Anne and Erwan are having the time of their lives in Africa

It’s been a year since Anne Curtis and Erwan Heussaff tied the knot. Since Anne couldn’t just drop her work commitments, and Erwan fully supports her in her career, they had to put off their honeymoon. It’s been a long time coming, but finally, as Anne promised her hubby, they’re now in a month-long honeymoon in Africa. They’ve only been there for a few days, but it already looks like they’ve forged several priceless memories. Through Instagram, they share with us the highlights of their trip so far.

Nyumbani visit

Anne shared that one of the the first things they did was visit Nyumbani, a shelter for children with HIV+ who have been abandoned by their parents. There, they got to meet, play and interact with the kids. This was significant because it’s a cause close to Anne. “Now, when I met with my @unicefphils family for a general meeting a month ago, I learnt that the Philippines now has the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region. One thing I have learnt from this visit, do not be afraid to get tested early so you can get proper treatment immediately – no matter your age. Be educated. Be safe. Get tested.” she wrote

Meeting Enkesha

Anne revealed that Erwan gave her the most thoughtful gift ever for their anniversary. He fostered a little orphaned elephant in her name! She got to visit the precious little calf named Enkesha. (Born a day after her birthday!)

“She had to be taken in because of a horrible wire snare that was wrapped around her little trunk. It now has a little hole in it because when she was much smaller she somehow was able to take the stitches out.” she shared. “If ever you visit Kenya, a visit to @dswt is a must. There are so many little elephant [calves] that have been rescued and you get to learn about all their stories—where they were found and why they had to be saved”

Stunning views

They’re in Africa, so naturally, their interaction with its famous wild safari is a must. They’ve been having a lot of fun meeting the creatures that live there, but they also highlighted the stunning views they’re fortunate enough to wake up to. So far, they’ve camped under the clear night skies in Mana Pools National Park. They’ve also witnessed the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets while in Zimbabwe. And they’ve been to Victoria Falls where Anne even got to take a dip. Erwan swears the photos and videos he has seen before didn’t do justice to the real thing.

Erwan’s dream come true

Erwan shared how he got to fulfill one of his dreams during this trip: “After a two hour uphill hike in rain and thick forest, we finally found the family of gorillas we were tracking. We were very lucky to see almost the whole family, all together, in an open plane.” He revealed, “I told Anne before our hike that my dream was to get touched by a silverback and that happened!”

He shared that the mountain gorillas were once on the verge of extinction in the ’80s but there are now over 1,000 of them in the wild. “Everyone in this region of Rwanda, knows the importance of these primates and how they create a sustainable tourism livelihood for thousands of people, so they all work together, government and the private sector, to make sure they are protected and to ensure that all the tourists that come through leave with the best impressions. It’s really inspiring.” 

Bride again

Anne and Erwan spent their first wedding anniversary while in Africa in the most perfect way—by experiencing the culture’s local wedding traditions. Anne filled us in on the experience: “Erwan and I decided to do a guided community walk at the foot of Sabyinyo mountain around Kinigi, Rwanda. We got to meet the local families, learn about their ways, hear and see their traditional dances, songs and ceremonies. They asked us to join in on some of their dances and during one of the traditional ceremonies they asked if I could be the bride.” How awesome was that?