Bill William - our USA Representative and contact
Africa Adventure Safaris
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2004)
- Member Of:
- NU & AUTO
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $80 to $550 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Earl Strassberger | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Two Days, One Night with AAS
My driver/guide was terrific. His English was very good. He drove very carefully. He knew where to stop.
AAS was fine. As someone else wrote it is a leap of faith to send money over the internet. But it worked out fine. Nelson answered all questions.
Gorillas are pretty neat! Great trip to Volcanoes National Park, with a tour of Kigali the day before.
AE
Email Lucy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic service for a phenomenal trip.
I got in touch with Africa Adventure Safaris to book a gorilla trek in Rwanda after getting a bad feeling from the agency that I was previously dealing with. The difference could not have been more stark! Nelson replied to my initial enquiry, and all further messages, with astounding speed, answering questions before I'd even thought of them myself! It was a bit of a leap of faith to send the deposit by bank transfer in order to secure the permits, but Nelson was extremely professional and constantly kept me informed about the status of the transfer and our visit. He also sent through an itinerary and invitation letter in plenty of time for us to apply for the visa pre-approval and all the information we could possibly have needed about what to bring and so forth.
We did the shortest possible safari based on time constraints - Kigali to Volcanoes National Park and back in one day. Although AAS do recommend that you have a longer trip and stay overnight close to the park to avoid an extremely early start, they were happy to help out with the one-day trip which began at 0430. Emmanuel picked us up from our door, apologising profusely for being five minutes late! He brought us to the park headquarters bright and early, and sorted out registration and group allocation (I had asked if it was possible to go to a group with young gorillas; although this does depend on various factors, Emmanuel came back with the great news that we would be going to a group with juveniles!).
The trek itself was absolutely phenomenal, and I am so grateful to AAS for making my dream come true!
All of our questions about the day were answered with a warm smile and, on returning to 'base' Emmanuel welcomed us back and drove us back to Kigali. We even arrived back at our guesthouse in plenty of time for dinner!
I would not hesitate to recommend AAS, Nelson and his staff to anyone. The company is one of the most professional tour operators that I have dealt with and I am keen to return - perhaps to Uganda next time, but still booking through Africa Adventures Safari. Thank you!
(Please note that the company does go under a couple of different names - Rwanda Gorillas Safari was the domain name that Nelson was contacting me from via email and this page is under 'Uganda Gorilla Tour', but they are one and the same organisation)
Great Experience!
My wife and I went on the 5 day primate safari through Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe National Park. The treks were amazing and our guide, David, was terrific. The booking process seemed a little dodgy with alerts from my bank and dropped internet connections during emails to Nelson. However, reading reviews we decided to go with it, despite a little suspicion on the legitimacy of the tour operator. Overall, I'd highly recommend this operator to anyone looking for a once in a lifetime experience.
US
Email Greg | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Gorilla safari
This was a great way to meet Gorilla's. It is worth every penny! This Africa Adventure Safaris did and excellent job in helping me book the reservations. I sent many emails asking questions and all were promptly answered. When I left a phone number, I quickly received a call which helped me feel comfortable to pay a deposit a year before I was going to make the trip. We were promptly picked up at the airport by Eric who spent 3 days driving us around. He was a great driver. Olive and Bill were great in helping us make the reservations. Highly suggest this company.
US
Email Steven T | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great trip
We did a 3 night safari with 1 night and a gorilla trek in Uganda and 2 nights with 1 gorilla trek and 1 golden monkey hike in Rwanda. I would definitely recommend this operator. We were met at the airport as promised and the entire trip was just as described. The Moountain Lodge in Uganda was very rustic but perfect for our needs. The lodge in Uganda was alittle more upmarket but still fairly simple. Both were more than adequate for this type of trip. The treks can be very physically demanding so be in good physical condition. The experience of seeing these magnificent animals up close and in their natural surrounding was a once in a lifetime experience. Our guide David was friendly and helpful throughout. Highly recommend!!
Email Graham | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible, once in a lifetime experience
Seeing wild mountain gorillas in their natural habitat was an absolute privilege and a real joy. It is incredible how close you get to these magnificent animals. You are of course told to keep your distance in the briefing meeting - a minimum of 7 metres - but the animals clearly haven't been privy to this information and they'll walk right by you so long as you sit quietly and calmly. The guides that take you up the mountain are great - really friendly and very knowledgable as you'd expect.
Our trip was of course organised by Africa Adventure Safaris (AAS) and I have nothing but good to say about them, especially as our flight to Entebbe was delayed by 24 hours but Nicholas was so helpful in ensuring we got to where we needed to be on time.
Our driver and guide from Entebbe to Bwindi and back again was David - a very kind, friendly and knowledgable chap. I think he felt bad that we didn't get to do any sightseeing on the drive to Bwindi as time was against us, so on the return leg he took a very welcome detour around Queen Elizabeth National Park, which meant that as well as the gorillas we also got to see elephants, baboons, zebras and lots of antelope - a real and unexpected treat.
