Full Day Akagera National Park Game Drive and Boat Safari

Memorable experience

Our experience in Rwanda was supper memorable our guide was very knowledgeable and punctual We did Kigali city tour and enjoyed akavura national park for two days!

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AVOID HUZA

I would not recommend booking with Huza. I spend a significant amount of time in East Africa and have been on more than 10 safaris, so I have a reasonable sense of what to ask when booking and what to expect from a safari operator. Unfortunately, this was one of the most disappointing tour experiences I’ve had. My initial conversations with Huza were pleasant. I was planning a short overnight trip to Akagera with my three-year-old, who has been on safari before. I was very specific that, because I was traveling with a young child, I wanted to break the trip into manageable pieces: an evening boat ride, an early morning game drive, a break for breakfast, and then another shorter drive before returning to Kigali relatively early in the afternoon. I also asked for photos of the safari vehicle in advance to make sure I could safely install her car seat. Huza seemed completely accommodating of these requests, which is why I booked with them. Unfortunately, almost none of this went according to plan. On the day of departure, our guide called just 15 minutes before our scheduled pickup to say he was running late returning from another trip and would send another driver. My daughter and I then waited outside for more than an hour. I called the original guide and specifically raised my concern that the delay meant we would miss our scheduled boat ride. I asked whether we should simply cancel the trip. He assured me that we would make the boat. When the replacement driver finally arrived, he was in a different vehicle from the one I had been shown, with only a lap belt, not ideal when you have specifically discussed installing a child’s car seat. We left anyway. It was immediately apparent from Google Maps that we were unlikely to arrive in time, but the driver repeatedly told me he was calling ahead and that the boat would wait for us. We then stopped for gas, followed about 15 minutes later by another stop so the driver could use the restroom. Eventually, he acknowledged that we would not make the boat and instead drove us directly to our hotel. The following day was equally frustrating. Rather than following the itinerary we had specifically planned around a three-year-old - multiple shorter outings with breaks -the driver decided that the best way to “make up” for the missed boat ride was to try to show us the entire park. That meant essentially spending the day in the car. Anyone who has traveled with a three-year-old can appreciate why 10 straight hours in a safari vehicle was exactly what I had been trying to avoid when I carefully arranged the itinerary in advance. We did see some wildlife, but I also would temper expectations about Akagera itself. Compared with other safari destinations I’ve visited in East and Southern Africa, I found the animal density quite low and there was a tremendous amount of driving between sightings. For someone’s first safari, particularly if Rwanda is already part of the itinerary, it may still be worthwhile. For an experienced safari traveler, I would choose another destination. I contacted Huza afterward and requested a partial refund, which I thought was reasonable given that we missed a major component of the itinerary and much of the trip we had specifically arranged was not delivered. They refused. Instead, they offered me a discount if I returned to Rwanda and booked another trip with them. After this experience, I certainly will not be doing that. The most disappointing part was not simply missing the boat ride - travel delays and logistical problems happen. It was that I had communicated our needs very clearly in advance, was assured repeatedly that they could accommodate them, and was then given inaccurate assurances when things began going wrong rather than an honest assessment or a reasonable attempt to rectify the situation afterward.

Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing your experience. We are genuinely sorry that this safari did not unfold as planned, particularly because we understood from the beginning that this was a special trip for you and your young daughter we were even the one who advised to do the sunset boat ride and suggested the time! We really accept responsibility for the delay on the first day, the missed sunset boat ride, and the communication issues that followed. Those are not the standards we expect from our team, and we have addressed these issues internally. We would, however, like to clarify one important point regarding the pickup delay. The original guide was traveling from Musanze and communicated that he was experiencing delays on the road. We therefore arranged another driver guide who was closer to the client in an effort to reduce the delay. Unfortunately, the replacement driver guide also encountered significant traffic and road restrictions. The hotel was located in an area where roads can become particularly congested due to official movements and other traffic, and the alternative route available to the driver required him to take a considerably longer route to reach the hotel. Based on the time available when we made the decision to send the replacement driver guide, we genuinely believed that the boat ride could still be reached in time. That is why we continued to assure the guest that we would make it. Unfortunately, the traffic situation developed differently from what we anticipated, and we ultimately missed the scheduled boat departure. We understand how disappointing that was, and we regret that our assurance did not become reality. At the same time, we would like to provide some clarification for future travelers reading this review. This was a privately arranged overnight safari, not a standard $250 group day trip. The package included private transportation, fuel, guide services, Akagera National Park fees, accommodation in one of the best lodge inside the park and the planned boat experience. The accommodation represented a significant part of the total package cost, which is why the overall price was considerably higher than a basic day excursion. We also provided a private safari vehicle for the experience and made arrangements specifically around the customized itinerary requested for traveling with a young child. We fully accept that the most important part of any safari is not the list of services purchased, but the experience delivered. In this case, we did not deliver the itinerary as carefully as we had agreed, and we regret that deeply. We also recognize that attempting to compensate for the missed boat by extending the game drive was not the appropriate solution for an itinerary that had been specifically designed around shorter outings and breaks for a young child We also want to clarify that the decision to change the driver guide was not an attempt to disregard the agreed plan. It was actually an effort to respond to the delay as quickly as possible. Both the original guide and the replacement driver guide experienced road delays, and our team was actively trying to find a solution rather than simply allowing the situation to continue without intervention. After the trip, we apologized directly and discussed the situation with the guest. We also reviewed the actual costs involved and explained why the amount paid could not reasonably be treated as a large profit margin. We offered a goodwill arrangement for a future Rwanda experience, but we understand that the guest did not feel that this was an acceptable resolution. We will not share private conversations publicly or engage in an argument with a guest. We believe our responsibility is to acknowledge where we fell short, clarify the facts respectfully, and learn from the experience. This review has already led us to strengthen our procedures around driver communication, vehicle confirmation, timing, child-friendly itineraries, and escalation when delays threaten a scheduled activity. To the guest, we remain sincerely sorry that the experience you had with your daughter was not the experience you had planned but at least the nature showed it self to you during your game drive and the guide tried to drop you to the hotel before the darkness!. To future travelers, we simply want to assure you that we take feedback seriously and continuously work to improve the service we provide. Murakoze

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Memorable moments in Rwanda and Uganda with Huza Gateway Safaris

Our experience felt really Meaningfull with Huza Gateway Safaris our guide Enock and John was supper amazing and knowledgeable, we paid in advance through their online platform, during our 9 days we visited Kigali city tour and then went to akagera national park where we even had chance to spot all the big 5, we also went in Uganda for gorilla trekking in Bwindi which was memorable as well and the climate was so friendly none of us got sick We highly recommend Huza Gateway Safaris

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Exceptional Luxury Safari

Was so exceptional and very professional We did Sunset Boat cruise then next day we did Fullday game drive and imagine we Saw the big5 Our Guide Enock was knowledgeable and passionate We highly recommend Huza Gateway Safaris especially for the Luxury Experiance

Response from the operator: Wooow!! We are glad you really made Memories!!. And we will let Enock know how much you do appreciate

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We had an amazing safari experience in Rwanda and Uganda with Huza Gateway. Enock was super knowledgeable, professional

We had an amazing safari experience in Rwanda and Uganda with Huza Gateway. Enock was super knowledgeable, professional, friendly, and always on time. Everything was perfectly organized, from transportation and accommodations to gorilla trekking and wildlife safaris. We especially loved visiting Volcanoes National Park, Akagera National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. If you are looking for the best Rwanda and Uganda safari experience with a reliable local tour operator, we highly recommend Huza Gateway. Truly an unforgettable East Africa adventure!

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