Traverse west of the Maasai Mara to a land rich in biodiversity and home to magnificent mountain gorillas & mischievous golden monkeys.
As the capital of Kenya and a gateway for East Africa, Nairobi is connected to all major international hubs through the national carrier Kenya Airways and other international carriers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, AirFrance-KLM and British Airways.
Angama Safaris can assist with all your city hotel arrangements in Kigali and Entebbe and has a close relationship with a network of properties such as the Retreat Boutique Hotel, Amata N’ubuki Boutique Hotel in Kigali and the Protea Hotel in Kampala. Our team conducts regular site inspections to stay up to date with new hotels and upgrades at existing partner properties.
Please note that scheduled flights between the Mara and Entebbe carry a luggage restriction of 15kg per person in soft bags, including carry-ons. The acceptance of excess baggage is at the sole discretion of the airline but some offer the option to purchase an additional freight seat for luggage weighing up to 75kg.
The local currency for Rwanda is Rwanda Francs (RWF) and Ugandan Shilling (UGX) for Uganda. US$ are widely accepted, though you may have some trouble exchanging high denomination notes, and only those issued after 2006 are accepted. Credit cards are accepted by only a few lodges and hotels (Visa & MasterCard), and ATMs only available in Kampala and in Kigali. We recommend travelling with US$ in cash, in multiple denominations for any eventuality. Gratuities are entirely at guests’ discretion and are not included in Angama Safaris quotes. There is no hard and fast rule, and recommendations vary from property to property. However as we are frequently asked for advice, herewith a guideline: (per couple)
–Driver Guides: $20 – $40 per day
–National Park Guides: $30
–Park Porters: $20 per porter
–Park Trackers: $5 per tracker
–Lodge butlers / waiters: $10 – $20 per day
–General Staff: $10 – $20 per day (generally pooled and distributed)
–Please note that there are always more guides and trackers on gorilla treks than you expect! And we strongly advise you engage a porter for trekking – they are extremely helpful and gracious and very appreciative of the opportunity to earn.
Angama Safaris is glad to assist with excursions in Rwanda to various attractions including: The Genocide Memorial, art exhibitions and coffee plantations and workshops as well as various shopping locations.
We are often asked, understandably, by travellers ‘how safe will I be?’ It is a good question to ask and simply put the answer is that Angama Safaris will do all and more to ensure your personal safety and the safety of your possessions every step of your journey. We have teams on the ground in Nairobi, at our lodge in the Maasai Mara and in Johannesburg all of whom are on call 24/7. As a lodge operator in Africa with over 25 years of operational experience in the safari business across 6 countries we know that keeping our guests safe is paramount. We have done, and continue to do this, day in and day out. Angama Safaris applies the same stringent adherences to safety as does the Angama Mara lodge team. Should you have any specific questions in this regard please ask your travel planner.
–Laundry can be done at most lodges, use it!
–Comfortable cotton clothing
–A jacket and/or warm fleece, layers are always good as it can be cold at altitude
–Light raincoat
–Both long and short sleeve shirts, shorts and trousers
–Beanie
–Comfortable, durable hiking boots
–Extra pair of walking shoes / trainers
–Gaiters or anklets
–Flipflops or sandals
–Sunhat, sunglasses, sun block, lip balm
–An extra pair of reading glasses (if you need ‘em)
–Camera, binoculars, extra memory cards, charging equipment
–Leather (gardening) gloves (for stinging nettles in the park)
–Medium-to-large zip-lock bags (great for waterproofing)
–Daypack
–Poncho
–Walking stick
–Please note: No bright colours, white or camouflage designs are allowed on the gorilla trek
–Clothes may get muddy, especially in the winter months, so suggest wearing old clothes
–Cotton is best for drying in the often damp weather
Many countries require travellers to have a Yellow Fever certificate prior to returning from a visit to East Africa, including children from the age of nine months. Malaria is prevalent across East Africa – Rwanda and Uganda are no exception. For updated advice, we recommend consulting the WHO’s international travel & health department, and checking their list of specific country requirements. We also suggest that you speak to a medical professional for the most up-to-date advice prior to travel.
–A valid passport for at least six months from the date of entry, with at least three consecutive blank pages
–Citizens of the European union, USA, UK, Australia, Germany, Israel, South Africa & Sweden can easily obtain visas on arrival
–Citizens of other countries should apply well in advance, either online or to Rwanda/Uganda missions abroad
–A single entry visa to Rwanda costs US$50 and for Uganda costs US$100, these are valid for a period of 90 days
–East African Tourist Visas valid for travel to all of Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda are also available
