Our staff was part of a Fam trip to Ngamba Island
Achieve Global Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2011)
- Member Of:
- APTA, AUTO & USAGA
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $30 to $900 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
MY
Email Mah TO | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Our Unforgetable Adventure in Uganda - 8 Days of Surprises and Happiness !
This trip by Achieve Global Safaris stands out as one of the best safaris I have experienced. And this is my 8th safari having been to Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe before ! And why, you may ask? Because it is so different from the usual safaris! Yes, we have game drives early morning and at sunset like all the other places. But here, we have walks in the dense forests trekking down chimpanzees and gorillas. Climbing up and down steep slopes with thick vegetation, with the lead Ranger slashing out a track for us with his machete. With friendly English speaking porters helping to carry our day backpacks. With armed trackers in the front and back of our Group in case we encounter "wild animals" which may endanger our trek--- though nothing like that happened. And when we encountered those marvellous primates, we get to spend 1 great hour observing their behaviour. What an amazing experience we had ! The 1 hour passed too quickly. This is a highly recommended safari!
And what it even better was Achieve Global Safaris. From the beginning, it was a pleasure emailing with Mark. We could write very frankly and the replies were always prompt and clear. Their prices were also the best I could get. Then when we arrived, we were greeted by a smiling Driver Guide Abudalla. He was to be our friend for the next 8 days. He was always prompt and cheerful. And he was clean-about his ownself, his appearance and his vehicle. He never drank any alcohol (he is a Muslim), never smoked and was a family man who phoned his family members every evening! Our group of 4 persons felt much for him. He kept the vehicle clean , even though it was thoroughly messed up by muddy roads and rainy weather.
As a driver, Abudalla was the best in all my years of travelling! We covered long distances, but Abudalla made them pleasant even with many hours of difficult roads in Uganda. And when we were on game drives, some treacherous and muddy situations were easily overcome by him without any complaint or panic. We once had a front left wheel drop into a sinkhole that appeared from nowhere ! Within seconds and with calm, he suggested a solution. The 4 of us would go to the rear right corner of the vehicle, and attempt to weigh it down to get traction on that wheel to rev us out. And it worked ! We travelled nearly 2000km and we felt safe in his driving, and that was very important to us.
As for game sighting, we got all we wanted ! And more, as Abudalla found us a leopard, which we had wished for but did not really expect to see.
We wish AGS every success and highly recommend them.
TH
Email John | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Bwindi Gorilla/village experience was a once in a lifetime trip, well organised and planned
Right from the start when dealing with Jolie I knew that we'd picked the right agent to manage/organise our trip. Jolie and team were flexible and understanding in our changing requirements and assisted in making the initial payments as seamless as possible. The transfers/pickup process worked well, we had a great guide in Tom who accompanied us and drove us throughout the trip, he was able to answer our queries and had a solution to anything we needed. The Buhoma Lodge was superb, we enjoyed our stay immensely, the quality of the accommodation and food was first class. Finally the gorilla hike was amazing, this must be on everyone's to-do-list, the Bwindi park ranger and trackers made the hike as interesting and physically as least demanding as possible. Sitting with the gorillas for an hour was a moving experience one will never forget. Thanks again Achieve Global for making this a memorable and successful trip.
US
Email Connie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
From first contact to our final goodbyes, everything went beautifully!
I can’t say enough how wonderful this safari was. From the start our coordinator Jolie was very patient and attentive, and very easy to contact. My husband and I had the time of our life visiting three national parks. We saw chimps, lions, hippos, kobs,
gorillas and many birds. Most importantly our Driver Tom was fantastic. He was kind, gentle, and a skilled driver. We will never forget him. All of our accommodations were great also. I give Achieve global Safaris a five-star rating.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g293841-d10209473-r595733136-Achieve_Global_Safaris-Kampala_Central_Region.html#
Email Anika | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience with fantastic drivers
The safari was planned down to a T and I had regular contact with the company to ensure that everything was as needed. The staff and drivers (Edward and Elisa) were extremely friendly throughout the three days they were with us. They were both fantastic in the Murchison Falls National Park, knowing where to take us to see all the animals, offering to take us put again on the last day and just being absolute stars. I would definitely recommend the company and the drivers to anyone thinking of going on a safari in Uganda.
NO
Email Louis | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Company for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
There's a lot of companies to chose from when it comes to Gorilla trekking in Uganda. The price is almost the same, so the important for our group was to find a trustworthy and reliable tour company.
