Our Safari Jeep
Frena Adventures
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2018)
- Member Of:
- UTB & KCCA
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $120 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
AE
Email Jayanti | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Soured our hard earned vacation
Fred and Eddie have managed to sour our hard earned trip to Rwanda and Uganda.
I booked the 5 day mid-range itinerary with Frena. I sent our tickets to Fred as soon as i booked it (a month ahead of our trip), he ignored our flight time and added chimp tracking, which we only got to know, was never possible after meeting Eddie, the tour guide. He refunded the money but was so vague and indirect and not sorry about this and rudely told me to research pricing of the chim tracking.
The car was a very uncomfortable van, making the long drives uncomfortable and unsafe! the front seat snapped back multiple times on my husband’s feet. Eddie never apologized, never did anything about it. Even the roof that was propped up for the game safari, came slamming down and thankfully we werent standing at that time, all because he forgot to engage the safety lock and again, never apologized.
Eddie had no interest in communicating the plan of the day, change in plans, any delays etc, we just had to figure it out. Day 2, i asked him about lunch enroute and he told me we will have late lunch at the lodge, we reached at 5pm, and due to his communication mishap, they had not prepared lunch. All he said was “why dont you have an early dinner by 6?” No apologies again.
The last day, he made us leave our lodge at 6:30 for a 6 hour drive, reaching the airport 5 hours before our flight (im sure he knew they dont even let you in) under the pretense that we may get traffic, when he actually wanted to get to Kampala sooner.
KR
Email Junseong David Kim | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Frena Adventure was more than a professional level; Our guide Apollo felt more like a family.
We landed at Entebbe, Uganda later than the plan originally had, but Apollo and Abraham tried to fit all the activities during the stay, and actually provided us all the itinerary and schedules we were supposed to have.
Apollo was perfect in terms of speaking English. We had no problems sharing our thoughts on wonderful nature of Uganda and sometimes talk about our lives in Korea and Uganda. We shared so much things together as human-beings not as tourists and a guide.
Gorilla trekking was worth that money, and so did Chimpanzee trekking. We saw marvelous forest and very different kinds of animals dwelling harmonious in one place.
When passing through the Kazinga Channel, hundreds of hippos and alligators, even a pack of elephants welcomed us. Aside from eating packed lunch from the lodge, we spoke with Apollo that we want to try very local cuisine, and so we did.
The most memorable moment is not one, but every single moment was precious and our family was living with uncountable happiness all time.
I thank you very much Apollo, and dear Frena Adventures for supporting our first tour at Africa. Uganda will stay in our heart forever.
Ronnie was the most dependable, informative tour guide we have ever had!
Thanks to Ronnie and Fred, with Frena Adventures, my husband and I were able to have an experience of a lifetime on our four day tour. I was communicating with Fred prior to the booking and he was so helpful, responsive, and knowledgeable that I made no hesitation in booking with Frena Adventures.
Ronnie, our amazing tour guide, picked us up at our hotel in a very comfortable vehicle and we made the long drive from Kapala to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The drive didn't seem that long as Ronnie made a few fun stops (Equator Pics and Coffee, Fabulous lunch, etc). He pointed out some fascinating sites along the way and patiently answered all of my questions regarding the surrounding areas. We first stayed at the Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge and the view was just spectacular, as were the staff. The accommodations were as expected (mid range) and we actually slept very well there. The food was really good and we highly recommend this location.
The next morning, we woke up and went on our Gorilla trekking adventure in Bwindi and it did not disappoint- it was such an amazing experience! The guides, the locals, the guards- everyone was so nice and informative. We are still in awe of the experience. From there, we traveled to the Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort and this had to be our favorite accommodations by far. This in on one of the 99 islands in Lake Bunyonyi and it's so quiet and tranquil that we could have stayed here longer. You can swim off the dock, you can hike the island and see the local wildlife (monkey, zebra, waterbok, donkey, deer, etc), or you can sit on the terrace and enjoy the wonderful food and staff. The accommodations exceeded our expectation of a mid range lodge, and we highly recommend this location.
The next day we set off for the Queen Elizabeth National Park and we took a two hour private boat tour on the Kazinga Channel onto Lake Edward. Now this experience was completely unexpected- we saw a TON of hippos, Water Buffalos, and more bird species than we knew existed. But we also saw Elephants (in and out of the water), and monkeys, etc. Our tour guides were two young men and were SOOO knowledgable and friendly, we had a great time with them. We had a fabulous lunch of fresh caught fish and then we set off on our evening game drive in the QE NP. The game drive was amazing- we had a wonderful guide along with Ronnie and with their help, we were able to see Baboons, warthogs, elephants, waterbok, antelope (one heard of almost 1000), Buffalo, Lioness, Leopard, and more. We were just blown away by all that we were able to see.
We then headed to our lodging at the Queen Elizabeth Safari Lodge, which was a new hotel (new for Frena, as well). The hotel itself was very nice with new lodging and good amenities, but the service was inexperienced and slow and so it impacted our agenda marginally. Thankfully Ronnie was so good at keeping us on schedule that we didn't miss anything.
Our next morning, we ventured off on a chimpanzee tour that was phenomenal, we saw so many different types of primates and our guides were just so knowledgeable and friendly. A truly remarkable experience! We then started the long track to the airport in Entebbe and were dropped off with plenty of time to meet our 11pm departure.
