4 month apartment rental/share house in Kigali? guest house experiences?

Hello ThornTree members!

I'll be living in Kigali for four months (from Feb - June 2011) to conduct academic research. I am arriving in two weeks, and at first am planning to be based at the new Discover Rwanda youth hostel, while looking for more permanent accommodation. I have been following a number of expat sites and the Kigalilife yahoo group for leads on this.

Ideal for me would be internet, some sort of basic housing (weekly laundry or laundry access?) and security service, and easy access to transport or location near/in Kimihurura. Of course as I am a student affordable prices are a must.

I'm wondering if anyone has experience with longer term stays at guest houses or hostels in Kigali? A few that I am considering are Chez Jules (http://juliusmugumya.blogspot.com/), the Discover Rwanda hostel (though I think it may be a bit pricey), or Mamba.

Any comments on the above or otherwise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help!

I wanted to briefly share my experience in regards to the above.

The Discover Rwanda youth hostel is a great budget option. There is a relaxed staff and many travelers of all ages. Long term stays are a possibility and can be negotiated directly with the hostel manager, Sam.

I've stayed at Chez Jules for about a month and half. Because of the price I would recommend it for shorter stays, however the location and house itself are nice. I haven't had any major problems staying here, but there have been recurrent annoyances with the house staff.

The best option for finding accommodation in Kigali is to sign up for the kigalilife yahoo group and post an ad.

Two further comments: I checked out Mamba Guest House, however this is quite pricey at around $800/month. Also, the Guest House is also a restaurant and bar over the weekends, so while I can't confirm this I would imagine might be a noisy (but fun?) living space.

If you are coming to Rwanda for several months, I would also consider renting a full house and finding your own roommates. There's a high demand for rooms and in retrospect this would have been the easiest option!