Rwanda: reviews from our travellers

"The Africa trip made possible by Expert Africa is one we'll remember for the rest of our lives and will be one we'll be talking to friends and family about for years to come. It was a phenomenal trip to say the least.

We spent time with golden monkeys and gorillas where we even got shoved and kicked by the latter which makes for a great story. We witnessed not one but two epic wildebeest river crossings in the Serengeti. We saw all of the big 5 and then some. The staff and service at all the lodges and camps were first-rate. Our guides did a fantastic job of taking care of us and educating us about Rwandan and Tanzanian history, culture, and and wildlife. We must give a special shoutout to Nomad Tanzania though. Their camps were so well-run and well-maintained and we can't stop raving about the food they served.

Expert Africa and Jessica Plumb put together an amazing itinerary for us and the staff was very helpful before and throughout the journey. Our flight out of New York was delayed, causing us to miss our connection and resulted in us having to spend a night in Amsterdam and miss out on our first night in Africa but Jessica and team worked their magic so that we just about kept to our original itinerary and didn't skip a beat. We thought we would have had to miss out on golden monkey trekking but they were able to adjust our itinerary so we were still able to do it.

We also had a scare regarding Tanzanian visas since we didn't apply for them beforehand (we would recommend getting them before your trip if you can!) and thought we wouldn't be able to get them at Kogatende Airstrip. A frantic email to Jessica's team was responded to quickly to reassure us that we'll be OK, putting our minds at ease. Overall, we felt very well taken care of from the time we landed at our first port of entry to Africa in Kigali to the point where we were dropped off at Kilimanjaro Airport to make our way home. Upon arrival in Africa, just about everything was seamless in getting us from place to place, getting COVID tests, etc. so it was nice to not have much to worry about.

And never once did we feel uncomfortable or unsafe due to any reason, including COVID, during our trip.

Though this trip felt like it was once-in-a-lifetime, we do hope that we get the opportunity to go on another trip just like this. When we do, we know Expert Africa will be able to craft something magical. We can't wait :)" Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 8 on a Tanzania safari

"This was our third trip with Expert Africa - I believe it's no coincidence that the Bradt Africa guides are simply the best ones on the market and that Expert Africa are extraordinary in the depth of their knowledge of the situation on the ground and in their capacity to coordinate and synchronise everything to make it an excellent trip for a family with young children.

The team doesn't shy away from having you face some challenging hikes and let you contrast more adventurous camping surroundings with (by then, you feel, properly earned) luxury.

I saw some of the most amazing sights and things in Africa, which I would not have found without the guidance of Expert Africa. And for the unforseeable and unavoidable occasional hick ups, the team is there to help where they can.

I hope Expert Africa stays a well kept secret." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zanzibar holiday

"We had the most amazing trip this summer for three key reasons:
1) Expert Africa,
2) Giving Back to Africa,
3) Enjoying the benefits of traveling during Covid.

First, Expert Africa, and in particular Maruska, helped us work through all the challenges that Covid 19 presented during planning. Our original trip was for 2020 so we had to deal with many flight changes and reworked our complicated itinerary several times. When planning for 2021 there were important details Maruska worked through for us regarding transitions between countries, all of which required covid testing and declaration documents etc. It was a little tricky because we were traveling to so many countries over just a couple of weeks, but with Expert Africa's help it all came together perfectly. Having Expert Africa people on the ground in each country understanding the situations and meeting us and smoothing the way at every step made it painless and very VIP. Everywhere we went in all countries the local people were very helpful and understanding.

Secondly, the locals who rely on tourism were so happy to see us that it made our trip that much more rewarding. We felt like we were giving back to them by supporting their important tourism industry all the while we got to experience a most amazing vacation.

And third, we were able to enjoy our sightseeing with limited other tourists which made it all absolutely exclusive and magical. Our transfers and flights were awesome because we had room to spread out. The number of guests at the hotels, lodges, safari camps was still low and again we were able to feel like we had the places nearly to ourselves which was very exclusive and lovely.

