Peter Amanya and our guide in the safari van
Buyaga Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Member Of:
- UTB & AUTO MEMBER
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $450 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
_1518729865.gif "Buyaga Safaris")
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
CH
Email Sven Baumgartner | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Anderson was very symphatic and has a lot of knowledge. Also a great driver!
It was an awesome experience doing my 12 day Safari with Buyaga. My guide (Anderson) is a very symphatic guide, he has a lot of knowledge about the wildlife and the vegetation. I learned a lot from him. The lodges were also very nice and I had a super overall experience!
US
Email Andrew & Joanie | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An Epic Journey to Uganda organized by an Extraordinary Tour Operator...
After considerable research on SafariBookings.com, we chose to book our Uganda safari with Buyaga Safaris, a local Ugandan tour operator headquartered in Kampala, Uganda. They offered many tours of differing lengths and most are highly customizable, an important factor in our decision.
We contacted Peter, the owner, and gave him our wish list of stops on our planned safari, including two separate days of gorilla tracking in Bwindi and two days of exploring Mabamba Swamp for shoebill storks. After several promptly prepared iterations, Peter was able to work out a 13-day Uganda safari starting and ending in Entebbe that covered everything we hoped for: Murchison Falls, Kibale for Chimpanzee tracking, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi for two days of gorilla tracking, Kisoro for Golden Monkey tracking, Lake Bunyoni and finally Mabamba Swamp for two days looking for shoebill storks.
Peter’s quote was very reasonable for two people considering it was inclusive of: private 4X4 Toyota van customized for safari viewing with pop-up top, dedicated driver/guide for the entire tour, non-alcoholic beverages throughout, all meals and lodging for 12 nights, all park fees, two different boat tours, a swamp walk, coffee experience, weaving experience and a banana experience not to be missed, permits for chimpanzee tracking (1 day), gorilla tracking (2 days) and golden monkey tracking (1 day) and two boat tours into Mabamba Swamp to search for shoebill storks. The only additional costs during the tour were for tips and personal items.
Overall, our safari experience was excellent and will provide countless memories for years to come. The comfort level (and price) hotels were all wonderful, with delicious food and generous portions. Most provided WIFI in common areas, reasonable laundry service, very comfortable accommodations. Many had marvelous views or were very close to the activities we had planned. It was refreshing to just show up and be greeted with a friendly smile, a cool glass of juice and be shown to your room. Ordering meals was easy as well. No forms to fill out or other registration formalities, since it was all done before we arrived. There was only one minor issue during our tour, and it was promptly resolved by Peter.
Eric, our driver for the tour, was top notch. Over 13 days and roughly 800 miles, he showed excellent driving skills, was patient, friendly and offered a lot of information. He kept us safe the entire time, so that we could thoroughly enjoy what Uganda has to offer. He even took us on an unscheduled late afternoon game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park and we were rewarded with an exclusive encounter with a beautiful leopard that came within 20 meters of our vehicle. Magical, indeed.
There are many choices when it comes to picking a tour operator in Uganda. We chose Buyaga Safaris after reading over 80 reviews on SafariBookings.com, with all but one being 5-stars. We took a leap of faith based on those reviews and never regretted it from the moment Eric picked us up on the first day to when he dropped us off on the last day. If we ever find ourselves in need of another safari in Uganda, Buyaga Safaris will be our choice again!
Here is a link to a blog of our trip complete with many photos and videos:
https://ontheroadwithtallguyandjet.blog/2025/02/24/where-wild-turns-to-wonder/
CA
Email Scott and Kerry Hemstad | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Buyaga tour was excellent from beginning to the end.
We did the 10 days holiday with gorillas, chimps and wildlife safari. It was amazing from begining to the end. Peter (the ownver/operator) was quick to respond to all our questions before and after booking. The trip was exactly as described. The accomodations were comforatble and in some cases amazing. Each lodge has a different feel and comfort level. The best accomodation was the Murchison Falls Lodge. Be prepared for no AC or fans, spotty wifi and electricity in most of the lodges. We didn't mind, it added to the adventure! Every lodge offers washing services at a fee per item. Each part of the tour had new scenery, animals, and experiences. We were surprized how the landscape changed throughout. (savanah, hills, mountains, forest, farmland) We got to see the Big five and got extremely close to the chimps and gorillas. The guides all communicate with each other while in the national parks, so you have a better chance at seeing the lions/leopards. The chimps and gorillas were the highlight! Both my husband and I were grabbed by juvenile gorillas!!!! Don't worry it was safe. Be prepared for a possible 90 minute hike through dense at times steep forest to see the gorillas. The park rangers use machetes to cut the trail along the way. The chimp trek was a much easier trek.
The vehicle was an older land cruiser, comforatble but not luxurious. Water bottles were supplied along the way. It had working ac, but we drove with windows open instead all 10 days. Don't expect high end. Bring binoculars, as the guide only has 1 pair.
The food in the restaurants in the lodges was just okay. Unfortuantely, the lodges have americanized their menus. Each lodge allows you to choose between 2-3 items for breakfast, lunch and supper. Each lodge had bar and at addional cost you could enjoy most types of alcohol. Don't expect ice.
Our guide (Derek) was outstanding! We highly recommend requesting Derek as your guide. He is a young, knowledgeable, punctual and hardworking guide. He had a good sense of humour and tried his best to meet our needs/requests along the way. He has been a guide for 6 years and knows each area very well. Derek could spot the animals meters away hidden in the tall grass. Derek was a very careful driver, we felt very safe along the busy, occasionally bumpy, narrow roads.
Go to Uganda, do this tour. You won't be disappointed!
IT
Email Paola | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An amazing and unforgettable experience, full of emotions!
