Kawira Safaris Ltd
Kawira Safaris Ltd
4.5
Monday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Kawira Safaris is a local based tour operator based in Uganda and Rwanda for over a five years now. We offer affordable and unforgettable safari excursions, for a budget conscious travelers who are willing to fulfill their long life wishes. All our tours are available in budget, Mid luxury and luxury options and can be customized according to clients preference. We offer a second-none bespoke service – Amazing game viewing safari hence a memorable African safari.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
31 reviews
Excellent
23
Very good
2
Average
1
Poor
3
Terrible
2
rose M
1 contribution
May 2022
I enjoyed the experience very much. Had a wonderful time and it was absolutely a new thing for me to experience such a trekking with Gorillas and cultural tour. Am glad was able to do this trip after many cancellations due to Covid Pandemic.
Written June 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you rose for your amazing review, We are happy to hear all went well. We welcome you back in the future and hope to see you soon.
Written June 10, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Elmo_Cohen
Londonj69 contributions
Jun 2022
Amazing experience, getting up-close to these beautiful animals. It's very expensive in Rwanda - $1500 just to get into the national park - but worth it (unless you want to do it in Uganda, where it's 1/3 of the price).
Written July 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AB22
2 contributions
Oct 2019 • Friends
My friend and I booked a day trip from Kigali to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and had an amazing experience with Kawira Safaris! We really wanted to see the gorillas but the price of gorilla permits in Rwanda was too high for our budgets. Ian Kinote kindly organized an option for us that we could afford where we crossed over to Uganda (where the permits are cheaper). Our driver, Mbabazi, was really amazing and arrived on time at 3am (in fact he was 10 mins early) which we really appreciated because we had a long drive ahead of us. He helped us in every aspect to cross the border, pick up our permits, and drop us off at the start of the trek. We had an absolutely amazing time interacting with the gorillas. The group we saw had 17 gorillas including 7 young ones! Then on the way home we stopped at the Diane Fossey museum and for lunch in Musanze. Overall, it was a day to remember for years to come and I would like to thank Ian Kinote for organizing it all. He was very professional with his emails and responded promptly to the questions we had. My friend and I would both recommend Ian Kinote for his great service and a fair price.
Written October 23, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Alexa and Sarah,
Thank you very much for your feedback and appreciation about your experience in Rwanda. This is very helpful to us and other clients who would wish to travel in Rwanda in the future.
We are always happy when our clients are happy and appreciate our services. Our team is always ready to make your trip truly amazing and with inspiring experience that will stay with you long after you return home and ready to make whoever comes across us to full fill their dreams
Kawira Safaris is an expert ground safari and tour operator for Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Your always invited to come back with family and friends.
Regards,
Written October 24, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Marcel_C_ZH
Zurich, Switzerland554 contributions
Sep 2019
I booked for almost 170 US-Dollar a day tour to the place above.
Based on the written Confirmation the tour should start at 09.00, The will pick me up at the hotel before.
The forgot to pick me up; no message from them. At 9.45 someone from my hotel reached them. Sent me an mail to get an answer soon. After 30 minutes I got a message that the driver mistook the time. Will send me a new guide in 15 minutes which were 40minutes at the end.
Nevertheless, it was a guid but a pure (but friendly) taxi driver, with limithed English knowledge. He drove me to the first place let me go out and visit the memorial. After 15minutes I returned and the taxi driver was not here anymore; no message before.
After 30 minutes he returned, no exuse.
The only good thing was the the lunch (back in Kigali) at the local restaurant.
170 US Dollar for a taxi ride of 4 hours (and not up to 8hours like written in confirmation) was a huge disappointment.
Based on the written Confirmation the tour should start at 09.00, The will pick me up at the hotel before.
The forgot to pick me up; no message from them. At 9.45 someone from my hotel reached them. Sent me an mail to get an answer soon. After 30 minutes I got a message that the driver mistook the time. Will send me a new guide in 15 minutes which were 40minutes at the end.
Nevertheless, it was a guid but a pure (but friendly) taxi driver, with limithed English knowledge. He drove me to the first place let me go out and visit the memorial. After 15minutes I returned and the taxi driver was not here anymore; no message before.
After 30 minutes he returned, no exuse.
The only good thing was the the lunch (back in Kigali) at the local restaurant.
170 US Dollar for a taxi ride of 4 hours (and not up to 8hours like written in confirmation) was a huge disappointment.
Written September 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
XieD1234
Vancouver, Canada52 contributions
Aug 2019 • Couples
Do this tour prior to Gorillas. If we hadn’t seen the gorillas it would have been fun and interesting I’ve seen better wild monkeys in Gibraltar and Mexico though.
Written August 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa
Las Vegas, NV5 contributions
We stayed in Kigali before we went gorilla trekking in Rwanda and had the best experience and education with our driver/tour guide Denis (with one 'n'). We learned so much from him that we are returning home with the desire to learn more about Rwandan history. Denis also is knowledgeable about the different cultures of people from Kigali to the Volcanoes area. He is a safe and DEPENDABLE driver who know how to navigate the chaos of the roads.
We HIGHLY recommend him for any and all tours or driving!
We HIGHLY recommend him for any and all tours or driving!
