Rwanda Reviews

"A short note to say we have had a fantastic trip to Rwanda. Thank you so much for arranging everything. After the confusion of out first night ( Hope Charles and Camilla checked in without a problem!) everything else went well. We had a great driver (Maximilian ) who looked after us all week. ( and managed to get us a PCR test at 6pm on a Sunday evening and the results back before 7 am the next morning so the first gorilla trek could go ahead!). It’s a great country". .

Craig, We had a fantastic holiday, thank you. Missing the river trip in Entebbe was obviously a bit disappointing, but that was just an unfortunate problem from Kenya Airways and you dealt with the situation well for us. All of our accommodation was great. We were really impressed with the Heaven resort in Rwanda. We thought Rwanda was a great place and were really impressed with the pride people took in their country and how clean it was. The contrast of the amount of rubbish when we crossed into Uganda was very stark. Our guide was brilliant and we felt very safe with him throughout. He was very knowledgeable and he took great care of us and made sure all of our guides looked after us very well. All of the trips were very good. Obviously, the Gorilla day was a highlight (albeit it very arduous as we had a big thunder storm the night before, so the conditions underfoot were difficult) but all of the other days were great too. The Ivy Trail was very enjoyable, as was the day with the Chimps. Fumba Beach Lodge was just what we needed at the end of the trip and we just stayed at the resort and chilled out. The KLM flights were very good, as were the Kenya Airways ones. The business lounge at Dar es Salam left quite a lot to be desired. We paid to go into the lounge at Nairobi, which was a very good decision. It cost $80 but made the 6 hour wait comfortable ( I watched India v West Indies in a T20 cricket match!) All of the organisation by Rainbow Tours was up to the very high standards we have experienced with you for a number of years now. We are sorting out our photo’s and I’ll send you some in due course. Thanks for all your help and advice in organising another great holiday for us. Best wishes. Carl & Moira

Rwanda:. 'Our driver/guide, Joel (not sure on the spelling as this is my guess) was at the airport and picked us up. He was very good and also did his very best to do what we wanted and to help us out. Always punctual (just like Moses above) and we enjoyed having him as our driver/guide.Joel took us to lunch at the same hotel I was at 24 years ago (and also the same one that “Hotel Rwanda” was based on). It was very nice sitting there before our relatively short drive on very nice roads (compared to Uganda...).Sabinyo Silverback Lodge: What can I say? It was FANTASTIC. We wanted to move in and stay there. The service and the room was incredible. The food was very good but somewhat limited in selection. I didn’t know wine was included so I had a funny conversation trying to get a wine list with prices with the waiter patiently telling me to just take a bottle any bottle. The lodge went out of their way to help us enjoy the gorilla viewing. They lent Sandy nice boots which amazingly fit her, gaiters, and gloves which were greatly appreciated since she didn’t bring any. At the end of the hikes, the staff insisted on taking our boots and gaiters and cleaning them (they did such a good job that I wanted them to clean our other shoes as well – ha ha ha). The house steward brought us up wine to drink outside our room (and lunch the second day when we were so late). We really enjoyed the fireplaces in the room and in the lodge. I give this place a 110% rating (and I have never done that).Gorilla viewing: The two days were well worth it since we saw two different gorilla groups. It was a bit of a slog through lots of stinging nettles the second day and it took over 6 hours of hiking but this group of gorillas (Amahoro group) was around 20 and had 3 silverbacks.'

'Hi Craig. The trip was very good. We were really fortunate with the weather and had a dry morning for the gorillas, and the group were only 10 minutes in from the edge of the forest so was really easy for me. The group were magical and very funny and we were so close. The afternoon for the views was not quite so good as it rained, but it was OK. The trip to the monkeys was also dry and the guides were really excellent both times in looking after me. The cultural village was really funny. We laughed all afternoon – as we did much of the trip. Gisenyi was much as expected, with little to do, made worse owing to genocide week. Although we couldn’t have gone another week it would be good to bear this in mind for other clients as everything shuts at lunch time all week. However, Moussa arranged a lake trip which included the coffee plantation and that was wonderful. The cost was $100 each, same as a lake tour, but we ended up giving locals a lift which made the trip more interesting and had a wonderful tour of the coffee plantation. John and his staff were excellent and in no hurry to end the tour. We ended up being out for 6 hrs, and again lots of laughs. Moussa was excellent and took the 4x4 into all sorts of placed to reduce my walking. He found us fabric in a local market and a really good craft shop. Shopping was really difficult owing to the trips being mornings and the shops closed in the afternoon. Had lots of fun. The Gorilla mountain view lodge was 5* and the service above and beyond – our every need was anticipated. Thank you for a lovely trip. . Kind regards. Tricia'.

