Encounter Africa Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2009)
- Member Of:
- Association of Uganda Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $300 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Sam Moran | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Brilliant tour company. Tolbert is the best...!
I just finished doing the 11 day Rwanda and Uganda trek with Encounter Africa.
Everything went brilliantly... Seeing gorillas in the wild has been top of my bucket list for forever and from my first contact with Chris via email he responded quickly and with great suggestions to tailor make the perfect trip for me. Starting with pick up in Kigali, right on time, then to Volcanoes NP for gorilla and Golden Monkey trekking with a stop at the Dian Fossey Centre, crossing to Uganda to Bwindi Impenetrable NP for gorilla habituation, Queen Elizabeth NP for game drives and Kazinga Chanel cruise, Kibale forest for Chimp habituation then Murchison Falls NP for more game drives and a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls. then back to Entebbe with a stop at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary before drop off at my Entebbe hotel, plus, I added on the Ngamba chimp sanctuary the following day (well worth a visit).
It was such an amazing experience largely due to my brilliant Guide/ Driver / Weaver of magic wand Tolbert... when Tolbert showed up to pick me up from my hotel in Kigali I was very happy as I’d read great reviews about him. He is not only a great guide, but he’s a good, safe, driver and a great person and it really made the trip extra special. Even when a stick, or something, destroyed the radiator fan of our van in THE MIDDLE of Queen Elizabeth National park, Tolbert made a few calls an in less than an hour three guys found us, dropped of a replacement vehicle and took ours off to get fixed, ON A SUNDAY, and we continued on with our game drive. I was very impressed!!! He seems to know EVERYONE in Uganda and his contacts lead us to some special game viewing and unique experiences and I have now made a great friend.
As I was traveling towards the end of the low season I really felt like a VIP as our lodges we stayed at, all of which where all excellent BTW with great food, where quiet and we had basically the undivided attention of the staff, all of which where great, super friendly and very hospitable.
I have no hesitation recommending Encounter Africa Safaris and already passed their details to my friends and I wish them all the best in the future.
Email Nicola Stewart | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely brilliant from start to finish!
From the second Stephen picked me up at my hotel I wanted for nothing. The 9 hour drive was comfortable, he answered all my silly questions and we had a good laugh.
Whilst at the lodge, again he was there for all my needs and transportation and communications with the lodge.
The lodge was fantastic too and the service second to none.
Lovely 3 course meal on both nights.
After my amazing day seeing the gorillas, the next morning I decided to go straight to the airport and not stay in a hotel in Kampala as planned.
Stephen was not only fine with me changing my plans but did everything he possibly could to get me there in time. I made it. He genuinely cared for my well being and enjoyment throughout the whole trip.
Thankyou so very much Stephen.
You are the best.
Email Rachael | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent communication, organisation and professionally run tour
The communication prior to arriving was excellent. The team dealt amazingly with my repeated flight delays and cancellations which made a very stressful situation so much better. I was met on arrival and everything went exactly as described for the rest of the trip. The food was great, my accommodation at the Trekkers Lodge was comfortable, clean and had beautiful views. My guide Patrick was informative, knowledgeable and helpful. All in all, it was good value and thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you to Chris, Patrick and everyone who made the trip unforgettable!
US
Email Brian | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tolbert went truly above and beyond all expectations to make this trip incredible.
The service went far beyond our expectations! This was an amazing trip with Tolbert, our tour guide, who had an encyclopedic knowledge of everything and never left us with an unanswered question. We felt safe the entire time, while still having the adventure we wanted. Tolbert was extremely friendly and helpful and I would recommend him to anyone going to Uganda.
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Email Charlotte | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Friendly, accommodating, wonderful experience!
Myself and two colleagues wanted to do a quick gorilla trek in Bwindi during a free weekend in Kampala, and Encounter was happy to accommodate our needs! They worked with us to create an itinerary that fit with our very tight schedule, and email communication was always prompt when we had questions or comments. Our driver, Jason, was fantastic - very friendly and enthusiastic, and of course a safe driver! The accommodations in Bwindi far exceeded our expectations - it was extremely comfortable and they definitely made sure we didn't go hungry! Everyone at Encounter made it very easy for us to have a great weekend. I highly recommend them!
IN
Email Shweta Rao | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Money's worth.... The best safari experience
Encounter Africa, is the best safari option for Africa. We were a group of 4 from India and we booked for a 4 days chimpanzees and Gorilla tracking tour in Uganda. Chris was coordinating for our tour and he has done an excellent job in organising even the minutest of things possible. The hospitality shown right from our driver Tolbert to the respective staff at the hotels chosen, was impeccable. Apart from that the sheer experience of being face to face with the Chimps and the Gorilla was enthralling. I would just sum it up to say that you get much more than what you have bargained for. Thank you Chris for all your support and Prompt updates.
Email Mark | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Perfectly managed
Chris from Encounter Africa Safaris was on point every step of the way for our trip to Bwindi. Thoroughly recommended!
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Email Alison and Mitchell | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience
The entire experience exceeded my expectations. From the very first inquiry I sent Chris, every question I had was answered quickly and thoroughly. Via email, Chris customized our 8 day tour to my exact specifications. We skipped things I wasn't interested in seeing and added things I didn't want to miss. Chris suggested accommodations but was willing to change them when I found a place I liked better.
