At Kubwa Five Safaris Offices
Kubwa Five Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2018)
- Member Of:
- APTA, AUTO, UTB, ESTOA & AUWOTT
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Esteban C | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kubwa Five Safaris is an excelent option for your safari, just watch out during booking and planning
KUBWA5 Safari Holiday Review
We booked our honeymoon safari in Uganda and Tanzania with KUBWA5 this year. Our trip lasted a little less two weeks and included several parks in both countries. Overall, the experience with them was great. Since a safari holiday has many components, I’ll try to review each part separately.
My main disclaimer is that this was our first safari, so we don’t have a direct reference to compare it with. With that said, here is our experience.
Value for Money – 4.5/5
Overall, we believe KUBWA5 offers very good value for money. When planning the trip we compared several safari operators, and many alternatives we found online were significantly more expensive for very similar itineraries.
Even though we experienced some setbacks during the booking and planning stages, mainly due to pricing and itinerary mistakes that required adjustments (including a flight change on our side), the overall safari experience itself was excellent. Once the trip started, the logistics, guides, vehicles, wildlife experiences, and overall organization were outstanding, and they made our honeymoon truly memorable.
For that reason we would still rate the overall value for money at 4.5/5. The only reason it is not a full 5/5 is because of the issues during booking and planning, which required extra attention from our side. However, during the trip itself everything worked smoothly.
Booking – 2.5/5
This was the main low point of the experience.
We decided to go with KUBWA5 after doing some research. Our main reasons were that they are a local company in Uganda (our main destination), they had good reviews, and their price was competitive.
We spent several months between our first quotation and the final version of the itinerary. During that time we asked for different options regarding destinations and plans. If you’re spending $20k+ on a trip, I think that’s fairly reasonable.
When we were finally happy with the quote and itinerary—and only after paying an $8,000 USD deposit—they realized they had made a mistake in the pricing and that the trip had been underquoted by nearly $12,000 USD.
That’s obviously a lot of money for a mistake. We even considered canceling everything, but we eventually decided to adjust the trip by changing some dates and hotels so we could stay closer to our original budget while still traveling with KUBWA5.
Our advice: double-check and confirm all pricing carefully before paying the deposit.
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Planning – 2.5/5
KUBWA5 are very flexible during the planning stage. They send a comprehensive PDF for every quote detailing the itinerary, planning, and budget. We actually used that document as a reference even during our trip.
They are very open to adjusting the itinerary and usually respond relatively quickly to requests or changes.
However, mistakes can happen. For example, our initial itinerary included leaving a hotel at 2 a.m., which turned out to be unrealistic for that location. Because of this we had to adjust several parts of the itinerary, which forced us to change one of our flights and cancel our final airport transfer.
Some of these planning adjustments also ended up costing us extra money, particularly when we had to modify flight arrangements after the itinerary changed.
These were manageable issues, but my recommendation is to carefully review every step of the itinerary and confirm travel times beforehand. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or request changes—they are very open to making adjustments.
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Logistics – 5/5
After the initial challenges during booking and planning, I have to say that the trip itself ran perfectly.
From the moment we landed until the end of our honeymoon, everything worked smoothly. Everyone was aware it was our honeymoon and we received many thoughtful touches along the way.
Every transfer was on time and well organized. We had several domestic flights during the trip, and KUBWA5 kept us updated with schedules and made sure everything was coordinated.
Once the trip started, the logistics were flawless.
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Hotel Selection – 4/5
Hotels in Uganda and Tanzania usually fall into luxury or mid-range categories.
With luxury properties you will generally have a great experience. However, be careful with hotels labeled “mid-range,” because the quality can vary a lot. Some mid-range lodges were excellent, while others were a bit below our expectations despite having the same classification.
Overall we enjoyed most of the hotels, but I recommend double-checking specific properties beforehand if you want to avoid surprises.
Hotel staff in both Uganda and Tanzania were consistently excellent. Everyone was polite, attentive, and many places added small details to celebrate our honeymoon regardless of whether the hotel was luxury or mid-range.
I also recommend bringing some local currency for tips, which is appreciated by staff.
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Guides – 5/5
The guides were the absolute highlight of our trip.
You should know that on safari you spend a lot of time with your guide, both during game drives and while traveling between destinations.
Our guide in Uganda, Charles (@kimbugwe.charles on Instagram), was fantastic. He made sure we were always happy and safe. He’s a great driver and incredibly knowledgeable about Uganda—animals, parks, culture, and local life.
