Deogratius Muhumuza - Team Leader
Uganda Eco Tours
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- USAGA, UBGC & UTB
- Tour Types:
- Budget & mid-range birding tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $900 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DE
Email Hannes Tiedgen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
7-Day Budget Safari in Uganda
Thank you so much for the wonderful experience, Deo. We couldn't have wished for a better and nicer guide. The tour was very well planned, we were able to see all the animals we wanted. All the activities and accommodation were well chosen. We would book it again and again.
US
Email WEN CHUAN | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Experienced and Competent.
I went to Uganda with specific target birds and Deo delivered and more. He is trustworthy and pleasant to travel with. Compare with other operators his prices were very competitive.
US
Email Karen & Marc | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An amazing 3 month safari through Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda & Rwanda w/ Deo Muhumuza & co-guides!
On our 5th trip to Africa, we wanted to see as much as possible. So, we spent 3 months with Deo, becoming fast friends & feeling so lucky to know an expert guide, who was also friendly and fun (and loved music as much as we do!). Car troubles, border crossings, running out of ginger ale, all these "disasters" were quickly and capably handled by Deo. No one got angry, and these issues ended up being part of the fun of the trip.
During planning, I mentioned to Deo that we often liked to pay a bit extra so a "trainee" guide could join us and get experience birding, guiding and practicing English. (I recommend this, we've made many good friends this way.) And Deo, being a genius, and to honor Uganda's Year of the Woman Birder, found 4 different women guides to join us in each country! So, for once, I wasn't the only female in the group! It was a blast.
Also, he found a local expert in each country (and sometimes an additional super-localized expert), meaning my bird list was over 800 at the end of the trip (35+ mammals, too!), and that we met so many great people! We are still in touch with most of the guides & drivers, 2 years later.
I've been trying to win the lottery ever since because we so badly want to go back to East Africa to see our good friends again. Maybe I'll retire there? ;-)
Fantastic trip with Deo Muhumuza and Brian Tuhaise over 3 weeks to see 526 species of birds
There were 5 trip members from UK which we organised with Deo through Birding Pal. Deo met us at Lake Victoria View guest house where we were familiarising ourselves with the Hotel garden Birds. A big smile from Deo soon got us on the right footing. From the outset and through the rest of the trip, communication, expert guiding and service lived up to the highest standard of hopefull expectation.
Deo was a true professional as well as being a great companion and friend during our three weeks in Uganda.
He did his utmost best to make sure we saw as many species as possible. I personally got on great with him because of my keen interest in photography and his similar passion in the same subject.
We all enjoyed his sense of humour.
Brian our driver and assistant guide got on so well with us all that we thanked our luck stars we had such a good friendly team.
I would not hesitate in recommending both for future trips in Uganda.
Here's to successful future trips.
Chris Ward
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A superb birdwatching trip with an excellent guide and driver who looked after our every need.
A great tour with amazing boat trips and well planned walks to give a really great and close views of the birdlife and close encounters with the animals. The tour was everything I could have hoped for and it will live long in the memory. I found Deo's knowledge of the bird's to be superb and it was a pleasure to share his enthusiasm. Brian drove our van really well and he too helped find birds for our party.
Email Ian MacEacheran | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
This particular trip could be regarded as a once in a lifetime experience.
The communications with regard to the trip were excellent and the service was also of a very high standard and lived up to all expectations.The level of accommodation was also as expected but the food could be improved upon. The actual tour itself was absolutely fantastic with regard to the itinerary, diverse habitats and the time spent looking for birds.The bird knowledge of the two guides was outstanding.
US
Email Ursula and Rudolf Jander | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We had a most wonderful individually and expertly guided nature tour in Uganda.
A magnificent trip took us to Uganda July 15 to July 29, 2014, expertly guided by Muhumuza Deogratius; Deo for short. We had intended to book our trip through a local Ugandan travel agent and were lucky to find Deo recommended on the www.birdingpal.org website. Deo responded to our inquiries immediately and to our satisfaction. He booked our travel route according to our wishes and the accommodations selected by him were all very pleasant, clean and located in beautiful and safe environments. Every detail of the planned itinerary in Uganda was provided as promised.
Being interested in nature, birds and anything else that flies and walks, Deo was the perfect guide for us. He could spot and name any bird just from hearing its song. He also showed us many mammals in the various diverse national parks of Uganda. As we had requested, he took us to the mountainous forest vegetation and animals therein, and with great patience let us enjoy nature at a relaxed pace of driving with many stops and observations on foot.
It was a pleasure for us to realize that Deo was very open to our special interest in insects. He was fascinated and eager to be introduced by us into the world of little critters that he had never paid attention to or seen close-up through a magnifying lens. Therefore, the marvel of learning and enjoying was reciprocal and made this trip one of the best of our many travels. And we are sure, by traveling with us Deo became a more broadly interested, and interesting nature guide.
For any visitor who wants to enjoy African nature Deo is the best and most dedicated guide that we can think of. We highly recommend him and wish that he will be able to guide many more nature-loving tourists through his beautiful homeland of Uganda, and thereby enhance the mutual understanding of the people in this world.
