Rwanda. Amidst the spectacle of gorillas and bamboo groves

Trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, amongst slopes covered in bamboo, in small groups led by trackers who proceed with close attention to every sign, is an experience that leaves a lasting impression on one’s entire life. To witness, at close quarters, a family of gorillas going about their daily lives in the African equatorial rainforest is deeply moving and constantly prompts reflection on the origins of humankind and the striking similarities with the primates closest to us on the evolutionary scale. The landscape is also extraordinary: you find yourself in the volcanic range stretching across Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where there are around a thousand wild mountain gorillas – a figure that is rising slightly, thanks to monitoring by park rangers. Only 96 permits are issued per day; groups consist of eight people who meet at 7 am at the Volcanoes National Park headquarters in Kinigi: the trek can last from 30 minutes to four hours, depending on the gorillas’ location, at altitudes ranging from 2,500 to 4,000 metres. In the days that follow, you can travel to the western part of the country, to a branch of the Rift Valley known as the Albertine Rift, where, in addition to chimpanzees and golden monkeys, you’ll encounter orchids and butterflies in stunning colours. Also worth a visit is Nyanza, the ancient capital of the kingdom, where the old thatched huts have been reconstructed. Among the more modern attractions is the suspension walkway over a ravine in the lush mountain rainforest of Nyungwe National Park: at a height of 70 metres, you walk suspended amongst the treetops. As for lodges, Amakoro Songa, the Retreat by Heaven in Kigali and Magashi Akagera are all excellent choices.