DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience
Second time With Impala.Good Organisation , thanks to our Guide
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
7-Day Gorilla, Chimpanzee and Wildlife Tour in Uganda
This was the first leg of a honeymoon trip to Africa and couldn't have been a better introduction! From the very start Ronald was an excellent tour organiser and helped us to customise the itinerary to suit our budget.
When we arrived we were delighted to have Ronald as our guide for the week, his passion for his country was infectious and his local knowledge really enhanced the trip. The journey was relaxed and we had plenty of options to take part in local tours.
The scenery in Uganda is incredible and the variety of wildlife was more than we expected. We took in safari in QENP, chipanzees in Kirala and Gorillas in Bwindi - all highly recommended!
All in all this trip was great value for money and exceeded expectations! Thank you Ronald!
SA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing tour in Tanzania.we were able to see many animals of different types.
We had a group of eight people taking amazing tour in southern part of Tanzania we were able to see many animals of different types with expertise of ali as our guide. The meals were so amazing at the lodge selected for us with the tour.I will not forget the experience in my life. Thank you gadafi, ali and the rest of the tour company
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Honeymoon
Mary from favour tours organised us a customised honeymoon safari. The balance was perfect between game drives where we had incredible wildlife experiences, and time relaxing by a pool, or overlooking a waterhole at a lodge. Our guide Peter was very knowledgeable, friendly and had great eyes for wildlife. Mary was great before the trip touching base for details and then making sure we were comfortable during.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very special Holiday in Uganda organized by Ecovic Tours and Travel
We very much enjoyed our special holiday in Uganda Organized by Ecovic Tours and Travel. There were very excellent programs of prepared by this tour operator like safaris by car, boat and on foot. In between we enjoyed the car trips throughout a beautiful country with a variety of landscapes and beautiful sceneries. Uganda people are very hospital and friendly. The organization by Ecovic Tours was very excellent and the guide told us a lot about the country, Sceneries, customs and history. The accommodation and meals were of good quality. We highly recommend Ecovic Tours to everyone!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
THE GREAT 5 DAYS MAASAI MARA AND THE LAKES
We were 26 students from DAY STAR UNIVERSITY and we were on a research study to this places. we got this company through
a friend from another university who also did a tour with them.Since we were many and also mixed with other foreign students we were not sure if this company was going to manage since expectation was too high from us.
We organize this tour very fast since time was a limiting factor here.
we started our trip 2nd/2/2020,drivers were friendly and food was there in plenty.vehicles new and clean. plenty of animals in both lake nakuru and maasai mara.walking at the hellsgate and visiting geothermal power plant was one of the best.
i cant explain everything, even the accommodation in luxury tents in mara and hotels in both nakuru and naivasha was a surprise to us because we were not expecting good accommodation like this as compared to the good deal we got from the company.
TO SAMMURISE AS STUDENTS WHO WENT WITH THIS COMPANY, IT S THE BEST IN NAIROBI. Wish them the best and keep the pace.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience. Budget friendly
Africa Safari Classics was an excellent and help us create a safari of our dreams within budget.
Booking Process: Maurice was extremely helpful and gave us different options that fits our needs. After seeing what options there is and what to look for, i was able to customize our safari with Maurice. Which is an excellent because there is so many different options you can choose from (which part, which hotel/camp, how long). I would start on their recommendations and then start researching which hotels/camps to stay at, Maurice will then give you estimate on your preference.
Safari: Our guide was excellent, his goal was to shows us as much animals as possible. Which is definitely shown on how active he is (he listens to the radio and ask drivers that drive by, we can definitely see the effort). He got us up and close to animals but at the same time we felt completely safe. We heard something on the radio and then he rushed over to give us an unforgettable view.You can tell he had many years of experience and know what to look for. I would highly recommend a private tour (max 4 people per minivan or keep); this allows you to have room to move around and to fully see animals. Mini van vs jeep, as long as you have 4 or less people it doesn't matter. The jeep looks more comfortable if its full(7 people), but it looks very pack and would not recommend. Overall guide makes a big difference and this company has the best. We saw other tours and they weren't as active as we are.
Hotels/ Camps: Don't skip on the hotel/camps it makes the trip so much better if you choose the right one. We stayed at the following:
The Ark Forest Lodge (highly recommend)- Hotel in middle of a park. Hot water: Yes, Wifi: Yes, Clean: Yes. You don't stay here for the luxury hotel rooms, but for the view. Its next to a water hole and we saw ton of animals and was extremely close (overnight). The experience itself was unforgettable.
The Cliff - THE MOST AMAZING place ever (5 star). The luxury tent was overlooking a the lake and the tent was a luxury (bath tub, clean, hot water, high class). Food was amazing and staff was excellent. I would stay here again in a heart beat. Only ten tents so i would book in advance.
