Reviews of trips to Kigali

"The trip was amazing. It was the combination of the history, the culture and the wildlife that made it all so special. Our driver Sam was very good and answered all our questions and was very helpful in taking us to the places we especially wanted to see that weren't necessarily on our itinerary.

The genocide memorial in Kigali was exceptionally powerful and thought provoking and we would advise anybody travelling to Rwanda to visit there, preferably at the start of your trip because then it is even more incredible to appreciate how far the country has come when you see people working together so harmoniously in the fields and villages.

The wildlife is amazing, the views are beautiful and the people so friendly

We would definitely recommend doing two gorilla treks because you get two very different experiences. Our first trek the gorillas were eating and then on the move through the bamboo. Our second trek we arrived during "social hour" so the youngsters were all playing. Grit your teeth and pay the price it is so worth it." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 11 on a Rwanda safari

"Gorilla trekking exceeded expectations. The time and experience was made more enjoyable interesting and educational by our driver Patrick Tembo. Rwanda and its people who were all warm and friendly deserve all the help and advice we can give them.

Other travellers might like to visit the Ubushobozi. Org, this is a charitable project which helps teenage girls suffering from abuse HIV and exploitation. We purchased some very nice bags made by the girls and were entertained by them when they showed us their traditional dancing. A very pleasant afternoon in Musanze." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 13 on a Rwanda safari

"staff did an excellent job of keeping in touch

I would travel with EXPERT AFRICA again

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Everything was excellent!!!" Read full review: 5 nights in Africa; 5 on a Rwanda safari

"We are hard core independent travellers but booking this trip with Expert Africa has made us re-evaluate the possibility of using this sort of service again. Right from the very beginning, our contact Ellie was superb. Knowledgeable, friendly and patient (I asked and she answered a lot of questions!), she made us feel comfortable and reassured about leaving the responsibility of our holiday in someone else's hands.

It was clear from the start that Expert Africa had spent a lot of time researching the quality and service levels of the guides and hotels they recommended. When Ellie recommended a hotel, she was able to talk about it with confidence and in depth knowledge, which saved me hours researching on various websites. She was also scrupulously honest, making sure I understood the pros and cons of each itinerary or proposition.

I liked the fact that she had done the Rwanda trip herself last year as it gave more credence to what she was saying and cost permitting, I think it is a brilliant idea to have your consultants do as many of the trips as possible so they can speak with authority.

We also felt supported throughout the whole experience (and not just dumped after having paid the cash). When we had a small concern about our transfers in Tanzania, we emailed the info@expertafrica.com email address as we could not remember Ellie's address. This was relayed to her immediately and she responded incredibly quickly, allaying our concerns. This really impressed us and will go a long way to ensuring repeat business for Expert Africa as well as recommendations to our friends.

We are well travelled enough to know that no trip is ever without a hassle or two but one of the reasons we stopped travelling with tour operators is that we felt they relinquished responsibility once we had given them a credit card number. It is the complete opposite with Expert Africa and I loved the fact that you care enough about your customers to give out the mobile details of your staff in case of a real emergency or problem. That speaks volumes about the quality of your operation and your values. Well done Expert Africa, you rock.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

I understand why you levy a credit card surcharge in this economic climate - but it is a pain in the posterior to be honest. We had cash in the bank and were able to fund the trip from a standing start so to speak, but if we hadn't been able to do so, paying the surcharge might have been enough to make us consider an alternative travel company. I appreciate that their service might not have been as good but that might have been the trade off......" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zanzibar holiday

"Additional Feedback - Patrick our guide was wonderful sometimes his timekeeping was slightly off but he excelled in everything else, the roads through Rwanda were sometimes very poor especially from Nyungwe to Lake Kivu however it was so scenic. he was so knowledgeable and catered to our whims especially with the gorillas,

We have already recommended Expert Africa to so many people after this trip for both the advisory service before and the quality of the holiday. We had the most wonderful holiday surpassing all our expectations. Thank you so much for arranging it.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

We couldnt fault the service" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 8 on a Rwanda safari

"Generally happy with the whole trip, except for Swahili House

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

I do not have any suggestions at present" Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zanzibar holiday

"Absolutely fantastic. Rwanda is a beautiful country.

Our guide Theo was wonderful and we saw so much more than the gorillas (which were amazing). We would strongly encourage anyone to visit Rwanda and to see as much of the country as possible.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

the only small improvement would be to have one night at Kibuye and then a second night either at Gisenyi (FCO permitting) or back in Kigali. That would still leave time for a boat trip on the lake but would provide nicer accomodation." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 10 on a Rwanda safari

"Loved it, wouldn't have changed a thing - thank you so much for all your hard work organising everything :)

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Yes I think you should start thinking about where we can go next time when we've saved a few pennies lol" Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 6 on a Malawi trip

"I count myself as very lucky for having been able to take this trip to Rwanda and Tanzania. Both countries are so beautiful, and it is a profound spiritual experience to see nature in such raw form.

From a practical standpoint, everything went smoothly, and from the moment I boarded the BA flight to Nairobi, I didn't have to give a thought to logistics, and was just able to relax and focus on the trip. This was my third trip with Expert Africa and I can't imagine using another travel agency. I really trust Expert Africa and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 8 on a Tanzania safari

"We had a wonderful, memorable holiday with lots of interest in truly beautiful surroundings. We received a really friendly welcome wherever we went. Our holdiday was really made by our driver/guide, Johnson, from Primate Safaris, who drove safely, worked incredibly hard, was friendly, informative and always went out of his way to do things for us.

We were also very moved by the history of the place and individual stories from local people. The gorilla trekking was fantastic and the trip to the Akagera park magical.

We had such great fun as a family and with Johnson and local people we met, felt part of a bigger family for a short time. Would love to return.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Re trip - It might be useful to stress that getting money and small change was tricky (ATMs not working at all in Kigali or elsewhere and getting money from a bank took about an hour!). Also, to maybe advise people that tipping is widely expected and people need to budget for this and try to get small denominations of notes. We found dollars are far more usable where we were than euros.

maybe have a 'very good' category for this form as sometimes it was difficult to choose between good and excellent." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 6 on a Rwanda safari