African Adventure in Rwanda
New Dates TBA for 2024 & 2025
A Life-Changing African Adventure
Immerse yourself in an all-encompassing, life-changing African adventure set in Rwanda.
Rwanda Adventure
New Dates TBA for 2024 & 2025
Price: Available upon request
Group Size: 10-12
Deadline to book:
20% deposit due ASAP to secure a spot
Extremely limited space!
If interested, email ASAP to get on the WAIT LIST and inquire about dates, pricing, and the detailed itinerary.
Adventure Details
About the Trip
This all-women African adventure was meticulously planned by Karen Loftus together with an esteemed team in Africa that has been serving clients since 1981.
This bespoke approach will have you staying in seductive camps where the game viewing can be done from the edge of a deck between twice-daily game drives. Epic sunsets and spirited conversations around the fire and under the stars are simply second nature here. Impassioned guides, empowering talks, and local women are sure to inspire.
(Space is limited. Commit as early as possible to secure your space!)
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Kigali
Our adventure begins in Rwanda's capital city, Kigali! After a warm welcome at the Kigali International Airport, we will head to the Kigali Serena Hotel. Kigali is one of the most picturesque cities in Africa; with its interesting architecture, busy streets, and verdant hillsides, you can explore fascinating museums, historic memorials, colorful markets, and stunning arts centers.
Day 2 Kigali
After breakfast, we will spend a full day exploring the city of Kigali and getting to know its rich history and culture.
Our first stop is The Kigali Genocide Museum for an educational and extremely moving experience. Over 250,000 deceased are buried on the site. We will then head to the Nyamirambo Woman’s Centre. There, we will meet with a local woman who will take us to the markets to buy produce before continuing to her home for a traditional cooking class, where we will prepare food from scratch and enjoy the local delicacies with her family.
Day 3 Travel to Nyungwe
After breakfast, today’s adventure will be a drive to the magnificent Nyungwe Forest; on the way, we will travel through rural villages and picturesque countryside.
The heart of Nyungwe Forest is like a scene from a fairy tale. Tall old mahoganies, ebonies, and giant tree ferns tower above, while orchids and other plants cling to every branch. Brightly colored birds flit around, and butterflies are everywhere. We may even encounter larger forest residents, including a variety of primates for which Nyungwe National Park is renowned.
Day 4 In Nyungwe
We will rise early this morning and grab an on-the-go breakfast in preparation for the Colobus Monkey Trek through Nyungwe Forest, the only place in Africa where these monkeys are found.
Embrace the home of East Africa’s most diverse primate population while tracking the Colobus monkeys through Nyungwe’s lush forest trails.
After lunch, we will head to the famous Nyungwe Canopy Walkway to experience the rainforest from a dazzling new perspective. This breathtaking construction hangs 60 meters above the forest floor between giant trees and towers, the only walk of its kind in East Africa. Get your cameras ready because this is a view you'll want to capture forever!
Day 5 In Nyungwe
This morning is another early start for a Chimpanzee Tracking Experience in the Nyungwe Forest.
Dashing at high speed through the flora, hooting, and clanging – it truly is an exhilarating experience to encounter chimpanzees playing wild and free. Home to one of East Africa’s last intact chimpanzee populations, Nyungwe is an ideal place to observe chimps in their natural habitat.
Enjoy some downtime in the afternoon to relax or do some independent exploring at the hotel.
When the sun goes down, the forest comes to life! We will head out on foot with an expert Field Guide to seek out the intriguing nocturnal creatures that emerge from their tree hollows, burrows, nests, and dens at twilight. You can turn on the telescope on clear nights and hear fascinating stories about the dazzling equatorial night sky.
Day 6 Travel to Volcanoes National Park
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before today’s adventure, a drive to the Volcanoes National Park. Bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo in Rwanda, the Volcanoes National Park is best known as a sanctuary for the region’s rare mountain gorillas. A face to face encounter with these intriguing creatures is a bucket-list activity.
Day 7 Volcanoes National Park
Day 7 will be spent exploring the traditions and culture of the people that inhabit Volcanoes National Park.
We will spend time in a traditional Rwandan village that has existed for centuries. Members of the community will welcome you as a special guest as they teach us about important aspects of their traditions and beliefs.
