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  • Mountain gorillas, Rwanda

Rwanda Safari Inspiration

Rwanda Safaris

A landlocked destination set in the heart of Africa, Rwanda has gone from strength to strength in recent years, having one of the fastest growing economies on the African continent. Not a typical safari destination when compared to the likes of Kenya and Tanzania, a Rwanda safari offers something entirely different, whether it be tracking the mountain gorillas of the Virunga Volcanoes, searching high and low for the cheeky chimpanzees of Nynugwe Forest, or relaxing on the savannah plains of Akagera National Park.

Rwanda as a destination itself is stunning. Nicknamed ‘the land of a thousand hills’, it offers a tapestry landscape that winds its way from the eastern plains of Tanzania through to the central forests of the Congo Basin. In between, you will meet and discover one of the friendliest populations on the African continent, hospitable, generous, and forgiving. As well as exploring the vast wildlife highlights on your Rwanda safari, make sure you spend time to stop, listen, and enjoy, the hospitality of the Rwandan people themselves.

A Rwanda safari used to be primarily focused on a mountain gorilla safari, this has changed. The Rwandan government has invested heavily in the tourism infrastructure over the years to the extent that there is now a healthy selection of mid to high-end lodges and properties, and the safari sights and sounds do not rely wholly on the mountain gorillas. This growth is apparent as typical Rwandan safaris can include a selection of national parks with an array of wildlife highlights.

Mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park, Rwanda

Staying purely within this landlocked country, a Rwandan safari can now completely cater to your needs without you needing to go further afield. A good week to ten days can afford you gorillas, chimpanzees, and savannah game, negating the need to travel further afield and keeping costs within reason.

It has to be said, the savannah game of Akagera National Park is still not to the high standards of the big game parks of Kenya or Tanzania, however, it is making progress fast and is definitely worthy of a visit on any Rwandan safari.

Alternatively for those looking for a shorter sharper safari experience, Rwanda safaris can focus purely on those gentle giants that we have now come to love and admire, the breathtaking mountain gorillas. A small population located in the heart of the Virunga Volcanoes, is a highlight of any wildlife enthusiasts’ career, and is the perfect combination for those wishing to also visit the larger and more wildlife-centric safari parks of Kenya and Tanzania. We work closely with the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project; take the time to meet the professionals doing a vital job in ensuring the ongoing health and success of the mountain gorillas.

Rwanda is not only a place to track these wonderful, human-like primates, close in their natural habitat, but chimpanzees can also be seen here too. Often overshadowed by the gorillas, chimpanzees are one of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, and tracking them is an exhilarating experience.

Mountain gorilla, Rwanda

The world of the forest primates

Rwanda offers some of the most breathtaking scenery in Africa, be it the dramatic Virunga volcanoes bordering Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo or the forest of Nyungwe, one of the largest montane forests in Central Africa, home to chimpanzees and large groups of Colobus monkeys. Parc National des Volcans (Volcanoes National Park) is located in northwest Rwanda and is an area of thickly vegetated rainforest and bamboo providing shelter to endangered golden monkeys and approximately one-third of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population. It is also where primatologist Dian Fossey carried out her seminal work, and which was her adopted home and place of rest. Dian expressed the feeling of coming face-to-face with silverback mountain gorillas as "The expression in his eyes was unfathomable. Spellbound I returned his gaze - a gaze that seemed to combine elements of enquiry and acceptance." It is an experience only those who have lived can fully understand. 

Deep within the thickets of Nyungwe lies another gripping wildlife encounter. Here chimpanzees crash noisily through the forests, and witnessing these distant relatives and their human-like behaviour is another highlight of any Rwanda holiday. 

Conservation plays an important role in local tourism and there is a strong ethos of preservation of rare primates; it is rewarding to know that you are reinforcing the good work of the local organisations by contributing to park fees and permits.

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Why book with us

We are destination specialists

Our team of specialists have extensive on-the-ground knowledge and have all lived, guided or explored in great detail the destinations that they sell.

We are wildlife specialists

As a leading specialist operator we have excellent partnerships with naturalists and conservationists. We know our wildlife and do what we can to preserve its natural habitat.

We really care about our destinations

We frequently monitor the social, economic and environmental impact of our travel operations to ensure our trips are sustainable and ethical.

