Africa Tours Adventure
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- Association of Uganda Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Emily | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great 9 day trip to Uganda with a focus on primates.
My friend and I took a 9 day tour with Africa Tours Adventure to Ziwa, Murchison, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, Mgahinga, and Lake Mburo starting and ending in Entebbe in January 2019 using their budget accommodation option. Nicholas was very responsive over email was great about working our requests into the itinerary. My general starting idea was to do gorilla, chimpanzee, and golden monkey tracking, and he suggested several possible itineraries.
We both really enjoyed the trip. Our guide David was great; without him, we wouldn't have spotted nearly as many animals. The vehicle was also comfortable and had a removable roof for the game drives. We have no major complaints about any of the lodges, and they were generally nicer than we anticipated for being on the budget tour. One thing we liked was staying on the north side of the river in Murchison NP so we didn't need to queue for the early ferry on the morning of our game drive.
As for the tour activities themselves, we enjoyed all of the parks we visited, with the gorillas and chimps being the highlights. We thought it was worth going to Murchison as well as QENP; there seemed to be more animals there, and this detour allowed us to see rhinos (at Ziwa) and giraffes. Our short detour to Mburo was also worth it to see zebra and impala, which we didn't see elsewhere. We did an optional night walk in Kibale NP and enjoyed it, but the company's advice about it being hard to see animals was accurate. I think the only activity we didn't really enjoy was the a community walk that we did in the afternoon after driving to Bwindi from QENP. We enjoyed the Bigodi swamp and community walk near Kibale much more.
Some overall thoughts: Murchison and Queen Elizabeth didn't seem quite as good for traditional safari wildlife viewing as the parks I've been to in Kenya and Tanzania. However, the ability to combine that with the primates and other activities like boat rides was great. My friend who'd never been to Africa before was happy with the wildlife we saw, and we did have some really impressive sightings like a leopard at QENP. My friend commented that he was glad we went to Murchison for the giraffes and Lake Mburo even if only briefly for the zebras. My friend is also a birder and was really impressed with the number of species we saw.
Also, our schedule seemed to build in a lot of time for variable road conditions. It didn't rain except the last day for us, so the roads were generally decent. But I imagine some of the drives could be a lot longer if the roads were muddy.
Overall, Africa Tours Adventure did a great job of making this a fantastic trip.
DE
Email Christof | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Repeat customer, made happy again (this time in Rwanda)...
The team had organized a memorable trip to Uganda in the past. Back then, I selected them because of their impeccable track record here. So when I decided to go for Rwanda during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were my first choice again. They guided me expertly through the necessary evil of COVID bureaucracy.
The week spent in Rwanda was customized to my needs with an excellent selection of hotels and lodges. Obviously, the primates were the highlights - but also the Canopy Walk in Nyungwe was worth visiting. The guide Gavin was very knowledgeable and fun to be around with. His driving was always adequate. Rwanda itself left a great impression. I felt safe throughout the trip, both with respect to crime in general and COVID-19. Probably the safest country in Africa I've been to so far. Regarding COVID-19 - the country takes this pandemic very seriously - so be prepared for measures in this respect (requirement to wear a mask even in the rain forest, regular use of desinfectants, etc). I'll likely end up doing another trip to Uganda/Rwanda in the future - and I'd definitely contact Nicholas & team again to get their views..
DE
Email Christof | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
8 days Uganda
I contacted ATA for advice on a roundtrip through Uganda. I had basically no idea, just wanted to do the gorillas. Nicholas and his team (always very responsive) put together a very compelling itenerary (that was also priced competitively). Ziwa/MNP/Kibale/QENP/Bwindi/Lake Bunyonyi. I'm glad I followed their advice regarding the lodges and things to do - it was a memorable trip. It would have been a very good journey even without the gorillas, but of course they were the icing on the cake. The schedule was well timed - we covered a lot of ground, but it made a lot of sense. In hindsight, the suggestions for particular lodges were always spot on. Kaye, the guide, was knowledgeable and a safe driver. One thing I regretted: I should have chosen one leg of the flights to/from Kigali instead of going both times through Entebbe. This might have saved some time.
I'd gladly recommend ATA to friends.
Email Jo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Magical Trip with an Outstanding Company
This was truly the trip of a lifetime for me. Nicholas worked with me to produce a packed but feasible itinerary which was perfect for my 13-day tour of Uganda. He answered all of my many questions in detail and extremely promptly - I don't think he ever takes a day off! His quote was extremely competitive and the trip was worth every penny.
My guide in Uganda was Barnabas and I can't praise him highly enough. He was extremely knowledgeable and I learned a great deal about the country and its wildlife from him. He is clearly very passionate about conservation and he put in a great deal of effort to ensure that my trip was a complete success. He is a very open, friendly and entertaining guide and his professionalism is exceptional. It was an absolute pleasure to be in his company. He's also a skilled driver which meant that I always felt completely safe despite some of the roads and weather that we encountered.
The accommodation that Nicholas organised for me was fantastic; stunning views, comfortable rooms, great food and consistently excellent service with a smile.
It's difficult to choose highlights from the trip - everything was wonderful. My game drives in Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth were fantastic. Our vehicle was great for game viewing and finally getting to see a leopard was breathtaking! Barnabas' keen eye and good relationships with other guides and staff at the parks meant that I saw a whole host of animal and bird life. The boat cruises in these parks were also terrific, particularly for hippos and birds.