In the afternoon, we will head into the National Park for a walk to the grave site of Dian Fossey, the renowned American conservationist and primatologist known for her work with the gorillas.
Day 8 Volcanoes National Park
This day will start with an early morning wake-up call and light breakfast before we meet our experienced guide at the Volcanoes National Park headquarters for the start of our Gorilla Trekking Experience.
Gorilla Trekking in the Volcanoes National Park offers a unique opportunity to see ten families of gorillas that live within the National Park. An experienced guide and two scouts will lead our group. The time set aside per trek varies depending on where the gorilla family is situated.
Day 9 Departure
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning, then we will drive back to Kigali and say our goodbyes before boarding our homeward flights.
Accommodations
Kigali Serena Hotel
On an enchanting boulevard in the heart of Kigali lies Kigali Serena Hotel.
A distinctively rich blend of Rwandan heritage, art, and culture with contemporary five-star comfort makes Serena Kigali a private and peaceful retreat for discerning international travelers and the perfect place to begin our trip.
Shake off your jet lag by the tropically landscaped pool, or treat yourself to a post-flight massage at the hotel spa.
One & Only - Nyungwe Lodge
Surrounded by rainforest; nestled among mountains, Nyungwe House is a haven of creature comforts where nature's wild secrets come to life before your eyes. Nyungwe House is set amongst the rich tea plantations of Gisakura, on the edge of the iconic Nyungwe National Park, and is a truly unrivaled rainforest oasis.
Singita Kwitonda
Set right on the edge of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, where more than a third of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas find refuge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge’s unrivaled position puts life-changing gorilla trekking experiences within easy reach. Each of the luxurious suites features a private heated plunge pool, wellness treatment area, fireplaces, and large timber-framed windows that welcome in the breathtaking scenery and volcano views.
Accommodations, Rates, Availability
New Dates TBA for 2024 & 2025
SHARED ACCOMMODATION: Price available upon request
A 20% non-refundable deposit is required to hold your spot on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Deadline to book - ASAP! Space in lodges is extremely limited in Africa, now more than ever. It's on a first-come basis.
Please note: The remaining 80% payment must be made in full 90 days prior to the date of departure.
Our exclusive program welcomes a maximum of 13 travelers with a minimum capacity of 10.
Inclusions
Accommodation in standard twin rooms, with supplements for single rooms.
Full breakfast daily.
Meals, beer, and wine at Nyungwe Lodge and Singita Kiwonda Lodge.
English speaking Guides on all sightseeing excursions.
Transport and transfers in air-conditioned touring vehicles.
Conservation levies and National Park fees where applicable.
Exclusions
International Flights
Personal Travel Insurance
Souvenirs, Tips & Gifts
Passports & Visas
Your Host
Karen Loftus is a well-known and respected luxury travel and lifestyle writer and photographer with a sense of humor, a wicked sense of adventure, and an insatiable appetite for off-the-beaten-path endeavors.
She hit her international stride twenty-plus years ago as an award-winning feminist playwright. She was also a groundbreaking international comedian in the US, Europe, Asia, and The Middle East.
She also ran her nonprofit, Body Comedy, where she used humor to heal. She worked with thousands of survivors of physical and sexual violence, women, and children in many facilities, juvenile halls, prisons, and shelters.
Ten years later, Karen ended up on Hollywood's red carpet, interviewing the celeb set and writing about travel, fashion, beauty, food and wine, and the Hollywood lifestyle. Since then, she has traveled to seven continents and 70+ countries while working as a writer and photographer.
Her compelling and entertaining stories have appeared in Vogue, Architectural Digest, Forbes, Robb Report, American Way, Hemispheres Magazine, The NY Daily News, The Globe & Mail, South China Morning Post, The Gulf News, Huffington Post, and Men's Journal among many others.
This serial entrepreneur has produced comedy tours and theatrical events worldwide through her production company, Goddess Productions, and lifestyle and fashion-driven events through her event company, The Lofty Style Lounge.
Lofty loves hitting the road, sharing her wild stories and entrepreneurial endeavors with other women. She speaks at college campuses, conferences, and corporate events.
In addition to WAT, she arranges well-curated travel for individuals and groups under her travel advisor umbrella, Lofty Traveler. Lofty Traveler is a part of Cloud 10 Travel - An Independent Affiliate of Cadence Travel, a Virtuoso Agency.
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