Rwanda

Located in the Albertine Rift, known as a biodiversity hot spot, Rwanda has an amazing variety of animals. Aside from gorillas and chimps you can see many other primates, such as Ruwenzori colobus and golden monkeys. Boat trips are great for seeing hippos and crocodiles, and Akagera’s savannah plains teem with wildlife, including giraffe, buffalo, zebra and defassa waterbuck. Lions are never far away either.

As Rwanda straddles the equator, temperatures are quite uniform throughout the year and there is no real winter or summer. Daytime temperatures are around 27°C/81°F. There is a Dry season (from June to September) and a Wet season (from October to May). The Wet season is divided into the short and long rains with a short period of drier weather in between. The short rains are from October to December and the long rains are the wettest months from March to May.

Rwanda can be visited at any time of the year, but rainfall tends to be high and it is recommended to avoid the wettest month of April. During these months, the trails tend to be very slippery, which makes gorilla trekking more challenging. Rain can also interfere with your gorilla trekking experience, which is time-limited and very special. Overall, the best time to visit the country is from June to September when sunny weather is more likely and wildlife is easier to spot.