'Joel was probably the best guide I have ever had on a holiday. He was well informed, helpful - absolutely the best. I would recommend him widely. He gets 4 stars from all of us. . Cormoran Lodge: We absolutely loved this polace and wanted to stay forever. Breakfast at Kivu Serena was excellent but we would have liked to have stayed somewhere smaller or with more atmosphere. It could have been anywhere in the world. Gorilla Mountain View Lodge: excellent in all respects. The best meals we had anywhere.'.

'Overall holiday satisfaction: Excellent. Gorilla Mountain View Lodge: excellent comfort, service, location, meals and facilities. Wildebeest Camp: Excellent comfort and location. Good service, meals and facilities. Barking dogs and noisy toads kept me awake! Perfect otherwise. Amboseli Porini Camp: Excellent in all respects. Rwandan driver-guide Mussa and hotel staff second-to-none. Nothing was too muc bother and everything was undertaken with smile. Went beyond the call of duty - lovely people, amazing country and amazing Gorillas! Masai guides, Tony the camp manager at Porini and everyone fantastic hosts. Smiling and hospitable & fantastic wildife spotters. An amazing experience.'.

'The Nomad Lodge (Lamai) is very well run. Beautiful, fantastic, really really good. The couple who manage it is lovely. The Nairobi hotel near the airport (Ole Sereni) was very good. Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge at PNV is very good. Loved the Gorillas! We really enjoyed Arusha Coffee Lodge. Greystoke Mahale was great. We loved the pet Pelican! Lamai Serengeti was worth paying for. Top drawer!. I've always wanted to see the migration and we saw a BIG one - a major crossing - some ten thousand Wildebeest crossing, with Crocs taking some of them. Standard of the accommodations and hospitality was fantastic. We will go back!'.

'Service from tour operator: Excellent. Holiday satisfaction: Excellent. Gorilla Mountain View Lodge: good. Flame Tree Village (Kigali): good. The local guide/driver Andrew was excellent as he has good knowledge of what to see to have things done'.

Chameleon Tours were excellent, even suggesting a place to have a meal before waiting at the airport. Air Kenya were very efficient. Our guide Moses from Magic Safaris had an excellent understanding of what tourists want – we couldn’t fault him at all. The best guide we have had over eight safaris!

Our guide was dedicated to us. Very helpful, flexible, polite and really cared for us – a great ambassador for Rwanda!

Thanks so much for organising such a fabulous trip – we saw and experienced all that we had hoped for and a bit more. Your two local tour companies in Rwanda and Madagascar were magnificent. Most went according to plan and the guides and drivers were exemplary. I would like to make special mention of Aimable (our guide) in Rwanda. He is a thoroughly nice man, extremely knowledgeable and very accommodating. ??Similarly our guides and driver made our trip to Mantadia National Park in Madagascar forever memorable. Marc and Charles, guide and driver respectively, are such good company and we laughed our way around. Maurice, the local guide there, really did know his stuff.

Thanks so much for organising such a fabulous trip – we saw and experienced all that we had hoped for and a bit more. The two local tour companies, in Rwanda and Madagascar were magnificent. Most went according to plan and the guides and drivers were exemplary. I would like to make special mention of Aimable (our guide) in Rwanda. He is a thoroughly nice man, extremely knowledgeable and very accommodating. Similarly our guides and driver made our trip to Mantadia National Park in Madagascar forever memorable. Marc and Charles, guide and driver respectively, are such good company and we laughed our way around. Maurice, the local guide there, really did know his stuff. .

Transfers were excellent, we were visiting central Africa after all!

Everything went very well. We thoroughly enjoyed the country, the people, [our guide] and especially the gorillas. The itinerary that Chania helped me put together worked perfectly and totally met both our wishes and our expectations. Seeing the gorillas is an experience without compare and was made even better by the flawless travel experience heading up to it. Thank you.

Rwanda (is) outstandingly beautiful. (We) would like to go back. [We had] an excellent guide. Virunga Lodge stunning.

In July this year we were fortunate enough to be able to visit Rwanda and be guided by Musa. It was very relaxed and benefited from being able to tailor our itinerary to fit as much in as possible. Musa was helpful, charming and good company. What can I say about the Gorillas? Amazing!!

We are just back this morning from Rwanda. Just to say without delay that the trip was a huge success, totally meeting all our expectations, with no hiccups whatsoever. Lovely country, lovely people, driver Mussa excellent company and the gorillas - well, what is the right superlative!

This holiday exceeded all expectations. The gorilla and chimpanzee treks were brilliant but we were so impressed with the Rwandan people and the beautiful countryside/ scenery. Our guide, Musa was friendly, knowledgeable and had great sense of humour.

We had an unimaginably wonderful time in Rwanda - Africa's best kept secret, tragic as it is. We are very lucky to be able to afford it. Everything ran like clockwork, not least because we had a very caring guide in the shape of Aimable Hakizamungu although, amusingly, daughter Claire was able to show him a couple of gems of places to eat in Butare (which is off the main tourist trail) as she had been a student there for a month. Thank you for your part in making it the great holiday it was.