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
incredible trip through Uganda
Excellent professional, super attentive to every detail, taking photos of us, perfect experience, very polite and respectful, thank you for this incredible tour and the great experience we had in Uganda.
US
Email Corey | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Small touches, local restaurants, hidden stops, flexible timing made the tour feel personal.
Ivan handled the logistics, Ambrose handled the wheel. We did gorillas in Bwindi and safari + chimp trekking in Queen Elizabeth. Schedules were tight, communication was straight, and the ride felt safe and smooth. Zero hassles—would book again.
BE
Email Pauline | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderfull experience
Ivan helped us arrange the permits to see the gorillas. Communication was very easy. I'm very grateful for the help and would recommend him to anyone. Ivan, thank you so much.
Email Jon D | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Ivan was brilliant!
The reason we wanted to come to Uganda was to see the Gorillas. However, we faced a problem as our younger child was below the mandatory age (15) for trekking. We found Ivan on the internet and he was super efficient at sorting our permits for us - with a special dispensation from UWA for our youngest to also trek. Without Ivan our trip wouldn't have got off the ground, and for that we are eternally grateful!
Dealing with an agent abroad provides a degree on uncertainty and insecurity, but I was quickly reassured through my dealings with Ivan that I wouldn't need to worry - he was extremely prompt and thorough in his responses and provided documentation and receipts every step of the way.
We organised the Gorilla trekking through Ivan as part of a bigger trip to Uganda that we had organised ourselves. Once we got to Kisoro, Ivan arranged to meet us and briefed us on what to expect from the trekking the following day. He then accompanied us on the trip, to and from Rushaga Gate.
(The trekking was of course amazing!!)
I would thoroughly recommend Ivan as trustworthy, attentive and a significant safe pair of hands - plus a very nice guy!
Thank you Ivan for helping provide a life memory for me and my family!
ME
Email Nadia Olson | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
First time in Uganda with an experienced and knowledgeable tour guide, Ivan
We were with Ivan as our driver and guide for 9 days. We visited Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi Impenetrable, Lake Majuro National Parks. Ivan was very professional, knowledgeable, competent and capable. He helped us organize our hotels, permits, the games drive and boat trips. He ensured our safety and everything was very well organized and take care of. We are very pleased with the results. Ivan is a safe driver, a friendly companion and helpful in many ways. This is a wonderful trip for an overview of Uganda.
FI
Email Kati Helander-Kneckt | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
One of the best experiences ever!
We did a three day tour from Kigali (Ruanda) to Uganda to see the mountain gorillas. We also visited Genocide Memorial in Kigali and Diane Fossey’s educational center. We had such a good time with our tour guide Gavis. 😊 He took such a good care of us and made sure also our special requests were fullfilled. Seeing mountaing gorillas was one of the best moments in our lives. These majestic and kind animals came so close to us. It was unbelievable! 😊 I really recomment this trip to everyone! ❤️ I am sure you won’t regret it. It is once in a lifetime experience!
NZ
Email Paul | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing trip around Uganda
We had an amazing 17 day trip around Uganda with Ivan. Ivan helped us work out a tailored itinerary, which included Gorillas, hiking and safari trips. Would highly recommend to anyone thinking about going to Uganda!
US
Email Danny | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent trip! Saw everything!
Booked this pretty last minute and totally stoked that there were still gorilla permits available for my trip! Ended up seeing everything I wanted to see (Gorillas, Monkeys, Chips). Guide was wonderful. Very knowledgable. Honestly, the thing I was most surprised with was the caliber of the lodging. Every hotel/lodge I stayed in was exemplary. Honestly, wish I had stayed more than 1 night in some of them because they were just that good.
Only tip I’d recommend, take more 10s and 20s USD and not change money because there really wasn’t any need for native currency and everyone wanted USD.
Email Karl C. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Gorilla and chimp tracking in Uganda
I booked my gorilla tracking experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and chimpanzee tracking in Kibale, Uganda, through Santaviva, and I couldn’t be happier with the service I received. Although I was on a self-drive trip, the team at Santaviva provided me with full support from the moment I made the booking.
Mr. Ivan personally called me to walk me through all the available options and gave me a detailed, step-by-step explanation of what I needed to do. He made sure I had a complete list of the necessary documents to ensure a smooth check-in process for both tracking experiences.
What really stood out was their continued support during the trip. When we got a bit lost on the road, Ivan was just a call away and even helped us get proper directions. The team was always quick to respond—whether by email or phone—which gave me great peace of mind throughout the journey.
Santaviva is a pleasure to work with—professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely caring. I highly recommend them to anyone planning a safari or wildlife adventure in Uganda.
Email Ben | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing company which works with you for the best experience possible
We had an amazing experience with Ivan at Santaviva in Kisoro. He was able to tailor our trip itinerary to exactly what we wanted, and was a great, clear communicator from the start. We organized a gorilla trek through Ivan, all transport to and from Kisoro and other activities in the area. All the services were outstanding, and he really made a huge effort to ensure we were taken care of. I would highly recommend going with them, and I will be referring more people to this company in the future.