Shoebill Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2002)
- Member Of:
- AUTO & ESTOA
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
AT
Email Bettina and Andreas | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A dream came true, and so much more!!!
In short: great planning, perfect advice, super guide, wonderful experiences !!!
Long: I had the dream to visit the Mountain Gorilla since I saw the movie "Gorillas in the Mist" about 30 years ago.
At the Vienna Holiday Fair I had our first conversation with Uli and Richard.
I had already inquired with some providers before and noticed that in the proposed tours always a part was missing for me and even with Shoebill Safaris it was like that, but ....
It quickly became clear that we would have to do a "private tour" with our own guide as a couple. With all our special wishes we were certainly no easy customers! We wanted to spend a lot of time with the gorillas, the possibility of a gorilla habituation, where you spend up to 4 hours with the gorillas, was only offered by Shoebill Safaris. Even a few days in the form of homestay ashore to see many traditional activities and to participate, was unique.
Finally, due to budget constraints, we had to exchange some quarters for tents, which was a wonderful idea, the mix of lodges and tents was varied and fine!
Uli was already in the preparation for us by phone and planned everything with Richard wonderful!
As the time of the journey approached, we were a little nervous. When we were able to get in touch thanks to Uli's help to our guide Michael, this was perfect!
The trip was a total success!
Started with the warm welcome at the airport by our guide Michael, his caring support, his always punctual and thus stress-free organization of the days (we had always the evening before a short discussion with fine tuning depending on condition!), The many explanations about country and people and the many animals that we could already see during the ride, the wonderful game drives with Michael, who discovered as many animals as with eagle eyes and could always tell something about it. The highlight of the mountain gorillas, of course, was great, as expected, but we had already been very impressed with the observations before, so that the gorillas were far from the only highlight!
Towards the end of the 3 weeks we spent 3 more days with Homestay in an adjoining house of Richard's family! We were very warmly received, were allowed to try everything and were able to experience the different work up close.
Thanks a lot to Richard's family and friends with whom we had a wonderful time!
These days we were also allowed to support the project "Shoes and Trees" in a school, the kids were just adorable! (see https://www.big5-africatours.com/uganda-shoe-tree)
Now we are back home thinking happily and gratefully of these wonderful 3 weeks !!!
Email Alex Georgiev | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
QENP with 31 students
Shoebill were amazing! We were taking 31 students from the UK to Uganda. After spending time in Kibale first, Shoebill took us on a 3 day trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park. An advance catering team had delicious food ready for us when we arrived at Mweya. Drivers were excellent, patient and had good wildlife spotting skills. Would definitely recommend!
Email Zoe Melvin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic trip tailored to what I wanted
I had such a wonderful trip with Shoebill Safaris. They were very accommodating of my last minute booking and changed around itineraries so that I could fit in both gorilla trekking and Murchison Falls in my short trip. My guide Ben was fantastic. Very friendly, easy to talk to and great at spotting wildlife. Cannot recommend this company high enough and I would travel with them again if I ever return to Uganda.
CH
Email Peter | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent planning and wonderful experience
Everything beyond expectations!
Affordable price. Great lodges and wonderful gamedrives
Email John, Sharon, Tony and Ruth | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Richard is accommodating, knowledgeable and good company
This is the 2nd time we have travelled with Richard, Covid rather delayed our trip, but we made it, and even extended to 3 weeks. Our guide and founder of the business Richard is the most knowledgeable guide we have met. He was helpful and supportive all the way along. We travelled from Entebbe to Kidepo and on to Murchison and then back down on the West side to Entebbe. Some times it takes a long to time to get anywhere (in a good way) as there are many stops, because Richard has so much he wants to show and share with you. Richard and Allen organised events throughout our trip which worked so well, village experiences (fascinating) waterfall hikes (go to Sippi Falls if you can) and Murchison Falls. The rhino tracking will say in our minds forever, meeting Luna and her baby was a beautiful experience. We stayed in a good range of accommodation - thank you for arranging the 2nd night at Murchison River Lodge Richard. Overall we saw a great variety of game and over 200 species of birds, we would definitely use Shoebill again for a 3rd trip to Uganda.
Email Saif | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Magnificent Trip to Mabamba to see the elusive Shoebill
I went on a day-long birding trip with Shoebill Safaris to Mabamba swamps and Entebbe to spot the elusive Shoebill.
The trip was only for the day, but it will last very long in my memory. Being able to see the prehistoric Shoebill stood deadly still amongst the papyrus was truly magnificent- Shoebill safaris are definitely deserved of their name!
Firstly, Allen was very pleasant and easy to talk to and always responded to my messages swiftly (sometimes within minutes of me sending a message!). Shoebill Safaris were very flexible, initially I wanted to book the trip for a few days after my first inquiry, and Allen was very quick to organise everything. But then, due to an unexpected event I had to postpone the trip by a fortnight, which was equally easy to do with Shoebill.
Spending time at the swamps was so magical- you really feel like you're transported into a completely different Uganda. But I saw much more than just the shoebill, as I was able to see a plethora of other bird species in and around the swamps.
Then afterwards, to make the most of a trip to Entebbe, I was taken to the botanical gardens, where I saw yet even more bird species and got to enjoy the company of the vervet and colobus monkeys!
They set me up with a very knowledgeable guide Gerald who was exceptionally friendly and helpful. He even came to my accommodation the night before the trip just to make sure he knew exactly where it was (because it is not a well-known hotel) so that he could arrive on time in the morning without delay.
For a complete beginner, I definitely had a successful birding trip, which was principally due to Gerald's vast and impressive knowledge of the local avifauna. He was very apt at identifying all the birds we saw, even when he wasn't the one using the binoculars!!
Throughout the trip, Gerald made sure that I was comfortable and went out of his way to ensure that I made the most of my experience: whether organising lunch at a local restaurant so that I could enjoy the traditional food and fresh tilapia of Lake Victoria, buying fruits beforehand so that I didn't go hungry, or organising an extra walk around the swamps to try and spot some more birds - I really felt looked after.
Overall, I had such a tremendous and wonderful trip to Mabamba and Entebbe, and I have Shoebill Safaris to thank. Although there were some companies that were offering the experience at a slightly cheaper price (by about $10 or so), I still decided to go with Shoebill because of the warm customer service I received which was continued throughout the rest of my trip.
If you want to have a memorable experience with a knowledgeable and hospitable company- you don't need to look any further!!
DE
Email Kathy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Private guided Tour to Shoebill in its natural habitat
We booked a fully guided tour including pick-up and drop-off at our guesthouse in Entebbe. The boat trip to the swamp was adventurous and exciting. After transferring to a smaller and more agile boat, we started our search for the Shoebill. We were the first who arrived at the location and had the best look at the Shoebill. Time after time more boats arrived.
We got enough time to observe the Shoebill, to take pictures or to ask questions. The experienced guides could answer all of our questions. On our way back we enjoyed seeing more bird species and we got surprised with a Rolex-Breakfast. Amazing and delicious!
This trip is definetly to recommend if you are interested in seeing a wildlife Shoebill in its natural habitat.
Email Pat | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A well organised operation who responded to queries quickly.
It was a great way to spend a half day in Entebbe. Shoebill safaris were quick to respond to any questions about the trip. We all had a great time and saw lots of different birds amongst amazing scenery.
