Experience Happy Escapes
Santaviva
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $75 to $3,100 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Irene | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent service
Great planning and a bucket full of activities to choose from gorilla trekking, mountain climbing, hiking, zip lining, boat cruises, cycling, to cross border tours all at a great price and with excellent quality.
Email Nontomb | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional service and good communication
Santaviva listens to the client and delivers with precision. I did the Ubumwe Uganda-Rwanda Tour. The driver was professional, changes to the programme were carefully discussed and agreed upon. The stops were very significant in terms of learning and enjoyment. Kisoro, Mbarara and Lake Mutanda were enjoyable. I loved every experience I had with Ivan at Santaviva
US
Email Erugo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional
If you are visiting Kisoro, Uganda I would highly recommend you book with Santaviva. Ivan the owner is not only an excellent host but has an array of tourist activities that you can choose from. If you are coming from the airport or a nearby border he will personally pick you up which is a relief and adds additional assurance that you are in good hands. For activities he takes the time to customize a plan that fits your budget and expectations. He pays attention to details which is why important. Ivan and his staff are also very kind and helpful. The room and boarding are perfect for those who want a comfortable yet affordable place that has Wifi.
Now for the good stuff. You can choose from anything from gorilla trekking, local museum experiences, hiking, biking, to my personal favorite the Kisoro Volcano Coffee Experience. You are sure to be delighted! I also had the opportunity to rent a boat and see the beautiful views of Lake Mutunda and surrounding areas. The beautiful mountains and lush vegetation are truly a true gem and wonderful attraction. This was also a favorite because it was my first time doing such an activity.
If you are a foreigner or a citizen of Uganda looking to get away, explore, and enjoy the serenity of Kisoro I would highly recommend Santaviva for all of your accommodation and tourist needs.
Email Michael | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Ivan and the Santaviva team were amazing, ensured a perfect experience and love every second!
Myself and three friends were returning to Uganda via the Western side and were lucky enough to find and book online at Santaviva. The accommodation is located in the heart of Kisoro and Ivan the host couldn't have been more helpful. We stayed for 3 days and were given great advice on local hikes and activities including exploring the ancient tombs and villages.
We also organised a 6 hour Gorilla hike through the impenetrable forest which was a challenging and amazing experience! This included transfers to and from the forest!
All up huge thank you to Ivan and the team for an unforgettable experience!
DE
Email Yu | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
excellent service
The operator plans thoughtfully, offers delicious foods. I am satisfied with its service.
Email Martin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Value, Great Knowledge, Great People!
I was lucky enough to spend 4 days in Kisoro with Ivan and the team earlier in 2023 and have a fantastic time.
We'd just arrived from a month in Rwanda and had a month to spend in Uganda and didn't really have a very fixed plan. Luckily we met Ivan and he helped us massively to curate our trip for the next month and organise things like Gorilla permits, accommodation and tips for hikes and other locations we could goto in Uganda.
We ended up staying 4 days in Kisoro instead of just one night which gave us time to enjoy some of the local activities. Do not miss the local coffee experience (where you get to roast your own coffee) and if you're feeling fit, why not hike up one of the local volcanoes, which I did with Ivan when we hiked Mount Sabinyo.
Ivan and the team are simply awesome and will go out of their way to make sure you get the most out of your visit to Uganda. On top of this they are really reasonably priced compared to competitors, but you will lose any of the quality!!!
If you want to find out a bit more then I put together this short review video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cNCMIypvBk
The tour operator took care of everything as agreed before, she's been absolutely fantastic!
The trip was a wonderful experience for us. We had an excellent trip to Masai Mara. We did not face any single challenge in the entire trip. Everything was perfectly managed. Overall we're happy and wouldn't hesitate to do more adventures under the tutelage of the same travel agency. All in all the parameters enumerated above were well catered for.
Email Honest Herbert Kakiiza | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was a great exciting experience
Service was superb.It was a cost effective trip. We got value for each dollar spent. The personnel are kind and very helpful, knowledgeable and present
Email David | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Extremely helpful - Ivan went out of his way to make sure anything we needed was sorted.
We stayed at Santaviva for a few nights before our Bwindi Gorilla Trek. Ivan was there to meet us as the border (Rwanada) which was comforting to know and made sure there were no issues. Whilst in Kisoro, Ivan took us on a few walks through town and to the viewpoint overlooking the lakes. After our Gorilla Trek Ivan helped us get bus tickets for an overnight bus to Kampala and was texting us all the details. If anyone is in Kisoro, I would recommend reaching out to Ivan as he will be able to help with any and all planning.
TW
Email Lee | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great
Spend 5 days with Ivan . Great person with good passion shown the town very well to traveler. Enjoy the view just few hours hike with Ivan .