My Number One Country in the World to Visit, Rwanda

MY NUMBER ONE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TO VISIT, RWANDA

There are places that enter your imagination long before you ever step inside them, and then there are places that barely register at all until the moment they change your life.

Growing up, Rwanda appeared only in rare moments of conversation. The horrific genocide. The film Hotel Rwanda with Don Cheadle. The legacy of Dian Fossey and her work with the mountain gorillas. Beyond that, Rwanda was a distant idea that sat on the far edges of my awareness.

So when we were planning our trip around the world and the team at Volcanoes Safaris asked whether we wanted to include Rwanda and a gorilla trek, I honestly had to pause. I had to research. I had to understand what that meant.

I did not know then that Rwanda would become the number one country on our global list, the place that changed us more than anywhere else we visited.

KIGALI, A CITY REBORN

Our experience began in Kigali, the capital city.

It is impossible to understand the magnitude of Rwanda’s transformation until you see Kigali for yourself. Twenty five years ago the city was devastated. Today it is often compared to Singapore, and in many ways to Dubai, clean, modern, organized, and deeply proud.

Much of that transformation reflects the vision of President Paul Kagame. His approval rating sits above ninety percent, and it is easy to see why. Kigali is one of the cleanest and most functional cities I have ever visited. The feeling of unity and collective purpose radiates through the streets.

It is an example of what a country can become when its people decide to rebuild not only physically, but emotionally.

THE KIGALI GENOCIDE MEMORIAL

Our first stop was the Kigali Genocide Memorial.

I have visited museums and historical sites all over the world, but none have matched the honesty and emotional impact of this memorial.

Rwanda confronts its past openly. It documents the events without excuses. It shows the world what happened, how it happened, and how the country chose to move forward together.

It is heartbreaking, essential, and it sets the tone for understanding the Rwanda of today.

THE JOURNEY TO VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

From Kigali we traveled two and a half hours to the region surrounding Volcanoes National Park, home of the mountain gorillas.

Volcanoes Safaris hosted us at their lodge near the village of Kinigi, a beautiful property surrounded by rolling hills, farmland, and mist covered volcanic mountains.

The lodge blends luxury with authenticity in a way that makes you feel both cared for and connected to the land. The hospitality, the views, the peaceful setting, everything felt extraordinary.

Then came the experience we had traveled so far to see, the gorilla trek.

TREKKING WITH MOUNTAIN GORILLAS

Gorillas carry an undeniable presence.

Their size alone creates a sense of awe, and as a parent I felt a small wave of nerves as my kids and I met our guide Emmanuel early that morning.

Emmanuel is one of the great characters of the adventure world, warm, funny, knowledgeable, and deeply passionate about the gorillas.

He explained that the gorillas never stay in one place. Trackers remain in the forest at all times, monitoring the families and noting their location for conservation and safety.

Visitors are allowed to spend exactly one hour with a gorilla family each day. Not ninety minutes. Not two hours. One hour.

This structure has been in place for more than twenty years, and the gorillas have become completely comfortable with the presence of humans without it interfering with their lives.

FROM POACHERS TO PROTECTORS

As we began hiking through the jungle something remarkable happened.

We were joined by porters, known locally as packers, who help visitors carry bags and navigate the muddy trails.

These men were once poachers.

Rather than punish them or push them deeper into poverty, the Rwandan government created a program that hired them into tourism. They now earn stable incomes and have become protectors of the very animals they once hunted.

Through this approach Rwanda eliminated poaching almost entirely.

THE FIRST GORILLA ENCOUNTER

After about an hour of hiking we heard branches snapping nearby.

Emmanuel smiled and quietly told us the family was close.

Then we saw him.

A massive silverback appeared behind us so quietly that none of us had noticed him approach. He walked directly past our group, calm and confident, as if we were simply another part of the forest.

It was one of the greatest wildlife encounters of my entire life.

We spent exactly one hour with the gorilla family, eighteen gorillas in total.

Young gorillas climbed trees and tumbled into piles of leaves. Adolescents played in front of us. The silverback pulled down branches to build a resting spot for his family.

They looked at us with eyes that felt almost human.

There was intelligence. Peace. Presence.

It is a moment I will carry forever.

At one point my son even FaceTimed his brother in Los Angeles from the jungle, with a gorilla sitting behind him. It was one of those surreal reminders that the modern world and the wild can coexist in unexpected ways.

EMMANUEL’S SCHOOL

On the drive back we began talking more with Emmanuel.

The conversation eventually shifted from gorillas to something even more meaningful.

Emmanuel runs a vocational school for teenage mothers who have been rejected by their villages. Many of the girls are only thirteen to sixteen years old, navigating motherhood long before they have had the chance to grow up themselves.

At his school he teaches sewing, business skills, and the confidence needed to build independent lives.

We asked if we could visit.

When we arrived the girls greeted us with singing, dancing, and incredible warmth. What we did not realize immediately was that the babies in their arms were not siblings.

They were their children.

It was one of the most emotional introductions we have ever experienced.

A COMMUNITY RESPONSE

Emmanuel explained that he buys sewing machines for the girls using whatever he earns in tips from guiding. Some years he can afford four machines. Some years maybe ten.

Seeing the impact firsthand made the decision easy.

I told him I would buy a sewing machine for every girl in the program.

When we shared the story with the Reject Average community, fifty members stepped up immediately. Each person purchased a sewing machine and wrote a personal letter to a specific girl by name.

The response was overwhelming.

Three months later we changed our world travel schedule and flew back to Rwanda from the Middle East so we could deliver the machines in person.

Watching the girls read their letters and celebrate with Emmanuel became one of the most meaningful days of our entire journey.

WHY RWANDA STANDS OUT

Rwanda became the only country we visited twice in a single year.

It is also the first place we are returning to again in 2026.

There is something extraordinary about this country that stays with you long after you leave.

Rwanda is safe, organized, peaceful, and forward moving. It offers one of the most powerful wildlife encounters on earth, one of the most impressive capital cities in Africa, and one of the most inspiring examples of cultural rebuilding in modern history.

The warmth of the people, the pride visible in everyday life, and the protected wilderness surrounding Volcanoes National Park combine to create an experience that feels both grounding and transformative.

If seeing the mountain gorillas is on your bucket list, reach out. I will personally connect you with the exact team we used, the lodge where we stayed, our driver Sam, and our guide Emmanuel. Their professionalism and kindness shaped our entire experience. Rwanda became our number one country in the world to visit.

And I cannot wait to return.