Testimonials

  After being grounded and locked indoors for most of 2020 the travel bug bit me. HARD. When borders started opening up, I noticed more photos of people traveling and Uganda,... read more specifically for gorilla trekking, caught my interest. My travel companion decided against traveling after I suggested Uganda, mainly out of fear. I too become fearful and concerned about traveling internationally solo. I found Gorilla Holidays as a recommendation from a solo female traveler. My first interaction with Mark was so professional and helpful. A week later I bought my plane ticket and booked with Gorilla Holidays. I did 6 nights and 7 days. My accommodations were absolutely beautiful, comfortable and exceeded my expectations. The meals were fresh, local and very filling. The excursions were moments of pure bliss. Yampa, my tour guide, made sure I was given a tour wherever I stayed or went. He went over and beyond to ensure I had the best experience, which I did. At every national park, I had an extraordinary experience due in part to the one and only Mr. Yampa Abraham. He knew every road, tree, and animal. I loved how he would share how to find animals while out on safari using most of your senses. One thing that I learned about Yampa is that EVERYBODY knows him, even animals! At each destination, we were greeted with such a welcome. I highly suggested requesting Yampa. Other tour guides would call or come up to him for questions, advice, and how to solve problems. Gorilla trekking...My thinking, I trekked 10 hrs in the Amazon this will be nothing. WRONG. It is very intense BUT worth it. The rangers were so helpful. Helpful to the point of literally holding my hand (for most of the trek) to help me up the steep hills I consistently slid down with each step. The way the rangers and scouts communicated with the gorillas was something out of a movie. You don't realize how massive and gentle these creatures are until you have a silverback walking mere feet in front of you. This is what I came to Uganda for and left with such gratitude for everything else Uganda has to offer: people, culture, nature, food and kindness. This was the scariest best decision I have made as a solo female traveler. I can't thank Mark and his amazing team for making this trip safe, fun and memorable. …

  I'll be completely honest for anyone suspicious of booking expensive tours over the internet. Read to the end. Because I have been scammed and robbed and scammed before (in South... read more Africa and Europe), I was a little suspicious when I submitted my inquiry on the Gorilla Holidays website to find out more about gorilla trekking for my family of 5. I didn't know if it was a fake website designed to steal people's money, which is not uncommon.

However, within 24 hours, I received a very well-written, detailed response from Mark. He sent a draft 3-day itinerary to me, and it looked great! We requested a few revisions (pickup in Kampala and dropoff in Kigali) and Mark got back to us in 24 hours. We read Tripadvisor reviews and searched the internet for any negative reports about the company, but everything came back positive.

So we decided to book. We sent our payment and passport info to Mark, and crossed our fingers that everything was legitimate. About 10 days before our tour, I hadn't heard anything from Mark about when we were going to be picked up, and he hadn't asked for any more details from us. So I got a little nervous. I emailed him, again, he replied within a day. 2 days before our trip, I hadn't heard anything from him, so I reached out for his WhatsApp info to coordinate on the day of our trip. Again, he replied.

The night before our trip, we received a message from Charles, our driver and guide. He picked us up the next morning in Kampala and drove us to Bwindi. He was an absolute delight! He informed us about the history of Uganda, and several important, interesting facts about the country. Charles is a gift and is the one who made the whole trip flow so well for us. He is the glue that tied together all the important parts. He was our common denominator, and, by the end of our trip, became our friend.

The drive was long but quite educational. We stopped at the Equator for a family picture and ate a little snack at a local spot. We drove a few more hours and stopped for lunch at a nice little restaurant. Then, after a couple more hours, we stopped at a local village to meet some locals and eat pineapples. They both were great!

Then we drove to our lodge, which was good for our family. The staff there (Elizabeth, Powerman, and the whole team) was a pure delight.

Then there was the trekking. It was ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES OF OUR LIVES! We woke up early, went to the morning orientation, and then trekked gorillas all morning. We saw a family of 20 gorillas and were able to get up close to them. The babies were wrestling and playing with one another, and the silverback was watching to make sure everyone in his family was okay.

