Our guides Paul K. K. and Tim birding at Mpanga.
Terrain Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2008)
- Member Of:
- Association of Uganda Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Eileen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Trip, Great Guide
I loved my 28 day Birding and Wildlife Safari Uganda trip with Terrain Safaris. It was the perfect combination of bird watching and wildlife viewing. Every day brought a new adventure filled with unforgettable memories.
Paul KK is a great birding guide and wildlife spotter. Over the course of the trip, I took over 19,000 photos, some of which I will add to this review when the photos are ready. He has an excellent ear for bird sounds and was very knowledgeable of the birds in any particular area.
We saw almost 500 birds of which 347 were life birds for me. Of course, I was also thrilled to see wildlife such as leopards, lions, zebras, etc., but also wildlife that was totally new for me, such as a Blue Monkey and Red-tailed Monkeys, among others.
Our trip was well paced with more strenuous days ( for example, Gorilla trekking) alternating with more relaxed days (birding locally by vehicle). There were some days when we were changing locations/environments and that meant a lot of driving, but we always stopped for interesting birds and enjoyed the local scenery on the way.
We stayed in a variety of lodging, all well located for our birding and wildlife adventures. At one of the lodges, we could watch and hear the hippos and sometimes, the elephants, in the body of water that was down the hill from where our room was located. At another lodge I could sit on my porch and watch the birds flit around the trees at sunset.
I hope to return to Uganda to look for more birds and wildlife and I would definitely book again with Paul and Terrain Safaris.
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Email Bruce | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Exceptional Uganda Experience and Guide
My wife and I recently returned from a wonderful 28-day combined birding and wildlife safari in Uganda led by our very talented tour guide, Paul, who is the owner of Terrain Safaris. If you are someone who loves nature, seeing wild life amidst breathtaking scenery, having unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experiences like gorilla and chimpanzee trekking, then this is the dream trip you need to take.
And if you have an interest in birding, as we do, then prepare to be more spoiled by the variety and number of species of birds that you will have the opportunity to see. There are about 1,000 different species of bird that can be seen in Uganda, and in our 4 weeks, we were able to see almost 500 different species.
Every aspect of our trip was well planned. The lodges where we stayed ranged from clean basic accommodations to relatively plush lodges located in very scenic settings, based on what was available in the locations where we were touring.
We traveled in a Toyota Land Cruiser competently driven by our guide Paul. As is common in many African countries, many of the roads were unpaved dirt roads, so we were treated to the well-known "African Massage" that these dirt roads provided.
Paul is a talented knowledgeable guide in all respects. He is a calm, interesting, and very likeable person with a good sense of humor. As a birding guide, he is exceptional, with the ability to recognize almost 1,00 different species of birds by their calls alone, and to then quickly locate them even in densely vegetated habitats.
Perhaps the best compliment that I can give Paul is to say that as great as he is as a birding guide, he is even a greater person.
Obviously, we loved our unforgettable journey to Uganda, and we want to thank Paul and his company for making all of it possible.
DE
Email Vera und Konrad Lindinger | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Impressive gorilla tour with Paul
Paul perfectly organized our 3-day tour to the mountain gorillas in Bwindi National Park. He gave us a lot of insights into the life and culture of Ugandans, the hotel he chose in Bwindi was very nice, not far from the gate, very good food and service and a great view over the mountain rainforest to the Virunga volcanoes. Paul has an excellent knowledge of the flora and fauna and we will definitely book him again on our next trips to Uganda.
We can unreservedly recommend Paul because we have always felt safe, he drives carefully and has also strictly adhered to the hygiene regulations. We would love to come back to Uganda
SE
Email Henrik | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Awesome photo safari in Uganda!
Went to Uganda to do a 8 days photo safari targeting primates. The tour exceeded all expectations! Terrain Safaris have planned everything, to the last detail, perfect. They had managed to get me the best local guides in all the places we visited and they always explained to the local guides that I was a photographer so they knew I needed more time or different angles to get the shot I wanted.
Transport, food and accommodation was very good. Not only will I recommend Terrain Safaris I would say that they are the best option for your Uganda tour.
CN
Email jiang | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable 8 days safari journey!
