Water experiment at the Equator -Uganda
Katona Tours & Travel
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2002)
- Member Of:
- AUTO - Association Of Uganda Tour Operators, UWA - Uganda Wild life Authority & UTB - Uganda Tourism Board
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $70 to $700 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Wonderful adventure
Great communication and excellent service. Our driver was on time and friendly, and we made it to/from the park without any issues. The Gorilla trek was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. We found ourselves deep in the bush surrounded by 36 gorillas snacking on plants and playing all around us. To be fair to the other companies though the trek itself is independent of Katona tours (though covered in the price of course). Highly recommend!
SI
Email Matjaž and Anja | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bwindi gorilla tracking, chimpanzees tracking and splendid bunyonyi lake
We were really lucky to choose Katona. First of all we want to give compliments to Jackie who was astonishing fast in replaying on all our requests about journey and managed to schedule splendid safaris (4x) with chimpanzee/gorilla tracking in less than 14 days. Our guide Richard was the great implementor of the plan. Who would resisted a divine bush breakfast in NP made by him? Boat trip to Pygmies, Punishment island and Upside down island was just the icing on the cake.
Anja and Matjaž from Slovenia
Email Julia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Effecient booking, reliable service, excellent driver/guide - would recommend & use them again
Everything went very smoothly and we had an incredible and exciting holiday. The mid range hotels were charming and in excellent locations. Gorilla trekking is SO worth the money and we loved the chimpanzee trek too and all experiences suggested by the company. We were well looked after by our driver/guide who was intelligent, amusing and very keen for us to experience much that Uganda has to offer. My only negative comment is that he ate all our meals with us so he was with us all day, every day. Perhaps Katona should allow guests breakfast and dinner without the guide.
US
Email Brian & Becky Smith | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding 7 Night Gorilla Trek/Chimpanzee Trek/Safari
We took a 7 day Gorilla Trek/Chimpanzee Trek/Safari provided by Katona Tours in May 2014. We were extremely satisfied with the great job done by Katona in planning and conducting our trip. Our trip included Bwindi, Queen Elisabeth NP, Kibale NP, and Murchison Falls NP.
Katona (Jackie in particular) was extremely helpful and responsive to all of our questions. We were nervous about trying to coordinate a trip from the other side of the world, so we had many questions in the months leading up to it. One of the reasons we selected Katona was their quick and thorough answers to our emails and calls. In our planning, we made inquiries with several tour agencies, but Katona was clearly the best in this regard.
We had the same guide (Richard) for the entire week. He was cheerfully waiting at the airport for our late arrival (near midnight), drove us to all of the parks, conducted our game drives, and got us back to the airport in time for our flight. Richard was enthusiastic, friendly, and very focused on making sure we had the best experience/adventure possible. In addition, he provided good advice and interesting information about Uganda. And finally, he did a great job of driving on a lot of rough roads.
The lodges selected for us by Katona had some of the best food and definitely the best service we have had anywhere. By the time our day activities were completed, we were able to relax comfortably and safely. There are detailed lodge reviews for the places we stayed on TripAdvisor.com, which I believe are accurate. Our lodges were Trekkers Tavern (Bwindi), Twin Lakes (Queen Elisabeth), Kibale Forest Camp (Kibale), and Fort Murchison Lodge (Fort Murchison).
Katona was also a great help in compensating for several failures by our airline (Delta/KLM). Delta delivered us to Entebbe 24 hours late and lost one of our bags. Despite our late arrival, Katona was able to make sure we were able to see all of the things we had planned. They were also able to get our bag to us as soon as the airline finally shipped it. This was a very difficult task because we were about a 6 hour drive away from Kampala/Entebbe when the bag arrived. We can’t thank Katona enough for the help.
In summary, we would highly recommend Katona. The primary reasons were the quick and thorough responses when planning the trip, our satisfaction with getting to see everything we wanted, their ability to assist when we had severe airline problems, and our great guide/driver. Uganda is a much different world than where we live, and Katona made sure we had a great adventure.
