page
Great video Tommy
Cheers
Takes a lil time to catch ur vibe but starting to like you and your content!
Danke für das hochladen und deine Mühe
Rwandese are friendly.
Beutiful place.
Right, they might be the standard for hospitality world wide. They seem to be at Peace with themselves-its amazing that energy!
i always like finding small channels on youtube that i KNOW will reach 1m subscribers. keep it up
I don't watch Hockey and I don't think I've ever been to Worcester but hell it was awesome to see Kofi repping a team from my state of Massachusetts!
Hey bro discovered your channel this month and I’m glad I did very interesting pov you’re giving us. Stay safe and keep making memories.
Attempting some basic phrases, and a big smile = %99.999 good response!
These friendly videos are what I like to view versus the videos that you do on a scale of "Live or Die" doing!!! Keep these videos coming,Hello from Beryl Utah in Iron County Home to the Original Desert Cannibal's USA
14% beers , that's wild and making me wanna try it, I can't wait to travel all of africa
Kofi seems like a genuine good person, it makes me feel good knowing people all over the world are still mostly kind to each other. If these folks can be so hospitable and excepting there is no reason we all can’t be. Makes me wonder what happened to cause us Americans to get so divided, I believe politics has played a huge part and it was 100% on purpose.