Our post Covid lockdown tour
East African Jungle Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Member Of:
- AUTO, TUGATA & UTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $400 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
IT
Email Maddalena | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great wildlife, but the operator is unreliable, disorganized, and unprofessional.
We booked the 3-day gorilla trekking and golden monkey tour with high expectations, especially considering the significant cost. Unfortunately, the experience was marred by poor organization and lack of professionalism.
1. Hotel choices not respected: we were told we could select our preferred accommodations from the proposed list and communicated our choices well in advance. Upon arrival, however, we were placed in different lodges without any explanation.
2. Chaotic start: our guide was supposed to pick us up at 9 a.m. in Kigali. At 9, he texted saying his car had broken down and he would arrive at 10. At 10, there was no sign of him, and he stopped answering both calls and messages. We contacted the tour operator, who promised to check and call us back… but never did. Only around 11:30 did the guide get in touch again, saying he would send someone else at 12. That person showed up at 12:30, and after multiple unnecessary stops finally brought us to the guide. As a result, instead of arriving in Uganda by 2:30 p.m. as planned, we arrived at 9:30 p.m., completely missing the Batwa community visit. There was no refund, no alternative arrangement, and not even a formal apology from the tour operator.
3. Payment under pressure: on the very morning of the gorilla trek, the guide insisted we pay the full remaining balance immediately, implying that otherwise we would not be allowed to join the activity. It was not an outright threat, but the timing left us with no real choice.
I understand that car breakdowns can happen, but the complete lack of communication and accountability from both the guide and the operator is unacceptable, especially for a tour at this price point. The gorilla encounter itself was, of course, an unforgettable experience, but that is thanks to nature, not the operator.
In summary: breathtaking landscapes and wildlife, but the service from this operator was disappointing. I would not recommend them to anyone looking for reliability, respect for agreements, and professional conduct.
NZ
Email Jess | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Seamless, amazing experience. Best tour we’ve ever done
We chose this tour because we knew it was locally owned, ethical and very well priced compared to others. The tour exceeded expectations and Ronnie our driver was amazing. He was incredibly knowledgeable throughout the drive pointing out plants and crops and giving us additional information about Rwanda and Uganda. The communication from the tour was great. We were a little nervous because the website wasn’t flashy but everything was perfect.
The gorillas was a pretty life changing experience, they walked right around and past us and everyone was in awe. The groups are very small too to not upset the gorillas. Highly highly recommend. 10/10 experience
CH
Email Stefanie Wenz | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Extremely Disappointing Experience – Refund Confirmed but Never Received
Extremely Disappointing Experience – Refund Confirmed but Never Received
I’m very sorry to write this review, but I feel obliged to warn other travelers.
I booked a trip with East African Jungle Safaris, which I had to cancel on April 17, 2025 – well in accordance with their official cancellation policy that promises a 90% refund if cancelled at least 28 days before the trip. The company confirmed in writing that a refund would be issued. However, as of today — three months later — I have received nothing.
Despite repeated follow-ups — including from my lawyer — the company has either not responded at all or given empty promises. To make matters worse, part of my deposit included national park permits, which were issued on April 25, more than a week after I had cancelled. When asked about this, the company shifted responsibility to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, who in turn claimed they were not responsible either.
At this point, I feel deeply disappointed and financially taken advantage of. What makes this situation particularly frustrating is that I placed full trust in a company operating under the Ugandan tourism system. Unfortunately, I have to conclude that this trust was misplaced.
I sincerely hope that no one else has to go through the same experience, and I encourage others to be cautious when booking — especially regarding refund and cancellation processes.
Reply from East African Jungle Safaris
Posted on Jul 10, 2025Hey Stefanie
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. we understand you' disappointment of not getting 90% of the deposited amount. We understand your frustration and apologize for the inconvenience. We're committed to providing the best possible solution to end this all, that's why we have never stopped responding to you emails, East African Jungle Safaris has been here for thirteen years and we have never cheated on anyone, however having said that, we still main our stand, that you' trip had gorillas and Chimpanzee tracking, these permits were paid and sent you, you can contact Uganda Wildlife Authority to reconfirm that we never used them, that's usd800 for the gorilla permit and usd250 for the chimpanzee tracking permit for Kibale National Park, the moment you accept that the total of usd1050 for the permits should be deducted as our terms on our website state that, that amount is not included the refund percentages, we can proceed and send the refund even today. Please contact us on our email address so we can discuss this further and find a resolution that works for you and us.