Ursula and Rudolf Jander
Email Mark Taylor, Melbourne | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very Successful Tour by a great operator
I joined the fixed date birdingpal tour of 6 people from January 24 to February 7 2014. It was a truly memorable trip. Apart from all the birds and wildlife, Uganda is a beautiful country. The group gelled really well, and lots of fun was had along the way. Deo and Robert were not only great guides, they were great hosts. The value of the fixed date tour is extraordinarily good, as everything is supplied. You only need a little cash for guide tips, alcohol and snacks, plus souvenirs.
LOGISTICS
Pre-tour, Deo's communications were prompt, clear, and informative, giving me great confidence that I was booking a trip with a competent organisation. Deo, an accomplished birder, accompanied us on the whole trip, along with specialist bird guide Robert. In addition to this, we were accompanied by armed park rangers and security on our treks in the National Parks, as well as specialist guides in places. Accommodation was from basic (Mburo) to comfortable, with ensuite bathrooms in all but the raised, covered tents at Lake Mburo NP. All were clean. Transport was by pop-top 4WD Minibus, over roads which were rough in places, but there were no dramas, and almost all driving was done in daylight hours. Meals were healthy, though not particularly memorable, though there was great food at Nyanz'Ibiri Eco Camp. Luxuries Forget about free wifi most of the time, expect power outages, and warm beer at times. Deo's mobile internet was available in case of need.
THE TOUR
Entebbe, Mabamba Shoebill boat trip, Lake Mburo NP, Bwindi Impenetrable NP; (Ruhiija and Buhoma), Queen Elizabeth NP, Nyanz'Ibiri Eco Camp and School Visit, Semilki Forest, Kibale Forest, Royal Mile, Entebbe. if you log into your google account, you can see this annotated map of this tour
https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zgxsnE9Gp4Wg.kQZAI_g-vMB0
BIRDING
That is what the tour was all about, and the birds were delivered relentlessly. Both Deo and Robert proved to have excellent knowledge of where to find birds. They also have great tracking and identification skills. Robert's skill in finding birds in the rainforest gloom was exceptional. My tally was 444 different species and a further 12 heard. The total group list would be higher. To see that number in the 15 days requires some dedication, and only fleeting glimpses of some birds were made, especially in the rainforests. Our guides were very keen to make sure that we saw as many of the birds as possible. Deo and Robert were genuinely excited when a rare bird was spotted and gave crippling views, possibly more excited than the group.The Long-tailed Cisticola springs to mind. Highlights for me were the Touracos, Trogons and Sunbirds, and the sheer diversity of birds on our walks in Bwindi, where we managed to see 15 of the endemics and hear another.
COMMUNITY and PEOPLE
The school that Deo supports is very needy, and the donations of school materials were very well received. We walked away thinking that so much more could be done. The Ugandans are very friendly and positive people, and I always felt completely safe. Uganda is a beautiful rich country, but corruption seemingly means that funds do not get where they should.
OVERALL
I thoroughly recommend Uganda Ecotours, and hope to go back one day and see the parts of the country I missed out on, and maybe some of the birds as well.
Mark Taylor, Melbourne
Email Jono and Karo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a great time!
We went on the Birdingpal fixed date tour from 24 January to 7 February 2014 with Deo and Robert as guides.
Deo was the mastermind of the trip. He was not only an excellent birder, but was unfailingly good-humoured and gracious, and made us feel at home on the trip. Our group of six had a mix of interests and personalities, but Deo made sure that everyone was happy and was getting what they wanted out of the tour.
Robert is a specialist bird guide. His skill at spotting birds was exceptional - one of the best either of us has every seen. He worked extremely hard to pick up the hard-to-gets and to ensure that everyone got a good look at each bird. He never seemed to get tired!
The tour covered a nice mix of savanna, montane and lowland forest, and wetlands from tiny marshes to enormous swamps and lakes. Some of the bird highlights for us were Jameson's Wattle-eye, African Green Broadbill, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Black Bee-eater, Crested Guineafowl, and Brown Twinspot. We also saw a nice smattering of the big African mammals - elephants, lions, zebras, many antelope species - and we paid extra to track gorillas in Buhoma and chimpanzees in Kibale (definitely recommended!)
Accommodation ranged from beds in tents to mid-range hotels. It was always clean and comfortable, with mosquito nets provided. Food was not really a highlight, but was nutritious and there were few stomach complaints. We travelled by minibus on roads that were often rough, but there were no major issues. Deo tried to avoid driving by night wherever possible, which seemed like a good decision to us. We were impressed that Uganda Eco Tours could offer such a high quality tour so cheaply.
Overall, this was a fun trip! We hope to come back another time to see the north of the country.
Feel free to contact us using the link above.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Lots of birds wonderfulpeople
Birding Trip to Uganda Jan23 to Feb7.
I had a wonderful trip to Uganda with Deo and Robert. Deo organized the trip and was the driver (also guide) and Robert the guide. Robert is an amazing spotter and his knowledge of the birds is astounding. No sound or movement escapes him. If there is a bird somewhere Robert will find it. Both Deo and Robert made sure that we saw as many birds as possible and that we all saw them. We were a group of 6 and came from 3 different continents. Deo is not only a good organizer but has a wonderfully friendly and cheerful personality. We truly enjoyed chatting with him. He is a very good listener and always made sure that everyone was comfortable and spared no effort to keep us all happy. We all enjoyed spending time with him. I wish him great success in his business , he certainly deserves it . He possesses all the qualities and skills required to deal with many diverse personalities and situations.
I want to add that I found the Ugandans welcoming, friendly and so very kind.
Monique Fischer, Toronto