Experience the best of Butare

Butare, now named Huye, is a quiet town in the green hills of southern Rwanda, about a hundred and thirty kilometres by road from the capital Kigali. It is the country's main university town, and students give the streets a youthful feel. The Rwanda National Museum, with its collections of crafts, tools, drums and traditional houses, is one of the country's main museums.

The Ruhande Arboretum, a collection of trees from many parts of Africa and the world beside the university, is a pleasant place to walk, and the surrounding hills are planted with coffee. Nyungwe Forest National Park, a large mountain rainforest with chimpanzees and monkeys, lies to the west, and the border with Burundi is not far to the south.

Brochettes of grilled goat or beef, boiled plantain and cassava leaves are the staples of local meals, and Rwandan coffee and tea are widely served. The highland climate is mild, with a long dry season from June to September and a shorter one around the new year. Evenings are cool, and the town is quietest in the early morning.