Rwanda in March

Highlands and medium-altitude regions, for instance Kigali, Lake Kivu and Volcanoes and Nyungwe National Parks, are warm to hot by day, and comfortably cool by night.

Low-lying Akagera National Park is hot by day, and warm by night.

March marks the start of the main rainy season and most parts of the country receive rainfall in excess of 100mm precipitation.

• March is not an optimum month for tracking gorillas and chimpanzees, since conditions tend to be wet underfoot and there are frequent showers. That said, plenty of people do track gorillas in March and you’ve a better chance of a last-minute permit. Climbing the volcanic peaks of the Virungas will be tough at this time of year.

• For birdwatchers, March and April are probably the best months to visit Rwanda, partly because resident birds are boosted by a large number of Palaearctic migrants, but also because it is the main breeding season, and several species are at their most colourful and conspicuous.