With Achieve Global Safaris you need to pay your Gorilla Permit in advance, this can be done by credit card through pesapal, or bank transfer. A credit card is a great way to secure your payment. Rest to be paid in cash at departure day. Just to mention, you will not physically ever get to see the permit, but the price is fixed by the Government. One of our friends, unfortunately, needed to cancel his trip, and he got a full refund of the permit from Achieve Global Safaris!
We departed Kigali in Rwanda. We got the phone number to the driver two days before we arrived Kigali. The driver called me an hour before pick up. The car was a spacely and clean 4 wheel drive minivan, water bottles were provided. The trip was in the program mentioned to take 4-5 hours from Kigali to Bwindi, but it took actually 7 hours. Roads are good in Rwanda, bad to very bad in Uganda, and a lot of dust and anything can happen, so dress for adventure. The drive was never boring, you see a lot on the way, and meet a lot of curious people if you stop along the road. Our driver stopped anywhere we liked.
We booked a midrange accommodation, called Buhoma Community Haven Lodge. The view was fabulous, rooms big, and beds fantastic, warm water (sometimes more hot than others), and the food were delicious. The waiter was very detailed about the next day's meals, so no problem if you have allergies. One of my female friends usually only travel five stars and was very worried about the standard before the trip, but even she was very happy!
Gorilla trekking takes place at 8 AM in the morning. You will get a briefing and get in groups of max 8 pax. It's possible to hire people to carry your bag for 15 USD per person (+ a few dollars expected in tips).
A tip. Don't bring much for the trekking. Water, rain cloth, toilet paper, lunch box, and camera are all you need! If you will need to change lenses on your camera, don't let the carrier have it, because he/she will not follow you when you first find the Gorillas (the more people, the more stress for the Gorillas). Gorilla trekking can take from 3-12 hours. We found the Gorilla family after 45 minutes and was back after 4 hours.
If you get the time you offered a community tour for 25 USD. The tour is interesting, maybe a little expensive, but the money goes to the locals, at that's important! Remember, local people and Gorillas live side by side. Gorillas need the forest, the locals need money to make a living, if not the tourists, many locals would necessarily need more farmland. Gorilla trekking isn't cheap, but it's a win-win. Gorilla gets the forest, the local's bread on the table, and you get a fantastic adventure and a lot of "likes" on FB.... Business is much better than charity!
At last, I will give our contact at Achieve Global Safaris, Mrs. Jolie, a big thank you. We never got to meet you, but always well organized and always responded quickly on my emails. Bless you!
As a traveler that visited more than 155 countries, I know the importance of reliable and trustworthy local tour companies, and I can highly recommend Achieve Global Safaris for anyone needing their Service.
Email Terri | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Perfect!!
Fast and effective communication. I dealt with Jolie via email correspondence, I had a reply within 8-12hrs. She was brilliant and extremely helpful. On tour we had Augustine, who was great, knowledgable and very passionate of his country. Well done to you both. You represent your company very well. When my travels bring me back to Uganda, you’ll be hearing from me;)
US
Email Susie | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
We got just what we wanted & so much more!!!
I was looking for an 8 day Uganda package that would give us the opportunity to see the chimps, mountain gorillas and the wild animals of QE2 National Park. We also wanted to visit Rwanda for several days after the completion of our safari. The tour director of Achieve, Jolie listened attentively to what my daughter & I wanted out of the trip and advised us as to what we could expect from each activity. She answered our questions promptly, directly and completely. The list of items she recommended we bring for our gorilla/chimp & lion experience was short and more than adequate. I felt like we were totally prepared. Our lodging at Kyazinga Lodge, Mweya Lodge & Chameleon Hill Lodge was amazing & the food was perfect for our dietary lifestyles. All 3 lodges were able to accommodate gluten free, vegan & vegetarian with no problems and delicious as well! We were met by Jolie, at our Kampala lodging, on the morning the tour commenced. We were then taken out to the Land Cruiser to meet our driver, Tom. Tom is exceptional in every way. He is kind, responsible, protective, well-educated, articulate & most of all a formidable driver. He is also well respected by the rangers, trackers and guides of the safaris. Tom made our drives from one point to another interesting, fun & comfortable...although we did experience several "African Massages" courtesy of the mountain roads of Uganda. My daughter & I treasure the experiences that Tom helped to provide since he was familiar with the rangers at the check in points @ QE2. We had 2 lion experiences that put us literally within feet of 2 lionesses & their cubs not to mention tracking 2 twin lions the following morning that had been off the radar for several months. The gorilla experience was magical and challenging. It is mountainous, slippery terrain & there are streams to cross but Jolie had advised us to bring boots, walking sticks ( which are provided if you don't bring them), rain gear (which we did not need) & advised us to get porters ( we shared 1) to