(lighthearted music)
- I'm at Terminal Two of Dubai Airport,
going to Africa today.
Let's go.
(lighthearted music)
Thank you. - Welcome.
- This is the start of my African adventure.
Going to fly on RwandAir to go to Rwanda.
(lighthearted music)
- Hello, sir, good morning. - [Sam] Hello, there.
Morning.
- [Service Agent] Welcome on board here, sir.
Your seat number is 2H.
- [Sam] Thank you.
(plane engine roaring)
- Welcome on board. - [Sam] Morning.
(lighthearted music)
Just got on board.
Surprisingly green colour.
It's quite nice, actually.
I can see,
it's one of these staggered 1-2-1 business class seats.
It's called the Thompson Vantage.
I'm sure I've flown it in the past.
Quite a few airlines adopted this.
(lighthearted music)
- This is champagne, this is water and orange juice.
- I want to have champagne.
- [Flight Attendant] Okay.
- So, how do you say, thank you, in your language?
- Murakoze.
- [Sam] Murakoze?
- Yes.
- Flying an African airline to Rwanda,
expecting African pilots here,
but actually, my friend, Suzanna's flying me tonight.
She's from Singapore,
and we actually knew each other in the UAE,
and I want you guys to hear her out
about her pilot career story.
- I started in 2005.
I was a flight attendant for Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi,
and I was very fortunate
to be given the opportunity to be a cadet pilot,
and grew my career as a first officer in Etihad Airways.
And somewhere along the lines, over the last few years,
I thought I wanted to change.
I wanted to experience Africa,
and RwandAir has given me the perfect opportunity,
and here I am.
I would like to introduce Captain Santosh.
- Hello, everyone.
- Flight time today is five hours and 15 minutes,
and we'll be cruising at a final altitude
of flight level 380.
- [Sam] Captain, I heard
Kigali is a pretty high-altitude airport.
I looked it up before I came, 5,000 feet above sea level.
- Yes, it is.
It's almost 5,000 feet above mean sea level,
and the interesting part about Kigali,
it's a tabletop runway.
It's a unidirectional runway,
so you land on runway 28, and you take off on runway 10,
irrespective of the wind direction in Kigali.
(upbeat electronic music)
- So, we have about 30-minute delay.
We're still waiting inside the plane.
I came down and I found out their premium economy.
How did you like these premium economy seats?
- [Man] Oh, it's amazing, it's amazing seats.
- Is it? - Yes.
- It's pretty good, actually.
I'll just say. - Yeah, it's good.
There's more spaces.
- You know, because the 330, this aeroplane, 2-3-2.
2-3-2 is not bad for premium economy.
Some airlines, 2-4-2 on 777.
2-4-2, more seats.
So, there's a mini cabin here.
21 seats, three rows of premium economy.
(plane engine roaring)
(upbeat electronic music)
- [Traffic Controller] B1.
- [Captain] Rotation.
(plane engine roaring)
(upbeat electronic music)
- We're beginning our dinner service,
and we have two options.
We have beef lasagna, and we have chicken.
And we have a starter, a salad,
and we also have a dessert, cake, and some bread rolls.
- It just came straight out of oven, it's still warm.
Yeah, the chicken.
But the portion, I'm not completely sure.
I'm a big guy.
I think I need five of these.
Yeah, a little bit small
for a lot of big African guy with the muscles.
Where are you heading to?
Where are you going?
- To Kigali.
- [Sam] Are you from Rwanda?
- Yeah, I'm from Rwanda.
- [Sam] But you work in Dubai?
- Yeah, I work in Dubai.
- [Sam] And then, how long you haven't been home?
- I lived here for two years.
- [Sam] Since COVID?
- Yeah, since COVID.
Since January, 2020. - [Sam] Wow!
You must be excited, you cannot sleep now.
Almost four hours, you're going to be home.
- Yeah, I can't sleep.
Four hours is little.
- [Sam] I think the leg room is quite good
from what I see, you are sitting.
How's the leg room like? - Yeah.
Yeah, it's cool. - [Sam] Yeah?
- It's cool.
- [Sam] All right, I want to come and try a little bit.
Yeah, I think it's standard.
- Yeah, it's standard.
- Maybe you are smaller, you look like good.
When I sit down-
- Well, bean bag back was very big, like this.
- You have more room than me, yeah.
