Car Rental Fleet for Kenya Holidays

It’s so amazing that Kenya has got a number of wildlife parks which accommodates a vast wilderness and bird species. But before narrating my experience for our long Journey to Kenya from Uganda. Due to the recommendations I got from my colleagues who have ever traveled to these countries, we were recommended to use a local Uganda car rental based tour company known as 4×4 Car Hire Uganda under Moses’ management who is so much knowledgeable about the regions and he can advise and you fill you are already on trip before you start it.

This was/is the best company that could/can provide us with advisory services regarding tour activities and destinations in the whole of Africa, it’s the same company which hired us a Toyota land cruiser with nevertheless, we arranged a tour in Kenya where our major aim was to enjoy a holiday while in Africa. In Uganda, Moses advised us to first tour some of the Uganda’s source of the Nile and Mountain Elgon National Park which are located on the way towards Kenya in the eastern Uganda.

We sent Moses the all amount of money that he calculated for us that was covering the costs of all the utilities and even accommodations. On reaching Uganda, we were given the car we had rented after signing an agreement. Since we reached late, we slept at Hotel Africana and early in the morning next day, we drove ourselves to Jinja about 80km from Kampala, this took us around 1½ hours, we staged at Tulina Riverside Treat near the river, we had our lunch from here and after we went to the main point which is regarded as the major source of the Nile.

Stones were piled up here plus walkways which permitted us a chance to cross to the different points as we were peeping the Speke monument alongside the river, besides is the old bridge for both the cars a train, downwards is the Owen falls dam where electricity is generated, all this was done under maximum and strict guidance from the source operators.

In the evening, we went back to the hotel for an overnight and early in the morning we headed to Mbale which took around 4hours on the way, we rested at Mbale Travelers Inn, this had a restaurant, roof top bar and evening entertainment. Free private parking on site among others, early in the morning we went to the park’s headquarters for briefing and also take on our activity.

Here we did mountain biking and it started from Sipi trading centre to Chema hill in Kapchorwa town, this took us 2hour, but here we had to hire our own equipments from the service  providers. Equipments included, bikes, and gloves, we hired these from Sipi River Lodge this was a guided one since we couldn’t easily locate the starting point and the ending point, this activity gave us an opportunity of viewing the various waterfalls around and up it was an elastic view of the Karamoja areas.

This was so fantastic since we did that brief but hectic exercise from this park, Bamasaba who are the main occupants of the area with their banana and coffee plantations on the steep slopes of the mountain were also seen here. After here we went back to the hotel to have fun and also to relax. The next day we woke up and transited to Kenya via Malaba border up to Kisumu near Lake Victoria. The reason as to why we went to Kisumu is that we had to go to Ndere Island National park, to access this park we were charged $… per person.

Since we reached late, we parked our vehicle at Scottish Tartan Hotel due to the fact that we wanted to access the park using water transport. We got a speed boat which used 45minutes to the park but it was so nice due to the cool weather conditions on water. This provided us an experiential view of the different bird species while sailing on water. We reached late and we couldn’t do anything more therefore we camped at Bao campsite. The next day we started off our activities, we watched hippopotamus, monitor lizard, Nile crocodile, several fish species and snakes especially pythons, puff adder, aardvark, butterflies and vipers are also evident. We also saw troops of baboons, monkeys, impalas, the rare sitatunga antelopes, water bucks, Zebras and warthogs.

This was so wonderful and it added on what we had observed from Uganda, since we had hired a speed boat, we didn’t sleep here instead we went back to the hotel where we had left our vehicle. We slept here and the next day we proceeded to Nairobi which is the capital city of Kenya and here we stayed at Kima Hotel from here we went to Mountain Kenya national park and here we wanted to do mountain climbing here we paid $208 USDs per person for a four days package since we were foreign non residents.

We accessed the park through Nanyuki-Isiolo road approximately 175km from Nairobi and we entered the park through Marania. Since we reached at midday, we camped, but we were advised to go with the following items due to the weather conditions this mountain receives, Drinking water, Walking boots, Warm clothing, training shoes, socks, sandals and gaiters. Binoculars, camera, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses. Fortunately Moses had already briefed us all this and we hired all the equipments from his company in Uganda.

