Absolute Africa

It is not impossible to travel through Africa on your own, but it is harder. Life here is different, travel between countries is a little complicated, and public transportation is not always available or direct. So, it makes sense that there are so many tour companies in Africa.

A friend of Jessica’s had recommended Absolute Africa, and their prices were by far the best option for gorilla trekking, so we jumped at it!

I have been pleased with Absolute Africa, but it is certainly not the traveling I’m accustomed to (I’m acknowledging here that I’m spoiled). Many of our fellow companions said they struggled to find recent reviews, so, I’m writing this in part to hopefully help future travelers make an informed decision.

Their website offers tours ranging from a few days to eleven weeks. I assumed (we know what that does) that most people chose ones that were a couple of weeks long. Of our group of fourteen, we are the only ones who are traveling with this group for less than three weeks. In fact, eight are doing eight weeks or more. Now it makes more sense as to why we had to bring our own sleeping bags, cutlery and dish-ware. I would also say, that if you plan to do a long safari experience with Absolute, I’d recommend starting at the beginning of the tour. Five of us joined the crew in Kigali while the others had been together for over two weeks. This meant they had formed tight bonds and already figured out the ins and outs of life at camp and life on the bus. While they were welcoming and inclusive, there was an evident divide between the newcomers and the established crew.

Of our five nights with Absolute, two were in a very modest hotel, two were in a lovely campsite with lots of gathering space and offerings of culture classes and the fifth was in an open plot of grass and dirt next to an old resort that is no longer operating. We set up our own tents (two travelers per tent), which are fairly nice canvas ones and Absolute also provided us with an inch thick pad for sleeping on.

Included in our cost is breakfast and dinner. Three of our dinners were at restaurants where we were given a modest budget, or we could pay if wanted something more. The other two were cooked by team members over a grill or gas stove by our campsite. Breakfast was prepared by team members and our fabulous guide. It was usually simple, composed of fruit, cereal options, toast and spreads, along with coffees and teas.

Aside from lodging (modest as it may be), breakfast and dinner, the other major expense Absolute covers is transportation. And the vehicle that we are transported in is a true masterpiece. You know how RVs are outfitted so that every usable space has a purpose? So was the giant yellow truck! It appears to be an eighteen-wheeler where the container has been fixed up to suit our needs. You climb a ladder to enter the giant yellow contraption where you’ll find 28 comfortable seats arranged in a similar pattern to train cars where some sets of four face one another. Under each seat there is a locker to safely store your belongings. There is a fridge in the bus to keep your lunch items cold (sometimes). There is a compartment where five-liter bottles of water are stored and another where sleeping bags and the safe is kept. There’s a charging station and a Bluetooth speaker system. The “windows” are giant flaps that can be rolled up before moving. As you can only imagine, a giant yellow contraption carrying white people through a small town here attracts attention. It’s a fun, high vantage point where you can wave to all the eager children as you pass.  As our seats do not share the same space as the driver and our guide, there is a button we can use to communicate. Outside of the truck, under our seats are compartments for storing tents, cooking utensils, food, tables, stools and just about anything else you could imagine that you might need on a camping trip.

The truck is locked up, which is so wonderful, but since the key rotates between team members, it is often a struggle to get back on the bus if you need something. So, planning out what was needed at campsites was a bit tricky, but with more practice, I’m sure I’d get better at it.

Everyone has a job each day. These vary from cleaning the inside of the truck to cooking dinner to washing dishes to preparing breakfast.

One reason that Absolute can keep their costs so low is because there are so many optional add-ons. Yes, major things like the gorilla trek or a game drive are included, but at stops there were often lots of options that each costs money. Visiting a traditional village, getting a tour of a coffee plant, hiking to Dian Fossey’s grave, making banana beer or making bracelets may cost you anywhere from $10-$100. So, keep in mind that your very low base cost is just that, it is a base cost. There is a lot of downtime because of this, especially if you don’t partake in many extra activities. And of course, as to be expected, there is a lot of driving time when you’re covering the continent. 

Our guide, Nash, from Zimbabwe is perfect for this role. He’s with the crew (and Steve, the driver) for the entire eleven weeks. Nash is an adult camp counselor. He has fun with us, is sarcastic, and yet also is capable of laying down the law when necessary. He’s knowledgeable, helpful and a great, generous chef! You couldn’t ask for anything more than Nash!

The best part about any group tour is always the people that you meet. While of course it would be better to interact with locals and learn from them, our traveling companions often represent a wide array of the world, and I love getting to know them, find our commonalities and learn from them. So, I will tell you a little about them as it is them who helped to make our experience so memorable.

There were fourteen of us total. This bus will continue driving through Africa dropping people off and picking up new passengers, so there is no doubt that the group will change a lot, but our number was a perfect one!

There was Freya, the lovely Australian who was keen to take an adventure similar to one she had heard from her parents’ stories. She cares about nature and works as an environmental consultant. She taught us a fabulous new card game called Presidents and Scum and another game about beans called Bonanza.

Mara, a fellow American, whose hometown and the college where she just graduated  from are on opposite sides of the country is traveling to celebrate her recent graduation before settling down with a job. We were thrilled to find her before our actual journey began and have had hours of conversation about travel.

Ale, who always looks perfect in photos, even when hiking in the jungle, was the only Mexican on the trip. She recently turned thirty, and a few major life occurrences made her rethink life. She quit her high-power job as an engineer and has been traveling the world solo for the better part of the year. 

There is Maria, whose English words roll off her tongue in her Greek accent with such grace that you can do nothing but soak it all up! She’s the woman we all hope to be someday. She was a waitress, beautician and diving instructor, but hasn’t worked in twenty years. She travels the world solo and somehow manages to make hot pink in the jungle work.

There was the mother and son from Michigan; she fulfilling a dream that began years ago from her Peace Corps time in Kenya, while he’s in between school and work creating some incredible memories with his mom. There are the two Aussie girls traveling the world together, going home every now and then to make enough money to keep traveling. There’s the girl from Belgium who did part of this tour years ago and came back for more! There’s the German guy part way through his time at university studying technology that shows much greater maturity than his age. He never missed a wave out of the truck to all the passing kids. Then, there is the kiwi couple who’ve been traveling throughout Asia for the better part of a year and are now conquering a new continent. I soaked in their accent, reminded of my time in New Zealand nearly 20 years ago.

I enjoyed my time with Absolute, mostly because of the people and the gorillas! Would I do it again? Perhaps now that I have a better understanding of what I’ll truly be getting into. (Don’t misunderstand me to insinuate that there was false advertising!) But, I must admit that I’m looking forward to being a tad bit pampered next week!