After 15 years of marriage, I was finally taking my South African wife on safari. The funny part? I actually met her while on a safari. But Daniella had grown up with so many African wildlife trips that by the time I met her, she was already safaried out. For her, another game drive was like another visit to Six Flags. I, meanwhile, couldn’t get enough.
That summer, toward the tail end of the COVID era, I’d been reading books and watching documentaries about Dian Fossey and the mountain gorillas of Rwanda, Uganda and the Congo. I developed an itch to see them myself, and I knew it wasn’t going away.
With almost no notice, we found two nights at Wilderness Bisate in peak season. Gorilla permits were another story: the official system showed none available. After a lot of persistence, the Wilderness team somehow secured two for August 1. We booked award flights with Flying Blue, overnighted hiking gear (quite different from our usual safari outfits), said goodbye to the kids and headed to Rwanda for another Sunday-to-Thursday adventure.
Bisate: Worth the Splurge
Our wonderful local guide, Jovia, met us in Kigali and drove us north through the green hills toward the Virunga Mountains.
Bisate was extraordinary. Just six villas, set into the slopes of an ancient volcanic cone, with breathtaking views and incredible service. To this day, it remains the nicest and most exclusive lodge we’ve stayed at. Even with a great last-minute industry rate, it cost over $1,000 a night, an unusual splurge for me, but absolutely worth it. They even arranged dedicated kosher food preparation.
The Igisha Gorilla Trek
Daniella and I were both in great shape, running three times a week, sometimes up to 10 miles. So rather than choosing an easy trek, we asked for the hardest, longest option, high on Mount Karisimbi.
Our destination was the Igisha family, a breakaway from the famous Susa group and, at the time, the park’s largest gorilla family: about 35 members, including five silverbacks.
The climb through thick forest was glorious, exactly the wilderness I’d pictured while reading about Fossey. Buffalo and forest elephants also roam these mountains. Knowing they could be somewhere beyond the trees made it even more thrilling.
And then we found the gorillas.
Huge silverbacks, mothers and little ones, eating, resting and playing just feet from us. Their size was astonishing, but so was their gentleness. At one point a silverback walked right through our group and lightly bumped a trekker who hadn’t stepped aside. Nobody was hurt, but it was a vivid reminder that we were in their home.
Watch the silverback encounter and my longer, unedited Igisha footage.
We had just one hour with them. It was nowhere near enough. I’ve seen incredible wildlife across Africa, but nothing quite compares to being on foot among wild mountain gorillas. Videos simply can’t convey it.
Golden Monkeys and Kigali
The next morning we managed a golden monkey trek, despite those permits initially showing sold out too. Watching the lively orange-gold monkeys dart through the bamboo was an incredible contrast to the gorillas. We also visited the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund campus, bringing the inspiration for the trip full circle.
On our drive back to Kigali, we visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial. The memorial was deeply moving, but what stayed with me most was hearing Jovia’s experiences growing up in Rwanda during that terrible period. I still think about her story today.
That evening we flew home via Amsterdam. Just two nights at Bisate and two unforgettable treks, all squeezed into a few days.
But what made the trip most special wasn’t just the gorillas or the lodge. It was finally sharing an African adventure with my best friend, my favorite travel partner (okay, tied with Srully!), and my loving wife, 15 years after we first met on safari.
Filed underVolcanoes National Park, Rwanda