How to avoid being scammed when planning your Rwanda safari online

To avoid online Rwanda safari scammer, ensure to use the assistance from an accredited tour company. Avoid short cuts when planning the Rwanda safari especially from those who may pretend to offer low cost prices on activities whose prices are within public domain. The current cost of Rwanda gorilla trekking permit is $1500 so do not expect an offer that is below this for international nonresidents.

Most Popular Safaris

2 Day Bwindi Gorilla Safari through Kigali

4 Day Rwanda gorilla trekking & wildlife viewing safari

5 Day Gorilla Trekking Rwanda

3 Days Rwanda Gorilla Tracking Safari

4 day gorilla trekking & Dian Fossey tomb visit

4 Day Uganda Safari via Kigali

14 Day Uganda Safari via Kigali

3 Day Akagera National Park Safari

3 Day Bwindi Double trek via Kigali

Most companies that do Rwanda safaris are officially registered by Rwanda bodies like Rwanda Development Board to operate tours with in the country. Ensure to do research about the tour company dealing with your on ground safari work to avoid getting duped.

Check the review about the company from credible travel forum like trip advisor or lonely planet, safari bookings and more. Extend the company research to the social media pages owned by this company to get a glimpse into there past activities.

Often ask relevant questions about the Rwanda safari destinations you are interested in to test how much knowledge the company operators know about Rwanda as a destination.

Use the contact form of the company you hope to do the Rwanda safari with to avoid copying the wrong address that may end in an email box of the wrong people.

In case you have to use a credit card to pay for the Uganda safari package, do not forward your credit card details to a person you are still doubting to avoid getting scammed.

Read details about the Rwanda safari destination you are interested in prior so that you are not out spotted or lied too by the driver guide or on local guides on ground. This keeps you in control of the Rwanda safari flow by contributing to the best of your knowledge. There is information online about Rwanda safari destinations and other sources of information you get access to.

What Activities To Do On Rwanda Safari

Rwanda Gorilla Trekking

Gorilla trekking is on the top tier of the Rwanda safari activities. The mountain gorilla in Rwanda are some of the few living the world as they are highly endangered. According to the recent census about 1000 mountain gorillas are living in the world a number that still retains them on the list of the highly endangered animals.

Volcanoes National Park is the only home of the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, a pristine rain forest inhabited by a wide range of fauna and flora too. The trail network that connects different parts of Volcanoes forest are often wet from the several rivers and streams.

Because of the dense canopy of volcanoes forest, less sunlight sips through the massive leaves to the grounds to reduce on the level of humidity in the forest. This leaves the ground wet and soggy most of the day.

The gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda is steeper compared to her counterparts because of the several highlands formed left by the velocity of Volcanic action that affected this area. Finally when you locate the mountain gorillas only one hour is allowed with them as a conservation measure but make the best of it.

Chimpanzee Trekking In Rwanda

Embark on a chimpanzee trekking adventure in Rwanda to Nyungwe National Park. Uwinka is the center where most park activities are conducted as it is the headquarter of Nyungwe park. Every person heading for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest is expected to gather at Uwinka for briefing before heading into the forest to start the search.

Every trail in Nyungwe forest unleashes an adventure opening chances to find other primates including black and white colobus, red tailed monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey and more. The rich birdlife that Nyungwe forest hosts is a double opportunity for enthusiastic birders.

Multitudes of indigenous natural tree species form part of Nyungwe forest and botanists have so much to enjoy during the trek to find the chimpanzees.

One need a chimpanzee trekking permit from Rwanda Development Board to attend the morning or afternoon session.

Game safaris in Rwanda

Akagera National Park is the game safari destination of Rwanda but you have to drive through winding tracks to find them. Chances of seeing the big five during a game drive in Akagera National Park are open that is lions, leopards, Rhinos, elephants and Buffaloes.  More residents animals of Akagera National Park include gazelles, waterbucks, bushbucks,  zebrasa, giraffes and others.

As Akagera National Park is recovering from the tremor of genocide and other civil unrest that affected Rwanda in the past, African Parks in collaboration with Rwanda Development Board are trying to revamp the park. So far great conservation success has been registered as the number of animals in Akagera National Park is increasing.

A boat ride on Lake Ihema at your own comfort is refreshing as you watch a number of animals move to the banks to quench thirst, splash water on their bodies to cool off the day’s heat and more. Ponds of hippos are often seen in the shallow waters of Lake Ihema. A number of water birds flock the marshy shoreline of Lake Ihema.

Canopy walk in Rwanda

The canopy walk over Nyungwe forest in Rwanda will uplifts you to capture a better view of the park and its beautiful surrounding. The 160 meters long suspension bridge stands approximately 70 meters above the forest but not for the faint hearted.

From the bridge, you can enjoy the aerial view of Nyungwe forest and features that form part of its topography, Birds are likely to emerge from the leafy tree canopy into space while you view  from a point on this bridge.

In east Africa, this is so far the only one of its kind and worth trying while on Rwanda safari.

Visit the Genocide Memorials

After the tragedy of 1994 when Rwanda underwent 100 days or terror, the remains of the victims are preserved in memorials. Some of the possible genocide memorials you may get to visit during Rwanda safaris include Blue Barret, Church De Familie and others.

