Uganda and Rwanda: 1 to 22 June 2024 (3 Viewers)

[Mike Hunter]

Highlighting this tour with Birding Africa is guaranteed to go ahead: Rwanda – Birding Africa

Likely to be a rare opportunity to visit these countries as part of a small group, and with Africa's finest guide, Michael Mills.

Contact details via the above link.

Best regards

Mike

 

[Tiraya]

Are the prices listed in USD? I can never tell with the African-based ones as sometimes they use the $ for local currency too.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Highlighting this tour with Birding Africa is guaranteed to go ahead: Rwanda – Birding Africa

Likely to be a rare opportunity to visit these countries as part of a small group, and with Africa's finest guide, Michael Mills.

Contact details via the above link.

Best regards

Mike

Say hi to Michael for me, he spent some time with us in the Philippines, very nice bloke.

 

[Mike Hunter]

Say hi to Michael for me, he spent some time with us in the Philippines, very nice bloke.

Will do Andy, and agree, one of the nicest blokes out there.

 

[lgonz1008]

Are the prices listed in USD? I can never tell with the African-based ones as sometimes they use the $ for local currency too.

The prices in this tour seem to be in USD, so around $3,700 for Rwanda and $8,400 for Uganda

 

[Andy Adcock]

The prices in this tour seem to be in USD, so around $3,700 for Rwanda and $8,400 for Uganda

Why is Uganda so expensive?

 

[lgonz1008]

Why is Uganda so expensive?

Honestly no clue, figured this was the standard these big tour companies put for themselves as brand recognition lets them do it?

 

[Andy Adcock]

Honestly no clue, figured this was the standard these big tour companies put for themselves as brand recognition lets them do it?

Compare to Rwanda though?

I spent a little time in Uganda but we didn't do Gorillas which I know is pricey. We did ten days in Rwanda and just a few days in Uganda at Mabira and for the Shoebill. I suppose the accommodations in the national parks are expensive.

 

[Mike Hunter]

Compare to Rwanda though?

I spent a little time in Uganda but we didn't do Gorillas which I know is pricey. We did ten days in Rwanda and just a few days in Uganda at Mabira and for the Shoebill. I suppose the accommodations in the national parks are expensive.

Uganda has become very expensive in recent years. I had the chance to go about 10 years ago for $4,000, no doubt when us Brits could get at least $1.70 for each £1.00 back then (as opposed to near junk status for our currency now). Of course there is a premium to pay too for using a specialist tour company.

Cheers

Mike

 

[simmojunior]

Why is Uganda so expensive?

These prices are high given a respected local guide quoted me about half that for Uganda a few years ago. The Uganda trip is 16 days but Rwanda is only 6.

 

[Mike Hunter]

These prices are high given a respected local guide quoted me about half that for Uganda a few years ago. The Uganda trip is 16 days but Rwanda is only 6.

It's an expensive country / tour (even more so post-COVID), but of course if you can get a team together with a local guide it would likely work out cheaper.

Rwanda focuses on those Albertine Rift endemics which are tougher or nearly impossible to to see in Uganda.

A quick check on four companies with costs below:

1. Tropical birding - Uganda and Rwanda (23 days) $14,190
2. Birdquest - Uganda (22 days) $11,890
3. Birding Ecotours - Uganda (19 days) $10,528
4. Birding Africa - Uganda and Rwanda (22 days) $11,980

I was highlighting the Birding Africa offer which will be a small group with one of Africa's finest guides. Benchmarked against others I'd say the Birding Africa offer to be reasonable.

Mike

 

[Mike Hunter]

Are the prices listed in USD? I can never tell with the African-based ones as sometimes they use the $ for local currency too.

Yes US $.

Mike

 

[simmojunior]

It's an expensive country / tour (even more so post-COVID), but of course if you can get a team together with a local guide it would likely work out cheaper.

Rwanda focuses on those Albertine Rift endemics which are tougher or nearly impossible to to see in Uganda.

A quick check on four companies with costs below:

1. Tropical birding - Uganda and Rwanda (23 days) $14,190
2. Birdquest - Uganda (22 days) $11,890
3. Birding Ecotours - Uganda (19 days) $10,528
4. Birding Africa - Uganda and Rwanda (22 days) $11,980

I was highlighting the Birding Africa offer which will be a small group with one of Africa's finest guides. Benchmarked against others I'd say the Birding Africa offer to be reasonable.

Mike

The quote I got from Crammy Wanyama of Avian Safaris (who is used by manay of the major companies) for 14 days in late 2021 was $3,281 per person if there were 3 people. This did not include $1000 for gorilla tracking. I imagine the cost would have gone up substantially since then but the major international companies do not offer value for money. We ended up going to Panama rather than Uganda so it is very much on my bucket list but not for $12,000! Each to their own though.

 

[Andy Adcock]

The quote I got from Crammy Wanyama of Avian Safaris (who is used by manay of the major companies) for 14 days in late 2021 was $3,281 per person if there were 3 people. This did not include $1000 for gorilla tracking. I imagine the cost would have gone up substantially since then but the major international companies do not offer value for money. We ended up going to Panama rather than Uganda so it is very much on my bucket list but not for $12,000! Each to their own though.

