Gorillas and Beyond Team
Gorillas and Beyond Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Member Of:
- UTB & FIGNET
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $700 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DE
Email JÖRG | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect and impressive 15 days - safari and primate trekking
Together with my wife I spent 15 days with "Gorillas and Beyond" and the owner named Wyclef in Uganda. We visited different national parks, went on safaris - watched the Big 5 (lion and leopard!), Went gorilla and chimpanzee trekking, saw beautiful lakes and got to know local villages.
It was an absolutely great experience - thanks to our guide Wyclef
After spending 15 days with him, it felt like leaving a friend. In addition to his great knowledge of Ugandan culture, its customs and Uganda's history, he can answer almost any question about Ugandan wildlife and even their birds.
He knows where to find the best restaurants and lodges - and he has a lot of contacts in almost every place in Uganda. There won't be a problem that he can't solve.
The main reason I would recommend Wyclef is because of his character - he's totally trustworthy, has a good sense of humor, and you are just comfortable around him.
Also, its prices are better than similar operators and far better than major international operators.
If you plan to return, Wyclef would always be my first choice.
Thank you for this great experience!
Jörg
(automatic translation from German)
Email Jacqueline Blythe | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gorillas and Beyond...... our wildest expectations!
Gorillas and Beyond … our wildest expectations!
Myself and 2 friends, have just finished an amazing 14-day trip to Uganda with Gorillas and Beyond Safaris accompanied by the wonderful owner, driver and guide Wyclef Rushaju.
From start to finish it was a first class experience. Choosing and customising the trip with Wyclef was easy and painless. He even arranged to facetime us before we travelled so that we could ask any additional questions and get to know each other face to face before we travelled.
I’d never travelled on a private tour before but found the experience and personal touchs very enjoyable. The initial reason for our trip was to visit the mountain gorillas #bucketlist, but this trip included so much more with fantastic game drives, seeing the big 5 along with lots of other savannah wildlife, hundreds of species of birdlife, boat trips, the beauty of the landscape Murchison falls, where the mighty Nile forces itself through a narrow chasm, Lake Mburu and especially the people.
The tailored tour we chose covered a wide area and so we had some long travel days on red dirt roads littered with potholes. At times it was like a fairground ride but expertly navigated by Wyclef who managed to keep one eye on the potholes and the other on the wildlife. The plus side of travelling by road was seeing the beautiful countryside, driving through remote areas and seeing the real Uganda and its people. We found the Ugandan people, always friendly and smiling with shouts of ‘How are you from the children’. When you go take a selection of sweets and pens which were received both eagerly and graciously by the children.
Our accommodation was in very picturesque settings and very comfortable with staff who were always friendly and welcoming.
The gorilla trek was fantastic, and I would definitely recommend hiring a porter which supports the local community and to help you up and down what can be very steep muddy slippery mountainsides. I was worried initially about how arduous the trek may be but I am only moderately fit and managed so I am sure most people would cope. We trekked for 2 hours until we saw our Bweza group of gorillas. Coming eye to eye with these wonderful animals was amazing and I was lucky to watch an impressive silver back walk just a few feet past me. Certainly, a once in a lifetime experience. Although if I did again, I would be tempted to do 2 gorilla treks as I could have stayed forever watching these beautiful creatures.
Our guide Wyclef from the outset made us feel very safe and comfortable. He is extremely professional, knowledgeable and focused on ensuring that we all had the best possible experience (e.g. arranging last minute for a local dance group to perform for us to make our new year celebration extra special). He has a fabulous sense of humour and even joined in with our impromptu car kareoke which helped time fly on our longer travelling days. He enthusiastically answered our endless questions helping us build our understanding of Uganda its cultures and wildlife.
It was only when I was planning my Uganda trip that I read that Winston Churchill described Uganda as the ‘Pearl of Africa’. If you are thinking of visiting Africa definitely consider Uganda and I would highly recommend travelling with someone who started as our guide and ended as our friend, the ‘Pearl of Uganda’ Wyclef Rushaju from Gorillas and Beyond safaris.
AT
Email Sabine & Johannes | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It couldn't be better!
Booking with Gorillas and Beyond Safaris was like winning a jackpot. If you book Wyclef as a guide for your individual Uganda tour, you are actually in the best of hands. Here the 7 reasons why we would book again at Gorillasandbeyond at any time:
1. Very good communication in advance. The travel plan is adapted to the individual wishes and the personal budget.
2. No hidden costs. The (fair) price, once agreed, holds.
3. You don't have to worry about anything in Uganda. Gorillasandbeyond takes care of everything - from booking the lodges to organizing the permits to the most efficient travel plan. You can sit back and enjoy.
4. Wyclef is a very responsible driver. As with everything else, he attaches great importance to reliable quality in his car. In addition, the journey times he predicted were always exactly correct.
