Testimonials

  We chose Gorilla Holidays after contacting many similar holidays and comparing prices. The price was very competitive, plus our friends had used Gorilla Holidays five months previously, so we knew... read more they were a good company.

Mark arranged our two week holiday based on our requirements and was always very quick to respond to any email queries I had beforehand. We were very pleased with Mark's suggested itinerary.

We were met at the airport by Jonan, in the trusty Toyota Hiace. We remained in this very comfortable vehicle for the next two weeks.

Jonan was a lovely guide, very knowledgeable and a great driver in some difficult conditions. He made our amazing holiday even better.

We enjoyed all the activities and excursions, some were chosen by us and some were added by Mark. One of the activities chosen by Mark was to see the Gorilla Guardian Village, where people who had previously been poachers, but had now been educated to not poach. They replaced their income from poaching with an income from tourists experiencing some of their way of life. This was such an informative excursion and one that we feel all visitors to Uganda/Rwanda should experience.

There were many things on the itinerary, including Gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, visits to game reserves/national parks, river trips, visit the equator line etc.. All were fantastic and very well arranged. The trek to Volcanoes National park to see where Dian Fossey lived and is buried, was very moving and well worth the trek.

We stayed in many different hotels and were very pleased with all of them. Some had basic facilities, but the kindness and helpfulness of the staff, more than made up for the lack of facilities. Some of the hotels had amazing views and others has great facilities. The food in some was excellent, but again those that didn't have quite as good food, certainly made up for it in other ways. I wouldn't say anywhere served bad food, just some served better food. All of the staff in the hotels were great. Our accommodation was mid range and I feel that is what we received overall, with some being a little basic, but others being more luxurious. We would not have wanted to change any of the hotels.

The people of Uganda were lovely and friendly, those of Rwanda were friendly but more suspicious (which is totally understandable after what they have been through).

Some of the roads were a little hairy, but we felt very safe in the hands of Jonan and in the vehicle we were in.

Everything about the trip was fantastic. Some of our hotels were changed at the last minute, due to different reasons, but to us this was not an issue and we were happy to stay at whatever hotel Mark or Jonan had found for us each day.

Thank you to Mark for all the arranging and to Jonan who was a lovely guide who became a friend over the two week holiday.

  After researching several companies for gorilla treking, we decided to book with Gorilla Holidays. Mark was very helpful and responsive and their pricing was competitive. I'm very glad that we... read more chose them. The itinerary that Mark arranged was excellent. The lodges were clean and comfortable, with terrific views and great food. Our guide, Abraham was tremendous. He was very knowledgeable and engaging. He definitely wanted to make sure that we left with the same love for Uganda that he has. We learned so much about not only the wildlife, in particular the birds and primates that he has particular expertise in, but also the people and culture.
I have to add, at one point Mark made a very long car trip to ensure that we would have our gorilla permits in time so that we would be able to go treking. Both he and Abraham are very reliable and go out of their way to ensure that customers have a good experience. I definitely recommend them both.

  Mark organized our trip from Kigali, Rwanda to Bwindi Impenetrable forest for our gorilla trek and it was amazing! Godfrey picked us up at our hotel then took us to... read more the Genocide Memorial and a local outdoor market. We then made the drive to Uganda for our gorilla trek the next morning. Godfrey navigated the bumpy roads great and we arrived at our lodge just as the sun went down. The accommodation was lovely. The food was great and the people were very nice. We were minutes away from the entrance for the trek which went amazing. It was an intense hike through the forest but we lucked out and found our gorilla family in about an hour and a half. Thank you Mark, Godfrey and everyone else involved for making our trip so great!

  My 19 year old son, husband and I booked a 2 night, 3 day private tour with Gorilla Holidays in July 2019 and it was genuinely one of the most... read more memorable experiences we have ever had.

Abraham picked us up in Kigali and took us to the very moving Genocide Memorial Museum before driving us to Bwindi in Uganda ready for our amazing gorilla trek the next day. Abraham was a really informative and supportive guide, making sure that we got across the borders and onto our treks with minimal fuss. The accommodation which was arranged through his business partner Mark was totally delightful and Abraham made sure we were well looked after and negotiated an extended checkout on the last day for us to freshen up after our trek.

The gorilla trek was without doubt one of the most awe-inspiring experiences of our life, trekking for hours through the rainforest before coming face to face with a huge silverback and his juvenile family. Wow! It was such a thrill.

The golden monkey trek in Rwanda on the following day was brilliant too. The trek was much easier and quicker than the gorilla trek but totally exceeded our expectations. The golden monkeys were so much fun as dozens of them played around our feet.

We learnt so much about Rwanda and Uganda on this trip due to the knowledge and efforts of Abraham. In addition to our treks, he took us on a wonderful scenic tour through Uganda and Rwanda so we could experience the stunning scenery and see how the local people really live.

From Mark’s excellent customer service and advice during the booking process through to Abraham’s attentive and informative service as our guide, I couldn’t fault Gorilla Holidays. I highly recommend them for trekking in Uganda and Rwanda.