The next day we climbed the mountain but it was a hard task, because of the rugged terrains and the sharp paths to the top of the mountain, this took us three days to reach the summit. What made us wonder was while on top one can think that he/she can touch the sky due to the tallness of this mountain being the second tallest mountain in Africa with 5199meters. On top we got opportunities of seeing the dense forest, tarns, glaciers and mineral springs. We also observed animals such as black fronted duiker, mole rat, bush bucks, water buck and Elands and leopards down in the caves.

Having enjoyed all this, we went back to Nairobi for a rest at Kima Hotel and the next day early in the morning, we drove our car to Uganda but due to the long distance, we reached Uganda at midnight and we went straight to Entebbe airport since our flight was scheduled at 8am in the morning, from here we handed over the car to the company representative in good conditions.

Car Hire in Africa: Important Things to Know

How to compare cars before making a reservation for yourself

Where can I get a car for renting?

Usually, there are a score of fair rental companies where you can rent a car from. Of course, this car might be for your safari or any other business you may wish to use the car depending on the terms you agree with the company you are renting the car from. You will search on line or go through a number of car rental companies in the country and here you will need to compare the rates before you final pay for the car. There will be a variety of cars which will be offered for you to be rented and it will be up to you to choose the best car which will fit your demand. Before renting, you are advised to look at the collision damage, waiver, the unlimited mileage, road assistance and you will have to confirm if they are all included on the car you are renting.

How do I obtain car rental discounts?

Different companies do put promotions on line that is internet about the car rentals which are in terms of discount codes and coupon. As a client, you will first look for the car you   have to rent and if you are lucky that day, you will when you are on line, you will get the car on a reduced price.

What advantages can I get from booking the car online?

1. You will get rid of the hidden fees which are incurred when you book directly from the company. Booking online will make you escape expenses which most companies do include in the car hire package. These costs are often brought forward for you when they are well detailed and you have to know that the real face value of car hire services will go for other than meting them during or after the car hire experience. In comparison when you hit the car hire premises and ask for a car to hire sometimes you will regret as to why you might have involved in car hiring the car directly from the company.
2. Booking the car online is time saving and very convenient than when you visit the offices directly. Sitting on your laptop, smart phone or your desktop will allow you visit different websites which offer car rental services. You will then send inquiries after you gotten the best car quotes and usually you will get the feed back in a period of less than 24 hours. No serious hustle is involved in this type of renting and compared when you visit the offices directly. When you are online, it means that booking can be done everywhere and feed backs can find you anywhere. It can be done whether you are at home or  whether you are in your office working

This type of booking is money saving. Money which would otherwise be used to transport yourself to car rental premises can just be used to obtain data or internet which can help you book the car you wish on line

Self Drive Tips : Cars To Book On A Safari In Uganda.

When going for a safari to either Uganda or Rwanda, one needs to decide which type of car he/she wants to use. In most cases tourists ask us this question when they inquire for their safaris to either Uganda or Rwanda or even both and we go on and advice. But it’s always a good practice to make your own choice so that you can have the best experience on the safari without any inconveniences related to the car used. Choosing the type of car to hire depends on what type tourism activity you are going to do and the number of people you are travelling with. Sometimes clients inquire with us and they want small cars yet they are many in number. We always advise them to go for bigger cars like vans which can accommodate their number. It’s always good to travel with a classic touch and freedom other than travelling while congested in a small car. Small cars like saloons and small Benz’s are suitable to use if clients are 2 or 3 but not more than that as it would mean to squeeze yourself which is not good.

The distance to be travelled and the destination that you want to go to is also important while selecting the type 0f car to hire in Uganda. If you know that you are travelling for longer distances and to places which are challenging with undulating topologies and hills, then the best type of car to hire is that with a 4×4 wheel drive system. This is because 4×4 cars can penetrate through muddy roads and hills without any problem and without getting stuck. Sometimes people make wrong choices and they go with cars which are not full time 4×4 and they end up getting stuck in muddy roads forcing them to hire another towing car to remove them from the mud. This is bad as it leads to increase in the expenses. The only way to avoid this is by hiring a 4×4 wheel drive car which cannot easily get stuck in such conditions.

It should be noted that both Uganda and Rwanda have some places with bad roads and this is common in national parks especially in Uganda where there are animals to be viewed. Such parks require 4×4 cars for a game drive experience .safari vehicles like 4×4 land cruisers with a popup roof are the best cars to use for a successful game drive. In case one needs to go for a town-running (driving around the town) then he/she can book these other cars which have no 4×4 system because roads in all urban places kin both Uganda and Rwanda are in good conditions and no threat is imposed to the user.

