Encounter Africa Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2009)
- Member Of:
- Association of Uganda Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $300 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Gorilla Trekking =)
The booking was unproblematically, they answered fastly every question we had. They were very customer-oriented and they considered all our wishes regarding accomodation and others.
The guide was always on time and well organized. He had good knowledge about the animals we saw. He was very attentive regarding pee breaks and photo stops.
All in all we had an amazing trip.
CA
Email Greg Murphy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
9 day Uganda/Rwanda Adventure
Encounter Africa Safari and especially our guide Tolbert exceeded my expectations. From my very first enquiry e-mail Tolbert was prompt with his replies and very helpful in planning our 9 day itinerary to meet our needs. After contacting several companies for quotations and information, I found Tolbert and Encounters had the best customer service, the most professional and detailed (clearly written) itineraries and hands down the best pricing available.
Upon arrival we were greeted by Tolbert and had a very enjoyable first drive to our hotel in Kampala. We travelled throughout the 9 days in a Modified 4x4 Safari van which was spacious, comfortable and well maintained. The interior of the van was tidied each day before we set out on our drives and when the exterior of the van got too dirty from the dusty dirt roads, it was cleaned.
Tolbert accommodated our many requests for pit stops here and there throughout the trip. He had a good sense of humor and was a pleasure to have host us in Uganda. Through our itinerary we had many flawless adventures including chimp tracking, gorilla tracking, Murchison Falls land and boat Safari, Mt. Sabyinyo volcano hike, Rhino Sanctuary and exploring the towns. Our final days of the trip were spent in Rwanda, where Tolbert contacted one of his local friends/guide to assist us with information in Rwanda and the navigation. It was a pleasure to have him on board for our last day.
To finalize, I am extremely happy with the services provided by Encounter Africa Safari and Tolbert. I will most certainly be passing on their business information to my many friends and colleagues who travel on a regular basis.
Thanks again for this great and memorable trip to these two beautiful countries.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Gorilla treck in Rwanda
From the minute we were picked up at the airport, our guide was an amazing host, always informative and patient and he gave us a really interesting tour of Kigali and the Rwandan countryside. The gorilla trek itself was a once in a lifetime experience and very highly recommendable and the hotels and extras proposed by Encounter Africa Safaris were perfect.
10 out of 10
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Gorilla Safari
The guide Paul was excellent and took care of us very well. The whole experience was definitely one of a kind!
US
Email Latonia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing trip with Encounter Africa Safaris
I just completed a three week tour of Rwanda and Uganda with Encounter Africa Safaris and I can honestly say I had a phenomenal trip. This trip was originally slated for 2020 and I paid my gorilla permit fees to experience this in both countries before Covid shut the world down. My tour consultant, Patrick, was absolutely fabulous in communicating with me and reassuring me that they would hold the payment until I was able to visit. He answered all my questions and made some wonderful suggestions on how to get the most out of my time in the two countries. He even responded immediately to emails I sent when I figured they would be out of office and answered on the next business day (I'm convinced Patrick doesn't sleep). My naturalist and tour guide, Elias, was equally fantastic. Elias has so much knowledge about the histories of the two nations, the cultures, endemic animals - you name it, he had an answer. We spent long hours driving from one section to the other of each nation and it was as though we were old friends on a road trip - we had some really good conversations and I learned so much from him. He was professional, considerate, dedicated and personable. As a solo female traveler, he put me at total ease and I trusted him entirely with my itinerary and making sure I was safe and had a memorable holiday. I highly recommend this company - my holiday exceeded all my expectations. Even when it became evident that I would not be able to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo as I had originally planned when we first discussed my itinerary, Patrick added in other activities the month before I arrived and everything just flowed. I cannot recommend this company enough.
QA
Email Detlef | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Muddy shoes, wet clothes, happy Gorillas and Humans.
