Come trek through bamboo forests in search of mountain gorillas, climb a volcano, or relax in one of Lake Kivu’s resort towns
Rwanda is a small country, just south of the equator, in east Africa. It is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda is in the African Great Lakes region and it’s geography is defined by its chains of volcanoes and mountains in the west and savannah in the east.
Rwanda has three national parks, each of which protects a distinct ecosystem. Volcanoes National Park is the most heavily patrolled park in the world and along with adjoining reserves in neighbouring countries such as Uganda, it’s the only remaining habitat of mountain gorillas, of which there are about 700 left.
Nyungwe Forest National Park is a tropical rainforest home to 13 primate species, which is a quarter of all primates in Africa. Akagera National Park’s savannah ecosystem is home to large populations of giraffes, elephant, buffalo, baboon and zebra. A programme to reintroduce lions back into the park is currently underway.
Volcanoes National Park is home to five volcanoes, as well the endangered mountain gorilla. It is one of the oldest national parks in Africa. The park was the research base for the zoologist Dian Fossey, well known for her autobiography Gorillas in the Mist
Volcanoes National Park is home to an estimated 1/3 of the remaining mountain gorilla population in the world. With only a limited number of permits available, tracking a group of gorillas through the forest is a wondrous experience
Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes and lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. It is the largest lake in the country at 2,500sq km (965sq mi), and is surrounded by the dramatic mountains of the rift valley