When you book with us we always ask you what you intend to use the car for and we give advice when it comes to choosing the type of car to use. Some clients seem to be complicated and ignore our advise because they think roads in Uganda and Rwanda are like those in their home countries and they end up making mistakes which are regrettable. And at the end of their safari they regret why they ignored our advice.

In conclusion, you should always put in mind two factor before selecting which type of car to use and that is;- the destination you are going to and the number of people you are travelling with.

Self Driving Uganda – Why You Need a Local Phone Number

While on a Self Drive in Uganda, it is vital to have a local phone number that you can simply purchase in the shops or service centres in major towns around the country. There is a wide range of networks to choose from that is MTN, Airtel, Orange, Vodafone, Uganda Telephone, and most recently Smart Telecom. There is wide network range coverage for MTN, Airtel and Uganda Telecom although most people have a preference of Airtel for easy communication followed by MTN. Most importantly is even when you cross the border to Rwanda, the same sim cards will work there although if you require to communicate easily with the local Rwanda people, a Rwanda sim card would be the best option. Purchasing a local sim card should not cost you more than 5,000 Uganda shillings.

A local phone number has far much more advantages as opposed to your international number while on a self drive in Uganda safari. Most of the roads in the country are not really that tarmac especially if you get off the usual highways and it is very easy to communicate with a local phone number to ask any body or your car rental agency for say help with regards to directions with much ease because they can always call you back to find out where you are or how best to get from point A to point B.

Because of the nature of the roads very often it is easy to get a mechanical problem with your rental car of which it is no guarantee but just in case it happens to you, it is very easy and efficient to communicate using your local phone number to your car rental company and they can easily walk you through what to do and how best to go about your issue than having an international number which can take a lot of money to communicate and with less airtime. It is very easy to communicate to a mechanic nearby and also with your rental company for a quick fix of the problem which actually might not be that big a problem.

Not only is it easy to communicate with your car rental agency but also with some other suppliers with in the country at a much more cost effective rate. Remember no body wants to spend much more while on holiday so a local phone number is an automatic saving scheme especially on calls within the country. There are cheaper cell phones in the country too that you can buy at about 30,000 Uganda shillings to serve the purpose while on your holiday. Most notable brands for cheaper cell phones include; Techno and Itel. For instance it is very cheap to book a boat trip in Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth or Lake Mburo National Parks using your local phone number or liaise with a Ranger in case you are going for a Gorilla Trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.

There are very many things that can move smoothly with easy communication and easy communication is a very important aspect for a success of your safari holiday. When there is an international number involved, your local rental company may not easily communicate the changes in say weather at different areas on your safari trail because of the expense involved in communication. Also some times lodges require phone numbers for the guests before they get to the lodge so as to prepare in advance what you would wish to have, say if you need dinner at the lodge or not, it is easy for the lodge to call you using your local phone number as opposed to an international number some time of which the staff at the different lodges may not have the knowledge of how to dial. Unless you are going to have a guided tour, then your safari guide will have a local phone number to easily communicate but for a self drive safari, I would urge you to endeavor and get a local phone number upon arrival either at the airport or any major town in the country. You can as well talk to your local safari operator to purchase the sim card for your and upon arrival you get it as the car is handed over to you. By so doing, I guarantee you will have a wonderful experience on your safari.

How To Attain Gorilla Permits

In all the three East African countries (Uganda, Rwanda, Congo) where gorilla trekking takes place, there are various procedures that one should adhere to before being given a green flag to go in the actual process of gorilla trekking. The most paramount procedure here is securing a gorilla permit which can be done through agents or directly from the responsible authorities.Below is a detailed account of how one can attain these gorilla permits;

Rwanda:

Gorilla tracking in Rwanda is done in Volcanoes National Park and gorilla trekking/ tracking permits booking is managed by the Rwanda Tourism Office (ORTPN). Each gorilla permit costs US$750 in Rwanda. On each particular day, about 56 persons can visit Rwanda gorillas, 8 persons per each gorilla family given that there are only seven groups.

Gorilla permits are in high demand, because of the stiff competition for them, and therefore are booked with payment on the basis of first come first served. Book your gorilla permit in advance to avoid disappointment.

