In February 2022, I spent a little more than a week in Uganda. Much thanks to Ivan of Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris, and Richard, one of his tour guides.... read more This is my third trip with the tour group and guide, and I cannot be more than happy to share my glowing review of them. It should be that Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris are part of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators, so you can be assured that they have been through the vetting process. I Last year, I decided to do something unique. Other countries in Africa have national parks, where you can see animals, but I find other countries such as Tanzania and Kenya a bit too commercialized. Furthermore, in those countries, safaris are typically arranged through the lodge that you stay. So there is a high probability that you will sharing a ride with many others, and on their schedule. That is what Uganda holds a special place in my heart. Because you can have the best safari experience, with animals, along with your own guide and safari vehicle from Day 1 of arrival at the Entebbe Airport to the last Day when you leave Entebbe. You won’t get that in any other countries in Africa, since that is not the way safaris work, or if you do have a private guide and vehicle, it would be extremely expensive. Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris happily provides a guide and company-owned safari vehicle, in my case, a soft-top Land Rover. In my last trip with Ivan and Richard, I went to Kidepo Valley National Park. I decided to go to Kidepo again this year. It is one of the best national parks in all of Africa, according to CNN because of its remote nature, density of animals and beauty. With the help of Ivan and Richard, they planned a 8 days/ 7 days trip, with 3 of the nights spent at Kidepo. The other nights were spent at Sipi Falls (Day 1) and Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve (Day 2 and 3). I wanted something unique and out of the ordinary, since I wanted to combine nature, community tours and wildlife in one trip. I got more than I wished for, thanks to this tour company. I arrived before the first day of my trip. That night, I arranged a stay at Karibu BB Suites. Very clean and friendly accommodation. Ivan and Richard showed up the next morning to start the trip. In the first day, Richard brought me to the Mabamba Swamps, outside of Entebbe. There was a boat tour, and we were able to catch a look at the endangered Shoebill. Uganda is one of the very few countries in the world where the Shoebill exists. It was such an amazing site, seeing a bird that is so closely related to the dinosaur. Afterwards, we drove to Sipi Falls Resort. I was the only guest there, and it just made it even more special. Enjoying the beautiful view without the crowds. The next morning, I did a hike to the top of Sipi Falls. It is a waterfall in Uganda. It does not have the immensity of Murchison Falls, but what it offers is the chance to combine it with a community tour. During the hike, I went through different villages and saw the hardworking villagers carrying on with their duties. It was a very non-tourist experience. I do not think they were used seeing tourists, since they did not put up a fake act like you might see in some other villages in Tanzania or Kenya. The villages near Sipi Falls were just so real. Afterwards, onwards I went to Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve. In the last ten years, the density of animals supposedly increased. It was recently upgraded to a Wildlife Reserve and according to Richard, possibly a National Park in the next five years. I hope it does. Pian Upe was very different, since there are so traditional lodges, but “bandas,” which are owned by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. “Bandas” are small houses, with a bathroom. They are very basic, but they were the only accommodations available now at Pian Upe. That is okay, since the staff members at the “bandas” were more than friendly. They cooked meals, and drink service to all of the visitors that stay overnight. The food was more than adequate, and the drinks were diverse and cold. Anything from soft drinks, to juices to cold beer. Pian Upe has a very healthy population of ostriches and antelopes. Cheetahs also live in Pian Upe, but it might take more than two nights there to be able to locate one. Nature is nature, and as much as people do not admit it, rare animal sightings are really more than a matter of luck than anything else. After two nights at Pian Upe, onwards to Kipepo National Park. Like last time, I stayed at the Savannah Lodge. Since my last trip, two to three new lodges were built. This goes to show the promise and increased interest in Kidepo. With the help of Richard and a ranger, we saw elephants, antelopes, giraffes, zebras and lions. What more can you ask for with a 3-day game drives through Kidepo. In the last evening game, Richard made me coffee. I just sat out at a viewpoint, drank coffee and enjoyed the peaceful animals like the elephants and buffalos grazing all around us. What a great experience to end the trip. There is no doubt that Uganda holds a special place in my heart, all thanks to Ivan’s tour company and Richard, one of his guides. When I left Entebbe, I felt a sense of sadness and void in my heart, knowing that I will soon be leaving this beautiful country, with its national parks and people. However, I know that I will be back soon. After having been to several African countries through different tour companies, I am going to say that the overall success of a safari depends mostly on the tour company, and most importantly the guide. The tour company and guide will greatly add to the experience, since, to at least to me, a safari is not only about the animals, but the overall experience and customer service of the tour company and guide. Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris, along with Richard as a guide, meet these expectations and I give my wholehearted recommendation to them.