Talk to a Destination Specialist
  • I am very grateful to have worked with my destination specialist, David. I feel his hands-on experience in Rwanda and his enthusiasm for the country contributed greatly to the success of our trip. David was always available to answer questions and discuss details. I can’t say enough good things about all aspects of our trip. Rwanda is a magical country and because of David and NWS, I felt like I experienced the best of the best. I would love to travel again, I applaud the intimate knowledge of the countries NWS go to. Personalised itineraries with all aspects of the trip are taken into account, making it a very organised and efficient process.
    5 out of 5
  • I have travelled twice with NWS and have been very happy with both trips done so far. I would love to travel with the company again.
    5 out of 5
  • We loved the whole holiday, Tim was a pleasure to have with us each day in Rwanda. In Tanzania, the whole staff from the camp were all exceptional. We'd love to travel with NWS again as the range of holiday destinations are excellent!
    5 out of 5
  • We would love to travel again, amazing, seamless high-quality travel. Well planned.
    5 out of 5
  • We had a great safari, and the quality of the wildlife sightings was amazing! With brilliant guidance and accommodation, we already have a new booking!
    4 out of 5
  • NWS and David did a great job putting together our Rwandan adventure; paying close attention to details such as my desire to spend time birding in addition to other wildlife viewings. We loved the lodges we selected, and the service at each one was superb. The One and Only Gorillas Nest will forevermore set the standard to which all other hotels will be measured. The chefs at each location did amazing things with the availability of resources. A special highlight for us was the opportunity to do boat safaris at Magashi Camp; that adds so much to the wildlife viewing. The perspective of seeing the birdlife from the boat was incredible. Our guides were flexible, knowledgeable, and very well connected, making the logistics of Covid testing as smooth as possible. This was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and we felt that Rwanda was the perfect destination for us with all of their safety protocols for Covid-19. We would urge everyone to go to this very special place. I felt the attention to detail and responsiveness in planning and booking through NWS was perfect.
    5 out of 5
  • Had a wonderful time in Rwanda. Everything was so good and comfortable. The accommodations were good, the food was great, the staff was kind and gracious. The gorillas were phenomenal ad will definitely come back again in the rainy season. Jimmy, the guide, was excellent and hospitable. I was glad you arranged such a guide like him. He was also able to arrange two different treks as I wanted to see different areas of the park and I appreciated it.
    5 out of 5
  • Ellen was excellent and very easy to work with. She did a great job of following up with me prior to the trip and was very quick to sort out the few issues that we ran into while on the trip. She made our experience more relaxing and enjoyable by removing any concerns or potential issues quickly.
    5 out of 5
  • Great service during the booking process. Good advice and very straightforward process. It really was a tailor made trip with the wildlife at the centre - exceeding our expectations.
    5 out of 5
  • My vacation exceeded my expectations, the entire trip was carefully planned and was seamless from beginning to end. I felt safe, comfortable and made memories that will last a lifetime!
    5 out of 5
  • The locations advised by Natural World Safaris were perfect. The accommodations were over the top excellent. We felt like the local companies were focused on the right values locally and all of the staff were kind, helpful, and professional. Your recommendations were perfect and there is no way that I would have known how to do all of this on my own. I needed your expertise and everything was done with excellent detail.
    5 out of 5
  • Our guide Isaac was wonderful. Very knowledgeable, resourceful and helpful. He was able to read between the lines and ensure that the itinerary was as flexible as we needed. Bisate Lodge was definitely a 10/10: amazing! David at NWS was very efficient and helpful, as were other staff we had contact with. We decided to go with NWS because of how efficiently they responded to our initial queries. In fact, we saw very high standards of service in all aspects. Overall a wonderful experience.
    5 out of 5
  • The trip was well planned and the accommodations were excellent. The advance info and app were very helpful, so I felt very well prepared. The best part was our guide Patrick: professional to the max, but also very personable. He had an incredible way of finding out exactly what we wanted from our experience and then making it happen in a very quiet, efficient way. Patrick operated in a way that made us always feel safe and confident that we were in great hands.
    5 out of 5
  • David was very responsive to all of my questions. He also worked with me to get the best itinerary and hotel given the short advance notice. The staff at said hotel were very nice and accommodating. I thought the service and guides on the safari were very good.
    4 out of 5
  • Amazing. Lovely hotels, good group of people, liked the small number, weather a bit damp for sunbathing(!!) and the gorillas were just out of this world. The guide, Martin, was excellent, extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Hotel staff were friendly and helpful and food was excellent.
    5 out of 5
  • Hope was an excellent guide. He made everyone feel very comfortable and safe and he was quite knowledgeable. I enjoyed everything about this trip.
    5 out of 5
  • The pre-trip service and information I received was excellent. I enjoyed everything about this trip. Obviously the gorillas were the highlight and were totally amazing but I enjoyed the entire experience. All guides were very good and knowledgeable…
    5 out of 5
  • We cannot say enough positive things about our experience …He [our guide] was knowledgeable, personable, thoughtful, funny, kind and easy to be with. He had lots of information, but did not overwhelm us by talking and talking and talking. It was a good balance of giving information and having quiet time for us to just 'take in' the experience of a different culture.
    5 out of 5
  • Our Destination Specialist, Virginia, was excellent. Patient with our many questions and very knowledgeable. NWS did a great job – loved the app and the efficiency of all involved.
    5 out of 5
  • The entire trip was seamless.
    5 out of 5
  • What a lifetime experience it was for us to meet up a family of 10 with a silverback gorilla as the male patriarch!! We were VERY lucky to witness the family, the largest that our guide chose for us especially! We definitely will pass on our words about your excellent service from beginning to end to make our trip to Rwanda a successful one!
    5 out of 5
  • They were all brilliant but would like to mention Charles our guide. He is very exceptional and i think without him it would have not been so great. He is thoughtful, knowledgeable and went out of his way more than expected. I feel that because of his background he made us understand the history and future of Rwanda very clear.
    4 out of 5
  • The managers of Silverback lodge (Nelis and Trace) are some the best we have ever encountered in 20 years -- always attentive, professional and accommodating. Fantastic!!!!! The facilities will be 'excellent' once renovated in April -- a bit tired (paint rubbing off on socks in room, etc).
    4 out of 5
  • All guides were very good and knowledgeable, but I think the guide in Nyungwe conveyed a sense of enjoying his job. V generous 'hours' with gorillas. Would like to mention Charles our guide. He is very exceptional…
    4 out of 5
  • This was our third trip with NWS and we come back because: 1. You listen to clients, get to understand them and then propose itineraries 2. We totally trust your judgement in terms of where to go, when to go and how to get the best experience 3. You deliver at every stage so we do not have to worry about anything and can just relax and enjoy the planning, booking and then the trip itself.
    5 out of 5
  • Our driver Joe was absolutely brilliant. He was so welcoming and friendly. He was very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. He made our trip so enjoyable and we cannot rate him highly enough. Stella who met us from the airport was brilliant. She was so welcoming and went to endless effort to retrieve my suitcase which had been lost.
    4 out of 5
  • The journey was excellent – very good organisation for everything, good communication and quick response times. This is the third time we have travelled with your company and every time we reach our goals!
    4 out of 5
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