Regards
Peter
AE
Email Tyler | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience in Uganda!
My girlfriend and I decided to go with East African Jungle Safaris based on the glowing reviews and some online recommendations, and we were not disappointed. This was an extraordinary trip, with the gorillas and chimpanzee experiences as highlights. Fred, the owner was great, and very responsive. Our guide, Eddie, was professional, friendly, and very accommodating of all of our questions and requests. The lodges we stayed at were great and the itinerary overall was a good mix of doing a lot while also getting some time to relax at the end of long days. I would highly recommend going with East African Jungle Safaris!
IT
Email Alberto | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect
excellent tour highly recommended, friendly and knowledgeable guides.
MX
Email Guillermo Carrillo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Caring and attentive
I went for a 3-day Gorilla Hiking experience and it was a once in a lifetime experience. The whole process was very straightforward, Ruth was there the whole time to present me the quotes and answer my questions promptly. I was picked up on time in Kigali by Ronnie, the driver who helped a lot in answering all the questions I had along the way.
They respected the quote 100%, so you really pay for what are being offered. Everything is so well organized, beginning with the crossing from Rwanda to Uganda, to the Batwa experience, to the Golden Monkey trekking and of course to the Gorilla trekking. I could not be any happier for having made my journey around Rwanda and Uganda with them.
I recommend East Africa Jungle Safari 100%. Don’t have a negative comment or even a suggestion to make. They sticked to their word and I really appreciate it. So thank you very much to all the EAJS team members, you allowed me to have a once in a lifetime experience I will never forget.
ES
Email Maria | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A super complete tour of Uganda
Our trip to Uganda was marked by the great professionalism, humility, friendliness, and excellent knowledge of our guide, Andrew. From the very beginning, the manager of this company treated us very kindly, offering quite reasonable prices and giving us great confidence to go ahead with our tour.
It was a comprehensive journey across Uganda, where we were able to visit the best national parks, see chimpanzees, and, as the highlight, the gorillas in the Bwindi impenetrable forest. I also recommend taking the time to enjoy a cultural experience; in our case, we visited the Batwa community.
Andrew was an exceptional guide, always attentive to our needs and doing everything possible to make our experience wonderful. For him, the client comes first, and he goes above and beyond in every way. I would definitely recommend this company, and especially Andrew!
Email James | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly and organised.
I contacted Fred some time back and asked him to come up with an itinerary that included all the mains attractions in Uganda. He was very quick and provided a wonderful 12 day tour taking in all the main sights and more. The highlight for me was the gorillas in Bwindi national park. I would fully recommend choosing East African Jungle Safaris and would certainly choose them again, should I come back.
I would like to personally congratulate our driver Andrew, who was fantastic throughout the whole trip. He was attentive to our needs and catered for all eventuality. He was able to reorganise things very quickly and also add an extra local tour with the Batwa community (Pygmy people) at our request - would highly recommend this! He has a great sense of humour and was very efficient. I thought I was good at time keeping, he is even better!
Overall, the trip was a huge success and I am grateful for having chosen East African Jungle Safari.
US
Email Willow | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
10/10 experience
I had a truly amazing time on this tour! Ruth the person I was in contact with before my tour was very communicative, answered all of my questions and made adjustments to my trip on request. This originally was supposed to me a solo trip but I another solo female traveler was put on my tour which was a nice surprise. Farouk- my driver/guide- was an excellent source of information, very friendly, and a safe driver. While the journey was long (driving 10 hours to get there) Farouk made it easy with plenty of rest stops. The guesthouses we stayed in had staff that went above and beyond! They offered several short walks- a nature walk, a community walk, or a walk to the Pygmy people’s village. The meals were also excellent. The gorilla trek was of course the best part! The guide for that were also excellent, they shared lots of information, ensured we seen the gorillas and were able to follow them for the duration of our hour, and pointed out other wild life. The second day we went to Lake Bunyonyi after the gorilla trek. This was also great and included a boat ride around the lake. I also wanted to try to local gin and Farouk helped me to find that. The final day we drove back to Kampala and stopped to see how the local drums were made. East African Jungle Safari really met all of my expectations and went beyond. I would highly recommend EAJS to anyone and recommend Farouk as a driver. I will definitely be booking my next tour with them!
Email Jess | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very organised and excellent tour
All included gorilla trek tour from Entebbe. Ruth was very good with organising everything via email. Was prompt with her responses and answered all my questions. Farouk was our driver and guide. He was knowledgeable, friendly and got us to our destinations safely