Big Apes Africa

4.6/5 – 165 Reviews

$827 pp (USD)

2 travelers   on   Start date
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Big Apes Africa

4.6/5  
(165 Reviews)
Office In:
Uganda Uganda
Size:
1-5 employees (Founded in 2019)
Member Of:
USAGA, UTB & UWA
Tour Types:
Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
Destinations:
Rwanda RW
Uganda UG
A fraction of our Team.

A fraction of our Team.

We are a Safari Company with operations in Uganda and Rwanda handling Destination management for Tour operators around the world through well crafted private or group tailor made life impacting African experiences. We are a team of Nature lovers and believe in sustainable tourism through conservation and community empowerment. We love to constantly explore our region just for the love of it and it is from this passion and personal experience that we want to craft for you a lifetime experience.

Reviews165

Serious and reliable tour operator
5/5

We booked a 11-days tour of Uganda with Big Apes.
The communication with the office and the organization of the trip have been easy and fast, we changed our itinerary several times and they have been very kind. It has been an incredible experience, made also better by the presence of Ben, our guide. He is extremely organized and always on time, he knows pretty well these places, he gave us explanations about everything, always curious and chatting.
There have been some issues with payments during our stay (due to connection problems using “MoMo”; in fact we have already suggested to give the guides a prepaid credit card) so we had to anticipate money already paid, but they refund us immediately the day after.
Accommodations were as we expected and as we paid for. In every situation we have always felt safe.
We think that the passione they put in their job is an added value that made us feeling in a family, so we recommend this tour operator.
If we come back in future, we will definitely choose “Big Apes” and Ben again.

UPDATE : Don't trust Big Apes, neither Peter.
1/5

I wrote a previous review months ago reporting that Peter didn't refund my money and Peter replied saying that my refund was scheduled to be processed on that week (refund that was already late) and also left an "explanation" here. The refund wasn't done on that week and I had to contact him again.

I will try to summarize what has happened since my first review on 11/10, almost 3 months ago : He said that he was looking for a better way to handle my refund. He sent me a manually filled in form from his bank as proof of payment and then I was not allowed to send him emails anymore (yes, my emails were rejected and I had to use SafariBookings as an intermediary to communicate with him to ask for updates). Peter filled in the form incorrectly. I received the information from SafariBookings that the funds returned back to his account (SafariBookings had to contact his bank). I was allowed to send him emails again. I sent him another account as another option. He wanted me to fill in the form from his bank and refused to do it again correctly and said my information was distorted in different threads (??????? I confirmed with my bank and the information I sent was correct; the second option I sent was a screenshot from my bank's app, so no risk of being distorted; so ?????). I sent him a third option, a link requesting the payment. He hasn't sent the money using the link. Few weeks later, not a sign of him. Then, Peter wanted to transfer the money using Western Union. One week later, no contact from Peter at all. Then he said the money was at Western Union, that he sent the document previously, but he didn't and that I would have to withdraw my money. After all, I still had to find a Western Union to withdraw my money. This was the better way he handled my refund. 

So, after my trip being ruined ... and after waiting longer than the offered cancellation policy time (I asked for the cancellation on 10/04, the offered cancellation policy time was waiting 4 months and receive the full amount; I received the document with the information needed to withdraw my money on 20/12, more than 8 months after the cancellation date) .... and a lot of headaches asking, asking, asking .... and asking SafariBookings for help (I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't have SafariBookings intermediating. I strongly believe that I wouldn't have received my money back) ... my money was refunded. LATE.

Facts and figures :

1) The full amount to be refunded was USD 1,079.24
2) The amount in the manually filled in form from the first attempt sent to me by Peter as proof of payment was USD 1,003.00
3) When questioned, Peter said that the difference (USD 76.24) was bank charges. No proof of payment for this bank charge.
4) The amount I've received from the second attempt was equivalent to USD 920.00.

I didn't understand his intention with that, but Peter forwarded me the exchange of messages between him and the SafariBookings representative, including the name of another client who was also waiting for a solution to her "case study". I wasn't the only one. He also says on the email that some guests are hard to please. After being rude, he failed to keep his word and refund my money within the promised timeframe. Are the guests hard to please ???

This is the customer service provided by Peter, think about if you have an issue during your trip.

As Peter himself said in one of his emails, let's move on to a better future without more hurt feelings. I think he meant my feelings and my bank account feelings. I lost money and time. DON'T TRUST PETER !!!!!! The End !

Great communication, friendly and welcoming
5/5

We absolutely LOVED our time with Big Apes. We did a 10 day safari. Right from the get go Bella was fast with communication and always happy to answer all our questions. Our tour guide Ben did a fantastic job of making us feel welcome, introducing us to local cultures and teaching us about animals, history and the local languages. The accomodations we stayed at were always comfortable and safe, we were very well fed and looked after throughout. We did have some car issues early on however Ben was quick and professional with getting them sorted with the resources available and it had minimal impact on the safari. Saw many animals on game drives, the chimp and gorilla trekking was an absolute highlight and I would highly recommend doing the optional community visits (not included in the up front payment for us but worth the extra $20 per person per visit). I would definitely recommend Big Apes to anyone thinking of visiting Uganda, they are super flexible with the safaris and Uganda itself is a fantastic place to see.

A Great Safari Experience with Excellent Guiding
4/5

Before starting my safari, I was in regular contact with Big Apes. I was able to share my wishes and make changes at any time, and a revised itinerary was always proposed without any issues. In the end, I did a 5-day safari that was very diverse: from the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to various national parks, as well as chimpanzee and gorilla trekking, everything was included. The pickup in Kampala and the end of the trip in Kigali were also organized smoothly. The five days of the safari itself were a wonderful experience. The tour guide was very friendly, dedicated, and had an impressive knowledge of wildlife, which he was happy to share. He regularly checked on my well-being and took great care of me throughout the trip. The accommodations were modern and of high quality. Personally, I would have preferred something a bit simpler, as a less luxurious style suits me better – but this is a matter of personal taste. The food was very good throughout the entire trip.

One point that could be improved is the communication before the start of the safari: I only found out the evening before when I would be picked up and needed to be ready. Additionally, during the five days there was one instance where the guide had not yet received the fuel money from the office.

Good Service
5/5

The service food , hotel na transport, reliability and of tour.

Other Safaris & Tours42  – Offered by Big Apes Africa

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  • This tour is offered by Big Apes Africa, not SafariBookings.
  • This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
  • If you request changes to this tour, the advertised rates will likely change.
  • The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability.
  • If an accommodation is fully booked, the operator will suggest a comparable alternative.
  • This tour is subject to the terms & conditions of Big Apes Africa.