Different itinerary, no Gorillas but our trip in 2019 which included about nine days in Rwanda (Akagera and Nyungwe), Mabira and Mabamba in Uganda, cost just over £2K and was superb.

 

[cheshirebirder]

It's an expensive country / tour (even more so post-COVID), but of course if you can get a team together with a local guide it would likely work out cheaper.

Rwanda focuses on those Albertine Rift endemics which are tougher or nearly impossible to to see in Uganda.

A quick check on four companies with costs below:

1. Tropical birding - Uganda and Rwanda (23 days) $14,190
2. Birdquest - Uganda (22 days) $11,890
3. Birding Ecotours - Uganda (19 days) $10,528
4. Birding Africa - Uganda and Rwanda (22 days) $11,980

I was highlighting the Birding Africa offer which will be a small group with one of Africa's finest guides. Benchmarked against others I'd say the Birding Africa offer to be reasonable.

Mike

There must be some seriously well off folk about to pay those prices for three weeks birding but they’re certainly not of my acquaintance and I know a fair few birders . Who goes on these trips - wealthy retirees with more money than sense or experienced birders with no family commitments ?

 

[Steve Babbs]

There must be some seriously well off folk about to pay those prices for three weeks birding but they’re certainly not of my acquaintance and I know a fair few birders . Who goes on these trips - wealthy retirees with more money than sense or experienced birders with no family commitments ?

I often wonder that. I spent 5 weeks in Uganda, hiring a Landcruiser, staying in comfortable hotels, did the gorillas saw a shed load of stuff and spent less than any of these trips for three of us including flights.

 

[Paul Chapman]

There must be some seriously well off folk about to pay those prices for three weeks birding but they’re certainly not of my acquaintance and I know a fair few birders . Who goes on these trips - wealthy retirees with more money than sense or experienced birders with no family commitments ?

I often wonder that. I spent 5 weeks in Uganda, hiring a Landcruiser, staying in comfortable hotels, did the gorillas saw a shed load of stuff and spent less than any of these trips for three of us including flights.

I am going on the Birdquest one. I have been to Uganda before - with my wife and a friend and his wife to celebrate his retirement. I recorded 361 species on that trip. Unsure whether I have more money than sense or not but I appear to be less judgmental than some! Certainly, I am realistic that there is a limit on how many trips I can organise whilst participating in as many as I currently wish to undertake.

I do a mix of trips. My preference is for a trip with mates with or without a guide rather than a tour but I am playing catch up so have five trips in the diary this year currently. That includes three tours having done two trips so far - one simply with friends and the other with a friend and a guide.

It will be interesting to compare the experiences. I confess that I am nervous of the tour element... I always am. Participants that you do not know. Inability to contribute to the degree of effort made. Inability to contribute to decision-making or priorities.

A few pics from last time - Red-breasted Gonolek, Rock Pratincole, Shoebill, Leopard, Hippo, Elephant & Giraffe. Fantastic location regardless of what fits your personal level of experience both in terms of birding and organisation.

I just compared our outcomes for our two Thailand trips against combining two Birdquest trips and we certainly had good results in comparison for less expenditure. I saw 81 species that were not recorded on the Birdquest tours (of which 70 were photographed) and I heard two species that were not recorded on the Birdquest tours.

Category	Species
Heard by Birdquest but seen by me	11​
Seen by Birdquest and me	519​
Heard by Birdquest and me	2​
Seen by Birdquest but not by me	36​
Seen by Birdquest but only heard by me	7​
Heard by Birdquest but not by me	3​
Seen by me but not by Birdquest	81​
Heard by me but not by Birdquest	2​
Total	661​

Different choices. Different experiences. All part of the mix.

All the best

Paul

 

[Andy Adcock]

A few pics from last time - Red-breasted Gonolek, Rock Pratincole, Shoebill, Leopard, Hippo, Elephant & Giraffe. Fantastic location regardless of what fits your personal level of experience both in terms of birding and organisation.

I just compared our outcomes for our two Thailand trips against combining two Birdquest trips and we certainly had good results in comparison for less expenditure. I saw 81 species that were not recorded on the Birdquest tours (of which 70 were photographed) and I heard two species that were not recorded on the Birdquest tours.

Nice shots Paul,
is that a different species or an alternative name for Black-headed Gonolek?

Not near my books at the mo.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Nice shots Paul,
is that a different species or an alternative name for Black-headed Gonolek?

Not near my books at the mo.

Yes. Black-headed Gonolek. 👍

All the best

Paul

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I did an independent trip to Uganda in 2022 for about a month. Not sure what the final cost was but probably not massive. I self-drove in western Uganda, did the gorillas, and stayed in mostly comfortable mid-range places. I hired a driver for the east, but that was fairly cheap. In quite a few places I hired local guides, usually for $30-50 per day (plus tips). As I say, not sure of the exact cost but way lower than any organised trips and I went for longer than most. I recorded close to 600 species.