help us with the trek into the gorilla nests. The gorilla experiences that we had at Nkuringo & Rushaga were 2 entirely different experiences but both held fantastic results in our observations of our 2 separate families of gorillas. In hindsight, I wish that we had visited the lowland gorilla as their habitat is completely different but I do not regret either one of our experiences. The chimp experience, at Kabale, is very manageable if you have anyone that is physically challenged. There is actually a boardwalk in some parts of the park. We had chimps swinging over us as well as walking so close to us that we could have reached out & touched them. They are very verbal & quite vocal when claiming their territory. The rangers are very informative and gave us plenty of opportunities to see many chimps & 4 varieties of monkeys. Whilst staying at Mweya, we did the Kazinga channel tour and it is so very worthwhile...wart hogs, baboons, elephants, water buffalo, Nile crocodile, hippopotamus & so many birds. The eagles are absolutely mesmerizing! Tom recommended we sit on the left side of the boat & he was so right as that is the side of the river where most of the activity takes place on. No worries though as our fellow passengers were more than agreeable to have you "in their space". This was the trip of a lifetime, for my daughter & I, and Jolie & Tom made it an 11 out of 10. Tom drove us from Chameleon Hill and took us to Kigali in Rwanda. He made sure we were at our reserved lodging, that our all our bags were in the lobby, introduced us to reception & we gave him grateful hugs of goodbye.... his parting words to the concierge were "take care of these ladies for me". Thank you Jolie & Tom, we will never forget your making us feel so special in every way and taking good care of us!!!
BE
Email laurence bastien | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
2 days gorillas trekking in bwindi forest, in rushaga sector and in nkuringo, harder than the first
our guide and driver Abdul was very friendly and very proficient
the translator Celestin was not at the top, not able to understand what whe mean and it was difficult to understand what he said
service ok (it was only the transfer)
gorillas have been reached easily in rushaga and also in nkuringo, but it was really more difficult in nkuringo due to the steep incline when we came back
no problem for the backpacks, there are porters, because a lot of water is necessary
no problem for disable person, there are stretchers
long sleeved shirts and long pants are essential because there are a lot of ants and flies and they bite
CA
Email Valerie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Quality 6-day tour
I went on a 6 day tour of Western Uganda, including Kibale, Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi. First of all, our guide John was great. He was super knowledgeable. He always had our best interest in mind. He was incredible at spotting wild life, and I’ve never been on a more dedicated game drive. And I trusted him completely as a driver. I initially booked as a solo female traveller, and although I had a friend join me last minute, I would have been completely comfortable travelling with him solo.
Secondly, the accommodations that were booked were excellent. The food provided was also very good – even for a vegetarian!
The reason this review doesn’t have 5 stars is due to communications with head office prior to the trip. When I initially booked, I triple checked the airport drop off time before booking my flight, but weeks before the trip I was given an itinerary with a different drop off time (and one that would result in me missing my flight home). John made the initial drop-off time work with a very early start and efficient breaks, but it certainly wasn’t ideal. Also, our chimp trekking permit timing did not match our itinerary, and no one was made aware of it until we showed up at the trekking office. To be fair, I was dealing with someone else when I initially booked the trip, so some things might have been lost in the transition. Communication was always prompt when planning the trip and when it was approaching.
Despite some hiccups, I would still go with Achieve again. They are significantly cheaper than other options, and provide good value for money. I could not see any differences between the experience provided between us and other groups.
US
Email Nancy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Achieve Global – They deliver on their promises
We contacted four companies that offered Gorilla trekking and Golden Monkey tracking in Uganda via Kigali, Rwanda. I asked each company for a quote to include transport to Uganda, one day Gorilla Trekking, one day Golden Monkey trekking and other suggestions that would give us a chance to see as much as possible in a short amount of time. Only Achieve Global Safaris provided a suggestion of an additional adventure on Lake Bunyonyi! We adjusted our trip to five days because of their great suggestion.
Our Guide, Elisa, was terrific – he was a skillful and careful driver - we knew we were in good hands. He went out of his way to make our trips back and forth across the Rwanda/Uganda borders smooth. We thoroughly enjoyed his company.
The properties we stayed at in Uganda were exceptional (Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge and Arcadia Cottages) the Gorilla Trekking and Golden Monkey tracking and Lake Bunyonyi are favorite memories of our trip to Africa.
I highly recommend Achieve Global Safaris - and have already done so - as a company that delivers on their promises, responds to questions quickly and goes the extra mile to make sure your trip is all you would want it to be.