Samuel representing us at the WTM London Expo 2015
Prime Safaris & Tours
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- AUTO, ATO, UTB, UWA & UCF
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $180 to $800 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
I can highly recommend - was great from beginning until end.
Everything went well, the staff is super friendly and helpful, the price is great, the accommodation and programme were amazing. I have done a lot of safaris in the past and this was one of my best. from experience, i know it is not a given that everything works out so well. Thanks a lot, Cate, Emma & Rest !!!!
Email Graham | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dream come true
Before the trip had even started the correspondence with Cate (prime safaris) was very good. Attention to detail was excellent. This put our minds at ease. From the moment we arrived in Entebbe everything ran smoothly. We did a 16 day customised safari, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. It was quick but this is what we wanted. We stayed in luxury accommodation which I have to say was incredible.... prime Safaris did an amazing job booking the locations. The lodges and camps actually became one of the highlights. There were many things that made our lives so easy from gorilla permits x2, chimpanzees x1, national park permits etc. This was all taken care off. Thank you again Prime Safaris.
We ended up with 3 local guide/drivers. Trevor in Uganda and Rwanda was a legend. Nothing was ever to much for him and he went out of his way to help. Very professional. Willie was our guide/driver in Kenya. He was fantastic, Also went out of his way to help make sure we saw the big 5. Gerry in Tanzania was also good, nothing was ever a problem. In fact all three drivers were great and would highly recommend.
Lastly if you are thinking of going to this region I would 100% use a company.
I have no hesitation recommending Prime Safaris!
FR
Email Martin Ducha | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent Agency, Excellent Trip, Excellent UGANDA
We were 2 couples (27-45 years old Europeans) visiting Uganda for the first time. We had 10 days at our disposition which we wanted to spend out there in real Uganda, to see nature, people, real Africa. Prime Safaris came best out of the app. 10 agencies I spoke to. Best in the meaning of price vs. quality (and references), we chose the midrange package (services).
The communication with the agency was excellent, Cate is a perfect person to establish the objectives and all special wishes. The itinerary proposed by her has fulfilled all of our expectations.
At the airport, we were welcomed by our guide Robert together with the trainee Herman. During the whole trip, these 2 guys took excellent care of us and we felt very safe. Zero incidents recorded were thanks to them and also thanks to Uganda, whose people pleasantly surprised us a lot.
And when there was a need to "adjust" something in the itinerary (accommodation, queues, resto, special requests, etc), Robert was there to help you out and to make your wishes come true (or close to it). We were an excellent team!
We've done and seen all kinds of activities (Murchinsons Falls, Queen Elisabeth NP, chimps, mountain gorillas, Lake Bunyonyi, etc.).
In the last evening, upon our return to Entebbe, we met Cate and her husband (and Prime's CEO) Samuel. They are very nice persons and we exchanged lots of ideas about our trip and Eastern Africa generally, as we seriously think about coming back to this beautiful part of the world. And, of course, we would use Prime Safaris as our Nr. 1 choice of an agency.
Everything fantastic, we returned to Europe full of positive thoughts, great experiences and 2000+ photos.
US
Email Andrea Mc | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible 5-day Gorilla/Chimpanzee/Safari tour in Uganda
My husband and I just returned from a 5-day Gorilla/Chimpanzee/Safari tour in Uganda with our own driver and guide, Emma. I honestly cannot say enough good things about Prime Uganda!! From start to finish, choosing our activities, payment and booking process was seamless.
Cate was always prompt, helpful, organized and detailed in every communication. Cate also advised me on tipping when I asked, because it is always hard to know if tips are appropriate for certain services. As for accommodations, do not rule out the budget ones! We loved Pumba Cottages, and Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort – both budget places with excellent service, amazing views and food.
Emma was always on time, sweet, kind, considerate and so knowledgeable about everything, from the Ugandan culture, education, farming, to the animals and birds we saw. He had our itinerary, and always knew exactly where we were going and the timeline. We would go over our plan for the next day, either at dinner or breakfast. He always made sure we had plenty of water, and even stopped along the road to buy sweet bananas and bananas for us to try. He drove really long hours some days, and never once complained. He went out of his way to find the animals we really wanted to see, and sometimes we ate breakfast, lunch and/or dinner with him (he never invited himself, but we let him know he was always welcome to join us). It was like visiting with a friend!
