Many of us remember Gorillas in the Mist, the 1988 drama about primatologist Dian Fossey, who devoted her life to protecting Rwanda’s vanishing mountain gorillas. Fossey’s brutal murder in 1985 was likely a consequence of her fight to save them—but her legacy, and that of the Rwandans who helped her and were themselves committed to preserving and guarding the gorillas, did not. Thanks to their tireless efforts and global conservation programs, the mountain gorilla population has rebounded from a shocking low of 250 in the 1980s to over 600 today. For more: https://gorillafund.org/get-involved/
These magnificent creatures remain endangered, but their story is one of hope—and one that I’ve dreamed of witnessing firsthand. After all, gorillas share 98% of our DNA. To me, they’re family – our cousins. And while some people are content to see them behind walls or bars, I’ve never been one for zoos, which just seem like prisons to me. I wanted to meet our cousins in their true home: the wild.
Tourism Matters for Gorilla Conservation
Protecting gorillas actually goes hand in hand with responsible eco tourism. Sustainable tourism provides critical income for local communities, giving them a vested interest in conservation. Visitors who trek to see gorillas help fund protection programs, research, and education.
So, I decided to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda. And if you ever have the time and means, I cannot recommend it highly enough. When you first lock eyes with a gorilla in the wild, something deep stirs inside you. It’s not just awe—it’s recognition. A seismic shift that words can’t quite capture. I have. bunch of gorilla stories, some of which I've shared at the end of this post if you'd like to enjoy them vicariously!
Rwanda: A Country Healing and Reborn
Before arriving, one person warned me against traveling to Rwanda. “It’s not safe,” they said, reminding me of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi people. But I’m glad I didn’t listen.
Rwanda today is breathtaking—lush, and alive with color and spirit. Its people are resilient, warm, and proud. In Kigali, the Genocide Memorial is a must-visit: a sobering, powerful experience that helps you understand both the tragedy and the strength that defines modern Rwanda. Talking to locals about reconciliation and unity made me reflect on the current divisions in the USA where, too often, we are pitted against each other with rising violence at home. Rwanda’s commitment to healing is something the rest of the world could learn from.
The Bisate Experience: Luxury Meets Conservation
After landing in Kigali, I took a six-hour drive through misty hills to Bisate Reserve, a model of eco-luxury nestled deep in the rainforest. With just a handful of villas, each blending seamlessly into the landscape, Bisate feels like stepping into the Rwanda of your imagination—mountains draped in mist, the call of distant birds, and the earthy scent of rain.
Bisate partners with the local community to restore the rainforest and create sustainable livelihoods. Plastic waste is nonexistent. The food—oh, the food!—is Michelin-worthy, the wine list sublime, and each villa has its own wood-fired hot tub overlooking the forest. It’s a rare balance of indulgence and integrity. I asked for vegan food and was afraid I’d have some dried tofu. Not so! The chefs provided endless creative, savoury, abundant vegan dishes. When I expressed amazement at the deliciousness of their vegan butter and cream, the chef not only generously shared his recipes with me, the kitchen staff invited me into their inner sanctuary and gave me a cooking class(!!!).
Trekking
Gorilla trekking requires fitness and an early start. Each trek includes a guide and can include a local porter—many of them women, which I loved to see. Don’t underestimate the challenge. “Equinox gym fit” isn’t the same as “Rwanda jungle fit.” Expect mud and potentially steep climbs through dense foliage, depending on the day and which gorilla family you're tracking. My hiking stick became my best friend.
When we finally located a family of gorillas, we learned a few phrases in “gorilla speak”:
I’ll never forget locking eyes with Charles, a young silverback leading a family of fourteen. His gaze was steady, intelligent, ancient. He made me understood, in that instant, why Dian Fossey and others risked their lives to protect them.
Reforestation and Hope
At Bisate, conservation isn’t just theory—it’s daily practice. The reserve is reforesting 43 hectares (106 acres) of land, restoring lost indigenous rainforest and expanding gorilla habitat. Their efforts have already borne fruit with numerous birds, butterflies and mammals recolonizing their once lost home. Guests are invited to plant a tree and I was so excited that I planted a couple, one named after Charles. Each tree has GPS coordinates so you can check on its growth from afar.
Talking with locals from nearby villages, I learned that some are being relocated to allow the forest to return. I feared that might engender resentment. Instead, I heard excitement. The government is providing new homes with electricity and water access, along with financial compensation. “It’s good for us and good for the gorillas,” one farmer told me. It was a relief that progress didn’t feel like displacement—it felt like partnership.
