29 Day Roadtrip Uganda, Rwanda, Congo (DRC) & Burundi
Overview
Welcome to an East African & Central African road trip that will start in Entebbe, Uganda & Traverse Uganda, Rwanda, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo & Burundi. On course of this trip, there will be wildlife encounters, culturals, gorillas $ Chimpanzee before hiking to the top of Nyiragongo active volcano in DCR. We look forward to your visit.
Included/Excluded
- 1X Uganda Gorilla Trekking Permit
- 1X Rwanda Golden monkey Trek Permit
- 1X Uganda Chimpanzee Trekking Permit
- 2X DRC Gorilla Permits (Lowland & Mountain)
- Roundtrip Transport in 4X4 safari Vehicle
- Accommodation listed on the Itinerary or similar
- Meals (28 Breakfasts, Lunches & Dinners)
- Park entrances fees
- Services of English speaking guide driver
- Game drives and boat cruise
- Rhino tracking Permit
- Bottled drinking water enroute
- Price excludes all other things of personal nature like the bar bills, personal insurance, visas among others.
Tour Plan
From Entebbe/Kampala city tour and transfer to Jinja
After an early morning breakfast at your Hotel, your guide driver meets & greets you. Shortly after safari briefing transfer to mabamba swamp for shoebill stock Trekking. If time allows as you go through kampala stopby to visit the gaddafi mosque & then proceed to Jinja the adventure capital of East Africa. Overnight at 2 Friends Guesthouse or similar
Uganda Whitewater Rafting adventure
While most people come to Uganda for the chance to go gorilla trekking & Chimpanzee Trekking, other activity often ends up being a surprise highlight: white water rafting on the River Nile. Even first-time rafters report that spending a half or full day paddling & plunging down the river, crashing through deep rapids or gliding over silky green sections of calm water, is exhilarating. A riverside barbecue half way through or at the end rounds off the experience & in fact the whole experience of rafting rounds out a trip to Uganda, too, complementing the awesomeness of hanging out with gorillas with the adrenaline of plunging down the longest river in the world.
After your Early morning breakfast, transfer to the start point for your whitewater rafting adventure for a half day or full day. After the experience return back to the hotel for chill out & relaxing while going through the experience in pictures. Overnight at 2 Friends Hotel or similar
From Jinja transfer to Sipi Falls on the foothills of Mt Elgon National Park
After a leisurely morning breakfast, Visit the source of the river Nile and then drive to the Eastern Uganda towards Sipi Falls. Found at the foothills of Mountain Elgon just at the edge of Mount Elgon National Park. The falls are one of the most awe-inspiring sights in Eastern Uganda. Overnight at Sipi River Lodge
Abseiling, rock climbing & Coffee Tour Experience Sipi Falls
Sipi Falls offers an unrivaled opportunity in Uganda for hiking & trekking some of the country’s most stunning topography, taking in commanding views, & authentic encounters with the area’s local residents.
The main attraction to the area is, of course, the stunning collection of three waterfalls known as Sipi Falls. But simply viewing this natural wonder from a far is not enough. To truly experience Sipi Falls, you’ll want to get up close and personal.
That means Abseiling down & hiking the breathtaking route that weaves its way through the three falls, taking in stunning vistas & every day life of local farmers & herders. After a leisurely breakfast, you will go for Abseiling & rock climbing which would be followed by coffee tour experience ending a day with fascinating adventures. Overnight at Sipi River Lodge or similar
From Sipi falls - Moroto & kalamajong traditional Village experience
After an early morning breakfast transfer to Moroto, you will participate in the Karamojong traditional village experience with the option to stay a night in a traditional hut in the village. A Manyatta is a traditional homestead where the Karimojong still live life like their ancestors & conduct cultural traditions that have been passed on for many generations. You will be introduced into the culture by taking you to the beating heart of the community & invite you to participate in daily life activities. From preparing local foods to celebrations, this will be an unforgettable journey. Overnight at KaraTunga Guesthouse or similar
From Moroto transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park
An early morning breakfast transfer to Kidepo valley National Park. The 1,442 square kilometres national park in the Karamoja region in northeast Uganda. Kidepo Valley NP is rugged savannah dominated by the 2,750 metres Mount Morungole & transacted by the Kidepo & Narus rivers. It’s a true gem with huge abundance in wildlife. It remains a true rendition of tourism in Uganda but remains unknown to many! Overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge or Similar.
