We'd rather take your smile to the bank!
Lush Africa Safaris
- Offices In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2004)
- Member Of:
- Association of Uganda Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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Email Reenie and Kent | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Personable and profesional
We had never been to East Africa before. Our youngest son introduced us to Abbey and the Lush African Safari folks. Abbey planned a great trip for us beginning in Nairobi and ending in Arusha, with Stops at Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara Conservancy North, Serengeti NP and Ngorongoro Crater. We were there 15 days with 4 nights in Nairobi, (due to flight schedules from Austin), 3 nights in each camp or lodge, one night at Lake Naivasha, and ending with one night in Arusha. We were on teh trip by ourselves and if I had it to do again , to save money we would invite two more couples or four family members. The luxury of a private vehicle and safari wasn't lost on us, though. The trip was well paced, and our guides, Sammy, and Joseph couldn't have been more accommodating or considerate. They were willing to make detours and accommodate minor changes in activities for us. Abbey checked in with us several times during the trip. We stayed in 2 tented lodges and one cabin lodge overlooking the Serengeti. November was a perfect time to go although since we were gone over the American Thanksgiving holiday, the hotels started to thin out of American guests around November 20, and we were able to meet more guests from Germany and Britain. We highly recommend Lush African Safaris. The one suggestion I have is that the more research one does prior to planning your trip the more you are going to get out of it, from lodging to activities, to rest. As a 66 year old, I appreciated being able to be in each location for three days so that if I wanted to take a day of rest and lounging around, I could and my wife could go out on a drive and we each got to do exactly what we wanted. We will use Abbey and Lush African Safaris again.
Creating a great experience in East Africa with a smile
Abbey from Lush Africa Safaris was upfront right a the beginning or our communication, alaways helpful and ready to help. Information were accurate and quick. We got a great value for the money we've spent. Lush did create great memories for many years to come. The guide he provided for us where great to find and explain the animals in the different park but also on a personal notes they were endearing people. So many thanks to Sammy and Tuma. Hope to see you soon.
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Email Dan Konchan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dependable and knowledgeable, stress free trip of a lifetime!
My wife and I went on a 11day/10 night trip with Lush Africa Safaris and we could not recommend them enough. Our trip started in Uganda and we went to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to trek with the gorillas. We then flew to Tanzania and went on a multi day safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater and then finished in Zanzibar. Upon arrival in Entebbe we were met at the airport by our Ugandan guide Derrick. Derrick was a great guide, always on-tme, very knowledgeable, and had has feel very safe and comfortable for our entire Ugandan stay. In Tanzania we were met at the airport by Joseph who guided us through the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Joseph knew all the best spots in the park to see animals and was also an absolute professional. He was very experienced and knowledgeable and was always in control. We were very lucky to have Joseph as a guide. We then flew to Zanzibar where we relaxed at Nungwi Dreams resort for a few days, snorkeled, and did a spice tour.
They say your guides make or break your trip and ours definitely made ours. Working with Lush was very easy and painless. From the beginning Abbey was always in touch and available to answer questions. The safari can be very customizable to fit your schedule and budget and Abbey is always happy to accommodate. Over the course of the booking some of our accommodations had to be changed to better fit our schedule but they were always the same if not better quality than what was listed. There were no issues during our entire trip, everyone was on-time, all accommodations were booked, and overall the trip was very stress free. You cannot go wrong booking with Lush!
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Email Diego | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliability and Quality
My trip to Africa with Lush Africa Safaris was in a way that I dreamt of it and more. Communication with Abbey was fluent along the planning and during the experience. Services along the trip were excellent and made the trip even better, so the accommodations so the guides and drivers.
I encourage you to make a trip to the wonderful land of Africa with Lush Africa Safaris.
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Email Jeff B | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Top Notch Safari Provider. Perfect!
