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
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 Jill | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Safari in Uganda
Everything about this safari exceeded our expectations! Jolie was easy to work with, scheduled everything for us, and was great! Once we got to the airport things got even better. Our guide, John, was the absolute best! He knew so much about Uganda, the history, the wildlife, the environment, and different cultures in the country. John did everything to make our experience as perfect as possible. He was so thoughtful and went above and beyond. He recommended great local food that we loved, took us to the best craft markets when we told him we wanted to get traditional wood carved masks to bring home, and was really fun to be around. We feel very lucky to have had such a wonderful experience. John saw to our every need and we are extremely grateful for everything he and achieve did for us!
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.
Email Kim wallis | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Proffessional , caring and outstanding customer service
I booked a 9 day tour of Uganda starting in Kampala, driving to Queen Elisabeth park for safari and finally ending in Bwindi to trek the Gorrilas. I was a lone female travelling and Jolie did everything she could to reassure my husband I would be safe and to trust them including my husband in all the e mails. My Guide John was there to pick me up from the airport after a long flight and as soon as a saw his big smiley face I knew I was going to be fine. He was my guide for the whole duration making sure everything was perfect and ensuring I had the best experience of Uganda! I have a big personality and John made me laugh everyday. He was so knowledgable and he loved animals as much as me. He was patient with my time keeping and could not of done anything more to make my stay in Uganda memorable. He was there celebrating with me my 50th birthday with the wonderful staff at Buhoma lodge making me feel special for the day. I met John as my guide and left feeling I made a friend! Thank you to Achieve Global Safaris, Jolie and John for the amazing trip! Highly recommend this company, for customer service, fantastic staff and price
DE
Email Brunhilde | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Four-days gorilla safari tour in the Bwindi National Park- Uganda
We booked via internet a four-day gorilla trekking tour with two permits - Nkuringo and Rushaga in the Bwindi National Park in Uganda. Julie our tour consultant from Achieve Global Safaris was excellent. Always extremely helpful and fast with her responses. We arrived in Kigali the night before (organized on our own). Next morning Tom who drove from Uganda to Kigali (Rwanda) picked us up - with some delay and we were quite concerned - but he had a good reason since something broke down in his car. After that everything went perfect and he was a very friendly and helpful guide, always in time and we had no problems with the care despite very difficult and bumpy roads in Uganda trough the Bwindi National Park.
We left Kigali at around 11 a.m. driving towards Uganda to reach our first lodge Ichumbi Gorilla at around 5 pm. At the border, it took about 1h without any good reason, but we had all the time in front of us, without any commitment so we took this as an African experience.
The Ichumbi Gorilla lodge and especially the view was marvelous. Lydia the owner of the lodge was there to take care of some very special guest- the daughter of the 1st Lady. Lydia is visiting the lodge only occasionally.
We got a hand massage when we arrived, a welcome drink and then we got our beautiful rooms. The dinner was excellent and the entire stuff very helpful and pleasant people.
The second day we went to the gorilla trekking tour in Nkuringo to see the X-Christmas gorilla family. Seven guests with the guide and the porters (extremely important and helpful for those tracks) were on the track. My porter Bryan is a Batua (the evolutionary oldest and small people on our plant) and he was so gentle, helpful and kind. I was very happy that I have chosen him; he was the only Batua among all porters. The three trackers left about 2 hours ahead of us to spot the gorillas. After a 2 h trekking tour up and down on quite slippery ground, we reached the gorillas. We saw 3 gorillas: the silverback - 22 year-old, a female gorilla and her baby. We got quite close to them 5-7 m. It was a fantastic experience.
Coming back, we were allowed to take a shower in our room and to chill out on the terrace with coffee and tea and again the fantastic view on the surrounding mountains.
At 3:45 pm we were sad to leave the first beautiful lodge to drive to our second lodge Ichumbi. But the Ichumbi lodge turned out to be an amazing place too. Each of us got an own little beautiful cottage. The administrator of the lodge was a very open-minded, visionary, professional and perfectly organized person, originally from Rwanda. We enjoyed a lot to talk to him and to hear about all the history and experience he went through. Impressive!!! We hope all his dreams will become reality one day.
Since it was my birthday they organized a nice Donate-cake with a candle and flowers, they song and dance for me. This was so touching and wonderful: many thanks in case you ever read this report. The entire experience in Ichumbi was great. The food was delicious, the stuff very friendly and helpful, the place beautiful and very clean.
The 3rd day we went to our 2nd gorilla tour in Rushaga and visited the Mishaya gorilla family. This was a really jungle tour crossing 7x a little river until we reached the gorilla family (after about 1.5 h).
We saw seven of the nine family members and they were extremely well habituated to people, so they passed about 1.5 m between us, fully ignoring us and weren’t afraid of us. We got fantastic photos of them.
The 4th day we had to get up at 4:30 a.m., had breakfast at 5: 00 and left to Kisoro the fly back with a small plane to Entebbe. The flight back was incredible it was like a taxi-flight (hop on - hop off). The plane had three additional stops to pick up quests or to get off guests at different little “airports”. We flew over beautiful landscape and saw a lot of the country in this way without having a 9 h drive. I would do it always again in this way.
In Entebbe, Patrick, the driver waited for us and drove us to Kampala, were our scientific meeting started.
These 4-days were an incredible and wonderful experience in East Africa. Expensive but worth to conserve the mountain gorillas on our planet.
