In colonial times, the spectacular beauty ofRwanda's rolling, mountainous landscapeearned it the title 'The Land of a ThousandHills'. Following independence, this smallCentral African nation leapt to fame as theland of 'Gorillas in the Mist', adopted homeof Dian Fossey and the most importantrefuge for the rare Mountain Gorilla. Asrecently as the late 1980s, Rwanda was apopular holiday destination; Gorilla-trackingin the Virungas was the country's premierattraction, supplemented by game-viewingin Akagera National Park, the incrediblebiodiversity of the Nyungwe Forest and thebeauty of Lake Kivu. Then came 1994 andthe appalling genocide that caused Rwandato leap from the glossy travel supplementsto front page news. Whilst the Rwandans willnever forget this terrible period of suffering,they are a resilient people who have rebuilttheir lives and their country over the pastdecade and are now poised to restore theirhomeland to its rightful place amongst theworld's finest wildlife destinations. TheMountain Gorillas are still there, and areevery bit as awe-inspiring, as are theElephants of Akagera and the primates ofNyungwe. Rwanda is also one of Africa'stop birdwatching destinations, home to anincredible 670 species. Indeed, this wildlifeparadise remains, despite all that it hasbeen through, a truly welcoming countrywhose attractions are complemented bysimple but comfortable facilities, good foodand a rich cultural heritage. We begin our holiday with a flight to Kigali,Rwanda's bustling capital city. From here wehead north-east to the rolling grasslandsand papyrus swamps of Akagera NationalPark. Covering approximately 90,000hectares, this is an archetypal Africansavannah landscape of tangled acaciawoodland interspersed with opengrasslands and reed-fringed swamps. Hereroam many of the big game animals that weso associate with Africa, including Elephant,Buffalo, Giraffe, Zebra and Eland along withthe rare Sable Antelope. The elusiveSitatunga Antelope lives in the densePapyrus swamps of the southern portion ofthe park, a habitat it shares with perhaps themost bizarre of all birds, the enormousShoebill Stork. Both of these wetlanddenizens are elusive and difficult to find, butas we explore the park by vehicle, on footand by boat we may just be lucky! We are,however, assured of a wealth of otherwildlife and birdlife, perhaps includingDenham's Bustard, Violet-tipped Courser,Martial Eagle, Grey Kestrel and the verylocalised Red-faced Barbet.Leaving Akagera, we now drive to the south-western corner of Rwanda, to the diversemontane forests of Nyungwe. This is thelargest tract of montane forest left in Africaand is home to over 200 species of birds,23 of them endemic to this 'CentralRefugium' region. Within the park also live23 species of primate, including severaltroops of habituated Ruwenzori (Angola)Colobus which are easily seen as they movethrough the canopy in large troops whichcan number several hundred strong.L'Hoest's Monkeys are also frequentlyobserved, but it will take a degree of luck tospot the Chimpanzees which also inhabitNyungwe. Although we will certainly spendtime tracking these shy apes, and willprobably hear their eerie calls driftingthrough the forests, fortune will need to bewith us if we are to catch sight of theanimals themselves. However we fare withthe Chimps, there is still a wealth of otherwildlife to enjoy. Birds such as thespectacular Great Blue Turaco are a common sight and live alongside Cassin's Hawk-eagle, Bar-tailedTrogon, Elliott's Woodpecker, RwenzoriBatis, Red-throated Alethe, Rwenzori Turacoand many, many more. Finally, we head north, past Lake Kivu, tothe mystical forested mountains of theVirunga Volcanoes and the Parc Nationaldes Volcans. Here we will spend three daysexploring these lush cloudforests and willundertake one of the most moving andthrilling wildlife experiences this planet hasto offer - a face-to-face encounter with aMountain Gorilla! It was here that DianFossey brought the plight of the Gorilla tothe world's attention in the 1970s, and it washere that she was buried in 1985. Herlegacy lives on, however, and the Gorillas ofthe Virungas now number in excess of 400individuals, double the population of 30years ago. On one of our days we willsearch for, and then spend time with, one ofthe habituated Mountain Gorilla groups. Theforests here are more open than those ofneighbouring Uganda and the Gorillas aregenerally easier to find and watch. Anencounter with such a powerful but gentleanimal, so similar to us in many ways, is avery poignant experience that is impossibleto put into words, but one that will live in thememory for ever and provide a fitting finaleto our time in Rwanda. Rwanda's Forests & MountainsA 14-day mammal and birdwatching holiday to the forests and mountains of Rwanda insearch of Mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzees and a wealth of other animal and birdlife. Tuesday 4th September - Monday 17th September Cost: £3,995Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationRWANDAUGANDABURUNDITANZANIADEMOCRATICREPUBLIC OFTHE CONGOKIGALINYUNGWENATIONALPARKGISENYIPARC NATIONALDES VOLCANSLAKEKIVUAKAGERANATIONALPARKOutline itineraryDay 1Depart London.Day 2/4Akagera National Park.Day 5Kigali.Day 6/8Nyungwe National Park.Day 9Lake Kivu.Day 10/12Parc National desVolcans.Day 13Depart Kigali.Day 14Arrive London.AccommodationA combination of comfortable, butsimple hotels and lodges, most withprivate facilities.FoodAll included in the price.GradingGrade B. A traditional mammal andbirdwatching safari with leisurelywalking in the forest reserves. Theday's Mountain Gorilla-tracking canbe very strenuous, however, but isan experience not to be missed!FocusMountain Gorillas, primates, othermammals and birds.LeaderCliff Waller, plus local guides.Single room supplement£695.Gorilla permitUS $500 (subject to change).Chimp permitUS $90 (subject to change).Web quick search: RWA01169Kigali MarketShoebillMountain Gorilla

