Hooves of Africa Safaris - If Not Now, When?
Hooves of Africa - Photo Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2022)
- Member Of:
- AUTO, USAGA, UTB & UWA
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $700 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Megan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Hooves for Africa is a professional, reliable, and exceptionally well-organised tour company.
My husband and I recently completed the 7-day Rwanda and Uganda tour with Hooves for Africa, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
From start to finish, everything was exceptionally well organised, and the entire trip ran smoothly. Our guide, Brian, was incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and passionate about the places and wildlife we visited. He went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable and looked after, and by the end of the trip he truly felt like part of the family!
Seeing the incredible wildlife was an unforgettable experience. Trekking to see the golden monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees was absolutely magical, and the safari game drives gave us the opportunity to see so many amazing animals.
We genuinely felt like VIPs throughout the journey. Every detail was thoughtfully planned, allowing us to simply relax and enjoy the adventure.
We have absolutely no complaints—this was a fantastic trip from beginning to end. Thank you, Hooves for Africa and Brian, for creating memories we’ll cherish forever. We highly recommend this tour to anyone considering Rwanda and Uganda!
Email Hannah & Paul | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful company!
We had a wonderful 6 day trip with Hooves Of Africa. We picked Hooves because we needed a six day itinerary.
Everything was organised perfectly from the start. Many thanks to our guide Stephen and the organiser Dixon for arranging a great week for us! We were collected from our accommodation in Kigali on time and the whole week was very smooth. All activities and permits all sorted and each accommodation was great! The car was comfortable, border crossings really easy and we achieved our dream of seeing the mountain gorillas and seeing some of beautiful Uganda & Rwanda! Would definitely recommend Hooves as a company to trust with your trip.
Email Priya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
He was very kind and informative
I had a great experience. My guide and boatmen went out of their way to get me a good view of the allusive Shoebill. I felt safe and comfortable.
Email Pasty | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great trip
The itinerary was perfect
seen lots of wildlife
Hotels and meals were good
definitely would recommend
Email Arina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hooves of Africa gave us an unforgettable experience
It is hard to express in words how amazing our trip with Hooves of Africa was. It had been my dream to go to see mountain gorillas since high school and Hooves of Africa made it a reality. Dickson was very responsive and helpful during the planning process; he always responded to questions quickly and made it easy to adjust the tour. We originally booked a nine-day safari, which included gorilla and chimpanzee trekking, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Mburo National Park. Dickson made it easy to add a couple days to the original tour so we could go to Murchison Falls and The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, which ended up being a great decision because they became some of the highlights of our trip. I could not find plane tickets that matched our booked tour dates exactly, so we had two extra days in Uganda. Dickson arranged for rooms for the extra nights and a tour of Kampala during one of our extra days. Dickson picked us up from the airport when we arrived in Entebbe, even though we got there at midnight. He took us out for dinner on our last night in Uganda and asked for any feedback we could give him. He was very invested in hearing and responding to any suggestions for improvements he could make. However, the trip was so perfectly organized that we couldn’t think of anything that could be improved.
The tour that Dickson booked was truly magical. The lodges were all amazing, some of them were the nicest places we have ever stayed in. All the food was fresh and delicious, and every place we went was very accommodating to a vegetarian diet. The staff at all the lodges were very friendly and took great care of us.
I knew wild animals are unpredictable, I was hoping to see a bunch of different species of animals but was not expecting to see so many. Within the first 48 hours of our safari, we had already seen rhinos, hyenas, giraffes, elephants, lions, leopards, hippos, crocodiles, mongoose, several different species of monkeys, and tons of antelopes and birds. I originally booked the tour with the main goal of seeing the mountain gorillas, but I was surprised at how much more Uganda has to offer. We saw the “big five” within 24 hours of starting our safari. We were able to walk among rhinos, giraffes, and zebras. We were impressed learning about Uganda’s conservation efforts in recent decades and how they have been able to restore animal populations and rehabilitate poachers. For some reason, Uganda does not get the same name recognition as other safari destinations but, after this experience, I would consider it the best choice in terms of cultural experience, wildlife variety, and affordability.
Our tour guide was Arshley Brian, and I could not imagine a better tour guide. He was extremely knowledgeable about all the animals and plants that we saw and could spot animals that we did not know were there. He was not only knowledgeable, but you could tell he truly cared about the animals. In one instance, when we were driving on the highway, Arshley suddenly stopped the jeep because he saw something on the highway. He reversed the car, and we saw that there was a small chameleon slowly crossing in the middle of the road. Arshley got out of the car and quickly saved the chameleon, giving us our first look at a chameleon up close, before safely returning it to the brush. And this was not the only chameleon’s life he saved on just our tour! Arshley made this trip unforgettable. His knowledge allowed us to see all the animals we were hoping to see and more. He even made long drives between destinations fun and interesting, sharing stories, jokes, and a real and personal experience of Uganda that we will always value.
