Kim & Nils Buri

March 2025 Issue

by Tamela Maxim
Photos provided by Kim & Nils Buri

Kim and Nils Buri call Grindelwald, Switzerland home, but their hearts also belong to the South Carolina Lowcountry, where for decades, they have maintained a second home.

Their story began in 1989 when they met on a chairlift in Aspen, Colorado. Kim, a private banker from New York City, wasn’t sure about dating Nils, a youthful-looking ski instructor, but his persistence paid off. They’ve practically been inseparable now for 35 years.

In 1991, as Nils watched the Heritage Golf Classic on television, he declared, “We need to go there!”

They were married the following year on Hilton Head Island and became parents to “Irish twins” Max (now 31) and Joel (now 30). This adventurous family has kept one foot on either side of the Atlantic ever since.

In 2011, Nils and Kim were driving down Alljoy Road in Bluffton when Kim impulsively asked Nils to turn onto Castle Point Road. Spotting a “Lot for Sale” sign nailed to a tree, Kim jumped out of the car and ran down the property line, which ended at the May River, and met the owner, Kathleen Mew, who lived next door.

By day’s end, they had bought the lot. By year’s end, they had built a house and become lifelong friends.   

Kim and Nils own Buri Sport, a ski and snowboarding business at the foot of the Eiger, a mountain you might recall from the 1975 Clint Eastwood movie The Eiger Sanction. Living in Europe provides them with the luxury of spontaneous trips such as Paris for a day of cycling or Copenhagen for Christmas shopping at the Advent market. However, their exotic adventures demand more meticulous planning and the help of travel companies to assist with necessary visas, vaccinations, reservations, park permissions, and everything else that goes along with great adventure.

Kim and Nils shared two of their favorite trips: Visiting gorillas in Rwanda and a six-day trek along the Dingle Way in Ireland.

In June 2020, the Buris wanted to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. Kim had been trying for years to persuade Nils to visit the gorillas in Rwanda. Serendipity was on her side when, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, it became their only viable option.

During their gorilla adventure, there were exciting surprises. One young gorilla playfully bumped into Nils, knocking him over and, as they were about to leave, an entire troop of gorillas ran past. Even the rangers were thrilled by this rare occurrence. “When the ranger whispers, ‘Shhhh,’ you understand you are meant to avoid eye contact and stay very still, even though you wish you could take photos and videos,” said Kim.

Kim and Nils enjoyed the genuine hospitality of the Rwandan people and learned that many locals are involved in tourism and conservation efforts. Sadly, Rwandans continue the hard work of dealing with the trauma of the 1994 genocide, when 800,000 Tutsis were slaughtered. Those 100 brutal days are still a part of their conversations, affecting their everyday lives. The best time to visit Rwanda and see the gorillas is during the dry seasons (June to September and December to February) when trails are less muddy and easier to navigate.

Their latest adventure was a trek along Ireland’s Dingle Way in October 2024. The Dingle Way is a trail, approximately 102 miles long, which runs along the Dingle Peninsula’s coastline in County Kerry. It typically takes eight days to hike. Kim and Nils did it in six. National Geographic Traveler magazine described it as the most beautiful place on earth.

As Europe’s westernmost point, The Dingle Way, used as a location for recent Star Wars movies, is renowned for breathtaking scenery that transitions from fields of wildflowers and heather to lush green foothills, tranquil pastoral settings, towering cliff faces, crashing ocean waves, white sandy beaches, castle ruins, archeological monuments, ancient stone beehives, plenty of Guinness, and warm Irish hospitality.

During the trek, they marveled at the beauty and soaked up the peacefulness of the remote location. They indulged in decadent Irish breakfasts in the morning and enjoyed whiskey and peanuts at the end of each day.

A 36-hour power outage, which had them knocking on doors to find out what had happened, gave them an even more off-the-grid, nobody-would-know-if-we-disappeared experience. (Fall or summer are the best times to plan a trek on The Dingle Way.)

Kim also shared that duct tape can be a traveler’s best friend and can likely solve almost any problem. She humorously recounted how duct tape saved the day and her modesty after an 80-mph wind had ripped her shirt. “I never travel without it, though the TSA must wonder why sometimes,” she said. 

Whether at the foot of the Eiger or overlooking the May River, the Buris can proclaim, “We work hard to play hard; the world is our oyster.” 

Fun Facts:
• A dingle is a small, wooded valley or dell.
• The Dingle Way is named after the town, Dingle.
• Mountain gorillas weigh between 300-485 pounds and range between 4’ and 6’ tall.
• As of 2024, 1,063 mountain gorillas remain in the world.