To track gorillas each person must have the day’s gorilla permit which needs to be arranged and paid for in advance, preferably at least 10 months for the high seasons – June-September and December-February; or latest 4-6 months in advance for the low seasons – October-November and March-May. This can be made possible by the availability of tour operators that are very competent and they normally book your gorilla permits at no extra cost.

Gorilla permits are booked with payment on the basis of first come first serve. Availability of gorilla permits for a required date is not guaranteed. There is a lot of competition for the gorilla permits, which makes it hard to get one for yourself. Any delay in confirmation and or payment may mean that you will be unable to obtain the permit on your preferred date.

Once you book and send your money for permits, the date cannot change (changing a tracking date means a cancellation fee is charged). Rwanda charges $100 for each permit date changed.

There is also another option of booking gorilla permits directly through ORTPN.In case you have to book a gorilla permit from outside Rwanda; you first have to contact ORTPN’s reservation office by email inquiring about availability of the dates you intend to track the gorillas. If the exact dates you want are unavailable, you can request ORTPN to let you know of the nearest dates. You then reply to them expressing your intent to book those permits, and requesting them to temporarily hold them as you make payment. At this time, they will advise you of their banking details, so that you can proceed to make an electronic transfer of the money. Please remember to immediately send a copy of the transaction voucher/ receipt by email or fax to ORTPN.

The transfer should usually take not more than 3 days and ORTPN will keep your tentative booking for at least 7 days as they await the transfer to go through. Please ensure that you instruct your bank to deduct the bank charges from you. Otherwise if the money sent is less, your permit may not be booked.

The most rampant and sought after module of attaining gorilla permits is the use of tour operators and travel agents. Many intending gorilla trekkers have however found the above procedure tedious and have sought our quicker and less tedious ways of reserving their gorilla permits by working with local Rwanda tour operator. Gorillas and wildlife safaris will not charge you for buying gorilla permits if you are getting other tour services through them.

The procedure is almost similar as above, except that the tour agencies tend to speed-up the process and most likely you will get your gorilla permit confirmation faster as they always send you a scanned copy of those permits as soon as they are issued thus an assurance of proof that you are dealing with competent people. However, there are certain things that you have to put right before your permit is issued like the dates you want to track these primates, your full names plus those of other people you are travelling with as they appear in your passport.

If at all lady luck is on your side, you might get a last minute gorilla permit from any tour operator. There are situations when some tourists buy gorilla permits and then eventually end up not making it to the actual tracking due to various reasons beyond their control. So these permits remain in the hands of these tour operators who now begin looking for buyers of these permits. So when you avail yourself and you want to track on the same dates as inscribed on the gorilla permits available, then you get yourself one at the last hour.

Congo

In Congo, you can plan the booking of your gorilla permit via visit Virunga. So it is here that also Visas to Congo are issued so you can book both of them at ago. A Congo gorilla permit costs only $460.

Uganda

When booking a gorilla permit from outside Uganda, you first have to contact UWA’s reservation office by email inquiring about availability of the dates you intend to track the gorillas. Note that you need to consider a full day of travel from Kampala to Bwindi after you have landed in Kampala.

If the exact dates you want are unavailable, you can request UWA to let you know of the nearest dates. You then reply to them expressing your intent to book those permits, and requesting them to temporarily hold them as you make payment. At this time, they will advise you of their banking details, so that you can proceed to make an electronic transfer of the money. Please remember to immediately send a copy of the transaction voucher/ receipt by email or fax to UWA.

The transfer should usually take not more than 3 days and UWA will keep your tentative booking for at least 7 days as they await the transfer to go through. Please ensure that you instruct your bank to deduct the bank charges from you. Otherwise if the money sent is less, your permit may not be booked.

Gorilla Permits are also booked through a Tour operator or travel agent. Many intending gorilla trekkers have however found the above procedure tedious and have sought our quicker and less tedious ways of reserving their gorilla permits by working with local Uganda tour operator. Gorillas and wildlife safaris will not charge you for buying gorilla permits if you are getting other tour services like transfers and tours through them .The procedure is almost similar as above, except that the tour agencies tend to speed-up the process and most likely you will get your gorilla permit confirmation faster. However, there are certain things that you have to put right before your permit is issued like the dates you want to track these primates, your full names plus those of other people you are travelling with as they appear in your passport. There are situations when some tourists buy gorilla permits and then eventually end up not making it to the actual tracking due to various reasons beyond their control. So these permits remain in the hands of these tour operators who now begin looking for buyers of these permits.