I have severe asthma on inclines, and Emma made sure that the person assigning groups at Bwindi for the gorillas, knew I needed to be in a slow group. We were assigned to the closest Gorilla group and it was a huge weight off my shoulders that I was physically able to get to the Gorillas.
This was really a once in a lifetime trip for us, and we are so thankful that we chose Prime to make it happen for us!
Our itinerary:
1st day - drive from Entebbe to our first lodge, Pumba Cottages. Lunch near the Equator. Game drive before dinner.
2nd day – Chimpanzee tracking in the morning, lunch overlooking the Kazinga Channel, Boat safari on the Kazinga Channel. Afternoon game drive and return to Pumba cottages for dinner.
3rd day – head towards Bwindi, stopping in Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth Park to see the tree climbing lions. Arrived at Haven Lodge Buhoma.
4th days – Gorilla trekking in Bwindi. Ate packed lunch from the lodge. Shop in the local village for gifts and souvenirs. Drive to Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort. Boat trip around the lake (we chose to walk around the island looking for wildlife instead).
5th day – Drive back across Uganda to Entebbe. Amazing countryside!! Stopped for lunch and gifts on the way.
We booked hotels near the airport for our first night and last night which were not included in the Prime tour, but Cate gave us recommendations.
tour operator need to be much more organized with info before the trip
The trip itself was excellent . The guides were terrific , accommodations were great and they were very accommodating. Scenery was great, bikes were good and itinerary was well planned .
However the details of the countries really started in Uganda . Needed info on Rwanda as well .
Communication from Canada wasn’t great,. I need to ask many questions. Lists and details needed to be sent out automatically ahead of time .
I would definite recommend Prime
Safaris
Email Cheryl | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
15 Day Uganda & Rwanda Safari
My husband and I booked a private 15 days Uganda and Rwanda tour with Prime Safaris after reading excellent reviews of the company and having Cate finalise an itinerary that would showcase both wildlife and landscapes.
The entire trip went very smoothly; our driver guide Denis was very professional and made sure that all our expectations were met, if not surpassed. The mostly luxury accommodation was perfect for our needs and we thoroughly enjoyed each day's sights and activities.
Having visited many other countries in Africa we arrived in Uganda/Rwanda thinking that we would see some different landscapes and learn more about the people, culture and history of those not- so- visited countries. We took the view that any amazing wildlife sightings (especially our favourites the big cats) would be 'icing on the cake'. As it turned out, we had many fantastic sightings of lions and leopards throughout Uganda, we saw even more lions in the fabulous Akajera NP in Rwanda, and the mountain gorilla experience in Bwindi NP was just incredible.
We are fortunate to travel several times a year and have visited countless countries and all continents. This safari experience would definitely be in our top five trips of all time.
We rarely return to one country as there is always a new place to visit, but we will definitely return to Uganda to experience more of the east and north-east and to revisit the wonderful Murchison Falls NP. We hope to do this in the next two years, once again utilising the services of Prime Safaris and especially Cate and Denis.
CA
Email Joe | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A fantastic experience with organized guides
I had a wonderful trip with Prime Safaris, biking through Rwanda and Uganda. The guides were well-organized, and very kind, patient and accomodating. The rustic lodges we stayed at exceeded my expectations in terms of comfort and atmosphere.
I thoroughly enjoyed both of the hikes we did on the trip, one to see the golden monkeys and the other to see the gorillas in the Impenetrable Park. Other highlights of the trip included cycling through Queen Elizabeth Park, where we had the opportunity to see an assortment of wildlife, including elephants and buffalos, and cycling through Lake Mburo National Park, where we saw giraffes, zebras - just to name a few . It was a lot of fun!
Email Wiebke | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 4 day safari (female solo traveller)
I had a few concerns going on a safari on my own and did quite a bit of research before choosing a company. The communications with Prime Safaris & Tours were really good right from the start. Cate responded to all my emails in a very timely manner and even though I felt like I had endless questions she was very patient and professional with my enquiries.