To be honest, at first Terrain Safari is not so perfect in my impression, Abraham might forget something what he had promised to me though he always tried to meet all my special requirements during my pre-booking course, and the first day I also felt some disappointed due to the vehicle was not so good as in the website picture. But during the journey, when my family met a big trouble, our guide Moses tried his best to help us, in the second day my 11 years old daughter got heavy diarrhea and a slight fever, on the third day morning I intended to broke off the trip and came back to Kampala, Moses invited a nurse in Queen Elizabeth National Park to check my daughter and give her some medicine, at the same time the boss Paul directly called me to inquiry whether my family need further help, in the third day afternoon my daughter magically regained health after taking the medicine. So we can persist to finish our whole journey as schedule, I even felt surprised to find my vehicle was better than most of other safaris vehicles we met in the national parks and lodges. Last day because many airlines back to China was canceled due to COVID-19 spreading, Abraham communicated with me to inquiry whether my family need the help of airlines arrangement, though we didn’t need, I found Abraham was also a quite enthusiastic and reliable person. Thanks very much for Moses and the supporting team of Terrain Safari, though my wife and daughter gave up the activities in the second and third day, but the tracking for Chimpanzee/Gorilla was so wonderful for me, boat cruise in Lake Bunyonyi/Kivu was also pleasant for my family, the most important thing is my daughter met the golden monkey that made her very excited, what a unforgettable 8 days experience with Moses! At last I just want to say when you travel in Africa the most important thing is reliable, no doubt Terrain Safaris is the company you can trust in, maybe several years later, my daughter would come back for Gorilla tracking and Jinja rafting, at that time Terrain Safaris will still be our first choice.
Email Mandy Elizabeth Rush | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Safari with Terrain Safaris, Uganda – the Pearl of Ugandan Safari Companies
To watch a short video on our Ugandan Safari follow this YouTube link: https://youtu.be/s5L-fwxEE8Q
Uganda and Terrain Safaris exceeded our expectations.
We contacted scores of safari companies, and then narrowed it down to three companies and then I did some due diligence Tripadvisor review research. We choose Terrain Safaris as we are keen birdwatchers and many of the reviews mentioned Paul’s excellent bird knowledge along with the positive reviews they had already received. We were choosing to do a general safari, Murchison Falls, then Chimpanzee Tracking and Gorilla Tracking however we wanted to squeeze in birding at every opportunity.
Paul arrived promptly at our hotel in Entebbe and off we set on a magical adventure around the Pearl of Africa. The country is rich and fertile and bustling with life. Travelling to the National Parks was an amazing experience in itself, as the terrain is constantly changing, the people, the homes, the crops, fruits and vegetation.
We had chosen the budget accommodation option and were impressed with the quality of the camps and food. Some places have power via a generator which is switched on after dark and all of them had Wi-Fi services. Remember however that National Parks are naturally remote areas and you should not expect superfast broadband connections.
We were impressed with the professional standards in the camps. Staff were welcoming, introduced themselves, informed us about the dinner options etc. They were, at all times, welcoming, friendly.
Lugandan is widely spoken but the standard of English spoken is excellent, probably even better than that spoken in Kenya.
We visited Uganda in February 2020, during a time where the ‘dry season’ had become an unseasonable wet season. Terrain Safaris vehicle performed very well in the challenging driving conditions, aided by Paul’s excellent driving skills. The vehicle was clean, reliable and robust with a pop up roof for game viewing and constant supply of drinking water.
On our way to Murchison Falls we stopped off at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and enjoyed the breath-taking experience of tracking wild rhino. Accompanied by a ranger, we walked with rhino and enjoyed a magical hour with these giant grey creatures in the hot African sun.
Then onwards to Murchison National Park. We had two nights at this park and enjoyed a full day exploring its natural wonders. The animals which delighted me most were the Abyssinian Ground Hornbills of which there are many and then the elephant who got a bit too interested in our vehicle when it smelt the ripe pineapples in our boot, and started trotting along behind our vehicle, trunk aloft and curious.
In the afternoon we boarded the African Queen Boat for a cruise on the Nile towards the falls. Imagine how amazing the falls were during the time of unseasonable rains!
We cruised towards the Falls, watching hippos relaxing in the river, sometimes with birds on their back, crocodiles sunbathing. We watched elephants coming down to drink from the river along with waterbuck and pumbas while sipping on a cold beer with a great name Nile Beer!
Next morning and an early start to catch the 7am ferry across the Nile to head south towards Kibale National Park and Chimpanzees. We headed south through more beautiful countryside and our next adventure. In the late evening on nearing our accommodation, baboons had taken over the road, one curious guy jumped on our vehicle, a modern day Highway Man. This baboon looked at Paul, then he peered at the passenger seat, quickly we closed the windows, he was searching for his dinner, this cheeky Baboon Highway Man.
The next morning we headed to Kibale National Park. There were so many vehicles there, so many tourists for the Chimpanzee Trekking briefing. A ranger skilfully told all of us the Dos and Don’ts in the Forest. Then we were split into small groups of 6 tourists to one armed (AK47s) ranger. Amazingly when we disappeared into the forest tracks with our ranger Jessica, you would never know there were another 40 people looking for Chimpanzees.
Wow! To hear the Chimpanzees calling in the Jungle! We stop, we listen, and we change direction. The rangers communicate with their colleagues by radio and try to assist each other to locate the chimpanzees.
Amazingly after only 45 minutes, chimpanzee were spotted high up in the forest canopy feasting on figs. We were thrilled! We gazed and gasped! Jessica told us to be patient, as it might get even better.
