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
DE
Email Christian | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect in every way
The four day trip to Uganda and Rwanda exeeded our expectations, perfect from the beginning to the end. Not only the car and equipment, especially the very knowledgable and friendly tour guide, but also the excellent choice of locations and perfect organisation leave not other choice than awarding the highest possible score. Highly recommended.
US
Email Chirag & Hemal | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Horrible
We had been wanting to go to Rwanda to see the gorillas for a few years. We chose Rwanda over Uganda due to the conservation efforts of the country. A trip like this costs a lot of money so we had to really plan it out. We have traveled all over the world and have been to Africa many times including Tanzania, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya and Botswana. In March 2019, from online research my husband, Chirag Amin, contacted the company, Gorilla Trek Africa, working with their senior consultant Nelson. Chirag asked them to create a luxury package as we were travelling without our children after many years.
There were some things my husband wanted to do such as go to Congo while we were there. He threw out some ideas but wasn’t really guided one way or another to say whether some of those things are plausible. Eventually we had an itinerary. So comes July and we are ready to go, we confirmed multiple times that this was a luxury package as we were paying luxury package price. We packed everything on the list that was provided by the agency. We flew from Tampa to DC to Brussels to Kigali. Before we had even landed and started our trip we got an email from Nelson saying
We previously told you that the balance can only be paid in in cash in
>
> new USD bills or by card/ bank not later than a week to the start of
> the
> tour. It is very disappointing to hear that you want to pay by card at
>
> this late hour.
We weren’t sure why he was disappointed, I guess they want cash but we wanted to pay by card. It wasn’t even the cash/card issue it was the tone the email took as soon as he learned we were paying by card and we hadn’t even landed yet. I told my husband this does not sound good, so we managed to half the balance in cash and the other half by card not to make HIS disappointment worse.
Night 2, we got to our first hotel which wasn’t bad but were told by multiple people it is a 3 star even for Rwanda. We figured we will address it later, let’s see how things go. The food was to be included in the package so we went for lunch. The menu was extensive and looked pretty good. I asked for a salad, they didn’t have lettuce. Fine, I asked for a sandwich, they didn’t have cheese. Fine, how about some pizza? Again no cheese. That narrowed the choices to soup and meat and rice. This wasn’t an issue as it was one of our first meals. However, by meal 3 we had eaten the same thing 3 times. The shower was slimy but the bed was comfortable.
Our second day we went to go see chimpanzees before we were to leave for Goma/Congo. On our tour we met many people and told them about our plans and where we were staying in Goma. One of the gentle man was from Germany living in Kigali, a journalist that has traveled all over that area. Him and his companion as well as our driver advised us the hotel in Goma is maybe a 2 star. Our friend on the tour said you won’t be able to stay there, its barely $40 a night. Chirag contacted Nelson and expressed his concern, Nelson said he can change the hotel as there are other options but it will cost us 300$ USD to change it. First, a hotel that was 40$ a night was booked for a luxury package while another option was available and then we were charged $300 to change it!! Nelson’s email even said the hotel in Goma is just OK. We also expressed out concerns about the hotel we were currently staying at. In response, Nelson said our expectations and African reality were no matched. He further went on to say
Once you lower your expectations, you will have a great trip experience
just like what others always get
I see you are just being so picky and complicated and this will
compromise your trip experience.
We asked for a luxury package, paid for a luxury package to not only receive sub par accommodations but unprofessional, rude and unacceptable customer service. We were asked to LOWER our expectations. This made Chirag upset as believe me we paid a lot of money for this trip. He told Nelson that this was upsetting in return Nelson said
We are all human!
Just the way you get pissed off, i as well can get pissed off!
Let us not make an issue out of this
We need to cooperate if we are to have a good trip, otherwise threats
won't make any good for any of us
You either enjoy your trip or ruin it, the ball is entirely in your
hands
So my over all review, if you want to pay luxury prices, then receive sub par accommodations and even worse treatment, book with this agency. We encountered many tourists that were staying at nice hotels so it has nothing to do with the African reality. This agency hopes that you are a naïve traveler and won’t know any better so they can charge for a luxury package but then treat you like crap once they get your money. Why book a hotel that $40 a night 2 stars and they say oh there is a better option, it will cost you $300 to change it. Why was booked to begin with? Chirag never gave Nelson a ceiling for the price of the package so he charged A LOT but delivered nothing and then HE was disappointed when we didn’t’ bring cash. The email excerpts are just the tip of the iceberg. He never apologized and even stopped contacting us to fix anything. And if you say anything they will get pissed off and cut off contact. This is highly unprofessional, so forget about the money, book with this agency if you want to be treated badly.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
5 Days with Gorilla Trek Africa
We had a wonderful time in Uganda and were perfectly happy with the organization of the trip! Booking was easy through emails. Nicholas replies to my numerous emails were nearly instantaneous. The payment through wire transfer was simple and not as expensive as payment through credit card.