My guide Emma was amazing, he was very knowledgeable and I hope he enjoyed our 4 days together as much as I did. It was a nice atmosphere to travel with him with time spent in silence (me admiring the country and him focusing on driving on those bumpy roads) but also lots of talking and laughs.
The accommodation that was booked for me was really lovely as well and the food very tasty. (I am vegan and this was not a problem.)
The safari exceeded my expectation and I hope I will be able to come back to Africa to explore more of its beauty!
Email Imogen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Five-day safari and gorilla trek
Our five days with Peter were some of the most interesting of our lives. Neither of us had been to Uganda and didn’t know what to expect - and were also unsure due to Australia’s ambiguous travel guidelines on the country at the time. But Cate and her team were easy to get in touch with and provided helpful advice, making us feel safe from the start. We visited in early March 2019, and it was obvious there was no need to worry about security at all - it’s a great place to visit, and tourists are made very welcome. Too many highlights to mention everything, but the gorilla and chimp tracking were both extraordinary. The five-day Safari was a good option - it gave us time to see a lot of Uganda as well as plenty of time with the animals. Accomodation was clean and comfortable, with the added bonus of spectacular scenery. But our favourite part of the trip was Peter, our guide from Prime. He was kind, open, impressively knowledgeable and able to answer our questions on all fronts. He went out of his way to make sure we were comfortable, well-fed (we tried a lot of local snacks), and where possible, saw everything we had hoped to. We were sorry to say goodbye, and highly recommend the trip to anyone who has the chance to enjoy it. Imogen and Marius
Email Annie P | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A wonderful 3 day trip to Murchison Falls
We had a wonderful 3 day safari to Murchison Falls (April 2019). I booked it through the Prime Safari website when still in the UK. The process was so easy and communication from the Prime Safari office was great. I looked into a few other companies, but Prime Safaris gave a very competitive price and Cate always got back to me very quickly. Their information and paperwork and attachments were very professional and looked efficient and organised – which they were! It was easy to pay through bank transfer or Pesepay before I left. We also visited the offices to pay the balance – difficult to find (I think they are relocating) but very efficient, with staff working on computers and their own vehicles present there – always a good sign! The office staff greeted us with drinks and all our paperwork beautifully presented. It wasn’t just a show though, the actual safari was great!
I have been on a few safaris in my time and this one was wonderful. I had visited Murchison Falls about 20 years ago and it has changed a lot – a few more tourists, but so many more animals and conservation schemes. One of the best parks in East Africa. We visited the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary on the way up. It was great to trek in the scrub and view the Rhino’s at close quarters in their natural habitat. The rangers there are very dedicated to increasing the Rhino population so they can be released back into the national parks. A must on your way to Murchison and will enable you to see the Big 5 – which we did!
We had a wonderful guide called Denis. He was very knowledgeable and an excellent driver. He looked after everything for us faultlessly and he was great company. It is the little touches that you notice; he booked lunch in advance so that we didn’t have to wait after seeing the Rhinos (the restaurant was packed by then), he always kept time and organised us for the ferry crossing and boat trip well, he really knew about the animals and didn’t rush around. We even spent about 40 mins waiting for a leopard to reappear, when all the other trucks had left already – none of my party were in a hurry. It was well worth the wait and Denis had excellent knowledge about the leopard. He knew about photographers and was patient and moved gentle to different positions. He cleaned out the van every day, so it was nice and clean to sit in (there were a few squashed beetles in there after each game drive). He had cold water for us or purchased some for us on the drive back to Kampala. We didn’t trek up to the falls (have done this before and it is quite tough, especially in the heat and with a 10 year old!) but we drove up to the top and had our picnic lunch there – lovely. Denis made sure all our lunches were ordered and carried everything for us. Denis knew his way around the park and was very popular with rangers and other guides (again a good sign!) so got inside knowledge as to where animals were located.
We decided to splash out a bit and stayed a Paraa Lodge, where I had stayed 20 years ago. Still as lovely with excellent food, and a pool for my daughter! There are many other places though that are also very nice. One of my party had stayed at Red Chili Camp and Pakuba Lodge and said both are great.
So, if you are looking into a safari in Uganda, do book with Prime Safaris – we didn’t know anything about them before (apart from these reviews), but everything went so smoothly and we all had a fantastic time.