We'd rather take your smile to the bank!
Lush Africa Safaris
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2004)
- Member Of:
- Association of Uganda Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Spencer Coleman | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Top tier
I started looking at various tour operators about a year ago but was constantly running into the issue of not being able to do everything I wanted with one operator. I had just about given up when I found Lush African Safaris. Abbey was able to organize a trip that had every destination and activity (some less common than others) I was looking for, without going outside of my budget. We went back and forth for a couple of weeks discussing locations and accommodations before we built the perfect adventure. Can’t thank Abbey enough for all of the time he spent on this.
Fast forward several months and I arrive in Kigali and meet Yves. He was kind, punctual and knowledgeable on every topic I could think of asking about. He was also able to fit a few activities that I wanted to do but weren’t discussed prior to my arrival to Rwanda. Once we got to the lodge Yves was also able to negotiate a larger room with a better view and a balcony without any extra charge. I can’t recommend Yves enough.
Next up, I fly to Nairobi and meet my Kenya guide, Jackson. He is a super cool dude who waited without complaint an extra few hours outside of the airport for me while the airline looked for the walking stick I used while gorilla trekking in Rwanda. The airline wasn’t able to find the walking stick (they did after we left- so we went back later on). Upon finding out that they lost my walking stick, Jackson gifted me his- very cool, I know. He was able to accommodate everything that I wanted to do (including a request he had never been asked before). Jackson loves animals so he wanted to see everything at least as much as I did which meant he was willing to stay in the park from opening to close and never tried to waste any time. At the lodges I would regularly speak to others that were on safari that had only seen 1/10th of what I had.
Last but certainly not least, I meet my Tanzania guide Lordlugard or Lordie for short. Lordie is basically a scientist working as a guide who could tell me the binomial nomenclature for just about everything we encountered. We talked a lot about animal behavior and it didn’t take long to see the value in this. We would do things like go to the opposite side as other safari vehicles of a rock outcrop and at first not be able to see anything but suddenly we’d have the best seat in the house as the lion or leopard moved right in front of us for a better view of its surroundings. Lordie was also happy to stay in the park from opening to close which was exactly what I wanted.
A safari is only as good as your guides and all 3 of mine exceeded all expectations and left me thankful for the adventure of a lifetime!
Email Paul Fulcher | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great overall experience and an amazing trip.
We really enjoyed our time and overall experience with Lush Africa Safaris. We did a 12-day Rwanda/Uganda Trek to see the Mountain Gorillas (Uganda) and Golden Monkeys (Rwanda) followed by a Safari in Nairobi National Park --> Maasai Mara --> Serengeti --> Ngorongoro Crater --> Amboseli. The only thing is I wish we would've added just one more day onto Serengeti, but the overall trip was amazing. Our guides Yves, Julius and Daniel were amazing. We got all of the Big 5, entire Prides of Lions, Kilimanjaro views one morning, and true upclose and amazing experiences with the gorillas and monkeys. We did the Hot Air Balloon in northern Serengeti (well worth it).
Also -- don't get too hung up on bringing a camera -- we used our iPhone / Samsung Galaxy and the pics were AMAZING. Didn't use our camera at all actually.
Email MIHAELA | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing trip
I had a great trip in Uganda and Rwanda. It was all done by road. Even though the roads are not the best in Uganda everything went according to plan. The distances are not that long but as the roads are not very good you need patience, it is Africa not Europe. The guides were very good, especially Steven my guide in Uganda. He knew the roads very well and planned the transfers from one lodge to the next very well. He was very flexible also in terms of activities. I would fully recommend Lush Africa Safaris for your holiday. As there are many lodges to choose from both in Uganda and Rwanda to avoid disappointment I would suggest you let Abbey know what you are looking for in terms of size and remoteness of lodges. Some are very big others only have up to 10 rooms. Also if you want less tourists consider travelling at the end of the rainy season.
TW
Email Angry Traveler | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bad and dangerous experience
Bad and Dangerous Experience
- Lush didn’t book our flights between Rwanda and Kenya. They had to change our itinerary last minute while we are in the forest.
- We almost couldn’t go gorilla trekking because they messed up our reservation with the national park.
- Dangerous driving in the mountains at night. No AC no seatbelts in the cars.
- Communicating with them was a nightmare
不要訂快跑！
Email Lanna Wing | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Accommodating and Professional
We booked a trip from Entebbe to Bwindi for a Gorilla Trek as part of our 25th Anniversary. Steven, our driver was on time and professional throughout the entire trip. We also kept him as our driver for a week after for a Mission part of our trip in Busia. I can not say enough good things about how safe Steven made us feel and how accommodating both Abbey and Steven were for our entire time in Uganda. Communication was easy and we felt like valued customers. We will be traveling back to Uganda in January with a group of 7 and will re-book with Lush Africa Safaris' without hesitation. The service and value are top notch!
The Best Trip You’ll Ever Have
The front office’s customer service was great, our local guides’ knowledge and skills in the field were impeccable, and the whole travel experience was excellent. I fully recommend Lush Africa Safaris especially if you’re looking to combine a number of countries. And I don’t know if you can hand-pick guides but Derrick in Uganda and Rwanda is impressive, Peter in Kenya is a champion and Joseph in Tanzania is heaven-sent. We couldn’t have been luckier to get three of the best!
I spent 18 days in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania with 5 other friends and we had a blast, felt safe, taken care of and we saw many amazing things. We never wanted the trip to end because we were having a lot of fun, learning from the best Africa has to offer. As a lifelong Arizonan, the African sun was never a problem for me, but I must tell you the gorilla place Bwindi can get really cold at night, as if it has its own winter system. We were so lucky we saw the big 5 plus the chimpanzees, gorillas, lots of primates and the boat ride in Queen Elizabeth park is quite a highlight. We chose gorilla habituation over the standard tracking because we wanted to stay longer with the gorillas. I saw my favorite animal, the cheetah, in Masai Mara and Serengeti. At that point, my safari was completed. But we also saw many giraffes, lions, black & white colobus - another of my favorites, leopards, crocodile, many hippos in Uganda, rhinos in Kenya, we even saw a honey badger tussling with a pair of jackals in Ngorongoro.
Our trip began in Entebbe and ended in Kilimanjaro. The airport transfers were handled expertly by Lush. Their prices are fair, and they got us very nice midrange accommodations everywhere.