Game Drive Safari Kidepo Valley National Park
After an early morning breakfast, you set off for a 2-3 hour morning game drive to Kidepo Valley National Park in search of lions, cheetahs and leopards. Returning to the lodge to enjoy the mid-morning with an open swimming pool that has sight of the wildlife from the lodge. The lodge offers a viewing platform for wildlife and often at night you will hear the lions and hyenas. Lunch will be served following an evening game drive. Overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge
Wildlife Safari Kidepo Valley NP & Karamajongo Community & Cultural Tour
Full Day in Kidepo Valley Park – Cultural visit Kidepo is a wildlife bonanza with another game drive. In the afternoon, you will visit the nearby village of Karamojong. The Karamojongs are related to the Masai in Kenya and were mostly nomadic pastoralists. However, they have been recently introduced to farming and agriculture. Learn more about the culture and their cultural dance here. Overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge or similar
Kidepo Valley National Park- Murchison Falls National Park
Early Morning after breakfast will be followed by a transfer to Murchison Falls National Park long journey, great experience. Leaving one of the most rated park in Africa feel like you stay more days and immediately you start planning for when to return to Kidepo Valley National ParK, our former client to Kidepo. Overnight at Gipir & Labongo Safari Lodge or similar
Game Drive Safari & Boat Cruise Safari, Murchison Falls National Park
Wake up for an early morning sumptuous breakfast so that intrepid explorers can begin with an early game drive in the peninsula between the Victoria & Lake Albert Nile. Catch the highest concentration of wildlife in the wilds of Murchison Falls. After lunch take a magnificent boat cruise to the base of the majestic Murchison Falls. The earth literally trembles to one of the world most powerful falls of natural water while crocodiles soak up the sun with their vast jaws menacingly agape. After this experience return to the lodge. Overnight Gipir & Labongo Safari Lodge or similar.
Shoebill Trekking & top of the Falls, Murchison Falls NP - Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary & Wildlife Ranch
Early morning breakfast & will be followed by a boat cruise downstream the river to the delta searching for the rare shoe-bill stock, afterwards proceed to visit the dramatic murchison Falls and this will be followeed by a transfer Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary & Wildlife Ranch. Overnight at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary Guesthouse or similar.
Rhino Tracking, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary & Wildlife Ranch - Kibale NP
Wake up for an early morning sumptuous breakfast and then meet with your rancher guide to take you through the rhino tracking briefing. Thereafter transfer with car to closes spot where rhino are nearby the trail, begin the tracking and after the rhino tracking experience transfer to the Coffee Lodge. An eco-friendly coffee estate & farm specializing in high quality washed Robusta coffee that will give you an insight of coffee processing while you take on a coffee tour. Overnight at the Coffee Lodge or similar
Uganda Coffee Tour experience at Clarke Farm & Coffee Lodge
While you’re staying at the Coffee Lodge, you’ve the whole day to do the Uganda coffee tour experience. The coffee guide will show you each & every step of coffee preparations from the seeds to the garden & to the cup. After a leisurely morning breakfast, Visit Clarke Farm & experience the amazing hilltop views, explore the river & forest walks, try the activities such as bouldering and mountain biking, walk or jog on the farm trails or have an exciting guided tour of the farm by Jeep. Round off your stay by roasting some Clarke Farm coffee & enjoying the fresh locally & intercontinental prepared dishes. Overnight at the coffee lodge or similar
The Clarke Farm & Coffee Lodge - Kanyanchu, Kibale National Park
After a leisurely morning breakfast, leave the beautiful The Coffee Lodge & Clarke Farm for kanyanchu, Kibale Forest National Park the home of chimpanzees. The drive through farmlands, tea estates & country side offers you with greatest spectacular. Overnight at Chimpanzee Forest Lodge or similar
Uganda Chimpanzee Trekking experience, Kibale National Park
The Uganda chimpanzee trekking experience is a unique opportunity that will allow you to follow a chimpanzee group in its daily activities. Accompanying Kibale reserve researchers & rangers, you will be on the forest floor to watch the chimps search for their fruits & vocalizing. Then you will follow them for an hour observing the full gamut of their behavior. You will be part of the Uganda Wildlife Authority initiative to trek the chimpanzees without changing their natural environment. It’s one of the great moments of your safari! In the afternoon do the community & swamp walk offered by the member of Bigodi Community. It’s one way of learning about the traditional cultural of Africa. Overnight Chimpanzee Forest Lodge or similar.
