Lewis Hamilton's African adventure has continued with a trip to Rwanda which left him "speechless."
The seven-time world champion has been making the most of the current mid-season break F1 visiting Namibia last week before moving on. And it's been anything but a luxurious trip for Hamilton, whose been actively embracing the culture of the Central African country.
He took to Instagram to give fans an insight of his hike up a volcano, where he saw gorillas in their natural habitat. He also met with conversationists who he thanked for taking care of the endangered animals.
There were also clips of him stopping his hike to mix with young children, ushering them over to meet with his tour party. The group also sung and danced for the Mercedes man, who asked on his post: "How does one describe such an experience that leaves you so speechless?
"My second stop was Rwanda," he added. "We were welcomed with smiles and music from the beautiful Rwandan people. This trip really showed me how diverse and rich in culture it is here."
In one breathtaking clip Hamilton, 37, films a gorilla just yards away from him, with the animal eating and moving about freely: "We hiked up through beautiful green fields where children would sing to us and up a volcano where we found gorillas," the star continued.
"What a sight it was to see them in their natural habitat relaxed and protected by the community around them. This is where they should be, in their own homes free to live their lives in peace."
And he already seems keen to revisit Rwanda again, concluding: "It was a profound and truly moving experience. I’m in love with this country. Thank you for having us, I can’t wait to come back."
Hamilton has long campaigned for more cultural diversity in his sport, and recently spoke about feeling "unwelcome and unaccepted" when he started out in F1. And during his time in the Namibian desert last week, he wrote: "This has been a life changing reset. I feel like I have gained a new perspective on life, grown an even stronger love for animals and became even closer with my brothers who I’ve shared this special journey with."
Hamilton was second in the last Grand Prix in Hungary on July 31, equalling his best result of the 2022 campaign. It was also the last event before drivers began a four-week break in the schedule.
The next race takes place in Belgium on August 28, where he may encounter a hostile reputation due it being the home race of rival Max Verstappen. Earlier this season in Austria, Red Bull fans cheered when Hamilton crashed out in qualifying.
A run of five successive podiums though has suggested that both and Hamilton are finally topping the issues which plagued their troublesome start to the campaign. He'll return from his African break with renewed hope of keeping alive his run of gaining a win in every F1 season since 2007.
