Umubano Tours
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2007)
- Member Of:
- RTTA, PURE TRAVEL & EAC VISION
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $70 to $957 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Willowann | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Family Adventure: highly recommend this very reputable and trustworthy company
My family of four spent 8 days in Rwanda over Christmas last year (2014) as part of a 5 week trip to East Africa. I booked the whole Rwandan section of the trip through Umubano Tours (including our Gorilla Trekking Permits) and can't recommend them highly enough. From my first email contact with Herbert he was professional, friendly, informative and always replied promptly to my emails.
I had a very definite idea of what I wanted to include in the itinerary right down to the accommodation I wanted to use. Whilst Herbert was happy to make suggestions on what was attainable to fit into the trip he was always respectful of my wishes and with his help we had the most amazing adventure. I was a little hesitant about wiring the money for the trip (a 40% deposit initially followed by a final payment prior to departing from home) but Herbert was very quick to send through receipts and copies of the Gorilla permits when they arrived.
Our guide Didier was just wonderful, he was friendly, happy and informative, and nothing was too much trouble for him. He was waiting for us at the airport and we set off straight away for the Mountain Gorilla View Lodge. The following day Didier helped secure our position to hike to the Susa group. During our trip Didier made sure that we always had plenty of water and we made impromptu stops for snacks and photos as we travelled, we even stopped to visit a beach side festival in Gisenyi! Our family enjoyed talking with Didier and learning about his country and culture from him. We shared many funny moments and he helped to make our trip a unique experience. It was a pleasure to have Didier as our guide.
Rwanda is a truly beautiful country and the people are very friendly. We have been blessed to travel a little over the last few years and every trip we say ‘oh this is our favourite place’ but Rwanda will always be special to us. My advice would be if you get the chance to visit Rwanda take that chance, you won’t regret it. I would also suggest that Herbert and Didier are the perfect people to help make your trip an enjoyable and unique, once in a lifetime experience.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A very reputable outfit
Seeing the mountain gorillas of Rwanda has been a dream of mine since I was a young child, and choosing Umubano Tours as our safari operator met all of my hopes and expectations.
Booking + payment:
We discovered them after some internet research into companies and the great reputation that Herbert and his staff have earned themselves. All of our questions were answered with prompt correspondence and everything ran reassuringly smoothly before heading out to Rwanda. Payment schedule was clear and easy enough to transfer after a visit to the bank. We paid a remaining 50% in USD upon meeting Herbert in Ruhengeri.
Accommodation + Gorilla trek:
The night preceding our gorilla trek was included in our package. We stayed at the Muhabura Hotel (you can check it out on TripAdvisor) and they helped us get hold of Herbert and meet him in the restaurant to explain our itinerary for the following day. They also gave us (for a fee) a packed lunch we could take on our trek.
We did their 1 day trek into Volcanoes National Park - all that we could afford on our backpacker budget. The groups of 8 people tracking each family have not necessarily all booked with Umubano and are led by Volcanoes NP guides, but after conversations with the others in our group, Umubano seem to have been an excellent choice of operator, especially for the price they charge. Whether to do more than 1 day of trekking is up to you - whether you want different types of hike (different families come with varied difficulties of tracking) and are happy trusting whatever mood the family are in on the day you see them.
Driver + logistics:
Gerard our driver was excellent and even drove us to the bus station free of charge from our hotel at the end of the day. Things were a little unclear when we arrived at the hotel included in our safari package, but the manager of the hotel helped us call Herbert, who assured us he was coming to meet us that evening. Herbert gave us a great explanation with a map and discussed our options about which families we might want to track.
Overall:
Cannot recommend Umubano Tours enough. They were polished, friendly and affordable - a perfect combination for an unforgettable safari.
CA
Email Shaadi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trekking for Gorillas with Umubano Tours
In April of 2015 I travelled to Rwanda and completed four gorilla treks, all organized by Umubano Tours.
Umubano Tours was highly recommended online, prompting me to reach out to its principal, Herbert, for an itinerary. Herbert was extremely helpful in planning the trip, always quick to respond with good advice. In country, my guide was Bosco, though Herbert also made sure to introduce himself and ensure I had everything I needed. Bosco was a fantastic guide, very personable and willing to help with whatever I required.
I recommend Umubano Tours without reservation. This is an excellent company that went out of its way to make sure my trip was a massive success. I will certainly use them again for any tours in regions they service.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic tour of Rwanda!
Umubano Tours organized our eight day tour of Rwanda in April 2015. Herbert (the Head of Operations) gave us lots of helpful advice while we were planning the trip and provided a good choice of itinerary and accommodation options. We spent two days in Akagera NP (safari), two days in Volcanoes NP (gorilla & golden monkey trekking), a day at Lake Kivu and two days in Nyungwe NP (chimpanzee trekking) before returning to Kigali. It was one of the most enjoyable holidays my wife and I have ever had. Our guide Didier was professional, friendly, courteous and knowledgeable and a great ambassador for the country. The transport provided was comfortable which was important with a lot of travelling in a short amount of time. We were happy with all the hotels and lodges suggested but particularly Nyungwe Forest Lodge which has stunning views of rainforest and tea plantations. I would thoroughly recommend Rwanda as a holiday destination and Umubano Tours as a tour operator.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic tour operator and extremely helpful/informative
Myself and my wife travelled with Umubano Tours in March 2015 and we have nothing but good things to say about the company or their staff.
