A fraction of our Team.
Big Apes Africa
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Member Of:
- USAGA, UTB & UWA
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CN
Email Marc | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very Diverse Uganda-Rwanda Experience
Really appreciated Peter’s willingness to work with me on customizing our 13-day Uganda-Rwanda adventure. I can’t overemphasize how great it was to do the trekking experiences for the gorillas, golden monkeys, chimpanzees, and rhinos. I had been to Kenya and Tanzania previously, and these trekking experiences were really unique. While the game drives in Uganda were great, I also really enjoyed the water activities in Kazinga Channel, Murchison Falls, and Mabamba Swamp. Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary was another surprise with all of its different monkeys and birds.
Don was our driver/guide for the entire experience and he was great! Very accommodating and helpful.
IT
Email Loredana Setti | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Just adequate. Not up to the description on the web. Just adeguate
The company contacted us by email before departure, but then they never contacted us again. The driver/guide was very good, but he was a freelancer, not a member of the company.
The hotels were very mediocre (except in Bwindi), especially the lodge in the Queen Elizabeth, with inadequate staff and terrible food.
CA
Email Katharine S | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent tour through Rwanda and Uganda
Our family of four had a great time with our guide Ronaldo. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the animals and added a lot of context to our trip. In Africa, things go sideways with mechanical issues, muddy roads, etc…it’s all part of the adventure and Big Apes found solutions when they were needed. The tour was as planned and the trip of a lifetime!
DE
Email Claudia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
10/10 stars! It was epic!
Wow – what an experience.
We would book again immediately!! Our guide was Andrew. He is fantastic: friendly, helpful, communicative, and always punctual.
The evening before departure, I received a WhatsApp message from Andrew confirming the pickup time and location. We approached the upcoming four days feeling completely relaxed and full of anticipation. We were absolutely not disappointed. Thanks to Peter, Peace, and especially Andrew for this incredible experience.
Thank you!
We hope to return to Rwanda and Uganda someday and travel with you again.
Best regards from Germany,
Claudia and Dennis (35, 34 years)
Email Jim | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Went above and beyond to make our trip great!
Big Apes, Peter the owner, and Ben our guide, all made our trip great. We chose Big Apes because Peter was the only one out of the companies we contacted who understood the somewhat difficult set of requirements for our trip. Not only did he create a plan to fit our needs, he personally stepped in to make it work. My wife and I wanted to make our gorilla trek on a specific date so our daughter, who working there as a visiting doctor, could join us. But she had to work the day before, and it is very long drive from Kampala to Bwindi. To solve the problem, Peter kindly volunteered to drive her himself, way into the early morning hours, to allow her to join us on the trek. As it worked out, she was able to leave earlier and Peter adjusted their trip to add in an extra safari park visit on the drive down. After our return to Kampala, when we had a couple of unplanned days, Peter made Ben and a Land Cruiser available to allow us to visit the places we chose on those days. It was very gracious of him and it made our stay easy from beginning to end.
Ben was a great guide. Our itinerary involved going a lot of places, all very far from one another, in a short amount of time. That meant Ben spent the week driving and driving more everyday on unpaved roads in terrible traffic. Nevertheless, he was always a pleasure to be with and he was always attentive to our comfort. On our first safari day, we had the good fortune of seeing a couple of lions along with the elephants, water buffalo and many other animals. It was a good day by any measure, but Ben wanted us to see a leopard. He worked his connections with other guides for current information and, after racing to chase various leads though some muddy obstacles, he got us a great up-close leopard viewing at the end of the day. Then, leaving from that location, we happened to encounter another one! Every day Ben was where he said he'd be when he said he'd be there.
I believe our trip fell somewhere in the mid-tier and was perfectly comfortable for us. Amazingly, we had no mosquitoes, but all the accommodations were well equipped with bug nets and had good food and helpful service. Our Land Cruiser was pretty well used and had a minor issue or two along the way, but given amount of driving we did and some of the places we went, that was just part of the adventure for us. Overall, our somewhat compressed trip delivered more than we hoped for, and we owe most of that to Big Apes.
Email Stuart & Debi | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Experience
From start to finish, I have nothing but praise for our guide Ben from Big Apes Africa. He was on time waiting for us at Kigali airport and never left our side until he dropped us back off in Kigali 3 days later. He was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained with local history throughout the trip. The 4x4 vehicle was old but comfortable. The roads in Uganda are very bumpy so comfort is crucial.
Our first experience was a trip to the Rwanda Genocide Memorial. Such a humbling place and I would definitely recommend a visit here. We then had long road trip across the border into Uganda, where again Ben made sure everything went smoothly during the border crossing. The scenery during the drive was absolutely spectacular, such a beautiful country.
We arrived at our first lodge for the night, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, which was basic but had everything we needed. Ben helped us get checked in and took care of the details such as dietary requirements and likes and dislikes for dinner and breakfast. The evening meal was pleasant with dancing from the local ladies community.
Early rise in the morning where we had breakfast before heading off to the orientation for the trekking. We were lucky enough to only have 5 people in our group. Pointer - If you get offered a stick to help with the trekking, take it. It was such a valuable help to steady yourself and to use as a level to help when climbing or descending. Also, there are local men who you can hire for the trek for $20 to help carry your bags, water and to also help you over unsteady terrain. Even if you are capable of carrying your own bags, if you have the resource, I would strongly recommend hiring someone as the money is crucial to them. Unfortunately, we were the only 1 in our group to hire someone.
