Gorrilas in the mist!

It had been my lifelong dream to visit Rwanda and trek with the gorillas. I finally made the trip in November 2010 and was not disappointed. It was an amazing country and the people are so friendly. The highlight, of course, was to be with the gorillas, as well as trekking to Diane Fosse's grave in the Parc National Des Volcans. This was truly a once in a lifetime experience for me.

Favourite accommodation: Virunga Safari Lodge in Parc Des Volcans – Rwanda

When I opened the door from my room, the scenery was breath-taking, with mist hanging over uninhabited islands in the middle of the lake. The noise of birds and animals was so exciting, whilst knowing that when I looked at the mountains this was the home of the mountain gorillas made my spine tingle. The staff and service were excellent, and they could not do enough for the guests. The food was amazing, despite the remoteness, drawing on all the local, fresh produce.

Most memorable experience

As I have mentioned this was my lifelong dream to trek Gorillas in Rwanda. We trekked for two hours each way through mud and thick forest. Every minute was worth it when I reached our final spot and was lucky enough to be surrounded by a family of 15 gorillas. At first it felt like a scary experience but after a short while was the most amazing thing. It was really humbling to be surrounded by such beautiful creatures and even better when a 440lb silverback brushed past my leg!