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 Michael | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi & D.R. Congo
I am an experienced solo traveler and often coordinate my trips with local guides. My experience with Africa Adventures Safaris was one of the best I've ever had. Nicholas worked with me to develop a trip tailored to exactly what I wanted and the time window that I had- he was excellent to work with and really gave me great advice about what was and was not doable in my timeframe. Amazingly, this level of personal service also ended up being the least expensive but most comprehensive of all of the options I explored for my trip to East Africa.
My guide when I arrived was Sam Elliott. It can sometimes be difficult to be in a car with even the closest of friends for 11 days , but not with Sam- he was the consummate professional, answering all of my questions and engaging in a wide range of discussion topics addressing everything from local customs and commerce the geopolitics, the genocide, and the civil society issues in Burundi and Uganda. Sam also communicated with people in seemingly a dozen languages as we traversed East Africa, and was able to really help me connect with people.
My aggressive itinerary included lots of primate tracking: Lowland Gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park in Congo, Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys (a highlight not to be missed) in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable park in Uganda, and Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park. Rwanda and Uganda are amazing as advertised. I found Burundi to be very culturally interesting (highlighted by the Gishora Drum Sanctuary) and distinct from Rwanda- worth a day or two to see, but not worth lingering. Similarly, going to Congo was an adventure in itself and the gorilla tracking there is a different experience- much less touristy than in Rwanda. I was a bit nervous about it, but it was relatively (to itself) safe at the time and Nicholas had made excellent arrangements (my guide there was local to Bukavu and was excellent- but I forgot his name).
Most amazingly, not a single thing went wrong on the entire trip. For anybody who has traveled extensively in Africa, you know how unbelievable that is. Africa Adventures Safaris took care of everything and everything went nearly exactly as planned on my itinerary. Given the countries I was in, that is the most amazing thing of all, and a tribute to their preparation, local contacts, and professionalism. As I told Sam when I left, I don't think I could have had as good of an experience in this region without him and without Africa Adventures Safaris. Thank you again!
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.
US
Email Jackie | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our travel experience with Africa Adventure Safaris was beyond excellent. Everything was wonderful.
Olive was in constant contact with me regarding our Rwanda experience. She answered all questions, even multiple times, handled my flight arrangements and shared an American contact, Bill William, with me to answer even more questions. I didn't have to wait for responses; it seems she might have worked day and night. I was unsure about accomodations, but she was not pushy in any way and simply told me that there were 3 levels of accomodations and I should choose for myself. While I was in Rwanda our driver took us to other hotels/resorts and we got to see the rooms and facilities. I was so very, very happy with our choices of Mountain Gorillas Lodge...it was simply the best of all the facilities we toured. We were so excited for our first day of gorilla trekking and it was most memorable. We did not expect the hike to be so arduous; the gorilla family we were trekking kept moving, which meant we had to keep moving. The hike was about 2 1/2 hours up the mountain and the mountain was very steep. Our guides were macheting brush so we could hike; sometimes the inclines were straight up and then straight down as welly as slippery and scratchy. Our garden gloves were well used. My husband really needed 2 porters and we were so grateful to another guest who loaned us their porter. Once we became involved with the gorilla family all of the long, hard hike was forgotten. To be so close with the gorillas was truly "something incredibly indescribeable." Our lead guide was SO good and the tracking guides actually with the gorilla family were so good to us; all guides would help us see gorillas better and make sure we got the best pictures possible. I just can't say enough about the genuineness and expertness of the guides; we were totally dependent on them and they treated us like we were gods. Our second day we took a very gentle hike to see the golden monkeys; we were so lucky to get the same park guide and we (my husband and I) were the only people on the tour. It was rainy, muddy, slippery and we were once again treated with much respect and high regard. It was Bill William's advice that had our schedule be a gorilla trek first day, golden monkeys second day, and gorilla trek third day; we needed the slower day in between gorilla treks. Our second gorilla trek was an easier climb/hike and within an hour we were with a gorilla family--this one being in a bamboo thicket. Our park guides and tracking guides were again so very good. We were glad to have hired porters as they were a help. However, they're really volunteers and I don't know if they're trained; some were quite helpful and others were not. I had one who had a mean, stare down with me as I left because he wanted a bigger tip from me. I was advised to hire a porter for $10 USD, as this was the expected price. Because my husband needed above and beyond help from his porter and used a second porter, he paid each porter $25 USD. I believe my porter thought he should get the same amount and when not given that amount let it be known how mad he was at me. That was a disconcerting experience. I'd like to next address our driver who was so professional and so good. He answered all of our questions, showed us whatever we even thought we might like to see, and took us to out of the ordinary shopping markets and accompanied me in the market, helping me negotiate prices for goods. His driving was impeccable, his manners most polite and serene. He made our journey that very good. Lastly, I would like to say how good Mountain Gorilla Lodge was. The staff made you feel most welcome and were glad to take care of you. The food was that good as well. We had read some negative reviews about the food at the lodge and we can only say the food was GREAT. Imagine trying to cook for tourists, trying to please them all, with limited food supplies and cooking conditions in the depth of the mountains. We loved every bit of our vacation [except the sour porter]. 5 stars plus for Africa Adventure Safaris.
