CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service, really friendly, and knowledgeable guides!
I came to Rwanda looking for adventure and a once in a lifetime experience. After doing a lot of research of different providers, I met up with Frank at their Kigali tour office. It was a Saturday and I was leaving the following Friday, Frank asked me what I wanted to see and put together a custom trip for me at the last minute that looked fantastic. The next day, I met up with my guide Jean Claude, who took me to the Volcanos National Park. On the first day, we went to see the gorillas, this was a surreal experience! The second day we went back up into the park to see the Golden Monkeys, the trek in is great and there were hundreds of monkeys!
We drove back to Kigali and headed East to Akagera National Park, there was so much of the beautiful country to see along the way. We did a short game drive where we saw a lot of the animals in the park. In the morning we left for an all day game drive, this was an excellent experience as well!
The last day we headed back to Kigali and did a tour of the Kigali Genocide Memorial, something that allows you to understand the history of Rwanda.
I was headed out the next day and they gave me a ride to the airport!
I'd highly recommend Golden Rwanda Safaris to anyone looking for a great adventure with experienced, knowledgeable, kind people! If you're traveling solo (male or female) and wondering about safety, the people of Rwanda are probably the nicest, welcoming people I've ever met.
This was supposed to be a once in a lifetime trip, but I'll definitely be back for another trip!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect organization and very knowledgeable guide
Amazing experience with the 2-day Akagera Nationalpark Safari. Our guide Sam was very knowledgeable and organized everything for us. He made sure we see most of the animals and even turned around so we could still see the lion family. Also everything around the Safari was super organized and convenient, from booking and communication (all our questions were kindly answered before) to accommodation and arriving on time at the airport. Thanks for this amazing adventure!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Knowledgable, Creative, Kind, and AWESOME
Golden Rwanda Safaris provided a tour that was customized to fit our tight schedule but desire to see ALL aspects of Rwanda. Our tour guide was picked for all of those requirements and was not only able to keep us on schedule but show us and explain to us some very important aspects of the country. We loved every moment of the trip and will not only use Golden Rwanda Safaris again but request the same tour guide too. Thank you!
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Tour Operators in Rwanda
I highly recommend Golden Rwanda Safaris to anyone interested in trekking to see the Gorillas and Golden Monkeys to a safari in Akagera National Park. Every detail is planned and all one has to do is show up! I booked a private solo tour with Frank at Golden Rwanda Safaris and was impressed with his thorough and thoughtful planning on every aspect of my trip. His picks on accommodations, activities and transportation was spot on. I was extremely impressed with my driver and guide, Joana who was with me throughout my 8 day journey making sure that I was comfortable, had everything I needed and was at the right place at the right time. I was so pleased to have such an informative and thoughtful woman to be my guide. Joana was amazing and one of the reasons that I especially enjoyed Rwanda and all it had to offer. The country is lush, beautiful and so very clean. You can see and feel how proud the Rwandans are of their country and how they have persevered after the Genocide. You can't go wrong with Golden Rwanda Safaris, Joana as your perfect guide and a visit to Rwanda to see all it has to offer. You won't be disappointed!!
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very positive experience- Definitely recommend
I decided quite late to try and book a trip to Akagera, and started comparing prices on Thursday for a tour on Saturday. Frank responded with a quote within an hour from my request. He was very professional and laid out the different options. As there were no groups going out that day, he suggested a private tour. Everything was organized within a day, he was very responsive via phone, and I must say it was excellent value for money. Hotel pick up, water, breakfast, packed lunch, park fees, vehicle and tour guide, everything was included in the $350 fee and I did not have to worry about a thing. The guide, Claude, was absolutely amazing. He was knowledgeable about the animals, was communicating with others in order to identify where they had been spotted, and was just overall a pleasure to hang out with. We were not lucky enough to see lions, but we saw a family of elephants, plus hippos, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, antelopes, monkeys, baboons, crocodiles and a huge variety of birds. The breakfast was a pleasant surprise too, on the terrace of a lodge with a stunning view over the lakes in the park. Only aspect that could be improved: It was not communicated to me that I needed a negative COVID test to enter the park, so when I found out I had to scramble to get one on Friday afternoon. Would be good to mention that in the exchanges next time around, but all turned out fine.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Inforgettable experience!
I cannot say enough good things about Golden Safaris. The service was Impeccable, their staff extremely kind and accommodating. We got to see most animals, and the driver knew exactly how to spot them. It was really excellent!
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional, well-organized, flexible, friendly, very knowledgeable, great value for money.
Our trip was delayed by exactly a year with Omicron flight cancellations hitting us in December '21. The waiting experience was frustrating but Frank and team always made sure we were communicating through the year, taking care to rebook everything at no additional cost and ensuring we kept our enthusiasm despite more pain from Airlines (in December '22). Once we landed there, the trip itself was great- well paced, comfortable and generally met all the promises Rwanda makes (gorillas and chimps and golden monkeys etc). Our stay was at nice boutique hotels with a small clientele and very personalized service. Frank and Claude coordinated everything really well and accommodated our little quirky last minute demands- the whole trip was seamless and a super lot of fun. The way in which they organized the trip for us- it was quite evident they do this a lot and their connections/relationships with hotels/parks/others are well established.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, courteous and experienced.
I enjoyed my gorillas and golden monkey trek. My guide was attentive and professional. I would recommend this experience to others.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Weekend in Rwanda was great!
Golden Rwanda Safaris is a great company. They were very flexible and offered us the exact trip we requested with very short notice. We were able to squeeze in all we wanted to see in Rwanda in one weekend even mixing things in at the end. The guides are very knowledgeable about the wildlife as well as all things Rwanda. The only thing I would recommend is to find out ahead of time the best gear for your activities, however, I'm sure the company will gladly inform you if asked. I was not ready for the colder weather or the muddy hikes, but in the end it everything worked out fine.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional and Trustworthy
The moment I contacted Golden Rwanda Safaris I knew I would be in good hands. Even though there was a significant time difference Frank replied to my emails almost immediately. He was able to fully customize my trip the day I inquired. He was able to include all my desired activities and others I hadn't even considered (thanks for Mount Bisoke - I made it to the top!) Frank was more than helpful and patient as we sorted out the payment process and kept in contact with me the entire time via his personal WhatsApp. I've never had such great communication from a tour company. As a solo female traveller I was comforted to know I would have a female guide with me for my 10 day trip. Joana was an incredible guide, she took care of me the entire trip and I trusted her completely. From scheduling bathroom stops, packed lunches and day tours she organized everything behind the scenes without me having to worry about anything. She was always prompt and had a wealth of information to share about Rwanda, which she is very passionate about. I cannot recommend this tour company more highly.