Lush Africa Safari provided me and my wife a top-notch experience in 4 countries, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania (for 17 days)! Abbey took the time for over a year, to plan, develop and make changes to my itinerary, He painstakingly added and removed items to suit my needs and upgraded until we had the perfect safari!! The pricing was more than competitive to other competitors out there, but the service set them apart. We were provided a Golden Monkey Trek, Gorilla Trek, Chimpanzee Trek, Rhino Trek and of course some stellar game drives. We saw everything we hoped to see and then some. Abbey made sure our accommodations were the best, the food and excursions were the best, and let’s not forget about the tour guides! Derrick and Joseph made our particular tours of these countries unforgettable. They were timely in making sure we were where we were supposed to be, and took time to make sure we saw the animals and great migration, including a 35-minute river crossing. They provided extra care in food prep (my wife is gluten free) and even shopping so we did not pay to much. We did a couple of balloon safaris, a sundowner, boat safaris, Volcanos NP, Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Queen Elizabeth NP, Serengeti NP, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kibale NP, Ngorogoro Crater and even a wonderful couple hours at the top of Murchison Falls amongst everything else mentioned. They took the time to stop for any pictures or scenery we wanted to see, provided cold water throughout the day and really made the whole thing completely personalized. A very reliable up and coming provider with great value for the money and communications from start to finish! They even have done tremendous follow up after the safari to make sure everything went as we expected and to our complete satisfaction! Don’t hesitate to contact Abbey and Lush Africa Safari for your future East Africa trip! You will be glad you did!
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Email Mary Daly | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Cyprian was the perfect travel guide.
I was very pleased with my 2023 trip to Rwanda that Lush Africa helped plan the itinerary. My purpose for the trip was to visit the gorillas one more time. I had been to Rwanda in August 2022 with a large tour company to see the gorillas and the eastern border of Rwanda to visit the Akagera National Park. It was a seven day stay in Rwanda.
I loved the gorillas and Rwanda. I had a planned safari trip this summer (2023) to several southern African countries. I decided to return to Rwanda on my own to visit the gorillas and the Nyungwe National Forest before starting the safari. Lush Africa was recommended to me by two individuals on the 2022 Rwanda trip who stayed on to see Nyungwe National Forest, home to chimpanzees and the Black & White monkeys and used Lush Africa.
I found Lush Africa to be as good as any tour company that I have used in my travels. I was offered interesting activity options to select from, beautiful hotels to stay in. and a perfect travel guide, Cyprian.
During the drives from one location to another, Cyprian was an excellent conversationalist. He provided interesting background information on Rwandan daily life. He was also very punctual and got me to all the destinations on time. He secured me a gorilla family located in an area that wasn’t too difficult to access. Which I truly appreciated. He is a safe driver.
Overall, I enjoyed all the Lush Africa recommended activities, Rukari Museum, National Ethnographic Museum, trekking in the Nyungwe Forest for chimpanzees and the Black & White monkeys, the canopy walks and especially, the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village which was more fun than I had anticipated.
As an older solo female traveler, I found Abbey Rafsanjani, the owner of Lush Africa, and Cyprian made the experience one that I will remember the rest of my life. Rwanda is a wonderful country to visit, so filled with hope.
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Email Michael Gomez | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful!
We traveled as a family of 3 for two weeks in Uganda and Tanzania. Our private guides Donald in Uganda and Joseph in Tanzania went above and beyond to provide our family with an excellent experience. It was hands off and Lush provided great accommodations and beautiful daily itineraries which included Gorilla trekking in Bwindi, QE park, beautiful Kazinga channel cruise, chimp sanctuary in Lake Victoria tour, Beautiful Serengeti, and Ngorongoro area. Highly recommend
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Email Christine Jones | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our tour guide made everyday special
Our trip was amazing and an experience I will never forget. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable about locations and where to ensure we saw as many animals as possible.We stayed at Neptune and were treated like stars. They paid attention to every detail and made sure we were always happy. If you want a trip of a lifetime contact Lush African Safaris
CA
Email Veryl Obodi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Lush Africa Safaris gave me a tour of a lifetime
As a former tour operator, the idea of booking a tour package became even more complex, simply because I had already been accustomed to the best the industry could offer. Having been at the other end of the spectrum, it felt satisfyingly odd being the client for a change. That said, it was undeniably evident that Lush Africa Safaris was the go-to tour company since it was highly recommended by not one, but by three completely different friends of mine on completely separate occasions. That was the beginning of what would end up being a two-week tour of a lifetime.
