6 of the 7 Continents For The Budget Traveler: Into The Congo, Uganda, & Rwanda

Bonabee, king of the jungle in Congo

Africa... There's no place like it... A massive continent with over 50 countries in a vast landscape with over a billion people... I had been fortunate enough to have been to this beautiful continent a few times before in both sub-Saharan. and several trips in North Africa. I'll never forget my first safari in 2011, it changed me, and played a big role in becoming the traveler I am today. So as summer of 2022 came closer, I had decided that I wanted that experience again, and this time, I also wanted to meet in person our closest genetic relatives, the gorillas.

Whilst Africa is massive, adding the gorillas to the bucket list of the trip rapidly narrowed down my options of where to go. Unfortunately as many know, they are endangered. My research pointed towards some in West Africa, Cameroon, and Nigeria, but the majority of recommendations were best fit to go to Uganda and Rwanda.... Prior there had been many ecstatic reviews of The Democratic Republic of The Congo, AKA Congo... But due to civil unrest it was not recommended to go... But as the title of this article insinuates. I didn't follow that advice. This is absolutely not recommended for all travelers! But... Where there is a will there is a way. In light of it being a wild life event, I decided it was best to try to see gorillas in both Congo and Uganda, as there was no guarantee I'd see them in either.

As always here's my go to advice and tips on how this trip was built...

Tour company! While I normally hate tour companies, Africa is a different place to tour on your own, after having done it with a guide, I can certainly say it can be done without one, at least for part of the trip, but with language barriers, dirt roads, multiple border crossings, and even our van breaking down, it felt much better having local guides. My last Africa trip was with Nomad, this one with Achieve Global Safaris, both highly recommended. In the end I chose achieve because it was very important for me to go into the Congo.
The Congo is by no mean the safest place to go. It was pre-arranged that we would enter at Bukavu rather than Goma for safety purposes. I stayed on Lake Kivu, which I learned there also is not safe due to volcanic gas, but the view is absolutely incredible.
While driving 6 hours through Rwanda we were met with smiles, waves, and an overall vibe of being a welcome guest. Congo was a little dicey at the border. I didn't have any problems whatsoever there, and everyone talked to was amazing and hospitable, but that being said, it's not as safe as Rwanda, if you are not a seasoned traveler this may not be the place for you.

Naming Of The Gorillas Ceremonial Statue Rwanda
The drives every time I have been to Africa are long, but always enjoy the scenery as it passes...
Kahuzi Biega National Park, this place was the most adventurous part of the trip. It's about a 90 minute drive from Goma on almost all dirt road, SUV definitely required. When we got to the jungle I realized what I never understood about the English language, the difference between a jungle and forest. I always thought a jungle was more green, tropical, but that's really a rain forest... A jungle is impenetrable. You can walk in the forest, you cannot walk in the jungle. In Congo, we were in a jungle.
I would say in the 5 hour trek, we made it maybe 5 miles. The trek is hard, not pain staking hard, but it's not easy. The safari companies may not ask what kind of shape you are in, so if you are in doubt, this again may not be the trek for you.
But of course, while crawling thru mud, getting attacked at the boots by ants, breaking a sweat, and getting very dirty... When you come to the opening and meet these guys... It's all well worth it.

The Congo Jungle Photo after the hike
Hotels are amazing, I stayed in some great camp sites as well. This is Africa, so prices are incredbile for budget travelers. Places I could have never imagined staying in the states were fractions of the cost, and a view you would never get anywhere else!
Great views at Lake Kivu Congo!

Other hotel guests
Canopy Bridge: This was another fun one, binoculars are a must unless you have hawk eyes, birds eye view walking above the forest, amazing!
Chimpanzee Walk was another amazing part of the trip, they were VERY high up in the trees, but once my binoculars adjusted I felt like I was there with them. And those guys are a lot louder in person!
Lake Kivu Boat Ride was an optional tour I didn't do, they wanted $150!!! To me for one or two hours that seemed like too much, and to be honest, there is not much wild life on the lake as we would see at the lake near Queen Elizabeth national park
Try the local beers! I was geared up for some great wines as my previous trip to South Africa, but central Africa is all about the beers! A few of my favorites...
The Golden Monkey Track was honestly not something I was looking very forward to, I have been to a lot of places and had MANY encounters with fun little monkeys, I initially thought this was a bit of a waste and time would be better spent looking for the big guys. I was staying at a lodge near the forest and even had a Golden Monkey hanging out there, more reason to think the track was a bit excessive... But alas, I was VERY wrong. At first we saw one or two... Then five, ten.... then more.... There was something simply majestic about being around over 100 endangered golden monkeys, watching them eat, play, fight, sing, scream, etc. Absolutely worth it!
Next it was time to meet some locals, we went to the Uganda Batwa Community. These are always great tours to visit local villagers, who re-enact the old ways, or the current ways to teach you about African Culture, a great way to learn about the country, and of course make new friends.
They made me king for the day of the village
Seeing the gorillas in the Congo was an adventure like no other, but of course as mentioned, I wanted to do more than one gorilla safari in case the first one had failed... So for Uganda, I booked a gorilla safari in Bwindi National Park. This ended up being yet again an experience like no other. Little did I know, this time we would not only meet the gorillas, but two of their new born babies! I think the photos and videos here will do better than I could ever do with words...
Right around Queen Elizabeth we also did a lake cruise, I was mind blown how many hippos, bucks, and birds we saw! And of course more of the beautiful elephants!
Queen Elizabeth National park was the grand finale, and of course didn't disappoint. I will say some of the animals are tagged, so while they are wild, it's odd to see the tag/collar sometimes, but that being said, it could takes days to find a leopard without that. We even got to see on eating his breakfast. And of course not all animals are tagged, you are still searching in the national park. These devices also keep the animals safe from poachers, and help with the science of keeping the eco-system safe, and sustainable, without further ado....
Time to look for wildlife
I had a total of 6 hours to kill at the Uganda Airport. Priority Pass, which I really need to write an article on soon, was worth it's weight in gold. A clean shower to freshen up for the long flight, a great dinner, coffee and a comfy couch to read my book, and probably a whole bottle of wine to be ready for a chill evening on the plane.

The Equator Tour was listed as a thing we would check out, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but this quick demo at a local shop was well worth it!

Last but not least, I made tons of great friends there. These people want to know you and learn about your culture. One of which was an orphanage manager I met along with the children there. I only had $5 or so on me, but made it my mission to connect with the owner on WhatsApp and donate more when I got home. I am still talking to my tour guide friends, villagers, and hotel workers. They truly made me feel like I myself was a citizen of these beautiful countries. And needless to say, as always, I can't wait to go back.