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Rwanda Travel and Destination Guide
PLACES TO SEE
Kigali
Flowing along and down the sides of a ridge in what appears to be the exact centre of Rwanda is the country's capital, Kigali. The city is small but big on attractiveness; it's dotted with a wide variety of colourful flora and with a number of viewpoints looking out over Rwanda's other 999 hills.
Butare
Butare is an even smaller place than Kigali but this is no reflection of its stature - it has been described as the intellectual centre of Rwanda, due to the fact that the National University, National Institute of Scientific Research and National Museum are all sited here.
Parc National Nyungwe Forest
Spectacular Nyungwe Forest covers 970 sq km (374 sq mi) and is one of the largest protected montane rainforests in Africa, easily the equal of Kibale Forest in Uganda. It offers superb views of the volcanoes of the Parc National des Virunga to the north as well as numerous opportunities to view rare primates, including colobus monkeys and chimpanzees.
Parc National des Volcans
This is the definitive location in Africa to track the rare mountain gorilla and also a great place to track golden monkeys. The national park, which runs along the border between DR Congo and Uganda, is one of the most stunning sights in the region and is home to a chain of seven volcanoes, the highest, Karisimbi, maxes out at more than 4500m (14,764ft)
Giseny
Welcome to the Costa del Kivu! Gisenyi is a ritzy resort town for rich Rwandans and resident foreigners. The views over Lake Kivu and Nyiragongo to the northwest are magnificent, though be warned that the volcano blew its top in early 2002, consuming much of neighbouring Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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