Between April and June 1994, within the space of a hundred days, almost a million Rwandans--nearly 10 percent of the entire population--were killed. Most of the dead were Tutsis, and most of those who killed were from the majority Hutu community. Some moderate Hutus were killed, as well, in what is referred to as the fastest genocide in history. The international community did its best not to call it genocide, since labelling it as such would impose a legal obligation on the world to try to stop it. Instead, 'acts of genocide' was the phrase that was coined, to refer to what was happening in Rwanda.${QuickSuggestions} Before the genocide occurred in 1994, Rwanda was sometimes referred to as 'a tropical Switzerland in the heart of Africa.'

You can visit the genocide memorial on the outskirts of Kigali if you want to learn about the horrors of the Rwandan genocide.

That apart, you can arrange for a trip into the wild to catch a glimpse of the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.${BestWay} Rent an SUV off-roader. The roads in Kigali are pretty decent, but the moment you step outside city limits, you may be negotiating dirt tracks for long stretches.

From journal Tales from Rwanda