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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 follow you. Easy to add a rest afternoon, swap a game drive for a walk, or extend a night. Ideal for families, photographers and anyone with a slower or faster pace. On a small-group tour A fixed itinerary and departure date with other travellers. Usually cheaper per person, but less flexible. In Uganda and Rwanda the gorilla trek itself is always in a group of up to eight visitors per ...

... quiet island stay on Lake Bunyonyi. Both countries: a double gorilla trek, then the open savannah of Queen Elizabeth or Akagera to finish. Tell your planner it's a honeymoon. Lodges often add a private dinner or room touches, and it helps when choosing rooms. Planning a honeymoon or anniversary? Share your dates and ideas and the community can help shape them.

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 driver-guide: about $10–20 per guest per day, given at the end of the trip. Gorilla and chimp trackers and rangers: about $10–20 per guest, handed to the ranger to share, or to each person directly. Porters on a trek: the porter fee is paid at the start; many guests add $5–10 on top if the porter helped a lot. Lodge staff: most lodges have a shared tip box; about $10–15 per guest per night is common. Small US dollar notes printed after 2013 are easiest, as older notes are often refused. Uganda shillings and Rwanda francs are also welcome. Your turn: how did you handle tipping on your trip, and did anything surprise you?

... that is still getting used to people, instead of the usual one hour. A private boat on the Nile or the Kazinga Channel, timed for late-afternoon light. A bush breakfast or sundowner set up in the park, away from the lodge. A spare night. One unplanned day after a trek is the luxury people mention most afterwards. What would you add to this list? And was there an extra you paid for that wasn't worth it?