Tours and Trip Packages to Kigali in June 2024

“I have been fortunate to travel a lot. These countries were my 51st, 52nd and 53rd but this was the best time of my life. This was my 7th small group trip. I have never felt more grateful in my lifeand it is all owed to this wonderful staff, Gilbert (our guide), Stoney (our driver), Albert (our cook) and Charles (his helper).I moderately injured my low back while rafting in Jinja and was very worried that if it worsened (from camping or the bumpy dirt roads) I would not be able to do the Chimp or Gorilla treks. The staff did everything in their power to help me through this and Im very thankful for that; the injury never worsened and I was able to do everything that the agenda entailed.The safari portion of our trip was extraordinary, particularly in the Mara and Lake Nakuru. The boat safari in Murchison was also amazing as we saw everything in such a different ecosystem. The highlights: five lionesses in a tree, two leopards, a monster of a crocodile, a wildebeest stampede, a hippo and a family of warthogs at our campsite in Murchison, hordes of playful baby baboons, a pack of zebras hilariously chasing an territory-invading jackal and virtually every other large African mammal except the cheetah.A few other animal experiences to mention:There are 1,388 species of birds in East Africa. Im not a birder or anything but I was constantly in awe of the gorgeous, highly varied plumage patterns of these majestic creatures.The chimps in the Budongo Forest were outrageous. We hoped to just see a few eating in the treetops. We saw that and about twenty minutes into our viewing session a highly-orchestrated colobus monkey hunt began with screeching, screaming and yelling. Chimps rapidly descended all around us, ran across the forest floor and ascended other trees nearby. The rangers claimed they killed three colobus. While we collectively only had one picture of a chimp eating his prey, it was an exhilarating, albeit terrifying and somewhat sad, experience.I figured the chimps had stolen the show. But the gorillas responded. Extraordinary experience...we had no clue how close they were going to get. They say its a seven meter distance that we need to maintain, but not if the gorillas decide they want to play with you... One of the gorillas (an impish three year old boy) sprinted to me, stuck his head between my knees and patted the sides of my thighs in rapid succession. He then just lied there. No one got any of it on film because the silverback, Bweza, was waking right towards me as his son was pulling this stunt and everyone had to shuffle away quickly... Bweza was no more than two meters away from me before we could all pull back. It was terrifying but that early lesson taught us that these gorillas are extremely habituated and thus, totally harmless; I suspect Bweza was simply wanting to keep his playful toddler in check. Later on during the viewing hour, the same three yr old pirouetted three or four times right at our feet. It was adorable. That was followed by several minutes of wrestling with his same-aged cousin. One of the great memories of my life.Most importantly, our crew made the trip.Gilbert, our leader, was outstanding. Solid knowledge of the animals. He has degrees in tourism and social anthropology and it really shows. He not only has a good understanding of the countries we visited but the continent and the world as a whole. His education led to a bunch of really interesting conversations that I enjoyed. Very well organized, kind and funny as well. A great trip leader.Albert was our chef and did a damn good job prepping tasty meals for us. Most importantly though, he was ALWAYS in a good mood and lifted the spirits of our group constantly. Ill never forget the guy.Stoney, our driver, was a great great guy. Sincere, kind and very hard working. He navigated some tough roads and kept us on time. I had several great conversations with him about all kinds of topics ... mostly his family, his childhood and Kenyas hopes for the future. Another guy with a big heart Ill never forget.Lastly, Charles, the helper, was just a damn hard worker. For a first timer, he really seemed to contribute a lot. Always dived in when he was needed.Again, what a great trip. Im elated that I was able to do this with such a wonderful group of people.Thanks to the tour operator!”

“If you could gurantee the same team, group and even half the wildlife encounters I'd book it up tomorrow.We were very lucky with both the wildlife and to have such an enthusiastic and fun group of guides and guests - which made the trip all the better.The locations are stunning - in two days in the Masai Mara we saw the big 5 and had an epic balloon ride at sunrise.Then we were off to Lake Nakuru and the rhinos and flamingos took centre stage, with the smiles getting wider as the wildlife encounters got better.Sleeping within 300m of a waterfall in Nakuru was a highlight and despite being the most basic, was my favourite campsite - hearing lions and hyeenas calling in the night while sat around a campfire checking out all the stars.At Jinja even novice rafters got to experience the thrill of white water and again the provided photos and videos had us all laughing and reliving the day.The Adrift campsite was also brand new and had great facilities.So the experiences built, Murchison has impressive waterfalls and the boat trip was a good way to get out of the heat of the day.Gorilla tracking in Budongo again had us being lucky, being in the middle of chimps hunting, a once in a lifetime opportunity and not something to be expected, but if you get to experience time with the enigmatic chimps you cannot be disappointed.Queen Elizabeth has less diversity of wildlife but still provided lots of Elephants and on the river you see birds and elephants everywhere.Lastly the gorillas - I did two treks and they were both different but magical experiences. The first involved a long trek but we were surrounded by a group and followed them, experiencing interactions with several different family members. This would be a tough trek if you are not physically fit and used to walking up hills.The second trek involved spending an unforgettable hour with Xmas, the largest silverback in Bwindi and his 1 and 2 year old babies. We could not see other members of the family and the trek was shorter and easier, but a very close and magical encounter - when a baby gorilla looks at you from less than 7m you get a sense of how special and priveledged your time with them is.You are also given certificates to help remember your time with these beautiful animalsThe trip to the genocide museum was a very poignant reminder of what Rwanda has been through as well.Some facts - the trip involves a lot of early starts and quite a bit of travelling. Your reward is the trip of a lifetime.The truck is large and spacious but keep things in the lockers or that room fills up quickly.You will need to be able to walk up steep hills for the gorillas, but the team takes things slowly and chooses the best path for the group.Campsites often had showers, toilets and a bar so have some dollars for these.A lot of Ugandan service stations and almost all of Rwanda wanted local currency.Some things to note - the Rwandan border was the most difficult to cross, with a problem getting our taxi across taking 2hrs but providing a great side adventure - a sense of humour about delays and acknowledging that you may be asked seeminglystupid questions is par for the course. Get some snacks and drinks before crossing as there is nothing on the Rwandan security zone.The tour operator team were fantastic throughout, working hard to fix any problems ( airline lost bags), keep our trip moving smoothly and provide fun and share jokes over Albert's fantastic cooking ( his cooking may expand your waistline).Gilbert was the charismatic tour leader with lots of local stories and knowledge, Stoney the unflappable driver who always made time to help, Albert the fantastic chef with all the catchphrases and a personality larger than life, and Charles the youngest and ever smiling and helpful team member eager to greet and hear of our days adventures.A good team feels like family not a crew, these guys felt like family and helped knit the group together.I feel exceptionally lucky to have been on this trip, I've travelled a lot and this will remain a trip to remember.If I could do the same or similar trip with the group and crew I would book it tomorrow, if you promised me half the wildlife too I'd still jump at the chance.Thanks to the tour company for another epic adventure.”

“Lets get one thing straight; you need to do this trip!! no matter where you've been and what you've seen there will always be a void in your portfolio unless you experience this. So much is included in such a small time period there is no time to get bored, all the I's dotted and the T's crossed for accommodation and service from the crew which were first class all the way, all building up to the gorilla trek which is so amazing words have not been invented which can express what I felt for that ever so short hour in their presence, but enough from me just go and experience it for yourselves.”