Shoebill Safaris welcomes you to Uganda the premier of Mountain Gorilla Safaris in the world.
We are a tour Operator based in Uganda, East Africa specializing in the provision of a vast number of tour packages and tour destinations throughout the country as well as Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania.
Shoebill Safaris got its name from a large bird called the Shoebill one of the most sought after bird. The reason why we chose that name was because at that time shoebills in Uganda were being killed by mostly fishermen who were fishing in the lakes/swamps where the Shoebills were located. There was a general misconception or myth among the fishermen that Shoebills bring bad luck, that once you see it first thing in the morning before you catch fish you will not be able to get any fish. But as we dug deeper in this my we found out that because shoebills eat fish, the fishermen did not like them.
Another reason the fishermen gave was that the Shoebills chase/scare fish from getting into their fish nets as they plunge into the lake to catch fish. So this was basically a sheer conflict of interest and contributed to why they killed them.
However we came in and sensitized them about the benefits of shoebills, how much money they could earn from them in terms of bird watching and how they could generally benefit the community holistically as far as tourism in concerned hence the need to conserve them.
With support from IUCN (The International Union for Conservation of Nature, we were able to build a visitors shade at Mabamba swamp the closest place to Entebbe and Kampala where one can see the shoebills and this was constructed to improve on the visitor experience by having a place where they could sit comfortably for briefing and after have a snack after bird watching.
We also built a pier from which visitors would step and board the canoe boats into the swamp without being carried into the boats like it used to be because of mud and water.
Thirdly we sensitized and gave basic training to site guides to guide, conserve and manage their site and its tourist attractions. This gave them confidence to interface with the visitors, got more knowledge about these bird species. This greatly improved their income.
With an experience of 22years in the field of tour operations, we have run safaris in Uganda, Kenya Rwanda and Tanzania. We have a team of screened, dedicated and experienced support team plus guides that’s ensures you get first-class service in this regard. All our itineraries/packages are tailor made to suite each client’s preference, needs, time and budget. Packages cater for both individual and group travelers. Our safari packages feature the best thrilling adventures to the very best destinations in Uganda and generally East Africa. Some of these include gorilla, Chimpanzee and golden monkey tracking, game drives featuring several wildlife species, bird watching safaris home stay and cultural tours, city tours, mountain climbing and many more.
All our trips are fully inclusive and are selected with care. On safaris that require overnights stays, we book you in the best hotels and safari lodges or campsites offering high-quality services.
Other services we offer:
Fishing expedtions
Rafting on the Nile
Airport transfers
Car hire
Special birding trips
Accommodation reservations
Walking safaris
Home stay tours
Honeymoon packages
Horse riding safaris
Boat excursions to Ngamba and Ssese islands