Chimpanzees, Monkeys, and Canopy Walks
After several magical days at Bisate, I took a helicopter west to Nyungwe House for chimpanzee trekking. Yes, I know there’s a carbon footprint for this and there’s no easy answer to that other than doing carbon credits to offset it. The chimp treks, like the gorilla treks, can range from easy/moderate to arduous, depending on the weather and where and how fast the family you’re following ranges to. My trek was on the arduous side. We got up at 4am to start early and it was 12 miles of steep, muddy terrain with no paths whatsoever. But the reward? Watching wild chimps socializing. Unlike the gorillas, who are herbivores like me, the chimps, like many humans, eat other animals (including some unlucky monkeys) and have very different community set ups with all the males and females mating with whoever they want and all males taking responsibility for all babies.
I also did a colobus monkey trek in Rwanda's Nyungwe Forest National Park. Colobus means "no thumbs” and, fittingly, they have only four fingers on each hand. These monkeys sport very distinctive black and white fur and are primarily arboreal, living mostly in trees. A note: monkeys and apes are different. An easy to tell them apart? Most monkeys have tails. Apes don’t.
Last but not least, don’t leave the Nyungwe Forest National Park without doing the Canopy Walk! It’s probably the most “touristy” feeling thing I did in Rwanda but … I loved it! It involves a 70m high, 160m long suspended bridge in Nyungwe National Park, accessed via a 2.1km hiking trail. It is breathtaking to see the forest canopy from above, especially after spending so many days on the ground, trekking within it. If you’re terrified of hights, though, you might not like it.
Art, Coffee and So Much More
There are so many cool village initiatives from weaving cooperatives to local artists to really, really good coffee. Do take the time to stop in the villages and check out the local weaver and artist creations; they're so beautiful and unique and fun. I now have both a warm yellow Rwandan blanket and a neat wall print of a little gorilla from a local artist. For all you coffee lovers, if you can grab a cup of coffee made with Gato Keza beans, you're in for a treat. Gato Kezo means "small is beautiful" in Kinyarwanda and refers to the little family farm where this particular coffee is grown on Lake Kivu. It's sold in only two places - Kigali and the Rwandan Film Institute. You can also get it at the Bisate Reserve and it's quite delicious.
Final Reflections
Rwanda bans single-use plastics, and visitors are expected to respect that. I wish more countries did the same. As one book beautifully put it:
“Africa is rich – it is the rest of the [W]orld that is poor. The species [there] have no price on them but continents, countries or parks with the richest variety and greatest numbers are, in a real sense, ‘biological millionaires.’ On this count, Africa is the richest country in the world and North America one of its poorest.”
Additionally, I highly recommend spending at least your flight over reviewing some basic Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda. People there appreciate it if you take the time to use a few simple phrases in their mother tongue and you will be the richer for learning it. Even a simple “Muraho” (hello) or “Murakoze” (thank you) goes a long way—and you’ll find the connection it creates deeply rewarding.
Rwanda is incredible. Go to explore the land, meet the people, learn the language, see gorillas, chimps, monkeys, mountain elephants, and/or bison. Go with respect and do good and the country will repay you tenfold.
If you'd like to see some of the video clips, please check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_UZnjGSGT2kixZ7h1QyACk2Uo_n7TSo8
Extra Gorilla Stories
There were so many amazing gorilla (and other animal!) stories from the treks, however, I will just share a few here for those who might be interested:
Fierce Mama
Gorillas generally have one alpha male silverback and he is the only one who is supposed to father the kids in that particular family group. Females are free to switch family groups anytime they want, however, things can get complicated if they have a baby as, if they take their baby to a new family, the new silverback male may try to kill that baby since he knows it is not his. In one situation, a young mama who didn't know this had taken her baby to join a different family group and the alpha male silverback tried to take and kill her baby. This mama was fierce and courageous. She fought magnificently to protect her infant even though the silverback was twice her size. She was able to save the baby and flee. She spent two days alone, but for her infant, in the rainforest, searching for her old family. When she returned, they immediately accepted her and the baby back.
COVID Check
A local woman told me that, when COVID struck, there was great fear that the pathogen would transmit to the gorillas and decimate their fragile population. Therefore, the Rwandans decided to halt the tourism and trekking, despite the significant loss of money to them, to protect the gorillas. For three months, humans did not enter the rainforest. One morning, two or three months in, the woman was outside and saw a family of gorillas exit the forest and enter human pastureland, looking around. When they spotted humans, they paused, took stock of that and then returned to the forest. She said it was like they had come to check on the humans after not seeing any for so long to see what was going on.
