Ecotourism in action
Bamboo Ecotours
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- Association of Uganda Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $110 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Xiao | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, efficient, caring
I just finished an 8-day Uganda safari with Bamboo Ecotours, and it was a great experience.
When planning this trip, I contacted several tour operators in Uganda. Communication with Bamboo was by far the most effective. Edison showed an excellent understanding of our constraints and preferences, and the itinerary he proposed was the most practical among all the responses we received. He clearly knows the activities very well and offered concrete suggestions that proved extremely helpful.
His responses were always prompt and to the point. For example, shortly after I paid the deposit, he sent copies of our chimpanzee and gorilla trekking permits, along with the list of hotels that had already been booked for us. He also provided a helpful packing guide for the various activities and explained the subtle differences in how Uganda and Rwanda handle the East Africa Tourist Visa. This level of organization is exactly what you would expect from a professional tour operator.
The finalized itinerary included the Mabamba shoebill tour, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a Nile boat tour in Murchison Falls National Park, the Bigodi swamp and community walk, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale, the Kasenyi game drive and Kazinga Channel boat tour in Queen Elizabeth National Park, gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, and the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Every one of these activities turned out to be a great experience.
Unfortunately, our trip began with a major disruption. Our flight to Entebbe was severely delayed due to an aviation workers’ strike in Nairobi. During this uncertain period, Edison and our driver and guide, John, stayed in close contact with us and provided practical advice on how to deal with the situation. Thankfully, after a 15-hour delay, we arrived in Entebbe just in time for our first major activity, the Mabamba shoebill tour. John remained available the entire time, which gave us great reassurance.
We had a wonderful time traveling with John throughout the trip. He knows the destinations and activities inside out and made sure everything on our itinerary was carried out smoothly and on time. During dinners, he told vivid—and sometimes suspenseful—stories about local people and culture. He is clearly proud of where he comes from and often pointed out interesting things along the way that were not listed on the itinerary, such as scenic viewpoints during our drives. On our final day, he also handled the border transfer at the Uganda/Rwanda crossing and our airport drop-off in Kigali as smoothly as possible.
We chose the budget lodging option, and the “budget” hotels all turned out to be quite decent. Their locations were reasonably close to the places of interest. Many had beautiful gardens with birds and occasionally calm warthogs wandering around. The rooms and bathrooms were clean, and the meals and service were very good. Some places even had live music.
That said, Edison had mentioned that “mid-range lodging offers more comfort,” and after experiencing the budget options, I understand what he meant. Some rooms were quite small—just barely enough space for a bed and our luggage. A few showers required some effort to keep the water at a comfortable temperature.
Our stay in Bwindi was unfortunately the least comfortable, despite the sincere efforts of the hotel staff. We experienced intermittent but heavy rain during our stay, and the air was very humid. As a result, our clothes constantly felt damp. The shower drainage was also clogged for about a day and drained very slowly. The only place available for drying clothes was a single fireplace in the reception/dining area. I’m not sure whether the mid-range lodging option in Bwindi would be significantly better, but it is definitely something worth discussing with Edison when choosing accommodations there.
One small regret from the trip is that I did not get to see any nocturnal primates, despite including a night walk in the itinerary. If seeing nocturnal primates is high on your list, it may be worth doing additional research or discussing this in more detail with Edison during the planning stage to improve your chances.
Overall, Bamboo Ecotours is a very professional tour operator. They are pleasant to work with and clearly care about their guests, the wildlife, and the local community. I highly recommend them.
Email R.K. | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable and memorisable
This 1 day gorilla tour to Bwindi was professional and amazing from start to end. I strongly recommend this tour and the company! Thank You <3
Email David H | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Bamboo Ecotours is a great company
As a seasoned traveller to Africa for over 60 years, Bamboo Ecotours has proven to be the best travel company I have ever used. Edison was very efficient and responsive and the plan we developed together unfolded smoothly, on-time and as expected. Jackson, our driver and guide, was professional, polite, trustworthy, careful and shared his passion for the land and and the wildlife. Over six days, my famly of three saw the beauty of Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda and then made our way to Uganda for separate day treks for chimps, gorillas and golden monkeys in and around Bwindi National Park. We would definitely use Bamboo Eotours again and we give them the highest recommendation.
MT
Email Michela | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Edison and his employee, John, were wonderful and ensured that we had the best time in Uganda!
We cannot recommend Bamboo Eco Tours enough!
We started communicating with Edison in December for potential tours in Uganda for February. Edison was always quick to reply, efficient and always available to explain and answer any questions. He provided us with links to accomodations, a detailed itinerary and handled booking of permits and accomodations as was required. He also provided us with the contact details for our guide, John, in advance so we could communicate with him before we arrived.
We spent 8 days travelling around Uganda with John - the van was spacious and comfortable, John was always ready to answer our questions, friendly, polite and went out of his way to make us happy throughout the trip. He is well educated, funny and friendly with tourists and locals alike. His personal experiences and love for the job really made our trip more authentic and unique.
The accomodations we booked were budget-level, but we were very surprised and happy with the level of the accomodations - food was good, with a mix of local and Western options, and the owners and staff were always very friendly, polite and welcoming.
We loved our trip with Bamboo Eco Tours and couldn't recommend this company enough!
Email Steve J | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Two wonderful safaris
We arranged 2 trips with Bamboo. The first started with a flight on 12 seat Cessna from Kampala to Kasese, which I loved. I met my guide John Bosco at the airport and he took me on a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park where we saw elephants. buffalo, hippos, hyenas and wart hogs. Then lunch, then the Kazinga Channel Boat Trip with crocodiles, hippos., lizards and wonderful birds. The highlight was seeing a family of 12 elephants come down to the water to drink. Then another game drive, where we saw a lion about 10 feet away.