Mara Serena Safari Lodge - It was not bad but compared to other place i wouldn't recommend. Food was a buffet (which is not that good honestly); we ate because we were hungry but lacking in flavor. The view is nice, but after you see it, it gets old. Rooms are nice, i would call it 3 stars.
Locations: honestly part of it is to be lucky and the other part is a good guide (that listen to the radio and communicate with other tours to see where the animals are)
OL Pejeta Private Wildlife Conservancy(1 day) - saw a giraffe cross the road up and close. Park has a private rhino (you get to pet a rhino) and chimpanzee area , which is very nice to get up and close.
Lake Nakuru National Park(1 day) - saw a rhino up and close. We were debating between Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha. I would recommend to Lake Nakuru and ask to add the $30 boat ride of Lake Naivasha (thats all you really need). Best of both worlds. Since they are close its doable to do both.
Maasai Mara Game Reserve (2 day) - excellent park but huge. If you only have one/two days i would go here cause it has all the animals, but we had so much fun at Ol Pejeta and Lake Nakuru. Most of the time the animals was in the distance and a lot more tour groups.
Tips: Bring binoculars (and a monocular with phone adapter) we got amazing pictures with the monocular with phone adapter. A light jacket in the morning game runs is helpful. Bring bug spray (70-100 deet; i recommend) Pick good hotels/camps (The Ark and The Cliff i would recommend). Look into the extra things you can do (night game drive, hippo breakfast) if its in your budget. Do your research and let Maurice know what you want (he can tell you a cost estimate). Trust me we got everything we wanted and more.
VN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
3 Day Short Exciting Tanzania Safari
Thanks to the team at Connect African Safaris, we loved this budget safari. My boyfriend and I had travelled to Tanzania for Mount Kilimanjaro trekking and we wanted to connect the National parks in Northern circuit.. We were picked from our hotel in Arusha by Msago, a very charismatic guy with many stories to tell. We were very grateful to be part of this short adventure and we did not get bored at all. The place we enjoyed the most was at the Ngorongoro crater where the experience was just surreal – so many animals in one space. . We also loved seeing the lions, giraffes and hippos in all the three parks. Overall it was a great trip though a bit short. Thanks to Connect African safaris again for their care and excellent organization skills especially during the ongoing exchange of emails that helped plan our trip to your choices and liking.
Macy & Cam
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Safari with Terrain Safaris, Uganda – the Pearl of Ugandan Safari Companies
To watch a short video on our Ugandan Safari follow this YouTube link: https://youtu.be/s5L-fwxEE8Q
Uganda and Terrain Safaris exceeded our expectations.
We contacted scores of safari companies, and then narrowed it down to three companies and then I did some due diligence Tripadvisor review research. We choose Terrain Safaris as we are keen birdwatchers and many of the reviews mentioned Paul’s excellent bird knowledge along with the positive reviews they had already received. We were choosing to do a general safari, Murchison Falls, then Chimpanzee Tracking and Gorilla Tracking however we wanted to squeeze in birding at every opportunity.
Paul arrived promptly at our hotel in Entebbe and off we set on a magical adventure around the Pearl of Africa. The country is rich and fertile and bustling with life. Travelling to the National Parks was an amazing experience in itself, as the terrain is constantly changing, the people, the homes, the crops, fruits and vegetation.
We had chosen the budget accommodation option and were impressed with the quality of the camps and food. Some places have power via a generator which is switched on after dark and all of them had Wi-Fi services. Remember however that National Parks are naturally remote areas and you should not expect superfast broadband connections.
We were impressed with the professional standards in the camps. Staff were welcoming, introduced themselves, informed us about the dinner options etc. They were, at all times, welcoming, friendly.
Lugandan is widely spoken but the standard of English spoken is excellent, probably even better than that spoken in Kenya.
We visited Uganda in February 2020, during a time where the ‘dry season’ had become an unseasonable wet season. Terrain Safaris vehicle performed very well in the challenging driving conditions, aided by Paul’s excellent driving skills. The vehicle was clean, reliable and robust with a pop up roof for game viewing and constant supply of drinking water.
On our way to Murchison Falls we stopped off at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and enjoyed the breath-taking experience of tracking wild rhino. Accompanied by a ranger, we walked with rhino and enjoyed a magical hour with these giant grey creatures in the hot African sun.
Then onwards to Murchison National Park. We had two nights at this park and enjoyed a full day exploring its natural wonders. The animals which delighted me most were the Abyssinian Ground Hornbills of which there are many and then the elephant who got a bit too interested in our vehicle when it smelt the ripe pineapples in our boot, and started trotting along behind our vehicle, trunk aloft and curious.
In the afternoon we boarded the African Queen Boat for a cruise on the Nile towards the falls. Imagine how amazing the falls were during the time of unseasonable rains!
We cruised towards the Falls, watching hippos relaxing in the river, sometimes with birds on their back, crocodiles sunbathing. We watched elephants coming down to drink from the river along with waterbuck and pumbas while sipping on a cold beer with a great name Nile Beer!
