safari uganda and rwanda

Does anyone know of an organised tour between entebbe and kigali including chimp and gorilla trekking that is not a luxury style trip? All the trips I have found that include both countries are luxury safaris and very expensive - the more basic cheaper trips seem to be uganda only.

Whenever someone has only two posts and they are both pushing a company, I tend to be wary.

I have explored both countries with a private vehicle hired out of Kampala. It would be cheaper to do a basic, cheaper trip in Uganda, and then visit Rwanda independently on your own.

You might also check out this company: http://www.churchillsafaris.com/index.html

Peace,

BB

Thanks, I have been coming to the same conclusion myself as I have found some good trips in Uganda but nothing suitable in Rwanda. Do you have any advice on the best way to get from Entebbe to Kigali (I would prefer to fly as I will have already covered much of the route on the Uganda trip) and how I would go about organising things in Rwanda - I plan to stay a fews days to a week and want to visit the genocide memorial and sites in Kigali, and Parc des volcans for gorilla and golden monkey trekking. I am (female) travelling alone and while I have travelled independently in Europe and US have never done anything like this in Africa so would prefer to be a bit independent but not have to do all travelling, choosing hotels etc completely on my own.

Hi bmbkjm,
Try info@nkuringowalkingsafaris.com
They operate a walking safari in the Bwidi area of Uganda. I have looked at gorilla tracking in Rwanda and Uganda and, althouigh the permits are the same price in both coutries, overall it seems to be cheaper in Uganda. Rob from
Nkurigo walking safaris has been very helpful while we've been planning our trip and they seem to be well written up on here.
Cheers
pkh

Travelling in Rwanda is not that diificult and generally pretty safe, for women too.
The big genocide memorial in Kigali, with musueum, is in the suburb called Gisozi. From downtown Kigali you could walk there, about 45 minutes, or take a taxi.

To see the gorillas, you dont really need to go with an agency. You need to book a gorilla permit for 500 USD from the ORTPN, that is the Rwandese office for tourism and national parks. You get a permit for a specific date. The day before you take a public bus from downtown Kigali, ask for the bus station, to Ruhengeri. Costs 2 dollars one way, takes 2 hours, nice road with views of five volcanoes. Pass the night in Ruhengeri or Kinigi. Next morning you have to be at the park headquarters in Kinigi at 7 am. You need to hire transport to bring you to the trailhead, you might find this in Ruhengeri, might cost 100 USD for the car. In Kinigi the official ORTPN guides will go with you and your car to the trailhead. You hike to to the gorillas with your guide and other tourists, about 8, that got a permit for the same day. Your car will wait for you until you come out of the forest. You are allowed to stay with the gorillas for one hour. Enjoy it.

this is the official website of ORTPN
http://www.rwandatourism.com/test/index.php

Gisozi memorial and museum
http://www.kigalimemorialcentre.org/old/index.html

agency which can help you if you have problems getting a permit
http://www.amahoro-tours.com/contact.html

Kinigi Guest house
http://www.rwanda-direct.com/rwanda-kinigi-guesthouse/

try Bizidanny tours out of Kigali. I just got back from Rwanda and they did a few of my day trips - they were so great, friendly. My driver also mentioned they go into Uganda for lion viewing and such. Reasonable rates. I transferred $1500 to them prior to leaving the US and they are totally trustworthy.....
good luck

Gozone, thats probably the best and most straight forward explanation Ive managed to find for arranging a gorilla tour!
Is a 1 day permit normally enough to see the gorillas? And is it really that simple once Ive got the permit, just get to the park headquarters before 7am?
Thanks very much

Thanks Spaceman, at least my free advice is appreciated.
The chance you will see the gorillas is 99,999%. Because the guides know more or less where they are from the previous days, and if not they will find them. Once you have found the gorillas (after a 1, or 2 or 3 hours hike or whatever), you will be allowed to stay with them to observe them for one hour. So yes, a trip takes one day, and mostly it will take only the morning. There are several gorilla groups that can be visited. If you are not that fit, you can ask the guide to put you in a tourist group that visits the nearest gorilla group. Some visitors groups might be back around noon.

If you have taken your permit in Kigali at the ORTPN office, you go to the bus station for the big bus to Ruhengeri (town also known as Musanze) (about 5 minutes walk from ORTPN). Buses go about every hour. If you want to leave early morning, you might go there the night before to reserve your bus seat.

The only thing with this do-it-yourself gorilla trip is that you need a 4 WD car (taxi) from Ruhengeri or Kinigi, I mean from the place where you pass the night before gorilla day.
What i use to do is: pass the night in Muhabura hotel in Ruhengeri, ask the hotel people to get me a taxi for 6.15 am the next morning (it is about 30 minutes drive) to bring me to the guides at the park headquarters in Kinigi and then with the guides to the edge of the forest where you start walking. That last road is pretty bad normally, so that is why you can't go with an ordinary car.

Tourists are rich people, and gorilla tourists are even richer, so this kind of transport is not cheap, It used to be 60 USD some years ago, but i have heard they ask 100 USD nowadays. Of course this is the price for the car, so if you are with other people, you can share.

Brilliant cheers gozone.
Ive just printed off your reply and stuck it into my lonely planet.
Even if the 4wd taxi costs 100 usd, it will still work out alot cheaper than one of the organised tours. You should charge commission.
Thanks very much once again. :)

Gozone -- THANK YOU SO MUCH as well. Like Spaceman, I'm going to Rwanda in November (arrive the 12th in KGL, and expect to do three days of gorilla treking on the 13th, 14th and 15th, and then leave KGL on the 16th). Is there a way to get a 3-day pass at a discounted rate?

Spaceman -- if you are going to be there on any of my days, we can split transport costs. I sent you a private Thorn Tree e-mail earlier.

LJ/Lewis

Yes, thanks for all the advice. I don't suppose any of you are planning to be there next summer (I'll probably be going in July). I'm still not sure I'd dare do it all on my own.

I did backpacking Rwanda and Uganda, here's my tips:

For the gorilla trekking the only thing you need is a car to take you from Ruhengeri to Kingi - and onward.
What I did was that I decided to stay in the more expensive hotel there, and then I asked if there was a car going tomorrow, there was! and I got to join their car - and then shared the cost of it roughly 20USD each.
If you are in Ruhrengeri the day before, I don't think that should be to difficult to arrange, as 48 tourist trek each day, if you stay in Kingi i doubt that you need a car at all)
After trekking I aslo got to learn that there is a local bus going from Ruhengeri to Kingi (that makes sense? All the guides and park rangers need to get there in the morning right?)

Then, I would suggest to take the long distancebus Kigali-Kampala (10-12 h) (or a flight? - but be aware of departure taxes) And in Kampala stay with Kampala backpackers (300USD) or the Red Hot Chili Hostel (240USD). They both arrange safari to Murchinson Falls, about the same value for what you get, but with Kampala Backpackers you also get the option to do Chimp-trekking.

Make sure you also join a day drip with Nile Rafting (100USD, you'll get transport to and from Kampala, rafting, breakfast, lunch and dinner + drinks)

gorilla trekking is a one day trip and costs 500 USD for the permit

are you really going to trek the gorillas 3 times
that will cost 1500 USD for the permits only