The Team
Abantubo Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $125 to $1,700 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Raf | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
10-Day Adventure in Rwanda and the Pearl of Africa
I used Abantu Safaris to book a 10-day adventure through Rwanda and Uganda, visiting some truly incredible places, including:
Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village
Volcanoes National Park
Lake Bunyonyi
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Murchison Falls National Park
Kibale National Park
Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch
Mabamba Swamp
From the moment I arrived at Kigali Airport, everything was very well organised. My tour guide, Deus, contacted me via WhatsApp before my arrival and was waiting for me at the airport. Once we were on the road, he gave me a clear overview of the itinerary and explained what to expect each day. Every morning, he also provided a detailed briefing about the day's activities.
As I was travelling on my own, Deus became much more than just my guide and driver. He was also a great companion and friend throughout my holiday. His friendly attitude, knowledge, flexibility and willingness to go the extra mile made a big difference to my experience.
Accommodation
Overall, the accommodation selected for my trip exceeded my expectations, with each property offering something different and memorable.
Garden Palace Hotel – A comfortable start to the trip, and the best mocha I had during my holiday!
Gorilla Mist Camp – A fantastic mountain atmosphere and the perfect place to get into the adventurous spirit before gorilla trekking. The fireplace was a particularly nice touch.
Bunyonyi Overland Resort – A beautiful location right on the lake, with easy access to Lake Bunyonyi and its activities.
Tabingi Safari Lodge – A very special experience, especially seeing elephants walking right in front of my lodge.
Bweza Kibale Lodge – Another highlight, particularly if you get one of the front-line rooms. The floor-to-ceiling windows provide fantastic views, and the terrace is a wonderful place to relax.
Red Chilli Rest Camp – This was the only accommodation that I didn't particularly enjoy. However, I completely understand that it was selected to meet my overall holiday budget, so I would not consider this a reflection of the organisation of the trip.
Ziwa Rhino & Wildlife Ranch – This place was a real treat and, if I had the opportunity, I would happily have stayed an extra day. Animals roam freely around the property, and I even had two rhinos resting approximately 10 metres from my room door early one morning! There is also a swimming pool available for an additional fee.
Food
The food throughout the trip was very good, and the portions were often extremely generous — sometimes more than I could finish!
One unexpected highlight was a visit to a banana beer factory near Kibale National Park. I would definitely recommend adding this experience to your itinerary if possible. You can taste banana juice, banana beer and gin, as well as purchase T-shirts and hoodies. The owner, Mr Banana Man, was incredibly entertaining and passionate, and his personality made the visit particularly memorable.
A big thank you to Deus for arranging this extra experience for me. It was a great addition to the trip.
Safari Experiences
The itinerary included plenty of game drives and safari experiences, giving me enough time to enjoy the national parks without ever feeling rushed. I really appreciated the pace of the trip, as there was sufficient time to take in the surroundings and enjoy each experience.
One of the highlights was the night safari, which was a completely new experience for me. I was lucky enough to see a lion during the drive, making it one of the most memorable moments of the entire holiday.
Overall Experience
This was not my first visit to Africa or my first safari experience, so I had fairly high expectations before travelling. Abantu Safaris exceeded those expectations.
The organisation, itinerary, accommodation choices, safari experiences and, most importantly, the personal service from Deus all contributed to an amazing holiday.
Travelling solo can sometimes feel a little daunting, but I always felt well looked after and comfortable. Deus was knowledgeable, reliable, friendly and genuinely interested in making sure I enjoyed every part of the journey.
I would truly recommend Abantu Safaris to anyone considering a safari in Rwanda and Uganda. Whether this is your first African adventure or you are already an experienced safari traveller, I believe they can create a memorable and well-organised trip.
Thank you to the whole Abantu Safaris team, and especially Deus, for an unforgettable 10-day adventure. I came home with fantastic memories and would happily travel with them again.
CH
Email Beatrice | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An Amazing 5-Day Safari Experience
We had an amazing five-day safari with Abantubo Safaris and truly enjoyed every part of the experience. Everything was very well organised, from the transportation and communication to the accommodation. The lodges and camps we stayed in were beautiful and comfortable, and the whole trip felt smooth and stress-free. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable and always made sure we had a great experience. We saw so many incredible animals and had unforgettable moments throughout the safari. We are very happy with the organisation and would definitely recommend Abantubo Safaris to anyone looking for a well-organised and memorable safari experience.
