A fraction of Home To Africa Team.
Home To Africa Tours and Travel
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, APTA, AUTO & USTOA
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $55 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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Email Peter and Joanne | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great tour operator and guides, they provided everything they promised and more
After extensive research we booked a custom two-week tour of Rwanda and Uganda with Home to Africa. We have been to Africa many times, including a number of self-driving trips, but decided that it made more sense to do a guided tour.
Happily, we had a great experience and would highly recommend Home to Africa. Everything was well-organized, the driver/guides were great and the accommodations were first rate, even though this was billed as a budget/mid-range trip.
Our trip started in Kigali, Rwanda, where we were picked up at the airport by our driver, Ben. The next day we made the long drive to Nyungwe National Park. The following day we did the chimp tracking. Unfortunately, Joanne fell and hurt her wrist, so Ben took us to a hospital to get an X-ray. Apparently, it was not broken, but did prevent us from doing the next day's long hike up Mt. Bisoke. Ben was great in coming up with alternative activities for the day, at no additional cost, so the day was not wasted.
After we visited the golden monkeys (well worth it), Ben drove us to the border of Uganda where we were waved through without even having to show our passports. We met Eli, our new driver, and transferred our luggage. In Uganda they drive on the left, whereas in Rwanda it's on the right.
In Uganda we did many of the popular activities, beginning with the mandatory gorilla tracking in Bwindi and including Queen Elizabeth NP, the Kazinga Channel, Kibale Forest, Murchison Falls NP and the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. All were very worthwhile and each lodge seemed better than the one before. On the last evening Eli arranged for a birthday cake to be delivered to our table for Joanne's birthday, complete with sparklers and the staff singing Happy Birthday. What a thoughtful surprise.
Thanks to everyone at Home to Africa for a great trip.
Well organised, tailored tour
We (3 people) organised a 8-day tour of Uganda. Home to Africa was very responsive in the planning phase, and the journey was adapted to our requests. We faced a small problem at our arrival in Entebbe, as due to a miscommunication our driver arrived late, but we managed to contact the agency and fix the problem. Our guide driver, Benon, was absolutely perfect. He has a genuine love for nature and animals, and doing game drives with him has been fantastic. His driving is very good. Also the accommodations chosen by the company were very satisfactory. We can warmly recommend them, and in particular, Benon.
AT
Email Birgit | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable and unique!
I booked a 9 day Custom Tour Uganda in July with my husband and 4 children, including gorilla and chimpanzee trekking.
It was our first visit to East Africa and in Home to Africa I found a reliable and trustworthy agency that was very competent and helpful in all aspects. From the first email until the last day of our safari tour, everything was perfectly planned and organized.
The trip was tailored to our needs and desires, and a varied program was proposed to us that suited all family participants.
We chose simple accommodations and we were not disappointed: all lodges and bush camps were very clean, had friendly staff and excellent food. They provided good WLAN in the reception area and the showers worked perfectly.
We are totally impressed by the beautiful nature and the diverse wildlife. Now we understand why Uganda is called "The pearl of Africa". We never thought that we would be able to experience all the animals so close.
Thanks to Moses, our drivingguide, we could experience unforgettable moments and he made sure we saw the big 5 and much more.... Moses is a very experienced, respectful driver. He has a good knowledge of his country and the animals and is extremely patient. He always tried to make our stay as pleasant as possible.
Looking back I can say:
-Travelling is easier than expected and completely uncomplicated- even with children
-there is enough water to buy everywhere
-the fruits and vegetables along the streets are wonderful
-it is recommended to try typical food of the country
-You can change the local currency at the ATMs without any problems and you don't have to take dollars or euros with you.
-face masks are obligatory for the gorilla trek and gloves for the rainforest are highly recommended
-you can buy everything if your luggage does not arrive or got. lost, and the driving guides know where...
-Home to Africa is absolutely a good choice and will make your vacation unforgettable!!!