I wouldn't think twice about recommending AAS. 5-stars all round!!!
IN
Email Polly Kamugisha | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Uganda rwanda safaris
Nice trip and great Hospitality and would live to visit once more .
US
Email Chris | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Gorilla twins!
We took a two-day gorilla trek, which actually took less than 24 hours. Drive 2.5 hours from Kigali to Hotel Muhabura on night #1, wake up at 5:30 a.m. the next day to drive to national park entrance, hike in to see gorillas, spend an hour with them, hike out, then drive back to Kigali.
The tour is responsible for getting you to the hotel, arranging meals there, getting you to the national park, and working with the national park guides to get your group on a trek to see a gorilla family. The national park is then responsible for leading your hike, communicating with the gorillas (no joke), and ensuring everyone's safety.
Both the tour operator (Enos) and the national park ranger gave us the best service we could have asked for. In particular, we were under a tight time constraint - had to be back in Kigali by 3pm for a flight - and both Enos and the ranger worked to get us on a shorter, rather than longer, trek to make that possible. Enos was a portrait of good service. The gorillas themselves were everything you could want; you get very close. Our family even had twins!
Additionally, communications with the company prior to arrival were very smooth. They have an assistant in California to help English-speaking folks on USA time zones. They are very quick to respond to emails and calls.
Email Andrew Sneddon | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Bujumbura to Entebbe - close encounters with Gorillas, Chimps and Primates
I recently travelled to Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda with Africa Adventure Safaris.
At the planning stage Nelson in the office was able to tailor an itinerary to my exact requirements. We discussed options for accommodation which could either take the cost up or down depending on my requirements. I opted for staying two nights in most places to minimise time spent travelling, and to maximise the time I spent in the various national parks. The main purpose of my visit was to visit lowland and mountain gorillas, chimps and other primates, but Nelson was able to suggest other cultural sites and activities to break up the journeys between parks.
Payment can be made by credit card, although there is a surcharge for this. Credit card payments do, however, add an extra layer of protection for anyone nervous about transferring money to a company based in another country with which they have not previously done business. Next time I use Africa Adventure Safaris I may well go for the cheaper bank transfer method.
Sam Elliot my guide was very professional, knowledgeable and kind – a real pleasure to be with over a two and a half week period. On the road he was able to fine tune the itinerary and make suggestions to ensure I got the most out of my trip. He was also able to respond positively to any suggestions I made. The vehicle was a sturdy Nissan Patrol, well able to deal with the local roads.
Travelling in November (the rainy season) turned out to be very successful. It may be slightly more risky in terms of delays due to road conditions, but this was balanced by being the only visitor in many places (chimps at Kibale, lowland gorillas at Kahuzi-Biega, primates at Nyungwe and Mgahinga). I only got seriously wet twice in two and a half weeks – less than I would have if I had stayed at home in Scotland!
A word about DRC – I had a separate guide, Julius, in Bukavu. As well as the agreed wildlife activities, he took me for a walk through Bukavu, visiting the neighbourhood where he was brought up, some family members' homes and his old school – places a normal tourist/traveller would never get the opportunity to visit. This was a real worthwhile experience if you want to try to increase your understanding of life in other countries. And if you want to see the Eastern Lowland Gorillas, this is the only place in the world where they live. They, and the dedicated rangers protecting them, need the support of our visit and cash!
Overall I can't fault the value for money. In many part of the world I travel myself using public transport and booking activities as I go. In this part of the world this would not have been a sensible option. I met an American couple trying to do their own thing, but in conversation everything was taking them longer and costing almost as much as my trip, as well as causing constant uncertainty for them as they tried to find the next driver to take them where they wanted to go.
Although I asked for accommodation at the cheaper end of the scale, the quality was on the whole excellent. In particular Bakiga Lodge in Bwindi and Enganzi Lodge at Queen Elizabeth NP were excellent, as were the Club Du Lac hotel in Bujumbura and the Panorama hotel in Bukavu.
The main purpose of my trip was wildlife. In two and a half weeks I saw 13 species of primate, including the Owl Faced Monkey in DRC, which I never expected to see in my life, so I consider this a major success.
I have visited Africa on many occasions, but I consider this trip, organised by Africa Adventure Safaris to be amongst the best, and I would say that for a first time visitor to Africa this company would work hard to ensure you had the best possible experience.
Part of the great joy in visiting Africa is the people you come in contact with. Come with an open heart and mind and Africa will reward you many times over.
FR
Email Leah | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gorillas -- the best of Africa
We just returned from Africa. Rwanda and gorillas were first on our agenda which also included safaris in several other countries, but nothing tops the gorillas experience. We were in their midst, surrounded by various members the gorilla family on the move. Amazing. Awesome. We were more than pleased with all the arrangements made by Africa Adventure Safaris: hotel in Kigali, city tour, mt. lodge, great guide/driver. We can highly recommend this company.
If you go in the rainy season, take and wear top quality gear. We got soaked, but we were so enamoured of the gorillas, it did not matter.