Nsavi Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2021)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, AUTO, UTB, UWA & UCF
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $120 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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Email Mitali | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The most unforgettable trip!
Hands down, one of the best tour operators to work with! Nsavi safaris was absolutely fantastic - they were organized, personalized, and incredibly friendly!
I had a work trip to Kampala and had always dreamed of seeing gorillas and chimpanzees in the wild. I only had 4 days to do an excursion (within Uganda) and learned of the trip without much time to prepare. My family also wanted to join. I emailed many tour operators and learned the hard truth about how difficult it was to secure permits on such short notice and travel between multiple parts of the country. Sarah from Nsavi Safaris was different - she responded extremely quickly, learned of what requirements our group would need, understood our budget, and quickly turned around an itinerary that completely encompassed what we had hoped! We loved the promptness of her communication via email and WhatsApp and her professionalism in crafting itineraries, building a customized website, and walking us through an international payment. She is very well connected with UWA and was a huge help in getting us permits! But do book in advance if you can!!
We did a 4 day adventure - flying in the morning on a small plane from Kampala to get to Kibale for the chimps, driving to Queen Elizabeth National Park to get to Bwindi, then trekking through Bwindi followed by a next day morning flight back to Kampala. We got all of the highlights, stayed in very comfortable guest lodges/camps, and had an incredible experience seeing wildlife. Jasper, our guide, was there throughout the trip - he was very excited to share his experiences with us, chat with us about Ugandan culture, stop at the side of the road so we could take photos of the views, and even stopped for a mini-unplanned game drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park. I also had the chance to get lunch with Sarah and chat about her business. She and Jasper also helped me pack a souvenir, which was above and beyond what I expected a tour operator to help with.
Thank you Sarah, Jasper, and the rest of the team at Nsavi for an unforgettable experience! I was extremely happy to support a female-run small business that exceeded my expectations! We highly recommend others to book with Nsavi!!
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Email Julia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Extremely responsive and an absolute pleasure to work with!
I debated between a 4 and 5 star but ultimately went with 5.
The 5 stars part -
From the moment I reached out to Nsavi they were so very responsive and kind and warm and thoughtful. The whole planning and booking experience was high end from a service perspective. They helped us through every part of the journey. When we had trouble confirming flights from Kilimanjaro to Kigali, they stepped in and helped with Rwanda Air; when my mom broke her foot on the way to Tarusha we reached out and asked if they could get us a cushioned boot for my mom and when we arrived they had what we needed. The tour operators in Tanzania were thoughtful and extremely engaged. We felt they really wanted to provide a great experience for us. The operator in Kigali was very engaged, friendly, genuine. I truly cannot say enough great things about the people we were with day to day.
The 4 star part -
I wish they set our expectations about the conditions of the lodging, the Tanzania roads, and tipping. We chose the mid-range option for lodging based on reading reviews of the hotel options for both mid-range and high-end. We decided to go mid range because the Google ratings of the hotels were all about the same and the difference in price, for us, did not justify the potential for a better experience. The first hotel in Arusha, rated a 4.1 or 4.2 on Google, was very unpleasant. The sheets and towels were dirty. We were there to literally just sleepover and leave so we didn't ask to change any of that, and honestly, I'm not sure how much better new ones would be (we had 2 rooms and both had similar conditions). The other hotels were nicer but it was also extremely cold in the rooms. The hotel in Kigali did have hot water bottles and a space heater which felt like heaven!!!
We were there in July and based on Accuweather the temp was around low 60s in the evening but felt much much colder. We didn't expect it and weren't properly prepared for that.
The roads in Tanzania are mostly unpaved and extremely bumpy except for the highways. And while you don't think much of it, it's very impactful when you're traveling for hours and hours on those roads and then come back to a very cold unpleasant room. Again - not Nsavi's fault at all! I do wish they prepared us in some way for that. But now you will know :)
Finally, the tipping. Yes, in the tour docs it does give you a general expectation of what to tip. However, everywhere you go and everyone you encounter is expecting or asking for a tip. I wish we brought USD (or Euros) with us. We ended up going to the cash stations to take out money. That's the other thing - it's better for them to receive USD or Euros vs local currency. Again, a stronger "heads up" would have been great.