DE
Email Teresa | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A wonderful time in Uganda and Rwanda with Katona
We were with Katona for a 2 weeks trip across Uganda and Rwanda (for gorilla watching). We took part of their suggestions and added in some other things we'd like to do. Ceaser, our guide and driver, drove safely, took very good care of us and listened and tried his best to answer our questions about the countries and our various small requests (e.g., getting medicines, going to places that was not really in the schedule or negotiate with local vendors). He also gave us very clear picture of what's going on in the countries, how the societies work, the local food, and the cultures. Our trip would be different without him! Jacque the owner, she called from time to time to make sure the trip was smooth and that we were happy with the arrangements - we had encountered some problem with a third party activity organizer and Jacque and Ceaser helped to solve the problem professionally and speedy. The selection of hotels and restaurants are top notch in Uganda and Rwanda. This is a company you could trust to bring you an unforgettable holiday in the area!
LV
Email Gaida Matisone | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
You have to trust in Katona Tours
When I decided to see at least one of 680 Black Gorilla I visited Trip Advisor Forum. In fact I had many proposals but I'm lucky that choosed Katona Tours. Communication was good and quick. Jackie is excellent! Richard was not only guide and driver but also my nanny! Note: 1 .Before your trip You should read "Green Hills of Africa" by Ernest Hemingway 2. Though Gorilla tracking is the main activity, a range of other walks may be provided 3. Visit the local orphanage (Director Mrs. Happy) and school, who benefit from direct contributions from guests in the area. Help them. Happy New Year! Many thanks Katona Tours!!!
Email Andrew Monaghan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful Safari of Uganda and Gorilla's in Rwanda
My wife and I have just returned from an absolutely amazing 16 day tour of Uganda and then to see the gorilla's in Rwanda. This has been the best experience of our lives and cant wait to come back and see more!
I was, initially, nervous about booking with a non Uk based company but Jackie at Katona was wonderful, answering all of our questions and helping us develop our tour. When we arrived to meet our absolutely brilliant guide, Caesar, at the airport we were immediately reassured and felt secure in the knowledge that we were with a company that would look after us and make our trip the best it could be.
Our tour was busy, but thats what we wanted as there is so much to see. Our view of Uganda is cemented as one of the best places to visit, the people, wildlife and scenery is all spectacular.
We opted for the "luxury" range of accommodation and were, in general, thankful of this as after a long day of seeing the wonders of the area you are in a bit of comfort goes a long way! Some of the places we chose were more mid-range by European standards but there is limited choice and overall we are very happy.
I would recommend Katona Tours to all and will happily share our experience with you should you wish to contact us.
US
Email Arnold M | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Katona Tours delivered as promised, on time and in a professional manner.
They were easy to deal with. Responded to questions in a timely manner. Flexible----No problems whatsoever.
Email Sarah Matthews | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
3 day Gorilla Treking
The team from Katona Tours and Travel were very professional and helpful throughout, ensuring that I had the best experience, tailor-making the tour to my requirements and organising everything. The accommodation was superb and I had never imagined that I would get so close to a family of Mountain Gorillas. This was amazing experience and something that I will never forget - thank you so much.
FI
Email Paavo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic tour company for your Ugandan safari
We arranged a 6-day safari with Katona to cover (some of) the highlights of Uganda: Bwindi for gorillas, Queen Elizabeth for lions and Kibale for chimpanzees. We couldn't have been happier with choosing Jackie and her guides as the trip exceeded even our quite high expectations.
Jackie was very helpful and super responsive in setting up the itinerary. She had perfect recommendations for where to stay (I would go back to any of the lodges in a heart beat) as well as what to do. Deposit and final payments were done as a bank transfer, which is common, and there were no problems.
Our guide, Richard, must be the most positive man on the planet! He's super friendly, nice to talk with, always making sure everything is well for us and - on top of that and perhaps most importantly - he was superb guide both in terms of explaining what we are seeing as well as arranging things you wouldn't expect to be possible. You know, like seeing a leopard in Queen Elizabeth from 10 meters for 15 minutes ("patience, it will come out of the bush and we are at the ringside").
I have only good things to say about Katona Tours and Travel. Highly recommended!