Rwanda, we fell in love with you!

We have just returned from the most extraordinary trip to Rwanda, expertly designed and organised by our brilliant personal Travel Counsellor, and I cannot recommend either Rwanda or Uli highly enough.

Rwanda completely exceeded our expectations. It may be small, but it punches way above its weight: excellent roads, stunning scenery, friendly people and a real feeling of safety and calm. We travelled from one end of the country to the other, with a fantastic driver arranged by Uli, and fell in love with everything from misty hills and Lake Kivu views to the bustling little towns full of schoolchildren and motorbike taxis.

The absolute highlight was, of course, the mountain gorilla trek. It was a tough hike, very muddy and mostly uphill, but the moment we found the gorilla family, everything else just melted away. Standing just a few metres from silverbacks, mothers with babies and a mischievous three‑year‑old doing somersaults down the slope was simply unforgettable. The guides and porters, again arranged through Uli’s itinerary, were outstanding: knowledgeable, patient and incredibly supportive. Hiring a porter (on Uli’s advice) was the best decision we made.

Our chimpanzee trek in Nyungwe Rainforest, another of Uli’s suggestions, was equally memorable. Harder work, earlier start, and a little less predictable than the gorillas, but hearing them calling through the forest and then spotting them in the treetops was magical. These treks are not cheap, but you can see your money going directly into conservation and local communities, which made us feel even more positive about the whole experience.

Away from the wildlife, Uli had put together a beautifully balanced itinerary:

A moving visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, which we now consider an essential part of understanding modern Rwanda.

A fascinating stop at the King’s Palace, giving us insight into Rwanda’s royal and colonial past.

Stays in characterful hotels that reflected their settings: spacious rooms, lovely gardens, great food, excellent coffee and genuinely warm, attentive service. Little touches like hot water bottles in our beds, cleaned trekking boots and thoughtfully prepared snack bags made us feel very well looked after.

What really stood out throughout was just how tailor‑made everything felt. Uli listened carefully to what we wanted, made suggestions we would never have thought of (like adding chimps as a second focus), and took all the stress out of the logistics: permits, transfers, timings, guides, the lot. The trip ran like clockwork, leaving us free to simply enjoy it.

We went to Rwanda “for the gorillas” and came home completely in love with the country as a whole: its wildlife, its people, its approach to ecotourism and its quiet charm.

If you are considering Rwanda or any kind of African adventure, do what we did and put yourself in the hands of Uli Williams, our personal Travel Counsellor. She turned a long‑held dream into a holiday of a lifetime.

Christine C, Herford