Come see the Mountain Gorillas
Nestled into the rolling plains of central Africa’s Great Lakes region, this small landlocked country, with a surprising variety of options for tourists, quietly awaits. Despite its proximity to the equator, Rwanda’s elevation makes it temperate all year round, although downpours are a daily occurrence during the two rainy seasons (February–May and September–December). If you can afford the permits, one of Africa’s most spectacular game-viewing opportunities is available here: an up-close visit with the endangered mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park (home to five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains). Lake Kivu, the country’s best spot for quiet relaxation, lies about an hour’s bumpy drive to the south. It’s been more than a decade since the end of the country’s genocide, the three-month explosion of violence the root causes of which date back to colonial times, but visitors will find haunting reminders of it everywhere. Perhaps the most infamous of these is Ntarama Church, south of the capital Kigali, where more than five thousand Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered.
