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GETTING THERE
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I fly to Kigali via Dubai on Emirates (www.emirates.com), then transfer to RwandAir (www.rwandair.com) to the capital Kigali.
One alternative is to fly Singapore Airlines to Johannesburg in South Africa and continue to Kigali on RwandAir.
TIPS
Gorilla tracking
The permit can be reserved via e-mail by following instructions on the Rwanda Development Board website (www.rdb.rw/tourism-and-conservation/gorilla-trekking.html).
After arriving in Kigali, pick up the permit at the Tourism and Conservation Department at Grand Pension Plaza in downtown Kigali.
I hoped to have as my guide the legendary Rwandan Francois Bigirimana, who worked as a porter for Dian Fossey, the American primatologist who studied the behaviour of the mountain gorillas, protected them from poachers and penned the 1983 memoir, Gorillas In The Mist. Unfortunately, it is his day off.
Where to stay
I stay at Discover Rwanda Youth Hostel in Kigali (www.discoverrwanda.hostel.com).
Other options around the Volcanoes National Park headquarters include Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village, where visitors can stay in cosy huts in replicas of traditional villages.
Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (http://3bhotels.com/mountain-gorilla-view-lodge) offers a luxury option, but the budget traveller can consider a room at La Paillotte Gorilla Palace (www.lapaillottegorillaplace.com) or Kinigi Guesthouse.
What to wear
It is December when I visit and the weather is similar to Singapore, but less humid.
A light sweater for the night is sufficient. Musanze, where I travel to before seeing the gorillas in the morning, is colder. While I wear my windbreaker most nights in Musanze and Kinigi (approximately 1,700m above sea level), I use it only on occasional nights in the capital Kigali.
People
Rwandans speak English and French, although everyone speaks the national language, Kinyarwanda.
The people are friendly and approachable and it is not uncommon for fellow passengers on public transport, such as buses, to chip in to help when necessary.