  We took 9 day tour with Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris Entebbe. We had a great time with them, the program and route were precisely planned but still able to adapt... read more to follow the present situation. Traveling with two cars, the drivers/guides Kassim and Richard were very willing and helpful. We had a great time with them. Shortly about Uganda - so friendly people and so many birds and animals we haven't seen ever before... I would like to go there again. Ivan, Czechia

  After a moderate trek hour long trek into the forest, we encountered a large group of gorillas of varying ages. The guides did an excellent job of getting us in... read more a safe place to view the gorillas and take pictures. It was an amazing ex

  We initially booked our trip in 2019 for late 2020, and due to Covid, we obviously couldn't then make that trip. Ivan contacted us as the world prepared to... read more go into lockdown, and we rescheduled for late 2021, with Ivan rescheduling our gorilla tracking permits. We went on the 12 days gorillas and wildlife safaris, driving from Entebbe to Murchison Falls, then down the country, both tracking chimps & gorillas, going on multiple game drives, river cruises and community walks. Our driver Francis was excellent at spotting animals in the parks, extremely knowledgable, informative, and really efficient with time keeping and making sure we were clear what we were doing, where we were going, and comfortable both with our activities, and in general throughout the trip. We were very lucky in that we saw almost every animal there is to see in uganda, and the gorilla and chimp experiences were mind blowing. All in all, I would recommend this tour, and Uganda in general, to anybody that wants to come to Africa and have a magical experience

  This past August, my husband and I were finally able to make our trip to Uganda. We had originally booked with Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris for August 2020 but like... read more so many others, we were forced to reschedule. We began planning 14 months before last August, as the gorilla permits were out that far. I read hundreds of reviews from several companies and emailed 3 different ones. After communicating with all three, I decided to go with these guys. Ivan was my contact and always responded immediately. I never felt that I wasn't getting the information I needed and he was a huge help with every step of the way. He efficiently re-scheduled everything for us almost exactly a year later and we had the most incredible experience. Our guide, Kassim was fantastic! He was warm, friendly and very experienced! We spent 8 days, beginning in Entebbe. He picked us up at the hotel and we began our time together. We began with Chimpanzee trekking in Kigali and then two days of gorilla trekking in Bwindi. We enjoyed the chimpanzee day but because it had rained that morning, they pretty much stayed up high in the trees. There's nothing you can do about it but enjoy your day and get quick pictures when one comes down for a few minutes. The gorilla trekking was absolutely amazing. Seriously. If this is something you've ever thought about doing, do it!! Now!! From what I hear, because of Covid, you can get your permits pretty quickly now. It's not cheap but so incredibly worth it! We bought permits for two consecutive days. If you can afford it, do it. Being able to see two entirely different gorilla families means two unique experiences. It's a bit warm and very humid and you will be tired but you won't remember that when you reach the family and get to spend an hour with them. The people of Uganda are the warmest and friendliest people we've met and we have traveled quite a bit. Having been on lock down for over a year, they are desperate for tourism. Having to take covid tests is a hassle but our guide worked hard for us to find us somewhere we could get it done in the right time frame. Even with that extra cost and hassle, it is still worth it to go. We are so very glad we went this past month and loved every minute of it. Everywhere we went, people went out of their way to make us feel welcomed and cared for. All of the lodges (they were very cool), the various guides, village people, etc., were all so happy to see tourists. Children run out to the road when you pass and yell "Mzungo" and wave and smile. We did so much waving that our arms were tired by the time we left. LOL. If you are thinking about a Uganda safari, Gorillas and Wildlife safaris will take very good care of you!! …