These magnificent creatures remain endangered, but their story is one of hope—and one that I’ve dreamed of witnessing firsthand. After all, gorillas share 98% of our DNA. To me, they’re family – our cousins. And while some people are content to see them behind walls or bars, I’ve never been one for zoos, which just seem like prisons to me. I wanted to meet our cousins in their true home: the wild.
Tourism Matters for Gorilla Conservation
Protecting gorillas actually goes hand in hand with responsible eco tourism. Sustainable tourism provides critical income for local communities, giving them a vested interest in conservation. Visitors who trek to see gorillas help fund protection programs, research, and education.
So, I decided to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda. And if you ever have the time and means, I cannot recommend it highly enough. When you first lock eyes with a gorilla in the wild, something deep stirs inside you. It’s not just awe—it’s recognition. A seismic shift that words can’t quite capture. I have. bunch of gorilla stories, some of which I've shared at the end of this post if you'd like to enjoy them vicariously!
Rwanda: A Country Healing and Reborn
Before arriving, one person warned me against traveling to Rwanda. “It’s not safe,” they said, reminding me of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi people. But I’m glad I didn’t listen.
Rwanda today is breathtaking—lush, and alive with color and spirit. Its people are resilient, warm, and proud. In Kigali, the Genocide Memorial is a must-visit: a sobering, powerful experience that helps you understand both the tragedy and the strength that defines modern Rwanda. Talking to locals about reconciliation and unity made me reflect on the current divisions in the USA where, too often, we are pitted against each other with rising violence at home. Rwanda’s commitment to healing is something the rest of the world could learn from.
The Bisate Experience: Luxury Meets Conservation
After landing in Kigali, I took a six-hour drive through misty hills to Bisate Reserve, a model of eco-luxury nestled deep in the rainforest. With just a handful of villas, each blending seamlessly into the landscape, Bisate feels like stepping into the Rwanda of your imagination—mountains draped in mist, the call of distant birds, and the earthy scent of rain.
Bisate partners with the local community to restore the rainforest and create sustainable livelihoods. Plastic waste is nonexistent. The food—oh, the food!—is Michelin-worthy, the wine list sublime, and each villa has its own wood-fired hot tub overlooking the forest. It’s a rare balance of indulgence and integrity. I asked for vegan food and was afraid I’d have some dried tofu. Not so! The chefs provided endless creative, savoury, abundant vegan dishes. When I expressed amazement at the deliciousness of their vegan butter and cream, the chef not only generously shared his recipes with me, the kitchen staff invited me into their inner sanctuary and gave me a cooking class(!!!).
Trekking
Gorilla trekking requires fitness and an early start. Each trek includes a guide and can include a local porter—many of them women, which I loved to see. Don’t underestimate the challenge. “Equinox gym fit” isn’t the same as “Rwanda jungle fit.” Expect mud and potentially steep climbs through dense foliage, depending on the day and which gorilla family you're tracking. My hiking stick became my best friend.
When we finally located a family of gorillas, we learned a few phrases in “gorilla speak”:
- “Ooo ooo ooo” means “Get out of the way!”
- A deep “mmm hmmm” means “it’s all good.”
I’ll never forget locking eyes with Charles, a young silverback leading a family of fourteen. His gaze was steady, intelligent, ancient. He made me understood, in that instant, why Dian Fossey and others risked their lives to protect them.
Reforestation and Hope
At Bisate, conservation isn’t just theory—it’s daily practice. The reserve is reforesting 43 hectares (106 acres) of land, restoring lost indigenous rainforest and expanding gorilla habitat. Their efforts have already borne fruit with numerous birds, butterflies and mammals recolonizing their once lost home. Guests are invited to plant a tree and I was so excited that I planted a couple, one named after Charles. Each tree has GPS coordinates so you can check on its growth from afar.
Talking with locals from nearby villages, I learned that some are being relocated to allow the forest to return. I feared that might engender resentment. Instead, I heard excitement. The government is providing new homes with electricity and water access, along with financial compensation. “It’s good for us and good for the gorillas,” one farmer told me. It was a relief that progress didn’t feel like displacement—it felt like partnership.
