DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overall great experience
Image travel was there for us, from helping with Visa, to providing excellent guiding and making all the arrangements for a good start into the holiday.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent guide David and very nice choice of resort.
David is a very patient and nice guide, and we totally enjoyed our safari with him. The route (1 night Nakuru + 2 nights Masai Mara) designed by Image Travel Ltd. Also definitely provided us with enough game drives and wildlife sighting.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful day in Materuni Waterfall
We arrived at the waterfall before there were any tourists so we could enjoy a beautiful view surrounded by the beauty of nature and the sound of the waterfall. The walk to reach the waterfall is very simple but at the same time suggestive, it seems to walk in a jungle surrounded by banana trees, corn and coffee. After the visit to the waterfall we went to the Materuni village where they showed us how to make coffee to the rhythm of music. “Mama” then prepared us a very good local lunch. After lunch we went to natural spa oasis (hot springs) which she blew us away.
Special thanks to our guide Twalbu who took care of us all the time telling us a lot about the environment, habits and local customs. Highly recommended excursion to explore the beauty of the area.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Nziza delivered the trip of a lifetime: epic gorilla and chimp trekking in magical Uganda!
From the smiling face waiting to greet me in person on the apron when I touched down at Entebbe airport to the thoughtfully constructed itinerary that immersed me in the magic and beauty of Uganda, Nziza Hospitality blew me away. Nothing was ever too much trouble, and every single member of the Nziza team was responsive and generous with their knowledge, time and warmth. Bernard and his team on the ground went to great lengths to uncover my interests and priorities, and to tailor my trip so that every box was ticked. The result was a richly layered travel experience that surpassed all my expectations.
ISLAND IN THE NILE
I started with an indulgent and restful couple of days at Lemala Wildwaters Lodge close to Jinja. A favourite with Instagram ‘influenstars’, Wildwaters is a gorgeous boutique lodge situated on Kalagala Island in the Nile River.
I’ve previously rafted this section of the Nile and I was filled with residual adrenaline just watching the churning rapids that swirl around the lodge. Paradoxically, I also found the roar of the waters provided the most soothing white noise imaginable, and slept like a log every night. Admittedly, the luxury of my stand-alone timber suite may well have contributed to that too.
The food at Wildwaters is exceptional, and the open-walled dining area has views of the Nile in every direction. I loved choosing my view to match my mood – breakfast overlooking the serene upstream channels with local villagers heading out in their canoes to fish; lunch beside the pool with Hypoxia Rapid thundering past; and dinner with flashes of lightening reflecting off the white water.
THE ROAD WELL-TRAVELLED
From there it was back to Entebbe’s Boma Hotel before the early-morning departure for Murchison Falls National Park. Our driver and guide for our Nziza Uganda Meander was Mustafa “Steffi” Kiika. Even though it’s a long drive, the time isn’t wasted. Travelling by 4x4 gives you the best perspective of daily life for Ugandans. The route takes you through countless towns, farms and rural villages, and Steffi was not just excellent company, he was a font of knowledge who added enormous value to the trip. We were travelling in rainy season, and Steffi handled the challenging conditions on the dirt roads with supreme competence. (I’m an enthusiastic novice birder, and Steffi was great at pointing out new sightings along the road.)
MURCHISON FALLS
Our first destination was the extraordinarily luxurious Nile Safari Lodge, just minutes from the entrance gate to Murchison Falls National Park. The problem with staying here is you feel completely torn when it’s time to head out on a game-viewing drive in the park: surely you don’t have to leave this seductively tranquil eco-lodge perched over the banks of the Victoria Nile for even a minute?
Of course, a hyena with a bloody muzzle dashing in front of our vehicle within two minutes of us entering the park changed my mind pretty smartly, and set us up for a glorious morning of wildlife sightings. To give context, the classic movie ‘African Queen’ was filmed on location at Murchison Falls. Again Steffi’s keen eye can be credited for manoeuvring us into position to catch young lions on the hunt. The afternoon’s Nile River boat cruise to the base of the Murchison Falls also delivered incredible game and bird viewing, culminating in the whirlpool at the base of the Murchison Falls (also known as Kabalega Falls).
