A journey of connection and awe

The country of Rwanda, with its mist-swirled mountains, profound wildlife encounters and burgeoning creative scene is, for me, the perfect place to answer Oliver’s words. A beacon of resilience and forgiveness rising from the tragedy of genocide, the country is bathed in grace. It’s also a different kind of safari experience. It changes your outlook and perspective not only because of what you’re experiencing, but also because I find it to be so rich in feminine energy; the country has 63% of its seats occupied by women in parliament.

This dignified energy also shines through at the Kinigi's Women's Center, a project started in 2011 to provide a protective space for teen mothers and their children where they are housed and provided with training and skills to become successful parents and entrepreneurs – a cause that is very close to my heart and to ROAR AFRICA’s credo, “If African women rise, wildlife will thrive.”

Over the years, I have fallen deeply in love with Rwanda, having hosted several of the Greatest Safari on Earth journeys and our 2021 Women’s Empowerment Retreat. In Kigali, the dynamic capital city, a food revolution is underway. The country’s exceptional fresh produce is abundant and the fertile volcanic soils grow 15% of Africa’s plant species that frequently appear in a new crop of unique, farm-to-fork restaurants. The coffee industry is booming—Rwanda’s bourbon beans are among the most sought after in the world—and, thanks to the 2015 ‘Made in Rwanda’ initiative that promoted locally-made goods on a global scale, a surge of new fashion collectives have appeared in the city. Haute Baso is one of my favourite shops in the city—creator Linda Mukangoga has used her success to train local artisans across the entire production chain—as well as House of Tayo by designer Matthew Rugamba whose designs were worn by the brother of Lupita Nyong’o to the premiere of Black Panther. Then there’s the art galleries, ceramic studios and ethical design ateliers and the Genocide Memorial, an essential stop to understand the country’s past and remarkable recovery, all of which can be woven into our journeys.

Outside the capital, Akagera National Park, Central Africa’s largest protected wetland, is the remaining refuge for savannah-adapted species in the country and sightings range from elephants and giraffes to lions and leopards. Rwanda truly is so much more than ‘just’ a gorilla trekking destination.

In a rapidly changing world, to bear witness to the untamed wild is a rare privilege. There are just 1,063 mountain gorillas left on our planet, and their close relatives, the chimpanzees, are also listed as endangered. Both of these profoundly sentient, intelligent species call the rainforests of Rwanda—Nyungwe Forest National Park and Volcanoes National Park—home. Trekking through the swirling mists, the ancient trees growing thicker, the leaves crunching beneath your feet, as you approach one of the most special, profoundly moving wildlife experiences on earth is truly humbling. The clamour of our busy lives and the seduction of our personal dramas is forgotten when you come eye-to-eye with a creature that shares 98% of our DNA. The emotion that overtakes is overwhelming.

More inspiring still is the knowledge that your investment has real, tangible results: Rwanda’s 10% tourism revenue sharing model is directly funding the milestone expansion of Volcanoes National Park, which will create hundreds of jobs and expand the gorilla habitat by a much needed 23%.

That Rwanda is the second stop on The Journey Beyond is no coincidence. This inimitable odyssey in partnership with One&Only aboard the Emirates Executive Private Jet, is a unique opportunity to awaken a sense of connection, purpose and wonder in some of the world’s most precious landscapes: Rwanda, South Africa and the Maldives. In 2025, The Journey Beyond takes off September 14-27 and costs $185,000 per person sharing.