Wilbur Begumisa the founder and managing director
Gorilla Trek Africa
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2004)
- Member Of:
- NU & AUTO
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $80 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Ness and Jon | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
9 days in Uganda, Rwanda & Congo; Gorilla, Chimp & Monkey trekking, overnight on volcano, Excellent
We had a great experience, right from the start of emailing to customising our itinerary, to being picked up by Ben (our excellent guide) in a very good quality vehicle to being settled into our last Motel before flying to the next leg of our trip.
Gorilla Trek Africa organised our Gorilla trekking permits in Uganda and Rwanda, our Chimp trekking Permits in Uganda, our Golden Monkey trekking permits in Rwanda and a 2 day hike to Mount Nyiragongo in DCR and it all went without a single hiccup.
Ben was a great representative of Gorilla Trek Africa, going above and beyond to make sure everything ran smoothly, even organising overnight repairs to one of our pairs of hiking boots and tracking down a replacement to a lost power adaptor.
He was able to answer all our inquiries about Uganda and Rwanda; flora and fauna, agriculture, infrastructure, education, health politics etc.
On the first day we met a very competent guide, on the last day we said goodbye to a good friend.
Highly recommend a competent and good value for money company.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic 7 days trip to Rwanda and Uganda
Gorilla Trek Africa organized for us an exceptionally 7 days primates trip to Uganda and Rwanda in August 2014. Our guide Eric exhibited great guiding skills. He was indeed a very knowledgeable and interactive guide.
We had a very comfortable luxurious Safari car. At one section of road from Queen Elizabeth national park to Ruhija, we found several Safari cars stuck as it had rained heavily and the road under construction was so slippery. We managed to pass with less inconvenience. We tracked the Amahoro gorilla group in Volcanoes national park. This was the major highlight of our Safari. Special thanks go to Nicholas who organized a Safari that surpassed our expectations.
Lifetime Experience
My wife and I, mid sixties, have done a wonderful trip to Rwanda with Gorilla Trek Africa. The idea was to see the gorillas and that was done to our absolute satisfaction. Nicholas was always very responsive and full of good ideas while I was organising the trip. Enos, our driver/guide, was most knowledgeable and helpful. We always felt safe and comfortable with him. I would not hesitate to recommend this tour operator.
US
Email Trulie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A 14 day Magical Adventure with Gorilla Trek Africa
What an amazing adventure Gorilla Trek Africa provided for myself and my friend and travel partner. We are two middle-age women that took a 14-day trip around Uganda in August. The main focus for our trip to Uganda was experience the mountain gorillas, but it ended up being so much more. Definitely a trip in a lifetime.
There are many companies to choose from when traveling to Uganda, but I would highly recommend Gorilla Trek Africa for several reasons. In our travels we were able to see many tour companies along the way and we are so grateful for choosing GTA and the personal service they provided. We were not crammed in a vehicle with people we did not know, rather had a private tour. The main reasons I would recommend Gorilla Trek Africa is their communication, organization and passion.
The communication was amazing. William is the United States representative while Nelson is the coordinator in Uganda. Both encouraged us to contact them with any and all questions and concerns - which we did. Before the trip we wrote and called numerous times with many questions and every single time our emails and calls were quickly and happily returned. Nelson is wonderful, but it was nice to have William as the United States Representative to be able to call and talk to without the language and time difference. After completing the trip and traveling to Uganda, I am more aware of the level of organization needed for this type of trip. Not only were there the lodge accommodations but also permits needed for every game park, gorilla and chimpanzee permits and so many small details I would not have even thought of. Gorilla Trek Africa took care of every detail seamlessly. Even when our airline changed our return tickets to a later day at the last minute, (do NOT use Turkish Airlines!!), Nelson quickly was able to get us accommodations and a park permit for an extra day.
In my opinion, the main reason that our trip was such a success and I will have a lifetime of fond and happy memories is because of our personal guide, Elvis. He was professional, fun and easy to be with and had an amazing ability to find wildlife. You will find that many tour companies will provide visitors with a driver while Elvis was a genuine tour guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable, and we learned about Ugandan history, politics, social issues, and the communities. On our safaris, Elvis would share facts and information about all the animals, birds and fauna on the safaris. I also want to point out that Elvis is an amazingly skilled driver. This is no small thing in Uganda. Our trip involved many long drives that included congested (crazy) urban streets and treacherous mountain roads. Not once was I nervous or worried, he handled each environment skillfully. Elvis has a passion for wildlife, Uganda and for providing amazing service to his clients!
I look through my pictures of the trip almost every day. On our gorilla treks we saw several Silver Backs and babies. During our safaris we saw 7 leopards, including one eating his kill in a tree. We saw elephant playing, giraffes running, hippos sparring, monkeys stealing bananas, Chimpanzees, Rhinos.
I am very appreciative of the service and care that we received by Gorilla Trek Africa.
My recommendations: Besides my main suggestion to definitely book with Gorilla Trek Africa, I would also suggest booking the gorilla trek for two days. It is expensive, but I do not regret the extra expense as each day was magical
Email Joy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Lifetime experience
It was one of the unforgettable experience. Gorilla Trek Africa organized everything. Nicolas was an excellent in responding all the concerns and questions immediately. Very helpful. The arrangement in Rwanda was also excellent. They were able to meet our needs and requirements. Thanks a lot. I would highly recommend!
