US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
top notch and amazing 15-day tour
My two friends and I had an amazing 15-day trip to Uganda with PearlAfric. Nearly all of our meals were included. This was a fantastic trip, and we saw so much wildlife. With covid precautions, we wore our masks and often had our temperatures checked and our hands spritzed with sanitizer.
Here is a day-by-day breakdown of our adventure:
We started with a visit to Mabamba Swamp where we got to see the infamous shoebill along with so many other birds. Cruising through the swamp, surrounded by papyrus was cool. The next day we visited Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary where we enjoyed seeing the many orphaned chimps. The boat ride across Lake Victoria was wild.
Day 3 we drove to Murchison Falls National Park with a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on the way. We trudged through the grasses and found a group of six rhinos. They mostly stayed together under the trees, but it was great to see them. Before going to our lodge – Murchison River Lodge, we stopped at the top of the falls to feel and enjoy the power of all that water exploding over the edge. You can no longer do the hike from the bottom of the falls due to safety concerns.
Day 4 brought an amazing sunrise on the Nile as we headed to the park for a morning game drive. We saw lots and lots of animals. I especially enjoyed seeing the baby kob nursing. In the afternoon we took the boat cruise upstream to enjoy the wildlife and see the falls from a different perspective. We had great encounters with lots of hippos and crocodiles. The birds were plentiful. We saw a few elephants with partially missing trunks … perhaps they tangled with a crocodile?
Day 5 was spent traveling to Kibale National Park. The scenery as you drive through Uganda is beautiful, filled with villages and farmland. I love when the children wave and yell, “Mzungu!” lol. Religion is very important here and we saw lots of churches and mosques. (Mostly we saw Catholic and Seventh Day Adventist churches.) Tea plantations were plentiful, and the people work so hard. When we got into the national park, we began seeing baboons on the roadside. At our lodge – Kibale Forest Camp – we walked the grounds and found a great blue turaco and six black and white colobus monkeys. The night sky here is gorgeous.
Day 6: we traveled toward the Rwenzori Mountains to Semliki National Park. This park is known for the male and female hot springs. Our first stop was the female hot springs, and elevated boardwalks allowed us to closely check out the area. We were in Yellowstone Uganda! The ground was bubbling with water pools, and in some areas had colorful orange, beige, and green scattered around. The calcium buildup was cool. Our national park guide, Robert, placed eggs in the boiling water while we walked around. Ten minutes later the eggs were done. We drove to the trail to the male hot spring and followed the boardwalk. This was a large pool of water with steam rising. We enjoyed our hard-boiled eggs in the rest area there. Our final stop in the area was a visit to the Batwa community. We parked on the side of the highway where a large group of villagers greeted us. Most wore colorful clothing, some sporting leaves hanging on their heads and bodies. I felt gigantic next to them. We followed them single file into the forest and to a clearing where they began playing music and dancing in a circle. We joined in.
Day 7: at 6a we did the chimp habituation experience. The habituation experience allows you to spend four hours with the chimps, in addition to the time it takes to hike to them and back. The regular visit only allows one hour with the chimps. I forgot that I’m not the best hiker and went for it. I jumped at the chance to hire a porter. They carry your bag and help you along the trail. Not only does it make my life easier, I’m helping to support the local economy. It was an experience chasing after the chimps through the forest often on non-existent trails. The chimps didn’t wait for me! I enjoyed hearing the calls of the chimps and glimpses of the little guys – sometimes in the trees and sometimes on the ground. Two in our group ended up in mud up to their knees after slipping into an elephant footprint. I didn’t fall, but it was exhausting for me. We returned back to the office at 1:30p. My friends loved it, but I would have been happier with the one-hour trek.
Day 8: we drove about 3 hours to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Not too far into the drive, we did a photo stop at the crater lake featured on the 20,000 ugx bill. We traveled through an agricultural area with tons of cornfields, matoke, and banana plantations. We enjoyed a 2-hour cruise on the Kazinga Channel. This was a fantastic cruise … we saw so many animals – hippos, cape buffalo, crocodiles, monitor lizards, and countless birds. A fish eagle sat on a branch enjoying his catch of the day. After the cruise, we did a short game drive and were rewarded with a mama and two lion cubs. At our home for the next two nights, Bush Lodge, we could hear grunting hippos in the water below.
Day 9: It rained overnight, so it was nice not to drive through dust clouds as we explored QENP. We enjoyed lots of animal sightings including the two baby lions again (along with waterbucks, kob, warthogs, Cape buffalo, hippos, hammerocks, frankolin, vultures, kite and palm nut vulture). We took the ferry across the channel back to our lodge since the bridge is being repaired until October. In the afternoon we drove to Maramagambo Forest and hiked to the bat cave. One of my friends loves caves and bats, although I was disturbed to read a warning sign saying the bats may carry a deadly disease with no cure. Fortunately, we were able to view them from the observation building in front of the cave.