  My husband and I originally scheduled our 13 day tour with Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris for September 2020, but due to Covid-19 we had to reschedule twice. Ivan’s customer service... read more was impeccable while we were navigating these unprecedented times. He made us feel like we were his most important clients. We were finally able to make it to Uganda in September 2021 and it was worth the wait. Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris provided personal touches that made our experience so special that other tour companies can’t offer when they pack multiple parties in a single transit van. Because it was just the two of us with our guide in our Land Rover we traveled the countryside comfortably, and he was able to cater to our preferences. Our guide, Richard was kind and professional. By the end of the trip, we felt like he was part of our family. Richard was extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife and it was obvious that he is truly passionate about nature and loved sharing that with us. He had an incredible eye for spotting animals; he was able to spot a lion’s tail flicking above the grass a hundred yards away. As we drove throughout the country, he gave us so much insight on Ugandan culture and the amazing people that call this beautiful country home. We fell in love with Uganda and will be specifically asking for Richard to join us on our next visit.

  We were a group of 5 people that did the 7night/8 day Gorilla and Wildlife Safari and it was AMAZING. The trip started and ended in Entebbe, although that... read more can be flexible based on needs and if the Rwandan border is open. 1. The chimp habituation was WAY better than expected. The chimps were plentiful and VERY active and vocal. This exceeded expectations. 2. the safari game drives were sort of considered a "bonus' to this trip, realizing it would not be like our previous Kenyan safari. We did see the lions up in the trees, but they took a long while to find as they are not plentiful. Safari overall was average. 3. River cruise FAR exceeded expectations -- TONS of hippos AND elephants. Really, really worth it. 4. Gorilla trek (1 hour with gorillas) was really nice, but.... 5. The 4 hour gorilla habituation activity was the best part of the trip. It was a long day with about 3.5-4hrs of difficult hiking, but it was 100% worth it for the 4 straight hours of gorilla viewing. It was one of the best experiences we have ever had in any capacity. We have been fortunate to travel to every continent and do many cool trips, but this is our favorite ever. Re, accomodations -- we choose the "moderate lodging" level and it was very nice. Excellent food and great views. Re. our driver/guide Eric -- he was superb. Lots of great Ugandan info, and he was just very accommodating, with a very pleasant demeanor. We really liked him. Re. the company overall, they were very responsive, with timely email replies, and they really worked with us to tweak the itinerary to match exactly what we wanted to do. I cannot say enough good things about them. I have friends that want to do this trip next year, and I am going to make sure they choose them, and hopefully get Eric too.

  We decided to visit Uganda as a group of 3 women. I contacted several companies but Ivan was the most responsive so we went with Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris.... read more We were very happy with our decision! We communicated frequently with Ivan over several months and he always responded promptly to my questions (of which there were many, given the complications of traveling during COVID). He helped us put together the perfect itinerary and was very knowledgeable and helpful in the planning stages. Apart from COVID concerns, we were also a bit worried about safety. As it turned out, those fears were unfounded - we felt extremely safe during our time in Uganda. Our guide, Ahmed, was phenomenal. He was so caring, professional, hardworking and personable - by the end of the trip, we felt we were leaving a great friend. The Ugandan people are possibly the nicest people on the planet. Everywhere we went, we were greeted so warmly and nothing was too much to ask. Our itinerary included Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi. The lodges were outstanding - gorgeous rooms and wonderful food. In terms of activities, the highlights were the gorilla and chimp tracking, but the safaris in Murchison Falls and QENP were also pretty spectacular. It truly was a spectacular trip in every way. Uganda is a real African treasure that is bursting with wonderful experiences, and you will be well served to experience it with Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris.