Rwanda

A tiny central African country almost exactly the size of Massachusetts, Rwanda has a population of about 11 million. Rwanda became independent from Belgium in 1962. Rivalry between two ethnic groups, the Tutsi and the Hutu, culminated in the genocide of 1994, during which around 1 million Tutsi were murdered in the course of just 100 days. An improbable degree of reconciliation has been achieved, and today, the country is stable and peaceful. The Virunga Mountains rise to nearly 15,000 feet where the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo all converge. On the Rwandan side, the precipitous, cloud-draped slopes are famous as the backdrop for Dian Fossey’s “Gorillas in the Mist.” Today, a quarter-century after her death, the tangled forests contain around 375 Mountain Gorillas, or just over half the entire world population.

WHEN TO GO: Rwanda has two dry seasons — June to September and December to February — but in the mountains, the weather is unpredictable year-round.

CURRENCY: Rwandan Franc (RWF). Fluctuating rate valued at RWF595 = US$1.00 as of January 2012. Note: Our suggested hotel quotes rates in US$.

U.S. EMBASSY: Kigali, Tel. 252-596-400.

DIRECT DIAL CODES: To phone hotels in Rwanda, dial 011 (international access) + 250 (Rwanda code) + city code and local numbers in listings.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Passport. Visit travel.state.gov, and for travelers’ health information, cdc.gov