Gorillas Homeland Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2011)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $80 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
PL
Email Katarzyna Surmiak-Domańska | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
complete disaster
Dear safari lovers and all who are planning holidays in East Africa with the assistance of Gorillas Homeland Safaris. It is pretty likely you will pick this tour company as they have a very nice website, perfect ratings, its manager Mr. Davis Tukamushaba has several FB profiles all packed with only positive comments, and he is very quick in replying to potential customers’ inquiries. All this creates a great first impression.
A month ago we returned from our 8-day safari in Rwanda and Uganda organized by Davis and his team. Wherein the word „organized” is a big exaggeration, as in terms of organizing our trip was a complete disaster.
It all started on the first night. After having landed at the Kigali airport around midnight we found that no one was waiting for us. When we, at last, reached the hotel we learned that Mr. Tukamushaba “had forgotten” to book our stay. In the following days it was only worse. Our personal guide who was to accompany us during the whole trip was late for the first meeting by 6 hours. Despite Mr. Tukamushaba’s claim that all our accommodations and entrances to the national parks had been already paid (in fact we had paid 70 percent of the whole trip in advance ) - ever and again it turned out that something was not paid or even booked. Eventually Davis would always pay – on short notice - only when we started the alarm on Messenger. A critical moment was on the day when we were driving 10 hours to the Nyungwe Forest National Park in the south of Rwanda for chimpanzee tracking only to learn that our names are not on the list. This time nothing could be done since all had already been booked. We missed the chimpanzee tracking, which was supposed to be one of the highlights. In the long run Davis returned us the money for the chimpanzees but it didn’t really comfort us. For eight days Davis Tukamushaba - who was in touch with us on the phone - kept on making up extraordinary stories about exceptional misunderstandings and unbelievable coincidences which resulted in this series of fuckups. Instead of relaxing we were stressed every night.
We decided not to keep this story for ourselves. We feel obliged to share it because of the tourists’ solidarity. My friend Izabela is a PR Manager at an American company, I am a journalist and a non-fiction writer. You’ll find us on Facebook, feel free to contact us if you want to learn more details.
Our unpleasant experience does not change the fact that Rwanda and Uganda are beautiful and fascinating countries. You will meet there many professional and kind people. Simply you’d better think twice before you go there with Gorillas Homeland Safaris.
Katarzyna Surmiak-Domańska and Izabela Szumielewicz
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Email Beth H. Rohrer | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent, more tha I expected
Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking
Jan 2024 • Friends
Davis and Gorillas Homeland Safaris were incredible! Everything was well planned out and taken care of for us. The trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and nothing could have made it any better. Davis was a very knowledgeable guide and took care of every detail for us. I highly recommend booking with this company if you want a pleasurable and well-run trip
NL
Email Marianna Schokker | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
It's not just about seeing the sights; it's truly experiencing the beauty of the land and its people
We had the most incredible journey with our guide Davis, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. Davis is not only a passionate animal lover but also a wealth of knowledge about the natural world. Choosing to explore with this local organization was truly a game-changer for us. Normally, we prefer to travel without guides in African countries, but this experience opened our eyes to a whole new level of adventure and discovery.
What sets this organization apart is their genuine commitment to tailoring the experience to your preferences. We expressed our desire to stay exclusively at lodges under local management, and they made sure that every accommodation exceeded our expectations. From the lodges themselves to the delicious meals, everything was absolutely perfect.
Thanks to Davis and the team, we had an authentic and enriching vacation. It's not just about seeing the sights; it's about truly experiencing the beauty of the land and its people. If you're considering a trip with a local touch, I can't recommend this organization enough. Thank you, Davis, for making our journey unforgettable!
CA
Email Laval Roy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing trip to Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, with Alex and Davis.
I found the information about Gorillas Homeland Safaris first on Facebook and after on their website. What I saw was enough to give me an idea of their seriousness as a company. The first contact with Davis was easy and he seemed to me to be a man I could trust. I never changed my mind after that, he is a great guy.
As my wife, Anne, and I are birders, I asked for a 23 days stay oriented on birding. Davis told me that Alex, the bird guide, was excellent. I can tell you now he was more than excellent. He knows the birds, the chips, the calls, the behavior and the habitats where to find them. He is absolutely exceptional when it comes time to spot birds or animals. It was my 6th trip to Africa and I met very good guides and Alex is at the top of them. I'm not kidding. And the man himself is also easy going. Always in a good mood, always willing to show you more and more things. We went to the main hotspots in the country and we tallied 483 different species of birds in 21 full days of birding.
