The city of Kigali has made a complete 180-degree turn since the Rwandan genocide. There are busy marketplaces and spice-scented street booths where previously marauding gangs and death squads roamed.

The decrepit barrios now exude the vitality of daily life in Kigali, and the emergence of gleaming steel towers on the horizon is only another proof of the influx of foreign investment in these sections.

The moving Genocide Memorial and the majestic presidential palace are two sights that must not be missed.

Apart from that, it's simply a question of soaking up the newfound national pride, shopping for Rwandan handicrafts in bazaars, and downing cool beers in rowdy nightclubs.

• Location: Kigali, Rwanda
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: Tourists visiting Rwanda's national parks and following mountain gorillas usually arrive in Kigali.
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: The coolest months are April through June, whereas travelers who arrive during June, July, August, and September may expect milder, drier weather in Kigali, making this the greatest time to visit the city.

Huye was originally known as Butare, and most residents still refer to it as such. But no matter what it's called, it'll always be known for its illustrious past. Huye is home to the National University and the National Institute of Scientific Research, as well as a slew of other prestigious educational institutions.

As a result, it's comparable to Rwanda's version of Oxford or Massachusetts' Cambridge. It also makes it a culturally diverse destination. At the National Museum of Rwanda, visitors may learn about the former Tutsi rulers, eat with educated students, and explore Huye Market's booths and crafts emporiums.

• Location: Akarere, Rwanda
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: It is known for housing the National University, the National Museum (Africa's only one), and for being close to Nyanza, where the previous king's (the so-called mwami) palace can be found
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: The ideal time to visit Huye in Rwanda is from January to December, when temperatures are nice and rainfall is restricted to moderate.

While most African hinterlands outside of the Great Rift Valley must compete with the likes of Kruger and Maasai Mara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, when it comes to Rwanda's Volcanos National Park's untamed, mist-topped backcountry, all bets are off!

Yes, the once-smoking calderas of massive peaks like Karisimbi and jagged Sabyinyo sit atop this extremely stunning conservation area, which is contiguous with Virunga across the border. Visitors will find rich montane forests and dense groves of African redwoods all around these jagged volcanic summits. There's also a hidden gem among them: the ultra-rare mountain gorilla! Volcanos National Park is really worth-living.

• Location: HH9V+3WF, Ruhengeri, Rwanda
• Timing: 6AM - 5PM
• Famous for: To most Rwandans, the Volcanoes National Park is a symbol of natural beauty and a source of cash for the country's coffers
• Entry Fee: The Volcanoes National Park is free to visit, however activities are priced separately according on your preferences
• Best Time To Visit: The greatest time to visit Volcanoes Park is from June through September, when the temperatures are at their highest

Kibuye is a succession of curving headlands and steep-sided coves that protrude into the blue-brown waters of Lake Kivu. It's bordered by high hills that come wrapped in wisps of mist by morning and provide sweeping views of the lake waters and the islands by afternoon, making it one of Rwanda's most attractive cities.

There are some earthy tiny eco cottages on the coastlines between the streets, as well as an interesting Catholic cathedral and a memorial to the Rwandan genocide. There are also a few vacant beaches in Kibuye, as well as a plethora of boats accessible for cruises out from the banks.

The savannah and riparian wetland mosaic of Akagera National Park is similar to those of the East African Rift's world-famous wildlife parks. That's because its 1,200 square kilometers of land abuts Tanzania's border, allowing giraffes, antelopes, jackals, and other animals to wander freely. The Belgian government, which controlled Rwanda at the time, established Akagera National Park in 1934.

Safaris are gradually gaining in popularity, with outfitters conducting game drives and wildlife walks from the few lodges that exist. The surroundings of Akagera National Park are also stunning, with the Kagera River's meanders leading to the glistening Lake Shakani, a plethora of papyrus swamps, and several protected birdwatching sites.

• Location: Rwanda
• Timing: 6AM - 6PM
• Famous for: its biodiversity, a big colony of African wild dogs used to exist in Akagera
• Entry Fee: R110 per adult, per day R55 per child, per day
• Best Time To Visit: The dry season, which runs from June to September, is the optimum time for travelers to explore Akagera National Park.

