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Padraig
IE
Visited:
August 2022
Reviewed: Sep 18, 2022
Email Padraig | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Uganda is without doubt an experience you will never forget and never want too.
Bring dollars in large bills ($50 or $100) as you get a better exchange rate for local currency. Charging can be challenging in the more remote lodges so bring power banks fully charged if you can. Always carry your passport as many parks will look for it or at least the number of it.
Always eat a good breakfast, you will need it!!!!! Bring a mask to see the chimps and the Gorillas, for their safety not yours!!! Enjoy lots of the local fruits, it is excellent. Buy Ugandan coffee, I did, and it is excellent.
Whether your thing is Elephants
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or Giraffes or Hippos or Lions you will see them all. I saw more butterflies that I have ever seen in the most beautiful colors and to many little birds to even count never mind name.No matter your expectations you will not be disappointed.
PI
DE
Visited:
August 2022
Reviewed: Sep 19, 2022
Email PI | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Enlightening, surprisingly safe, amazing nature and kind people.
Travelling in dry August was a great decision, no mosquitos!, still green savanna and animals everywhere to see. The accommodations, although partly on budget, were clean, safe and offered delicious food. Every person we met was kind and happy to help. When travelling on the boat, it was always rewarding if sitting on the side, closer to the river bank. But the most important thing was to have a great driver/guide, who is experienced, knowledgeable and flexible. He made our adventure above all expectations.
Jiri Machacek
CZ
Visited:
July 2022
Reviewed: Sep 26, 2022
Email Jiri Machacek | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Uganda is an interesting safari destination but its wildlife is obviously under a great pressure
For such people Kenya/Tanzania are better options.
Uganda is about some special animal (shoebill, chimps, gorillas, other primates, birds) and special landscape (lakes, Virunga, Ruwenzori, a margin of Congo rainforest basin) targets.
We knew that, we are strongly oriented to wildlife but anyway - Uganda was a partial (with the focus on PARTIAL) disappointment.
When I was a child the classical Ugandan national parks like Murchison Falls and Queen Elisabeth were symbols of the African wildlife beauty. They are still here but obviously under a great poaching pressure and some parts of QE (esp. Ishasha sector) are simply dying ecosystems. Without any change in NP management Uganda can expect even further decrease of safari visitors.
There were also 2 and 1/2 disappointments with the activities which were expected to be the Uganda safari
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highlights:* Disappointment 1 : chimpanzee trekking in Kibale - IMO this is a cheat from definition - this is no trekking but cca an hour of standing in a dark forest and staring at a chimpanzee back high and far in the trees. I can understand it is made as it is possible but with all the marketing and for the price (a half of the gorilla permit) ... ? But I do believe that for chimps is Kibale a good place to live. Which is a good message.
* Disappointment 2 : tree-climbing lions in Ishasha/QENP - we saw just one older cub which was seriously and repeatedly injured (the older injury from poacher snares, the fresh new injury - as we were told - made by an aggressive male lion ). Add the evening/night shooting at elephants (to keep them out of the crop fields) and the fact that one half (really) of Ishasha sector is completely burnt down. A depressive place.
* 1/2 of Disappointment : gorilla trekking in Bwindi - this is no cheat (compared with chimps trekking in Kibale), it is a real rainforest trekking crowned with gorillas observation from a close distance - we spent a half an hour with a female and cca 10-month-old baby (nice) and we could hear other group members (incl. silverback) in the undergrowth nearby. But when the female with her baby was leaving we were told by our leader guide we could not to continue in observation because of a wasp nest (it was really there but it was there all the time and could be easily bypassed when trying to follow gorillas which were apparently nearby). So we finished our session after a half an hour and returned to the base where we were waiting another half an hour until the "easy group" returned (we were the "medium group"). I suppose the gorilla trekking is no cheat from definition (as I suppose the chimps trekking in Kibale is) but we simply had a hard luck with our leader guide. You didn't travel so long distance and didn't spend so much money to skip a half of the activity for such a vague reason.
But there were also very good points in our Uganda safari tour :
* shoebill in Mabamba swamps
* rhinos trekking in Ziwa RS
* Nile delta boat cruise (private small boat)
* giant forest hogs close to Buffalo lodge/QE
* Kazinga channel boat cruise (private small boat)
* Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga NP (by far best of the primate trekking)
* Lake Mulehe birding (private small boat)
* Lake Bunyonyi birding (private small boat)
* birding !!!
And the trip organization by Africa Adventure Vacations was excellent. The tour was discussed and planned with Robert and we were guided with Ceasar and Daphne. I can highly recommend all of them, the tour organization was simply great and we would like to thank them once more at this place.
To sum up - I'm far from being sure to visit Uganda again but if we do that we'll ask Africa Adventure Vacations (Robert, Ceasar, Daphne) to organize our trip again.
Simon Ward
GB
Visited:
September 2022
Reviewed: Oct 7, 2022
Email Simon Ward | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Gorillas and Chimpanzees
A good destination for Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking has the experience was a lot better than expected and the parks were well managed has not to get overrun and the people were warm and friendly throughout and Bamboo Ecotours made this a very memorable trip. For birders we recommend a trip to Mabamba swamp Lake Victoria to see the shoebill storks and plentiful bird life.
Mia Kontnik
Fantastic wildlife and great hospitality!
We had a fantastic trip and really enjoyed seeing all the wildlife. Seeing chimpanzees, gorillas, lions, leopards, and elephants were some highlights, but all the other animals and birds were also incredible. We experienced lovely hospitality throughout our vacation!
nice green
It was a long way but with nice country musik from afrika and europe was the tripp relax. Ab(...... )our driver was excellent he told a lot about the culture animals and politic and other things
Reginald Leyssens
BE
Visited:
November 2022
Reviewed: Nov 20, 2022
Email Reginald Leyssens | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
AMAZING
Wonderfull country I recommand it Very safe A lot of wildlife
Pamella Carvalho
FR
Visited:
November 2022
Reviewed: Nov 22, 2022
Email Pamella Carvalho | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It's very different and a special place.
We went to Murchison Park and it was a amazing experience. We saw a lot of animals. Ors guide was very kind.
Geoff Mitchell
AU
Visited:
November 2022
Reviewed: Dec 10, 2022
Email Geoff Mitchell | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Uganda is a land of contrasts- stunning beauty abutting abject poverty. Wonderful people and places.
Uganda has amazing places to see and people to meet. It is a land of contrasts. We love going there. World class highlights we have seen include the gorilla tracking, Lake Bunyonyi, the source of the Nile at Jinja, and Murchison’s Falls national park. Please take time to talk with the people about the lives they lead and the challenges they face daily. Tip generously- they need it! Our Speke Tour to the gorillas was an absolute highlight. They could not have been more helpful with planning and our guide was fantastic.
Ee Chang
GB
Visited:
November 2022
Reviewed: Jan 1, 2023
Email Ee Chang | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Uganda is an underrated destination, would deserve better publicity
We have been fortunate enough to book 2 safari experiences, one going through the Ziwa Rhinos sanctuary and Murchison Falls National Park, where we've been able to see very closely all big five, another going to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where we have been able to observe a Gorillas family.
There are no words to describe how blessed we've been.
The 2 safari tour operators we used (East African Jungle Safaris & Speke Uganda Holidays) were fantastic : very responsive and professional, the drive guides were both very knowledgeable and friendly.
The local population (in Kampala as well as in other locations) is very welcoming.
We highly recommend Uganda as a destination, both cultural and for its wildlfe.