Peter Amanya and our guide in the safari van
Buyaga Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Member Of:
- UTB & AUTO MEMBER
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $450 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
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for a custom tour
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Reviews
AR
Email Martin del Pino | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not good experience
Honestly, the experience with Peter was very complicated and negative from the very beginning. Before arriving in Uganda, communication with him was very difficult. He either didn’t reply or wasn’t clear when he did.
We had agreed that payment could be made by card, but the night we arrived he told us it could only be paid in dollars. Not only cash, but the bills had to be from 2015 onward (something common in Uganda), but we didn’t know that. It was our first day, we arrived at night in a new country, I was with my wife, and he took us to withdraw money in a place with armed people and made us take out cash. It was a completely uncomfortable situation.
The next day we couldn’t withdraw all the money because of ATM limits (it was a large amount), and at 6 a.m. he was already messaging us to go withdraw more. We managed to pay part by transfer, but he charged an extra fee that had never been agreed.
Then he rented us a car that he knew was in bad condition (he had told me) but said it had been properly repaired. We went to Murchison National Park and the car broke down in the middle of the park with no signal. It started smoking.
We managed to contact him and his solution was for us to stay two days at a mechanic’s house in a small town in the middle of Uganda until it was fixed, which was completely unviable. We had to take a six-hour public transport ride across the country, which felt dangerous.
In the end he never refunded the money — he said the car wasn’t his and gave all sorts of excuses.
Later we did the gorilla tour with him. That part was overall okay, although the car also got stuck and we arrived late to all the hotels.
Honestly, I don’t recommend him. The only positive thing I can highlight is our guide, Apton. Very professional and the only thing worth rescuing from the trip.
Reply from Buyaga Safaris
Posted on Mar 9, 2026We apologize what didn't go well during the trip. Most allegations are false and are intended to tarnish our name especially of not answering to his messages. We attend to our client's needs in real time. we did not charge extra and we never advised him to sleep at the mechanic small house because the trip he had booked with us was starting the next day after his private. We responded after the vehicle developing mechanical issues and sent a mechanic to help them repair the damaged part. The company where we hired a car for their private trip never responded to our call of giving them an alternative vehicle so we advised them to use public transport because Uganda is a welcoming country and there are no risks in using public transport. I personally picked them from the bus stage and dropped them to their hotel where our guide picked them the following morning for their trip which they had booked with us. We conducted their trip with professionalism and all went well including gorilla and chimpanzee trekking. We sincerely apologize and we are currently engaging them for a better solution. Thanks
CN
Email Jimmy Wang | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An impressive experience and really recommend wild safari in Uganda
My guide Simpson is a very kind guy and also the travel agent also reply to my request very fast. Just one day before the start of trip, I tried to add on another destination which is in the opposite direction to our planned route. The director kindly helped me designed a very reasonable new route, my guide also drove safely and fastly everyday, and we also had very nice culture communication. The agency provided a wide variety of experience, in 5 days I visited diversified wild habitats, made several safaris at Queen Elizabeth National Park, and finished the chimp and gorilla trecks. Uganda really has rich natural resources and can offer visitors purely wild experience. The only disadvantage worth to mention is the food in Uganda is not that delicious in China, however, it is not the problem of travel agency and guide but a problem of eating habit.
JP
Email Taro | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable 5 Days Beyond Words
My five days with Apton were truly unforgettable.
The journey was physically demanding at times, with long hours on the road. However, the vast landscapes passing by, the magnificent nature, and the people who live there — together with glimpses of their daily lives — made it an incredibly fascinating and irreplaceable experience.
Of course, the encounters with the gorillas and chimpanzees will remain with me for the rest of my life as priceless memories that no one can ever take away from me.
I must admit that I am not very confident in English, and at first it was difficult for me to communicate smoothly with Apton. That was a little disappointing for me personally. But as the tour progressed, we were able to understand each other beyond the language barrier. By the end of the trip, I felt a genuine connection.
If I have another opportunity to visit, I would definitely choose Buyaga Safari again.
Email Michal Wolosz | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
One of the best travel experiences thanks to the Buyaga crew!
It was a fantastic experience to work with Peter on an itinerary that was more complete than other operators. Peter was super responsive with all questions and is an amazing tour operator, caring for his clients. The hotels were lovely, the driver Eric was a superb guide, and I’m lucky to have just relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful country of Uganda. Peter even arranged the return of my gorilla certificate after I left it in the vehicle. Highly recommended!
CZ
Email Jan Bolcek | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great and reliable
I had 12 days safari in Uganda. Peter was great. He was very responsible and imidiately responded to all my questions and requests.