US
Email Martin Pomeroy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Africa Adventure Safaris made my Africa safari dream turn into reality!
Our 9 days adventure in Uganda and Rwanda organized by Africa Adventure Safaris folks surpassed other trip experiences in the rest of Africa. As a team of 5 friends, we begun our trip from Serengeti national park. Amani Africa team managed the first portion of our holiday successfully.
We flew into Kigali airport and met Enos, a guide from Africa Adventure Safaris. Enos is a humorous and knowledgeable folk. He is a fabulous and likable guide.
In Rwanda we stayed an overnight at Mountain Gorilla View. In the morning we converged with other gorilla trackers at the park headquarters for briefing by the park ranger. Our group was allocated Umubano gorilla group. We hiked through thick thicket with stinging nettles for over 3 hours. Eventually we met a silverback before an encounter with the whole family estimated to be 10 individuals. Our encounter and interaction with this group excited us and some of our group members could not hold back tears of joy! This is indeed the most exciting wildlife experience.
We later crossed the border to Kisoro and arrived at another fabulous lodge - The chameleon Hill Lodge overlooking a scenic lake called Mutanda. We tracked the Nkuringo gorilla family. This one, too, was interesting. The gorilla babies' antics still linger on my memory. The rest of the trip is a big tale.
I am so grateful to the Africa Adventure folks for organizing this experience for us. We had value for money.
IT
Email Leonardo Albertini | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Perfecly understanding customer needs
We went for a 10 days gorilla tracking and safari in Rwanda and Uganda. It took some time to select on the web the right travel agency, and after several contacts, we chose Africa Adventure Safaris, as costs, answers speed and flexibility to adapt the offer to our requirements were sensibly better than other companies'.
Organization: all was very well organized and even a trouble that the car had has been perfectly managed, without impacting on the activities planned. Anna, who was our reference contact, has been truly outstanding
Drive/Guide: William Kirie has been a great guide, a lovely trip companion, a stunning birdwatcher and a cautious driver (shared taxis or matatu make this aspect rather tricky). We appreciated all of him.
Lodges/accomodations/food: were all perfect, very well selected: nice rooms, good food, and perfect service.
Activities: it's easy to arrange gorillas and chimps tracking, but we enjoyed a lot also unexpected activities that were part of Africa Adventure's proposal. I think that due to a deep knowledge of what both countries offer and to a deep attention to customer needs, Africa Adventure is able to organize and propose what customers really enjoy.
Not one single criticism, sorry but this is reality.
I will copy this same comment in Tripadvisor, and I will add notes to each lodge visited.
Unbelievable Time in Uganda/Rwanda!
I could not be happier that I followed the advice of the other reviews and chose to travel with Africa Adventure Safaris! Anna was fantastic in her communication and ability to customize an itinerary to my liking. Patrick, the driver/guide, was top notch. I was amazed by his knowledge and instantly felt comfortable traveling with him as a solo traveler. This company was extremely professional and personal from the early planning stages through my return home. Choose Africa Adventure Safaris and you are in for a trip of a lifetime!
Email Gemma | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Rwanda, Bwindi and Gorillas
I have just got back from 4 days in Rwanda and Uganda and had a wonderful trip with this company. After a bad experience from a previous company I could not be more happy with the service I was provided. From the initial contact, Anna who I dealt with, was prompt and helpful in every way as I had limited time and specific things I wanted to do. As there were no permits for gorilla trekking on the Rwandan side she helped to put a trip together including gorilla trekking from the Ugandan side. My guide was amazing and I didn't have to worry about anything, after living in East Africa for 3 years this was a pleasant surprise. From small details to getting the correct currency to helping spot wildlife he was a great help. The lodge I stayed in, Bwindi Lodge, was beautiful and the staff extremely attentive (even a hot water bottle in my bed at night!) and the food was superb. The gorilla trekking was pretty tough, nearly 7 hours of hiking in the bush, but it was to make sure we saw the gorillas and got our full hour with them. The rangers were professional and my porter was a massive help. I was also given a trip around Kigali and the Genocide Museum and lunch all included, my only thing was time so it was a shame not to have been able to do more. I was dropped back off in Rwanda in Gisenyi at my next hostel and this was a big help. I am definitely going to be using this company again as I want to now climb the volcano in DRC after my driver was explaining the possibility and beauty of it. Amazing 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.
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!!!
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceeded My Very High Expectations!
My four-day tour in Uganda with Africa Adventure Safaris was outstanding! The planning with coordinator Nelson, the pick-up at the hotel, the Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the lodges, restaurants and the games drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park were all world class. Guide Joseph Sabiiti was extremely knowledgeable and professional. I give Joseph and the team at Africa Adventure Safaris my highest possible recommendation.