Reviews
PL
Email Marek | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Everything planned was realised in 100 %.
The contact from the first day was really good. We've spent over 2 weeks with this company. We've done everything that was planned. Not only have we seen a lot of different animals, but also we've spent some time getting to know the culture itself. Really worth going.
Email John | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An excellent six day tour to northern Uganda; great for new bird species
I had a work trip to Kampala and wanted to stay on for a trip to Murchison Falls and Kidepo NP, and contacted several tour operators for group or individual trips on the dates I wanted, some of whom responded, including Eco-Specialists. Communications in advance about the trip were good and revisions to the itinerary were made to take account of some of my suggestions. Other suggestions of mine were not realistic because of the distances involved. I chose Eco-Specialists on price and as a small, local company with strong emphasis on birds. I was met one lunchtime at the conference hotel in Kampala while I was working to finalise pick-up and other details.
The six day trip was excellent. Accommodation was at the simpler, cheaper end of the available range, but all worked out fine. Having worked and traveled elsewhere in Africa (but not Uganda), I had a reasonable idea what to expect. The guide had excellent ability to spot and identify birds, but also good general knowledge of history and life in Uganda (also important to me), which made for good traveling.
Eco-Specialists go more often to western Uganda and less frequently to the north. As a result, the tour guide was less familiar with the up to date situation with regard to things like road improvements, and did not know that a shorter route we could have taken had recently been surfaced. I have already recommended to them that they need to do a bit more checking in advance when going to areas they are less familiar with.
Overall, it was an excellent trip and I would recommend Eco-Specialists and would certainly go with the company again.
Email Patrick Frew | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Friendly personalised tour seeing 500 bird species
As recommended in the Bradt guidebook, we arranged a personalised 16 day birding itinerary direct with Ibrahim Senfuma of Ecospecialists. We visited Mabamba, Mburo, Bwindi, QENP, Kibale, Semliki, Murchison Falls. 2 of us were accompanied & driven by Ibrahim and Robert, both of whom are expert guides and pleasant company. Days were long, usually up before light, and sometimes arriving late at the next accommodation. It would therefore be a waste of money to stay in luxury lodges (such at Mweya or Paraa) as you are only there overnight. Middle range accommodation is quite adequate. Food (all included) was simple, a mixture of African and Western; fish is always excellent. This trip is suitable for keen birders, and some of the forest birding is hard, hearing calls and glimpsing lured birds in the undergrowth. We saw 500 sp of birds, of which 225 were new to me (I have been before to E, W, & S Africa). Shoebill seen well at 2 locations. November is the end of wet season and may not be best time for some sp (we did not see Pitta & Green Broadbill). We also did gorilla and chimp tracking and saw plenty of other wildlife in the parks. One has to accept that tourism in Uganda is expensive, and has no connection to local costs. Our trip cost $4000pp and over 30% of this was in fees to UWA. It was a special trip (for my 60th birthday) and will always bring us good memories.
Feel free to contact me via this website if you want more details.