On top of being an expert in plants and animals, he could speak 17 languages and always tried to explain the culture of the Ugandan people in every area we went to. As we were passing a small village on our way from seeing the chimpanzees in Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Arshley noticed there was a wedding happening. He stopped the safari jeep and asked us if we wanted to see the wedding. We thought we would just watch the wedding proceedings from the back, but everyone invited us in. Even though we were strangers, they treated us like family. I feel so lucky to have been able to be a part of this couple’s wedding. I would never have expected that to happen, but Arshley saw that a wedding was happening, stopped the car and the whole village gave us this amazing, authentic experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.
This was our first time in Africa and neither of us really knew what to expect. Hooves of Africa, Dickson, Arshley, and Uganda surpassed all expectations we could have had. Our trip was better than I could have ever imagined. Uganda is such a beautiful country. Every person we met was so friendly, inviting, and welcoming. I highly recommend booking a tour with Hooves of Africa. I cannot thank Dickson and Arshley enough for the unforgettable tour we had. I trust them 100% and would recommend them and Uganda to anyone interested in going to Africa.
DE
Email Helmut Wagner | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We have friends in Uganda!
We booked a 7-day tour of Uganda with Hooves of Africa. The communication and organization beforehand were perfect and reliable. Dickson always answered my questions promptly and thoroughly. The trip was easily tailored to our wishes. I don't think it's possible to organize the trip yourself at that price.
Our guide, Emma (Emmanuel), was fantastic. We learned so much about Uganda from him. He knew all the animals and was incredibly well-connected with other guides and rangers, which was very helpful in finding rarer animals and navigating the national park bureaucracy. His funny unobtrusive, and friendly manner greatly enhanced our trip. We had a wonderful week and highly recommend both Hooves of Africa and Emma.
CO
Email Paola | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing and well planned!
I had the most amazing experience with hooves of Africa. The safari was perfectly organized. I had the opportunity to see the big five animals and MORE!
A big thanks to my guide (Elton) that really put it an effort to drive me around to make sure I didn't miss anything!
I stayed in great lodges, there was a nice pool and good food!
10/10 stars to hooves of Africa and Elton!
Thank you
CA
Email Meagan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable, caring and committed - Highly recommend!
We had a great experience with Hooves!
As we planned the trip, Dickson was very supportive and quick to respond to our inquiries. He also went out of his way to meet us at the start and end of the safari.
Abel, our guide, was kind and reliable. He was a great driver and knew the roads well. We were confident we were in good hands throughout the trip.
The guesthouses that Hooves booked for us were lovely - the staff were very welcoming and the views were unbeatable. We particularly loved the Chimpanzee Forest Guest House.
All in all, we had an amazing trip. Uganda is a beautiful and welcoming country, and gorilla trekking was an experience we’ll never forget. We hope to return and take another trip with Hooves some day!
Email Catherine Mistry | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trustworthy enthusiastic operator
We’ve had a superb 3-day 2-night Gorilla tracking experience starting from Kigali with Hooves of Africa. Prior to our trip the owner Dickson was very responsive and easy to communicate with. Our guide Elton was funny and friendly, and very well-informed - answering our numerous questions about everything from nature to politics to football! Our Landcruiser was new and clean, and the accommodation Dickson organised in Bwindi and Lake Bunonyi was clean, comfortable and beautifully situated. Our gorilla encounter was a once in a lifetime experience! If you are reading this and wondering who to trust with your holiday - my family can heartily recommend this firm.
Email Jeremy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lorand was extremely kind, intelligent, excellent driver, and the best guide we could have asked for
My wife and I did a 4 day package that included going to see the golden monkeys and the gorillas and it was truly amazing! Dixon was the best at helping us set up all of our accommodations and activities. We were lucky enough to get Lorand as our guide for the 4 days and he was the absolute best. He was so kind and went to every length to make sure that we felt safe and comfortable every step of the way. He was very intelligent and answered every question that we had about our activities and Uganda in general. The gorilla and golden monkeys experiences were amazing! It’s something that you just have to experience and can’t really describe. I highly recommend this company and tour guide. Thanks so much for the memories!