Pretty standard, yeah. - This is standard.
- So, probably the best leg room in economy
is the first row in the bulkhead, in the middle here.
The leg room is really good.
This is row number 12.
So, when you check in, try to get this row.
You got way better leg room than the rest.
(upbeat electronic music)
- Enjoy your starter.
- Okay, thank you.
So, we got a big tray
and a tiny portion of salad on the big tray.
A little interesting here. (laughs)
And I also actually went down to premium economy.
The premium economy has the same food as economy.
So, there's no difference, but it has better seating.
- Would you like to have some bread?
I've brown bread, white bread, and chocolate bread.
- [Sam] This looks funny.
What is this?
- [Flight Attendant] Chocolate bread.
- [Sam] Oh, okay, I'll have one of these.
- [Flight Attendant] Okay.
- [Sam] It looks very funny.
- [Flight Attendant] Would you like to have one?
- [Stewardess] Kanonkop, this is Cabernet Sauvignon
from South Africa.
This is 2017, this is 2017,
they're both dry red wine from South Africa.
- [Sam] It's 4:30 a.m. in the morning.
This can be a dinner, or it can be a breakfast.
It's not bad, the lasagna,
but I was expecting maybe a bit more African food.
I have no idea what Rwandan food looks like,
and I'm going to try out when I get to Rwanda.
The other thing, what I like about,
is they have this logo on all the glasses
and their plates, on the pepper and salt shaker.
So, there's lots of logo,
which I really want to take these home.
This is an overnight fly, we've still about 3 1/2 hour.
So, I'm taking a nap.
When the seat goes fully flat, there is a problem.
There is a gap just between my back and my bottom.
So, it's not quite comfortable.
I don't know if it's every seat or just mine,
and the pillow could be a little bit more thicker
or plusher.
So, hopefully, the airline can take notes and improve it.
(lighthearted music)
Good morning.
Charged my battery about three hours, and moved to row one.
I figure out row one has a bigger footwell,
and it's literally unrestricted.
So, that is the best seat.
Right now, it's 6:20 a.m.
Seeing the daybreak just coming, descending into the clouds,
and very excited.
10 minutes away from touchdown in Kigali.
- [Captain] Got about 10 minutes to land.
- Well, there you go.
The announcement just matched what I'm saying.
(upbeat electronic music)
- [Radio Altimeter] 60, 50, 40, 30, 20.
Retard.
Five.
(plane engine roaring)
(upbeat electronic music)
- [Sam] Wow, only starting seeing the ground
one minute before landing,
and it's really on a tabletop, the whole runway.
It's still very sleepy, very foggy out there.
Yeah, looking forward to get out the plane
to explore the country now.
- I hope you enjoyed your flight.
Landing here was okay.
Visibility was about one mile.
Not so typical of Kigali, but I'm glad we made it.
And for you, enjoy Kigali.
I hope you see lots of the gorillas,
and thank you for flying with us.
- Wow. (chuckles) (plane engine roaring)
I smell the air of Africa.
- [Service Agent] It's great, right?
- It's been a while, it's been 2 1/2 years.
Now I finally touched down again and can't wait.
It feels so energetic now.
Let's go.
- Thank you so much. - [Sam] Thank you.
- Bye-bye. - Thank you, bye.
- [Service Agent] Bye-bye, see you another time.
(upbeat electronic music)
(plane engine roaring) (upbeat electronic music)
(woman speaking in foreign language)
(upbeat electronic music)
- So, this unique is actually the terminal of Kigali.
It's got to be the African feel.
It didn't look like a normal airport terminal to me.
(upbeat electronic music)
- Kigali, the centre where we're heading to,
it's the main hill.
But today, after 27 years after the 1994 genocide,
it has expanded to more than 30 hills.
(upbeat electronic music)
(ceremonial African music) (singers chanting)
- [Sam] Very nice.
(ceremonial African music)
(singers chanting)
(upbeat electronic music)
After a couple hours' drive,
finally we arrive at my hotel room tonight.
- This is the best of the room that we have on the resort.
Today, you're going to enjoy.
Mr. Sam, welcome, home away from home.
- [Sam] Check this out.
Whoa, very nice.
(upbeat electronic music)
- All these, none of extra cost.
You're free to enjoy as much as your can.
Mr. Sam, this is your bedroom, where you're going to stay.