5. You feel that you are in good hands. Wyclef knows exactly where you can eat as a foreign tourist and what our stomach would probably not be so comfortable with. When choosing a restaurant, you can rely 100% on his recommendation.
6. Wyclef is very well networked in Uganda. This helps enormously in the event of unforeseen challenges such as B. lost luggage.
7. It's fun! If you are out and about with someone for many days, the chemistry has to be right. We think that Wyclef has a very pleasant, empathetic manner and that he can adapt well to the personality of his clients. We really had a wonderful time with him :-)
MX
Email Atziri | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great operator, super responsible
This has been the most unexpected wonderful surprise trip of my life. We kept delaying our trip until COVID was a bit more stable (end of June and beginning of July). We loved it! Wyclef was very attentive and organized a great 12 day trip that took us around Uganda visiting the highlights of nature. Hillary our guide became more than a tour guide to us, he became a brother. We had a great trip, even with COVID 19 looming. People in Uganda are super friendly and really carefull with COVID. We loved every day of our trip. Unexpected highlights: go visit the Pygmees in Lake Bunyonyi, this experience was underrated and is really great. They are very grateful. I just wish we had taken more than money to help them out (perhaps clothes). Be prepared (ask everything you will need beforehand each day). Take good walking shoes. Get a porter when going to gorilla´s trip (they are way more than carriers throughout this trip, they are really helpful to avoid falls when walking through the slippery roads). Highly recommended. Literally Gorilla´s accompanied us since we left the airport until we got to the flight back. BTW carefull with your money! if you are taking dollars they are extremely picky with them accepting them (not the tour operator, but in general they whole country).
CH
Email Lucie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceeded our expectations!
Wyclef took excellent care of us (my boyfriend and me) from the beginning until the end of our trip. We felt in good hands the whole time. He always made sure we were comfortable. Everywhere we went he would brief the rangers or the staff to ensure we had the best experience.
Uganda is a beautiful country, with lots of variety in terms of landscapes, animals, birds, plants... And visiting it with Wyclef was definitely a big plus. We loved our conversations with him as he is very knowledgeable about wildlife and his country in general. In addition to that, we had a great time exchanging about our respecting lives and cracking jokes all the time.
We have definitely come to consider Wyclef a friend and miss him already!
All in all, we would recommend Gorillas and Beyond Safaris Ltd without second thoughts. Whatever your needs and wants for your trip, Wyclef is flexible and will surely make it happen.
US
Email Stacey | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely top notch in every way
In June/July 2019 we spent a week in Uganda following 2 weeks in Kenya. We had a strong idea of what we wanted to do from guidebooks and online research: flying from Nairobi to Entebbe Uganda and from there to Kasese for chimp trekking in Kibale Nat’l Park and community and swamp walks in nearby Bigodi, a drive down through Queen Elizabeth Nat’l Park with a boat trip and stay on the Kazinga Channel, then further south through the Ishasha Sector to see tree climbing lions and to Buhoma for a gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Nat’l Park, then a flight from Kihihi back to Entebbe and home.
I emailed our wish list to half a dozen companies for feedback and estimates. Most of them responded with their stock 5 or 6 day itineraries that had little to do with our interests and research. No thanks!
Wyclef of Gorillas and Beyond was responsive and had the best price so we went with him and we could not have made a better choice - we had an absolutely gobsmacking visit. Everything went smoothly and we loved it all: the flights, lodging, guides, tours, and road trips with Wyclef.
We found Wyclef to be creative, knowledgeable, organized, compassionate, passionate about his country, and really great company. I don't have sufficient words to recommend him highly enough - he's that great. Happy trails!
Email Mary M | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A memorable journey of my life and thank you Wyclef!
We can't believe we are back to Sydney, Australia.
I still think of gorillas, chimps, Lions, Murchison, Sipi Falls and Rafting white Nile.
We have planned our trip 8 months and spent three weeks in this amazing country Uganda, organized by our guide Wyclef. The whole journey was incredible and will be a memory for a lifetime.
I cannot find enough words to thank Wyclef, for his incredible knowledge and patience; he never complained and always took on all our requirements for the best outcome. He was always willing to help and was very positive towards any unexpected request.
He is also an excellent and safe driver and we went through many difficult roads without trouble. He was everything in our journey and made things happen for anything; like exchanging money, or buying food we wanted on the journey.
The most memorable highlights on this trip were (i) the gorilla tracking where we spent over 6 hours with a family of 22 gorillas in the forest which was an absolutely amazing experience, (ii) a visit with an overnight stay in a chimpanzee sanctuary (Ngamba Island) which was a very emotional experience. They have 98% DNA the same as humans. We fed them on the Island bank after we called them, they came out to greet us on the water edge; a very memorable experience.