The experience didn’t disappoint. The Alpha Male of the group decided to come down to the forest floor, he came Face to Face with a lucky tourist, the rangers told him to move back (8 metres to avoid transmission of our human diseases) but he would have got amazing eye to eye images.
Then the Chimpanzees would hoot and holler some more! The forest reverberated with their call! One of the females was on heat and things were indeed hotting up. More chimpanzees came to the forest floor; we watched them groom each other, relaxing against a tree. They gazed at us, we gazed adoringly back at them, they moved, on instruction from our ranger we followed them. Wow, wow, wow!
After Chimpanzee Tracking, next challenge, Mountain Gorillas!
We drove through a landscape of fertile terraces en route to Mgahinga National Park. We expected to walk from 3 to 8 hours to locate the Mountain Gorillas but we were blessed that morning. No rain, amazing mountain views and after a short trek of only 45 minutes our Ranger told us “we are near”!
We discarded our walking poles as these remind the Gorilla’s of the spears of hunters long ago. The rangers who protect the Gorilla group and who follow them every day of the year, greeted us and then the baby gorillas were spotted playing in the trees.
Then as we looked around it seemed as though the forest was teaming with Gorillas.
Gorillas everywhere!
Babies playing, mum’s with suckling babies, teenagers showing off. Then, from deep in the grass, the magnificent head of the group’s silverback. He lifted his regal head, the sun caught his eyes and he regally checked us out.
We were absolutely thrilled, spellbound and so so lucky.
Only one tourist group, with a maximum eight tourists per day, may spend one magnificent hour with the Gorilla group.
The sun was out, the Gorillas basked in the sun, stripped bark, fed, played and frolicked. One rambunctious gorilla teenager bounded past our group and playfully grabbed the leg of a Dutch lady and down she tumbled into the soft grass.
We could not have wished for a more memorable magnificent hour! We were thrilled beyond words with this experience.
Did I mention that our first trip to Uganda exceeded our expectations?
Well let me mention it again. Uganda exceeded our expectations. Friendly people, beautiful country, amazing National Parks and wildlife experiences, which will not be surpassed for close encounters of the rare and wonderful kind.
Terrain Safari’s answered all our emails promptly and thoroughly. We especially loved Abraham’s email salutations “mysteriously awaiting”. Payment procedures were simple and easy to make. Terrain Safaris tailored the safari to our needs. Paul is a very knowledgeable and experienced guide, kind and considerate, an excellent driver. We had plenty of water in the vehicle and sufficient breaks while driving to our next destination. Even our break sights were chosen with care, packed lunch at Queen Elizabeth’s pavilion and the Equator for a photo opportunity.
Would we use Terrain Safaris again?
Yes, we wouldn’t hesitate to use them again and recommend them. We look forward to our next trip to the Pearl of Africa and hope to experience more of the wonders that it has to offer.
ES
Email Andres Prieto | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing birding guide and amazing visits. I reccomend it 100%
Everything was as planned. We enjoyed a 8days safari and didn´t miss any of the things we wanted to do. Our birding guide that was with us all the time was an amazing person, a very good professional with many years of experiences. They took care of us all the time and did their best to make us have an amazing experience.
I reccomend it to everyone.
CH
Email Saumya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
wonderful experience
We enjoyed Uganda and the Gorilla trekking very much. The communication prior to the Trip was very professional. Terrain Safaris was very flexible with our accomodation preferences and organized everything according to our wishes. Paul was a great guide and a very safe Driver. We felt very welcome and save throughout the whole journey. Bunyonyi Island is a great place to relax and the Gorilla trekking is an unforgettable experience.
Spontanious Safari
My family and i had the chance to do a Safari within less then 15 houres since we decided to do one. The organisation was awsome and the Safari itself was a great experiance.
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Email Heidi Lundy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Paul knows his birds
We highly recommend Terrain Safaris. Edith and Paul were uniquely helpful. Every day is a holiday with Terrain!
We spent 3 weeks on a guided birding tour with Paul. Three weeks is a lot of time to spend in a car with a person but every day we found new adventures and were treated to Paul's vast knowledge of Birds, wildlife, Ugandan culture and history. He is a wealth of information!
My traveling partner, Kirk is an advanced birder who has been birding for 40 years. I am a novice birder. Paul managed to bridge the gap in our interests by being patient and helpful with me but never missing a moment to wow Kirk with his bird identification.
The driving was hard and often we were in four wheel drive but Paul is a very good driver and I always felt very safe. He was always up for the adventure even though he drove all day most days he was always taking us out of the way on some small road or path in search of spectacular wildlife.
It was a wonderful trip made more wonderful by our newly found friendship with Paul.
If Uganda is the Pearl of Africa, Terrain Safari's is the pearl of touring companies.