THE CHIMPS OF KIBALE FOREST
Next stop on our itinerary was Kyaninga Lodge, our base for chimp-tracking in Kibale Forest. Lovely Kyaninga Lodge is perched on the rim of a pristine crater lake (an afternoon swim here in geothermal warmed waters was a balm for my soul), and the Kyaninga Lodge team does exceptional work in the local community.
The biggest surprise was how breathtaking I found the chimpanzee-tracking experience in Kibale National Park. Steffi cleverly engineered that our group was assigned to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) guide, Jen Muthahinga. I felt that we won the jackpot here, as Jen maximized every second of our time with the Efuzi chimp family. Her knowledge of the chimps was incredible, and she repeatedly got us into position so that our entire hour was totally interactive. (Tourist interaction with primates is subject to a one-hour time limit so as not to stress the animals.) While the guides are strict about ensuring we maintain the required distance from the primates, the chimps themselves don’t always obey the rules: Efuzi, the alpha chimp, even brushed my legs more than once as I stood frozen in awe.
GORILLA TREKKING IN BWINDI
After that it was time to head to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to track the Mishaya group of critically endangered mountain gorillas. The forest itself is magnificent: you hike up steep slopes under the dense canopy of ancient trees thickly intertwined with vines. I chose to use a porter – the local communities depend on the largesse of travellers to provide work – and Deus Twinamakisto’s steady hand was an enormous help as we crossed rushing streams, areas of thick mud and treacherously deep layers of leaf litter that seemed to want to suck in your feet. We hiked for about an hour to find ‘our’ gorillas, who clearly had eaten their fill and were extraordinarily relaxed and sleepy.
My supremely comfy base was Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge. It’s hard to encapsulate just how lovely Clouds is, but know that when you go to bed and your toes touch a toasty hot-water bottle tucked between the crisp cotton sheets, you are somewhere that understands how to cosset their guests. I stayed in one of their eight private guest cottages. My cottage was surrounded by lush gardens, with floor-to-ceiling windows, comfy linen-covered armchairs in the living room, and a roaring fire in the double-sided fireplace that separates the bedroom and living room. I was coddled by a delightful private butler, who took care of every whim and whisked my muddied trekking gear and boots to be freshly laundered that night. It was a little chilly to savour a gin-and-tonic on the veranda of the central lodge area, so I settled into a deep armchair in front of one of the roaring fireplaces to put my feet up after the day’s trekking and soak up the magnificent views out towards the Virunga volcanoes. Again, the food was scrumptious. I particularly loved the salads using freshly picked produce from Clouds’ huge vegetable garden.
ONE LAST BUCKET-LIST SURPRISE
All too soon my 12-day Uganda adventure was up, and Steffi was putting us onto Bar Aviation’s small Cessna Caravan for the hop back to Entebbe. Again, Nziza’s delightful team met us off the plane to whisk us to Hotel No. 5 where we were to relax until it was time for the flight home. But there was no time to feel sad that the journey was over. Nziza Hospitality had one more delightful trick up their sleeve!
Somehow they’d overheard me say that I was sorry I hadn’t ever seen a shoebill, and immediately after lunch they surprised us with a boat trip to Mabamba Swamp, across Lake Victoria. In this Ramsar-listed bird area we quickly found a prehistoric-looking young shoebill – a fascinating and fulfilling end to a superb and utterly magical trip. Thank you, Nziza Hospitality!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional
Professional and reliable company. Fred proposed a great safari itinerary based on our needs and requirements, and worked hard to make us have a great trip. The two guides, Benjamin and Ronnie, acted professionally and very cordially during the 3-day trip, which was enjoyable. Thank you to the team for a great trip together and for the memories.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect organization
Nice day at waterfalls and hot springs after 5 days of safari. The waterfalls can be reached after a pleasant 40-minute walk, then return to the village to see the coffee production and for lunch. In the afternoon we go to the hot springs where we can have fun with everyone in the fresh water.
Btw, the safari was Just amazing, you have to do It!!