Ugandan tour operators through their umbrella association (AUTO) almost buy up to 80% of the available tracking permits at up to 2 years out from the intended month of tracking. Each member may purchase up to 20 permits in any month. Individuals and non-members of AUTO can purchase a maximum of 2 permits each in the month 3 months prior to the intended month of trekking .So you can contact AUTO members an purchase these permits from them.

However,in Uganda, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is proposing to put all gorilla permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park on line to be accessed by all people within and outside Uganda. According to management of Uganda Wildlife Authority, putting gorilla permits online will increase sales thus more money into the government’s treasury and to the Uganda Wildlife Authority to be used in conservation of wildlife in all protected areas. UWA management also argue that Tour Operators have been complaining about failure to get availability when they call Uganda Wildlife Authority central reservations office in Kampala and that if permits go on line then one can see them instantly.

Putting gorilla permits on line is yet to be seen as it has received a lot of resistance from the Private sector most especially from Ugandan Tour Operators under their umbrella organization called the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) who argue that by putting gorilla permits online will not only put them out of business since International Tour Operators will be able to buy them directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority offices but will also kill the tourism industry as a whole since clients will only be coming to Uganda for gorillas and then go for wildlife viewing in other neighboring countries of Kenya and Tanzania that have a competitive advantage over Uganda. Uganda Tour Operators argue that the role of selling gorilla permits should be left to them since their businesses create employment to several people and that if they are deprived of this, they will run out of business. They further say that the role of Uganda Wildlife Authority is not to market Tourism products such us gorilla permits but is to conserve Wildlife in and outside Protected Areas. The role of Marketing Uganda as a tourism Destination is supposed to be done by Uganda Tourism Board and therefore conflict of interest has been sighted.

Following the above issues, several meetings were convened to discourage Uganda Wildlife Authority from putting gorilla permits online and this ended up attracting the attention of the Minister of Tourism and Wildlife who has instituted a committee comprising of representatives from AUTO, Local Communities, Uganda tourism board and Uganda Wildlife Authority and is to be chaired by The Ministry of Tourism. Outcomes of this committee will be communicated later. Therefore as of now this system to put Ugandan gorilla permits online has temporarily stalled till further notice.

Just as in Uganda, even in Rwanda this mechanism has also totally failed due to various issues that have created divergent views towards the application of this module. The private sector also smelt a rat in being driven out of business yet in Congo this mode of online gorilla booking has never been thought of and there are no signs of conceiving such an idea.

Is Gorilla Trekking Safe?

Visiting mountain gorillas only takes place in the Virunga volcanic chain which stretches covering parts of Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park of Rwanda, Congo’s Virunga national park and Uganda’s Mgahinga national park. Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable national park is another place where one can visit gorillas with half of the total mountain gorilla population which is about 880 individuals according to the 2012 gorilla census. Gorilla Tracking in Rwanda and Uganda is the leading foreign exchanger earner and hence a great need for the respective countries to ensure the security of gorilla tourism.

The nature of mountain gorillas is very intriguing that you would actually consider to travel all the way to Africa’s tropical rain forests to track these human like endangered creatures in their natural habitant. The biggest question of all at the back of your mind when your in the early stages of planning your adventure is whether its safe to actually meet gorillas at a close range??

Looking at the side of security, In Uganda and Rwanda, armed tourism police has been places all round the forests to ensure maximum security of travelers. It should also be noted that trackers are escorted by armed tourism police who follows behind the group.

On the side of gorillas

Gorillas are just like man, gentle, peaceful and can only become a threat to trackers when they sense danger, but otherwise, once you follow all your guides instructions, you have nothing to fear. A tour to go see gorilla in Africa is one of the most enjoyed African journey and this is the reason why quite a number of travelers are going into Rwanda and Uganda just to trek these gentle giants.

The actual gorilla safari in Africa importantly begins with briefing from an experienced ranger guide about how to conduct during the hike. At this point, you are given an overview of how the whole tracking experience will be and guidelines.
On a single day, small groups of 8 people are led into the forest to go track a gorilla group for one hour led by two ranger guides one at the front of the group and the other at the end of the group. The front guide clears the thick vegetation with his machete while the back guide makes sure no one gets left behind in the forest. Trekking with the gorillas requires you to be in good shape as it involves hiking and climbing through slippery terrain.

