Here Obed Tuyumvire in Bukavu, DRC
Kumbukumbu Tours
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Member Of:
- RTTA & ATOAV
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $25 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Brian | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great trip in the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi
Awesome trip to the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi. It was well organised, packing in so many great experiences in a short time. Rachael and the local guides were excellent, helping maximise the experience and minimise the inevitable challenges in a fascinating region. Many thanks for the great memories!
NZ
Email Anita and Antony Williams | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
An intrepid adventure with Obed
My son surprised me with Kumbukumbu tour of DR Congo.
Our sincere gratitude to Obed for not only guiding us on this amazing adventure, but challenging our thoughts and senses - mentally and physically- to come out of DR Congo with enlightened appreciation of this country of extremes.
We arrived in Kigali Rwanda 3 days before Obed picked us up for this action-packed 9 day tour highlighting the Gorilla Trek at Kahuzi-Biéga National Park.
Our experiences were extreme from the scenic motorbike ride around Idjwi Island where we visited a local school, to the chaotic streets of Goma, to the exquisite cuisine and serenity of glamping on Lake Kivu, Tchegera (private) Island.
But the most unexpected highlight was the beautiful children of a Masisi village who battered my first world view that with so little in their lives, they can express such happiness.
At all times Obed anticipated our specific needs with the flexibility of an expert guide.
His exceptional skill is if something does not work, there’s always a plan B.
Anita and son (Antony)
New Zealand
PT
Email Tiago Souto | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
What an experience! Absolutely Amazing!
Me and my girlfriend, booked a RD Congo Tour, with Kumbukumbu Tours, and it was the best experience on our trip in Africa.
Obed was the best guide, he helped us with all the transportation, and was there everytime that we need him (Rwanda-Congo Border)
Virunga National Park is absolutely stunning! We stayed in Kibumba Tented Camp, which is a luxury lodge at the top of a mountain with a really nice view to the vulcanoes. The food was 5 star!! We could see the monkeys in the trees, from our tent. At night, we sat around the fireplace, talking with the other guests and staff, the people were so warm and friendly.. We did the Gorilla Trekking and were so close to the Gorillas (like 1 meter apart)... once in a lifetime experience! Highly recommend. The advantage of Virunga over other gorilla trekking experiences is that you can be sure of very small groups. In our case it was just 5 tourists plus the rangers.
Nyiragongo volcano: This is the hardest hike that we had ever complete, but it's absolutely worth it. The pictures can not come close to capturing the beauty and, for me, utter shock, of peering over the rim of Nyiragongo and staring a mile down into the most active lava lake in the world. After a challenging hike, there are few experiences more rewarding than gradually coming into earshot of the faint roar of Nyiragongo's summit. For those travelling here, remember two things: (a) in the summit, it's colder than you think, so have layers for after the hike; (b) stay hydrated and pace the way up -- it starts off feeling easy, but the slope only increases as you go up, and the volcanic rocks really starts to wear out your feet/shoes. The Virunga rangers are very patient, professional, and in complete control of the hike's route - I felt perfectly safe. Lastly, the porters, who assist with carrying items up the mountain, are Nyiragongo true heroes -- you can't thank/tip them enough for all of the hard work they put in over the course of two days.
In conclusion, I really would like to recomend Kumbukumbu Tours to everyone. The owner Obed is very professional and coordinated everything without any problem. He was so nice, helpful, friendly and welcoming for us, that we think we can call him a friend, after all. Good luck for the company, Obed. And we hope that we will see you again, in Africa or in Portugal.
Tiago and Maria
BE
Email Guy & Véronique | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Custom trip that included so many beautiful experiences in Rwanda
Now we are back in Belgium. We talk and we still think often to the many, great memories during our journey through Rwanda.
It was our first trip in Africa. Rwanda has a very green varied landscape. Previously we thought that there is not as much to be seen in Rwanda. But our young and dynamic guide, Obed, has made a very varied program to get to know better his country. Our days are well filled!
Rwanda has much more to offer than his gorillas. The trip brought us to historical places, museums. We have done a chimpanzee trekking, a canoy-walking, a game drive, a boat trip on the Kivu-lake, a local shop, … We visit a local village community, a hot water source, the border with Goma-Congo, etc. ...
During the tour, in the morning we take the car, and Obed plant our day with activities, lunch/dinner, until our next overnight. We were able to change the timetable in consultation and to adjust or replace activities. Obed was very flexible and helpful. He gives us a lot of information about Rwanda, its history and about the planned activities.
Booking the trip directly with a Rwandeze tour operator was certainly excellent and a amazing experience.
Thanks Emmauel, our driver, to bring us every day safely to our destinations.
