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History-Making Competition in Kigali, Rwanda
That was a championship to remember, right in our Kigali! Nobody who watched it will forget the crowds. You may also like: Have You Heard?! We Won a Global Responsible Tourism Award!The Complete Package (Almost There)How to Support Kigali's “Historically Marginalised People”Nature. Culture. Together.30 Years Ago Something Terrifying Started10 Cool Accommodations in the Gorilla Highlands…
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Jane Goodall, World’s Leading Expert on Chimpanzees (1934-2025)
One hero fewer on this endangered planet … RIP. Don’t miss the article linked by The New Yorker — in not too many words, it paints a cool picture of Jane. You may also like: Where Can I Learn the Most About Gorilla Conservation?Meet New Trekking Hosts at Lake KayumbuThe Virungas’ Most Intriguing Ethnic GroupNyiragongo…
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Heroes, Platforms & Splashes: Swimming Lessons at Lake Bunyonyi
You’d think that with a lake as gorgeous and safe as Bunyonyi, people would’ve been splashing about for centuries. Not quite. For hundreds of years the lake was more motorway than playground, busy with dugout canoes hacked out of eucalyptus trees. With 29 islands scattered across the water, families farmed or lived there, but swimming?…
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Pedalling Uganda: From Lakes and Gorillas to Lions in Trees (Part 2)
… So, our three cyclists had crashed at Ruhija, a village on the rainforest edge. (If you’ve missed the start of their shenanigans, swing by Part 1). They woke up full of hope … and, being British, managed to size up the situation with a wry grin: here they were, in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park,…
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Pedalling Uganda: From Lakes and Gorillas to Lions in Trees (Part 1)
We’re up to something special today, folks, a proper double whammy. This cycling caper through Uganda’s national parks kicks off in our Lake Bunyonyi territory and continues on the Gorilla National Parks side of life! The hero: Ralph, a member of the British diplomatic corps in Kampala who’s far happier on two wheels than behind…
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Top 6 Pieces of Advice Before You Hit the Congo Nile Trail
The better you prepare for your hike or ride on Rwanda’s Lake Kivu shores, the more you will enjoy it. Here are our top 6 pieces of advice: 1. Set Realistic Expectations Mental preparation is as important as physical fitness. Understand the difficulty level of every day on the way. Know that it might be…
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Four Days of Trekking to Gorillas, Upgraded
Claudia and Ralf Bonmann, a lively German couple, dreamed of an authentic and active cultural experience in the southwest of Uganda — a hike that would nicely blend with tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The Bonmanns talked to Shadows of Africa, a Tanzania-based tour operator, and they contracted the Gorilla Highlands team.…
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Brains, Sand, and Coffee: Our Day at Cyimbili Guesthouse
The journey towards better days for Cymbili Guesthouse has begun! Yesterday our squad travelled to the cream-coloured coast of Lake Kivu in guide Enock Musabyimana’s car, with Sandra Ndahiro being the most distinguished passenger. This graduate of the 2024 Illumineers sessions offered her civil engineering knowhow to help us evaluate what could be done with…
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Tummy Troubles? There’s a Boat for That!
A dodgy tummy or surprise sniffles don’t have to ruin your Bunyonyi adventure. There’s solid local medical know-how nearby to sort most things out quickly, so no need to panic. At Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi we of course also have a first aid box handy for you …That said, if you’ve got a condition that…
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Blending Hiking and Motorcycle Rides on the Congo Nile Trail
The Congo Nile Trail is one of the most beautiful walking routes you may ever have the chance to hike. But not everyone has the time it takes to traverse all of it. Our team has devised a solution for this: hiking and biking combined. Now you can actually do two to three stages in…
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Rwandafully Classy: 40 Baby Gorillas Named
The 20th edition of Kwita Izina, Rwanda’s celebrated baby gorilla naming ceremony, was held in Kinigi yesterday. 40 mountain gorilla kiddos born since 2023 received their names, bringing the two-decades total of baby gorillas named to 438. The ceremony welcomed many distinguished guests, including the First Lady Jeannette Kagame and the Prime Minister, Dr. Justin…
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Kabale, the Almost-City That’s Ready for You!
Lying in the hills east of Lake Bunyonyi, Kabale is not officially a “city” yet … but the word is, it’s happening. In June 2025 Uganda’s Deputy Speaker let it slip that the government had approved the upgrade. He casually dropped that gem while launching the 8.4 km/5 mi Kabale-Bunyonyi road. And trust us, that’s…
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Illumineers to Transform the Gorilla Highlands Region
One of the gifts Gorilla Highlands Experts (GHE) — specialists from a variety of fields — bring to our region is the annual Friendship Camp. The 2025 edition, which wrapped up on Sunday, proved once again that young minds have the power to together transform DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. These youngsters have been dubbed…
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Ambrose’s Lake Bunyonyi Quickie — For Lifetime Impact!
The absolute star of the first full GHE Friendship Camp day at Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi was Ambrose Kibuuka. He’s our co-founder, education and careers consultant, best-selling author of “After University, What Next?”, and possibly the busiest man alive. Yesterday morning he rolled in on a night bus from Kampala (took him 12 hours!), squeezed…
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Cyimbili: A Congo Nile Trail Gem Poised to Shine Brighter
It’s no secret that we’ve long had our eyes on Cyimbili Guesthouse, arguably the most scenic overnight stop along the Congo Nile Trail. Ever since we first featured it in our media, we’ve been building connections and laying the groundwork for a conversation with its owners and managers. That meeting finally took place yesterday, when…
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Nyabingi? The One Whose Divination You Seek …
Dig beneath the spiritual surface anywhere in the Virungas and quite quickly you will come upon Nyabingi. From Rwanda to Uganda to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, when you need the gods to smile upon you with wealth or a healthy pregnancy, Nyabingi is whose divination you seek.Nyabingi represents female energy and is concerned…
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Step Into Life in Goma
Powerful: current life in Goma (eastern Congo) through the medium of the comic book: “The city is stuck. It is a purgatory that leaves its residents bereft of words.” There’s insecurity and the prices are skyrocketing while local banks are locked out of the national system. The Continent, page 13. You may also like: Rwanda's…
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Cyimbili: Fishing the Sunset, Feasting the Night
At Cyimbili on the Congo Nile Trail, you won’t need to sing for your supper — but you might row for it! The fishing experience there is among the most memorable activities, starting any day at 5pm. Adventurous visitors can join local fishermen on Lake Kivu to try and catch their evening meal.This unusual activity…
