6 Days Birding in Rwanda

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Insight Safari Holidays
  
 196 Tripadvisor reviews 
 
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 Jessie M 
 
2024-03-10
 
 
  
The trip of a lifetime
We loved the trip Insight Safaris planned for us through Uganda. From Murchison Falls to Lake Mburo, it couldn’t have been a more delightful mix of game drives, boat tours and primate treks. The lodging selections were well suited to our comfort level. The people at all of them were friendly, helpful, professional and courteous and the food was (mostly) wonderful. At first, I was worried that we would be spending more time driving than experiencing, but I was wrong. Even the drives between the other events were an experience I wouldn’t want to have missed. We loved the fact that we saw cities, towns and villages; we experienced savannah, jungle, forest and wetland ecosystems. And the whole time, we had answers to any question we could pose right in the driver’s seat. We saw birds, ungulates (antelope, elephants! giraffes! rhinos! hippos!), and primates—oh my gosh—the primates were amazing! After the chimpanzee trek, we couldn’t imagine better, but then there were the gorillas. We were pretty sure that would be the pinnacle, and when the forecast was 80% rain for the Golden Monkey Trek, we considered that we would be OK if it were cancelled. As it turned out, the Golden Monkey trek was the highlight of the whole trip. It was marvelous! We were especially fascinated by the cultural aspects of this tour. Uganda is an affirmation that humans don’t need machines and technology to thrive. Americans are preoccupied with fiscal prosperity and personal comfort, but I don’t think we are as healthy and as happy as Ugandans. For our trip guide, Insight Safaris managed to find the best match in Uganda for us. He was a walking encyclopedia about Uganda. He was good-humored and cheerful under all conditions, helpful, accommodating, interesting, intelligent, and most important, patient. He listened to what interested us and added a few excursions—vanilla bean and coffee bean cultivation/production as well as elephant-dung paper manufacturing. We are birders and he managed to find guides who were especially suited to our interests so that our game drives and boat trips seemed to be reserved especially for us—so much better than we could have expected. We both shot more than 4,000 photos and he accommodated our voracious appetite for snapshots to take home whenever and wherever it was safe. He narrated every part of the trip without being too chatty or intrusive. In short, it was the experience of a lifetime!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Robyn Campos 
 
2024-03-10
 
 
  
Rwanda and Uganda (Bwindi) Adventure
Our trip to Rwanda/Uganda with Insight Safari Holidays was an amazing experience. The initial contact and coordination of our itinerary with Calah was easy and she was always available for questions. She was also super accommodating when we had a change in travel plans. All of the chosen parks, lodges/hotels and cultural opportunities were beyond fantastic. And none of this could have been accomplished without our trusted guide Steven. He safely drove us from one side of Rwanda to the other with insight, humor and professionalism. He took us on safari in Akagera, coordinated all of our activities in Nyungwe, crossed into Uganda flawlessly (where he easily switched up driving direction and language) and stopped at every opportunity for my photographer husband to get the best picture. He allowed us to experience this beautiful part of Africa in ways we will forever be grateful. We look forward to our next visit!!!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Karin 
 
2024-02-06
 
 
  
Amazing journey through Uganda
We booked with 3 friends a 9 days tour through Uganda. The country is very beautiful and safe and the people very welcoming. The communication with the agency through WhatsApp was very easy and they adapted the tour according to our wishes. We spent all 9 days with the same guide called Ayub. He was extremely nice and always made sure we would have the best experience possible. A big thank you to him for making our stay amazing. I would recommend Insight Safari Holidays to anyone seeking for an authentic journey in Uganda.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 placestodiscover111 
 
2024-02-05
 
 
  
Amazing experience
We booked a nine-day tour with Inside Safari and had the best experience ever! Starting in Entebbe, our journey led us to Queen Elizabeth National Park, then to Bwindi, where we had a unique gorilla tracking experience. We continued to Kisoro near Mount Sabinyo and then to Lake Bunyonyi. Our tour guide, Ayup, was incredibly friendly, attentive, and thought of everything! The places we visited were breathtaking, the people incredibly friendly, and the accommodations positively surprised us. The entire trip felt truly authentic. Highly recommended and would gladly do it again!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Lorrie G 
 