CH
Email Timo | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect organized tour with very friendly and competent tour guides
My wife and myself would like to share our incredible travel experience in Rwanda and Uganda, which we recently had the pleasure of enjoying over 14 unforgettable days! It was a journey filled with adventure, breathtaking nature, warm hospitality, and an abundance of cultural discoveries. From majestic mountain gorillas to shimmering lakes and lush landscapes, each day was a truly memorable experience. Our guides John (Rwanda) and Karim (Uganda) were extremely friendly, professional and very knowledgable.
Our journey began in the vibrant capital city of Kigali, which immediately impressed us with its cleanliness and lively atmosphere. Visits to the Genocide Memorial and Kigali Cultural Village brought us closer to the moving history and incredible resilience of the Rwandan people. The hilly landscape of Rwanda captivated us just as much as the canopy walk and a visit to the tea and coffee plantation. A truly special experience were the two tracks to see the chimpanzees and the golden monkeys. The hospitality and smiles of the locals quickly made us a fan of this wonderful country.
After leaving Rwanda with mixed feelings, we continued our journey to Uganda. Queen Elizabeth National Park awaited us with an incredible array of wildlife. We had the chance to experience an exciting safari and observe lions, elephants, buffaloes, and a variety of bird species in their natural environment. The boat ride on the Kazinga Channel was another highlight, providing a close encounter with hippos and crocodiles.
Our final days of the trip took us to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, another highlight of our journey. The hike through the dense forest to see the mountain gorillas was challenging, but it was more than worth it as we found ourselfs face to face with these fascinating creatures. The experience of observing them in their natural habitat was indescribable.
In summary, we can say that our 14-day journey through Rwanda and Uganda was one of the best experiences of our life. The blend of nature, culture, and wildlife encounters touched us deeply and left us inspired. The people in both countries are incredibly warm-hearted and proud of their culture and heritage.
We highly recommend Rwanda and Uganda to any traveler seeking an authentic, adventurous, and enriching experience. This trip will always hold a special place in our heart!
Email Lewis P | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
How Uganda ended up as our favourite ever holiday…
I rarely get round to writing reviews, but our trip to Uganda was so fantastic that the chance to relive it a month later in a review was too good to pass up.
My girlfriend and I were looking to travel to Uganda principally to see the Gorillas in Bwindi, and then to see as much other wildlife as we could while we were there. We requested a number of quotes from a variety of highly rated operators, but Home to Africa stood out for the responsiveness of their communication, the clear detail in their general itineraries (where you could actually look up all the lodges they were recommending on trip advisor, unlike some other providers), they were also very competitive on price. We settled on one of their stock itineraries that would take us via Kibale-Queen Elizabeth-Bwindi-Mburu to do a variety of different wildlife experiences including the chimps and gorillas, then finishing in Jinja with some rafting down the Nile. They were very responsive in answering any questions both before and after booking. I have to say I did feel slightly apprehensive about making the quite large payments, but I was able to do this on a credit card (for a small additional fee) which gave me the confidence to send this off to a company I’d discovered only a few weeks earlier. I probably needn’t have worried.
When it came to our tour itself, I think it’s safe to say pretty much everything exceeded our expectations. We were collected promptly from our hotel in Entebbe by our guide Derrick, who then stayed with us for the remainder of our 8 day tour along with the 4x4 vehicle that was our private vehicle. Derrick was genuinely fantastic and really made our trip in so many ways, he was very knowledgeable about all the things we did, and managed some of those animal spottings where you just don’t know how someone with regular human eyes could’ve possibly spotted them, a pair of lions in a cactus tree in QE national park was a particular highlight. Derrick also did a great job of making everything in our trip run super smoothly, from pulling strings with local contacts to ensure we had nothing but private groups for the externally guided tours, to seamlessly rescheduling activities when one of our plans was changed by the Uganda wildlife authority. He really made it so we had to do very little thinking throughout the week.
In terms of the other elements of the tour, all our accommodation was in the “nice budget” category, and these were all to a good standard with most having some real wow factor. Particularly the view from the Eagles Nest lodge in Mburo, which was the eventual winner of our favourite lodge award, in what was a pretty close contest. There were a few instances of cold showers or absent electricity in the places we stayed, but these were generally short lived issues and were what we had expected in this price category, so didn’t diminish our enjoyment! The food everywhere we stayed was plentiful, tasty and had enough variety to keep us happy, but probably isn’t what you’ll be reminiscing about.
