To the surprise of many, Rwanda has become one of the safest countries in Africa these days, helping it to attract record numbers of tourists. The numbers are still small compared with other African countries, but tourism has become a very important–and growing–industry for Rwanda.

Rwanda's prime attraction, of course, is its endangered mountain gorillas, made famous by the late primatologist Dian Fossey (and featured in the movie Gorillas in the Mist). There are barely 700 of these gorillas left in the world, and Rwanda and neighboring Uganda are the only places where tourists can have access to them.