The second day was a trek with the chimpanzees at Kalinzu Forest Reserve. I spent an hour watching a chimp family about 20 yards away, plus some Colobus monkeys.
The third day was the gorilla trek in Bwindi National Park. I spent an hour very close to a group of 7 gorillas, including 2 lively youngsters. One of the youngsters ran up to me and rested his head om my knee, which was a magical moment. The fourth day was a safe & enjoyable flight back to Kampala.
The second trip was for my wife and I to Murchison Falls. John met us at our hotel & Kampala & we drove to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary & stood close to 6 rhinos. We crossed the Nile the nsaw lots of wildlife, including giraffes and elephants.
Next morning we set off early for a game drive, which was marvelous. We saw a lone lioness who chased after a gazelle, then a group of four, and many other animals. After lunch we had a boat trip on the Nile towards the falls, with plentiful wildlife especially crocodiles.
The third day started with a trip to the top of the falls, which were spectacular: as dramatic is Niagara falls. Then the drive back to Kampala.
All the hotels and meals worked very well for us. John was a very helpful and informative guide, and a very good driver.
Email Kirsty | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly Recommend Bamboo Eco Tours
Bamboo Eco Tours delivered a personalised trip for a friend and me. We flew into Kigali and then were taken by jeep to Uganda to visit the gorillas in Bwindi National Park, to Lake Bunyonyi for a boat trip and bird watching and then back to Kigali for our onward trip.
We were looked after by the lovely Fred who was our guide and driver for 4 days. He was so kind and helpful, fantastic driver on tricky roads and kept us informed about history and local issues. He was flexible with our timings and dined with us a couple of nights so we learnt about his family, country and work.
We stayed in beautiful hotels with good food and drink in Bwindi NP and Lake Bunyonyi.
Bamboo Eco Tours were fantastic with communication, chose great hotels, were flexible and accommodating to personalise our trip. I would highly recommend using them to help you with your trip.
Email Karen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Solo Trek to Mountain Gorilla and Golden Monkeys
Edison at Bamboo Ecotours was fantastic in arranging a three day, private tour starting from Kigali, Rwanda to Uganda to trek to see the Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys. The booking communications were prompt, informative, and professional as was the payment process. You pay the cost of the trekking permits up front and the balance a few days before departure. The price was very reasonable for such a complicated trip with a private car and driver and multiple border crossings. Herbert, my driver, spoke excellent English and was a proficient, safe driver given the difficult conditions of the roads, particularly in Uganda. The tour included amazing lodging and meals at the Ichumbi Lodge, which was 1 km. from the Bwindi Gate and close enough to Mhinga National Park with the Golden Monkeys. The lodge also offers terrific, reasonable massages that were very nice after the bumpy roads and longish trek.
As for the treks, they exceeded my expectations in every way. The park is well-organized and gauges groups based on the trekker’s physical condition. My walk was about 4 miles each way on up and down, muddy terrain. It was hard but doable and very worthwhile. I highly recommend using a Porter which helps on the more difficult bits but also directly supplies needed monies to the local communities.
This is a wonderful trip. I wholeheartedly recommend Bamboo Ecotours to help you witness the glorious gorillas and monkeys in their natural habitats. You will never forget that magical hour with them.
IL
Email Gabriel Fell | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bamboo Ecotours gave us a perfect safari tour in Uganda
Edison had arranged us a perfect 8 days Uganda safari tour including:
Murchison Falls via Ziwa for Rhino Trekking, Game Drive and Boat Trip at Murchison Falls National Park, Top of the Falls Visit at Murchison Falls, Chimp Trekking at Kibale National Park + Kazinga channel boat trip, Kasenyi Plains Game Drive at Queen Elizabeth National Park ,Gorilla Trekking Experience at Bwindi National Park, Lake Bunyonyi sunset canoeing, Lake Mburo night game drive to search for a leopard, Early Nature Walk with the giraffes at Lake Mburo National park.
The tour was perfectly arranged: we had the option to choose the lodges, every minute and mile of the tour was pre - planned to maximize our enjoyment. Our guide Herbert, as well as the other guides along the safari, demonstrated knowledge, love to their country’s nature and a great effort to make our safari most enjoyable.
Bamboo Ecotours is highly recommended!
Email craig kurth | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
bamboo ecotours exceeding our expectations
My trip with Bamboo Ecotours was outstanding. The accommodations were awesome, complemented by great food and amazing service.
Our guide, Fred, was excellent—knowledgeable and a genuinely pleasant person to travel with. The safari vehicle was very comfortable, which was a huge bonus on the road.
The wildlife experiences were the highlight: the gorilla and chimpanzee treks were truly amazing. We had spectacular sightings of a diverse range of animals, including gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, buffalo, waterbucks, kobs, lions, and leopards.
I would definitely use Bamboo Ecotours again. They clearly deliver.
IT
Email Cristina and Matteo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing agency!
It was a fantastic experience, very well organized. From the moment I contacted Edison, they were professional and very kind. They fulfilled all our requests without any problems. The trip organization was impeccable, punctual and precise in everything. The gorilla and chimpanzee trekking were among the most beautiful experiences of our lives. The country has incredible landscapes and fabulous people. Our choice of lodges, based on the options given, was spot on. They were very beautiful and we ate deliciously. My husband and I definitely recommend them for this experience. You won't regret it!