Gisenyi is a site where the African rainforests flow down grassy slopes in occasional spurts of palm trees and exotic cassiyas, the entryway to that huge speck of blue that is Lake Kivu, lying amidst the green hills and mountains of the Albertine Rift Valley.

They tumble into the muddy waters of the lake, causing ripples on the surface caused by fluttering insects and boatman flies. The lake's shores are the primary lure, although being shared with greater Goma over the DRC border to the west. Bamboo-built shacks and eco hotels dot the landscape, ideal for visitors want to immerse themselves in the Rwandan countryside of Gisenyi.

• Location: Gisenyi, Rwanda
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: Gisenyi is a popular tourist destination with three sandy beaches and a variety of water sports.
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: Gisenyi's finest months for weather are January, June, July, and August. The weather is generally hot all year.

There was a time when Rwandan royalty strolled along the dusty streets and highways of far-flung Nyanza, wandering beneath the vast bulbous domes of the adobe and thatched historic King's Palace.

This site in Rwanda's southern reaches is rich in history and culture as one of the final capitals of the pre-colonial Kingdom of Rwanda. A few long-horned Ankole cattle, descended from the king's herd, reside in the back, where their caretakers meticulously tend to them and sing to them.

Come learn about the country's former leaders, learn about the sobering and moving events of the Rwandan Genocide, and tour the museum collections housed in the old courtrooms. The Rwesero Art Museum, possibly the most prominent and valuable in the country, is also located in Nyanza.

• Location: Nyanza, Rwanda
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: Track chimps and wander through Nyungwe Forest's canopy
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: June, July, August, September, and October are the finest months to visit Nyanza-Lac because of the pleasant weather.

There are few protected woods that can match Rwanda's magical Nyungwe Forest National Park in terms of accolades. For openers, this massive enclave of montane forest, covering more than 940 square kilometers, is the last surviving enclave in this part of the continent.

Furthermore, one of the world's most diversified arrays of simian life is hidden behind the heavy canopy of mahoganies and clambering jungle vines. Chimpanzees, uncommon golden monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and large baboons may all be found swinging among the trees!

The tremendous biodiversity of Nyungwe Forest National Park is well-known. Chimpanzees are the stars of the show, and guided tracking excursions allow guests to get up up and personal with them in their natural habitat. There are also 12 more primate species in the park.

• Location: KN6, Rusizi, Rwanda
• Timing: 6AM - 4PM
• Famous for: chimpanzees, uncommon golden monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and large baboons
• Entry Fee: US$ 40
• Best Time To Visit: June to August or December to January are the best months to visit.

While Lake Kivu isn't a single destination, it's worth mentioning because of the vast number of attractions and activities it provides visitors to Rwanda from its location on the country's far western border. It stretches from Gisenyi in the north to the cosmopolitan island of Ishwa in the south, covering more than 2,700 square kilometers.

Visitors will be able to see traditional fishing communities on stilts, clusters of characteristic catamaran skiffs on the water, a sprinkling of lovely tropical islands, and possibly even the more contemporary outlines of busy natural gas extractors above the lake along the way of Lake Kivu. Geologists discovered evidence of significant local extinctions every thousand years around the lake, likely triggered by outgassing episodes.

• Location: Rwanda
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: one of three known to have limnic eruptions
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: If you want to spend your holiday at Lake Kivu, the dry seasons are the best time to go.

Rwanda's coffee king is Gisuma. The town is a little blip on the map, nestled among the slopes and sylvan valleys that ascend to the Nyungwe Forest. But, because to its delicious beans and caffeine-infused brews, it's become well-known among baristas and coffee lovers all over the world.

Today, the business is led by the ethical Gisuma co-operative organization, which has improved local producers' take-home earnings by as much as 45 percent since its inception. Even if you don't enjoy the black liqueur, the scenery around Gisuma is stunning: undulating fields of coffee bushes rising and sinking against the backdrop of the mountains.

• Location: Rwanda
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: It is mainly renowned for its coffee production
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: The ideal time to visit Rwanda is between January and October and December, when the weather is nice and rainfall is restricted to moderate.