Everyone we came into contact with was vaccinated, as it is a regulation of the travel and tourism industry and so we were very safe from Covid and never worried.

This was an amazing trip two years in the planning and so we had very very high expectations that were not in any way dampened by covid details - in fact, we benefited by traveling now when we did. Our trip far exceeded our expectations." Read full review: 30 nights in Africa; 5 on a Seychelles holiday

"The trip as the whole was excellent, perfect organization, everything well prepared and on time, friendly and professional service." Read full review: 5 nights in Africa; 4 on a Rwanda safari

"The 4 tops of my trip:

- the two days gorilla trekking
- my guide/driver Bram
- my drives through this beautiful country and my experiences along it
- the realisation how well this country has healed ( is healing ) since 1994 and how seemingly well is advancing on many fronts" Read full review: 6 nights in Africa; 6 on a Rwanda safari

"We loved our trip to Rwanda.

The country is stunning, the people are friendly, and the primate treks were even more amazing than expected.

We would definitely recommend booking a trip to Rwanda with Expert Africa." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Rwanda safari

"The overall trip was brilliant and we'll remember it for ever. All the organisation worked impeccably." Read full review: 7 nights in Africa; 6 on a Rwanda safari

"The trip as a whole was AWESOME!! The trip by far exceeded our expectations and was so so so so much fun!! Olivia spent countless hours talking to me on the phone and answering non-stop questions over email to make sure this trip was tailored exactly to our preferences. From the moment we stepped foot off the plane in Rwanda, to the moment we flew out of Nairobi, my family had an absolutely phenomenal time. Each aspect of the trip fit my family like a glove, and was a once in a lifetime experience. The entire trip, including transfers and activities were flawless and my family and I never had to worry about what was next. A guide or staff member always made sure we were where we needed to be, and that we were well taken care of.

Olivia recommended Kigali Serena and Encounter Mara, and Encounter Mara was the best time! Expert also booked all of our transfers for us and the guides were personable, knowledgeable, professional, and a blast! This was such an excellent trip and there is not a single thing about the trip that we didn't love!!

The only negatives we had about our trip was some layover schedules, but that was booked through a different US agency, so everything Expert did was great!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

THANK YOU to Olivia for booking this trip with us! She is absolutely wonderful and did such an amazing job! The only suggestions on how you could improve would be pushing more people towards Encounter Mara because it was so amazing :)

There is nothing we think you could have done to improve, great job!" Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 4 on a Rwanda safari

"A long trip, which cover. Overall key to success was our driver/guide Felix. An excellent spotter with terrific knowledge of the parks. We were very lucky to be with Felix for 10 days.
We thought all our lodges and camps were fine. Tarangire Safari Lodge was our overall favorite with great location and comfortable basic room. Nomad Serengeti Camp was the best camp, but also quite expensive. You do get great service for the money.
Animals and a sense of central Africa are why we went. Our hopes were well met. Every day was a new adventure.
There were no logistical problems, everything happened as planned. We simply had to be ready to get up and going early every day to see as much as we could.
Thanks for arranging such a great trip.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service: One suggestion about dinners. Only Nomad Serengeti Camp offered a communal dining table for dinner. We would have like that option at every camp. Our fellow travelers seemed to be a folks we would have like to get to know a bit better." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 12 on a Tanzania safari

"I was absolutely delighted with the trip. The Expert Africa folks were all great to work with. if one person happened to be out of the office, someone else would respond. We never had to wait long for a reply through the planning process and all 'connections" and hand-offs in were seamless. You guys are true professionals.

The contractors you provided us with in Rwanda and Tanzania were equally well beyond satisfactory. I hope to go back someday. I hope you offer a discount for repeat customers as i would like to bring family members :)

Thanks much!
Rusty Hudak" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 8 on a Tanzania safari