The Grand Adventures of Dom Crystal: September 2013

All is well in Kigali! We are settling into the house and we got our shipment last week. Slowly but surely the house actually is starting to look like it belongs to us! More on that soon!

A few weeks ago, Dom and I took our first trip out of Kigali to see the wilds of Rwanda. Actually it was my first trip out, as he did a business trip to the border right after we arrived. We decided to do the longest in country trip first and it was about a five hour drive out to Nyungwe Forest. Rwanda continues to surprise me. I was amazed at the road quality, as most of the drive was paved. Though there was certainly a portion of the drive where we received the proverbial African massage. Which is the on going joke for any road trip on the continent.

We stayed the first night at the Top View Hill Hotel which is a nice, rustic lodge near the forest. For those of you considering a visit. Be aware that it has a very steep driveway and you'd most likely need a four wheel drive to get there. There are about 10 bungalows onsite, and the food was delicious.

Top View Hill Hotel Bungalows

Graphic Dung Art Top View Hill Hotel Lobby

Bedroom in Our Bungalow

Ceiling at Top View Lobby

The drive is so worth it!

Reduce, reuse, recycle. The mosaic is all bottle caps!

The next day, we did the canopy tour. Which is amazing and terrifying at the same time. The pictures just don't do justice to the expanse of the canopies. I just about peed in my pants when I got to the middle of the second bridge. I was videoing but just let the camera drop around my neck when I realized how high up we were. Absolutely breath taking! If you come to Rwanda (and you should), it's a must see.

Off to the canopy tour! It's about an hour and half total! So amazing!

Safari ants will eat you alive! Which led to the fashion statement below.

Tucking your jeans into dress socks is the next big thing. Didn't you know?

Our amazing view of the canopy.

Canopy walk!

The last night in Nyungwe, we treated ourselves to a five star stay at the Nyungwe Forest Lodge. Talk about luxury! Of course, my camera battery died, so I can't quite show how amazing the experience was. Thank goodness the iphone is a good back up. I would totally recommend this place if you are looking for a splurge! The food was delish, the rooms were luxurious, and the views were amazing.