Day 10: we traveled to the Ishasha area of QENP. This was about 70 km away on bumpy roads. We cruised through the park and were rewarded with a new species – topi (reddish brown antelope-like creatures with horns and long faces). It’s interesting in QENP that they burn sections of the grassy areas to encourage new growth. Good food source for the animals. After tremendous searching, we never located any lions … in or out of trees. We did, however, see a leopard in a thicket and then in a tree. It had a fresh kob kill hauled up there. A hyena in need of a dental hygienist was also spotted. We high-tailed it out of one track when we came across a few aggressive elephants. Our guide said they were from the Congo and not used to vehicles or people and very unpredictable. Loved our stay at Enjojo Lodge with lots of resident vervet monkeys.
Day 11 was a travel day to Bwindi. This area was beautiful – we were literally driving on top of the mountain. This is a rainforest, and it had that misty look and feel, plus the temperature was cooler (ahhh). Our home was Lake Mutanda Resort, and the drive through the area is stunningly beautiful. The resort is great with fabulous views including the three volcanoes along the borders between Uganda, Rwanda and the Congo.
Day 12 was the gorilla trek. We drove to the Rushaga area. We had requested an ‘easier’ hike since two of us are not very athletic. We were assigned the Bweza group. I hired two porters – one to pull me, the other to push me up the trail. I couldn’t have done it without them. Miel and group led us through the forest. It was a tough hike for me with all the uphill climbs. I saw the biggest earthworms in the world as we trekked through the forest. After an hour or so, Miel said the trackers were still looking for the gorillas … wtf!? Downhill was tough too, and we climbed over stumps, trudged through mud, and avoided the vines trying to trip us along the path. After 3.5 hours, we were rewarded with the gorillas. Ahhhh. It was great seeing the big silverback so strong, just sitting and eating leaves and completely ignoring us. He passed a little gas for our enjoyment. A young gorilla entertained us the whole time, hanging on top of a tree and swinging around. So cool. Several other gorillas came in and out of view, and we followed them for photo ops. The hour went too fast, and then it was back down the mountain. Along the journey back, we enjoyed our packed lunches. My legs were like jello when we were finally off the trail.
Day 13 took us to Lake Bunyonyi. This is Uganda’s deepest lake and known for its fresh water crayfish (which I did not sample). The drive from Lake Mutanta to Lake Bunyonyi was stunning. We arrived at the BirdNest Resort at 1:15p, and this was the nicest place we stayed on our whole trip. Loved it. We enjoyed the company of the resident pup, Al Pacino. My friend had a go at maneuvering a canoe through the lake while I took photos. Then we all took the motorboat cruise around the lake. We got caught in a bit of rain, but the boat ride was enjoyable. We learned about Punishment Island. Until 50 years ago, when a girl got pregnant, her family would be angry and send her to this island to die. There’s a single tree on the small island and no food or water. It takes two to tango, but it appears there were no consequences for the boys. The families were angry they wouldn’t get a dowry for her since she was ‘ruined’. In the evening we enjoyed a major thunder and lightening show from our balconies. Cool!
Day 14: we traveled to Lake Mburo National Park, the smallest one in Uganda. On the way there, we stopped in Mbarara for a covid PCR test at MBN Lab. The cost was 195,000 ugx with results in 24 hours. This was a quick and easy process. We checked into Rwakobo Rock. This area of Uganda was much drier than the other places we’ve been. We saw our first zebras along with a bunch of ankole cattle. In the late afternoon, we did a game drive in the park. We never made it to the actual lake, but we saw quite a few animals: impala, zebras and babies, warthogs, waterbuck, giraffes, vervet monkeys, and more. My favorite encounter was with the giraffes – we saw 7 or 8 of them, and eventually they were feeding on trees right next to us.
Day 15: our final day began with a walking safari in Mburo. This was enjoyable with more wildlife encounters including zebras, impalas, waterbuck and warthogs. They would all shift away from us as we approached, but it was cool walking so close to them. We spent a good amount of time with a group of giraffes including two youngsters. One was even nursing. Eventually we drove back to Entebbe and got our NEGATIVE covid results via email along the way. Whew! We relaxed in a day room at The Boma and had an 11p flight that evening. All went well, and we showed our covid tests 2 or 3 times to various people.
All in all, an amazing trip. I’d do it all again! Innocent, the owner of PearlAfric, was great to work with in planning our trip, and Abdul was a fabulous tour guide and driver.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tourico Vacations "Loves South Africa"
Planning a South African vacation is a great idea not only for you, but your entire family. The country has so many things to offer everyone. You can plan a romantic holiday with your partner in the beautiful Cape Town or Johannesburg, or let your hair down comfortably in the sun-soaked beaches while keeping your children occupied with the numerous amusement park and nature reserve tours. Whatever the occasion, South Africa definitely has its own unique platter for everybody. Just take a look.
