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Wildlife photography
Nothing prepares you for that surge of emotion when you first look into a gorilla's eyes. However much you've anticipated the moment, the mutual recognition between man and animal is profoundly, surprisingly moving. Countless visitors recount the exhilaration of meeting these gentle giants. On a continent renowned for unparalleled wildlife, it's generally held at the apex of the game-viewing pyramid.
Once known as the Switzerland of Africa, Rwanda leapt from glossy tourist brochures to front-page headlines with the 1994 genocide. Sadly, nearly 12 years later (because news cameras don't linger beyond a disaster) the country is still best known to many for this tragedy. Naturally, potential visitors feel trepidation and wonder what awaits them, but most are in for a surprise. Normality testifies to Rwanda's renaissance. Individual visitors can decide how much they want to embrace the country's recent history.
Most foreigners recall 1994's genocide when they hear of Rwanda's people. But had the international media stayed once the tragedy was over, they'd have discovered a nation of sophisticated cultural and artistic history, whose peoples have much to unite them. This comes as a rewarding surprise for most visitors. Rwanda swirls instinctively to centuries-old rhythms of drums, song, dancing and oral poetry. Music is ubiquitous. You can find spontaneous traditional performances in villages or make a date with the Intore Dance Troupe, founded several centuries ago to entertain the royal court. Meaning "the Chosen Ones", the Intore are a dramatic spectacle, far removed from the often-lame tribal dancing offered to tourists in other parts of Africa.
But it's not just through the visual and performing arts that you'll encounter Rwandan culture. Simple daily scenes speak volumes: fishermen in dugout canoes on Lake Kivu; women in bright print cloths smoking traditional pipes; industrious tea pickers; creative craft-sellers; colourful market-stall holders; diners in Kigali's fragrant, bustling restaurants; or simply children playing aimlessly. Human life is here in all its forms.
Acrobatic chimpanzees, dramatically bearded monkeys, harlequin-feathered birds, sleek antelope... irresistible as they are, there's far more to Rwanda's wildlife than gorillas. Visitors who drop in simply to visit the gentle giants are missing out on a wealth of habitats, birds and animals. Those who stay longer testify that it's definitely worth exploring the richly diverse ecosystems of one of Africa's most beautiful countries.
The grandeur typical of the continent is exhibited repeatedly throughout the "land of a thousand hills". Rwanda owes its mountainous profile and temperate year round climate to its location on the eastern rim of the Albertine Rift Valley. Tropical, fertile and bursting with potential, the country's verdant good looks reflect its post genocide reconstruction.
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