Rwanda: reviews from our travellers

"The good points: great trek to Dian Fossey's grave, good gorilla trek in spite of the size of the group (8 visitors) and my free day at Gisenyi.
Also, nice car and driver.

The less good ones: too much spare time in the afternoons at Nyungwe House and at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge. I suggest that Expert Africa recommends some optional visits for free afternoons, like a visit to a tea plantation in Gisakura (I only realised this might have been possible after I left) or a visit to the Dian Fossey Fund Campus (which I visited at my request after the golden monkey trek, as the Campus is well visible from the road, otherwise I would have missed it).

Some final details:
Cost: my itinerary included a villa in Nyungwe House and not a room in a 4-room small building." Read full review: 7 nights in Africa; 7 on a Rwanda safari

"Fantastic trip in a really beautiful country with wonderful people. Jessica did a fantastic job!

We just wish that people around the world would start to recognize this country for its beauty and lovely people and not just for the horrific events of the past." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 7 on a Rwanda safari

"This was an absolutely fantastic trip, and getting close to gorillas was a unique and thrilling experience.

We should also give a shout out to Lyndsey, not only for organising the trip and making some great suggestions, but also for rescuing the situation when our plane to Dar was delayed by 12 hours. Thanks, Lyndsey!" Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 5 on a Tanzania safari

"Overall the trip was great and very organized. Maruska was great to deal with, really listened to us and gave good suggestions. I liked the itinerary she sent us shortly before we left that gave lots of details about exactly what was happening. There were a few glitches during the trip (canceled flight, driver showed up late) and we had to reach out to Expert Africa on an emergency basis and they were very responsive.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
I would not return to the lodges that we stayed in in Zimbabwe, we didn't have a great experience there. There was a mix up with Khulu Bush Camp and our departure time was moved back and we were never told, that ended up being a very long day and we would have preferred to fly. Two of our travel days were very long and we never got to eat lunch, it was not clear from the itinerary how long they would be. Our Mack Air flights ended up having multiple stops that we weren't aware of, it would have been nice to have more information about those flights." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zimbabwe safari

"Outstanding and unforgettable trip combining the Kenyan plains and the Rwandan rainforest. Thank you to the Expert Africa team for excellent advice in the planning of our family holiday!" Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 6 on a Kenya safari

"This was the best family vacation we’ve ever taken.

We absolutely loved every single day. Everything was seamlessly arranged by Expert Africa." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 10 on a Kenya safari

"Overall our trip was excellent.

Looking back, perhaps the most wonderful thing was the feeling that someone was in control and we didn’t have to worry about anything.

It was wonderful. Thanks a lot!!!" Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 7 on a Kenya safari

"From the start of my planning, expert Africa staff were very helpful!

All the staff, drivers, guides were extremely friendly and accommodating. My dietary needs (vegetarian) were respected and the food was great. Saw so many animals and the scenery was spectacular!

I couldn't have asked for a better experience!!!

Highly recommend this company if you are planning a trip to Africa.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

None, all my questions were answered either by email or phone call." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 5 on a Tanzania safari

"This trip is by far my favorite trip I've ever taken!

Sadly we just missed the river crossing, all the wildlife we saw up close, the action and the amazing people we met and hospitality we received made the trip an experience of a lifetime.

It's been a few weeks since we've been back home and we're already starting to look at our next safari destination! We cannot wait to go back to Tanzania to visit friends we've made and to explore new destinations in Africa!

Thank you Jessica for planning and catering to all of our needs!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Thank you Jessica for planning this trip and for making sure all of our asks and needs are perfectly matched!

We loved all of your recommendations and all of our guides were top notch and made our entire trip so memorable.

For younger and more adventurous travelers, I think Maasai village visit or a bushman walk would be more interesting than a walking tour in Mto wa Mbu.

This was a misunderstanding on my part as I didn't look more into what Mto wa Mbu village tour was compared to Maasai village that Jessica originally recommended!" Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari

"Very enjoyable. It did seem that the during the booking process we had to be juggled to different team members because one or the other were on extended holiday. All team memebers were helpful but there wasn't always continuity.

We transited through Kenya before and after getting to Rwanda, as Expert Africa was aware. We applied for multi entry visas for Kenya but had no idea of the difficulty and time it takes to get a multi entry approved. SIngle entry visas get approved in 24 hours but because we didn't know to take that approach we ended up having to miss our departure flight out of the US.

I realize the Kenya visas were our responsibility but some specific guidance from Expert Africa would have been really helpful. The multipoint entry visa took 2 weeks to approve, no where in the Kenya e visa website is that explained." Read full review: 7 nights in Africa; 7 on a Rwanda safari