Amakula African Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Member Of:
- TUGATA, USAGA & UTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $75 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Celiq | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Efficient and very accommodating
They were honest and very helpful in making this a beautiful experience. Iam an American so my standards are much more demanding. I think for the amount we paid, it was very beautiful. There were a couple places where I could have upgraded, but overall I was very happy.
CA
Email John Keating | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Up close with our nearest relatives
We chose Amakula for our four-day Gorillas and Chimpanzees Trekking Tour in Uganda and we're glad we did.
The first big highlight was a stop on Day 2 at the Kibale National Park in the north-west of the country. It's a thickly forested park that's home to some 1,500 chimps in four different communities. After our guide Julius parked the truck it took just a few minutes for the park staff to find them, screeching from the treetops as they searched for food. Unfortunately for us it was a dull overcast day, making it hard to see the animals against the sky, but one of them spent a lot of time on the ground and was easily visible. Even in the dull light, it was thrilling to see the animals so close.
After seeing the chimps, we made our way south over the rough potholed roads and high up into the mountains at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home of the mountain gorillas. We stayed in a rough hewn cabin with a stunning view down a valley in the middle of the park. Early the next morning we headed out in the safari truck to look for a gorilla family that the trackers had spotted hours earlier. This time, luck was really with us. Usually, there is a fair bit of trekking through the vine-choked jungle to get to the animals. But our family was just a few paces off the road.
It's an experience like no other to look into the eyes of these human-like creatures. This was a family of about a dozen, including the head silverback, a couple of smaller silverbacks and several females and young ones. We were told not to get too close but the gorillas don't know that rule. Sometime the young ones ran within a foot or two of us. The family is amazingly laid back and the silverback grunted contentedly as he drifted in and out of sleep.
The tour ended with an overnight stay at Itambira Island in Lake Bunyonyi. The small island has its own semi-tame wildlife, including zebras and a large flock of crowned cranes. There's an option for a boat ride on the lake that we didn't take. It was a pleasant and restful way to end the tour.
We highly recommend Amakula. Our guide Julius was knowledgable and friendly and willing to stop whenever we wanted a better look at something, including the abundant bird life. This was a private tour, meaning we were the only clients in the safari truck, but of course there were many others from other tours who joined us in viewing the the chimps and the gorillas.
If it were possible, I would have stayed an extra day at the little cabin in Bwindi and done a little walking and bird watching. It's too pretty a site for such a short visit.
Amakula gets extra marks for supporting a school for orphans in Arusha, which we visited after the tour.
FR
Email Claudine | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful & very professional tour
We were in a 4 day's tour with Simon and Arafat.
We went to Bwindi forest, lake Bunoyi and Mburro national park. It was an amazing experience.
The team took us to the bests places and wonderful lodges
US
Email Jennifer | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very knowledgeable, extremely kind, lots of laughs and fun surprises, the absolute BEST.
Our 15 day safari with Amakula Tours was the most amazing experience of my life. From the beginning Amakula was quick to respond, and booking was smooth. They were also very helpful during the planning phase of our trip. There was a great variety of experiences including white water rafting, nature walks, game drives, community & school visits, wildlife trekking, coffee plantation, making banana gin, basket weaving, and dancing. We learned about Ugandan history, culture and customs and had fun interacting with the native people. Simon and Arafat were fun to be with, very knowledgeable, and extremely kind. We had the pleasure of meeting several other team members, and they too are great people. I highly recommend Amakula Tours and hope you have your adventure of a lifetime.