Written June 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John Kresse
1 contribution
May 2022
Although the transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla NP was good, with our driver Kinote Ian, Kawira Safaris has never paid a refund of $2,000 USD due us primarily from cancelled airline tickets that we purchased through them. We are also out another $600 USD for an unused Uganda Gorilla permit purchased through Kawira. Ian acknowledges the debt for the cancellations but has not been forthcoming with regard to any proceeds Kawira may have received for the valuable gorilla permit.
Written January 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rinawilliams
New Providence Island4 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
We did a 3 days Akagera safari with Kawira safaris and we would like to mentioned, from the initial correspondence, everything was handled smoothly by their professional consultants.
The trip was amazing and our guide john was exemplary, had knowledge of animals and the destination.
Choice of accommodation was spot on, felt very comfortable at Rusizi tented camp(Awesome pick)
Overall i would recommend this company.
The trip was amazing and our guide john was exemplary, had knowledge of animals and the destination.
Choice of accommodation was spot on, felt very comfortable at Rusizi tented camp(Awesome pick)
Overall i would recommend this company.
Written June 19, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the review on tripadvisor! Glad you enjoyed our safari to Akagera Nat Park in Rwanda. We look forward to host you again. Best wishes, Kawira Safaris - Rwanda Management
Written July 10, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Maria P
New York City, NY5 contributions
My friends and I did the gorilla trekking from Kigali & I have to say it is one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Our guide Rukundo was exceptional & I would highly recommend him for any guiding in Rwanda. He truly went above and beyond to give us the most unique & wonderful experience. We felt safe & comfortable in his care & I will be referring him to my friends visiting Rwanda next year. Kabira Safaris made our planning seamless & easy & I highly recommend. Thank you Kabira & Rukundo!!
Written September 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jill v
4 contributions
Aug 2024 • Solo
TRIP was in VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK -- not Bwindi.
My trip was marvelous. Unforgettable and touching, beautiful, thoughtful and personal. My driver, Olivier, was superb and we created a lovely new friendship. I cherish that. Traveling alone, we had flexibility and time to stop for baskets and textiles. My only comment on that is "Why didn't I buy more?" Rwandan basketry is among the finest I have seen anywhere and each piece is a gem.
This could be the entire review but perhaps a few more comments will be helpful to others.
The "cultural village" is a debatable excursion but unless someone wanted to rest, what else can one do the day of arrival before the Gorilla Trek. As a cultural anthropologist, I found some meaningful ethnographic information in the "Village" but in general, those settings are not so comfortable for me. Stopping at the tiny "gallery" near the parking was important because it allowed me to support a local artist and is efforts to draw upon nature. There are more ways that one to support the local area.
While the Dian Fosse Gorilla Center is an optional visit, it is very much worth the voluntary donation (no fixed amount) to see the exhibitions. Very well done; stories told well, primatology and specifics of the Rwandan research were clearly and beautifully presented. I won't opine on going before or after the hike to the gorillas because both are worthwhile. But yes, see it and donate what you wish.
I think there were ways that I could have cut costs on this outing. But travel alone is a premium. When I think about this, I prefer to focus on the splendid times spent with Olivier, our rich conversations, and his understanding of my love of folk art and textiles.
Missing the Golden Monkeys would not have been so much to miss but they are a fascinating contrast to the gorilla family. Being monkeys, they have tails and scurry about digging up potatoes and veggies as opposed to leisure dining of their distant relatives. All in all, I'm glad I added it but this was a way to have saved money.
Kabira was attentive and lovely to deal with.
My trip was marvelous. Unforgettable and touching, beautiful, thoughtful and personal. My driver, Olivier, was superb and we created a lovely new friendship. I cherish that. Traveling alone, we had flexibility and time to stop for baskets and textiles. My only comment on that is "Why didn't I buy more?" Rwandan basketry is among the finest I have seen anywhere and each piece is a gem.
This could be the entire review but perhaps a few more comments will be helpful to others.
The "cultural village" is a debatable excursion but unless someone wanted to rest, what else can one do the day of arrival before the Gorilla Trek. As a cultural anthropologist, I found some meaningful ethnographic information in the "Village" but in general, those settings are not so comfortable for me. Stopping at the tiny "gallery" near the parking was important because it allowed me to support a local artist and is efforts to draw upon nature. There are more ways that one to support the local area.
While the Dian Fosse Gorilla Center is an optional visit, it is very much worth the voluntary donation (no fixed amount) to see the exhibitions. Very well done; stories told well, primatology and specifics of the Rwandan research were clearly and beautifully presented. I won't opine on going before or after the hike to the gorillas because both are worthwhile. But yes, see it and donate what you wish.
I think there were ways that I could have cut costs on this outing. But travel alone is a premium. When I think about this, I prefer to focus on the splendid times spent with Olivier, our rich conversations, and his understanding of my love of folk art and textiles.
Missing the Golden Monkeys would not have been so much to miss but they are a fascinating contrast to the gorilla family. Being monkeys, they have tails and scurry about digging up potatoes and veggies as opposed to leisure dining of their distant relatives. All in all, I'm glad I added it but this was a way to have saved money.
Kabira was attentive and lovely to deal with.
Written August 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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