My 11-day tour in Uganda with Buyaga far exceeded my expectations, and I had one of the most incredible, impressive and unforgettable trips of my life. From the very first message, Peter has always been extremely efficient, professional, passionate and flexible with our plans, providing detailed information on what to expect from every single experience. And after a flight cancellation, Peter was exceptional in helping me to find the best solution, allowing me to keep my schedule! Anderson, our guide, was incredibly kind and caring, with a positive attitude, always ready to answer our questions while taking good care of us. An excellent driver, Anderson was really tireless, in spite of the long drives, making each part of the trip so full of emotions. We had a great time together, and I really had a once-in-a-life experience! Everything was absolutely perfect, from the excellent accomodations, to the many different activities, to all the people we met. I can't thank Buyaga, Peter and Anderson enough! But I am pretty sure we will meet again, in Uganda...
BE
Email Simon | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unnecessary fear in advance
I did some research on the different tour operators for a safari in Uganda and noticed the amount of 5 star ratings Buyaga received. I was suspicious, did they buy those, or were they genuine?
It turns out that they are genuine, at least what our experience has proven. Like I read before, Peter the owner, is very quick with responding on emails and keeping track of what has been requested (before). When we made changes to the initial 10 day Uganda safari and wanted to add Rwanda to the tour and extending it with a couple of days, as I wanted to cycle there, we got a new itinerary within hours. Unfortunately, the hotel on the second day in Rwanda turned out to be below the requested quality, but this was resolved within a few hours and a new itinerary was created where we could avoid the second night in that hotel.
Then our guide Derrick. When we booked this trip, our first time we took a guide for such a period, we were afraid that being together with a stranger for 2 weeks would become uneasy and overwhelming. After 2 weeks we didn't have that feeling at all. Derrick has been the whole journey polite and positive towards us.
He was always on time and knew exactly at what time we would arrive somewhere.
He is not intrusive and does not impose himself. He felt when to keep a distance from us.
He's also been flexible, just like you, when we were not happy with the lodge in Gisenyi. Flexibility has also been shown yesterday when leaving Kigali and we wanted to visit the Rwanda Art museum first.
He's a good, safe driver. We never felt afraid, despite sometimes the high speed feeling you get in this giant Toyota Landcruiser.
SK
Email Viera | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience
This experience was really great! We saw a lot more animals than we expected. Our trip included Gorilla trek in Bwindi (best experience ever), Chimpanzee trek, Game drive in Queen Elizabeth NP including Ishasha, Bunyonyi and Victoria Lake experience.
Peter was very helpful and supportive. He always answered all our questions very quickly and provided us with all the information we needed. He went above and beyond standard care to help us with the delivery of our delayed luggage. He arranged everything at the airport and traveled over 9 hours to deliver it to us. This helped us to fully enjoy the whole trip.
Our guide Richard was very helpful and friendly. He did everything to make this trip successful and wonderful.
We also had the opportunity to meet tour guide Osman, who provided us with an unforgettable safari in Queen Elisabeth Park. He is really an expert and a very informative and communicative person.
This tour was absolutely fantastic! I really appreciate the professionalism of the whole team and I fully recommend them to everyone.
Thanks again and I wish you all the best.
Excellent service and all around amazing experience!
I had a great time with my guide Mr. Anderson, he paid attention to my needs, gave me interesting information about the country and culture, we bought a lot of delicious fruits on the way and had interesting conversations. Peter was always available and fast to respond to my enquiries, communication was easy and straight forward. Due to health issues I could only do half of the tour, but once I recovered I was able to finish the other half as well, during this process Peter was very understanding and helpful. The lodges booked for the tour were excellent with great service. The conditions were much better than I had experienced in other East African countries, and the experience with the gorillas, chimpanzees and rhinos makes Uganda my favourite place for safaris. I can definitely recommend this tour company and especially going on a safari with Mr. Anderson!
HU
Email ZSOLT BANYAI | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The best guide/driver ever!
I booked a trip to Uganda with Buyaga Safaris. We started talking about the itinerary way back in October 2020, 5 month prior to the trip. Peter, the owner of the company was super helpful and patient while we managed to come up with an itinerary that was both feasible and appealing to me. Then we agreed to wait until Jan, since I knew that flights can change very easily during this crazy COVID times. In Jan, 2021 Peter helped me get my Uganda visa (well, I requested it electronically, but somehow it needed a bit of local nudging to get a response back) after I booked my flight, and he was also very flexible with the deposit, I paid only about 30% of the total price.
Once in Uganda, my driver was Jazz, how was amazing. Attentive, communicative and very conscientious. He made sure I had fun in Kibale NP, Queen Elizabeth NP and Bwindi NP, and that my COVID tests (needed for the KLM flights) were all in order. The way I could talk with him was almost like talking with any of my buddies at home - he was open, and interested in almost any topics. Great company!
All in all, I can easily recommend Buyaga, since they have really done a great job!
PT
Email MARIA GAMEIRO | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We had a wonderfull, amazing, safe and warm experience in Uganda.
Unforgettable experience, with attentive, professional and warm staff and high quality services. highly recommendable and reasonably priced.
We are very grateful to Peter and Onam for their hospitality and sympath.
we will recommend this company to my friends.
We want to return to Uganda and we are going again to Buyaga Safary help.
IT
Email Claudia Baruzzo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very nice people, well organised, super trip
The communication from home was very accurate and precise. We were followed for every questions and doubts. It was one of the best prices I found on SafariBookings. Eric was our guide and he was really kind and helpful. The tour itself was very very nice. The places are amazing and every stage was pretty well organised. The most beautiful things about the journey were the lodges. They were almost luxury lodges, at a normal price. And the period was perfect beacuse we were almost alone, also at the gorilla trekking. I will do it again with this company for sure.