If anyone wants to come and visit Uganda, Wyclef is the person to talk to. and his company and his staff will provide remarkable service to make your journey a delightful memory. He is highly recommended.
I have documented our journey in videos. You can see them from Gorilla and Beyond on Instagram and Facebook.
Mary M from Sydney
BE
Email Maarten | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An incredible trip thanks to an amazing guide.
We spent three full weeks with Wyclef from Gorillas and Beyond, traveling throughout the whole of Uganda in October-November '22. The entire trip was amazing, thanks to Wyclef we managed to see and experience as much of the country as possible, from Sipi and Kidepo Valley in the East to Murchison Falls and Bwindi in the West and so many places in between.
Wyclef proved to be an exceptional guide, with an amazing array of qualities. First of all a fun travel companion with a great sense of homour. Very smart and knowledgeable, I was amazed at how much we learned from him. No matter the subject, he always makes for interesting conversation.
As a guide, he knows every part of Uganda and made valuable suggestions about where to go, stay, eat etc. Wyclef is very good at organizing, punctual and leaving nothing to chance while anticipating our needs. Our trip went amazingly smooth, in large part thanks to him. He's also a very good safari guide, knows his animals and birds (bird-watchers, Wyclef is your man!) and his eagle-eyes would spot and recognize all kinds of animals while we're still trying to focus our binoculars.
We also happened to stay at his lodge in Bwindi (Bweza Gorilla Lodge), where the service and quality reflected his own high standards. So if you're looking for a lodge, we can highly recommend Bweza.
Oh, also important: all this came at a reasonable price. Wyclef is genuine and reliable, and we never felt like he was doing it for the money, it feels like he just likes to show you his country and all its wonders. So don't hesitate to go with Gorillas and Beyond!
Thanks again to Wyclef for an unforgettable trip.
US
Email Kelly Rahn | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful personalized experience.
When planning my Uganda trip, I was originally just looking for a driver but not necessarily a guide and I came across Wyclef's name in the TripAdvisor reviews of Gorillas and Beyond Safaris. The reviews I read were stellar so I reached out to him. In summary, those stellar reviews are accurate. From the first communication I had with Wyclef via email he was responsive, thorough and very patient with all my inquiries. He actually ended up being the BEST THING to happen to our trip because he turned out to be so much more than just a driver/guide for our 22 day trip around Uganda. He became a KEY PLAYER in making our trip to Uganda truly a trip of a lifetime. I don't even know where to start with this review because he had such an impact on our trip that he, his family/friends and lodge have truly become friends we will keep in contact with long after the trip is just memories.
One of the advantages of going with Wyclef instead of a tour group is that not only is he giving you a private tour that caters to your personal requests, there is a lot of flexibility if/when you decide to change or tweak your itinerary. We came to Wycef with own own ideas and he filled in the missing details and made suggestions on how to improve on our ideas. He really knows Uganda, the tourist highlights and various lodges that suit your budget/lifestyle. He was also a fabulous connection between us and the local culture since he would explain different foods, cultures, the history of Uganda, etc. We even had some unconventional suggestions that he assisted us with, such as biking for a couple of days in the countryside. He not only organized the bicycles, he also met us along the way on a beautiful overlook with a snack of fresh pineapple. We also requested to hike a few days in the lesser known and lesser visited Rwenzori National Park. He not only organized the trip with the mountaineering guides but he also did the hike with us and summitted his first 15,000ft peak during this trip - no easy feat!!!
It was the little things he added that made this trip special. Somehow Wyclef found out that it was my birthday during my Uganda trip and he managed to surprise me with an entire schoolhouse of children singing me a chorus of "Happy Birthday" along with delivering me a personalized birthday cake. And bird viewing - don't forget the birds! Many people do game drives to see the big animals, but Wyclef would be able to identify even the smallest birds and it goes without saying that Uganda has some absolutely gorgeous colorful birds that we would have overlooked without his keen eye. He was a trooper up to the very end of our trip, when I mentioned to him there was one last souvenior that I wanted - he managed to make a special stop by a market en route to the airport just so I could purchase this item.
In the end, Wyclef became more than just a guide during our time in Uganda, he truly made our trip extra special and became a friend across the miles.
Best holiday ever!
My partner and I decided to book our holiday with Wyclef of Gorillas and Beyond as he was recommended to us and we genuinely had the best holiday ever. From the start, Wyclefs communication was great and he was keen to get the itinerary just right for us. He drew up a draft which looked great but let us know about additional things we could add in if we wanted to - which of course we did! Upon arrival Wyclef picked us up from the airport and continued to look after us for the following 2 weeks. He was an excellent guide and we saw the big 5 on our first day! Wyclef was informative, had an excellent manner and booked us so amazing lodges to stay in. We couldn't ask for a better holiday or guide and we'll be recommending him to everyone! Thank you Wyclef and Gorillas & Beyond!