Reviews of safaris to Volcanoes National Park

"It's hard to believe but we started working with Lyndsey in summer of 2019 for our July 2020 adventure. Of course, the world stopped and our trip was postponed to 2021 then postponed again due to a last minute medical situation. Through all of the hiccups, Lyndsey was there to provide guidance and support. We finally got to complete our trip in July 2023 and it was amazing.

All of the details were what we'd so painstakingly planned except better. The countries were so beautiful and the people so welcoming. The logistics went like clockwork...until we got food poisoning our last night in Rwanda and had to rearrange flight, hotel and transportation at the last minute. Once again, Lyndsey was an invaluable resource. She got back to us right away, found us another night's hotel in Nairobi, rearranged the private charter flight to our first camp, and communicated with the camp to make sure they were aware of the last minute changes. It was such a relief to have her there to help us so we could concentrate on getting through the illness instead of worrying about travel changes.

There were so many little details that we wouldn't have known how to handle had we made the arrangements on our own. Expert Africa's in-country knowledge can't be overstated. From the moment we landed, we were handled like royalty. The companies that Expert Africa works with for in-country logistics were beyond excellent. We were treated so kindly and always felt safe. It all started with Lyndsey's guidance and patience as we weighed what we wanted to see, what types of experiences were important to us and how we could manage it in the time we had available.

We had such an amazing time and fell in love with Kenya, Rwanda and the African people that we are already planning a return trip. Who knew a once-in-a-lifetime bucket list trip would turn into a 'how soon can we go back' destination? Thanks, Lyndsey and Expert Africa!" Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 12 on a Kenya safari

"Unforgettable trip, very well organised with few hiccups. Very happy with the service received and Jessica was a great help in organising the trip and was lovely to deal with." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari

"Amazing trip! I would highly recommend.

Unlike many of the other safari destinations however, this one benefits from a little more planning and insight." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 4 on a Rwanda safari

"Fabulous itinerary and trip.

Amazing sights, awesome game drives, wonderful people.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

We were only disappointed in the level of amenities at Serian.

Given the terrific high standards the rest of the trip, and the trip pricing, we had assumed all camps would be of equal value.
Quite disappointed just about this stay." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 5 on a Rwanda safari

"The trip was extremely well organised.

We were well taken care of in Rwanda with an excellent local guide providing transport, liaising with the camps and organising the gorilla treks." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 10 on a Rwanda safari

"The trip grew from a group of 2 to a group of 5 and we were very grateful for all of Expert Africa's help in the organisation, re-organisation and covid-related rescheduling. It became a little evident during our travels that a longer trip in Rwanda combining Nyungwe Forest, Lake Kivu, Volcanoes National Park and Akagera National Park was a little unusual, but we can't recommend it enough.

The ground agents for Expert Africa were excellent and we were very fortunate with our guide Omar, who was so integral in making the trip work. We are aware that he was certainly part of the reason why things were such a success and you do need to be happy to travel long distances as a group for this type of trip, but it does reward you with seeing a lot of Rwanda and getting a good feel for the country.

The accommodation, standard of wildlife guides and experiences and the additional activities such as canoeing, kayaking, a guided hike in Gisenyi and birding in Nyungwe all exceeded our expectations.

The Gorilla treks were both unique experiences. The Chimpanzee sighting in Nyungwe was certainly closer and better than we had expected and Nyungwe itself has lots to offer in the way of other Monkeys and birding. We also found it to be a beautiful forest. We were either very lucky with the wildlife and birdlife in Akagera or the experience the park provides is now much closer to that of a typical Tanzanian or Kenyan Safari than is advertised - currently, it feels, you are also likely to experience the wildlife far more privately than in other countries.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

We struggle to think of anything!" Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 21 on a Rwanda safari

"I have already recommended Expert Africa (and Tanzanian ground partner) to friends. I love the bespoke approach to the planning and execution. Jessica, who organised it, was very helpful and knowledgable - and made us feel well taken care of. The whole trip was incredibly well organised every step of the way. We really enjoyed Tito's company, knowledge and driving skills in Rwanda and the same for Raj while we were in the mobile camp in the Serengeti! Even the PCR tests were handled well - hopefully they won't be necessary next time! In terms of what to bring and what to expect: not once were we asked to weigh our luggage (but do keep in mind that there's not a lot of storage room on the puddle-jumper planes); we also were not questioned re plastic bags; do minimise the clothing (pack your bag, then unpack half of what you thought you might want to bring - there are lots of laundry options - and no one really cares what you're wearing anyway!); bring a warm sweater/jacket and/or a waterproof windbreaker. Invest in really good binoculars - even if they are heavy - we didn't and regretted it.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

No - it was terrific! As regards the mobile camp in the Serengeti, I was glad we stayed at the camp where we were - we visited the more "upscale" non-mobile camp nearby and were glad we were at the mobile one! Many thanks to Jessica - I've already passed her name onto friends of mine!" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari

"Our guide Tito was exceptional. He made our trip magical. He was informative and flexible. He knew many of the local guides and got us on the best treks!

He changed the canoeing day and took us to the Fosse research center. One afternoon when we had extra time he took us to a cultural village.

This trip was delayed 2 years due to Covid and Jessica was helpful in rescheduling and adapting to our needed changes. It is difficult for us US folks to contact our team member due to the time difference." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 6 on a Rwanda safari

"We have visited places for treks before such as Ireland and Canada. Africa, on the other hand, is a different experience entirely and one that we will recommend to all friends and family for years to come. We will definitely return and were very sad to leave!

Thank you so much Lyndsey, you hit the nail on the head with this one.

Lyndsey listened to every small request we had, nothing was too obscure or silly for her and she made everything work. She tailored a fantastic belated honeymoon for us." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 8 on a Kenya safari

"It was an amazing adventure. It was great to be able to return to Africa after so long.

The wildlife was generally as good or better than expected. We particularly enjoyed Akagera and Volcanoes. The great birding a real bonus.

Sadly a couple of the lodges were much less good than expected in terms of the accommodation, food and service levels." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 12 on a Rwanda safari