I will just finish by noting that whilst the tour we did, did involve a lot of driving 4 or 5 hours every other day on average, the whole itinerary generally felt really well paced and we were driving through such beautiful scenery down the western side of Uganda that the drives really felt like a big part of the experience. The only part that felt at all arduous was the drive across Kampala and out towards Jinja where we did the rafting, that was a bit of a slog in the holiday traffic, but overall we felt it was worth it to finish our trip with a trip down the Nile.
So all in all a genuinely fantastic experience, and I would recommend home to Africa without any hesitation. We will definitely use them again if we return to any of the 4 countries they cover in East Africa. Oh and go direct to their website for the best prices, as I noticed the costs seem to be much higher elsewhere.
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Email Arik | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5 Day Gorilla Trekking Tour
My wife and I had an amazing experience with Home to Africa and Karim as our tour guide. He was knowledgable, smart, funny and a joy to be around. We felt safe and in good hands as soon as we were picked up from the airport and dropped off at the end of the tour. All of the accomodations/lodges we stayed in exceeded our expectations and were very comfortable. Everything was organized perfectly for a smooth tour. We booked this tour to mainly do the gorilla trekking but all the other days were amazing. We saw chimpanzees, elephants, hippos, lions, crocodiles, water buffalo, impala, wart hogs, many species of birds, and even a leopard in a tree in Queen Elizabeth National Park! I 100% recommend Home to Africa as a tour operator and ask for Karim to have an adventure of a lifetime.
BE
Email Gina and Erny | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly driver and well organised trip
First time in Africa, so didnt know what to expect. We were very good supported by our driver Derrick who helped us in case we needed something. Nothing was to much and he helped to make this experience unforgettable. He made sure we saw and learned as much from the country as possible. We stayed in nice places. Only the last lodge in queen Elizabeth where we stayed longer was quite disappointing. Manager was not really friendly, almost blamed for not eating all of our food. The rooms were never cleaned in the 4d and lot of things were not working properly. We expected more from a mid range lodge (as asked). Otherwise no complaints and only good experiences of this whole trip.
BE
Email Lisa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good experience with home to africa
We had a good experience with home to Africa.
Our driver Derrick was a very good driver and guide. Gave us all the information we wanted, was very patient and made sure we saw as much as possible during our trip.
Friendly at all time.
The first lodges were very nice. We were only disappointed by the last lodge that turned out a lot less than expected.
People were often not friendly and a lot of things were not working.
Sad, because otherwise a great experience!
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Email Neil and Holly | Experience level: first safari
Uganda at its best
Our experience with Home to Africa was exceptional. Hedmond in the front office was easy to work with, responding to all our questions and supplying us with numerous suggestions and solutions for our 12 day safari .
Our personal guide and driver, Derrick, was excellent. He gave us a wealth of information on the culture, sights, and animals of Uganda. Derrick speaks 7 languages and was able to converse with everyone we encountered. He went above and beyond to make this our very best vacation.
Each day was a new experience: visiting national parks, walking in the bush, and taking river boat rides or night game drives.
If you intend to visit Uganda, this is the company to contact.
IL
Email Ayala and Yizhar | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very well organized trip with an excellent guide
We had a 8 day safari trip of bird watching and primates. It was very well organized. Our guide-driver, Amos, was amazing: fluent in English, highly intelligent, knowledgeable, kind and patient, He took care of everything and was just fun to hang out with. The amount and beauty of the species we encountered went beyond our expectations - a new wonder every day. We saw many of the Albertine Rift endemic birds and unique mammals (chimps, gorillas, lion etc.) with the help of excellent local guides. The activities were varied: game drive, hiking and boat ride. Communication with Hedmond, the sales manger was very good and everything went as planned. The service at the lodges was also very good. We highly recommend this company and guide.