Joseph,Our seniorguide always ready to welcome you
Crystal Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 1996)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, ASTA, APTA, AUTO, SKAL, UTB & UTO
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $77 to $800 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Jo | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent experience - highly recommend them
I booked an 8 day safari with Crystal Safaris November 25 – December 2, 2016 as a solo traveler. I am a retiree with 33 years as a travel industry professional and I could not have been more impressed. From my first contact with Barbara she was very responsive answering all of my questions and creating an adventure that met all of my requests. She showed a great deal of patience and professionalism as I had to make numerous changes over the course of our correspondence. From the moment Jonah, my guide/driver picked me up at the airport everything was taken care of and the trip not just met, but exceeded, my expectations.
During the 8 days I was also lucky enough to stay at 2 of the lodges owned by them, the Gorilla Safari Lodge near Bwindi and the Crater Safari Lodge near Kibale. The locations and accommodations were first class and the staff of both lodges made me feel pampered.
I would not hesitate to book with them again or to recommend them with full confidence.
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Email Daniela and Sergio | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We really recommend the Crystal Sarfaris tour.
We would like to thank Christine, Harryson and all staff of the Crystal Safaris for their excellent work.
The tour was very well planned and lodges have been above expectations. Very nice and clean. We always felt looked after and cared for all our needs.
Thank you for the wonderful experience that we had thanks to you. We really hope to see you again for another wonderful trip.
The staff were so attentive and friendly
I recently visited one of the lodges managed by Crystal Safaris, Gorilla Safari Lodge (next to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest). I found the cottages very beautiful & spacious, each with an amazing view of the impenetrable forest. By the way, upon arrival, I was serenaded by the staff and received a complimentary massage (amazing!). On short notice, the staff secured tracking permits for me and organized community activities like the Batwa community performance. They truly made my tracking experience so good. Hope you have an equally gratifying experience.
Email Luke | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic service from beginning to end
I have just returned from a 10 day safari with Crystal Safaris in Uganda and Rwanda. I don't normally write reviews on these sort of sites, but really felt I should on this occasion. Put simply, our tour with Crystal was fantastic from beginning to end - it exceeded our expectations in every respect.
Barbara, who helped to organise the trip, was really responsive in answering our many questions(!) and helping to tailor a trip that was personalised to our needs and interests.
We were met at the airport by our guide, Jonah, who was a fantastic companion throughout our trip. Really knowledgeable about all the wildlife we saw (including a staggering knowledge of bird life!), always cheery despite some very early mornings and great company at mealtimes to learn more about the areas we were visited. Time and again, Jonah went out of his way to make sure we had the best experience possible.
The vehicle we had, too, was ideally suited for the trip - spacious and reliable, with big windows and a pop-up roof that was ideal for game driving.
Despite being on quite a strict budget, the accommodation and food we had throughout the trip was far beyond our expectations - which added an unexpected element of luxury to the trip.
When staying at one of the lodges we also had the chance to meet Christine, the co-founder of the company, who hails from Kibale in Uganda. It was fantastic to chat to her about how she had founded the company, and all the work she puts in to helping the company stand out in a crowded market.
In summary, a truly memorable experience from beginning to end, facilitated fantastically by Crystal Safaris. Couldn't recommend them highly enough!
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Email Elisa & Michela - Italy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic trip thanks to Crystal Safari And our guide Richard
Everything was perfect. Barbara send to me all the trip details quickly, the price was really good .Our accomodations were beautiful, the piace, the food And all the people. A special thanks to Richard, our guide. He was always smiling And so Kind with us. He organized our trip perfectly. We saw a lot of Lions thanks to him! Gorilla And Chimps trekking were incredibile! Thanks Barbara, thanks Richard And all the staff of Crystal Safari!!! Uganda is a beautiful country And I will never forget all of you.
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Email S & K | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Special safari for two people
Looking for a suitable safari company for our trip to Uganda, we asked several companies for a quote. Crystal Safaris caught our attention from the start and after further contacts with a short list of safari companies we decided for Crystal Safaris, and it was a correct decision. The safari they created for us was very nice and in accordance with our request. They always replied very quickly to all our questions (and they were many!) and tailor made the trip as requested as well as giving suggestions in order to improve the trip, the schedule etc. When there was a problem with one of our hotels, which was not up to our standard, they arranged immediately for us to change to another one in the village where we were. The guide selected for us was very experienced with many years as a ranger as well as a safari guide. All in all very good! We can really recommend Crystal Safaris.
Satisfactory safari provisioning
I chose Crystal Safaris after reading reviews and comparing prices for safaris on this website. They seemed to be solid value for the price, which was the case. I had booked for 3 days to Murchison Falls, then expanded to 6 days. My email interactions with Barbara were fine; she responded quickly with information. However, I wish that more information about the hotels would be included in the package description. I was not prepared for the quality of the room in Paraa Lodge - I expected to have AC and a view, but neither was provided. Knowing more about the hotel prior would have allowed me to manage my expectations, and not be disappointed.
Our driver, George, was very good and attentive to our needs. He did a great job on the game drive to find nearly all animals present in the park - the only one he couldn't find was the leopard, which is not surprising. On our last day with the tour, in Entebbe, George was needed for another tour, so we got a different guide. This guy must have been new to the company, because he did not have quite the same skills and personability as George.
Overall I was satisfied with the tour and would recommend Crystal Safaris.
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Email Drew | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Experience in Africa
Crystal Safaris is amazing - I saw both the mountain gorillas and chimps with them in Feb 2018! This has been by FAR the best experience I've ever had in Africa, and I've been to 15 countries on the continent! The staff is very friendly, and the are very efficient at planning/organizing tours. It was such a great & memorable experience, that I'm already planning my next trip back!
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Email Renato & Marinella | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Adventure
I have just returned from a 10 day safari with Crystal Safaris in Uganda. Barbara, helped me to create my tailor trip that was personalised to my interests She answered to my many questions quickly and she told me whatever I have to know before starting my trip.
Our guide, Jonah, is a very good guide, he told us about all the wildlife we saw, about the areas we were visited and about life in Uganda.
The vehicle we had it was spacious with a pop-up roof that was ideal for game driving.
I stayed at 2 of their lodges The Gorilla Safari Lodge in the Rushaga area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where I went on a gorilla trek, and The Crater Safari Lodge near Kibale National Forest where I went on a Chimpanzee trek . Both lodges are nice, staff has been very kind and nice with us and careful to our necessity.
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Email Tarak | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of the best organized tour with wonderful service that resulted in a truly great experience
I wanted to thank you for the most amazing experience on our Gorilla trekking expedition in Uganda. Here are some observations
1. The overall experience was very smooth from booking, to pickup and dropoff. I really appreciated all the help their team provided.
2. The car and guide (Edward) were of the highest quality and made it a memorable trip. Edward is knowledgeable, friendly and was considerate throughout the trip. A truly great experience.
3. The hotels, lodging and food were excellent and exceeded our expectations.
4. Uganda is a beautiful country with some of the prettiest scenery, beautiful green countryside and mountains. I wish I had known about this and I would have gladly spent more time here. Hopefully another time.
5. The gorilla trekking experience was better than even imagined. Even though it is quite strenuous, the time spent with the Gorillas is unforgettable