US
Email Mary | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Gorilla Trek Africa arranged a wonderful trip to Rwanda and Uganda.
While the trip began as their "double gorilla trek"booking, I soon realized there would be a lot more I wanted to see. My trip had wonderful, close primate opportunities, afforded by mountain gorilla treks in Rwanda (Volcanoes Park) and Uganda (Bwindi Forest), chimpanzee tracking Uganda (Queen Elizabeth Park) and golden monkey hike (Volcanoes Park). All communications, service, guides, accommodations were outstanding. The trip exceeded my expectations, and is highly recommended.
Email Peter Hoffmann | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda - an experience of a life time!
My wife and I have just returned from a week in Rwanda. The holiday (excl. flights) had been arranged by Gorilla Trek Africa, which is a travel company located in Uganda but organises tours through East Africa. We didn't find many other reviews of this travel company on Tripadvisor (or elsewhere) and that is a real shame as this company is fantastic in providing tailor made holidays without a price tag that breaks the bank!
Our primary contact was Nicolas (working in their Uganda office) who was highly professional, friendly and very helpful in developing a tailored programme that suited our interests. Our primary goal was to go trekking with mountain gorillas in the Volcanos National Park in Rwanda and Nicolas was extremely helpful in organising this. We had MANY questions and he was very patient and answered each and every one in great detail.
When the itinerary was finalised we had to transfer a deposit (a sizeable amount) to secure the gorilla permits as these get booked out up to six months in advance - it is standard practice and all travel companies will ask for a deposit to enable them to secure the gorilla permits. To be honest we were a little hesitant parting with a large sum via an international transfer but this worry hadn't been necessary whatsoever and Nicholas informed us as soon as the money had arrived. We could not have asked for a better service.....in fact we have not received such effective and rapid responses from any UK company that we have used in our past 20+ years of intense travelling.
Roll on Rwanda.....a.k.a The Land of a Thousand Hills. It is a beautiful country with a dark history that has left a permanent scar but it is humbling to see how everyone continues to push forward and look ahead to the future. It is a poor country but so incredibly beautiful and it is lovely to see how curious most children are of tourists and their desire to engage.
Our guide for the week was William and he was an absolute pleasure to travel with. He was very knowledgeable about Rwanda, its culture and introduced us to local food and traditions, which made the trip even more memorable. He was highly organised, very friendly and easy going, always on time and flexible in his approach. William was incredibly well regarded by the locals everywhere we went and we cannot praise him highly enough. A great ambassador for Gorilla Trek Africa and we would highly recommend him as a guide!
We spent a couple of days in Akagera National Park where we saw hippos, zebras, baboons, wild hogs, impalas, crocodiles and much more. It is a great visit but don’t expect to see the Big 5 Game. The park has recently (June 2015) released eight lions into the park and there are also elephants and giraffes. Whilst it cannot be compared to the Maasai Mara or Serengeti it is well worth a visit!
The highlight of our trip was the gorilla trekking in the Volcanos National Park – an experience for a life time! We did two treks and whilst the permits are pricey it is well worth it as you get two completely different experiences. The treks offered amazing views of the mountains and the lush nature. The hour we spent with the gorillas were mind blowing and we cannot recommend it enough.
We also did the Dian Fossey trek and it was great experience that we would definitely recommend if you got an extra day in Musanze! The trek was steep but the views were worth the efforts.
If you consider travelling to Africa then go with Gorilla Trek Africa. We highly recommend them and when we go again we will definitely be in touch with Nicolas to arrange our next trip!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing once in a lifetime experience
From the time we were in contact with Gorilla Trek Africa we were looked after by Nicholas and William. Friendly, safe informative driver Lucky William looked after our needs for the four days in Uganda and Rwanda. Our accommodation was great in both locations and the time with the gorillas a highlight of our 5 week trip to Africa. Local caring company we highly recommend Gorilla Trek Africa.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
trip of a life-time holiday
We've just returned from our Rwanda tour with Gorilla Trek Africa during April 2015- what an experience we had! This was a truly a once in a lifetime experience for us that was only made better by our brilliant guide and driver William. His local knowledge was phenomenal. We travelled during the week of the 21st anniversary of the Rwandan genocide a period of mourning for Rwandans country wide - he handled the situation with delicacy and sensitivity and he gave us expert information of the history of the country. We saw everything From chimpanzee, golden monkeys, gorillas, hiked a volcano in 9 hours. I can't wait to bring the rest of my family on this trip and would recommend Gorilla Trek Africa in a heart beat to all our friends! Thanks so much William and Nicholas for the fantastic organization of our holiday!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Out of this world 8 day tour with Gorilla Trek Africa
Words cannot describe how amazing our tour with Gorilla Trek Africa was. My girlfriend and I did a 8 day trip with the company through Rwanda. Nicholas was superb at organising our bespoke trip. We started in Kigali and made our way to Nyungwe Forest where we saw the Chimps, Colobus Monkeys and hiked to the waterfall and walked in the tree canopy. A great start to the trip. Only to be outdone by the beautiful Volcano National Park where we saw the gorillas, golden monkeys and hiked Volcano Bisoke. A special thanks to our amazing guide William who took care of us throughout the tour. He was excellent in every way possible with detailed country information, history and a warm personality. Thanks to Gorilla Trek Africa and William. We will be back and will certainly travel with you again!