During the trek, the guides make sure we all stayed together and took regular water breaks to make sure we stayed hydrated. I believe we were quite fortunate as we had only been walking for about 2 miles when we were told to put our masks on. Immediately I knew we had found them. I cannot express the absolutely feeling of joy when I saw the first gorilla. There were a total of 8 gorillas in the group with a large silverback, females and a couple of babies. They were super chilled and eating their way through the forest. The babies were playful, hanging upside in the trees. Although you are told to stay 10 feet away, the gorilla's did not get this message and came closer. At one point, the silverback decided he wanted to walk through the trees where we were and I could feel him brush past me. You would think this would be scary, but I was totally lost in the moment and did not feel any fear. The hour goes far too fast so make sure you enjoy every moment and don't just see it through the lens of your camera.
Couple of pointers...Make sure you have long sleeves, long trousers and long socks to tuck your trousers into. Sturdy walking shoes with grip is also essential. We were fortunate that it didn't rain, but a lightweight waterproof jacket would also be good. A pair of gloves is also recommended as the trek can be very rough in places.
We were then taken back to the briefing house where we were presented with certificates. The day was one of the best experiences of my life!!
Ben then drove us to the Birds Nest hotel on Lake Bunyonyi where we were spending our second night. The views were absolutely sensational and I could have stayed here a lot longer than just one night. The rooms were comfortable and the food was delicious. We had the steak which was lovely and lean and very tender.
The following morning we made the trip back to Kigali, Rwanda. The border crossing back into Rwanda was a lot stricter than coming the other way into Uganda, but again Ben was there to help us navigate everything.
Our flight onto our next destination (Zanzibar) was the following morning so Ben dropped us off at the Five to Five hotel for our 3rd night. This is where we parted company. A hotel taxi was arranged for the following morning to take us to the airport. The Five to Five hotel was in a great location with lovely food and drink. Rooms also large and comfortable.
All meals were provided and the food was good. Only things to pay extra for are alcohol and soft drinks.
The whole trip went smoothly and far exceeded our expectations. One of the best experiences of my life! I would have no hesitation in recommending Big Apes Africa and if you have the option to choose your guide, I would definitely recommend Ben.
Thanks you Big Apes. I will remember this trip with a huge smile forever!
Asiimwe Ronald is the best guide ever!
Asiimwe has been the best. He has shown us the ugandan culture to its fullest. We have been able to taste all the Ugandan national dishes, explained to us all the Ugandan traditions and way of living. We could not be more thankful. He even managed to show us the Lions in queen elisabeth park. He was incredible tracking the animals. The gorillas have been simply incredible we where around 1 meter away from them and got to see the silverback and babies. Overall could not recommend this trip more specially with Ronald. Also a big football fan so if you are into football you will have some of the best conversations on the time travelling to the different parks and locations.
NZ
Email Eva | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
We had a great time. A massive shout out to our driver/guide Ronald. He was excellent. He gave us lots of information,answered all our questions and he was fun too.
Communication with the company was good from the beginning.
Also, both the Gorilla and the chimp treck were incredible, beyond expectations.
DE
Email Robert Fritzsche | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Missions done, but...
Hello Mr. Peter K Katusiime and Big Apes Africa Team,
We're back from our 8-day tour, which started in Kigali, Rwanda, and ended in Entebbe, Uganda.
We're down-to-earth people, have been traveling for 12 years, and have some safari experience.
First, the positives.
We were warmly welcomed by our tour guide, Ronald, who was friendly and approachable throughout the entire trip.
He was very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna and explained life in East Africa to us during our journey.
We clicked really well with him after just a few days, and we were sad when the trip was over.
We would definitely travel with him again.
All the best to you, Ronie, and much success! 🤝
The itinerary was well-organized.
Peter's team changed the route and some hotels at our request.
This made our dream of seeing and experiencing primates in their natural habitat come true.
The mid-range accommodations they selected were excellent.
... The food, the service, the views were breathtaking.
As a European, you don't need to be afraid, and you rarely find such friendly, dedicated, and helpful people these days.
However, some things need to be addressed and seen as tough criticism, with the hope of improvement.
First, the car.
We drove about 2,000 km in a dilapidated, old car.
Make, no idea, 300,000 km.
Some of the seatbelts didn't work, no air conditioning, some of the windows were broken or unusable.
There was a smell of exhaust fumes inside the car, and the reserve tank didn't work, which is why we had to make a two-hour stop in the middle of the bush and get help.
Yes, we know, it's Africa.
But when we pay €5,500, we expect something different; it was better in other African countries.
You sometimes felt sorry for our tour guide, Ronald, even though he never complained and made the best of it.
``` Second point: the fuel situation.
If the offer states that fuel is included, then it's included.
Even in Uganda.
Trying to squeeze more money out of tourists through any tricks is unacceptable.
Sending money via SIM card is common there and usually works perfectly.
This sometimes led to situations where we were told we should pay, as it would be faster.
Oddly enough, after a stern phone call from me, everything worked perfectly again.
This shouldn't happen and is annoying.
I also hold this against Peter and the office team around Calvin and Peace.
Third point: trust, communication, and honesty.
I asked several times via email how the remaining 60% of the payment would be handled, but received no reply.
So we took cash with us and hoped for the best.
Then we suddenly had to pay for several things in cash: a hotel, a full tank of gas, and two national park entrance fees.
You can consider this normal, but you don't have to.
After that, we received instructions from the office to stop at a bank along the way and transfer the remaining balance.
Funny.
After 1.5 hours, we were out of the bank and had lost more time on our trip, just like the previous days due to the situation with refueling, car repairs, etc.
If these issues were improved, we would gladly come back.
In conclusion, we have to say:
We managed everything? Yes.
Were we satisfied? 50/50
Regards, Robert and Anne
