19 Day Burundi Cultural Experience & Tanzania Wildlife Safari
Overview
Join us on a 19 Day roadtrip to Burundi & Tanzania for Cultural experience, Chimpanzee Trekking & Wildlife Safari. Mikumi, Ruaha & Katavi National parks are home to abundance wildlife and birdlife Whereas Chimpanzees at Gombe Streams National Park which you’ll be Trekking through the footprints of Dr. Jane Goodall offers a memorable safari experience. In fact Mikumi & Ruaha N parks are known to be the best places one can spot several lion prides in shortest time. The Gishora Drummers, Burundi are one of the best cultural performances you can ever get. We can’t wait to see you!
Included/Excluded
- Meals ( 18 Breakfasts, lunches & Dinners)
- Accommodation listed on the itinerary or similar
- Roundtrip Transfers in a standard 4X4 Safari Van
- Parks entrances fees
- Game drives
- Services of English speaking guide driver.
- Cultural experiences
- Price excludes all other things of personal nature like the bar bills, visas, gratitudes, personal insurance, porter hire among others
Tour Plan
DAY 1: Bujumbura Airport/Hotel
Upon your Arrival at Bujumbura airport/Micheal Ndadaye International airport, a waiting guide/Guide welcomes you and shortly after briefing transfer to hotel accommodation. The rest of the day is left at leisure to relax after your long flight. Overnight at Club du Lac Tanganyika or similar.
DAY 2: Bujumbura City Tour
After a leisurely morning breakfast, we explore a little-known and intriguing African capital. Learn about pre- and post-colonial history, and some of the challenges Burindi has faced. The city tour includes the outskirts of Bujumbura, and this will offer a glimpse of daily life. Visits include the Cathedral of Regina Mundi, and we pass the monument of the unknown soldier, the mausoleum of Prince Louis Rwagasore and Unity Monument. Overnight at Club du Lac Tanganyika or similar.
DAY 3: Bujumbura/Gitega National Museum/Gishora Drum Sanctuary
Following a morning breakfast, transfer to Gitega and on arrival you’ll go to visit The country’s largest city, since January 2019 Gitega is again Burundi’s official capital. We visit the National Museum, a rather down-at-heel institution that nonetheless houses the country’s largest historical and ethnographic collection – in one room... However, museums and political administration are not Gitega’s headline acts. That billing rests with the world-famous Gitega Drummers whose performance on the royal field of Gishora is a sight not to be missed. Overnight at Tripotel Hotel or Similar (Budget)
DAY 4: Karera Waterfall, Burundi/Kigoma, Tanzania
Today we shall be crossing the border into Tanzania. Following an early morning breakfast, transfer to Karera Waterfall that will offer you with spectacular views by taking a walk around and will be followed with a transfer to Kigoma, Tanzania, if time allows after we arrived in Kigoma, we may go into the city for lunch and a historical tour. We can also visit Ujiji Town and the Livingstone Memorial for Slaver trade routes and history, late continue with local life experiences. Overnight at Lake Tanganyika Hotel or Similar
DAY 5: Kigoma/Gombe Stream National Park
After an early morning breakfast you will be transferred to Kabirizi port for a dhow boat departing at 0600hrs. Your journey to Gombe Stream National Park will take about two to three hours depending on the type of boat. Gombe offers chimpanzee trekking, snorkeling, hiking, swimming, and plenty of leisure activities. Overnight at TANAPA Gombe Rest House (Budget) or similar
DAY 6: Gombe Stream National Park/Kigoma
After eating a sunrise breakfast on the beautiful shores of Lake Tanganyika, you will go on a half-day guided chimpanzee expedition in Gombe. Later you’ll eat lunch and spend some leisure time on the beach before taking a dhow boat back to Kigoma city via Kibirizi port. Overnight at Lake Tanganyika Hotel or Similar
DAY 7: Kigoma/Katavi National Park
An early morning breakfast will be followed by a transfer to Katavi National Park via Uvinza. This park is home to a huge population of hippos and varied birdlife. Lonely, untrammeled, and infrequently visited, Katavi is a true wilderness. It provides the few intrepid souls for whoever make it there with a thrilling taste of Africa as it must have been centuries ago. Overnight Katavi National Park Bandas (Budget) or similar
DAY 8: Katavi National Park
After breakfast, you will depart on full-day game drive in Katavi, which is one of Tanzania’s best dry-season parks. It features big prides of lions plundering spectacular buffalo herds and is one of the most pristine and rugged nature reserves in Tanzania. Overnight Katavi National Park Bandas (Budget) or Similar