The car was in a good condition (I was a bit scared before going on the trip because I had some bad feedbacks from travellers on this), the lodges were nice with friendly staff and the food was simple but surprisingly good and nicely presented.
And last but not the least, we would like to thank again our guide and driver Rogers who really went out of his way to make our trip as interesting and hassle-free as possible. Bravo!
Email Kirsty | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful trip - I'd definitely recommend
I've always wanted to go gorilla trekking and can honestly say it was an incredible experience. I would definitely recommend it and the tour operator. When I was booking I was worried about the cost and also the fact that the Trekkers cannot 'guarantee' you'll see the gorillas. I didn't need to worry, whilst they say they can't guarantee, I think it pretty much is guaranteed, they monitor the gorillas movements during the day and then send rangers out in the morning to follow their movements. We saw a large group and even babies. It really was breathtaking, once in a lifetime and well worth the money. You get so close to them too. Our guide was brilliant, knowledgable, friendly and very willing to adapt the trip to be exactly what we wanted to do over the 3 days. The staff on the trip and also the pre-trip discussions were all very helpful - thank you!
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience and fantastic Guide
I had a long weekend and wanted to do something memorable in it. I got in touch with a number of travel companies however Gorilla Trek provided the most active and comprehensive itinerary which is why I chose them.
From the moment I arrived to the time I left, everything was taken care of. My guide Eric was just awesome. Cannot recommend him highly enough. He looked after me the whole time, was so insightful and really put 100% in each day. He really made the whole thing (well that and the Gorillas!).
Overall an amazing trip. Recommend the company.
Email Robyn Maloney | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lifetime Experience
A friend recommended Gorilla Trek Africa so I decided to contact them. When I first emailed them to inquire about tours to Rwanda they were very professional and got back to me quickly and after deciding what tour to do I booked for my husband and I and we weren't disappointed. On arrival in Rwanda we were met by David our guide who was friendly, had lots of knowledge, good English and nothing was a problem for him. The car was clean and reliable and our hotel was excellent - everything about the tour was exceptional. I have recommended Gorilla Trek Africa to friends as they make your trip to Rwanda a memorable one.
Email Alison | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gorillas in the mist
I took a solo two day trip to the see the gorillas in Volcanos National Park, Rwanda, and it was incredible. I'd highly recommend the company - and in particular my wonderful driver and guide, Enos. He was extremely knowledgeable and a real gentleman. I was travelling solo and he made sure I was looked after every step of the way. And of course - the gorillas were amazing! We got to see an entire family after just 30 minutes of trekking - and were privileged enough to see a baby that had been born the night before. It was a truly unforgettable experience and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Gorilla Trek Africa to anyone.
US
Email Dan S. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Terrific trip; Sam was amazing guide that went above and beyond to give us a special trip.
Gorilla Trek helped put together a trip of a lifetime. Nicholas was extremely efficient in responding to our emails and our driver-guide Sam was more than just a great tour guide; he is a wonderful human being you taught us about his country and took amazing care of us throughout our 8 days with him. We not only tracked the Mountain Gorillas, the Golden Monkeys and the Chimpanzees, we learned about the people and culture of Rwanda. I highly recommend Gorilla Trek.
TR
Email azat gul | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
reliable company
We have returned from a 5 day Uganda and Rwanda tour with Gorilla Trek Africa.
It was a nice experience. Everything was well organised.
There was nothing bad ay all. Our driver/guide Bernard is a really nice person. I must say that he is wise. Nicholas, my contact in the travel agency, was very helpful since the beginning. He allowed me to custom our journey. I highly recommend Gorilla Trek Africa.
Absolutely Amazing and Reliable Company
I could not speak more highly of this company and its service. First of all, we dealt with Nicolas when organizing our trip. He was spectacular. He would reply almost always within 24 hours and was always willing to answer our questions or make changes to our itinerary. We were able to tell Nicolas what we wanted and he was able to secure it all--great hotels, gorilla trekking permits, and excursions all for the right price. It could not have been any better.
When we arrived we were also blessed to have, what we thought, as the best guide on earth. Bernard was awesome. I would even recommend asking for him if he is available. He was super informative, always positive, amazingly helpful, and very caring (even stopping on our drives to pick us up drinks and local fruits). If you get the opportunity to have Bernard as your guide, you will not regret it!
Our trip started in Kampala, Uganda and Bernard drove us down to Kigali, Rwanda--making multiple stops on the way. We gorilla trekked in Rwanda and went on a safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park--both of which I would recommend.
All in all, our trip could not have been better. I would absolutely recommend this company.