  We spent 9 days touring Uganda and 2 days in Rwanda- there were so many highlights-and our guide Innocent was responsible for making the whole trip so bespoke and relaxing.... read more His knowledge of the routes and sights was unbelievable and he gave us the best insight into life in Uganda as we felt we saw it first hand from the trip. From Entebbe through Murchison Falls National Park and the river Nile cruise was spectacular, I never expected to see so many hippos and crocodiles close up, and the climb up Murchison Falls made a really nice activity.
Another river cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park on the Chambura channel gave us great sights of elephants and buffalo in the water.
Kibale forest trekking and having our first experience of seeing chimpanzees was unforgettable we had an hour of watching them close up- it was awesome.
Then the journey to Bwindi impenetrable forest in itself was amazing- the African mud roads, the forest mist, the scenery of fields of tea was superb.
The trek and the experience of seeing the gorillas was a memory we will treasure for a lifetime, all our friends and family are still in awe of our experience.
It was a privilege and a young male gorilla playfully grabbed Stuart’s leg- he is never going to wash his trousers!
The lodges near each forest were stunning especially Heritage Safari Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest guesthouse has the most stunning gardens and Ichumbi gorilla lodge were all beautiful luxurious lodges. Also a swamp tour in the Bigodi wetlands with Pato and Julius was a highlight to learn about the local medicinal plants and trees where we saw colobus monkeys.
I would recommend this holiday to everyone as the trip of a lifetime.
Alison & Stuart Bentley

  I highly recommend Gorilla Tours. Mark (the owner) was accommodating to my changing itinerary, quick to respond, and completely understanding when I ran into issues with my bank account. ... read more />
As for the trip itself, it could not have gone better. It was so clear that my guide (Jonan) cared about making sure I had a great experience. He even made our long drive across Uganda enjoyable, showing me places along the way and stopping for coffee at his favorite place. I appreciated that he knew the area so well, even the rangers in the park, and clearly cared about the community and the wildlife. I will absolutely book them for my next trip to Uganda.

  Gorilla Holidays was extremely east to deal with and Mark was very accommodating during the process of organizing the trip. I traveled alone, and was thankful to have trustworthy... read more and professional people handling my travel and activities. It was professional and at the same time informal, which made the experience perfect. I was not pushed to engage in unnecessary touristic activities and was allowed to choose my trip activities, duration and pace as I pleased. The hotel chosen had great ambience and the staff were incredible and was served by staff who provided high quality service. Absolutely credible outfit for a decent price.

  I attended a conference in Kigali and together with a colleague we have extended our stay to see the Gorillas in Bwindi Park, Uganda. I have arranged everything with... read more Mark from Gorilla Holidays in advance. The communication was very smooth and Mark replied to my emails within 1 hour each time. Mark and his driver (Jean or Sean) have picked us up from the hotel with a 4x4 Friday early morning. After a city tour in Kigali, we headed to Uganda. On the way we stopped at the beautiful Lake Bunyani. Early evening we have arrived at the lodge, did the Gorilla trekking on Saturday and headed back to Kigali on Sunday. Our experience was just amazing from the lodge, transport and obviously the trekking bit. Jean has always been around and assisted us with whatever we needed. I can highly recommend Mark and his team. They will take the best care of you and go out of their way to make your experience as pleasant as possible.

  Thank you to Mark and Jonan for such a fantastic experience. Trekking with the Gorilla's was simply amazing!! There are many tour companies that can take you on this trip,... read more but Mark and Jonan at Gorilla Holiday really were the cherry on the top. From timeous pick-ups, seeing to every need and going over and above the call of duty to ensure the best service and making sure the experience (including but also beyond the the trek) was excellent. Thank you both for an unforgettable trip! More

  Gorilla Holidays was extremely east to deal with and Mark was very accommodating during the process of organizing the trip. I traveled alone, and was thankful to have trustworthy... read more and professional people handling my travel and activities. It was professional and at the same time informal, which made the experience perfect. I was not pushed to engage in unnecessary touristic activities and was allowed to choose my trip activities, duration and pace as I pleased. The hotel chosen had great ambience and the staff were incredible and was served by staff who provided high quality service. Absolutely credible outfit for a decent price. More

  Mark did a great job organizing our trip from Kigali in Rwanda to Bwindi in Uganda for gorilla trekking; we chose Uganda instead of Rwanda since it was a lot... read more cheaper and we got to see some beautiful scenery on the way; Tom our driver was fantastic, super friendly and knowledgable and very patient with all our requests

  The owner Mark and Milton one of his guides were great, they accommodate to my schedule and where I wanted to go, the trip was very nice with Milton. I... read more was alone and I felt very conformable and secure.
I recommend this company a lot. Nice guys, great company.

  My experience with Gorilla Holidays couldn't have been better. From the very beginning Mark walked me through every step and gave me insight to what I'd need and what to... read more expect. I had previously booked with a different company, as soon as I confirmed and booked my plane ticket the company jacked up the price by $1000 USD. Scrambling, I canceled with that company and found Mark with Gorilla Holidays. THANK GOODNESS! Once I arrived at the Kigali airport I was greeted by Jonan. He is extremely professional, speaks great English and very well educated in everything Rwanda and Uganda. I was alone on this trip, so it was nice to be able to have a conversation with him. Mark arranged everything for me, my meals, the guide, my accommodations everything, and everything was top notch. The staff at my lodge were amazing, the food was great. The adventure of trekking for the Gorillas was amazing. We found a family of 11, I was able to see 7 different gorillas, including 2 Silver Backs. I would HIGHLY recommend Mark and Jonan for anything gorilla in Uganda. Thanks again guys!!!