Rwanda

The Rwandans have put civil war and genocide behind them and, united as a nation, they are keen to show visitors the beauty of their tiny landlocked country. Although smaller than Lake Victoria, Rwanda has the largest remaining single tract of montane forest anywhere in East and Central Africa and three national parks, Akagera, Nyungwe and the Parc National des Volcans. The last is home to the mountain gorillas. With their very existence under threat, it is one of the greatest privileges to see them in the wild in the vast volcanic Virunga conservation area that stretches into Uganda and The Congo.

Original Travel has in-depth knowledge of this hugely significant region and it is worth noting that a certain level of fitness is encouraged so you can trek up over 7,500 ft - in sometimes muddy conditions - to find the gorillas. Meanwhile the legacy of the genocide is always around, and those who wish to understand Rwanda's troubled past can visit the memorials, a moving and humbling experience.