Democratic Republic of Congo

Home to mountain gorillas, breathtaking forest and an active volcano, Alford plans to go to northeast DRC’s Virunga National Park this summer. “I’m going to climb that volcano, for sure,” she says. Virunga, the oldest national park in Africa and a world heritage site, features over 100 endangered mountain gorillas and ranger-led treks deep into the rain forest to see the animals in their natural habitats.