Reviews of safaris to Volcanoes National Park

"We are seasoned safari aficionados, this being our 11th trip but first to Rwanda and then on to the Northern Tanzanian circuit. We enjoyed the whole trip immensely and had many memorable sightings and generally excellent lodges and camps.

Rwanda. Words cannot describe the gorilla treks- we looked forward to them, read as much as we could before going and still the experience was overwhelming. This was a birthday treat for my wife and on her birthday we watched a large family of gorillas going about their business and interacting with us in an absolutely magical way. Expensive but worth every penny- just save and do it.

Rwanda practically. The lodge was great and Primate safaris were efficient, our driver friendly and efficient. The country was fascinating- a modern city in Kigali and so clean but subsistence agriculture elsewhere with not a tractor in sight. Very friendly people.


Northern Tanzania. We saw the migration, half of a Mara river crossing and an abundance of game in the Serengeti. I was dubious about going to such a popular destination but did not feel that there were too many vehicles in the area. A great lodge in Lemai.


Asilia were superb in looking after us from Manyara onwards. Manyara was fine but beware, the open part of the park is only a half day's game drive and although we did meet someone who had seen a lion, the famous tree climbing lions are not often seen nowadays - good bird life though.

Ngorongoro crater. Cold when we were there - heed the warnings and ensure you take something to ward off the morning cold. A magical place though with abundant game. The Lemala camp seemed like a disappointment but we felt that it might not have been if the weather had been better.

Tarangire; an excellent camp in Oliver's and good game in particularly birds

The general organisation of the trip was pretty faultless (until we returned to Heathrow to find the Stansted express we use for the last leg home was not running) Camps and Lodges and all the interconnecting bits and pieces all worked together really well. Each driver who met us had printed name boards to find us with and named folders of permits etc and it all worked really well. They were friendly, bright, witty and informative, full marks to Primate safaris and to Asilia safaris

Elizabeth at Expert Africa made helpful suggestions before we decided on where to go and organised it all quietly in the background, sending their final ticket pack and useful information booklets a week or two before we left. We will undoubtedly use them again" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 10 on a Tanzania safari

"The staff at expert Africa were excellent. Despite British airways losing my luggage. The staff were with me all of the way hearing my endless complaints and urgency to locate it! Customer service was open 24 hours to talk me through different scenarios! Much time was wasted trying to locate my luggage.

Extra thanks to Elizabeth Wollen, for her never ending empathy and help in tracking my bag!" Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 5 on a Tanzania safari

"Every penny spent, every minute/hours spent in airports/plane was worth it to be able to experience the sights, sounds, people, animals, and geography of Rwanda and Tanzania. Maruska was so excellent in how she guided us through the details of our trip. Just by chance I chose Expert Africa online and am so glad I did.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

None" Read full review: 6 nights in Africa; 3 on a Tanzania safari

"We truly had a wonderful time on this trip.

The Expert Africa/Primate Safari part was only 8 days out of 22, but we have no regrets about the organisation, the pace and the activities. Rwanda is still developing its tourist industry, which means not everything runs perfectly, but also that people working in the tourist sector are not yet as jaded or cynical as in neighbouring countries. This was reflected in the friendliness of the staff, who were almost always willing to do that little bit extra to make things right.

Likewise, we were favourably impressed by our knowledgeable and highly professional driver-guide from Primate Safaris: we learned a lot about the country's history, politics and nature from our lengthy conversations with him and he drove extremely carefully. If there is one thing we would have liked to have seen more, it was Nyungwe Forest - it is a beautiful place. The two days we spent were too short: the activities are quite far apart and the general atmosphere merits a 3-4 day visit at least.

On the other hand, we were delighted to go gorilla tracking on two separate occasions. The permits are extremely expensive - even by the standards of rich Western tourists - but we saw something completely different on each day. The other primate-related activities (chimpanzee, colobus monkey and golden monkey tracking) were also rewarding. One piece of advice, though: don't leave without a pair of binoculars! They really do make the wildlife viewing experience much more intense.

In short, this was an extremely memorable and well thought-out trip - and we'd warmly recommend it to anyone who wants to explore this mountainous part of East Africa.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

You may already know this, but Turkish Airlines fly direct to Kigali and Entebbe from Istanbul several times a week. With excellent connections from Manchester, Edinburgh, London and possibly other regional airports too, this makes Turkish a good (and cheap!) option for flights to this part of Africa." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 8 on a Rwanda safari

"All the way through our trip we were grateful to individuals that gave so much to help make our vacation so spectacular. Certain people were left out in the previous feedback. I want to give special thanks and kuddos to our guides in Rwanda, Hussein, our driver guide, as well as the amazing gorilla trekking guides. Fernando was an amazing gorilla trekking quide and teacher who ensured that we had a special, memorable experience watching these amazing creatures but also learned at the same time. How did he manage to learn all of our names in such a short time, incredible! If you have any interest in gorilla trekking I would jump at the chance. It's an experience of a lifetime! And please employ the local people as porters as this helps support them in a positive way instead of poaching.

Don't put off going on safari. So many species are under pressure from humans and habitat loss to survive.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Thanks to Ellie for her patience with our labored and prolonged itinerary planning. And thanks to Claire when she filled in during Ellie's absence. We benefitted enormously from her knowledge and suggestions.

Thanks so much to all for another amazing and unforgettable trip to Africa that we will never forget!" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 5 on a Tanzania safari

"We loved it. What else is there to say?" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 11 on a Tanzania safari

"Overall, very enjoyable. Really impressed by Sam from Primate Safaris. The national parks in Rwanda were really well-managed and appear to be valued as special places.

Our tracking of the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees was conducted very sensitively and as a result our experience was extraordinary and quite magical." Read full review: 7 nights in Africa; 6 on a Rwanda safari

"Overall we had a very good trip. Volcanoes N P was very good;the gorillas were extraordinary, there was a strong local partner on the ground and our driver, Sam,was highly skilled and good company.
The drive up Lake Kivu fascinating and the visit to the Genocide Museum and Kings Palace etc very interesting.

We were very impressed with Rwanda: economically and socially there seems a great deal of highly constructive sustainable development. It was just as well we had our bad experience first and finished on a high!" Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 8 on a Rwanda safari

"From Victoria Falls onwards our holiday was one highlight after another. And everything ran like clockwork with friendly, professional people always there to help and guide us.

Thank you ExpertAfrica" Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari

"We had an amazing time. Everyday had something new to experience. We didn't have a single bad day." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari