Rwanda really is an astonishing country! As soon as you leave the international airport in the capital, Kigali, the first thing you notice is how incredibly clean the city is; the streets are immaculate without any visible litter. It soon becomes apparent why Rwanda has been called the "Land of a Thousand Hills" as the landscapes are spectacular. Add to this the welcoming and friendly nature of the people and Rwanda is a revelation.

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Of the three main attractions in Rwanda, the most visited is Volcanoes National Park, renowned for fantastic Mountain  gorilla trekking experiences. Visiting one of their seven Mountain gorilla groups and spend an hour with these amazing great apes is the stuff of dreams!

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Although often the only destination visited in Rwanda would be the gorillas, two other destinations are very worth a visit. The Nyungwe Forest is a montane rainforest of great ecological importance because of its size at almost 1000 sq kilometres and its biodiversity. Chimp trekking is available as well as a number of other very localized monkey species and fantastic birding. There are some great hikes through the forest, which straddles the watershed of the Congo River system run off to the west and the Nile River system in the east.

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Last but not least is Akagera National Park, a savannah and wetland park which until the 1990s had been badly affected by human encroachment and animal persecution following the country's civil war. Since 2010, Akagera has been restored and conserved in a joint effort of the Rwandan Development Board and the non-profit organization African Parks, which are doing great things in parks across the continent. Due to their efforts Akagera is now a big 5 reserve once again and set to be a real little gem.