Joseph,Our seniorguide always ready to welcome you
Crystal Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 1996)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, ASTA, APTA, AUTO, SKAL, UTB & UTO
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $77 to $800 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CA
Email Tony | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip! Beautiful Country
My wife and I just returned from a 12 day tour in Uganda with Crystal Safaris. The mid range lodges exceeded our expectations. Our guide was very good, although his english needed some work. The vehicle we had was a few years old, and experienced a major mechanical issue (not surprising given the state of the roads!!). However, a replacement vehicle was delivered later that evening, so the breakdown had very little impact on our trip.
We booked the Chimp Habituation experience, thinking we would spend more time with the chimps -- this was not the case, and we had to alter our itinerary as we booked a chimp tracking the following day which was much better for people having never seen Chimps!!
We stayed at 2 Crystal Safari lodges, and Crater Safari Lodge was beautiful, Gorilla Safari lodge was nice!
US
Email Sharon | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic guide perfect for gorilla and chimp tour
Our guide, William, was very knowledgeable and shared a lot of information about the people and culture in addition to the wildlife. We did the 5 day gorilla habituation and chimp trekking. The drives between the parks were very long (the first one, advertised as 9 hours, took us 12), but having a fantastic guide made them enjoyable. We were able to pass through many towns and villages and get a feel for life in Uganda. My mom needed to make frequent stops, and William accommodated us and was very kind and helpful to my mom (he called her "Mama" the whole time). One tip: I brought a mini bluetooth speaker which we used during the drives as the vehicles have no radios.
CA
Email Cynthia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very Good experience
We were 4 adults for our trip in uganda. Our guide was Hannington. I really recomand this guide and the compagny crystal safaris. We had a nice stay in the gorilla safari lodge. The hike with the Gorillas was unique. We will keep very good memories if this trip.
Hannington was very polite, calm and I felt like he wanted us to have the best trip possible.
Thank you
MX
Email Sabina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excelent Guiding true Beautifull Uganda
We had a great time on our Gorila experience, you can not get wrong with this company, make sure you request a Joseph Chiwa as your guide and you will have a terrific time!
Email D/M Leadbeater | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The BEST Ugandan honeymoon with the BEST Safari Guide!
The number one most important thing about any safari is your safari guide - when my husband and I booked our honeymoon to Uganda with Crystal Safaris we did not realise just how lucky we would get - Hannington - our safari guide went above and beyond to make our honeymoon the most special time of our lives! He was extremely knowledgeable, professional and as a well respected tour guide - he had great connections - meaning we were able to see even the most rarest of animals during our game drives. Crystal Safaris and Hannington ensured each lodge we stayed in were aware it was our honeymoon and we were never disappointed - we had cakes made especially for us at each lodge, a traditional Ugandan song dedicated and sang for us by the staff at Gorilla Safari Lodge in Bwindi (also owned by Crystal Safaris!) and a private candlelit dinner outside our lodge overlooking the lake at Crater Safari Lodge (also owned by Crystal Safaris!). In terms of our safari, we saw all the animals we could have wished for - Elephants, Giraffes, Lions, Leopards, Buffalo (many types), Antelopes (many types) and a huge variety of incredible birds (including the rare national bird of Uganda!!). In addition to all of this, Crystal Safari organised our Chimpanzee and Gorilla trekking experiences - both of which were once in a life time experiences. We really were very happy with our safari and most of all with meeting Hannington and having him as our tour guide and driver as we feel we have a safari guide for life! Hannington is an exceptional tour guide and I would highly recommend asking for him specifically when booking through Crystal Safaris - he is always high spirited (even after an 8+ hour drive!), makes great conversation ensuring you learn not only about the animals but also about what life is really like in Uganda and really cares for you during your holiday, we were very lucky to have had him as our guide for our honeymoon!!
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Email Sheila | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Safari in Uganda and Kenya
We booked a one night gorilla safari to Bwindi National Park from Uganda with Crystal Safaris. Absolutely incredible. Barbara was very responsive in communication. Everything was exactly as promised. Ivan picked us up on time in Kigali, he was a very safe driver and very knowledgeable guide. The Gorilla Safari Lodge was beautiful with excellent food. Cottage was very nice, clean, and comfortable beds. Good internet in reception area. Great massage, interesting visit to the village. The trek to see the gorillas was incredible!!! Wish we could have stayed longer.