He made sure we saw all the animals we hoped to see during game drives. He is also very well connected, which helped with different activities and arrangements during the trip. He even organized a picnic for us, bought us fresh fruit, and took us to some great places for shopping.
In Tanzania we had Bakari, another exceptional guide. He is an extremely talented tracker and driver. He always seemed to know where to go during game drives so we would be in the right place at the right time.
He knows the parks very well and always made sure we felt safe and were enjoying the experience.
I can’t stress enough how important a good guide is during a safari. Charles and Bakari are a big reason why our trip was so memorable.
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Vehicles – 4.5/5
Vehicles are another important factor during a safari because you spend a lot of time in them.
KUBWA5 vehicles were excellent. We booked a private tour, so we had the vehicle to ourselves. They were large and comfortable, with fresh drinks and charging ports available.
The cars were in very good condition, which is important considering the long distances and rough terrain. It’s actually common to see safari vehicles with mechanical problems, but ours performed very well.
We were never completely sure if the air conditioning worked, but honestly we never needed it.
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Wildlife & Parks – 6/5
The wildlife experience was outstanding and a huge part of that was thanks to our guides.
Thanks to Charles in Uganda and Bakari in Tanzania, we were able to see the Big Five, which was one of our goals for this trip. Charles even managed to spot a leopard, which we know can be very difficult to find.
The gorilla trekking experience in Uganda was one of the main reasons for our trip and it completely lived up to expectations. Charles helped ensure we had a great local guide and we were lucky to visit an amazing gorilla family. It was truly one of the highlights of our honeymoon.
In Tanzania, Bakari made sure we saw all the big cats. We saw lions, leopards, and cheetahs—including an incredible moment watching cheetahs hunting and lions eating.
From our experience, Tanzania is particularly good for big cats, especially in the Serengeti, where animals are easier to spot because of the open landscape. If you want the classic safari experience with lots of wildlife sightings, Serengeti is hard to beat.
Safaris in Uganda feel a bit different, but in a very special way. The highlights there are gorillas and chimpanzees, which are unique wildlife experiences. We also saw elephants and hippos very close, especially around River Station.
We also highly recommend doing a boat safari on the Nile in Uganda, which gives you a completely different perspective and great views of wildlife along the riverbanks.
Overall, the wildlife experiences far exceeded our expectations.
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Food – 4/5
Overall the food was good, although the quality varied depending on the hotel.
Most lodges offer international-style cuisine, but there are usually local dishes available as well, which we recommend trying.
Because game drives can last many hours, sometimes meals are packed for you to eat on the go, which is a normal part of the safari experience.
Overall the food was enjoyable and there were always good options available.
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Safety – 5/5
Safety was something we wondered about before traveling, but throughout the entire trip we always felt very safe.
This applied everywhere: in the hotels, during game drives, on the road, and while visiting parks. Our guides were excellent drivers and very attentive.
We also always felt comfortable regarding wildlife and general security.
Some lodges even escort guests to their rooms at night to make sure no animals are nearby, which shows how seriously safety is taken.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we had an amazing honeymoon safari with KUBWA5.
I would recommend booking with them, but I strongly suggest paying close attention during the booking and planning process, double-checking pricing, itineraries, and hotel selections beforehand.
Once the trip began, everything ran smoothly. The logistics, vehicles, wildlife experiences, and especially the guides made this a truly unforgettable trip.
Email Winnie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Knowledgeable with a personal touch
Our guide and driver made the experience worth it for my nephew (6 year old) for whom the Safari was for. Mufasa like my nephew called him answered all his questions and made sure that he was safe.
Email Linda Fang Xu | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Rwanda gorilla tours and other tours
All trips connected well, the tour guide had knowledge and experience and like to help us. They arranged some surprises activities that is wonderful experience.
Email Caroline | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The tour operator was east to coordinate with and was able to direct to an appropriate accomodation.
I have had the pleasure of experiencing the exceptional professional services offered by Kubwa Five Safaris, courtesy of their friendly and knowledgeable personnel.
Although we have only recently returned from our trip, we are already contemplating another vacation with them, and Kubwa Five Safaris will undoubtedly be our preferred choice.
We firmly believe that the expertly planned trip itinerary enabled us to experience the very best that country has to offer.
I would highly recommend Kubwa Five Safaris to anyone seeking an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime adventure at an affordable price. Their services are truly exceptional and deserving of strong consideration.