BR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing tour provided by Freka African Holidays
I have just returned from a 5-day trip in Uganda and Rwnda organized my Freka African Holidays and had an amazing experience!
At first I was going to travel solo and had already made all arrangements (including paying the 50%) to Freka, and when a friend of mine decided to join the trip, Emily at the office assisted us and everything worked out.
Our guide Gerald was fantastic and made us feel safe and taken care of during the entire trip. Gerald knows his way around Uganda and Rwanda without even needing to use a map, and is very knowledgeable about the parks and wildlife. He made sure we had an amazing experience and spared no efforts for us to see wildlife and make sure we arrived in time for all scheduled activities. Gerald is also a very good driver.
When doing research on tour agencies, Freka stood out because of the itinerary and price. In 5 days (departing from Kigali and arriving back in Kigali) we did Volcanoes National Park (golden monkeys), Bwindi (gorillas), Lake Bunyonyi (the boat ride was amazing, we even saw an otter), Queen Elizabeth NP (boat ride and game drive), Kalinzu (chimps) and Akagera (game drive and boat ride).
We chose the mid-range accomodation, as the price difference from the budget option was small, and all hotels were excellent. In two ocasions (Bwindi and Akagera) our original accomodation was full, so we stayed in the alternative options, which ended up being excellent. All hotels were in great locations, very clean and comfortable and the food was amazing everywhere.
As two women travelling, we felt safe the entire time.
I highly reccomend Freka and the 5-day tour in Rwanda and Uganda, as we could see and do a lot of things, without having to rush anything. If I had more time, I would have loved to stay extra days, especially in Akagera, but having only a few days, this tour was perfect.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
What an unforgettable well run experience.
What an unforgettable well run experience.
Starting with hilary, who organised our trip seamlessly, to lewis our guide, who was the most knowledgeable and positive guy going, to the food made by our chef saleem, that blew our group away time after time.
Thanks for such a great trip everyone
QA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable
Thank you Hayrax Safaris. Our trip was short but we made the most of it. Within 3 days we had 1.5 days of game drives where we saw a lot of animals and live cheetah hunting, Visit to Masai village and Naivasha lake along with nature walk with Zebras and Giraffes
HU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experiences
We embarked on a private 2-day fly-in, fly-out safari from Zanzibar. Initially, I was somewhat skeptical due to the limited number of reviews I found on the site. However, from the very first moment of communication, I had positive experiences. Our agent, Mohammed, facilitated the entire process—quote requests, payments, and sharing of details—with smoothness and promptness. The entire experience was well-organized; we didn't experience any delays over the course of these two days.
The taxi arrived punctually, and we were transported to the airport, where we were received and guided until departure. Upon landing, our driver awaited us, commencing our game drive. We also enjoyed a delightful breakfast with coffee and tea by the lakeside. Our driver was not only experienced but also amiable, affording us the opportunity to witness an array of animals—lions, hippos, giraffes, zebras, crocodiles, impalas, elephants, and buffalos, among others. The experience was nothing short of astonishing. It's worth noting that our vehicle was not only substantial and reliable but our guide's driving skills were also commendable.
At the close of the first day, we stayed at the Kinga Lodge. The accommodations boasted captivating views and cozy guesthouses. The staff members were exceptionally kind and helpful. Our room was spacious and immaculate, and the food was unequivocally delectable. As an additional treat, we were gifted a bottle of wine.
On the second day, we embarked on a morning boat safari, which proved to be yet another unforgettable experience. We were accompanied by a new guide who was both friendly and well-trained. We thoroughly enjoyed his storytelling and the interesting facts he shared about the animals. The boat safari offered sightings of numerous birds, hippos, and crocodiles. He also guided us through a cultural village tour. Given that he was born and raised there, his insights into the everyday life of the people were profound and captivating. We were deeply moved by the culture and the warmth he extended to us.
Upon our return to Zanzibar, our taxi driver was already waiting, and we were pleasantly surprised with a small gesture.
In summary, these two days undoubtedly stand out as among the most remarkable experiences of my life. Honcho DMC, the accommodation, the park, and our guides were truly exceptional. I wholeheartedly recommend their services for organizing travels. Once again, thank you for everything!
