FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime in Africa
Fantastic 2-week trip in Africa split between Kenya and Rwanda.
Focused mostly on animals.
The trip in Kenya was absolutely marvelous with the assistance of Beverly. We went to Samburu to start then Masai Mara in a conservancy. The hotels selected were absolutely gorgeous especially basecamp leopard hill.
Then we spent 9 days in Rwanda. A country I strongly recommend. People were so welcoming. We were accompanied by Mico our guide who made his best to satisfy our requests and needs. We spent a lot of time together driving and it was very entertaining.
The hotels were great. The highlight was definitely the gorilla trekking.
We spent 2 nights in Kigali and it is worth it. I could have spent more time there.
I think it is important to specify your briefing and needs ahead to make sure the trip is what you want. In Rwanda there is a lot to see also from a historical point of view.
The only thing I would have liked is to discover more things in Kigali beyond touristic places. For example, there are a lot of craftsmanship workshops to support women empowerment that I would have liked to explore.
Overall a fantastic trip.
GR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Abu was the best driver we could ever have!
Amazing experience and unique pictures!! We enjoyed every single moment!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
honest transparent trustworthy
Mr Frank of Golden Rwanda Safaris was great to communicate with. He was frank in his assessment of our travel wishes and was upfront and honest and fair with everything; our driver Abou is very jovial and easy to talk with. We had a great time in varied conversations on our drives. It was an amazing experience and all the accommodations were excellent as were the foods and services. We highly recommend Governor's Residence in Kigali as well as Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel. The foods and services and rooms were all excellent. We felt they were good values! We would trust Frank and Golden Rwanda Safaris to help craft a trip of a lifetime. Abou was an awesome driver guide! What a wonderful trip thanks to Frank, Abou and Golden Rwanda! It is a beautiful country with wonderful people! A special encounter with a gorilla family among the Rwanda hills is something to treasure forever!
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our tour operator was very organized and easy to get along with
We had a group of 6 on a safari that was excellent. Golden Rwanda safaris was very responsive on WhatsApp and able to accommodate us on short notice. The food was great (especially breakfast) and the safari was also successful with our group even seeing a lion.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very responsive and detailed oriented, great customer service.
I was in Rwanda for work and had 1 Saturday free, as a solo female traveler, I was a little nervous to sign up for a safari by myself, but I'm glad I did. I'm grateful for all of Golden Rwanda Safari's support in the process and had a really great experience the day of the safari. My guide worked very hard to find all the animals in the park that were on my top list and was very informational about their habitats and behaviors. The breakfast and lunch were excellent as well.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Deep Dive into Rwanda
I initially came in skeptical of Golden Rwanda Safaris' all 5 star reviews - after all, it is very rare for anything to have all 5 star reviews these days. However, I can say that Golden Rwanda Safaris has met, if not exceeded, my expectations. Through a custom tour package (I selected their Chimpanzee and Golden Monkeys tour and tacked on a gorilla trek), I was able to see Rwanda's unique wildlife. I felt blessed when I saw a chimp family eating their day away in a fig tree, and I nearly broke down in tears as I witnessed gorillas in Volcanos National Park, and how they were just like us.
But perhaps the best part of the experience was making friends with my safari driver, Sufiani, with whom we talked about many things, from science and technology, to the cultures and histories of both Rwanda and the United States. It is one of those moments where you - both of us really - truly get to know how people live and think on opposite sides of the world.
I did notice some flaws however that relate to the hotels: for example, the Top View Hotel room wifi did not work properly, and the Five Volcanos Boutique Hotel had trouble with hot water. I don't hold them against Golden Rwanda Safaris since they are outside the scope of the tour company. Besides, they are still obscenely luxurious places to stay compared to my budget safari experience in Kenya the previous week where we slept in tents (let alone compared to how the locals live).
In addition, given recent events it is prudent to be mindful of the security situation in Rwanda. Sufiani had to rebook my hotel in Gisenyi due to the M23 rebel takeover of Goma the day before, and the Rwanda-DRC border remains dangerous at the time of this writing. While Rwanda remains relatively safe, and Golden Rwanda Safaris will do everything in their power to ensure your safety (e.g. the rebooking), it is a reminder that this remains a volatile part of the world.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Spectacular safari to Rwanda to visit the mountain gorillas and their national parks
In planning my trip to Rwanda I communicated frequently with Frank Benoit KANYAMUTARA, the Founder/Owner of Golden Rwanda Safaris, who answered my questions thoughtfully and promptly. He put together a 12 day safari that included my priorities of seeing the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees and added so many beautiful sites that I could not have imagined, such as the Nyanza King Palace. With the longer safari, I had time to see so much of Rwanda including a gorilla family in Volcanoes National Park, lions and many other animals in Akagera National Park, the crafts market in Kigali and a local village. My guide Taufique was very knowledgeable about Rwanda and offered me the option of by-passing or adding destinations to the safari, as well as time to relax. He was pleasant, patient, reliable and thoughtful of my interests, especially in selecting a gorilla family that could be reached by a pleasantly challenging trek for me as a 69 year old. The lodging at every stop was outstanding and far exceeded my expectations, including the Hotel Five Volcanoes, the Governor's Residence and the Akagera Lodge. I was very satisfied with my safari to Rwanda and feel that the price was well worth the memories of this extraordinary experience!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience and Thank You Golden Rwanda Safaris for making it all happen.
From the onset of our initial inquiry 8 months previous and thru to the end of our safari, it was a very nice experience working with Golden Rwanda Safaris. Frank ( found / owner) and our driver Taufique were excellent!! Taufique was very flexible, personable and accommodating to all of your needs.
I was especially impressed with the extra support efforts that Taufique and Frank provided when one of our colleagues got sick the evening before our gorilla trek and had to miss his scheduled gorilla trek. Frank and Taufique did a lot of scrambling to managed to secure a gorilla trek for the next day. It would have been a shame if he had to miss that amazing experience of seeing the gorillas!!
Regards,
Joe D.
ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Nice experience
We have just finished a 10-day trip organised by Golden Rwanda Safaris. The experience has been very positive, from the first contacts with Frank, the owner, to the last day of the trip.
Before talking about the trip, I want to say that the communication with Frank before arriving in Rwanda has been very easy, reactive and fluid. Depending on new ideas for activities, we were discussing with Frank and adapting the trip planning. The payment in two installments was also an easy step. Later, during the trip, when we came up with new activities, such as visiting a coffee plantation, it was also possible to adapt it so that it could be done.
The trip, at all times with its guide Mico, took us to Kigali, Nyungwe, Lake Kivu, Volcanoes National Park and Akagera National Park. Mico was always very attentive to the development of the trip. Punctual and efficient. Adapting to what we were discussing during the trip. Having an experienced guide makes the choice of activities and recommendations (such as the gorilla group to see) positive. All the activities have been very good, but I recommend one that is less known: the hike to the Bisoke volcano. A wonderful landscape and a good workout.
The choice of accommodations throughout the trip is very successful. Quality, from accommodation in tents in Akagera to very premium hotels like in Lake Kivu.
In short, if you decide to organize your trip with Frank and his team, you will have a very good experience. Rwanda has been our eighth country in Africa.
Thank you Frank. Thank you Mico.
(automatic translation from Spanish)
GR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good experience
Good authentic experience. The guide was very nice and made sure we had a good time