A huge thanks to Ronnie for making this such a memorable experience, we couldn't imagine a more patient and knowledgable driver/guide. We have travelled all over the world and he is by far our favorite tour guide to date.
A few suggestions for folks considering the 4 day gorilla trekking tour with Frena Adventures:
-Ask Fred for a packing list, he has a great one that is helpful.
-Bring gloves... like gardening gloves for heavy thorns as this was extremely useful during the two trekks. Everyone else was trying to manage with large walking sticks but ended up abandoning them and using their hands to traverse some of the more steeper terrains. We were the envy of the group with the gloves.
-Make sure you have bills for tipping and buying souvenirs- Tips for hotel staff (3 locations), tips for Guides (6 on Gorilla, 2 on Boat, 1 on Game Drive, 2 on Chimpanzee); Souveniers- Batwa Cultural Experience; and of course- tip your drive/tour guide (at the end of the trip).
-If you can, bring pens for the local children. Everywhere you go kids will wave and smile at you, and we learned that a lot of tourists give them pens for school. When you drive up and down the mountains, you will see kids walking to get water or walking to school and so stopping to give them a pen would really go a long way. Don't bring chocolate or sweets as they don't have the dentistry to support that kind of sugar intake.
-Spend a little bit more for the Mid Range Lodging options. Even though they are midrange, not all lodges has shampoo/conditioner/soap for you, so be prepared.
-This 4 day trip will take you from extremely warm temperatures, to really cool temperatures so bring a sweater/jacket.
Email Kevin Allen | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience but it's not a easy hike to see gorillas!
We debated a lot whether or not to go to Rwanda or Uganda to see the gorillas. Ultimately due to the lower cost and in budget, we decided to trevel in Uganda, we chose Bwindi and loved it! Our guide helped us pick a medium difficulty walk with a family of gorillas that included babies. The walk was not so easy at all, about more than an hour and a bit of uphill walking. Close to seeing the gorillas, we left our bags/packs and then within a few minutes we were surrounded by gorillas! It was incredible!! We felt so close to them and often the rangers would help cut down some of the foliage to help us get closer or to see better. We saw 3 babies, one who was dancing around in the trees. The hour with the gorillas passed by very fast! It was truly a worthwhile experience.
US
Email Richard Briggs | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trekking the beauty at Lake Bunyoni
After visiting this place, I must say Lake Bunyoni is one of the most beautiful sights in Uganda, drowned a history and surrounded by stunning views. Across the way is a place called Edirisa were we stayed for some time and our guides Apollo and Frank helpout touring the surrounding areas. The place is one in a million and is a must see in Uganda. Highly recommend a trip to the Lake. Apollo managed a short boat ride around and tell us some interesting facts about the region and the people. Many small islands within the Lake and you can stop at some and walk around there. Our 4 days trip was managed in a very precise manner by Frena Adventures and want to thanks a lot...I Hope we will back here soon..
US
Email Michael Wilson | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
This Park is Absolutely Amazing Place
Me and my Partner travelled to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Junuary 2020 and we had a great experience with Frena Adventures.
We tracked a family of 15 Gorillas. which was quite difficult in some very rugged terrain but well worth it when you catch up to them. Just sitting and watching them makes you realize how close to humans they are. It was an absolutely amazing experience and well worth it.
US
Email Joseph | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Mesmerizing Journey to Uganda - Thanks to East African Jungle Safaris...
It was a great experience to be so close to nature and becomes more exciting as you have to "earn the experience" by all the efforts that a traveller puts in, which gives more satisfaction. My Kudos to each of the members who has involved to our trip and make the travel such an amazing experience. Should categorically state my thanks to Babylon who was a wonderful guide/driver and was a pleasure to interact with. Very good accommodation and Great food at most of the places.
Its a great place for anybody who is looking for a trip out of box and out of comfort zones but need a sense of accomplishment. Look forward very much to a return visit...
ES
Email Pablo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Easy, comfortable, enriching and budget adjusted
Easy, comfortable, enriching and budget adjusted
First of all I have to recommend the travel to Uganda. It is an incredible country, safe with an enormous environmental wealth.
We contact Frena Tour quite late and even so they were able to manage everything we asked.
The communication was always easy and fluid vie e.mail. Was very easy to get an agreement and common understanding.
We did the reservation with a app similar to paypal but used more frequently in Africa and it worked perfectly.
The driver, Willy was totally punctual the first date and he was patient, friendly, respectful and a great guide. Was really a pleasure to do the travel with him.
The car was very comfortable taking into account the long travel by road in the country.
I totally would repeat it with this company and will fully recommend for future trips.
US
Email Steve L | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Frena was very responsive and replied to each of my requests immediately.
Frena Adventures provided great service. Ronald, my driver, was friendly and helpful, and a safe driver. He was very ready to talk about any subject, which is helpful for passing the time in the car.
I went to Nyungwe NP in Rwanda and had a very good trip. Frena took care of everything. I only had to pay for drinks. I saw great wildlife.
FI
Email Jemina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic tour
We managed to book a last minute tour to Murchison Falls National Park for two days and it was perfect.
Our guide picked us up from the hotel and drove us to the park. There we got to do a boat tour and see hippos and elefants.
Then we went to a game ride and saw buffalos, oribis, giraffes, lions and elefants.
On the next morning we saw more animals and visited the Rhino sanctuary.
I couldn't be happier, our tour was perfect! Thank you!
