Reviews of safaris to Volcanoes National Park

"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

"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

"If I had a choice of something even better than “very satisfactory”, I’d pick it. Early back-and-forth with our Expert Africa agent (Amanda Bond) were very productive, and we got the perfect itinerary. All the arrangements were all excellent. Some very minor negative feedback about our stay at MGVL won’t change that.

Our guide, Sula, was extraordinary. From the pickup at KGL airport, through drop-off for departure, his friendly, low-key personality were just right. His local knowledge and his obvious love for what he does were very reassuring that our visit was safe and positive for us travelers and for the people and environments where we visited.

We had an airline glitch at the very end. RwandAir cancelled our 10am departure and put us on a flight out at 0010 the next morning. That was a serious disappointment, but obviously beyond the control of … really anyone, other than RwandAir, at whom I’m still miffed (though I expect I’ll get over it). Sula made sure we were comfortably delivered to the hotel that RwandAir booked for us before taking his leave." Read full review: 7 nights in Africa; 6 on a Rwanda safari

"Our trip was absolutely fabulous, from the accommodations to the food to the experiences!

Maruska is simply phenomenal; she goes above and beyond to answer all possible questions and to ensure each client has the trip of a lifetime.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

The only suggestion I have with respect to trips to Rwanda is to provide a bit more guidance on the tipping etiquette. While the information provided on the website was quite helpful on the amount to give the various folks involved in a successful trek, my husband and I didn't realize the number of folks involved in each trek, and therefore, didn't bring enough USD.

It would be helpful to note how many rangers, trackers, etc. to expect on a trek (on average) to assist with this element of planning." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 4 on a Rwanda safari