Tom’s wife and son Felix will keep the homestay alive!

The freshest, the most 🔥 version of the Illumineers promo video is here — with tons of footage from Friendship Camp! Feeling generous today? 😎 GoFundMe link is right here: gofund.me/1945c5b0

This weekend — on 2 November 2025 to be exact — Sean from America begins his 6-day Ultimate Hike through Uganda’s stunning highlands, and he’s looking for company! For more info head to experts.gorillahighlands.com/seans-ultimate-hike/

9 minutes that will move you, with an invitation to then go dive into our Tom libraries (gorillahighlands.com/tom) …

An important man has died … There’s going to be a livestream of his funeral tomorrow, if you are one of the many people who knew him.

That was a championship to remember, right in our Kigali! Nobody who watched it will forget the crowds.

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’d think that with a lake as gorgeous and safe as Uganda’s Bunyonyi, people would’ve been splashing about for centuries. Not quite.

Lucky us! We hosted three cyclists at Lake Bunyonyi — and got two pretty cool stories from them, about biking through Uganda’s national parks!

Ever thought of cycling/hiking Rwanda’s Congo Nile Trail? We’ve prepared our Top 6 pieces of advice — for you to be prepared!

Your gorilla trek can become so much more with multi-day hiking off the beaten path, remote villages, and people who greet you like family.

Cyimbili Guesthouse, kissing the warm waves of Lake Kivu, may be old but it’s far from finished … Will we get the opportunity to inject a new life into it?

Can you imagine a speedboat as an ambulance on a lake in the middle of Africa?

Nope, on the Congo Nile Trail in western Rwanda you don’t have to walk all the way!

Rwanda went all out for the 20th "Kwita Izina" — the annual baby gorilla naming ceremony. 438 hairy kiddos have been named so far, imagine! Big thanks to @charliebeau.bsky.social for adding some serious flavour to our reporting.

Welcome to the town (city?!) of Kabale in the southwest of Uganda.

GHE Friendship Camp 2025 was outstanding … Want proof? Look at the comments we have collected on instagram.com/p/DOF4GPPDemL/

Ambrose Kibuuka is scary — in how powerfully he motivates and engages!

We are hoping this is the beginning of something truly special on the Congo Nile Trail, the hiking/cycling route on Rwanda’s Lake Kivu.

Open your spiritual eyes where Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo meet, and you shall undoubtedly notice Nyabingi …

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.

On the Congo Nile Trail, along the eastern shores of Lake Kivu, Rwandan fishermen keep centuries old traditions alive.

These youngsters from DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda will meet at our Friendship Camp in less than a week — building a peaceful and prosperous transboundary region one friendship at a time!

The most (in)famous island of Uganda’s Lake Bunyonyi is called Akampene — Punishment Island. Girls who got pregnant before marriage faced it rough!

The only true beer is Banana Beer! 🤪

Mobutu Sese Seko put “liboke” into the national slogan: "Tolingi Zaire liboke moko, lisanga moko" (We want a united and undivided Zaire) and the French neglected to include that meaning — national unity — in the dictionary. Here’s to hoping that DR Congo becomes a peacefully delicious mix again!

We opened the “Edirisa Show” at Lake Bunyonyi (Uganda) yesterday. It covers the first few decades of our involvement in Bufuka Village and Kabale Town, and remains work in progress.

Experienced travellers often say that visiting a market offers an unmatched plunge into local culture: a glimpse into the daily rhythms and the very feel of a country. In the lively atmosphere of the Musanze Agri Market, filled with chatter and laughter, you can sense Rwanda.

Perhaps no place in Rwanda better demonstrates the enduring ties it shares with the Democratic Republic of Congo than Nkombo island.

“Illumineers” means a fusion of illumination, a pioneering push and an engineering spirit, symbolising individuals who lead with wisdom, integrity and a drive to uplift their communities. We are shaping a movement rooted in knowledge, innovation and positive change.

Comfort is our youngest crew member, stationed at Uganda’s Lake Bunyonyi!

Important and welcome news for anyone considering cycling or hiking on Rwanda’s shores of Lake Kivu!

A jewel of nature created to protect Grauer’s gorillas, Kahuzi-Biega National Park in eastern DR Congo now stands on the edge — unraveling under the weight of a hauntingly familiar “collective failure.”

Any fishing enthusiasts here? Lake Chahafi is a tiny lake close to the Virunga volcanoes, on the border between Uganda and Rwanda.

Heard about the “zebra island” of Uganda’s Lake Bunyonyi?

Hungry for adventure? These 7 sweet video minutes will take you straight to foodie heaven in Musanze, Rwanda.

Know a youngster in northern Rwanda? A uni student? An under-employed worker? A currently jobless person? We’re looking for part-time office staff with rather cool assignments. Deadline for applications: Wednesday, 30 July.

This story is all the buzz in DR Congo right now: Floribert Kositi stopped 5 tonnes of spoiled rice from Rwanda, refused a USD 2,000 bribe, and was then killed by the smugglers. He’s on a fast track to Catholic sainthood. Can he inspire more youth to say no to corruption and yes to peace?

Less than a week left to apply! 31 July is the deadline, our current and future friends …

“How did this find you? It's quite an interesting story!” says the director, Tudur Evans, who is actually one of ours. He came to Uganda many years ago as a young volunteer helping us with a documentary production about Batwa “Pygmies” — and now he is a pro advising us on the videos we make!

If mountain biking by Rwanda’s dazzling shores ever crossed your mind — this is your sign to go!

A feast for your eyes — until you make it to Lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda and taste the dishes yourself!

Passionate about passion fruits? Our article might add to what you know, or bring sweet memories back.

It never hurts to hope. If this declaration marks a step towards the “end a decades long fighting in eastern Congo”, its impact on our shared region could be profound. The signing follows last month’s USA-brokered peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

Ha, this piece about the Batwa “Pygmies” on the Congo Nile Trail took some extra time and energy … The reason: we wanted to assure it’s fair to them, and in line with Rwanda’s peculiar terminology.

Cinnamon-chested bee-eaters, these feathered show-offs, have taken up residence in the eucalyptus forest around Lake Bunyonyi, and they’re not exactly shy about it.

Is @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social the most famous Ugandan at the moment? In New York for sure! The article explores his Khoja merchant community that brought textiles, manufactured goods, spices and gems to East Africa — and even the Aga Khan Development Network.

There’s a mountain gorilla group we adore in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park — and their family setup is delightfully unconventional …

Our article about an amazing biking/cycling route in western Rwanda is trying to be as practical as possible …

RICA is expected to have a net-zero carbon footprint through landscape design, construction methods and the use of locally-sourced materials. The project is completely powered by an on-site 1.5MW solar array that also supports a network of lake pumps, filtering stations, and irrigation systems.