Rwanda

Flowing along and down the sides of a ridge in what appears to be the exact centre of Rwanda, lies Kigali, the small capital city of Rwanda. It's a beautiful little place, with a wide variety of colourful flora and with a number of viewpoints looking out over the country's other 999 hills.

In spite of the natural splendour Kigali's green and fertile location, there's not much else to sightsee in the city itself. Parts of the city is still wrecked from the last round of civil conflict.

The stunning Parc National des Volcans is the place in Africa where you should track the rare mountain gorilla and golden monkeys. It runs along the border between DR Congo and Uganda, and has a chain of seven volcanoes, the highest, Karisimbi, being more than 4500m (14,764ft).

You'll roam among the volcanoes' bamboo-and rainforest-covered slopes in search of the gorillas, for this is one of their last remaining habitats. Coming across a mountain gorilla is an experience many a writer has struggled to put into words, for it's regarded by many as one of the most awe-inspiring and significant experiences known to man.

All we can say though is that once you're face to face with a gorilla you'll forgive the authorities for putting such a high price on the experience itself. Besides, the money goes directly into the safekeeping of these nearly extinct creatures. Despite their immense size, they're not aggressive, and have been studied in-depth by George Schaller and Dian Fossey.

You can book your gorilla permit through the ORTPN tourist office in Kigali or a Rwandan tour company. The departure point for all visits is Ruhengeri's ORTPN office. Parc National des Volcans also offers you the chance to trek through the volcanic chain.

One of the biggest protected montane rainforests in Africa, the spectacular Nyungwe Forest covers 970 sq km (374 sq mi). This is the park where you can track Colobus monkeys and chimpanzees. From here, you can also enjoy excellent views of the volcanoes of the Parc National des Virunga to the north.