Next morning and an early start to catch the 7am ferry across the Nile to head south towards Kibale National Park and Chimpanzees. We headed south through more beautiful countryside and our next adventure. In the late evening on nearing our accommodation, baboons had taken over the road, one curious guy jumped on our vehicle, a modern day Highway Man. This baboon looked at Paul, then he peered at the passenger seat, quickly we closed the windows, he was searching for his dinner, this cheeky Baboon Highway Man.
The next morning we headed to Kibale National Park. There were so many vehicles there, so many tourists for the Chimpanzee Trekking briefing. A ranger skilfully told all of us the Dos and Don’ts in the Forest. Then we were split into small groups of 6 tourists to one armed (AK47s) ranger. Amazingly when we disappeared into the forest tracks with our ranger Jessica, you would never know there were another 40 people looking for Chimpanzees.
Wow! To hear the Chimpanzees calling in the Jungle! We stop, we listen, and we change direction. The rangers communicate with their colleagues by radio and try to assist each other to locate the chimpanzees.
Amazingly after only 45 minutes, chimpanzee were spotted high up in the forest canopy feasting on figs. We were thrilled! We gazed and gasped! Jessica told us to be patient, as it might get even better.
The experience didn’t disappoint. The Alpha Male of the group decided to come down to the forest floor, he came Face to Face with a lucky tourist, the rangers told him to move back (8 metres to avoid transmission of our human diseases) but he would have got amazing eye to eye images.
Then the Chimpanzees would hoot and holler some more! The forest reverberated with their call! One of the females was on heat and things were indeed hotting up. More chimpanzees came to the forest floor; we watched them groom each other, relaxing against a tree. They gazed at us, we gazed adoringly back at them, they moved, on instruction from our ranger we followed them. Wow, wow, wow!
After Chimpanzee Tracking, next challenge, Mountain Gorillas!
We drove through a landscape of fertile terraces en route to Mgahinga National Park. We expected to walk from 3 to 8 hours to locate the Mountain Gorillas but we were blessed that morning. No rain, amazing mountain views and after a short trek of only 45 minutes our Ranger told us “we are near”!
We discarded our walking poles as these remind the Gorilla’s of the spears of hunters long ago. The rangers who protect the Gorilla group and who follow them every day of the year, greeted us and then the baby gorillas were spotted playing in the trees.
Then as we looked around it seemed as though the forest was teaming with Gorillas.
Gorillas everywhere!
Babies playing, mum’s with suckling babies, teenagers showing off. Then, from deep in the grass, the magnificent head of the group’s silverback. He lifted his regal head, the sun caught his eyes and he regally checked us out.
We were absolutely thrilled, spellbound and so so lucky.
Only one tourist group, with a maximum eight tourists per day, may spend one magnificent hour with the Gorilla group.
The sun was out, the Gorillas basked in the sun, stripped bark, fed, played and frolicked. One rambunctious gorilla teenager bounded past our group and playfully grabbed the leg of a Dutch lady and down she tumbled into the soft grass.
We could not have wished for a more memorable magnificent hour! We were thrilled beyond words with this experience.
Did I mention that our first trip to Uganda exceeded our expectations?
Well let me mention it again. Uganda exceeded our expectations. Friendly people, beautiful country, amazing National Parks and wildlife experiences, which will not be surpassed for close encounters of the rare and wonderful kind.
Terrain Safari’s answered all our emails promptly and thoroughly. We especially loved Abraham’s email salutations “mysteriously awaiting”. Payment procedures were simple and easy to make. Terrain Safaris tailored the safari to our needs. Paul is a very knowledgeable and experienced guide, kind and considerate, an excellent driver. We had plenty of water in the vehicle and sufficient breaks while driving to our next destination. Even our break sights were chosen with care, packed lunch at Queen Elizabeth’s pavilion and the Equator for a photo opportunity.
Would we use Terrain Safaris again?
Yes, we wouldn’t hesitate to use them again and recommend them. We look forward to our next trip to the Pearl of Africa and hope to experience more of the wonders that it has to offer.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trust the Professionals!
We have always preferred to be independent travellers in the 20 years of our retirement.
But when I began to second guess myself on a safari leg of a trip to Africa I turned to Chris and he put us back on track.
He prepared a customized 10 day trip tp Victoria Falls, then Samburu and Maasi Mara in
Kenya.
Everything went without a hitch; the flights, transfers, accommodations and guided drives.
Everything was taken care of, including hotel & lodge check in.
Yet there was ample flexibility built in for us to remain in control.
His choice of accommodations and camps for us was superb. We were spoiled, and loved it!
It paid off to turn to a professional for guidance, in many ways such as knowing which visas to apply for or where the rainy season might affect game viewing.
Safaris are an expensive proposition. We have just finished ours knowing that it was money well spent on a once in a lifetime event to be treasured.