The genocide memorials in Rwanda are a reminder to the people of Rwanda and visitors of what unresolved conflicts can turn into as millions of Rwandese nations witnessed this tragic era.

Money collected from the visitors to the Rwanda genocide memorials is used to rehabilitate the victims and support them too where necessary.

Kigali city tour

Kigali city is where Rwanda heart beats and a city tour around this park gets you to know more about Rwanda’ economic activities, political and social lifestyle of the people and more. During the Kigali city tour you may visit the business centers, museums, participate in craft making, pottery, weaving and more in center like Nyakarimbi

Birding in Rwanda

Rwanda is home to over 700 bird species including endemic species. During the birding adventure in Rwanda, you may visit Volcanoes forest, Nyungwe forest and others. Having a professional birding guide during this Rwanda safari is an added advantage.

Some of the possible birds to see during Rwanda birding safari include Alpine chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, Malachite Sunbird, Rwenzori Turacco and other.

Cultural Experience in Rwanda

Rwanda has rich culture that the public is ready to share with the rest of the world. Rwanda has the Ethnological Museum in Huye where some of the past items used by the people of Rwanda are preserved, It is a center where lessons about the Rwandese culture are taught to the young generation so that this is preserved for generations. The local dance moves of the Rwandese people especially Intore dance which is often accompanied by rhythmic sounds of long drums is eye captivating. Get in touch with us for more information.

When Is The Best Time To Plan Rwanda Safari

The dry season that is June to October and December to January provides a better environment to explore Rwanda. Note that Rwanda is open all year and no extreme weather conditions stop any Rwanda safari activity from happen.

During the dry season, the weather in Rwanda favors a number of safari activities as the tracks and roads to several destinations are passable. For the grasslands especially in Akagera National Park where wild animals live, they are lower permitting better visibility.

More sunlight infiltrates the dense canopies of the forested Rwanda parks creating better ambience to view inhabitants like mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and others.

Note that this is the peak tourism season on Rwanda so advance Rwanda safari booking is recommended to avoid last minute disappointments.

The wet season that is normally March to May and October to November is open for Rwanda safaris too. Even though the influx of tourists is normally lower, chances of get uninterrupted time with the primates such as mountain gorillas, chimpanzee or golden monkeys in Rwanda are more open. The rich green vegetation in conservation areas around Rwanda is vibrant and creates a perfect location for nature photographing.

Birding in Rwanda is better at the beginning of the Rainy season as they hassle to get nets ready for the serious rainy season and hatching period.

Visiting Rwanda is open any time of the year when you feel prepared to enjoy its massive beauties with in its small boundaries.

Cost of Rwanda Safaris

The cost of Rwanda safaris varies with activities, number of days, timing, number of people travelled with and other considerations. At Encounter Africa safaris, we package our safaris according to Luxury, mid-range and basic.

We have prepackaged Rwanda safaris on our website www.gorilla-tracking-uganda.com and we can tailor a custom-made Rwanda safari itinerary to the best of your needs and budget. Our professional team of safari consultants is ready to work with you to turn the dream of your African safari  intoa reality and memorable.

The cost of accommodation and transport to the Rwanda safaris play a critical role in determining the safari package you choose.

Important but exceptional Rwanda safari costs like gorilla permits, chimpanzee permits, golden monkey permits are universal costs. Every tourist is expected to pay conservation fees as it is compulsory to every one visit the Rwanda National park. The gorilla permit cost for Rwanda however includes the conservation fees.

What To Expect On Rwanda Safari

During Rwanda Safari, expect to do most activities from the wilderness as Rwanda’s primary destinations are nature conservation areas that is national parks. Gorilla trekking tops the list of Rwanda safari activities to do and it is in pristine Volcanoes National Park.

Sharing the Rwanda safari destinations with other tourists is expected because all safari activities are open to the public. For activities like gorilla trekking or chimpanzee trekking, or golden monkey trekking in Rwanda the number of visitors is restricted as a conservation measure.

In general, the people of Rwanda are friendly to strangers so expect some to reach out in case you need assistance. In addition, the general environment of Rwanda is beautifully dotted with highlands from which the country gets its name the “land of a thousand hills.” These also condition the climate of Rwanda as most of the time the temperatures are low with modest sunshine.

 You must be a law abiding visitor to Rwanda because in case you break any of the laws of this country, there is a hefty penalty. Right from immigration, there are huge bill boards about not accepting unlawful drugs into the Rwanda because there is a huge price to pay in case you are caught.

Expect to experience language barrier at some Rwanda safari destinations especially those run by the locals because some still speak French and English may not be clear in case you are English speaking. You may be required to hire an interpreter to translate some information for you to get the point.

Do not expect a smooth ride all through Rwanda even though most of the roads especially in town centers are well constructed. As you drive into the countryside, the roads become quite rough and rough. The roads are winding too in Rwanda because majority were curved at the slopes or bottom of the highlands.

Having a visa to Rwanda is a must for those from countries that are not visa free. It is better to apply for the Rwanda visa in advance to avoid having to waste time at immigration because of the long ques.

Contact us for more information.