This Tour Is Offered By
Our team leader with the beutiful guests
Amakula African Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Member Of:
- TUGATA, USAGA & UTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
-
CDKERWTZUG
Amakula African Safaris is a well-known tour and safari company with experience organizing tailormade safaris in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Southern Sudan, with extensions to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We provide cultural, trekking, camping, wildlife safaris, bird watching safaris, and whitewater rafting adventures that are off the main path.
Reviews13
CA
Up close with our nearest relatives
We chose Amakula for our four-day Gorillas and Chimpanzees Trekking Tour in Uganda and we're glad we did.
The first big highlight was a stop on Day 2 at the Kibale National Park in the north-west of the country. It's a thickly forested park that's home to some 1,500 chimps in four different communities. After our guide Julius parked the truck it took just a few minutes for the park staff to find them, screeching from the treetops as they searched for food. Unfortunately for us it was a dull overcast day, making it hard to see the animals against the sky, but one of them spent a lot of time on the ground and was easily visible. Even in the dull light, it was thrilling to see the animals so close.
After seeing the chimps, we made our way south over the rough potholed roads and high up into the mountains at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home of the mountain gorillas. We stayed in a rough hewn cabin with a stunning view down a valley in the middle of the park. Early the next morning we headed out in the safari truck to look for a gorilla family that the trackers had spotted hours earlier. This time, luck was really with us. Usually, there is a fair bit of trekking through the vine-choked jungle to get to the animals. But our family was just a few paces off the road.
It's an experience like no other to look into the eyes of these human-like creatures. This was a family of about a dozen, including the head silverback, a couple of smaller silverbacks and several females and young ones. We were told not to get too close but the gorillas don't know that rule. Sometime the young ones ran within a foot or two of us. The family is amazingly laid back and the silverback grunted contentedly as he drifted in and out of sleep.
The tour ended with an overnight stay at Itambira Island in Lake Bunyonyi. The small island has its own semi-tame wildlife, including zebras and a large flock of crowned cranes. There's an option for a boat ride on the lake that we didn't take. It was a pleasant and restful way to end the tour.
We highly recommend Amakula. Our guide Julius was knowledgable and friendly and willing to stop whenever we wanted a better look at something, including the abundant bird life. This was a private tour, meaning we were the only clients in the safari truck, but of course there were many others from other tours who joined us in viewing the the chimps and the gorillas.
If it were possible, I would have stayed an extra day at the little cabin in Bwindi and done a little walking and bird watching. It's too pretty a site for such a short visit.
Amakula gets extra marks for supporting a school for orphans in Arusha, which we visited after the tour.
US
Efficient and very accommodating
They were honest and very helpful in making this a beautiful experience. Iam an American so my standards are much more demanding. I think for the amount we paid, it was very beautiful. There were a couple places where I could have upgraded, but overall I was very happy.
SG
Above and Beyond Expectations
I booked a 5 day tour covering some of the main sites in Rwanda before culminating in my Gorilla trek in Uganda and I had the privalage of being guided by Julius. It was a tremendoulsy organized, smooth and memorable experience and ultimately my decision to choose Amakula was the absoulotely correct one, with excellent and transparent communication through Simon the head of operations and Julius my guide. Julius went above and beyond what was required for a guide in that all my extra requests were made sure by him to not only be fulfilled but to the best quality possible. The highlight of the trip was the last day of the tour were I got to get up close to the silverbacks and the attatched photos shows them in all their glory! Please do not hesitate to book with Amakula and request Julius as your guide!.. Thanks for all the great memories I will book with them again!
US
Very, very good, would do it again
Our tour lasted two weeks in Rwanda and Uganda. Very good tour and would definitely choose this company again. Not sure if I will go again (too many places to visit) but if I do, I will use this company. Our guide, Julies, was very knowledgeable and great to be around. We had many questions about wildlife and local culture and He answered everything or if he didn't know he would just say that. No bs.
The company was very flexible and customized our trip for us. My traveling partner tacked on a last minute change so he and his wife could see the gorillas in Rwanda, which normally takes some time to arrange, and Amakula made it happen on short notice.
If I do this again, I would take more time at each park. 3 days or so instead of just one. Would be good to get some hiking with one of the park guides who were all excellent and knowledgeable about the wildlife there. Highly recommend Amakula.
They were very easy to deal with and quick to respond to any changes to itineraries
Amakula offer great adventures in beautiful countries. They were very easy to deal with and changing/updating itineraries was no problem at all. Simon was a great organiser and Julius was superb as our driver/guide. Next time we visit we will certainly travel with them again.