The whole process started by Peter sending me an initial tour schedule. Then I made my comments and send it back to Peter, this took 2-3 repetitions until we both agreed on schedule that covered all places and activities I wanted to do and was possible to be achieved in the timerange.
When tour started everything happened exactly as it was agreed in advance. There was no hidden fees, no workarounds everything was fair, clear and transparent.
The accomodation was very luxury and the food was super delicious (I was getting so much food that I sometimes has problems to eat it all).
During the tour I asked from time to time to my guide (Simpson) to stop on the place that wasn't in the schedule and he was very flexible in this and he had no problem (of course when it was possible in accordance to our schedule)
I experienced a wonderful holiday I would remember for the rest of my life and I can fully recommend Byuaga safaris for anyone who considers to travel to Uganda.
Email Kristen Susuki | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible safari experience with guide Brighton of Buyaga Safaris!
From the very beginning, Peter was incredibly responsive and easy to communicate with. The pdf itinerary was very clear and detailed. The only slow response came when Uganda’s internet blacked out after the most recent election, which was completely outside of their control. We chose Buyaga Safaris because of the competitive pricing compared to other safari operators we had considered. When we arrived in Uganda, we met our guide Brighton, who picked us up promptly at our hostel. We feel very lucky to have had him as our safari guide, as he was friendly, organized, and incredibly knowledgeable about Uganda’s wildlife, history, and culture. He safely took us from place to place while staying very calm throughout the journey. It was the trip of a lifetime! We truly enjoyed trekking for chimpanzees, gorillas, and golden monkeys and seeing the other wildlife along the way. The hotels we were booked at were clean and comfortable with delicious meals and kind staff. We will be recommending Buyaga Safaris to all our friends and family!
TR
Email Kevin Keller | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Extraoridnary Life & Adventures with Guide Simpson!
I chose Buyaga Safaris off of safaribookings.com because they were the only listing that included Jinja and white water rafting on the Nile as part of a tour. The experience with Kiira Rafting was exceptional and very highly recommended. However the absolute, very best part of this adventure was having Simpson Niwagaba Vannet as my guide, driver, and someone I’ll consider a lifelong friend. Simpson was always prompt, professional, and very passionate and knowledgeable about the scheduled places we visited – and all the in-betweens for this aptly named ‘Pearl of Africa.’ We easily traveled over 1,500km/1,000 miles, making this as much an ultimate road trip as it was a safari and tour. He went above and beyond making other special arrangements, calling to fix permit problems, and had us up and running in less than an hour after the Jeep Land Cruiser stalled on the equator. Of 10 African countries visited so far, Uganda is now my new, overall favorite thanks to the beautiful places and wonderful people I met everywhere – like Simpson. If you’re looking to see and experience the real, raw Africa, with miles of smiles and endless music, look no further than booking an extraordinary Ugandan adventure with Simpson as your guide!
Email John Murphy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Safari with Buyaga Safaris
I had a wonderful time on my safari with Buyaga Safaris. Working with Peter before I left on my trip he always responded immediately to my questions and gave me thoughtful answers and reccomendations. My flight was delayed a day but we kept in contact and he was there to meet me at the airport.
My guide for my 11 day trip was Osmond. He was superb. Besides being very knowledgeable about the wildlife and the country, he made sure that I was having the best vacation/safari possible. He did this by making sure the vehicle was in the best position to get the best photos, knowing where best to go to spot the animals, and being flexible if I ever wanted to change anything. A pet peeve of mine with my last safari was my guide always wanting to leave the lodge at around 8AM. Not so with Osmond. I mentioned this to him and every single day we left the lodge when it was still dark out and we would catch the sunrise and the early morning wildlife. I also felt extremely safe with Osmond the whole trip. Highly reccomend him as your guide and Buyaga Safari for your tour.
BR
Email Roberta Guimarães de Souza | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very honest and responsible
I did a 6 days safari including chimps and gorillas. Everything that was promised, was delivered. My guide Apton is a very responsible driver and provided a good experience. Peter was fast to reply to all my messages. The hotels varied a lot in standard, but overall, they were really nice.
PL
Email Michal | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 12 days in Uganda with guide Simpson
To start of, Uganda is probably the most diverse countries of all we have visited. Every place is like from different planet so there is no place for boredom. Our trip was organised well, we wouldn’t change anything (maybe we would add some morę days). Most of the lodges were insane, I mean - we probably wouldn’t choose that good by ourselves. Considering the price of the package - I would consider it very good in terms of value for money. Our guide Simpson was carying, engaged and he knew other guides so knew where to go on safaris. As for the trip rate - let photos speak for themsleves.
