14 Day Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Uganda Gorilla Trekking & Wildlife safari
Overview
In two weeks of this trip, you will have an opportunity to go multiple gorilla trekkings for the lowland gorillas in Drc & mountain gorilla in Rwanda & Uganda. You will also have an opportunity for other treks like golden Monkey, Chimpanzees & Rhinos which will be combined with wildlife safari in QENP $ MFNP. Obtain a single entry visa to Rwanda to sustain your rwanda 1st entry whereas a Drc tourist visa will be issued at the point of entry prior to application approval & on return to Rwanda obtain an East African Visa valid for your other Rwanda & Uganda entries.
Included/Excluded
- 1. 1X Democratic Republic of Congo Lowland Gorilla Trekking Permit
- 1 Rwanda Chimpanzee Trekking Permit
- Services of English speaking guide driver
- Roundtrip Transfers in a standard 4X4 Vehicle
- Canopy walk
- Kigali city tour
- Accommodation listed on the itinerary or similar
- Meals (8 Breakfasts, lunches & Dinners)
- 1X Rwanda Mountain gorilla trekking permit
- 1X Rwanda Golden Monkey Trekking permit
- 1X Uganda Mountain Gorilla Trekking Permit
- Park entrances fees QE & MF
- 1X Rhino Trekking permit
- Boat cruise QE & MF
- Top of the falls Hike permit
- Price excludes all other things of personal nature like the bar bills, visas, gratitudes, personal insurance, porter hire among others
Tour Plan
Day 1: kigali, Rwanda - Bukavu, Congo DRC.
An early morning Breakfast at your hotel, your entire safari driver guide meets you and there will be a safari briefing which subsequently follows a transfer to Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
You will be arriving at the hotel for afternoon lunch & relaxing by the lake kivu in preparations for lowland gorilla trekking the next day. Overnight at Nediva Bed & Breakfast or similar. Upgrade available at Orchids Safari club
Day 2: Lowland Gorilla Trekking, Kahuzi Biega National Park, Congo (DRC)
After an early morning breakfast, transfer to Tshivanga, Kahuzi Biega National Park headquarters a head of your dr.Congo lowland Gorilla Trekking. You will start with introduction by the park warden on the lowland gorilla facts and comparisons from other gorilla subspecies. Next will be to join a team of rangers and trackers to drive closer to a point where the trails hiking to see gorillas will begin. Gorilla trekking can be anything from 2-8 hours depending on the gorilla movements, once you find them you’ll be allowed to stay with them for 2 Hours. After the day experience, you’ll travel back to the bukavu for overnight at Nediva Bed & Breakfast or similar. Upgrade available at Orchids Safari club
Day 3: Kahuzi Biega National Park, Congo DRC -Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda
After a leisurely morning breakfast, with your passports transfer to Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda. There will be a border crossing back to Rwanda & thus your passports has to be nearby. There’s a beautiful scenery with tea estates as you drive up to Gisakura. Overnight at Ken Barham Guesthouse or similar. Upgrade available at Nyungwe Topview Lodge or one & Only.
Day 4: Chimpanzee and canopy walk, Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda
At 04:30am an early morning breakfast or order packed breakfast & this will be followed by meeting with the ranger guide & then transfer to Cyamudongo & or Uwinka visitors center to begin with chimpanzee trekking and subsequently there will be a canopy walk that starts at Uwinka visitors center and then return to the lodge for relaxing. Overnight at Ken Barham Guesthouse or similar. Upgrade available at Nyungwe Top View Lodge or one & Only.
Day 5: Nyungwe National Park -Volcanoes National Park.
After an early breakfast, begin the journey on the lakeside to the stunning Virunga mountains that stretches the borders of Rwanda, Uganda & Democratic Republic of Congo home to half the population of Mountain Gorillas for the other being inhabited at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Uganda. Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda is believed to be one of the best place for trekking gorillas with the price of the trekking ticket doubling if not tripling other sites for gorilla trekking. Lunch will be enroute at lake kivu before checking inn into the volcanoes National Park. Overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge or similar. Variety of upgrade options available.
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda.
Early morning start with breakfast and then transfer to the park headquarters at Kinigi to join other groups trekking gorillas & or going for other trekking like the volcano hike, Golden Monkey trekking, Diann Fossey Hike that are major trekkings at the Volcanoes National Park. You will be allocated a gorilla group that you will go trekking in company of the lead ranger guide and his team of trekkers. Gorilla Trekking can be anything from 2-8 hours and for this reason you’re encouraged to be with enough drinking water & Packed lunch for in case of the delayed trekking, you have backup food. Once you find the gorilla family, you’ll be allowed to stay with the family for an hour observing their daily activities, after this experience return to the lodge and enjoy the Wi-Fi while checking back on your camera the once in lifetime experience you’ve had. Overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge or similar. Variety of upgrade options available.