The Republic of Seychelles iscomposed of a scatteredarchipelago of wonderful islands inthe equatorial western Indian Ocean.Although the combined land area of theislands is small (only 455 squarekilometres), they hold an exceptional andincredibly diverse natural history, and thelarger granitic islands have a rugged andoften precipitous relief that accentuates theappeal of this unique country.On Mahe, by far the largest island, asinuous 30-kilometre spine of verdantpeaks rises spectacularly to 900 metres,above idyllic bays of clear, turquoise sea,beaches of shining white sand anddelightfully old-fashioned coconutplantations. High on the winding andpanoramic Sans Soucis road, and in theMorne Seychellois National Park, a richflora includes the strange, carnivorousSeychelles Pitcher Plant and SeychellesWild Orchid. Wild ginger, cardamon andphilodendron vines grow in the ditches andup the trees here, and in the mountain mistforests we may chance upon the endemicSeychelles Bulbul, the dazzling but highlyendangered endemic butterfly, the King ofthe Seychelles, or the elusive TigerChameleon. Our exploration of Mahe willalso take us to lovely beaches, pastCreole-style houses and tea plantations,and over the reefs at nearby MoyenneIsland. A roost of endemic Seychelles FruitBats is another highlight on Mahe, while onthe mudflats of Victoria many species ofmigrant shorebird congregate, amongthem the striking Crab Plover, PacificGolden Plover and other waders. By daythere will be the chance to roam amongspices such as Cloves, Patchouli andNutmeg, enjoying their exotic scents to thefull, while at night we will search for theisland's interesting nocturnal inhabitants,among them the Seychelles Scops Owl.On Praslin we find an environment that isutterly unique. The Valle de Mai is the lastrelict of an ancient palm forest that oncecovered much of the islands. Walking alongthe narrow trails here induces a profoundsense of timelessness, augmented by therelative absence of bird song. A variety ofpalms and the bizarre palm-like pandanuscreate an eerie, though fascinatingenvironment. Only the occasional flock ofendemic Black Parrots, weaving their waythrough the palm crowns, reminds us thatwe are in a modern and not prehistoricage. Along the Glacis Noir Nature Trail,Takamaka Trees, Santol and the vulnerableCoco de Mer are among the vegetation ofinterest; the latter produces the largestseed in the world and, until the true sourceof the seed was discovered in 1768, it wasbelieved to grow on a mythical tree at thebottom of the sea!Praslin will serve as a base from which tovisit the smaller granitic islands whichshelter vulnerable but still survivingpopulations of rare species such as theSeychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher andSeychelles Fody. From Praslin we will visitthe islands of Aride, Cousin, Curieuse, St.Pierre and La Digue. The former risesimpressively from the sea, cloaked in richwoodland with a fertile coastal plateau onthe south side and it is the picture of anidyllic tropical island. The wildlife here hasremained undisturbed for centuries and theisland is, arguably, the most important birdreserve in the Seychelles. It is host to morethan 750,000 pairs of 10 breeding seabirdspecies, including several thousand Greaterand Lesser Frigatebirds, and five speciesendemic to Seychelles, amongst them thevery rare Seychelles Magpie-robin. La Digueis the fourth largest of the granitic islandsand famous for its unique Seychelles BlackParadise Flycatcher, which can be seen inthe Veuve Special Reserve.Owned by the conservation organisationNature Seychelles, the tiny island ofCousin has provided a sanctuary for theSeychelles Warbler and efforts to protectthis species have certainly resulted insaving it from extinction. Some 250,000birds nest on the island each year, most of them seabirds, but among the othersare Seychelles Fody, Seychelles Sunbird,Seychelles Warbler and Seychelles TurtleDove. The reserve is also home to a widerange of other fauna, including skinks and giant tortoises. There will be opportunities for snorkelling for those who wish, and among the exciting potential underwaterdelights of these islands is the criticallyendangered Hawksbill Turtle, which nests in the Seychelles.On Bird Island the emphasis is on leisureand wildlife in whatever blend you fancy,making it the perfect location to round offour Seychelles holiday. White-tailedTropicbirds and Common Noddy nest onBird Island in large numbers and, thanks tocareful management practices, the islandhas seen a return of vast numbers of SootyTerns - about a million pairs at the lastcount! Fairy Terns, Lesser Noddy andGreen-backed Heron are all seen here,and Bird Island is also home to Esmerelda,the largest tortoise in the world! Together with the warm hospitality of thepeople and delicious seafood, this relaxing yet rewarding holiday in theseenchanting islands is sure to fulfil andexceed all expectations.The SeychellesA 14-day holiday in search of the unique birdlife and natural history of the mountains, forests and islands of the Seychelles.Tuesday 25th September - Monday 8th October Cost: £4,995Outline itineraryDay 1 Depart London.Day 2/5Mahe.Day 6/10Praslin; island visits.Day 11/13Bird Island.Day 14 Arrive London.AccommodationComfortable hotels with privatefacilities.FoodAll included in the price.GradingA. Easy day walks only.FocusBirds and other wildlife.LeaderGemma Jesse.Single room supplement£395.Web quick search: SYC01170Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryINDIAN OCEANMAHE VICTORIAPRASLINCOUSINBIRDISLANDLA DIGUECURIEUSEARIDEFairy TernSeychellesGiant TortoiseSaint Pierre Island, Seychelles