Our Journeys

Past Trips

Rwanda 2008 Itinerary

Day 1

Travel day. We arrive in Kigali. You will be met at the airport by Primate Safaris and transferred to the Serena Kigali Hotel.

8–10pm:
There will be light snack dinner at the hotel Saturday evening. Meet the Metta Journeys partners and your fellow travelers.

Day 2

7-8:30am:
Meditation and yoga sessions for new and continuing students in the Board Room (beginners) and the Auditorium (intermediate).

Those new to yoga will have the opportunity to learn the foundations of a healthy yoga and meditation practice to support them in living more balanced, conscious, and fulfilling lives.

More experienced practitioners will have the opportunity to deepen their practice through integrating the more subtle aspects of the energy body, pranayama, and meditation techniques.

Classes will be tailored to the specific needs of those attending.

9–10am:
Breakfast at the Diplomat Restaurant in the Serena Hotel

10am:
Pastor John of the Rwanda Victory Mission has invited us to attend a local church service. Pastor John is the brother of Berra Kabarungi (the Rwanda country director for WFWI). Those who wish to go will leave the hotel at 10am and return following lunch and the Kigali City tour (approximately 4pm).

Those who do not wish to attend can relax at the hotel in the morning and have lunch there. Jeeps will collect you at 2pm for the Kigali City tour.

2-4pm:
Kigali City tour via 4X4 jeeps

4–5:45pm:
Official start of the Metta Journeys trip. Orientation and introductions.

6:45pm:
Meet in lobby and leave for Chez John.

7–9pm:
Dinner at Chez John with Rwandese guests. We will be joined by Berra Kabarungi, Pastor John, and our colleagues from Primate Safaris. We will hear from Berra (an orientation to the work WFWI is doing in Rwanda), plus Alex, Hashmat, and Pastor John.

Day 3

7–8:30am:
Meditation and yoga sessions for new and continuing students in the Board Room (beginners) and the Auditorium (intermediate).

9–10am:
Breakfast

10am:
Meet in lobby to travel to Kigali Memorial Center

10:30-12:30pm:
Visit Kigali Memorial Centre. Opened on the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide, in April 2004, the centre is built on a site where over 250,000 people are buried and serves as a permanent memorial to those who fell victim to the genocide.

12:30–1pm:
Travel from Kigali Memorial Centre to Women For Women International (WFWI) offices.

1-4pm:
Lunch with WFWI staff at their office. Shop at the WFWI bazaar to purchase products made by the women in the WFWI program.

2:30-3:30pm:
Watch and participate in vocational skills training classes.

4–4:30pm:
Travel back to Serena Hotel.

4:30–5:30pm:
Meditation and Yoga sessions for new and continuing students in the Board Room (beginners) and the Auditorium (intermediate).

6:15–8:15pm:
Screening of Shake Hands with the Devil, a film adaptation of the Romeo Dallaire autobiography of the same name in the Serena Hotel Auditorium.

8:30-10:30pm:
Dinner at Banana Jam at the Serena Hotel with local guests to discuss the genocide and aftermath.

Day 4

7–8:30am:
Meditation and yoga sessions for new and continuing students in the Board Room (beginners) and the Auditorium (intermediate).

9–10am:
Breakfast

10am:
Meet in lobby and leave for WFWI offices.

10:30–11:30am:
At WFWI Office, we will attend the new Circle formation. We will participate in the induction of a group of WFWI program participants at Women for Women International office. During this induction you will meet your sister! We will have interpreters for each set of sisters to facilitate communication.

11:30am-1:30pm:
At WFWI Office, we will attend the graduation ceremony of the last WFWI Circle. The contrast between the morning induction and the afternoon graduation will demonstrate the value of WFWI’s work and give you an idea of what the year ahead will mean to your sister.

1:30–2:30pm:
Lunch at Afrika Bites.

3–4pm:
At WFWI Office, we will attend rights education classes.

4pm:
Leave WFWI and travel back to Serena Hotel.

4:30–5:30pm:
Meditation and yoga sessions for new and continuing students in the Board Room (beginners) and the Auditorium (intermediate).

7–8:30pm:
Dinner with Rwandese women leaders.

Day 5

7–8:30am:
Meditation and yoga sessions for new and continuing students in the Board Room (beginners) and the Auditorium (intermediate).

9–10am:
Breakfast

10:30am:
Depart from Serena Kigali Hotel. Store excess luggage in MJ designated storage room.

10:30–6pm:
Visit Nyamata and Ntarama Genocide Memorials and travel to Volcanoes National Park and Gorilla’s Nest Lodge. We will travel by jeep outside Kigali to two powerful memorials, both of which were sites of massacres during the genocide. At Nyamata, the skulls and bones of many victims are on display. The church at Ntarama has not been touched since the bodies were removed more than a decade ago, and there are still bits of clothing on the floor.

After visiting the memorials, we will travel to the mountains via Kigali, where we will stop for lunch at Bourbon Coffee.

7–8:30pm:
Dinner at Gorilla’s Nest Lodge.

9–9:30pm:
Short evening yoga for beginner and experienced groups.

Day 6

5-6:00am:
Breakfast at Gorilla’s Nest Lodge.

6:30am-3pm:
Be ready to leave Gorilla’s Nest at 6:30 am. We will be driven to the park for our gorilla trek. Expect the trek to last until at least early afternoon. It may possibly go later depending on how long it takes to find the gorillas. Be prepared for a long, difficult hike. Please refer to the Gorilla Trek Information sheet you received in your pre-departure packet.

4:30–6:30pm:
Meditation and yoga sessions for new and continuing students.

7–8:30pm:
Dinner at Gorilla’s Nest Lodge.

Day 7

7-8:30am:
Meditation and yoga classes for beginner and experienced groups.

9–10am:
Breakfast at Gorilla’s Nest Lodge.

10:15am–3pm:
Travel back to the Serena Kigali hotel via Lake Kivu.

Upon arrival at Serna Hotel, ask for your hiking boots to be cleaned. They do this messy job for you!

4:30–6:30pm:
Closing circle.

7:30pm:
Closing dinner.

9:30–late:
Cadillac nightclub. Live music and dancing!

Day 8

8–9am:
Meditation and yoga classes for beginner and experienced groups.

9–10:30am:
Breakfast

10:30am – 2:30pm:
Shopping! We will divide into two groups and visit both the Kimironk market, a local market where Women for Women International graduates have set up stalls and started small businesses with their sponsorship funds, and the official “tourist” market. We'll also have lunch at a local restaurant near the markets.

2:30-5pm:
The afternoon will be free for you to do final shopping and/or prepare for travel.

5:00pm:
Transport to the airport for those leaving Kigali.