The ranger guide constantly receives communication from his colleagues who go into the forest early morning to trace the actual location of the gorillas. Your guide will be informing you as you get nearer to the gorilla positions. A number of rules have been set that trackers have to follow so that they don’t threaten gorillas.

• Its important to keep a distance of 7 meters from the gorillas, if a gorilla comes very close to you, remain still until it goes away.
• speak quietly
• Don’t make sudden movements as they may feel threatened
• Be very submissive, don’t look directly into its eyes, i may think your challenging it
• Don’t use flash camera, it may scare the gorilla

Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda Vs Congo

Planning to take a gorilla trek in Africa? Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are some of the best places where tourists can enjoy gorilla watching in Africa. When it comes to making a choice on where to go gorilla trekking, many travelers become confused and some decide to visit the different parks on a single gorilla safari and enjoy this brave once  in a lifetime experience! In this post we compare gorilla tourism in both Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Tourism is one of the major economic activities in Rwanda – the country is nick named “the country of a thousand hills”. Rwanda has three National parks namely, Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park and Akagera national Park. Other tourist attractions in Rwanda include Lake Kivu, Genocide memorial museums, Local art and craft shops, Fruit markets, Kigali city among others.

The chief Rwanda’s tourist attractions include mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, Golden monkeys, the Virunga mountain peaks and many others. The Country is designed in mountainous regions making it a must visit!

Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the largest countries in Africa endowed with lots of tourist attractions namely Mountain and low land Gorillas, Bonobos, lot of birds and wildlife, Virunga Mountains among others. Tourism in Democratic Republic of Congo is not well developed due to political instabilities which some times force tourism activities halt. On the other hand, Rwanda is peaceful and tight security to ensure smooth flow of tourist activities.

In terms of marketing tourism, Rwanda is far better than D.R.C – per annum, Rwanda advertises her tourist potentials to be known worldwide.

The Kwita Izina – Gorilla naming ceremonies which are conducted every year markets the country’s tourism to a great extent. Gorilla naming is meant to introduce new born Gorillas to the world – young Gorillas are named and the ceremony is attended by many tour operators from different corners of the world.

It is only 2 and a half hour drive from Kigali International Airport to Volcanoes National Park, 1 and a half hour from Kigali to Akagera National Park and Nyungwe Forest National Park is 8 hours drive. The short distances enables visitors spends little time on a Rwanda gorilla safari – therefore, tourists on tight schedules should visit Rwanda. In addition, the good roads in Rwanda promote Rwanda tourism than that of Democratic Republic of Congo. The roads to Rwanda’s National Parks are well constructed to simply the transportation of visitors from one destination to another.

Rwanda’s mountain Gorillas are easily found – the shortest trek is approximately 2-3 hours. Gorilla trekking safari is the climax of all trips in Rwanda and being the simplest trip leads to promotion of Rwanda tourism.

Presence of Akagera National park with lots of wild animals and birds – morning and afternoon game drive exposes tourists to animals like Elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks, common or cape eland, roan antelope, hippopotamuses, sitatunga, burchell’s zebras, orive common baboons, giraffes, crocodiles, little bee eaters, open billed stock, marabou stock   black headed gonolek, robin charts among others. Birds like Ring-necked Francolin, Madagascar Pond-heron, Shoebill, Pallid Harrier, White-spotted Flufftail, Red-faced Barbet among others.

Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park hosts ten habituated mountain Gorillas which are exposed to tourism. The more Gorillas groups a country protects, the famous the country become and the reverse is true.

Nyungwe Forest National park is known for protecting 13 primates including chimpanzees, olive babon, Vervet monkey, Mona Monkey, Grey Cheeked Mangabey, Angla Colobus Monkey, Blue Monkey, L’Hoest Monkey among others. The listed primates add positive impacts to Rwanda’s Tourism over that of Democratic Republic of Congo.

The people of Rwanda are hospitable and welcome foreigners – this is because, most of the people learnt a lesson from the 1994 civil unrests which costs the lives of a thousand people. It should be noted that tourists need to meet people who are friendly. On the other hand, Democratic Republic of Congo citizens feel uncomfortable with foreigners as they suspect them to be spies.

Tourism in D.R.C rag behind due to the fact that many of the tourist attractions like the primates and other wildlife are killed by rebels while others depart the country to the nearby countries like Uganda, Rwanda and others. It is also unfortunate that some people kill wild animals for meat/ food – the process has resulted into tourism failure.