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 National Park, Nyungwe National Park and Volcanoes National Park. The last is home to mountain gorillas whose very existence is under threat. It is one of the greatest privileges in travel to see them in the wild in the vast volcanic Virunga Mountains region that stretches into Uganda and Congo.
While here, those interested in conservation can pay their respects at the grave of the American primatologist and conservationist Dian Fossey. Extend your Rwanda holidays to take in more of the 'Land of a Thousand Hills' and you can discover Akagera National Park, or venture to Nyungwe where primates thrive in their forest sanctuary.
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What you can find in Rwanda that you won't find anywhere else?
As gorilla-tracking is a key reason for visiting Rwanda, you will visit the Volcanoes National Park, the only place to spot them. Original Travel has in-depth knowledge of the hugely significant Virunga conservation area, one of the few remaining places to see mountain gorillas in the wild. It is worth noting that a certain level of fitness is encouraged so that you can trek up over 7,500ft - 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 some of the many memorials, a truly moving and humbling experience.