Plan your trip to Kigali, Rwanda

Rwanda lies in central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo. A landlocked, largely mountainous country including the volcanic Virunga mountain chain. This developing country has made steady progress establishing security and rebuilding infrastructure since the 1994 civil war and genocide that killed 800,000 people.

Tourism is on the rise, with an adequate number of hotels in the capital of Kigali, but accommodations are limited in remote regions. Most visitors are drawn to Volcanoes National Park on the Rwandan slopes of the Virungas, home to volcanoes, obviously, and the endangered mountain gorillas. Thanks to the work of conservationists such as Dian Fossey, the number of remaining gorillas has increased in recent years, but there are still only four family groups, ranging in numbers from seven to 37 individuals in the park. The Rwanda Tourism Board provides permits to 32 tourists per day to visit these gorillas in the mist.