3 Day Gorilla Trekking Luxury Safari in Uganda

Bamboo Ecotours exceeded our expectations during our tour. From the very beginning, when planning our trip, Edison responded to our emails promptly. He also showed us the different accommodation options they offer and was very helpful with the visa process, staying in constant contact via WhatsApp and email. A week before our trip, Edison shared the name of our tour guide, which made us feel safe and prepared. Jackson, our guide, was the best we could have asked for. We arrived at Kigali airport and drove all the way to Uganda for our first stay. Along the way, Jackson pointed out many interesting insights about Kigali, and we even had a coffee stop (by the way, you have to try African coffee!). On our second day, Jackson took us to Bwindi National Park, where we met our trekking group. One thing we loved about the gorilla trekking, besides the gorillas themselves, is that it wasn’t crowded. Groups are split between 8 to 10 people, and each group visits a different gorilla family. This way, the gorillas don’t experience too much human interaction, and the experience feels more personal. From the moment you see your first gorilla, the one-hour time limit begins. We were accompanied by the guide, two park rangers, and there’s also an option to hire someone to help carry your belongings. After this, we went to our next hotel (which had incredible views of Lake Buyonyi) and enjoyed an amazing night. I just want to take a moment to thank both Jackson and Edison from Bamboo Ecotours for giving us the best experience.

Absolutely phenomenal from start to finish. Edison was so fast to respond to all of our (many many) questions and send in depth information well in advance, including what to expect, what to pack, what we would need to cross the boarder from Rwanda to Uganda and back (vaccines, visas etc), and contact information for our guide, Jackson. Jackson made our trip the absolute best experience possible. He was extremely friendly and knowledgable, answering all of our questions along the way. We booked the 3 day gorilla trek and golden monkey hike with coffee tour: Notes: bring small American cash if you can as it is accepted/expected everywhere. We landed in Kigali at 7am with a very quick walk through customs. We had a quick stop for breakfast at Bourbon Coffee at the airport and grabbed a sandwich for the road. Jackson picked us up right after our breakfast (he knows the area well and can make great recommendations for breakfast and lunch stops). We made a stop at the Genocide Memorial which should not be missed. It was extremely emotional walking through the museum and learning more about the cold history of the Rwandan genocide and we really appreciated having time to take it all in. We continued our drive through to our coffee tour in Uganda where we saw first hand the process of coffee making from field to cup. The family even let us try our hand at processing and making our own coffee from freshly picked beans through to roasting. The coffee was fantastic and we bought a few bags ourselves. We then headed to Rushaga Gorilla Lodge which was hands down one of the most beautiful accommodations we have had the privilege of staying at. We had an early morning start (7am) to head to the Gorilla trekking. The Batwa people started us off with a cultural dance to get everyone in the mood and then we were off following our guides with directions from our trackers. We hiked for just under 6 hours. These hikes are not "hard" but there is some marsh, some steep inclines and it is very wise to bring proper high ankle hiking boots and gaters to protect against mud, water, ants and other jungle funs. The gorillas were unbelievable, a true once in a lifetime experience. The guides answered all of our questions and helped us make the most of our hour with the family of 12 including several babies. We took a quick lunch break hillside after exiting the jungle, taking in the stunning views. After getting back we thanked our guides and headed back to the lodge, taking time to pickup some souvenirs from the locals. We had a relaxing afternoon poolside and enjoyed some afternoon relaxing on the deck of our jungle cabin. The dinners are the lodge were fantastic and lunch and breakfast were also provided. (They over feed you for sure so no worries about food on this trip!) Our next morning we started at 5am to drive through to Mgahinga Gorilla National park (a part of the Virunga mountain range) to hike to see the golden monkeys. The hike again took us through jaw dropping scenery. You can also view gorillas here or climb to the top of the mountain even. The hike took roughly 5 hours and again we had one hour with the monkeys as they jumped through the trees and came down to check out what we were doing. We took a lunch break in the town with Jackson on the way back enjoying some rolex and vegetable curry which were fantastic. We picked up some more local coffee here too before starting our 4 hour drive back to Kigali. All in all this was hands down the BEST tour company we could have chosen for sure and we will most definitely be back again!

We had a great experience with Edison and team from start to finish. The Gorilla Trekking experience is an absolute must do for wildlife lovers and Bamboo Ecotours were the perfect travel agents.