PL
Email Aleksandra | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Above and beyond!!
Our safari trip with Nsavi in Uganda was truly spectacular! Contact and planning were incredibly smooth, thanks to great support of Victoria. There was no issue to optimize the itinerary. During the trip we never felt rushed, fully enjoying every stop and its attractions, everything was planned seamlessly.
The selection of hotels and activities (like coffee tour, community visit, Rhino sanctuary etc), was excellent. Our game drives were expertly prepared, with the best spots to track animals.
Jasper, our tour guide, was the absolute highlight. His knowledge and open personality made all six days feel like spending time with a good friend. We enjoyed every minute of time together.
We fully recommend Nsavi Safaris and will definitely book with them again!
Very helpful trip planners - knowledgeable guides and flawless details for planning
Nsavi was the perfect tour operator. Using a local company meant a lot to us and Sara had every detail planned perfectly even though our itinerary changed several times. Our guide Jacob was also incredibly helpful and knowledgeable.
SI
Email Vesna Nisha | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional with excellent service
The service was excellent right from our pick up point in Kigali and drop off in Entebbe. Our guide, Steve went out of his way to show us things that we were interested in, making various stops for photos shoots.
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Email Karen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceptional tour company that provided excellent service and support
We could not be happier with this tour company. From beginning to end, NSAVI took very good care of us by answering all of our questions, planning wonderful lodges for our tour and ensuring our safety and comfort. The trek itself to see the gorillas was an experience of a lifetime. The permit allows you to stay with a gorilla family for a hour. The park rangers and porters were excellent and very professional. The porters actually assist with pointing out where to step to prevent from falling into mud or when climbing the hills through the jungle.
Our NSAVI driver and guide Steven was absolutely excellent. He expertly navigated the transport vehicle (a Land Rover) on the highways as well as the unpaved mountain roads. He was very professional and always timely and supportive. The company Director Sarah was extremely helpful when we had to make some itinerary changes and always communicated quickly. She even came to meet us in person when we checked into our final accommodation before our flight home. We highly recommend this company.
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Email Karen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional, personalized, once-in-a-lifetime!
Beyond all expectations!!!!!
The tour organizer, Victoria, was accommodating, prompt, detailed, and thoughtful! Our guide, Jacob, seemed to intuitively know how make our time in Uganda simply perfect. He helped blend our cultural experiences in such a safe and friendly country with the wonderment of Ugandan wildlife. Words cannot express how this trip impacted and impressed me with all that I learned and saw! Incredible!!!!! Everything was incredible!!!!
CA
Email Grigore. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Victoria from Nsavi Safaris is the best!
Victoria is clearly one of the best tour organizers in the world. Her communication is outstanding, always responded promptly to any questions and emails and she did changes and customize the tours in any way I wished. Her professionalism and flexibility make her truly exceptional!
Our driver and tour guide Alex was also great. Intelligent, funny, friendly and he went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time and got everything we needed.
Uganda is one of the few places in the world where you can spend time with mountain gorillas, do chimpanzees tracking and also embark on a safari to encounter elephants, lions, and leopards. And all of this in just a few days.
I highly recommend Nsavi Safaris!
DE
Email Alastair | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic gorilla and chimps safari in Uganda
This was a great safari from Kampala to see the gorillas in Rushaga at Bwindi Impenetrable NP and then on to Kibale NP to see the chimps. The primates are very well habituated and therefore it is a real experience and they are very relaxed and playful.
Sarah is probably the most efficient lady in the whole of Africa! She is very responsive and was also able to to sort out some visa issues that I experienced.
NO
Email Ole-Johan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect gorilla safari
We had a great time using Nsavi Safaris! Relatively short time before our travel, we reached out to multiple safari companies, but only Nsavi was able to provide the gorilla safari. We are very thankful for all the excellent support from Victoria during planning of the trip, and also from our guide Francis during the actual trip. They were easy to communicate with, well connected and provided an experience of a lifetime. I can highly recommend Nsavi Safaris!! :)
