Reviews of safaris to Volcanoes National Park

"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

"I was thrilled from beginning to end with this holiday. Each of the wildlife experiences exceeded my expectations and whetted my appetite." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 7 on a Botswana safari

"This was our first trip to Africa and, thanks to Saskia Adye's excellent help and advice, it was a thoroughly memorable and enjoyable month-long holiday with fantastic game sightings as well as lots of cultural interactions.

We were extremely happy with all of our accommodation and transfers. The only disappointment was Rwandair Express which is the most unreliable airline that we've ever flown with, but Saskia did warn me of that in advance so I should have taken her advice to fly SAA instead!

Would highly recommend Expert Africa - and Saskia Adye in particular - to anyone planning a trip to this fascinating continent.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

You thought of everything so .....no!" Read full review: 24 nights in Africa; 5 on a Rwanda safari

"Our itinerary (Kigali - Volcanoes - Kibuye (Lake Kivu) - Nyungwe - Kigali) let us see a good cross section of this beautiful country. It was structured for the most part aroung gorilla or other primate treks. They were wonderful but anyone considering a similar itineray should understand that most treks take place in the early morning and as a consequence there is a lot of spare time in lodges/hotels that can be quite remote from other facilities and have few of their own- bring a few good books for if the weather is bad! Monkeys (or canopy) in Nyungwe could have been done on same day as chimps and a day saved.

Expert Africa (Liz, Eleanor and Chris) were very helpful in addressing what at the time (Dec 12) was a delicate security situation in the Rwanda/DRC border area with changing FCO advice. As a result we did not stay in Gisenyi which would have more going on than Kibuye.

Our vehicle/guide were provided by Primates Safaris who were very good - we would recommend them if available." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 13 on a Rwanda safari

"Patrick was a great personable driver who added to the overall holiday with his knowledge of the country and willingness to engage in conversation.

Rwanda is a great country who have put the past behind them and are looking forward to a bright future (hopefully). The country is the cleanness I visited in Africa, the people are friendly and embrace all visitors. Children are keen to engage in conversation to practise their English. Food was surprisingly of very good quality. An up and coming country on the world stage and one I would recommend to visit.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

A suggestion would be to offer a boat transfer on the lake for one leg of the journey rather than driving.

If I was to do it again, I would suggest doing the trip the other way round i.e. starting at the Forest and finishing with the gorillas as a highlight. I know that most trips are subject to getting the gorilla pass so this may not always be possible." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 12 on a Rwanda safari