Thank you Obed, our guide, for the beautiful tour. Thank you for taking such good care of us from the moment of arrival in Kigali to our departure. Good luck with your tour company.
FR
Email Yulia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable encounter with Rwanda's wildlife
Together with my colleagues we had a short stay in Rwanda, but we still managed to organize a 1-day trip to Akagera national park, with a precious help of Obed from Kumbukumbu Tours. Being very reactive to all our emails and messages before the trip, he provided all essential tips for preparing our visit that was relaxing and well-paced. The Kumbukumbu team was punctual that allowed to take the best from our visit. Obed was happy to answer all our questions not only about the park and wildlife, but also about cultural, social and political aspects of his country. During our trip we were lucky to see 30 various species of birds and animals, including the leopard. And Obed is knowledgeable about all the bird species names, which is impressive.
On our way back we listened to Rwandan music, and this created an extraordinary ambiance, while we observed Rwandan landscapes, villages and towns from our car.
I highly recommend the safari experience with KumbuKumbu Tours.
KW
Email Ahmed | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing and once in a lifetime experince
I enjoyed visiting Rwanda. Congo. And Uganda.
I saw all i wanted from gorillas to chinpamzees. Hijed up th nirangongo
AE
Email Michaela | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I had the time of my life.
Kumbukumbu Tours thank you for one of my best vacation ever. Everything went exactly according the plan even though this was not a resort kind of vacation.
I felt the whole time Obed is there to make sure we are enjoying every single minute of the trip.
He is professional, approachable, very flexible and friendly.
Im strongly suggesting everyone who wants to visit mountain gorillas, to choose DRC destinations with Kumbukumbu tours.
AE
Email Lucia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was a life experience, dream came through❤️Obed our tour guide was very kind and friendly
Our communication with tour guide Obed was great from the beginning. We have received an email with full itinerary and all details. Arrangements were well fulfilled and everything went as planned. Very satisfied with this trip and Kumbukumbu services. Obed well done
CA
Email Larisa &Clint | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We went to east Africa for our honeymoon and had such an amazing trip!
Booking with Kumbukumbu tours was very easy because the owner, Obed was very organized and always replied within a few hours of any emails and inquiries. We planned for gorilla trekking, chimp trekking, and a visit to Murchisons falls all in Uganda and everything was incredible. We arrived in Rwanda and on our second day after visiting the genicodie memorial we were driven across the border to Uganda to the mgahinga national park for gorilla trekking. Everything went smoothly and as planned from airport pickup to arriving at the national park. The gorilla family we visited was perfect and it was nice to get a hike in. Chimp trekking was also incredible and we watched them actively playing in the trees for over an hour. I highly recommend the boat tour in murchison falls where you will see many hippos and crocodiles and elephants on the banks of the Nile river. The falls are beautiful and strong and worth seeing.
The only issue we had was on the last day was not planned out well. After 5 hours of driving we were left in entebbe for 6 hours to do nothing so we ended up going to the airport very early. There was definitely better use of this time or we could have booked an earlier flight.
Obed is a great guide and is fun and interesting to talk to. Our driver, Baraka, was very nice and fun as well and our other driver Ambrose was very professional.
Uganda is incredible and I recommend visiting and using Kumbukumbu tours for a great budget tour company.
US
Email Ania | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Memorable 3 Weeks in East Africa
I wanted to visit Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda in one trip. In early 2018, I arranged a customized program for the coming November with Obed – who was recommended to me by a fellow traveler. Originally from the DRC, but now residing across the border in Rwanda, Obed had the contacts and expertise to make my plan happen. In addition, he was competitively (and reasonably) priced. From the planning process to the time of booking, I received nothing but excellent customer service. Obed listened and made sure to deliver. He appropriately took care of the required permits for me – no problems anywhere. Communication was never an issue – he replied to my emails and messages in a timely fashion and made sure to address each question, comment, and concern. This continued into the tour. He showed up on time every single day. Obed’s friendly, welcoming personality and energy radiated from the moment he greeted me in Rwanda. Conversations were easy – we shared the same sense of humor. He was informative, yet listened to know when I had enough. Furthermore, he was able to answer all of my questions without any hesitation. He made sure that I was comfortable throughout the trip – whether in the car or checking in to the accommodations. The vehicles used for transportation were comfortable. Most importantly, he was flexible. Anytime that I had an idea, or wanted to add or get rid of an activity, he made it happen. No questions asked. Overall, Obed was a delightful guide and lived up to (and exceeded) my expectations. I strongly recommend Obed and Kumbukumbu Tours if you need a fixer or a tour operator/guide for the area.