We followed them for 3 hours, and saw them climb trees, and eat, and relax. We were literally about 10 feet from a huge silverback.

Our guide, Luke, and trekkers, Roland and Michael, and our porters, Brian and Yusamu, were so amazing! The guides let us to the trekkers, and the trekkers led us to the gorillas, and the porters helped my two younger children the whole way. They were a Godsend,, helping my family every step of the way in such a caring, personable way.

After the trek, we went back to the lodge to freshen up, and then talked about our unforgettable day over dinner.

The last day, Charles drove us to the border of Rwanda, and helped us cross over to Rwanda where our next driver, Steven, met us, and drove us to Kigali.

I am still in awe over how wonderful this trip was.

If you are on the fence about booking, take my word for it, this company is legitimate and their operation is a well-oiled machine. They know how to take care of their guests, and our family hopes to return with more family and friends so that they, too, can experience this one-of-a-kind phenomenal experience.

  Mark, Jonan I really can’t thank you enough the whole family enjoyed the trip from the moment we arrived at the airport we felt the great hospitality, Mark booked the... read more best hotels, lodges, cottage and Jonan our Guide made sure we are comfortable and safe during the whole trip We enjoyed Entebbe Zoo & Kampala City Tour, QE National park, Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Mburo National Park and finally Murchison Falls National Park …

  We really enjoyed our experience with Gorilla Holidays! They are dedicated to customer satisfaction and provide the promised experience. We reserved the five-day gorilla trek/Queen Elizabeth Park experience.... read more It didn't disappoint. We WERE disappointed by a delay caused by Qatar Airlines. This caused us to be an entire DAY behind at the start of our trip. Mark sprung into action and managed to preserve our entire itinerary without us incurring additional costs, sacrificing any of our stops, or having to extend our trip. That is the true test of a company - how they adjust when things don't go according to plan. Mark and Jonan worked hard to find a solution that kept the smiles on our faces. After our delayed departure (caused by Qatar Airlines) we headed out to Queen Elizabeth park - and joined the Kazinga Channel cruise. We felt like we were right out of Disney's Jungle Cruise! Hippos and elephants galore! Even a crocodile! Incredibly enough, we saw a python as well!! Afterwards, we returned to our accommodation: Elephant Hab Lodge. We actually had the entire property to ourselves - a sublime experience with an infinity pool, spacious room, beautiful vistas, and plentiful food (see separate review). The next morning was a delicious breakfast and early departure for our game drive. Again, we marveled at active hippos, elephants, and LIONS! We told our guide Jonan which animals we were especially interested in, and somehow, we managed to see them!! (We also saw lots of other creatures as well, but those mentioned were important to us.) The road time was substantial, and Jonan kept his focus and dedication to safety the entire time. We knew we would have a lot of time in the vehicle, and it was no problem to let Jonan know when we needed a restroom or snack stop. The vehicle was quite comfortable, by the way, with seats that reclined and a pop-top for the safari. We arrived at the next night's lodging, in preparation for our gorilla trek the next morning. Again, plentiful food and comfortable lodging at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge (see separate review). To get there, Jonan navigated some crazy roads, but we trusted him. His skill and experience was apparent. The gorilla trek was remarkable - but tough! Keep this in mind. Extraordinarily steep inclines, slippery trails, the works! My daughter and I joked that we would be on the 8-hour-trek when they let you know it will be between 1 and up to 8 hours trekking. Close. Our group was gone for 6 1/2 hours!!!!! Just be sure you are fit. We LOVED our group (eight of us) and our guide. We definitely got lucky with that. Sadly, we left the next morning for Entebbe. Another massive road trip - as well as Jonan making sure we got our necessary PCR for the trip back. Results were delivered in time, for a flawless departure home. So - satisfying trip in which we were able to experience all we wanted in a safe manner - a definite success. And a big thank you to Mark and Jonan - they helped us salvage our trip when the airline let us down. Again, the true testament of a company is its ability to be there for its customers when things don't go according to plan. Gorilla Holidays is just that company!