All enquiries before the trip were made with Herbert, who answered all questions (big or small) and also was also willing to answer questions which were not about the tour.
Herbert was willing to structure our tour around what we wanted to do and there were no pressures to stay to a standard/ready-made tour, although there were some example itineraries and Herbert's assistance to guide us. A variety of hotels/lodges were also offered subject to our budget.
Once all aspects had been agreed, a full detailed itinerary was provided along with some additional useful information about the country itself.
On arrival we were met by Bosco who was to be our guide for the next five days. From beginning to end Bosco was a great guide, being informative and helpful throughout our stay - he would also always make sure that we were well fed!
In addition to the information about the area/gorillas, Bosco was also kind enough to share his personal experiences as well, including those of the Genocide, gorillas and his (many) children.
Wherever we went with Bosco we always felt safe and welcomed - especially as Bosco seemed to know everyone!
If anyone is considering using Umubano Tours I would have no hesitation in recommending them as highly as possible.
Thanks again for the memories!
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect day-trips to both Akagera and the gorillas park
We did two day-trips with Umubano tours from Kigali to the Akagera Park and the gorillas park.
Both experiences were amazing.
Our first driver, Didier, was particularly nice and friendly, we had a very nice day with him.
Enjoy Umubano tours!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent stress-free trip of a lifetime!
We recently returned from an 18-day tour around Rwanda expertly arranged by Herbert of Umubano Tours & recommend him highly! After emailing Herbert with everything we wanted to do, (based on tours posted on his website), he promptly emailed a customized itinerary at a very reasonable price. From the time our guide, Bosco, picked us up at the airport with a beaming smile, until he returned us after the best trip we could have imagined, every day was a new adventure filled with laughter, wonder & many jaw-dropping moments! Bosco was excellent in ensuring we were well taken care of & translating with the locals. From visiting 3 gorilla families, (each a totally different & humbling experience); all the various monkey species going about their business, (tons of fun); seeing hippos cooling off in the water close up, (awesome!); startling a bull elephant about to cross the road with his family, (causing him to trumpet & flap his ears in warning - OMG - heart-stopping!!); having the "angry" elephant saunter along behind us picking off leaves from treetops - (poor guy's full of bullets & has the reputation of getting cranky on a moment's notice!); to dancing with natives at a former poachers' village; to staying in Dianne Fossey's room; to boating to an island to see a massive bat colony, this trip exceeded our expectations! If adventure is your thing, you must go to Rwanda! Although visiting the "gentle-giant" gorillas are a must - (please hire a couple of porters. They need this income to buy food for their families & not poach. Also, after carefully hauling me up & down the mountains which I could never have done without them, they certainly earned generous tips & were so grateful. Rwandans are the sweetest people. It's a fabulous learning experience watching the locals go about their daily lives, (walking miles up & down huge hills with goods to sell on their heads); watching roads being built by pick & ax; having fresh milk & eggs for breakfast each morning, (from the hens & cows out back); going to a local market; waving to the adorable children who grin & wave back, to enjoying driving around the beautiful countryside. It's like going back in time 100 years. But our vehicle was new & comfy & Bosco went above & beyond to ensure we were having a great time, which we always were. We 100% recommend Herbert of Umubano Tours, with Bosco as your reliable guide who will take great care of you! You will have an unforgetable, stress-free trip of a lifetime & help support these wonderful Rwanda people!
Fantastic Experience with Umubano Tours!
My husband and I spent 4 nights in Rwanda with one day in Kigali and two days of Gorilla trekking. We booked our whole tour through Umubano and cannot recommend them enough - they were fantastic! Herbert was very professional and responsive to our emails. We were met at the airport by our guide, Didier who was wonderful. He gave us a lot of insight into the people of Rwanda and its history. The vehicle was impeccably clean and well maintained. Everything was delivered exactly as we had agreed and according to the itinerary. Would absolutely recommend Umubano tours!
ES
Email Emma | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very good service
I booked a private tour and everything was arranged perfectly to my needs. Would recommend to anyone.
Email Gill | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Brilliant Tour Company - Excellent service from the moment I sent my first email
From the moment I first began communicating with Umubano Tours they were extremely efficient. Herbert and Peter were very helpful when I began to plan our trip to Rwanda. They always replied to emails within a few hours and provided lots of suggestions for our trip. We booked our accommodation and permits for a 12 day trip through Rwanda. We were welcomed at the airport by Didie, our driver for the tour. He spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable about the history of his country, the people and the wildlife. He kept us entertained during our long drives between stops. He has a great sense of humour and a wicked laugh.
The trip worked out as planned and Didie was always punctual when picking us up from hotel/lodge. He is a proficient driver and we always felt safe with him at the wheel. I would highly recommend this company to assist you with planning your trip to Rwanda and to safely escort you around the country. Nothing was too much trouble and even when we decided to change accommodation for 2 nights this was completed efficiently without any problems. Excellent company. Thank you Didie and Umubano Tours for making our trip to Rwanda so special. !0))