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 Katie & Patrick | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip to Uganda with Encounter!
We just returned from our 7 day trip with Encounter Africa and what and amazing time we had from start to finish.
Our guide, Tolbert, picked us up from the airport on day 1 and looked after us better then we could have imagined throughout the entire trip. We did a lot of driving to visit various places and Tolbert always ensured we were fed and watered and continued to act as tour guide while driving around his beautiful country - telling us the history and politics of the country, pointing out various wildlife (amazing knowledge of birds) and other interesting facts! We felt very safe with him and had a made a great friend by the end of our trip. He was also a brilliant driver on some very bumpy roads!
The highlight of our trip was gorilla tracking in Bwindi National Park. Tolbert had asked us previously what we most wanted to get out of the experience and asked what length of walk we’d like to do. He then made recommendations to the park rangers before our briefing to get us into a group that suited and to try and see the group with the most gorillas (the more we saw the better was our criteria!). This paid off as we ended up seeing 12-13 gorillas.
We would highly recommend this tour company for anyone wanting to experience Uganda and the wildlife on offer!
AE
Email Lesser | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well organized and good fun
Cant fault them. I had very limited time of 3 nights. They managed my time very well and got me the permit very quickly. Chris was very responsive on the emails and the trip was well planned and everything met my expectations. My guide Simon was fantastic and highly recommend the use of this company.
CA
Email jangevine | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Uganda Gorillas and Chimps with Encounter Africa
I chose to arrange my gorilla habituation and chimp trekking through Encounter Africa. I was extremely pleased with the professionalism and knowledge of the team I worked with - Chris in bookings, and my guide/companion for 5 days, Patrick. From the first inquiry, Chris was quick to understand my needs and reply with clear responses to the questions posed. I found the booking process to be straightforward and well-documented. Patrick, my guide, stopped by my hotel the night before scheduled pick-up to meet me and prep me for the next day and ensure that he understood my needs and expectations. While there were some long days of driving, the scenery was stunning and Patrick was happy to share his extensive knowledge about Uganda, its' people and the economic, political and social fabric of the country. We met every evening for dinner to ensure that I was properly prepared for the following day. Patrick took care of all of the details with respect to permits, entrance and orientation to the gorilla habituation and chimp trekking which made the experience stress-free and enjoyable for me.
I would not hesitate to recommend Encounter Africa and Patrick, for your tour and safari needs in Uganda.
US
Email Ben | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent gorilla trek
I had an excellent tour with Encounter. Chris was able to help me customize a package that maximized my time in value. Jason was a great guide. Would go with them again.
FR
Email Judith B. | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible country discovered. The guide (and driver) was incredible.
Communication was good prior. Asking as many questions as possible is essential to tailor the safari to one’s needs and expectations. Especially when it comes to accommodation. In retrospect, I should have pushed that a little more ahead of time.
Once on board with the guide (arrived by road from Rwanda and was dropped off in Kampala), it was easy, comfortable, safe. My guide for the week, Tolbert, is calm, knowledgeable, kind, constantly in the moment, had answers to any questions I had and has a knowledge of the places and people we come across which makes everything seamless.
He is a safe driver (and did we do some miles in various weather conditions on good and bad roads!) and when it came to places (geography), animals (game drives), and people and his country we had the most interesting conversations. The guide makes the safari experience and thanks to him, I left Uganda knowing I’ll be back one day. Thanks Tolbert!!
ES
Email pilar andion | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
One of the best experiences of the whole trip in Africa. Very nice guide.
They have always been very involved answering all my doubts through internet. One we got to the airport the guide was waiting for us. He took care of us all the trip, he drove us to the village where we would see the Gorilas. The guide was all the time available for us and helpful. One in the forest, the experience was amazing! We say this animal so close to us! After a not so long trecking we could see the whole family. Totally recommended. We are super happy with the full experiencd.
Email Michelle | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing from start to finish!
Encounter safaris thought of everything. Organising to so so much in a different country can often be a difficult experience, trying to think of everything. Not with encounter, we covered so much and it was seamless thanks to our fantastic guide, Tolbert. Tolbert offered so much knowledge and insight into the country, which makes a trip like this even more special. My next safari will be with encounter and I’ll recommend them to everyone! Thank you guys!!
Email Allison Zucco | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gorillas Galore
Absolutely incredible experience! Would do it again in. Heart beat! My driver Stephen was great! The drive was long, be prepared for a lot of traveling, but Uganda is a beautiful country and it’s definitely worth traveling through. The lodging was very nice with incredible views. The staff were absolutely incredible. The food was delicious, wayyyy too much of it, but delicious! Highly recommend. CHeckout detailed blog at Allison zucco.com
DE
Email Patrick und Caroline | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing tour and excellent service
The booking process and the service before the tour were excellent. The guides were very helpful and organized a great tour. We can recommend Encounter Africa Safaris very highly
NZ
Email Bekki Abernethy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Dream Safari!
Experienced a dream safari with Encounter Safari.
Chris put together an incredible 6 day private itinerary which included the tree climbing lions, boat cruise to see hippos, elephants, crocodiles etc, chimpanzee tracking and gorilla tracking.
My guide, John, is an extremely talented individual with a superb knowledge of the areas and animals. He was able to personalise the already amazing itinerary to make sure I was in the right places at the right time to see the different animals depending on their feeding / sleeping habits. Without his tweaking, instinct and wealth of knowledge, I would not have seen the tree climbing lions from just meters away (had seen them the day before hunting and in trees but was quite a distance from our vehicle.)
My gorilla experience was on the edge of the tea plantations which gave our small group of 4 an unobstructed view of their morning gathering. The chimpanzee tracking was equally amazing as there were many on the ground, not just up in the trees. John’s expertise had me see 12 lions, uncountable amounts of hippos - even out of the water, and many elephants- including some roaming at one of our lodges.
Accomodation was superb, and John was an excellent driver. I feel like I got an experience that far outweighed what it cost. Am very grateful for Encounter Safaris for this experience.