Day 7: Golden Monkey Trekking Volcanoes NP, Rwanda - Bwindi/Mgahinga Gorilla NP, Uganda.
After an early breakfast, return to Volcanoes National Park headquarters at Kinigi a head of the Golden Monkey Trekking. Golden Monkey trekking can be predetermined to be before midday or latest 1pm and there transfer to Bwindi/Mgahinga Gorilla National Park a head of your 2nd Mountain Gorilla Trekking uganda. Overnight at Travelers Rest Hotel or similar. Varieties of upgrade options available.
Day 8: Gorilla Trekking Bwindi/Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
After an early morning breakfast, transfer to the ranger station for Gorilla Trekking Briefing on dos and don’ts while you will be interacting with gorillas, afterwards you will be accompanied by a senior ranger guide & hike into the forest in search of gorillas. Once you find them, you will be allowed to stay with them for an hour & After the experience return back to the lodge. Overnight at Travelers Rest Hotel or similar
Day 9: Bwindi/Mgahinga Gorilla National Park – Queen Elizabeth National Park.
After a leisurely morning Breakfast, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park and on arrival if time allows participate in the afternoon game drive. Lunch will be enroute . Overnight at Bush Lodge or similar
Day 10: Game Drives and Boat Cruise Safari, Queen Elizabeth National Park.
An early morning breakfast will be followed by a transfer to Kasenyi for a game drive. Kasenyi plains with highest concentration of prey attracts predators and which creates chances to encounter some of the big cats present in Queen Elizabeth National park while on this game drive adventure. In the afternoon participate on the boat cruise at Kazinga Channel that connects lake Edward and Lake George. During the two hours boat cruise safari, a lot of aquatic, semiaquatic, terrestrial & birdlife will be encountered marking the greatest day in Queen Elizabeth National park. Overnight at Bush Lodge or similar.
Day 11: Queen Elizabeth National Park - Murchison Falls National Park.
Have an early morning breakfast in Queen Elizabeth National Park & this will be followed by a transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. Today involves a lot of traveling but will be great scenery with views of tea estates, ascending/descending in the rift valley escarpment & lake Albert in the great western rift valley before entering into Murchison Falls National Park. Overnight at Pakuba Safari lodge or similar.
Day 12: Game Drive and Boat Cruise Murchison Falls National Park
Wake up for a sumptuous breakfast served at 06.30 am so that intrepid explorers can begin with an early game drive in the peninsula between the Victoria and lake Albert Nile. Catch the highest concentration of animals in the wilds of Murchison falls NP. Your guide will help you to spot elephants, lions, giraffes, buffalos and rare hyena, they hide and butterflies are abundant. After lunch take a magnificent boat cruise to the base of the majestic Murchison falls. The earth literally trembles to the one of the world’s most powerful flows of natural water, while crocodiles soak up the sun with their vast jaws menacingly agape. Windup the day with a game drive as you return to the lodge. Overnight at Pakuba Safari Lodge or Similar.
Day 13: Murchison Falls NP - Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary - Entebbe.
After an early morning breakfast transfer to Entebbe with a stopover at the top of the murchison falls that has a spectacular views of the falls and with another stopover over at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to participate in the white Rhino Trekking. It’s the only place you can go rhino trekking on foot. Arrive in entebbe with memories of the trip. Overnight at Protea Hotel or similar
Day 14: Entebbe Tour/Departure.
Depending on your outbound flight, you have options of of going to Mabamba Swamp for trekking the shoebill stock (good for birdwatching authenticity), do the Ngamba island for chimpanzee sanctuary & or to participate on the water rafting at Jinja. Later the day transfer to the airport targeting for your outbound flight marking an end of 14 Day dr Congo, Rwanda Uganda Gorilla Trekking & Wildlife safari
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Communication via WhatsApp to make arrangements went very smooth with Aron being quick and clear in his responses.
Aron drove us most of the time, but we also had a ride with driver Barnice. Every time they were in time, most of the times even early to make sure we could leave whenever we wanted. The service was more than just a private taxi service: Aron told us many interesting things about Uganda and let us taste some local food. That really made our trip more colourful and interesting.They know a lot of good places all over the country, like restaurants and accomodation. Although we organized our trip by ourselves, that was still an advantage. Above that, Aron uses his business in Uganda to help other Ugandans as well.