Chimpanzees, Monkeys, and Canopy Walks
After several magical days at Bisate, I took a helicopter west to Nyungwe House for chimpanzee trekking. Yes, I know there’s a carbon footprint for this and there’s no easy answer to that other than doing carbon credits to offset it. The chimp treks, like the gorilla treks, can range from easy/moderate to arduous, depending on the weather and where and how fast the family you’re following ranges to. My trek was on the arduous side. We got up at 4am to start early and it was 12 miles of steep, muddy terrain with no paths whatsoever. But the reward? Watching wild chimps socializing. Unlike the gorillas, who are herbivores like me, the chimps, like many humans, eat other animals (including some unlucky monkeys) and have very different community set ups with all the males and females mating with whoever they want and all males taking responsibility for all babies.
I also did a colobus monkey trek in Rwanda's Nyungwe Forest National Park. Colobus means "no thumbs” and, fittingly, they have only four fingers on each hand. These monkeys sport very distinctive black and white fur and are primarily arboreal, living mostly in trees. A note: monkeys and apes are different. An easy to tell them apart? Most monkeys have tails. Apes don’t.
Last but not least, don’t leave the Nyungwe Forest National Park without doing the Canopy Walk! It’s probably the most “touristy” feeling thing I did in Rwanda but … I loved it! It involves a 70m high, 160m long suspended bridge in Nyungwe National Park, accessed via a 2.1km hiking trail. It is breathtaking to see the forest canopy from above, especially after spending so many days on the ground, trekking within it. If you’re terrified of hights, though, you might not like it.
Art, Coffee and So Much More
There are so many cool village initiatives from weaving cooperatives to local artists to really, really good coffee. Do take the time to stop in the villages and check out the local weaver and artist creations; they're so beautiful and unique and fun. I now have both a warm yellow Rwandan blanket and a neat wall print of a little gorilla from a local artist. For all you coffee lovers, if you can grab a cup of coffee made with Gato Keza beans, you're in for a treat. Gato Kezo means "small is beautiful" in Kinyarwanda and refers to the little family farm where this particular coffee is grown on Lake Kivu. It's sold in only two places - Kigali and the Rwandan Film Institute. You can also get it at the Bisate Reserve and it's quite delicious.
Final Reflections
Rwanda bans single-use plastics, and visitors are expected to respect that. I wish more countries did the same. As one book beautifully put it:
“Africa is rich – it is the rest of the [W]orld that is poor. The species [there] have no price on them but continents, countries or parks with the richest variety and greatest numbers are, in a real sense, ‘biological millionaires.’ On this count, Africa is the richest country in the world and North America one of its poorest.”
Additionally, I highly recommend spending at least your flight over reviewing some basic Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda. People there appreciate it if you take the time to use a few simple phrases in their mother tongue and you will be the richer for learning it. Even a simple “Muraho” (hello) or “Murakoze” (thank you) goes a long way—and you’ll find the connection it creates deeply rewarding.
Rwanda is incredible. Go to explore the land, meet the people, learn the language, see gorillas, chimps, monkeys, mountain elephants, and/or bison. Go with respect and do good and the country will repay you tenfold.
If you'd like to see some of the video clips, please check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_UZnjGSGT2kixZ7h1QyACk2Uo_n7TSo8
Extra Gorilla Stories
There were so many amazing gorilla (and other animal!) stories from the treks, however, I will just share a few here for those who might be interested:
Fierce Mama
Gorillas generally have one alpha male silverback and he is the only one who is supposed to father the kids in that particular family group. Females are free to switch family groups anytime they want, however, things can get complicated if they have a baby as, if they take their baby to a new family, the new silverback male may try to kill that baby since he knows it is not his. In one situation, a young mama who didn't know this had taken her baby to join a different family group and the alpha male silverback tried to take and kill her baby. This mama was fierce and courageous. She fought magnificently to protect her infant even though the silverback was twice her size. She was able to save the baby and flee. She spent two days alone, but for her infant, in the rainforest, searching for her old family. When she returned, they immediately accepted her and the baby back.
COVID Check
A local woman told me that, when COVID struck, there was great fear that the pathogen would transmit to the gorillas and decimate their fragile population. Therefore, the Rwandans decided to halt the tourism and trekking, despite the significant loss of money to them, to protect the gorillas. For three months, humans did not enter the rainforest. One morning, two or three months in, the woman was outside and saw a family of gorillas exit the forest and enter human pastureland, looking around. When they spotted humans, they paused, took stock of that and then returned to the forest. She said it was like they had come to check on the humans after not seeing any for so long to see what was going on.
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