Kibale NP - Queen Elizabeth NP with Rwenzori Mountains in the Backdrop
After a leisurely morning breakfast, do the crater lakes drive as you proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive provides you with a chance to see beautiful, cool Crater Lakes & the drive has got the Great views of Rwenzori Mountain ranges in Rwenzori Mountains National Park. Mount Stanley at 5,109m is both Uganda & Democratic Republic of Congo highest peak in addition to Ruenzori mountains being the third highest peak in Africa after Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania & Mount kenya in Kenya. Uganda is among the 13 Countries that an Equatorline passes through, at Kikorongo Equatorline you’ll make a brief stopover for the moment of picturesque and then proceed to the hotel. Overnight at Kazinga Wildness Safari Camp or similar.
Game Drive Safari & Boat Cruise safari, Queen Elizabeth National Park
After an early morning breakfast, participate in a morning game drive. The drive through the Kasenyi Plains which is a spot for predators hunting the prey. The game drive provides you with an excellent opportunity to view animals such as jackals, bushbucks, forest hogs, Buffaloes, elephants & kob as they will be going about their daily routines. In the afternoon, head to a fantastic launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel & observe beautiful birds & wildlife. A Ugandan wildlife safari without a boat cruise safari on Kazinga Channel is considered incomplete. The channel attracts large concertation of wildlife & birdlife to quench their thirst & this boat launch safari would certainly expose you to these creatures. After the boat safari enjoy the evening game viewing as you return to the lodge. Overnight at Kazinga Wilderness Safari Camp or similar.
Queen Elizabeth NP - Bwindi Impenetrable NP Via Ishasha Sector.
Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National park is famously known for tree climbing lion, after an early morning breakfast begin your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park with a stopover at ishasha sector for a game drive and thereafter proceed to Bwindi Forest National Park. Overnight at Gorilla Mist Camp or similar.
Uganda Gorilla Trekking Bwindi Impenetrable NP - Lake Bunyonyi
After an early breakfast, transfer to ranger station, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. After a briefing by a ranger guide, enter the gorilla sanctuary for your adventure. The beauty of this rainforest is spectacular. The area offers a dramatic steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists. The time taken and the terrain varies depending on the movements of gorillas. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle & endangered giants is an awesome, exciting experience to be long-savoured. Many find it to be a rare and moving opportunity. After your day experience transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. Overnight at Lake Bunyonyi Overland Camp or similar
Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda - Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda.
Lake bunyonyi known to be a place of little birds, after a leisurely breakfast you’ll do an optional boat trip to visit some of the historical island and this will be followed by a transfer to volcanoes National Park. Overnight at Muhabura Hotel or similar
Rwanda Golden Monkey Volcanoes National Park - Lake Kivu.