We called in 2 days before the Safari and had about 2 hours later a friendly guy in our hotel to finish up the booking. We were picked up in the morning exactly on time (not so common in Africa) and had a pleasant drive to our destination. Nice hotel and next day a super great experience to see the Gorillas in the mountains of Bwindi Impenetrable forest. It was raining, muddy and we got really wet, still smiling. A must ONCE in a lifetime. Next day our driver Steven brought us home safely in the wild traffic of Uganda. Thank you Steven and team.
BR
Email Gilberto Pozzi | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gorilla's tracking with Encounter Africa Safaris
Encounter Africa Safaris was our choice to go with to a Gorilla's tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda. First of all, the attention of the attendants Patrick and Monica were very nice and had answers for all my questions. They also were flexible due to some problems I've had with my flights and connections. Second, our very good driver Abdul was a very nice person. The accommodations in the Bakiga Lodge was very good and people are so friendly.
The encounter with the Gorillas was amazing. We saw a family with at least 3 gorillas children, and one baby. The tracking was very easy, about 1,30 h to go and the same to go back. No mosquitoes, not rains...The administration of the park turn you tracking very safe, and if you want, there are a lot of people to help you with yous stuff.
Email Wyatt Family | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
16 day Uganda primate ,game and cultural tour!
From start to finish the trip provided by Encounter was amazing surpassing all our expectations. Chris in the office was always quick to respond to any questions we had- even if it was at 2 am Ugandan time! Chris provided us with copies of all our chimp and gorilla permits which gave us confidence. We had reservations about paying from the UK but the payment process was very simple and easy.
We would highly recommend our guide Alex who was extremely knowledgeable about Ugandan life and wildlife. He was easy to get on with and happy to join our family games of UNO in the evening. We would definitely recommend asking for Alex to be your guide.
All the lodges chosen by Chris were comfortable and welcoming offering juice and hot towels on arrival. Elephant Hab is a must! This tour gives you a great insight into Uganda – a great mix of game viewing, chimp and gorilla trekking and stunning scenic drives. The optional extras we would recommend adding to this trip to make it even more spectacular are: 1) The lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth NP- this allows you to go out with a tracker which enables you to go off the main tracks to find lions. 2) The crater lake drive in the Queen Elizabeth NP.
We were so impressed by the whole trip we decided to visit Chris and the rest of the team at their office in Entebbe to thank them before flying back to the UK. We cannot recommend Encounter and this trip enough.
NL
Email Rene | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
2 day trip to Lake Mburu NP
Great trip to Lake Mburu with 2 gamedrives (evening and morning) and a boat trip on the lake with hundreds of hippo's. Very good guide/driver. Highly recommended!
US
Email Charles | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Encounter Africa Safaris helped me to have an unforgettable adventure!
Before booking this trip, I did a lot of research on the different providers for gorilla treks. I noticed that Encounter Africa Safaris had uniformly excellent reviews. Having ultimately booked a trip through them, I can add my strong endorsement for their services!
It all starts with Chris in the front office! I wonder if he ever sleeps as he seemed to always respond to my emails within a very short time of my sending them. He was patient and helpful with my many questions.
The three day trip itself was wonderful. Hannington, my guide/driver, safely drove me from Kampala to the lodge in Bwindi Inpenetrable Forest. While the drive was 10-1/2 hours in length, including a lunch break, it was well worth it to see the beautiful and varied Ugandan countryside. The accommodations a Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge was in a stunning setting. While the room was simple, it was clean, comfortable and with an amazing view. Dinners were quite nice, and they will pack a lunch for you to take along on the gorilla trek.
The gorilla trek itself was the adventure of a lifetime. It was harder physically than I had expected, having had to climb some very steep slopes, but it was worth every minute. The one hour with the gorillas was something I will never forget. It is hard to put into words, but it was simply amazing to watch them in their natural habitat.
Hannington drove me to Kigali, Rwanda the next day. It is a little under five hours with beautiful scenery along the way. I think it was ideal to experience both Uganda and Rwanda during this three day trip!
My thanks to Encounter Africa Safaris for helping me to have an amazing experience!
