This is the story of how one author assembled her "Travel Fam" group, which consisted of seven ladies who barely knew each other.
Would you go on a trip of a lifetime even if you didn't know anyone else who was going on it? If the opportunity presented itself, of course you would. Because of this, my trip group, which we collectively refer to as the "Travel Fam," came to be. It began with my two best friends, Ashley and Cassie, who had only spoken on the phone a few times before to this point. In 2019, we began making preparations for an overseas vacation to Milan and Lake Como, and before we knew it, we had seven individuals signed up to travel with us. The only catch is that... I was the only person who could say that I'd talked to all of the attendees.
When Ashley's friend Lauren was going to be in London for work, Ashley proposed that the two of them travel there together. Sarah, Cassie's friend, was also aching for a trip to Europe, so she did the same thing. In the end, there were seven of us, and that's when the Travel Fam was established. We are a group of active women from various cities and towns across the country, all of whom are in varying stages of life at this point in their lives. Yet, during that very first trip to Italy, a bond was established that would later serve to strengthen our travel pod. On that trip, we came to the conclusion that these Travel Fam holidays would only be for the seven of us; there would be no additions and no subtractions. We choose dates a long time in ahead so that we can accommodate everyone's availability (kids, spouses, and work sometimes make it difficult to schedule these trips), and so that each of us has enough time to save up for the lavish vacations.
Since our time in Italy, we have skied (and participated in après-ski activities) in Deer Valley, Utah; eaten our way through California's Napa Valley; hired a yacht in the Bahamas; and dominated the downtown music scene in Nashville, Tennessee. Ashley mentioned her gorilla-viewing experience in Rwanda while she was in Nashville. That wasn't the first time she'd suggested this vacation, but I'd always been reluctant to go on it (nervous to meet the gorillas and overwhelmed by the travel logistics).
However, she brought up a very valid point: five of us would be turning 40 in 2023, which meant that our next vacation "ought to be spectacular." Our commitment was made to Rwanda. Almost immediately, she sent an email to her trusted travel agent, Annette Sordoni of Protravel International, who also happens to be our Travel Fam fairy godmother, with the purpose of outlining some preliminary particulars. After another five months, Sordoni had completed the full plan for us; our deposits had been transferred, and I had finally arrived in Africa for the first time at the end of January 2023.
Even though it was 1:30 in the am, a greeter was waiting for us when we landed in Kigali. They assisted us with our visas and PCR testing. (Before seeing the gorillas, you are required to have a test for COVID-19 to ensure that you will not pass a sickness on to them.)
After we had our blood drawn and made sure everything was in order with our visas, we met our tour guide Patrick, who would be with us for the entirety of our journey, and checked into The Retreat in Kigali so that we could get a few hours of sleep prior to driving the three hours to Volcanoes National Park. This hotel served as an oasis in the middle of Rwanda's main city and was frequented by royalty such as Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall the year before, as well as Camila Cabello when she returned from a tour with the mountain gorillas.
Following breakfast, we made our way to Singita's Kwitonda Lodge, where we had reserved the Kataza House, a private house located on the property. Our stay at the inn was made extra memorable by Aimee, Gabriel, and Eric, as well as the other members of the house staff. They went out of their way to make our stay comfortable, and the level of attention to detail that they showed was remarkable. Each night, they would leave us freshly made tea and honey in our rooms, in addition to tiny gifts.
Although though all of the meals were given in a family-style setting, and even though each one was unique in its own right, the highlight of the trip for me was the very first lunch we had. We were sitting outside after it had just lightly sprinkled when we noticed a rainbow in the distance as we took deep breaths of the clean air and gazed at Volcanoes National Park. We couldn't have hoped for a warmer reception than what we received.
The rest of our time at Kataza House was spent lazing around, taking in the scenery, and gaining a better understanding of Rwandan culture and the people that live there. In addition to this, the Singita threw in some surprises, which moved us to such a profound level. During the time that Cassie, Ashley, Lauren, and Lyndsay and I were having our wine tasting in the garden, there was cake to mark the beginning of our 40th birthday celebrations. And when Aimee found out that we were planning to surprise Andi with a small pre-wedding celebration, she enlisted the assistance of the Singita crew in order to prepare a traditional Rwandan shower that brought all of us to tears.
We had to wake up at 6:00 a.m. on the morning of our first gorilla trek so that we could attend a brief informational session about gorilla safety and proper behaviour (DON'T touch them even if they touch you; DO get low to the ground to show that you are not a threat; DO get low to the ground to show that you are nonthreatening). We also learned everything there is to know about the conservation efforts that are being made for mountain gorillas, which can live up to 35 to 40 years, and how the $1,500 per person cost of the permits goes towards supporting the communities that are in the area. Mountain gorillas can live for up to 35 to 40 years.
The porters that help maintain this habitat for gorillas do it on a volunteer basis. Each of the 12 families of gorillas is given a group of eight porters to care after them. After a one-hour trek through the forest to reach the gorillas, we had one hour to spend watching them in their natural environment before making our way back to camp.
Francois, who was Dian Fossey's porter and has been working with the park since 1981, and Felicien, whose calmness kept my nerves at bay during our two-hour trek to the 18-member Kwitonda gorilla family, served as our guides for the day. Our journey to see the Kwitonda gorilla family took approximately two hours. The silverback chief Akarevuro, who was 31 years old at the time, greeted us as we approached the mountain gorillas for the first time. He was taking a morning nap.
After that, we came across an adult woman who was accompanied by her infant child, who crawled towards us with an interested expression. During this time, two black-backs, which are male adolescents, began to engage in a friendly fight with one another. We ran with Akarevuro again as we were coming to the conclusion of our hour while he was eating a feast made of eucalyptus leaves. After finishing, the great chief made the choice to walk directly between Sarah and myself. Both Francois and Feliciano had such an easy time interacting with the gorillas, and they noted that the gorillas are not hostile and will always offer a warning before attacking.
After Akarevuro had left, we also went our separate ways. As we made our way back through the forest on the way down, I couldn't help but keep asking myself, "Did we just do that?" over and over. I was able to live through this once-in-a-lifetime adventure with my Travel Family because I forced myself to step outside of my comfort zone.
When Cassie and I went on a hike to observe golden monkeys, which have the most gorgeous colouring, the other ladies in our group took a helicopter to Akagera National Park for a day safari. Throughout the rest of our time at Volcanoes National Park, we all had a wonderful time. On our last day in Rwanda, before heading back to Kigali, we stopped for lunch at the Repub Lounge in Musanze town. After lunch, we went to the Kigali Genocide Monument, where we learnt more about Rwanda's history and how the country has been able to overcome such devastating loss and pain.
My emotions have been profoundly changed by my time spent in this modest African nation. I am humbled to have been granted the opportunity to experience the splendour of our nation, and I am impressed by its resiliency. Thank you so much, Rwanda, for a vacation that will remain ingrained in my memory for the rest of my life.