Called to Africa: Francisco's Journey Across Zanzibar, the Serengeti, and Rwanda

By: Taylor Wells

If Africa has been on your list, stop reading immediately. Because after hearing about Francisco's recent trip, you won't just want to go. You'll feel called there, drawn in by the culture, the scenery, and most of all, the people.

Africa is one of those places that is truly wild. Lion prides rule the land until the elephants come along. Silverback gorillas make you take a step back. The wilderness doesn't perform for you. It simply exists, and that's what makes it extraordinary.

Africa grounds you. It changes you in ways you don't expect and can't fully explain until you're back home.

Francisco has just returned from a trip like no other. Traveling with a group of friends, he moved through four of some of the continent's most remarkable places: a private island south of Zanzibar called Fanjove Island, a mobile camp that follows the wildebeest migration through the Serengeti, the exclusive Grumeti Reserve on the Serengeti's western corridor, and finally the forests of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda for gorilla trekking.

This journey touched many of Africa's greatest gems. But because Africa is so vast, even a trip like this only scratches the surface.

A note from Francisco before we dive in:

To John,

“What you gave us during this journey goes far beyond logistics, wildlife sightings, or perfectly timed transfers under pressure in Kigali. You gave us perspective. You gave us context. You gave us laughter. And you gave us the confidence to see Africa not just as spectators, but as participants in something vast and humbling.

For me personally, this trip leaves indelible memories. I know with certainty that I would not have experienced Africa in the same way without you. You showed me how to truly observe wildlife, not just look at it. You helped me understand the rhythm of the climate, the land, and most importantly, the humanity behind the landscapes. That insight changed the experience entirely.”

From Francisco. 

The Welcome: Fanjove Island

Francisco's adventure began at Fanjove Island, a private island just south of Zanzibar. The arrival alone set the tone: stepping off an old traditional sailboat onto white sand shores, greeted not just by the stunning turquoise water but by song. 

Every staff member was out to welcome the group, smiling and singing. It was the kind of arrival you don't forget.

Fanjove is barefoot luxury. Simple, beautiful, unhurried. White sand, clear water, and a pace that asks nothing of you except to slow down. For Francisco and his group, it was the perfect place to exhale before transitioning to the wild bush of Africa.

Into the Heart of the Migration

Cheetahs, lions, and wildebeest as far as the eye can see. This was Francisco's world for the next few days.

Francisco and his group stayed at Asilia's Ubuntu Mobile Camp. A mobile camp sounds rustic and this was anything but. It's true luxury that places you right into the middle of the wild.

Ubuntu is mobile for a reason: it moves with the wildebeest migration cycle, repositioning throughout the year to keep guests in the heart of the action. And the migration is not a single event. It's a year-round cycle that never stops.

 It begins in the south, where herds gather across the Serengeti and Ngorongoro between January and March for calving season. Around 500,000 calves are born in just a few weeks, drawing intense predator activity and making it one of the most dramatic times to visit.

Where you stay during the migration makes all the difference. The right camp puts you inside the story, not watching from the edges. 

Photo by Francisco

For Francisco and his group, that's exactly where they were, in the heart of the migration.

"We were sleeping and we heard all the different sounds. We heard lions. We heard hyenas."

The nights were wild. And the days delivered just as much.

"You count the wildebeest by hundreds of thousands. And zebras everywhere also."

And this was only the beginning…

Wild and Exclusive: The Grumeti Reserve

After Ubuntu, Francisco and his group moved to Singita's Sabora Tented Camp on the Grumeti Reserve, a private conservation area on the western edge of the Serengeti. Set within 350,000 acres of protected wilderness and backed by more than 20 years of dedicated conservation work, this is not your average safari camp.

What this means for guests is more animals, fewer tourists, and wildlife encounters that feel genuinely intimate. The remoteness is the luxury.

"When we arrived, it looked like they set up all the animals to be there for us," Francisco recalls. "The drive from the landing strip to the camp should be 45 minutes, but we had so many animals around it took us two hours because we were stopping everywhere."

Photo by Francisco

It was as if John Spence himself had staged the whole thing.