We would definitely recommend to travel with Safari 2 Gorilla Tours.
Jon Peters
USA
In my iniitial email to him I had explained that I'm Kenyan and would be travelling to Rwanda from Nairobi, Kenya. As an east African citizen I thought this information was useful in terms of national park fees and so on; little did I know that it would affect my whole Gorilla trek experience.
I'd settled the balance of my invoice in November 2019 and Aron emailed to confirm full payment. I never heard from Aron again except when I emailed him to find out the arrangements for when I arrived in Rwanda. At the time I didn't think much of it as I'd read so many glowing reviews of Aron and his tour company; his attentive nature, professionalism and general good nature. A fortnight or so before my arrival I'd still not heard from him so I emailed to find out the itinerary for when I arrived in Rwanda - nothing. Just a curt response confirming that he had the number for my hotel and presumably (Aron did not confirm) that he would call me at my hotel to arrange a time to pick me up from my hotel.
I arrived at the hotel, following a 10 hour flight from London on Friday, 24 January to find there was no message was left by Aron advising when I'd be picked up the following day. On Saturday, 25 January at about 9 am the receptionist knocked on my door to inform me that a driver had arrived to pick me up and drive me to Uganda. As I'd not had any advance information of this arrangement I was not ready; i hadn't showered or eaten breakfast. And so we did not set off until gone 10 am. This was the first poor service i'd received.
I'd paid for a 3-day Gorilla trek etc which included on the first day a visit to the Rwanda Genocide memorial. When the driver set off we'd been driving and passed a sign to the memorial site, after almost an hour I asked if we were still going to the memoial site, and only then did the driver inform me that due to the late departure he had decided to postpone the visit to the memorial until the return leg of my three day trip. The second poor service i'd received.
Bwindi national park is in Uganda and so I was driven through Rwanda to Uganda via a land border, an eight hour journey that ordinarily shouldn't have taken that long. The third poor service.
During the drive Aron maintained constant communication with the driver - whose name escapes me - and not once did he ask the driver to pass the phone to me so that he could speak to me. By that I mean even welcoming me, asking me how my trip was, finding out if there was anything I needed, any issues or problems with the trip I'd paid for. The fourth poor service I received
When we arrived at Rushaga camp each visitor at dinner was assigned a table with the name of their guide on it; stupidly I immediately thought Ohhh so Aron had sent a driver to pick me up from Rwanda and that now I was going to meet him! How wrong i was. When i sat down expecting to meet Aron who should turn up? but the driver! Cheekily I asked if he was Aron and offended he curtly replied no!. When i asked what happend to Aron he informed me that Aron had been in constant communication throughout the day! When I asked why Aron hadn't even said hello or welcomed me he just said that Aron was on another tour. At that moment I realised what was happening and why. In Aron's eyes I was a black African tourist that yes, had paid for the same service and support that my white counterparts had received but due to his low perception of me and fellow black Africans I did not warrant the same service, attention, or even respect. I did not speak to the driver again for the rest of the evening. I was surrounded by fellow travellers that were accompanied by guides who made them feel welcome, valued and respected; they sat together sharing stories from their travels whilst I and the driver sat silently. Even as I tried to get the driver to understand how insulted and disrespected I felt he just didn't get it. A part of me feels if i was white he wouldn't have found it so hard understanding how poorly I'd been treated. But as a black African what reason did I have to complain? The fifth poor service I'd received
On the second day i was due to visit Mgahinga national park almost a two hour drive away. As debrief started at 8 am we arranged to leave Rushaga Gorilla camp by 6 am; arranging to meet for breakfast at 05:30 am. 06:00 am the driver was nowhere to be found. Finally at 06:30 he appears in the dinning room feigning an alarm malfunction. I had to demand an apology from him. The sixth poor service i'd received.
We arrived at the national park at 08:25. I was the only black tourist and when I asked the guide to summarise the debrief he audibly commented that as I'd arrived late he'd not be able to repeat it for me. Cynically I felt that If I was white he'd problably have ignored the fact that the driver had got me to the debrief late and still gone through the key points. The seventh poor sevice I'd received.
I could go on and on but I won't. I think you get the gist. I never once spoke to Aron, met him or communicated with him during my time in Rwanda and Uganda. I left Rwanda on Tuesday, 28 January 2020 and have delayed posting this review until now to see whether or not I'd hear from Aron. I haven't and I know I never will.
I would never recommend this company to anyone regardless of who you are. I pity and despise racists and would never support a business that openly discriminates against black Africans.
Would absolutely recommend Safari 2 Gorilla Tours! Thanks Aaron and Martin for an unforgetable trip!
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