CH
Email Philippe | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very good and personalised to our wishes.
We had a great experience with Abantubo Safaris and would definitely recommend them to other travellers visiting Uganda.
From the beginning, they were very flexible and accommodating to our individual wishes. We had several additional requests regarding transportation and changes to our itinerary, and they always tried to find a solution and adapt the trip to our needs. This made the whole experience feel very personal rather than like a standard package tour.
The accommodations were very good, the food was excellent, and the staff were friendly, helpful and welcoming throughout the trip. We also really appreciated the communication and the willingness to help whenever something needed to be adjusted.
Overall, we were very satisfied with the service and had a great time exploring Uganda. Thank you to the whole team for making our trip such a memorable experience! We would happily recommend this company.
Email Alex Hirsch | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A True Traveller's Dream
I still struggle to grasp just how special this trip was. For starters, I gained a brother for life in my guide Deus. When he first picked me up from the airport in Entebbe, I didn’t quite know what we were in for, but the following 4 days were the most jam packed, exciting, and dream fulfilling moments that I plan to cherish for the rest of my life. We communicated clearly about it my expectations, and Deus did everything in his power to accommodate my hopes. And boy oh boy did he deliver. Everything from a priceless encounter with a shoebill stork on the side of the road to a lake of a thousand flamingos- a leopard feasting in a tree, and the highlight, a silverback gorilla walking past and brushing up against my leg. I can not recommend this experience enough, I hope you ask for Deus as your guide, as he was incredible and highly knowledgeable, and I eagerly await every opportunity I get to rave about this once in a lifetime experience.
Email Alberto de Salomon | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gorillas + Adams = Guaranteed Success! 🦍❤️
We 100% recommend Abantubo Safaris. We had an incredible few days and, without a doubt, it was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had.
Our driver, Addams, was simply amazing. From the very beginning, he treated us incredibly well, was always looking out for us, and explained every detail throughout the trip. He also has a great sense of humor, so there were plenty of laughs every day 😂. He made the trip even more special.
The hotels were great, especially the one in Queen Elizabeth, and we felt completely safe at all times. The food was good and, overall, everything was very well organized.
But if there’s two things we have to highlight, without a doubt, it’s the gorillas and our diver / angel Adams. Both were the best experience of our trip and something we will remember forever.
Special mention to Adams because, at the end of the trip, he did everything he could to make sure we reached the airport on time. He stayed on top of everything until the very last moment, and we will always be grateful to him for that.
Thank you, Addams, for some unforgettable days. We hope to return to Africa! ❤️
ES
Email Raquel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable experience
If you’re thinking about going on safari in Uganda, our recommendation is clear: Abantubo Safaris.
We had an amazing few days, perfectly organised and full of unforgettable moments. The lodges were excellent, especially the one in Queen Elizabeth, we felt completely safe throughout the trip, and the food was good.
But what really made the difference was our driver, Adams. He was not only an excellent driver, but also became a very important part of our trip. He explained everything we were seeing, was always attentive to us, and made the whole experience even more enjoyable with his great sense of humour. He treated us incredibly well from beginning to end.
The gorilla experience was absolutely incredible, probably the best experience we have ever had while travelling. It is something we will remember for the rest of our lives.
And a special mention to Adams because, at the end of our trip, he did everything he could to make sure we got to the airport on time. He stayed concerned and attentive until the very last minute, and we will always be grateful to him for that.
Thank you for everything, Addams!! ♥️
IE
Email Tom & Carmel Cullen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
8day Uganda-Rwanda trip with Allanie.
We knew this tour was going give Gorillas & National Parks but Uganda gave a whole amazing experience, from the people, sunsets, mountains and our guide, Allanie who was unbelievable. Very knowledgeable about all aspects of Uganda & neighbouring countries with vast experiences of the whole region & not only wildlife & National Parks but also the history, politics, culture & to what's being mined here & there and foreign investment as well as knowing most corners of each National Park & where to find wildlife. To spend 8 days together with anyone you need to get along and Allanie made it all very easy, being attentive to making it a great experience but not pushy and always trying to get the maximum experience for us. Collecting & dropping at the airports, to helping get a drink in a local mountain bar after gorilla trek with some new friends & was very helpful at every turn, providing amazing memories of the complete trek.