2024-01-09
 
 
  
Our Ugandan Adventure
We just finished a 25 day tour of Uganda and would like to thank Calah and her team in the office for putting together an amazing itinerary. Calah organized all the lodges and possible activities to do at and around each lodge. Each lodge we stayed at were first rate with the services and meals provided. Calah was very good with requests or questions we had during the planning process of our trip. She was quick to respond to our messages with positive feedback or suggestions. And, of course, a special thank you to our guide/driver and friend Edmund, who made the tour special. His skill as a driver was phenomenal as the roads in Uganda are challenging. We always felt safe travelling with Edmund. We appreciated his knowledge and experience on all the game drives he took us on. We found the stories about his country, the history and current situations most interesting, broadening our own knowledge of Uganda and it people. Uganda is so much more than gorillas and chimps. There is the whole Eastern side of Uganda to explore from Sipi Falls, Pian Upe, Moroto (the Karamajong) and Kidepo Valley still raw and pristine, the Africa of years ago. Of course we did Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale and Bwindi but take a look at those other places you won’t be disappointed. We even took a side trip to see the famous bee lady of Uganda in Lira with the added bonus of one of the best African massages of the whole trip. Thanks Edmund your massages were the best. If anyone is thinking of a trip to Africa consider Uganda and Insight Safari Holidays. You won’t be disappointed! Uganda has everything: fantastic people, big mountains, the Nile, open Savanna, rivers, falls and lush forests, and, of course, all the animals and birds you could imagine. We will never forget Uganda and the amazing adventure we had there!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Cave fish 
 
2023-10-26
 
 
  
Gorillas and Lions made possible by an extremely professional operation
Before departure: From the outset Calah was extremely helpful. Providing a number of potential itineraries for us and letting us know about the availability for dates that would work for us. From then on it was all plain sailing. We were sent the full outline of our trip and given a check list of items we’d need for the gorilla trekking. The trip itself: We booked a 4 day trip from Kampala to do the gorilla trekking in Bwindi and also to see the tree climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park. We were picked up bang on time by Moses. He was very smart and professional. The van was immaculately clean and there was water available for the journey. Throughout, Moses made us feel comfortable and at no point, even during many hours on the road through Uganda, did we feel anything other than totally safe. He also explained the various interesting things we saw from our window as we crossed Uganda. The places we stayed along the way were really nice and the gorilla trekking was excellent! I don’t need to say much more really. We saw the gorillas, it was incredible. In Queen Elizabeth National Park Moses turned from driver into expert nature spotter. We were lucky to come across the lions pretty much immediately but he also spotted us a leopard that we’d never have seen. We also had the Kazinga Channel boat cruise on our itinerary. This was brilliant as we saw an elephant in the water, hippos and various birds including fish eagles and kingfishers. Everything we wanted to get from this trip we got. We’d definitely recommend Insight Safari. Thank you so much Calah and Moses for your professionalism and for making our gorilla dreams come true.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 4dchops 
 
2023-10-15
 
 
  
Holiday of our Dreams.
We want to thank Calah and her team for arranging our 2 week trip through Uganda. We were able to work our own itinerary with them and they arranged all the accommodation and permits for the Trekking we did. Communication was clear, swift and regular and gave us confidence when organising and booking. Payment was in 2 reasonably easy international transfers, but we also had the option to take the balance with us as cash if that was more convenient. We were met at the airport as arranged and had our own guide and vehicle the whole trip. We had an amazing time and saw so many wonderful things and met so many wonderful people. Ayub was a wonderful guide and driver and really looked after us so well. We could not fault anything and would not change anything (except maybe to spend more time there!) We would of course recommend Insight to anyone who will listen! All the accommodation was amazing and although we booked as 'basic' we felt we were in luxury with the best service and food we could have wished for. Would highly recommend contacting Insight for your African adventure.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Victor R 
 
2023-09-26
 
 
  