Start early on your first morning for a trip to track the golden monkeys. These primates are beautiful, endangered and more agile than the mountain gorillas. They live in bamboo thickets on the lower slopes of the mountains – and tracking them acclimatizes you perfectly to the slight altitude. After the day experience travel to Lake Kivu, Rubavu. Overnight at Paradise Marahide or similar
Lake Kivu, Rwanda - Virunga NP, Democratic Republic Of Congo
An early morning breakfast will be followed by a transfer to Virunga National Park.
Your guide will have to Ensure you arrive at Grande Barriere border crossing at 11:00am and check-in with Virunga NP tourism office that’s conveniently located in the Grande Barriere border post building, opposite passport control. You’ll as well do the border clearance & Once check-in is complete, transfer to Kibumba, Virunga NP. Overnight at Kibumba Tented Camp or similar
Mountain Gorilla Trekking, Virunga NP, Democratic Republic of Congo.
After an early breakfast at Kibumba Tented Camp, you will head down the hill to meet the Ranger guides and have a briefing before the gorilla trekking. Gorilla Trekking can be anything from 2 - 8 hours depending on location of the gorilla group being trekked & the difficulty of the terrain. After spending the allotted hour with the gorilla family group, you will return back to camp, enjoy a late lunch & have the rest of the day at leisure, including time for nature walks & bird watching. Overnight at Kibumba Tented Camp or similar
Mount Nyiragongo Hiking, Virunga National Park
After an early morning breakfast, transfer to Kibati Ranger Post to check for Nyiragongo Volcano Trekking at 8:15am, On arrival to Kibati, you will receive a briefing & will have the opportunity to hire porters and thereafter begin the climb up the volcano which is about 4 - 6 hours & an overnight will be on the summit.
Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano with an elevation of 3,470m in the Virunga Volcano Mountains associated with the Albertine Rift. It is within Virunga NP, Congo (DRC). The main crater is about 2KMS (1 mi) wide & usually contains a lave lake. The crater presently has two distinct cooled lava benches within the crater walls – one at about 3,175m & a lower one at about 2,975m. Mount Nyiragongo & nearby Mount Nyiramugira are together responsible for 40% of Africa’s historical volcano eruptions. Overnight at the volcano summit camp
Descend Mount Nyiragongo, Virunga National Park - Goma
Early morning after breakfast leave the crater rim & start the descent back to Kibati. Average descent time is four hours. Once at the bottom, You will be proceed back to Goma to check out with Virunga National Park & subsequently checkin at the Hotel. Overnight at Ihusi Lodge or similar
From Goma transfer to Kahuzi Biega National Park
After a leisurely morning breakfast transfer to the ferry station to take a ferry to Bukavu. Upon arriving at Bukavu, transfer to the hotel for overnight as your prepare yourself a head of the Lowland Gorilla Trekking the following day. Overnight at Nediva Bed & Breakfast.
Lowland Gorilla Trekking, Kahuzi Biega NP, Democratic Republic of Congo
After an early morning breakfast, transfer to Tshivanga, Kahuzi Biega National Park headquarters a head of your Democratic Republic of 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.
Kahuzi Biega NP, Congo (DRC) - Bujumbura, Burundi VIA Rwanda.
After an early morning breakfast, we will embark on the journey through Rwanda and onwards to Bujumbura, Burindi. This marks the end of Democratic Republic of Congo Lowland Gorilla Trekking via, Burundi. Upon arrival in Bujumbura, Burundi. You will have a spectacular drive by the Rusiizi river that distributes her water to Lake Tanganyika. Overnight at Club Du Lake Tanganyika or similar.
Bujumbura City Tour Transfer to the Airport
A leisurely morning breakfast will be followed with a city tour and then return to the hotel for relaxation by the beach side and late transfer to the airport targeting for your outbound flight back home making an end of the 29 Day Uganda, Rwanda, Congo (DRC) & Burundi Roadtrip. End
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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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Makanga Hill,
P.O.BOX 568 Kabale