The chimpanzee and gorilla tracking in Kibale and Bwindi were truly unforgettable experiences and I loved tracking golden monkeys in Mgahinga. I'd definitely recommend hiring a porter for these treks. You don't necessarily need someone to carry your bag if you're fit and the hike isn't too long, but you'll provide someone with a day's work for only $15/20 and they can give you a helpful push or pull on the steeper bits, especially if it's been raining.
All in all, Nicholas and Barnabas planned and delivered an amazing trip. It was a complete success and I thoroughly recommend using Africa Tours Adventure. Huge thanks to them!!
US
Email Kirstin W | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent guides make for a top notch experience
From gorilla and chimp trekking in Uganda, to boat cruises and game drives, to urban experiences in Kigali, Rwands, Africa Tours Adventure made our trip a top notch experience. Our driver guides, Patrick, Chris & Bernard, were warm, funny, personable and extremely knowledgeable about the people, culture and wildlife we experienced.
We came as a group of 18 vegans and the company made sure that our dietary needs were met at every stop. I would recommend them without hesitation to anyone looking for a safe but adventurous trip to these beautiful countries
US
Email Joseph | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best tour operator and guide in Uganda
My wife and I just finished a 2 week adventure around Uganda with Africa Tours Adventure. I can't say enough about them. Our guide Barnabas was outstanding! Really you should ask for him when you book. He made us feel safe and taken care of the whole trip as well as informed and entertained. Nothing beats laughing all along the way with each other. Even as we were negotiating our way around while the coronavirus was starting to cause issues. Between Barnabas and Nicolas, they managed to adjust on the fly to find us new accommodations when one had tax issues and others when we could not cross the border into Rwanda. They were efficient and on top of it all without us really knowing all the issues. Barnabas made our trip one of the best we ever had. Great conversations, great advice and he always had our best interest at heart. His main goal was that we got the most out of our trip on every level. Truly a good man and a great friend. I will tell everyone to ask for Barnabas if they book. You could not be in better hands.
We spent 2 weeks in which we did monkey walk at Bigodi, chimpanzee tracking, the Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park, 2 gorilla tracking hikes and golden monkeys. Barnabas gave us a lot of history of where we were and was super informative of all the animals we saw including so many birds. I felt like I was being educated along with the adventure. It was out of this world. We felt like we were being enriched while we were guided. We saw all the big wildlife that were around and even saw the tree climbing lions in Ishasha! And when I got a bit of traveler's stomach, we said bye bye to packed lunches and Barnabas kept checking in on me. We really felt special. He helped get us into the best family tracking of gorillas in Buhoma because I wasn't sure if I was going to make it. God bless him! Always was looking out for us. He has great contacts with the guides and rangers. He was even open to us helping out a mother and daughter duo who were running the French Amazing Race. What a story to bring back!
One lodge was having tax problems and Nicolas found us an upgrade in no time and it was even better. All the lodges were beautiful that they chose and when we had to adjust after Rwanda was having border issues they found us more wonderful accommodations on the fly. Again all the lodges were awesome and really close to all our activities. They really know their country and all it has to offer. We had quiet places with wonderful views.
This was by far the best 2 week adventure we have ever taken and we are pretty well travelled. Everything was more than we had thought it would be. This is by far the best safari travel company in Uganda. Book with them. You won't find anyone better. Nicolas is a class act! There is a reason he is ranked #1. Believe it and trust it! Ask for Barnabas as well. He is professional, kind and friendly. We will be friends for life now. They will be our go to when we go back.
US
Email Sheryl | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent!
We just returned from a trip of a lifetime, thanks to Africa Tours Adventure! Nicholas planned the itinerary, and booked fantastic accomodations for us. He is very responsive, and we had a lot of questions so that's saying something.
We had limited time, so went to Kibale (stayed at Primates Lodge), Queen Elizabeth Natl Park (Mweya Safari Lodge), and Bwindi (Bakinga Lodge). All were clean, excellent food, and unique and lovely rooms/cottages and beautiful settings. Our guide & driver for the trip was fantastic, top-notch. Harrison arranged everything, looked out for all 6 of us, and safely drove us hours and hours. He was warm, friendly, and his knowledge of the country, customs, animals, etc is encyclopedic. The chimps in Kibale, and gorillas in Bwindi were the highlights--once in a lifetime travel experience, highly recommend Africa Tours Adventure--thank you!
CN
Email LEI | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice guide and reliable driver
Very reliable person with honesty and professional attitude.
EG
Email Mohamed | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beyond expectations
I found "Africa Tours Adventure" in safaribookings website, I contacted them to arrange very short safari in Uganda, I really did not expect much, the planned trip was very short and for a solo traveler, but I found them keen to help, and I let them arrange everything from the arrival to the departure, I took their advice and stayed at Bwindi lodge which was really fantastic, Their guide was knowledgeable and helpful, it was great holiday in every aspect.
BE
Email Patrick&Claudine | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
11 days trip in Rwanda/Uganda
In August 2018 we took a very nice 'private' trip in Rwanda, Uganda and initially also RDC with Africa Tours Adventure.
ATA is a very professional company with a high focus on client safety and satisfaction.
Plan B was organized due to the closure of Virunga NP (RDC) in May.
August should have been a "dry" month but this year it wasn't really the case, our guide Kaye gave us his advice "in live" and proposed other options for the planned activities that we had to drop due to bad weather conditions (like climbing the Visoke).
His pieces of advice were most valuable.
If you would like to travel to Rwanda and/or Uganda, Africa Tours Adventure is certainly the best choice.