Herping and Wildlife Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Member Of:
- Association of Uganda Tour Operators, Uganda Wildlife Authority & Uganda Tourism Board
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $350 to $1,800 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Teddy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Alphar is simply the best
If you are a herping fanatic like myself, do not come to Africa with unrealistic expectations. Unlike in the neotropics or SE Asia, you will not find tallies of 20+ snake species over 1-2 week stay. Searching for reptiles in tropical Africa is tough work because of the thick terrain, some species are illusive and on the whole reptiles are thin on the ground. Alphar regularly and succinctly reminded us of this fact via his catchphrase: 'We can not dictate nature'. If you are thinking: 'This sounds like a faff, why bother?'; I can assure you, what Uganda lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality.
Simply put, Alphar and his team at Herping Tour Safaris provide you with the best chance of finding some of Uganda's iconic reptiles. He and his guides are extremely skilled and have unsurpassed local knowledge. What's more, I found their commitment levels to be outstanding (e.g. Alphar was 15 metres up a tree before I knew it to collect a Jameson's mamba!?).
I would also be doing a disservice by not mentioning aspects away from the dense jungles and swampland. All the local guides we used (William, Charles, Nicolas, Patrick, Pato, Brite and Brian) were all very friendly and very attentive even to my broader interests e.g. insects. Joan was good vibes and helped things run smoothly. Last, but not least, Alphar was simply the best guide I have experienced. He was extremely optimistic and friendly, if we needed anything he would arrange for it, no matter how small. Wherever we went, Alphar garnered a great deal of respect from locals, hotel staff etc and I can totally see why. Simply put, he somehow managed to simultaneously be a professional tour operator and a friend.
During our tour we managed to see 7 species of snake, which was very lucky. These included my 3 top targets: Rhinoceros viper, Atheris hispida and Gaboon viper. We also greatly enjoyed Chimp trekking and shoebill watching! Thanks for everything Alphar and Herping Tour Safaris, it is less of a case of 'if' we will come back and more a question of 'when?'.
Email Ross | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great guides for herping (reptiles)
I had a great 3 days herping with Alphar’s team of guides. Isborne was my lead guide and he was very likeable and took care of everything. I found almost my entire wish list of species in 3 days and can highly recommend using them for your herping trips.
Email Stephen | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Passionate and superb guides!
We had an awesome time with Alphar and Herping and Wildlife Safaris! Mambas, vipers, and incredible people. Additionally, even though we self-drove the remaining part of our trip, Alphar helped us with permitting, planning and any questions while we were on the road. We feel incredibly fortunate, not just for the herping success, but for the opportunity to meet such a fantastic and passionate conservationist!
Well planned, well delivered and well communicated! Overall made a fantastic experience.
This tour outfit exceeded expectations and provided a great and unique experience relative to the standard "game drive only" safari.
We did a 9 day safari that was incredibly varied in scope to meet the interests of everyone in the party. Alphar was responsive, friendly and quick to accommodate our requests to put together a truly bespoke and unforgettable experience.
Our guides, Izzy (reptiles) and Gerald (mammals) were fantastically skilled spotters. They were also warm and friendly and not only provided loads of information on the animals we were encountering, but also gave a great picture of the life, culture and history of Uganda. They completely enriched the experience and helped make long drives feel short.
If you're planning to visit Uganda to herp, this is also THE outfit to choose. Look at most Uganda reptile videos on YouTube or photos from professional photographers and chances are Herping and Wildlife Safaris organized the trip.
With a pretty restricted amount of time committed to herping, we managed to find a good number of our target species (and I will most certainly be going back to find the rest).
All of the lodges we stayed in were clean and comfortable and I don't think I had a bad meal, but the standouts were definitely:
- Ruboni Community Camp in Rwenzori (the coolest location ever)
- Aardvark Safari Lodge in QENP (incredible food, lodge, service, rooms, everything... bonus elephant walking through the property)
- Ride for a Woman in Bwindi (amazing story and cause and the staff were welcoming and friendly. I really loved this place)
If you're a wildlife photographer (or landscape), this could be one of your most diverse and productive trips. It certainly was for me: https://www.simonmillerphotography.com/uganda25