The service was exceptional. Our driver, Edward, met with us the night before at our hotel to review the itinerary and answer any questions we had. He picked us up at 7 the next morning at our hotel in Entebbe and took care of us for the next 8 days. Edward was very knowledgeable regarding all our questions about Uganda, the plants, the animals, and the people. He was very patient with my photo-holic husband's constant requests to stop to get the perfect picture. He was also fantastic at finding and pointing out wildlife our untrained eyes would have missed. We were fortunate and thankful to have him as our guide.
We visited Murchison Falls for two days, Queen Elizabeth for two days, Bwindi for two days, and Lake Mburo for the last day before returning to Entebbe after a morning game on day 8. Murchison Falls was our favorite park. In hindsight, we would have spent an extra day there. Be sure to take a boat ride to the bottom of the falls and hike to the top. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi was amazing and not to be missed. That part of the country is beyond beautiful, and we loved staying at Broadbill Forest Camp. I would have liked more time there as well. Lake Mburo was also fantastic.
There were absolutely no negatives to mention. It was the trip of a lifetime. I highly recommend Chris and his team to take care of all your needs and wants.
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Email The Moon Family | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exploring the Beauty of Uganda
We worked with Chris at Encounter Africa. He responded immediately to our initial request for information, listened carefully to our interests, suggested supplemental activities, and designed our final itinerary that exceeded our expectations. In the planning stages, Chris was extremely responsive to our questions, often replying to emails within an hour. When needed, he offered several options to address our concerns. In the end, we had a customized itinerary that showcased the beauty of Uganda. Our tour guides/drivers (Martin and Tolbert) were professional, informed, and friendly, and made decisions that optimized our experiences. For example, when observing the chimps in Kabale, rather than attempting to join early morning trekking groups, they suggested we wait and join the late morning/early afternoon groups; as a result, we were able to see the chimps on the ground (as opposed to in the trees) and to spend time with them up close. In another instance, Martin and Tolbert located and drove us to observe a few lions. When we arrived, there were close to a dozen other vehicles there with visitors enjoying the view. It was amazing and after a bit, the other cars left, but Martin and Tolbert stayed sensing that something might happen. They were right; the "few" lions ended up being an entire pride of around 10 lions (including cubs), and they were stalking a nearby group of water buffalo. The ensuing encounter was exciting and unforgettable. We enjoyed other adventures (e.g., mountain gorillas, white water rafting on the Nile), and by the end of our 12 days on the road, Martin and Tolbert were like family.
HK
Email Dora | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trustworthy, responsive, professional, planned per client’s expressed needs
Pre trip:
Chris the responsive front line contact with whom I worked out the itinerary was an indispensable asset. He was the first to respond to my email enquiry sent out to several companies. Having a whatsapp call the same day helped to understand from the start what I wanted and more importantly, allowed exchanges on options and constraints and setting realistic expectations (this is afterall Africa!) I asked for 8 days, But after more research and discussions (not pressure from Chris) to 12 days. Chris often responded in his middle of the night or wee hours due to international time differences!
Itinerary:
We ended up starting from Kigali to Kampala. Started with golden monkeys (very enjoyable; saw lots close up), then the AMAZING Bwindi gorillas (one hour trek awesome, and 4 hours habituation trek totaled 9.5 hours up and down steep dense mountains); Queen Elizabeth National Park (long drive, no lions on trees sighted but amazing boat cruise and relaxation with beautiful views and pool at riverside hotel), followed by chimpanzees (thanks to Tolbert and Martin who suggested changing from early habituation trek to a normal one starting 11:30 mid day so we saw many interesting chimps of various ages feeding on the ground rather than just swinging high up between trees - this is priceless tip!!); then Murchison Falls (amazing game drive and boat cruise with sights of giraffes, lions, elephants, crocodiles, hippos, tobies, etc etc), ending with adventurous white water rafting at Jinja. So glad we included Murchison Falls and Jinja as both proved to be wonderful experiences despite the hard drives.
Accommodations:
I asked for between budget and above average accommodations and compared them from the listings provided by Chris. Most important was to read through reviews and decide what I wanted and was prepared to pay for.
Tips: eg air conditioning is hard to come by in lodges in the wilderness, water from showers often small, sometimes need running to wash out the brownish, maybe colder than wished, expect mosquitos and maybe ants or insects, rooms perhaps further away from main lounge, solar power could run out, fewer power sockets, unavailable or unreliable network and WiFi ... All this is part of safari adventure!
Also some preferred lodgings were on wait list so expect last minute changes.
Transport:
We had two very clean Toyota vans, one for four and another for two people which worked out very well. I am happy to lie flat on row of seats due to poor back and very bumpy roads (called “African Massage”). The driver guides Tolbert and Martin were great drivers on the challenging roads especially in Uganda! They also pulled skills to catch greater sights of lions and other wildlife.
Tip: ask for vans with padded sides along the game viewing top. Also suggest Encounter Africa provides cushions for sitting on top in front for greater comfort for vans with such fittings.
All in all, a super, memorable safari adventure with Encounter Africa who was very professional. Very flexible, responsive and kind. We had lots of fun and laughter together with Tolbert and Martin. Would recommend highly and will use them again in the future.