BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Jambo Jambo
My preparation was reading an extensive book about Kenya and there I recorded the 6 locations I wanted to see.
Spirit of Kenya's offering was tailor-made and the stays in the selected lodges were breathtaking.
Especially the Salt Lick Safari Lodge location where the elephants came within striking distance to the pool.
My driver John drove me around for the full 7 days from Tsavo West to Tsavo East, then Amboseli and Lake Nakuru to end in the Maasai Mara. A fantastic beautiful trip with great support from John. A really great experience of the wildlife in Kenya.
I took a total of 2500 photos, which is proof of fun.
BR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome,
Incredible wildlife, people from Uganda is lovely and the place is fantastic
US
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.
JO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kind people and amazing safaris!
Visiting Kenya is an absolute must if you love nature and wild safaris. The people are so kind and friendly. I travelled solo to many tourist attractions and villages, and felt safe throughout. They warned me of possible theft incidences especially in the capital Nairobi, hence, I was being careful with my belongings (as I would in any other country) so nothing happened. Safaris were an absolute delight, but make sure of the following: a) do your homework on when is the best time to travel for best experience, b) make sure you check the accommodation from different websites/ reviews/ images, again for better experience. My travel agent Beast Spoor, whom I was lucky to have selected, made it memorable! Thank you so much and looking forward to coming back soon!
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful scenery, abundance of wildlife, good tourism infrastructure
Toured Murchison, Queen Elisabeth, Bwindi, Lake Bunyonyi, Mburu, Kazi GA Channel Ziwa sanctuary. 8 days 7 nights. Ecovic and our tour guide Frank was flexible and very accommodating. From Canada where it is colder so be prepared as mosquitos and heat/humidity can be more than you may be used to but some repellant fine. Be prepared to do some hiking up and down to see chimps and gorillas. Maybe bring a fan. Don't forget sunscreen. Bush tents are very luxurious for a tent but rooms are better. But you are there for the wildlife and adventure which you will certainly get! Food was fantastic at all accomodation. Leopards are probably the hardest to find but if lucky you will. We did. Guides talk to each other to help know where the animals are which is good. Roads in west were all great. Kampala city roads not good off the main highway but you aren't there for that. Felt safe everywhere we went, (even checked out the DRC border south of QE which was very quiet!). 8 days for all that would be minimum time required. Prices are cheap for food and souvenirs, especially just off the main tourist trap of Bwindi. Sometimes menus don't have all the items on the menu but they still have good food options. I had steak a few times that was very good and was only $10. Fruit is plentiful and cheap. Drink bottles water which is readily available. Good cell service everywhere although wifi can be limited to only certain areas of a hotel.
It was my second trip to Uganda in 3 months and thought my visa was still good but had just expired. Was able to be issued a tourist visa upon arriving thankfully at immigration in airport for usd$100 so that was a big relief.
Our guide Frank was fantastic and highly recommend him.
Lifetime highlight: baby gorilla at Bwindi held my hand!
In towns we didn't go out after dark and in Kampala watch out for pick pockets. That said, there is a nice mall in Kampala called Acacia that is like anything in Canada, even a KFC! Uber works in Kampala and is fairly cheap. Bring some toilet paper as if you have to stop in a small town bathroom you might just have a hole in the floor. If you forget something you can always buy whatever you need in Uganda. There are hundreds of small pharmacies everywhere in towns if you need malaria pills or get a bought of watery diarrhea.
Stop at some roadside markets for souvenirs, food, etc. Bring lots of usd $1's and $5's for tips. USD is pretty widely accepted. Just ensure they are clean notes as the banks will discount what Ugandans receive in exchange rate if they are marked or dirty and Ugandans will give you a lower rate as a result if paying in USD, (10% discount). Remember that prices are usually negotiable and tourist prices for regular goods are 1.5-2x that of Ugandan prices but still very cheap by western standards. Overall a fantastic trip! And much cheaper to see Gorillas in Uganda than in Rwanda. Plus English is spoken everywhere so communication is no problem.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beautiful country with friendly people, incredible scenery, and amazing wildlife.
I did a one day safari to Ngorongoro crater, and then a trek on Kilimanjaro. Both amazing experiences, both showcasing the range of natural scenery, animal, and plant life that Tanzania has to offer. Everyone--both tour operators and locals--was friendly and welcoming. A wonderful vacation overall, and I hope to be able to come back soon!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great time in a very well run park
We found the scenery to be spectacular. Everything I expected of the Karoo. We saw lions and a variety of wildlife but the carrying capacity of a semi desert environment meant that wildlife was scarce. The staff are well dressed, friendly and efficient. The buildings are spotless. A big compliment to management who obviously run the park with great committment and dedication.
Certainly a great place to spend 2 or 3 days.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Murchison Falls National Park by Jeff C
Top notch across the board. Probably my favourite of the game parks. Amazing scenery
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Queen Elizabeth National Park by Jeff C
Still fantastic like Murchison. If Murchison is 100 then QE is 90. Just some better scenery views at Murchison
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Amazing Adventure in Uganda.
Eddie, at Birchill Expeditions, provided me, as a solo traveler, with an amazing experience for 4 days in Uganda. He set me up for gorilla and chimp trekking (get yourself in shape before gorilla trekking) and arranged/provided land and water safaris. His choices for rest/relaxation at the end of each day were well chosen. Uganda is a special place and Eddie organized it all to perfection, many thanks!