This is all yours today.
- [Sam] Let's check it out. - [Usher] Also, as we're here,
you have the jacuzzi.
We didn't forget that.
- [Sam] Oh my God, look at this, there is a jacuzzi here.
- [Usher] Yeah. - [Sam] Wow.
- [Usher] Did you come for honeymoon,
anniversary and everything? (Sam laughing)
You should have found the roses everywhere.
- [Sam] Oh my God. - [Usher] Champagne and wine,
and everything today. - [Sam] Look at the view.
- The secret area.
I know you hadn't seen this.
- [Sam] I'm scared now, they're so big here,
I'm so scared. - So many things.
This is everything for you. - [Sam] Wow.
Seriously? - You can use
as much as you can.
This is the shower room.
This is your toilet.
- [Sam] Very nice. - [Usher] And this is-
- [Sam] All my bags is already here.
- [Usher] Your bags are already here.
(upbeat electronic music)
- Good morning.
Today, we're going inside the hills to see gorillas.
(upbeat electronic music)
- Visitation of gorillas in Rwanda is $1,500
for one hour, per visit, per day.
- [Sam] Super expensive.
- Not really. (laughs)
That's a high-end strategy
in order to control the influx or traffic.
- [Sam] Right. - Human traffic
into the forests.
(upbeat electronic music)
- So, this is the start of the trail.
We're given a walking stick with the gorillas on.
So, let's go and check out.
And as you can tell, I'm not much of an exercise guy.
I'm not the fittest guy to do this.
And I'm just praying
that it's not going to be a very tough trail, walking up.
(upbeat electronic music)
As you can tell, I'm inexperienced,
going through the muddy volcano ground.
There's a nice guy here,
he's a porter and also helping me.
He's literally carrying me right now, to get through this.
We're still climbing, ascending.
It's pretty high-altitude as well.
3,000 metre about sea level right now.
(wind blowing) (upbeat electronic music)
- The big mountain is there.
It's called Sabyinyo.
Sabyinyo, it's one of the five volcanoes
we have here in that area.
(upbeat electronic music)
- Now we're going into really deep rainforest now, I guess.
(leaves rustling) (upbeat electronic music)
We're getting closer and closer now.
I think I hear something.
(leaves rustling)
(upbeat music)
It was really incredible close.
We were in like a several-meter-close.
There's a family of 18.
Today, we're lucky day.
Just a few minute into the jungle.
I saw the whole family from there.
The male was resting, 'cause lots of babies are playing.
(upbeat electronic music)
This is the happiness after seeing.
They're so close, they're just like walking past us.
- [Park Ranger] Yeah, you were really, really lucky today.
We saw the gorillas in the open place,
and in the resting time, they were in good moods.
The babies were playing, chair,
and silver back was posing and sitting, sleeping.
(park ranger laughing)
- Just couldn't get cuter. (park ranger laughing)
Couldn't get better, yeah.
(indistinct chatter)
(upbeat electronic music)
I had a short, but sweet stay.
I think that was the most expensive hotel suite
I've ever stayed in.
Now, we're going to fly a helicopter back to Kigali.
(upbeat electronic music)
That's the way to travel to see the country, right?
Riding a helicopter.
I am not familiar with helicopter.
I'm always flying on fixed-wing aeroplane.
What actually model this one is?
- This one is an Agusta 119.
It's made in Philadelphia.
It's six passengers.
- [Sam] So, how long today will be the flight time?
- [Pilot] The flight will be 30 minutes to Kigali.
- How high we're flying?
- We'll be flying 500 feet
above ground. - 500 feet?
- Yes. - Amazing!
It's got to be a great view.
(door whirring)
(helicopter engine roaring) (upbeat electronic music)
(door whirring)
- All right, welcome to Kigali.
- Thank you. - Just mind your head, yeah.
- We saw a lot of terrain.
This country is made of so many hills and foothills, right?
500 feet, similar to my Sling, flying over and sightseeing.
Very steady ride, very nice.
It makes me remember flying my own little Sling.
(upbeat electronic music)
Quite a bit of snack here.
There's samosas, there's chicken noodles.
My trip to Rwanda was such a surprise.
Apart from the great aviation experience,
my favourite must be the gorilla experience.
But now, I am moving on to another new country, Kenya.
(upbeat music)
(plane engine roaring) (upbeat music)