The safaris were amazing with many great wildlife sightings during out trip through Murchisons Falls & QE National Parks and the 3 boats trips organised during our journey were great excursions showing a different side of safari and wildlife.
The hotels and lodges gave a variety of stays all of a good standard with great service starting with both the Pakuba & Acacia lodges set in amazing locations within the National Parks at isolated waterside locations. The Birdnest Resort was in a beautiful lakeside location where Ugandan life carried on in the views, followed by Four Gorilla Lodge in Bwindi surrounded by jungle and finishing off in Da Vinvi Gorilla Lodge near Volcanoes NP. June weather was constantly hot but not overbearing with cooler times in the mountains at night.
We highly recommend Abantubo Safaris and Allanie to anyone looking for the maximum adventure and would love to meet again for our next East Africa adventure.
Email Thibaut | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Friendly and make everything possible for you to have a great experience
I booked a tour with them and for the very first message they have been kind, efficient and flexible to make the trip I wanted possible.
The accommodation, food and vehicle during my trip have been really good and comfortable.
Nothing would have been possible without my exceptional driver/guide Deus. He is friendly, knowledgeable in a perfect English, flexible and make everything possible for you to have the best experience possible. Difficult to ask more from a guide. Thanks again mate, that was awesome!
IT
Email Franco | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Simply the best
I am an experienced traveler who has visited many countries, but this was my first time in Central Africa.
My first thought was to go on a safari, so I requested quotes from several agencies. After comparing them, I chose Abantubo because of the travel itinerary they proposed and the professionalism they showed throughout the booking process. They always responded quickly and professionally to all my questions and concerns, and their quote was the most balanced among those I received.
Here are my thoughts about the safari I took with Abantubo:
1) National Parks: I visited Lake Mburo National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Ishasha Sector and Murchison Falls National Park.
I highly recommend all of them. I saw so many animals in their natural habitat, and driving through the parks in the jeep was truly exciting. While the driver is at the wheel, you can stand up in the jeep and take in everything around you.
You never know which animals you will see or how many you will encounter — nature decides...
2) Lodges: I spent six nights in six different lodges.
I can confidently say that Abantubo pays great attention to accommodation. Every lodge was clean, the food was good, the staff were friendly and the locations were excellent.
My favorites were the lodge on Lake Bunyonyi and the one on the Nile, absolutely beautiful!!!
3) Driver/Guide: I did the safari with Emmanuel. I could not have asked for anyone better...
First of all, he is an excellent driver. He is also a knowledgeable guide, always ready to answer any question, patient, helpful, empathetic and polite. After spending seven days together, I now consider him a friend, someone whose company I genuinely enjoyed.
4) Organization: I was extremely satisfied with this aspect as well. Mr. Nixon, the owner of Abantubo, proved to be an honest and reliable person from the very beginning and throughout the safari. Every single day, including Saturday and Sunday, he checked in to see where we were and whether there were any problems. He is a conscientious person who clearly cares about his work and pays great attention to every detail.
Conclusion: I would like to return to Africa in the future, and if I do, I will not waste time looking for other agencies — I will choose Abantubo again. My experience with them was extremely positive.
I know I have not written anything — absolutely anything — negative, but that is simply the truth. In the past, I have had no problem giving negative reviews when they were deserved, but with this agency I honestly cannot find anything to criticize. Everything was perfect!
Finally, I want to say that I have written this review with complete sincerity. I hope Mr. Nixon and Emmanuel will read it, because they deserve this recognition. They did an excellent job and I want to acknowledge it publicly.
Congratulations, and thank you for such a wonderful experience!!!
CH
Email Pauline | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Many beautiful memories, thanks to a great and reliable team
Everything was very well organised and handled, from the first email to the very last minute of the trip.
Replies always came very quickly. They could answer all my questions and accommodate my requests regarding the trip.
Once there for a 5-days safari, my guide Lorand was incredible and highly knowledgeable. His professionalism and kindness went beyond what could be expected. I was able to enjoy Uganda's magnificent sceneries and see countess beautiful animals, accompanied by detailed explanations and information about them. All this without having to worry about anything. He went all out to make it an amazing and memorable experience.
I felt safe and grateful throughout the trip. Thank you for the unforgettable safari and the beautiful memories! I highly recommend the Abantubo team.