{"id":2000104169,"date":"2026-03-04T14:54:57","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T12:54:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/?p=2000104169"},"modified":"2026-03-04T14:54:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T12:54:58","slug":"globetrotter-with-no-intention-to-slow-down-discovers-rwanda-as-vast-botanical-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/globetrotter-with-no-intention-to-slow-down-discovers-rwanda-as-vast-botanical-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"Globetrotter with no intention to slow down discovers Rwanda as ‘vast botanical garden’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Known for a lifetime of overland journeys with her husband Alan, 85, Cooper has recently returned from Rwanda, after 14 years since her husband first visited and she initially declined to join him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an interview with BBC, she recounted her experiences in the East African nation, painting a vivid picture of its natural beauty and warm hospitality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I was really surprised. It was like one vast botanical garden. Green, lush plants and flowers everywhere, the people were friendly, the food terrific,” Cooper said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her description highlights Rwanda’s lush landscapes, often dubbed the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” where rolling green vistas, vibrant flora, and a welcoming atmosphere create an almost garden-like serenity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooper and her husband Alan, have been backpacking the globe together since shortly after their marriage, embracing a spontaneous, off-the-beaten-path style of travel that has taken them across continents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their adventures began with overland journeys, including a memorable route through India, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the decades, they have ventured into the Middle East and South Asia extensively, often booking flights to a destination and then relying on local hotels, public transport, and a sense of adventure to navigate from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on their nomadic lifestyle, Cooper explained how external events sometimes extended their stays in unexpected ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We decided we would go to Canada or Australia. We were going to go overland to India and get a boat to Australia. But when we got to India, there was the Arab-Israeli War. That trip was about eight months!” she recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooper also reflected on how recent conflicts in the region reminded her of times past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was when the Shah was in power in Iran. It was very civilized. As we approached a town, there was always a big roundabout planted with trees and flowers to welcome you. And people were lovely, friendly, educated,\u201d she recalled, drawing a connection between past travels and present news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ann Cooper started backpacking with her husband Alan two years after they got married and the couple have maintained their wanderlust ever since.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ann Cooper, a 78-year-old traveler from Warwickshire, England, with no intention of slowing down, has shared her latest adventure in Rwanda, describing the country as a breathtaking surprise that left her captivated upon returning home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2000104175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[160],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000104169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tourism","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-theophile-niyitegeka"],"bylines":[{"id":160,"name":"Th\u00e9ophile Niyitegeka","slug":"theophile-niyitegeka","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":3}],"contributors":[{"id":160,"name":"Th\u00e9ophile Niyitegeka","slug":"theophile-niyitegeka","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":3}],"featured_image":{"id":2000104175,"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/trav.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":1000,"height":667,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/trav.jpg","width":150,"height":100},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/trav.jpg","width":300,"height":200},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/trav.jpg","width":768,"height":512},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/trav.jpg","width":1000,"height":667},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/trav.jpg","width":1000,"height":667}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000104169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000104169"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000104169\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000104177,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000104169\/revisions\/2000104177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000104175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000104169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000104169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000104169"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000104169"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000104169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}