Incredible Experience led by a Wonderful Guide
My wife and I had an amazing vacation in Uganda because of the fantastic service provided by Insight Safari Holidays. We did a six-day tour which included gorilla habituation, chimpanzee trekking, and safari game drives. Our guide, Jacob, was so incredibly friendly, kind, knowledgeable, helpful and skilled as a driver. He had answers to every single question we asked - even anticipating our questions before we asked them a number of times. His connections all across the country, in every park we visited or every lodge we stayed in was invaluable. When we went on game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Jacob was the first to get us to see a pair of lionesses stalking a herd of cape buffaloes, he was the first to spot a leopard walking along the savannah, he was the first to get us to a hyena skulking amongst antelopes; each time, we'd get there first and then other Land Cruisers would follow. When we went chimp trekking, Jacob made sure we were connected with the most experienced guide in the park, Jasper. On our anniversary, Jacob had the staff at the Twin Lakes lodge set up our dinner table outside the restaurant with a gorgeous view overlooking Queen Elizabeth National Park. When we went gorilla trekking, Jacob got us set up with one of the Bwindi rangers that he knew personally, making for an unforgettable hike and experience with the gorillas. After our tour was over, he also got us back to Entebbe early enough to check into a hotel there and relax for five hours before our flight home. It was a perfect tour, and we can't thank Jacob enough for making it so. We booked the tour in January 2023, and we worked with Calah to do so. She was so helpful, and so quick to respond to all of our inquiries, and made the process of booking so smooth. We checked in with Calah periodically in the eight months leading up to our tour, and she made sure to keep us up to do on all the documents we needed and when we needed them, what to pack, what to expect on our tour, and when we landed in Uganda, she kept us informed as to when to expect Jacob to pick us up. If you're considering a trip to Uganda for any reason, I can not emphasize enough how much I recommend working with Insight Safari Holidays!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Philip 
 
2023-09-21
 
 
  
Excellent and efficient safari company
We booked our 4 day gorilla and chimp safari with Insight and they have been excellent in every way. We booked with them direct from the UK and they were always efficient and helpful in replying to my emails. Making the payment to them was also very easy. When we arrived in Uganda everything worked very smoothly. We were picked up promptly at 7am from our hotel and driven by our very competent driver Jack (driving in Kampala was not for the faint hearted!) to Bwindi. The two lodges where we stayed were fantastic and both the gorillas and the chimp visits were amazing. I could not fault any part of our trip and would wholeheartedly recommend Insight to anyone thinking of visiting Uganda for a safari
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Christopher 
 
2023-09-17
 
 
  
A truly life changing adventure
This was the adventure of a lifetime, and a huge part of that is thanks to Edmund and the incredible team at Insight Safari Holidays. My wife and I had been wanting to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda for several years. We finally started to plan the trip, and got a recommendation from a friend to look at Insight Safari Holidays. This was hands down the best decision we could have made. From the beginning, they put together a detailed itinerary that ended up being just about flawless. Calah was incredibly helpful and attentive, from making sure we had all of the necessary documentation, to booking permits, stays, and everything we needed; this made what was a pretty complex trip so easy that all we had to do was show up. But above all, I want to give a huge and heartfelt thank you to our guide and driver Edmund. He is by far the most skilled, considerate, friendly, and entertaining tour guide you will ever met. From his superhuman wildlife spotting skills, to his skilled driving, to the fact that he is friends with absolutely *everyone*, this is someone who is clearly so passionate about his country and his work. Edmund went above and beyond every day to make sure our holiday was incredible - his vast knowledge and experience guiding meant he knew every park ranger, every secret lookout to get a better view, and even what time of day to circle back to see a leopard while everyone else was rushing to the lodge for a boat tour. This is already too long of a review, but I mean it when I say I could write a book about our experience there. I tell everyone I meet that travelling through Rwanda and Uganda this is a must-do, life-changing adventure, and I wouldn't do it with anyone other than Edmund, Calah, and the Insight team. To Edmund if you're reading this - thank you for making this the trip of a lifetime. While obviously the wildlife and the country was incredible, some of the moments we looked forward to the most - and the memories we look back on most fondly, were sitting down at dinner with you each night. Thank you!