A fraction of our Team.
Big Apes Africa
- Office 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)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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
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.