RE-ROUTING RWANDA

Popularly referred to as the land of a thousand hills, Rwanda can now lay claim to being Africa's newest luxury destination.

- KALPANA SUNDER

* COURTING ADVENTURE

Clockwise from above left: Tea picking; Mountain Gorilla trekking; Cleo Lake Kivu is perched on a hill overlooking the lake and coffee farms; Suite at One and Only Nyungwe House set in a tea plantation. Coffee-covered hillsides shimmer in the sunlight with white blossoms, framed by a panoramic sweep of the blue green waters of Lake Kivu, the largest lake in the country helmed by mountains. Rwanda, the tiny land-locked country in East Africa, is most famous for its population of mountain gorillas. But Rwanda also stuns you with its beautiful landscapes, rugged beauty and fertile volcanic land studded with lush banana plants, that's also great for growing coffee and tea.

Though most people associate the country with the tragic genocide of 1994, Rwanda is today one of Africa's fastest-growing economies, known for its cleanliness, safety and most famously for its mountain gorillas. Travel through this country with winding roads, endless green hills, limpid lakes, grasslands and rainforests, staying at luxurious safari lodges and indulgent lakeside hotels is just a treat on the side. Enjoy a tryst with nature at Rwanda's four national parks-Volcanoes National Park, Akagera National Park, Nyungwe National Park and GishwatiMukura National Park. Each of these parks has a distinct ecosystem and terrain and unique flora and fauna.

While we do recommend a walk on the wild side, when in Rwanda, begin by checking in to the five star Kigali Serena Hotel, just a five minute walk from the CBD, with plush rooms and suites decorated in bright colour palettes that reflect a Pan-African heritage with sophisticated furnishings, a swimming pool, spa and restaurants. (Room rates start at around ₹ 27,000 per night; http://www.serenahotels.com/kigali)