  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.

  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.

  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.

  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 was very responsive, provided ideas and helped build what turned out to be very exciting and amazing experiences. Our trip was in place. The Rwandan experience had priced... read more us out of their market, Mark provided an alternative. Uganda! Our private tour for just the...More

  Mark was very responsive, provided ideas and helped build what turned out to be very exciting and amazing experiences. Our trip was in place. The Rwandan experience had priced... read more us out of their market, Mark provided an alternative. Uganda! Our private tour for just the two of us

  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

  My friends were so worried about me going Gorilla Trekking in Uganda as a solo female. Gorilla trekking was on my bucket list because my friends had raved about... read more this once in a lifetime experience. After researching several companies, I chose Mark and Abraham because of their exceptional reviews. This company has a lot of integrity which was extremely important to me. Mark promptly and thoroughly answered all of my many questions and masterfully coordinated my four day trip flawlessly. I cannot say enough great things about Abraham, my driver and guide. Abraham is a very special, extraordinary person with top notch experience. He was always there, made me feel very safe and we had some fascinating and enlightening conversations as we drove through his beautiful country. THANK YOU MARK AND ABRAHAM for an absolutely unforgettable once in a lifetime experience! I am so happy I chose your company.

  After being grounded and locked indoors for most of 2020 the travel bug bit me. HARD. When borders started opening up, I noticed more photos of people traveling and Uganda,... read more specifically for gorilla trekking, caught my interest. My travel companion decided against traveling after I suggested Uganda, mainly out of fear.

I too become fearful and concerned about traveling internationally solo. I found Gorilla Holidays as a recommendation from a solo female traveler.

My first interaction with Mark was so professional and helpful. A week later I bought my plane ticket and booked with Gorilla Holidays. I did 6 nights and 7 days. My accommodations were absolutely beautiful, comfortable and exceeded my expectations. The meals were fresh, local and very filling. The excursions were moments of pure bliss. Yampa, my tour guide, made sure I was given a tour wherever I stayed or went. He went over and beyond to ensure I had the best experience, which I did.

At every national park, I had an extraordinary experience due in part to the one and only Mr. Yampa Abraham. He knew every road, tree, and animal. I loved how he would share how to find animals while out on safari using most of your senses. One thing that I learned about Yampa is that EVERYBODY knows him, even animals! At each destination, we were greeted with such a welcome. I highly suggested requesting Yampa. Other tour guides would call or come up to him for questions, advice, and how to solve problems.

Gorilla trekking...My thinking, I trekked 10 hrs in the Amazon this will be nothing. WRONG. It is very intense BUT worth it. The rangers were so helpful. Helpful to the point of literally holding my hand (for most of the trek) to help me up the steep hills I consistently slid down with each step. The way the rangers and scouts communicated with the gorillas was something out of a movie. You don't realize how massive and gentle these creatures are until you have a silverback walking mere feet in front of you. This is what I came to Uganda for and left with such gratitude for everything else Uganda has to offer: people, culture, nature, food and kindness.

This was the scariest best decision I have made as a solo female traveler. I can't thank Mark and his amazing team for making this trip safe, fun and memorable.

  We did a trip: rhinos, murchison falls, game drive, boat cruise
Expensive, but it’s worth it. We saw a lot, thank you to Augustine, our driver, for the nice... read more trip!

  This was amazing from booking to finish. Enquires and made booking/paid the 50% deposit all over email and online through a secure payment form. Great info and communication. Then picked... read more up from our hotel to start the tour and paid the balance in cash, to set off on our trip. Our driver Abraham was very knowledgable on the area, people, animals and an exceptional driver. We saw lots of animals on the game drive & boat ride, the chimp trek and gorilla were both amazing!!! The accommodation and meals were far more than could gave ever expected. Overall the trip was amazing and totally stress free for us. Would definitely recommend. …

  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!!!

