Known as “The land of a Thousand Hills”, Rwanda is filled with green undulating hills, gardens and tea plantations, but is most famous for being home to more than half of the world’s last surviving mountain gorillas – about 350 of them. 

Gorilla Trekking is the primary reason visitors go to Rwanda.  Sitting with a small family group of some of the closest relatives to humans is one of the world’s greatest wildlife experiences.  The gorillas are protected by the Volcanoes National Park in the magnificent Virunga Mountains, situated in north-western Rwanda.  The Volcanoes National Park borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The National Park is known as a haven for the mountain gorilla and was the base for the zoologist Dian Fossey’s research into this gentle giant.  Rwanda now has ten habituated gorilla groups, the largest number of in Africa, making it the prime gorilla trekking destination.  On a gorilla trekking tour, you spend 1 hour in close range of a small family group of some of the closest relatives to humans.  This is one of the world’s greatest wildlife experiences and a gorilla safari is a ‘must’ for serious wildlife enthusiasts.

Kigali is the capital city of Rwanda, roughly in the center of the country. It sprawls across numerous hills, ridges and valleys, and has a vibrant restaurant and nightlife scene. The Kigali Genocide Memorial documents the 1994 mass killings in Rwanda, associated with the country’s civil war.  This sombre and thought-provoking memorial is well worth a visit.  The city’s Caplaki Crafts Village has stalls selling traditional handicrafts, including woodcarvings and woven baskets.

Nyungwe Forest National Park is an example of Africa at its most raw – a dense patch of pristine jungle where chimpanzees leap from branch to branch.  Covering over 1000 square kilometres, Nyungwe is believed to be one of Africa’s oldest forests, staying green even through the last Ice Age, which explains its diversity.  Home to habituated chimpanzees and 12 other primates species (including a 400-strong troop of habituated Ruwenzori Black & White Colobus), it is also a birder’s paradise with over 300 species, including 16 endemics, and is home to 75 different species of mammal.  In addition to chimpanzee trekking, there is a canopy walkway winding through the treetops some 60 metres above the ground as well as hiking and cycling trails and beautiful waterfalls.

Lake Kivu is ranked as the second smallest of the African Great Lakes – just 56 miles long by 31 miles wide at its fullest dimensions – but this azure blue puddle on the map is worth an afternoon or two of any traveller’s time.  It makes for a perfect place to pause en route between the Nyungwe and Volcanoes National Parks.  Beach resorts dot the water’s edge, and broad sunsets await each evening.

Rwanda’s climate is temperate to subtropical, with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons each year.