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 Wyatt Family | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
16 day Uganda primate ,game and cultural tour!
From start to finish the trip provided by Encounter was amazing surpassing all our expectations. Chris in the office was always quick to respond to any questions we had- even if it was at 2 am Ugandan time! Chris provided us with copies of all our chimp and gorilla permits which gave us confidence. We had reservations about paying from the UK but the payment process was very simple and easy.
We would highly recommend our guide Alex who was extremely knowledgeable about Ugandan life and wildlife. He was easy to get on with and happy to join our family games of UNO in the evening. We would definitely recommend asking for Alex to be your guide.
All the lodges chosen by Chris were comfortable and welcoming offering juice and hot towels on arrival. Elephant Hab is a must! This tour gives you a great insight into Uganda – a great mix of game viewing, chimp and gorilla trekking and stunning scenic drives. The optional extras we would recommend adding to this trip to make it even more spectacular are: 1) The lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth NP- this allows you to go out with a tracker which enables you to go off the main tracks to find lions. 2) The crater lake drive in the Queen Elizabeth NP.
We were so impressed by the whole trip we decided to visit Chris and the rest of the team at their office in Entebbe to thank them before flying back to the UK. We cannot recommend Encounter and this trip enough.
NL
Email Rene | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
2 day trip to Lake Mburu NP
Great trip to Lake Mburu with 2 gamedrives (evening and morning) and a boat trip on the lake with hundreds of hippo's. Very good guide/driver. Highly recommended!
Email Emma | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Extremely Rude Guide for Gorilla Trek
I cannot begin to express how disappointed and frustrated I am by the way our guide, treated me. I was very polite to him until I could not take it anymore. He made constant misogynistic jokes that were clearly a poor cover for his personal insults about my appearance and when confronted with his behaviour then made frequent jibes about 'mzungus' (whilst complaining about previous 'racist' clients). He only seemed interested in whatever meal he was going to get next. There was almost no communication except on the night before the trek and insinuated I would not be able to do it (after carrying on about requiring expensive equipment that was not needed anyway and not bothering to let me know when I could have bought it on the way). He then continued to repeatedly laugh and humiliate me after I achieved the trek. This man is a disgrace but he appears to be highly valued by his employers because he was training another guide. We were also taken back to our accommodation extremely late because my companion was talked into going on a very expensive walk around a resort in a national park. Avoid this organisation at all costs in case you are stuck with your dream of encountering gorillas being potentially ruined. This organisation gets 2 stars because of the accommodation chosen which was lovely.
US
Email Charles | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Encounter Africa Safaris helped me to have an unforgettable adventure!
Before booking this trip, I did a lot of research on the different providers for gorilla treks. I noticed that Encounter Africa Safaris had uniformly excellent reviews. Having ultimately booked a trip through them, I can add my strong endorsement for their services!
It all starts with Chris in the front office! I wonder if he ever sleeps as he seemed to always respond to my emails within a very short time of my sending them. He was patient and helpful with my many questions.
The three day trip itself was wonderful. Hannington, my guide/driver, safely drove me from Kampala to the lodge in Bwindi Inpenetrable Forest. While the drive was 10-1/2 hours in length, including a lunch break, it was well worth it to see the beautiful and varied Ugandan countryside. The accommodations a Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge was in a stunning setting. While the room was simple, it was clean, comfortable and with an amazing view. Dinners were quite nice, and they will pack a lunch for you to take along on the gorilla trek.
The gorilla trek itself was the adventure of a lifetime. It was harder physically than I had expected, having had to climb some very steep slopes, but it was worth every minute. The one hour with the gorillas was something I will never forget. It is hard to put into words, but it was simply amazing to watch them in their natural habitat.
Hannington drove me to Kigali, Rwanda the next day. It is a little under five hours with beautiful scenery along the way. I think it was ideal to experience both Uganda and Rwanda during this three day trip!
My thanks to Encounter Africa Safaris for helping me to have an amazing experience!
CH
Email Ulli Mayer | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
reliable and very fast responses to our questions
we had an amazing and exhausting trip to/with the gorillas. Ambrosi our driver was very nice and made the trip to/from Bwindi as confortabe as I could be. The lodge and meals were also very good, in summary a great experience.
Email Daniel Hoskin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
everything was pretty good
Had a week long trip through Rwanda and Uganda and didn't have any issues at any stage. I designed my own trip and had great communication before booking and plenty of information supplied to me. On the trip everything worked out with the hikes, accommodation and travel. If you are looking to explore East Africa, do it, it's one of my favourite in the world and if so, use encounter.
DE
Email Ross Brian | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Everything was perfect and went as planned. Special thanks to our driver, Abdul.
Everything was great. Our driver, Abdul, went above and beyond.
US
Email Danielle | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
E.A.S. entire team was so helpful during our complete Uganda process!
Encounter Africa Safaris really helped our production suceed for our Uganda trip. They handled permitting, kits, local hires, transpo and lodging with ease and were extremely communicative throughout all of Pre pro. Once on the ground they were on site for any help we might’ve needed. I would definitely recommend them for any production looking to film in Africa!!
US
Email Jon | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent communications, totally reliable, professional company that delivered the goods.
Communications exceeded expectations. Emails were often answered within 30 minutes, even on Sunday night Uganda time. All correspondence was clear without any issues. The payment system was straightforward, the driver was prompt and met us at our location in Mbarara (southeastern Uganda). He was courteous and was easy to talk with.
We chose a medium accommodation, and it was very nice. Excellent view, attractive rooms, good meals, comfortable beds, hot and cold water in the showers, good bed nets. I would actually feel uncomfortable if the accommodations were more upscale.
The safari itself delivered as promised. We had close viewing of a gorilla family for an hour, which is an amazing experience. The hike in was a bit slippery and steep, but was not overly difficult. On the trail we waited about an hour and 1/2 for the trackers to find the gorillas, and then it was straightforward to hike to the site.
Tipping at the park can be awkward, so be prepared with some cash for the trackers, the tour guide and for any porters that were of assistance. My only suggestion is that the issue of tipping should be addressed more openly.
I feel that this is a very reliable company, and I would recommend them without hesitation.
Email Jane Doe | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Okay
First things first, I prefer dealing with only one person while planning a trip from beginning to the end but this was not the case I ended up dealing with Sam then Chris then Francis which was a bit concerning because information was lost in translation and I ended up having to repeat myself quite a few times.
I would have loved a detailed breakdown of the itinerary in terms if what clothes to carry for rafting what kind of clothes and shoes to carry for the gorilla trek including the fact that porters are a necessity for the hike, the different levels of the trek in order to be well prepared..We had enquired from Martin our driver if we could stop to buy hiking boots and rain coats but he said there would be no need since we can hire these from Bwindi which was not even the case! But he managed to redeem himself by signing us up for the medium level trek which we thoroughly enjoyed. It would have helped if we also had a breakdown of the rafting itinerary in terms of breakfast is actually provided on site as opposed to us having to rush the hotel to provide a packed breakfast.
It would also have helped if we had been informed in advance that that we would be required to tip as a gesture of kindness starting from the rafting crew to the gorilla trek crew.
Our driver was constantly rushing us and this became borderline unprofessional.