Abbey cemented my validation as to why Lush Africa Safaris was the perfect choice because our first correspondence was nothing short of perfection. He sent me a copy of my custom-made itinerary which was so unique to my request and at that particular point, I was sold! I wasn’t looking for the typical standard safari package but more of a re-union with my family and quite honestly, I must truly commend him for his exceptional delivery. The thoughtfulness and attention to detail in the itinerary was so spectacular, all I could do was count days until my trip.
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda, I was received by a very enthusiastic operations manager - Steven, who ensured that I was well settled in and given a brief of what my next 13 days would look like. The uniqueness of my trip which didn’t involve any safaris/game drives ensured that we explored as much cultural experiences as was feasibly possible. Steven and Angel made sure that I truly immersed myself in the culture by eating local traditional dishes, visiting numerous cultural sites, and driving through the rural villages on dirt roads just to mention a few. They were able to equally tweak, and custom make my itinerary on the go to include some extra and impromptu activities which turned out to be quite memorable.
The highlight of my trip was meeting my family and celebrating my birthday in the most spectacular way, all thanks to Lush Africa Safaris. They truly outdid themselves and I will forever be greatly indebted to them for the nostalgic memories.
All good things must come to an end unfortunately. I wrapped up my trip with a breathtakingly beautiful traditional performance at Ndere cultural center, with performances by the Ndere dance troupe. I left the beautiful Pearl of Africa for Canada with so many great memories that I’m definitely looking forward to more with Lush Africa Safaris. They’ll always be my go-to tour operator. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a magical experience.
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Email Frank | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Abbey was very accommodating, detailed, thorough and made sure our trip exceeded our expectations!
Simply stated, our African trip arranged by Abbey and Lush Africa Safaris was an extraordinary experience for the members of our travel party and truly exceeded all of our expectations.
Our trip encompassed 10 to 11 days and included time spent in Nairobi, numerous safari drives in the Masai Mara, time spent in Kigali and Gorilla and Golden Monkey Trekking in Rwanda.
Everything regarding our trip, from the initial planning to our departure from the U.S. and arrival in Africa, our stay and travel within Africa and our return to the U.S., went off without complications or delays. Abbey was incredibly accommodating and patient with our travel concerns/questions and significant requested modifications from the original plan.
Our Guides/Drivers arranged by Lush were knowledgeable, always timely, courteous and a major component of our incredible trip. The Guide/Driver for our numerous Safari Drives in the Masai Mara was Samuel and in a word, he was terrific. Always timely and gracious, Samuel was extremely flexible and knowledgeable and we could not have asked for more extraordinary animal sightings that his expertise provided. In Rwanda, Cyprien was equally courteous, knowledgeable, timely and flexible regarding our excursions for our sight seeing and Gorilla and Golden Monkey Trekking. Throughout our time in Africa, Steve and Abbey were present via phone and text messages to ensure our trip went off without complication.
In summary, our first trip to Africa exceeded all of our expectations and Lush Africa Safaris was a significant part of that success. Suffice to say that our future travel plans to Africa will be arranged through Abbey and Lush. Further, we will refer any relatives/friends/acquaintances who express an interest in traveling to Africa, to Lush Africa Safaris and Abbey. Thanks to Abbey, Samuel, Cyprien, Steve and everyone at Lush who had a hand in making our trip an outstanding success!!