Bourbon coffee in Union Trading Centre. It’s
an international coffee chain where smart
young professionals gather over lunch break.
Dressed immaculately and often conversing at
ease in several languages, this is a hub of the
emerging educated classes. This is certainly
not the Kigali I had expected. Poverty is still
widespread and affects a majority, as is seen
on other hilltops, where the mud shacks have
been relocated. But the capital also shows
signs of a growing middle and upper class. Few
other cities in the world will challenge one’s
preconceptions and expectations so strongly.
Feasting that evening on king prawns and
cocktails at the legendary Serena Hotel, amidst
fun-loving locals and a few foreigners, I keep
reminding myself I’m in Rwanda. Sat overlooking a large tropical pool, surrounded by
vegetation and listening to live Jazz, the buzz
amongst the Serena crowd is exciting. The
African hotelier is a rapidly expanding brand
right now and my ‘one-to-watch’.
With expansion through it’s home continent
and beyond to some incredibly emerging
destinations, the Serena is identifiable with
attainable luxury and consistency whilst
retaining it’s true African soul. In cities such
as Kigali, Nairobi and Kampala, it’s my choice
of city hotel. Basing myself here at the Kigali
property is ideal for morning walks around the
upscale enclave. Positioned on a hill, sunrise is
particularly beautiful here. I spend a couple of
days in Kigali to fully appreciate the changes
taking place in Rwanda. The city is the international entry point for onward explorations,
namely Mountain Gorilla tracking, for which
Rwanda has become most famous. The search
for silverbacks takes us to Volcanoes National
Park, a 3-hour drive from the capital.
The search for silverbacks
Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills, and
some very famous residents, the Mountain
Gorillas, has been given international status
368
by the tireless work of the late Dian Fossey.
Living in and amongst the gorillas for 20 years,
she dedicated her life to the plight of the
last remaining gorillas, who faced extinction
from poaching. The gorillas accepted her into
their environment and enabled her to experience their threatened existence. Dian Fossey
brought the plight of the gorillas to life, establishing the Digit Fund in 1984, named after her
favourite gorilla Digit, who was brutally killed
by poachers. The fund established the first
ever ranger patrols. This was to signal the start
of their journey back from the brink of extinction. She famously said that she preferred to
be with the gorillas than humans. Dian paid
the ultimately price for her mission and died
in mysterious circumstances in the national
park. Her legacy lives stronger than ever. The
Rwanda Development Board is now credited
with taking this and turning it into one of the
best tourism campaigns; Tracking Silverback
Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.
‘Once-in-a-lifetime’ experience, says my certificate, of admittedly exceptional quality, after
completing 2 days of tracking and trekking. It
really does feel like it was. Tracking mountain
gorillas can be challenging, as I find on my
second day, after a luckily easy first day. But the
experience is worthwhile, a million times over.
It’s Day 2. A guide runs on ahead and all I
hear is hacking as his Machete chops through
thick eucalyptus shoots and overgrowth
that’s preventing our onward ascent of Bisoke
volcano. Di