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Email Katiuscia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful Namibia
We planned a 10 day tour to see the best of namibia we personalised the tour to what we wanted to see.we had an issue with our flight but Sylvia replanned the tour on 9 days so we missed nothing very very appreciated since it wasn't their responsibility and could have simply made us skip the first day.the tour was fantastic we got to see everything we wanted to see. Wildlife and the landscape that are something of incredible.Our guide John was excellent 👏 really very prepared giving al the info of the diffrent places people, Wildlife towns....
Passionate about his work and committed to client customer care, satisfactory and service
It was such a nice experience seeing and touring the Murchison falls and park for 3 days. With the boat cruise on the Albert nile seeing the nile hippos and crocodiles and the game drive which started very early in the mornin were I got to see three female lions getting ready to hunt, the savanna grassland elephants with their babies, buffaloes and giraffes. All to rap it up, the experience and treatment given by Kubwa Five Stars was nice to us
Email Alex wakooli | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Awesome ,amazing and confatable indeed.
Wanna tour Africa, kubwa5 tours the solutions. The friendly, flexible team of guides makes the whole tour amazing .....
I had a great time touring with them.......big up kubwa5 always.
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Email Ximena | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari
We did the 20 day Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. (Luxury)
And the reason why i give 4 stars and not 5 is because i think some of the Hotels could be better curated. Specifically the ones in Kenya and Bwindi (Uganda), Although they were good located inside the parks, they were a bit old. Not that they were cheap hotels, they must have been luxury at some point and they still hold the price tag. But i think it is worth exploring other smaller hotel/lodges with a boutique feel "understated luxury”, more personal. You can arrange all this with Joseph, because he wants to give you the best trip possible, i am sure of that.
The drivers/guides were professional and we got along with all 3 of them. Since the longest time was spent In Uganda with Samuel, we were sad to say goodbye to him at the airport after 12 days together. Samuel is a responsible and safe driver, polite, good sense of humor, a bit shy and a great smile.
Some of the hotels are upper mid range as specified on the list from the agency, and i was told that they choose this ones (instead of the luxury option) because of location. This is true for the 1st lodge in Murchinson National park. We only wish we would have had a little time to sit down and see the sunset over the river. The game drives can be as long or short as you want so one of the afternoons make sure you are back before sunset and take 20 minutes to sit outside and enjoy the views.
In Kibale, Uganda our tip would be to do the community walk (Note that the community walk can be as short or long as you want.) that afternoon instead of the next day after the chimpanzee trek. The reason being, that after the chimpanzee trek you can drive straight to Kyaninga and arrive there early. This is a beautiful hotel where you can do a few activities at the lodge….and we thought the setting is spectacular (they will also do your laundry complimentary so make sure you give it straight away as you arrive) We manage to be there by 13:00 and jump in the lake for a short swim, then we did a walk around the crater.
Lake Bunyonyi, the view to the lake
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Email Erin V | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, oh my!
First of all, I must say that I was very impressed with the communication and prompt response to all of our questions as we prepared for this adventure. The level of information we were provided left no questions unanswered.
This was more than just a safari, which I envisioned as sitting in a car and driving around, spotting animals all day. In addition to driving around, we rode bikes, took boat rides, ziplined, hiked, and enjoyed a balloon ride. It was an adventure of a lifetime!
We visited Uganda (chimpanzees and gorillas!), Kenya, and Tanzania and all of our guides were incredible. They were well-informed, kind, and put up with my sarcasm and my husband's terrible jokes. They were also good listeners to our needs. I particularly wanted to see cats in Tanzania and our guide spent the day making sure that I was not disappointed.
We chose the "luxury" option and I am still thinking back to several of our lodges and how breathtaking they were.
I would absolutely recommend KubwaFive Safaris to anyone. It's time to start filling the Africa Trip jar again!
Email Ritah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was a nice experience seeing animals u always see on tv
The communication was very good since joseph used yo give us an update for everything. It was good going game driving, boat cruising though ts my niece who went in there and she told me t was a good experience. And Joseph was very hospitable.
Reply from Kubwa Five Safaris
Posted on Mar 6, 2021What a beautiful review t know that you have an outstanding boat ride and game drive!! We are very pleased to note that you had a memorable safari with us at Murchison Falls National Park.
Thank you for your wonderful review and we can only look forward to hosting you again!
For your next trip with us, we suggest that you have your vacation in any of these African countries i.e. Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa. We conduct tours across East Africa and Southern Africa.