  We really enjoyed our experience with Gorilla Holidays! They are dedicated to customer satisfaction and provide the promised experience. We reserved the five-day gorilla trek/Queen Elizabeth Park experience.... read more It didn't disappoint. We WERE disappointed by a delay caused by Qatar Airlines. This caused us to be an entire DAY behind at the start of our trip. Mark sprung into action and managed to preserve our entire itinerary without us incurring additional costs, sacrificing any of our stops, or having to extend our trip. That is the true test of a company - how they adjust when things don't go according to plan. Mark and Jonan worked hard to find a solution that kept the smiles on our faces. After our delayed departure (caused by Qatar Airlines) we headed out to Queen Elizabeth park - and joined the Kazinga Channel cruise. We felt like we were right out of Disney's Jungle Cruise! Hippos and elephants galore! Even a crocodile! Incredibly enough, we saw a python as well!! Afterwards, we returned to our accommodation: Elephant Hab Lodge. We actually had the entire property to ourselves - a sublime experience with an infinity pool, spacious room, beautiful vistas, and plentiful food (see separate review). The next morning was a delicious breakfast and early departure for our game drive. Again, we marveled at active hippos, elephants, and LIONS! We told our guide Jonan which animals we were especially interested in, and somehow, we managed to see them!! (We also saw lots of other creatures as well, but those mentioned were important to us.) The road time was substantial, and Jonan kept his focus and dedication to safety the entire time. We knew we would have a lot of time in the vehicle, and it was no problem to let Jonan know when we needed a restroom or snack stop. The vehicle was quite comfortable, by the way, with seats that reclined and a pop-top for the safari. We arrived at the next night's lodging, in preparation for our gorilla trek the next morning. Again, plentiful food and comfortable lodging at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge (see separate review). To get there, Jonan navigated some crazy roads, but we trusted him. His skill and experience was apparent. The gorilla trek was remarkable - but tough! Keep this in mind. Extraordinarily steep inclines, slippery trails, the works! My daughter and I joked that we would be on the 8-hour-trek when they let you know it will be between 1 and up to 8 hours trekking. Close. Our group was gone for 6 1/2 hours!!!!! Just be sure you are fit. We LOVED our group (eight of us) and our guide. We definitely got lucky with that. Sadly, we left the next morning for Entebbe. Another massive road trip - as well as Jonan making sure we got our necessary PCR for the trip back. Results were delivered in time, for a flawless departure home. So - satisfying trip in which we were able to experience all we wanted in a safe manner - a definite success. And a big thank you to Mark and Jonan - they helped us salvage our trip when the airline let us down. Again, the true testament of a company is its ability to be there for its customers when things don't go according to plan. Gorilla Holidays is just that company! …

  An absolutely amazing trip! I found Gorilla Holidays online, and went with them on a gut instinct. From the get go, Mark made it about the experience and... read more about our convenience than about the money. We were not given inflated pricing, or unnecessary add ons. Strictly what we asked for. Additionally, unlike other operators, Mark was upfront about the fact that at the time of our visit, the Ugandan government was offering a discount on tracking permits. Mark was incredibly accommodating of our ever evolving itinerary, and was reachable at virtually all times, with quick responses to all communication. The Trip! Jonan our driver, was fantastic. He was fun, informative, patient for all our photograph stops, and above all, was safe. We really appreciated his kindness and humour, We stayed at Nkuringo Bwindi Lodge, and were the only guests during our stay. it was a perfect stay, with the nicest team derived of individuals from the local area. We received better care and service that I have experienced in some large cities! The water pressure and hot water were much appreciated after our trek! The trek itself was a bit more challenging than expected, but our porters, trackers, guide and security made sure we stopped as much as needed, encouraged us, and kept us entertained the entire time. Being within 10ft of a gorilla family (and a silverback!) is an experience that cannot quite be put into words. We were humbled by the sheer majesty of these animals. Truly a once in a lifetime experience. Thank you to Mark and the team, and we could not recommend Gorilla Holidays more. …

  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.