DAY 9: Katavi National Park
This will be another stunning day in Katavi. You’ll have the option to go on an early morning game drive before breakfast/returning to the bandas for some leisure time. You’ll then go on another game drive until the evening. You can also opt to spend the full day on a game drive. Overnight Katavi National Park Bandas (Budget) or Similar
DAY 10: Katavi National Park/Lake Tanganyika
On your last day in Katavi you go on a game drive en route to Lake Tanganyika beach. You’ll arrive there as a guest but leave as a friend. The beautiful Lake Shore Lodge features beautiful chalets built right at the water’s edge. Magic, adventure, and relaxation can all be found here. Overnight Lake Shore Lodge or Similar
DAY 11: Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is a place of paradise, where your days can be as action-packed or as relaxed as you want. You can go on an underwater exploration, adventure safari, partake in water sports, swim, or participate in a wellness retreat that will leave you feeling completely rejuvenated. Overnight Lake Shore Lodge or Similar
DAY 12: Lake Tanganyika/Mbeya
Today you will enjoy one last breakfast on the shores of Lake Tanganyika before driving to Mbeya. You’ll make some short stops for several village tours and landscape viewing at the Tunduma border before continuing to the Mbozi meteorite site. Overnight at Hotel Desderia or Similar
DAY 13 Mbeya/Kitulo National Park
After an early breakfast in Mbeya, you will drive to Kitulo National Park. Known locally as “God’s Garden,“ Kitulo provide one of the world’s great floral spectacles in the spring. It is a popular destination for walking, hiking, birdwatching, and game drives. Later you will continue to the Mafinga highlands. Overnight at The Old Farm House or Similar
DAY 14: Mafinga highlands/Ruaha National Park
Following a morning breakfast, you will drive to Ruaha via Iringa town. You’ll eat lunch at a local restaurant and go on a game drive en route to your lodge. You’ll have the chance to see elephants, giraffes, kudu, lions, leopard, jackal, hyenas, African wild dog and many more. Overnight at Ruaha Hilltop Lodge or Similar
DAY 15: Ruaha National Park
Following a morning breakfast, enjoy the full day game drives in Ruaha National Park. Ruaha features an untouched and mostly unexplored ecosystem, which makes it a unique safari destination. It is the second largest park in Tanzania & few wilderness areas in the country where one can experience rare wildness sightings alongside a truly fascinating landscape. It is the home of the greater kudu, which cannot be found in any other park. Overnight at Ruaha Hilltop Lodge or Similar
DAY 16: Ruaha National Park
After an early morning breakfast, with packed lunch go for another full day exciting game drive focusing on wildlife and cat. Overnight at Ruaha Hilltop Lodge or Similar
DAY 17: Ruaha National Park/Mikumi National Park
After an early breakfast, go for a farewell game drive and thereafter be followed with a transfer to Mikumi National Park. Along the way you’ll pass through farms, valleys, and villages featuringexcellent views of the landscape and the Great Rift Valley. As you make your way into Mikumi National Park you’ll see elephants, giraffes, lions, leopard, jackal, and hyenas. Overnight at Camp Bastian Mikiumi or Similar
DAY 18: Mikumi National Park
This morning you’ll eat breakfast at leisure before departing on a full day game drive in Mikumi National Park. You’ll eat a picnic lunch in the park around midday. While here you will have the opportunity to view the unique Mikumi giraffe that naturalists say seems to be a cross breed between the reticulated and Maasai giraffes. Lion, elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, and leopard can be easily spotted in this park. Your game drive will also take you around to the hippo pool. You will be able to see elephants coming to drink at the water hole. Overnight at Camp Bastian Mikumi or Similar
DAY 19: Mikumi National Park/Dar es Salaam
After breakfast, you will be drive to Dar es Salaam and to the airport for your journey back home. You’ll eat a farewell dinner before arriving at the airport. You have the option to fly from Mikumi to Dar es Salaam or to Zanzibar upon request.
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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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