The habitations were well located, near the NP or the interesting habitats, and the food was excellent everywhere. The vehicle used, a 4X4 with open roof, was fantastic inside the national parks. And Alex was also a very good driver.
The only problem we encountered during this trip was that we did not get our luggages at our arrival in Entebbe. As we have a very tight schedule, it was impossible for us to stay in Entebbe, waiting for our things. So Davis took care of all this and he delivered to us our luggage 2 days after when we were in a remote place, far from the airport. I can tell you that Davis made everything to ensure that our stay was at the best, every day.
I encourage any good birders and travellers to contact Davis for a memorable trip to Uganda. A trip memorable for the good reasons.
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Email Michele | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good Company
I am a photographer, and Davis and our guide, Alex, made certain we saw every animal possible. I have some health issues, and both were so kind and patient with my limitations. The sheer volume of birds and other wildlife to photograph was beyond my wildest expectations. I highly recommend!
CA
Email Mike Field | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life changing trip made possible by the expertise and hospitality of Gorillas Homeland Safaris!
My wife and I did the 3 day Murchison Falls Safari and were quite simply blown away by the amazing guides who made this the trip of a life time! Davis and Meddie thank you so much! We hope to someday get back to do a longer trip and see the gorillas!
We appreciated being picked up and dropped off at our Hotel in Kampala, it made the trip so much easier knowing you had all the planning done and all we had to do was enjoy the scenery! We are so thankful for the great service you provided us..we honestly felt like we were travelling with two good friends who cared about our experience first and foremost.
We were so lucky to have elephants walk right in front of us with their babies...how amazing. And to also get to see giraffes/Hartbeests/warthogs/baboons/crocs/hippos/rhinos/hyenas/jackal/oribis/buffalos/waterbucks and so much more including all the bird species...just wow! Thanks to you so much for this trip!!!
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Email Albert | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great trip
I loved the volume of animals we were able to see but I mostly enjoyed the Uganda people that I met. Our guides, porters , hotel staff everyone was very enlightening and interesting. Getting to know the Uganda culture firsthand sets me back to think that here in America we think it’s so rough — they do it everyday- with a smile.
US
Email Kelli East | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best trip EVER
Our trip with Gorilla Homeland Safari's exceeded my expectations! Davis and Meddy are wonderful Ambassadors of Uganda ----from the first moment we choose them the communication was excellent. The resorts we stayed in were incredibly beautiful ----the staff was always very friendly and helpful. Davis and Meddy went above and beyond to make sure our desires were met. From safari drives to boat trips to chimpanzees and ------of course------gorillas ------this trip was by far the most special. We are already planning a return trip with Gorilla Homeland Saafaris. If you are considering a trip to Uganda you will not regret choosing Gorilla Homeland Safari's. Do it -----It will change your life!
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Email Danielle | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Uganda 2018
I have been to Africa over 20 times and all over. This by far was the best trip I’ve ever taken. Davis and Meddy knew everyone everywhere we went. I always felt safe with them. The lodges they picked for us were amazing. Anything we mentioned we might want they changed plans to accommodate us. We were talking about wanting a pool soon and the very next lodge they made sure had a pool. The gorillas were everything I ever wanted. All the extra tours that were available had something to do for everyone. The staff at the lodges were friendly and so helpful. The rooms were clean and the scenery was breathtaking. I can’t wait to go back again and I won’t go with anyone else but Davis and Meddy.
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Email Christina | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Effortless Beauty and Adventure!
This was not our first trip to Africa, so we had some high expectations. Davis and Robert exceeded them all with their concern for our comfort and ability to customize the trip to meet our desires (mostly lots of birds and animals to view and photograph)! Our accommodations, meals and travel were lovely. Every lodge was different and beautiful. Last but not least, it was an excellent value for our investment. The cost for our 10-day safari was half the cost of our six-day safari in Tanzania the year before. And of course there were the chimpanzees and mountain gorillas, which you can't see anywhere else. We would easily do this trip again - perhaps longer stays at each lodge so we could settle in!