FeaturedIntroduce Yourself: Where Are You Heading?
Welcome to the Mavens Safari Forum. Whether you're planning your first trip to Uganda or Rwanda or you've just come home, say hello here. Tell us where you're from, when...

Uganda & Rwanda · Luxury safari talk
Ideas, opinions and first-hand advice on luxury safaris, from travellers and the guides who host them.





Welcome to the Mavens Safari Forum. Whether you're planning your first trip to Uganda or Rwanda or you've just come home, say hello here. Tell us where you're from, when...
Waterproof walking boots that are already broken in. Long trousers and long sleeves against nettles and thorns, and gardening gloves for gripping vines. A light rain jack...
The East African Tourist Visa covers Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya on one multiple-entry visa, valid for 90 days, for US$100. You apply online through the country you will ent...
Permits are issued per person, for a specific date and, in Uganda, a specific sector. Each gorilla family takes a maximum of eight visitors a day, so permits are limited....
In Bwindi, a small number of permits each day let you join researchers and trackers with a gorilla family that is still being habituated to people. Instead of the standar...
Both offer an hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family. The differences are elsewhere. Rwanda (Volcanoes National Park) About two to three hours' drive from Kigali...
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has four trekking sectors, and your permit is tied to one of them, so choose before you book. Buhoma (north): the original sector, wit...
Tipping is a thank-you, never an obligation, but it's one of the most common questions we get. These are the typical ranges travellers use, in US dollars: Private drive...
Waterproof walking boots that are already broken in. Long trousers and long sleeves against nettles and thorns, and gardening gloves for gripping vines. A light rain jack...
Welcome to the Mavens Safari Forum. Whether you're planning your first trip to Uganda or Rwanda or you've just come home, say hello here. Tell us where you're from, when...
"Luxury" is printed on almost every safari brochure, so it's worth asking what actually changes the experience. From the trips we run, these are the things guests notice ...
Both can use the same lodges, so the difference is in how the days run. On a private safari The vehicle and guide are yours alone, so start times, stops and photo breaks...
Welcome to the Mavens Safari Forum. Whether you're planning your first trip to Uganda or Rwanda or you've just come home, say hello here. Tell us where you're from, when...
Waterproof walking boots that are already broken in. Long trousers and long sleeves against nettles and thorns, and gardening gloves for gripping vines. A light rain jack...
The East African Tourist Visa covers Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya on one multiple-entry visa, valid for 90 days, for US$100. You apply online through the country you will ent...
Permits are issued per person, for a specific date and, in Uganda, a specific sector. Each gorilla family takes a maximum of eight visitors a day, so permits are limited....
In Bwindi, a small number of permits each day let you join researchers and trackers with a gorilla family that is still being habituated to people. Instead of the standar...
Both offer an hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family. The differences are elsewhere. Rwanda (Volcanoes National Park) About two to three hours' drive from Kigali...
Signs of a true luxury safari: privacy, guiding, service, food, space and the small touches. What really counts, and what is just marketing?
Private guides and vehicles, fly-in transfers, helicopter flights, bush dinners, spa days and exclusive-use lodges.
The lodges and camps that deliver: suites, views, service, food, and which rooms to ask for.
What to expect from butlers, trackers and private guides, how much to tip, dress codes and lodge etiquette.
Dream itineraries, honeymoons, celebrations and once-in-a-lifetime ideas. Share yours and get honest feedback.
Bwindi sectors, Mgahinga and Volcanoes: permits, fitness, porters, habituation and the trek itself.
Chimp tracking in Kibale, Nyungwe, Budongo and Kyambura Gorge, plus golden monkeys.
Routes, road times and parks from Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth to Kidepo.
Volcanoes, Nyungwe, Lake Kivu and Akagera, and how to combine them.
East African Tourist Visa, yellow fever, malaria, domestic flights and border crossings.
Lenses and settings for the forest, boots, rain gear and what to pack.
Day-by-day stories from your safari in Uganda or Rwanda.
Say hello and tell us where you are heading.
Tell us what would make the forum more useful.