The idea was there for some time already. 'Actually, we were going to go to Africa with our family several years ago,' Elvira looks back. 'We wanted to do that in the year our sons took their final exams and our daughter completed the 8th grade of primary school. Unfortunately, our trip was then postponed several times, partly because of corona. Last year, the idea of going to Africa started brewing again: travelling outside Europe for the first time. Although our children are now adults, they were immediately thrilled to join us this summer.'
Mountain gorillas and safari
Elvira explains that the initial plan was to go to Tanzania, but that plan was eventually changed. 'The contact with the tour operator was difficult and our eldest son indicated that he wanted to travel to Uganda from Tanzania to see the endangered mountain gorillas. So when it became clear that Tanzania was cancelled, he got us excited about going to Uganda. A guide will lead us to a mountain gorilla family there. The cost of such an excursion will benefit the conservation of this endangered species, so we are happy to pay for it. Furthermore, we will go on an organised safari tour to see all the wildlife, such as elephants, hippos, lions, rhinos and crocodiles. Such a tour suits us. During holidays, we always look for nature instead of cities.'
Not a given
Meanwhile, according to Elvira, the preliminary fun is in full swing. 'We in the family regularly forward videos about the mountain gorillas to each other via Instagram. We also talk a lot about all the practical matters, such as bringing luggage and arranging visas. In that respect, this trip will be different from our usual holidays to Sweden. Moreover, this will probably be our last trip with the entire family before the children leave home. Our sons of 25 and 22 and our daughter of 18 currently still live at home, but the eldest has now bought a house. Personally, I find it special that at this age our children indicate that they would still like to travel with us as parents; I realise that this is not a given. That is why I am also going to extra enjoy this.'
Exciting
People around her, including colleagues, find the choice of the former British colony of Uganda particularly interesting. 'Many of them indicate that they find Uganda an exciting country, especially because of its dictatorial past in the 1970s. That regime was disastrous. Not only for human rights, but also for all the wild animals that could be hunted unlimitedly. Fortunately, the situation in Uganda has changed for the better: all animals are now protected and their numbers are increasing again. However, there are still warnings about security risks in the cities. But we won't go there during our trip.'
More freedom
As an employee of Radboud University, Elvira considers herself lucky to have plenty of leave options. 'At my previous employer in secondary education, I couldn't get leave outside school holidays. My husband has limited leave options at his work in the summer, so we used to be able to have only two weeks off together then. Now that I have been working at Radboud University for eight months, it has also become possible for me to take leave outside school holidays. I think this is important. After all, last year a colleague from my previous employer died suddenly. As a result, I now realise that there is no point in putting off travel plans far ahead of your schedule, for example, because it always remains to be seen whether that time is given to you. It is very nice to experience more freedom now, thanks to these leave options.'
Inspired by Elvira?