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Sunday Times travel expert Richard Green responds: Rwanda is a wonderful little country, and although its star attraction is its mountain gorillas, there's a lot more wildlife, spectacular scenery, and a surprisingly enjoyable capital too. Best of all though, are the welcoming locals and peaceful atmosphere. The gorillas are holed up the side of a volcano in the west of the country, and any drive from here takes you through some stunning landscapes: vivid green fields of coffee and tea plants, bustling villages, and dominated by the "Mountains of the Moon", as the high equatorial peaks were known.
Just over an hour's drive to the south west of the gorillas is Gisenyi, a charming on the shores of Lake Kivu. The Serena hotel here has a good pool and a nice lakeside beach, perfect for a couple of days relaxation.
The drive down the side of the lake to the Nyungwe Forest National Park is a shocker about 40 miles as the crow flies, but it takes the best part of a day (roads elsewhere in the country are generally very good though). It's beautiful, but bone-shaking, and you'll be glad to stretch your legs over lunch in the pretty lakeside town of Kibuye.
The lodge at the Nyungwe forest is clean and simple, and the Chimpanzee treks start early in the morning. Forget the lazy intimacy of the gorillas; this lot tense the entire jungle with their shrieks and chest thumping.
There are hippos, giraffes and elephants in the Akagera National Park too, in eastern Rwanda, and at the centre is Kigali; great for craft shopping, with lovely cafes, bars, and restaurants - largely serving the diplomatic corps and aid workers. If you aren't actually staying at the Mille Collines Hotel, you should at least have a poolside cocktail there. It starred as itself in the film, Hotel Rwanda, where hundreds sought sanctuary during the 1994 slaughter.
That brings me to the "G" word genocide. Rwandans are happy to talk about it if you ask them. Equally you could pass through the country entirely unaware if you really wanted to. I'd recommend talking about it; any guide will take you to some of the many mass graves and memorials, and if you see only one genocide-related sight, make it the genocide memorial in Kigali.
Tour operators with in depth knowledge of the country include Audley Travel, Rainbow Tours, Tribes, Expert Africa, and Tucan Travel.
For further information, visit www.rwandatourism.com, and see the Bradt Travel Guide to Rwanda (£14.99).
