BIRDING SAFARIS IN UGANDA

OUR TRIP WAS INCREDIBLE - My partner an I had the most incredible vacation! It is difficult figuring out which safari company to choose since there are so many. BOOK THIS ONE!! We travel the... read more world and visit several countries a year. We wanted the best and we got it! We went on a 15 day safari in Uganda. I customized it with the help of Denis. Denis was so patient with me in the planning process. He was so quick to respond and give feedback via WhatsApp. Denis planned everything. Our guide/driver was Steven. Steven made our trip amazing. Steven is amazing! The trip was everything I wanted it to be. Steven went above and beyond to make sure all of our experiences was what we wanted. The exact trip would not have been the same without Steven. If you want a guarantee incredible Safari company this one is it.

To name a few things we did .. we went chimpanzees trekking, climbed Mt. Stanley in the Rwenzori Mountains, Queen Elizabeth National Park (Stayed at the Buffalo lodge which was my favorite) we saw elephants from our room. I loved the riverboat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park (tons of elephants and hippos) The river boat cruise in Lake Mburo National Park was amazing (saw HUGE crocodiles, tons of hippos, variety of birds. Uganda has so much to see and do.

Things to know: You need a yellow fever vaccine to enter Uganda. You must have the vaccine to apply for a visa (you upload a picture of proof when during the visa application process)

We did the 3 day Gorilla Tracking Safari and it was a truly once in a lifetime experience. Leading up to the event, Dennis was wonderful for communicating and Godwin,... read more our driver, always went above and beyond to ensure we had a good and safe time. He would tell all the other guides to make sure they care for us and keep us safe. We stayed at Admas hotel and Gorilla Haven which both had amazing service. We were provided watermelon drinks upon arrival and after coming back from various experiences. The Batwa cultural experience was also such a rare treat to be welcomed into their homes, communities, and families.The Gorilla Tracking experience itself was great! Hike took about 2.5 hrs and was a moderate hike until it got steep into the valleys. At that point I would say it became a hard hike but very doable. The gorillas were active, friendly, and curious. We got about 3-5 feet away at closest. All the guides were above and beyond and I would highly recommend this experience.

The whole experience, from start to finish, was absolutely amazing. Adams is THE MAN!! Everything ran seamlessly, from pick up to drop off. Adams was great at keeping us entertained... read more and providing us with lots of information about Rwanda and Uganda, throwing in lots of experiences along the way. The gorilla trekking was absolutely amazing. Our entire group agreed it was one of the best experiences of our lives.
If you're thinking of doing this safari, DO IT!!! You won't regret it.

An amazing lifetime experience to see the most beautiful animals. Loved it! - I can wholeheartedly recommend this tour. It was awesome! My guide and driver for the 5 days was Stephen. He was friendly and knowledgeable. It was great meeting him. The... read more selection of food, restaurants and hotels/lodges was great as well. It was always comfortable to sleep and no issues with mosquitos.
The animals you see on the tour are breathtaking! Lions, leopards, elephants (two even roamed the lodge 😍), buffalo, hippos, crocodiles and more are all part of the wildlife at Elizabeth National Park. Then of course the gorillas of Bwindi Forest! This was unreal, you could see them at such a close range and experience them in their natural habitat. Simply amazing, a trip of a lifetime!
Maybe two comments of note: you are in the car quite a lot. The animals of course don't live near the cities, so the trips can be long and a bit bumpy. But even driving in the car is fun, as you can see different parts of Uganda and different people as well. Also, your guide makes the ride fun as well.
The other topic is the communication. At first my trip was not registered with my tour operator. The problem was the messages via the TripAdvisor App didn't come through to the operator. In the end everything worked out, Encounter Africa even came to my hotel to figure out the best plan to carry out the tour and they were constantly checking up on me via WhatsApp as soon as we connected. So my advice, if you have a question before the trip, ask them directly via email or telephone, not via the messaging service of the app. Although, also in this regard, TripAdvisor itself was also very helpful.

So, in conclusion, go on this trip! You will never forget it 😍

Excellent experience with Encounter! - Seamless experience from start to finish. Great communication with Denis when booking. Denis gave me several options for lodges/tours and provided guidance along the way when deciding which was the... read more best option for me in order to maximize my time in Uganda. He promptly answered my many questions and was able to adjust my itinerary two weeks before my departure (including quickly securing a new date for my gorilla permit) when I had an unexpected last minute change. Upon arrival, driver/guide Godwin provided excellent service from start to finish - because of Godwin’s excellent guiding I was able to cover a lot of ground, see and learn many things about Uganda during my short 5 day tour. I had an unexpected delayed flight upon arrival and Godwin was able to adjust to a different border crossing (which was a much longer route) effortlessly driving in the dark on bumpy mountainous roads in order to ensure we made it to the lodge in time for my gorilla trek the next morning. All of the lodge choices were top notch with excellent service. I would recommend using Encounter for all of your safari needs. I will be booking with them in the future when I return to see more of Uganda!

Exceptional service and an amazing experience!  - Excellent service - Was able to curate my own trip with assistance from the company. Everything was so easy and payments safe too. Easy booking, great communication, great driver/guide, really... read more amazing accommodation choices and the gorilla and chimpanzee experiences were phenomenal.
I would highly recommend Encounter Africa Safaris of you want an amazingly well planned adventure in Uganda!!

great agency - we had an amazing experience using Encounter Africa, very professional staff, super reactive, reliable and friendly. the hotel selection that was proposed was very good value for money and the... read more agency managed to get us Gorilla habituation permits which no agency could provide us!
would strongly recommend

Amazing experience!  - My husband and I did the three day gorilla trekking tour. We had an amazing time! Our driver Martin really made the experience. When we travel we like to try... read more the local food, so Martin took us to local restaurants and stopped repeatedly for street food.

Worth every penny! - We did the two-day Gorilla Trek excursion from Kigali, Rwanda to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and back.

Uganda the Beautiful - Writing for my husband as he did a solo tour in Uganda: Absolutely amazing journey and wonderful country. Encounter Africa delivered everything that they said they would, and Patrick... read more the guide/driver was a wonderful person, and a capable, knowledgeable, friendly, experienced guide. The park rangers and hotel staff were all fantastic. People seem to really want to develop and improve the tourism industry in Uganda. Even though the drives are a bit longer in Uganda, I felt it was worth it to see the landscape and people. I had reached out to a number of tour companies, but Monica in the office at Encounter was the most communicative and helpful so I went with them and did not regret it. Good luck in your adventures, and I hope you get to experience this great country!

Amazing trip to Uganda - I booked my trip with Encounter Africa Safaris. It was a five das trip As a solo traveller. Dennis, the organiser, was extremely helpful and caring during the whole... read more trip (even before and after). My tour guide, Patrick, was amazing and very funny. He was encouraging and thoughtful the whole time. He also protected me and shared a lot of laughs together. I Had a great experience with Encounter Africa Safaris I 100%recommend this agency and their people, Dennis and Patrick!

Great Safari Tour - Wow, what an amazing tour we had. Gorillas, chimps, tree climbing lions, elephants and much more. Our guide Jason was really knowledgeable and very easy going. Thanks alot for a... read more great tour Jason.