Peter Amanya and our guide in the safari van
Buyaga Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Member Of:
- UTB & AUTO MEMBER
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $450 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
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for a custom tour
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Reviews
US
Email Mevan R | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Efficient and organized
Buyaga tours office personnel were in touch with me and coordinated with me. The driver was Erik and he was very good. Everything went off very well, given the high degree of uncertainty there is around tracking and spotting Gorillas (uncertain movement of the animals, uncertain weather in the mountains, uncertain terrain to cross). Overall a great experience. I would say that not all the tourists in our group were in great physical shape, so some of them did struggle at the end. But Im sure everyone agrees that it was well worth the unique experience of seeing them in the wild.
CY
Email Osho divyang | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable memories
My wife and I had a trip of 9 days of safari with buyaga. The owner, Peter was so good at responding everytime we needed anything. He was very nice and helpful. Our guide Derrick was very experienced in his work. We had a very adventurous and unforgettable time with him. In 9 days we visited Ziwa rhino sanctuary, Murchison falls, Chimpanzee tracking at kibale national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Gorilla tracking at Bwindi impenetrable national park and lake mburo national park
Email Rachael | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Good value, enjoyable tour
I chose Buyaga because they offered the itinerary I was looking for at better value than other companies. Peter was very quick to respond to my many questions before the tour started which was really appreciated.
Overall a really enjoyable tour. Uganda is a beautiful country. Sometimes the timings weren’t as described in advance or in the itinerary but after the initial mismatch my guide made sure we went through the next days itinerary at dinner. He was also always concerned that the tour was going well and I was enjoying it. Some really lovely hotels on the way - not luxury but almost and with some amazing views and lovely people. I would definitely use them again.
NL
Email Sarah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good value for money
Safari
Initially me and my friend wanted to do a gorilla trekking only in Uganda but later on decided to extend our trip with a safari. We knew the price of a weekend gorilla trekking would be at least $1000, because the permits are expensive and since we were gonna be in the country anyway, we decided to extend the trip with other activities as well.
We chose this operator because it included all the activities we wanted to do at the lowest price. Other operators were at least $500-$1000 more expensive. The value for money is good. The accommodation you will be staying in will not be luxury, but that’s also not what you payed for. You are able alter the itinerary yourself and we did so with one of the accommodations. We felt as though our guide did not like the accommodation we chose as much as his initial pick, but we were very pleased with our change. It’s therefore good to know you can alter it, but the guide may have a few bad comments regarding your pick.
Peter is a very friendly guide. Especially in the preparation phase, he would respond to messages very quickly. My friend celebrated her birthday during the trip and Peter made sure a (gluten free) birthday cake was prepared and even bought a few gifts for her, which was very thoughtful.
The safari itself was great. We did not expect we had to wake up at 5-6 am so many times, so that was a bit of a shock and resulted in us being exhausted by the end of the trip. That’s why we do recommend to alter the itinerary slightly and have a few more relaxing mornings or afternoons in the schedule, because it’s currently fully packed with activities. We did not expect it to be this tiring, otherwise we would have put a few relaxing moments in beforehand. Additionally otherwise you are together with your tour guide 24/7 (all the activities + meals) and you feel as though you have no quality time with your travel partner able to relax.
The only disappointment activity wise were the lions at Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. One of the reasons why we chose this operator (besides the price) was because it included the famous tree climbing lions where others didn’t. Well during the trip we found out there was a reason other operators did not include the lions, it’s because they are no longer alive unfortunately. We were very shocked to hear this news and even more so because we did not think it was fair that it was included in our itinerary, when they are no longer there. When we expressed this disappointment to our guide, he did not understand. So be prepared that the famous tree climbing lions are no longer there. The park you visit to supposedly look for them, is great to visit anyway! They should however write down in the itinerary that the famous lions are no longer there.
Overall it definitely was a once in a lifetime trip and we were very happy we traveled with Buyaga. The tour it private so you don’t have to share your bus/car with anybody else, which means you always have the best seat to spot animals. Peter made sure he always hired rangers to join us in the car, who were very knowledgable on the area and the animal whereabouts. They even made us go off track sometimes to see lions up close, which was great.
Would definitely recommend this tour and operator!
DE
Email Daniela | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
had a good time with them
I went on a 5-day tour as a solo traveler with Buyaga Safaris and had a great experience. I went with the itinerary details and choice of lodges as proposed by them and was quite happy with it. Unfortunately some unforeseen car issues caused some disruptions along the way, but my guide was always looking for solutions without compromising my experience.
From the get-go I felt that I was in good hands with Buyaga Safaris. Thank you Peter for this fun and interesting trip!