We also booked a 7 night safari in Kenya on very short notice after our safari with another company had been cancelled. I did not realize when I made original booking that Crystal Safaris also would organize a safari in Kenya. I contacted Barbara and she responded immediately and worked very hard to put together a safari at the last minute within our budget. Our guide, Johnson, was waiting for us at the airport upon our late arrival and drove us to our hotel in Nairobi for our first night. Johnson was an incredible guide. He was a safe driver, extremely knowledgeable, always on time and very flexible to make sure that we were happy with our safari. He made sure that we saw the "Big Five" along with much more wildlife and the Wildebeest migration. We visited Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, and Lake Naivasha. Two of the lodges were incredible - AA Lodge Amboseli and Naivasha Kongoni Lodge. Absolutely beautiful. The other two were average - Jarika County Lodge and Mara-Aardvark Lodge but we were on a limited budget. We were actually pleasantly surprised with our upscale accommodations at Amboseli and Naivasha. I would highly recommend this company and also feel confident that no one would be disappointed with Ivan or Johnson. An excellent guide is the key to a great safari and both Ivan and Johnson went above and beyond!
RU
Email Alexander | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
13 days in Uganda, wild life and gorillas safari
I think, that your company and travel guide Hannington was made good service and very interesting all activities.
I will to recomend your company and our guide for my friend and other peoples for trips to Uganda.
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Email Ryan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Honeymoon Gorilla Trek
My wife and I went on our honeymoon hoping for an amazing experience. Not only was it great but it exceeded our expectations. The service at Crystal Safari was top notch and our driver/guide Hannington was amazing! We felt safe and cared for the entire time. Hannington's big heart and knowledge about everything made our trip. You should ask for him! We consider him a friend for life. The Gorilla Safari Lodge is perfect for anyone wanting to see the gorillas. You would be a fool not to. My wife and I will never forget this!
NL
Email Reg and Roel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wild life in Uganda.
Wild life in Uganda.
The last years we travelled in several countries in Central America. We drove from place to place, seeing so many beautiful spots and attractions. We also visited National Parcs with their own wildlife.
This year we decided to do something completely different. We wanted to see the great wildlife of Africa, and the best country to discover this all should be Uganda! And it did!!!
Because hiring and driving a car ourselves wasn’t an option, we ended up by agency of our dutch safari specialist Mambulu Safaris with Crystal Safaris. They made a program for us which satisfied our wishes. We didn’t want to travel in a group, so we knew that the two of us should be together with our guide and driver for the upcoming 11 days, which made it a little exciting upfront.
Joseph Chiwa turned out to be a very save driver and an excellent guide, we had a very fine click with him. Together we cruised to the following National Parcs; Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest Reserve, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Mburo National Park. In between we did a lot of game drives, we made a few hikings, a boat trip on the White Nile to see Murchison Falls and a canoe trip on Lake Bunyoni.
We saw so incredible many beautiful wild animals. We saw the big five, even the leopard (wich is very exceptional). We did see a lot more, like different sort of bucks and monkeys (like the chimp), hippos, giraffes, crocs, zebras and totaly unexpected the very dangerous puff adder. But biggest sensation of all was meeting the big silverback gorilla .... breathtaking ... never to forget...!
All the locations, all the trips with all their bookings and paperwork were pre-arranged. This made the travelling extra comfortable. We made so many pictures of all the beauty we saw, but more important, we stored all the beauty in our heads.
Our holiday in Uganda in one word: Incredible!
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Email Anne | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great Staff & Excellent Service
Our Crystal Safaris guide and driver, Hannington, was absolutely brilliant. His bravery and skill behind the wheel were instrumental to the success of our gorilla trek in Uganda.
Our stay at Crystal Safari's Gorilla Safari Lodge, on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Park was everything we'd hoped for and more. We've never encountered a more friendly, welcoming and helpful staff. They made everything a pleasure and their attention to detail was second to none. Every touch was perfection, down to the fires in the fireplaces, flowers and candles on the dining table, and excellent wines with our delicious meals.
We highly recommend this safari service and lodge.