The Grumeti delivered on every front, including from the air. One morning the group climbed into a hot air balloon and drifted above the plains as the Serengeti came to life beneath them.

"You can see all the animals from above, the packs running. It was beautiful. The whole time I was anxious to take pictures because every different angle was a postcard."

Back on the ground, the game drives kept delivering. On one outing, Francisco watched a pride of 22 lions, most of them cubs, resting near a large group of elephants. Then the guide said quietly: "You will learn now who is the real king of the jungle."

Photo by Francisco

The elephants moved toward the tree where the lions were resting.

The lions ran…

Then came the leopard.

"We saw the leopard right after the hunt, with the antelope hanging from a tree branch still dripping blood. The leopard had a big belly. He had just had a feast."

A little gruesome, yes. But that is the Serengeti. Wild, honest, and unapologetic.

Just when the journey seemed like it couldn’t get any more extraordinary, they boarded a flight for Rwanda.

Where the Silverbacks Rule

Perched above Volcanoes National Park, Virunga Lodge was built by conservation hero Praveen Moman with a single vision: luxury that gives back. Every window frame, every glass, every table is locally made. It is a place that wears its values quietly but proudly.

And it is the gateway to one of the most extraordinary wildlife experiences on Earth.

Gorilla trekking…Now it is no easy feat, the logistics alone can make your head spin.

"There is the driver, a ranger beside him, a ranger that goes with you, and trackers on the mountain communicating by radio. Once they locate the family, they radio the exact location. Once you get out of the car and start walking, it can take two, three, four hours to reach them. We were lucky. One day it took us one hour 45 minutes. The second day, only one hour."

Once you find the gorillas, you have exactly one hour with them.

One hour to take it all in.

“And what you find is grounding, in a way that is hard to put into words. These creatures interact the way we do with our own families. Babies playing with each other, youngsters messing about, and the silverback simply resting, unbothered, presiding over it all.”

You are not allowed to touch them. They, however, can touch you, bump into you, play with you. You have to stay still and let it happen.

On the second day, Francisco's group tracked a different family of about 15 individuals, including four silverbacks. The rule is the same regardless of which family you find: stay calm, be a bystander, make yourself invisible. You are in their world now.

Photo by Francisco

Then the ranger turned to the group and said quietly: "Prepare your cell phones on video. You will see what happens now."

The gorillas that had been resting and playing began walking directly toward them. A baby first. Then an older one. Then a female. Then the silverback.

Then another silverback stopped right in front of them.

Two steps away.

He sat down in a strange position. Nobody quite knew what was happening.

Then he reached out his hand…

He was pooping. 

He picked it up, looked at it, tasted it, and threw it away.

"Everybody was afraid he was going to throw it at us," Francisco laughs. "He was literally two steps away. But it was amazing. Amazing."

These are the moments you cannot plan for, but the ones that stay with you forever.

An African Farewell

On the final night in Rwanda, the group celebrated the journey with a proper farewell, a party.

​​Everyone dressed in custom-made clothing, women in dresses, men in suits, all sewn from African fabric each chosen by hand earlier in the trip. A fitting close to an adventure woven together by culture at every turn.

With all the colorful fabrics on, a final dinner with song and dance closed out the unforgettable trip for Francisco and his group.

Even after Francisco has returned home, what he keeps coming back to is not the wildlife, the camps, or even the gorillas. It's the people.

"Every single camp, even on the island, in both safaris, and with the gorillas, the people always greeted you singing, waiting for you with drinks and a big smile. And when you left, they also sang and showed you all the affection they have."

At every departure, without exception, the staff gathered to send them off the same way they arrived: with song, warmth, and something that felt genuine.

"Every time I said goodbye to any of them, I always had tears in my eyes. It was very moving to live that moment and to get to know the people. They are really special people."

That is Africa. It’s not just about the wildlife or the landscapes, as extraordinary as they are.

 It's the feeling that stays with you long after you've left. The sense that you were not just a guest passing through, but welcomed into something real.

If Francisco's journey has sparked something in you, reach out. This is exactly the kind of trip John Spence was made to craft.