Talking about the vivacious heritages of the country, South Africa offers a number of world heritage sites for its visitors. Starting with the Cradle of Humankind, it is a collection of several hominid fossil sites scattered in Taung, Sterkfontein, Kromdraai and Swartkrans. More particularly, the Taung Heritage Site is of special importance for archaeologists who consider it to be the most significant source of the missing link between man and the apes. Situated in the northern coastal region of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park is home to a wide variety of waterbird species. The park also includes mountains, forests, wetlands, mangroves and dune vegetation.
Now coming down to the city life, Johannesburg is one of the most popular destinations among tourists. The city is commonly known as the city of gold due to its gold mines. Clad in cultural extravagance, the city of Johannesburg is a great location for fun and festivities. That is not all, your air tickets to South Africa destinations certainly will offer lots of holiday ideas for a memorable travel experience in the country. If you like shopping, just head to the Sandton city, where you will find Africa’s best shopping malls. Next to Sandton is the Randburg Waterfront, where you will find a collection of restaurants, fast food outlets and a flea market. So shopping now meets an interesting opportunity to experience the exquisite delicacies of the country!
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great country could visit twice and even three times
NIc eccountry with a loty of history, culture and nice people surrounded. We loved the anim,als and enjoyed our vocation in Kenya. We have recommend to our friends.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We miss Kenya!
A great destination for safari for sure. Nice people around and nice hotel and nice animals. We miss Kenya!
HU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Safari and local Experience
Perfect experience from pickup to drop off.
Book with Suricata for lions as close as never before, for stunning camp fire and safari sunrise and most friendly local guides.
We have chosen a 4 day group safari with Suricata to Tarangire, Serengeti and to Ngorongoro. The package included full board, airport pickup, game drive, accommodation even before and after the safari, national park entry fees.
After the safari we asked them to guide us also in Moshi-Kilimanjaro region, it was also amazing!
They were very flexible, always accessible, communication was very fast and easy. Reasonable price and very easy payment. This local Tanzanian company has a very good knowledge of the region, they know all of the animals and plants. Our guide, Ezekiel made our trip even more interesting with all the local stories.
We highly recommend Suricata Safaris for anyone who wants to local, professional and fun team to see all big five animals and have an amazing African experience.
Thanks again and see you next time!
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 4 day safari
Perfect experience from pickup to drop off.
Book with Suricata for lions as close as never before, for stunning camp fire and safari sunrise and most friendly local guides.
We have chosen a 4 day group safari with Suricata to Tarangire, Serengeti and to Ngorongoro. The package included full board, airport pickup, game drive, accommodation even before and after the safari, national park entry fees.
After the safari we asked them to guide us also in Moshi-Kilimanjaro region, it was also amazing!
They were very flexible, always accessible, communication was very fast and easy. Reasonable price and very easy payment. This local Tanzanian company has a very good knowledge of the region, they know all of the animals and plants. Our guide, Ezekiel made our trip even more interesting with all the local stories.
We highly recommend Suricata Safaris for anyone who wants to local, professional and fun team to see all big five animals and have an amazing African experience.
Thanks again and see you next time!
PT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Worderful Safari with Kichaka Tours
We had an excellent time in the Safari with Kichaka Tours. Stephen was extremely available since our first conversations about the possibility to do a Safari and everything went smoothly and according to plan. Our driver Charles was also excellent! Thank you Charles for all your support and good mood! Charles showed experience and we managed to see all the animals we were hoping to see making it a wonderful safari for us and our kids. Only a minor aspect related with some confusion about the need to do Covid tests to travel out of Kenya, but to be honest we can't hold Kichaka responsible since we ourselves found it very hard to understand the needed requirements for Covid test given the inconsistent information that was available. We definitelly recommend Kichaka and Charles for an excellent Safari in Kenya.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Really good company i highly recommend, staff was really kind
Amazing experience, the staffs was great really kind and they explain very well ! We saw a lot of animals include lions, cheetah and leopard i highly recommand this company
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
From start to finish was an exceptional services
Best Africa holiday for me.
From the moment we stepped off the plane in Kilimanjaro. After a long day of travelling having someone greet you and assist in getting you through immigration was priceless. Every step of our trip that we needed assistance Marry had thought it out and had someone there to help. You need help navigate Tanzania, this agency went above our expectations.
Our guide Lucas was a pleasure to work with, made sure we got to see what we wanted for as long as we wanted and answered all our questions about animals, the Tanzania culture and where to get some great local souvenirs. The wildlife was amazing. Our overall experience was great. Highly recommend them. Remember to take some nice summer dresses.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ben is just a perfect operator. Very responsive and tells you everything you need to know.
This was our first Safari and the itinerary, accommodations, tour guide could not be any better. It would be very hard for anyone to beat or even for ETrip to even improve on. They even looked for the best flight for us when it’s not part of the package. The tour cost itself was so reasonable and with everything included, meals etc….we couldn’t find any way to spend money so we gave all our $1,500 cash away as tips. The services provided at camps etc…were more than we experienced any where in the world. We traveled the globe and this safari was the best trip of our lives. We came back and in 2 weeks we are already booking the next one