Rwanda things to see and do

Once the largest city in Rwanda, Butare (also known as Huye) is considered the intellectual capital of the country, as it houses several academic institutions, including the National University of Rwanda. The most prominent tourist attraction here is the superb Ethnographic Museum, which displays a vast collection of historical, artistic and archaeological items that give visitors a deep insight into the pre-colonial lifestyles, and subsequent development of Rwanda as a modern African state.

Located on the eastern shore of Lake Kivu, Kibuye is a perfect place to unwind. It's also unremittingly beautiful: steep, forested slopes rise from crystalline waters, which are dotted with canoes and fishing boats. The town itself is home to a lively market, and there is a burgeoning range of hotels and restaurants tracing the shoreline.

In 1994, approximately 800,000 Tutsis and scores of moderate Hutus – the two main groups in Rwanda – were murdered by Hutu extremists during the tragic Rwandan Genocide. The Kigali Genocide Memorial museum pays tribute to these victims (many of who are buried in a mass grave outside), and chronicles the events that led to the slaughter. It's a heart-breaking but important monument to a seminal moment in Rwanda's history.

Hovering a hair-raising 70m (230ft) above the forest floor, this swaying walkway offers wonderful vistas over Nyungwe National Park. The 160m-long (525ft) bridge also makes for a great vantage point to spot some of the park's 322 species of bird or 120 species of butterfly.

Perhaps nobody has done more to aid the conservation – or increase our understanding – of mountain gorillas than Dian Fossey, an American zoologist who spent nearly two decades studying the primates in Rwanda. Fossey moved to Volcanoes National Park in 1967, where she spent long days in isolation studying the creatures and raising awareness about the threat of poaching, in an attempt to save the animals from extinction. She succeeded, but was murdered in the process by an unknown assailant. Her gravestone, next to the research centre she founded, has become a pilgrimage site for naturalists. Reaching it requires a 30-minute drive from the park headquarters, followed by a scenic two-hour hike through the forest. Permits and guides are required.