12 independent reviews for Uganda wildlife holiday
Reviews for Uganda wildlife holiday
Sue Sharp review 19 Feb 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Hard to choose, was very comprehensive itinerary. Bigoda swamp and community walk, chimpanzee tracking, boat trip on Kazinga channel and gorilla tracking from Rushaga in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest were all memorable highlights of this holiday for me.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
This holiday covered a lot of ground, and some on challenging rough roads so be prepared to let go of any time pressured thinking and enjoy the spectacular scenery. Visit some local community projects, you will be most welcome. Tipping not compulsory, but much appreciated as is any donation, however small, to projects you may visit.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, local people were very friendly and engaging and appeared to appreciate visitors who would like to learn a bit about local culture and can support community projects in some small way with a donation on the ground. I visited a school and spoke to the class a little about England as they were learning English. A good proportion of money spent on gorilla and chimpanzee tracking permits goes directly into supporting local programmes that support conservation and care of their forests and wildlife.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent and memorable, every day was interesting and enjoyable.Fiona Matthes review 4 Mar 2020
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The gorillas definitely2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
There is an awful lot of driving in this trip and because the driver goes so fast it's not easy to get good photographs. Public toilets usually found when we stopped for petrol were pretty horrendous.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I think the porters who assisted you on the gorilla trek benefitted from the good payments in dollars they received. My porter was a local subsistence farmer who was excellent help for me and very nice to talk to. My friends porter hardly spoke a word of English so maybe they should choose people who have an extra language ? Being a person who never buys water in plastic bottles I was quite shocked at the endless stream of single use plastic and piles of plastic being burned in villages causing air pollution. Such a pity.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Pretty good. Uganda is a lovely country and I found the locals very nice people and very industrious. I thought the Queen Elizabeth Park a total waste of time. Hardly any game but others may have been more fortunate. For game I would rather choose Botswana or Tanzania. I enjoyed the chimpanzees as well but the medicine man- seriously :) Driver was quite good and overall manager Jackson he was excellent.Prudence Bramwell review 1 Sep 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Everything was perfect. We were a family of 5 adults -three adult children and parents and we all loved every minute of our trip. Of course the two trips to the gorillas was quite truly a once off unforgettable 2 hours in ours lives. We simply could not fault the operators organisation and wonderful choices of accomodation and planning and choosing Remy as our kind and considerate guide. 5 stars for everything for the 5 of us We shall all never forget this incredible experience.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Relax and let each moment sink in.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes. By choosing companies who are chosen by responsible travel you are ensured of benefiting local communities and have consideration for the future of the environment4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Perfect for all of us.Shirley Bowyer review 11 Mar 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Where to start??? Most exciting was the primate trekking, chasing through the dense forest and then coming so close to and feeling the connection with these relatives was incredible. However also the anticipation of setting off when still dark for our first safari ride; having elephants walk between our tent and the next have to be mentioned! Most awe-inspiring the gorilla trek, what a huge privilege. So many other highlights on this holiday it is hard to process...2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Go with an open mind and heart. Be prepared to be very well looked after, our guide Leticia from the operator filled me with confidence the moment we met her, strong, friendly, flexible; immensely competent and caring; in fact all the local staff and guides seemed so genuinely pleased to help and advise us. Be prepared for some very long drives between locations but remember to enjoy these as part of the trip since you will see so much of Uganda and it’s people on the way; plus if you have a guide like our wonderful Leticia you will hear so many stories on the way that will give you such an insight into Ugandan family life; culture; politics etc. Can’t praise Leticia enough, and it was especially lovely for my daughter and I to have a female guide, we had such fun together. The trekking is hard work but don’t be too daunted by it - I am overweight in my 50s, but the people around you help you all the way - (use a porter for the gorilla trekking - I was embarrassed at first but these guys are very kind and sympathetic and push and shove you if needed - you are also providing them with much valued employment) Pack dull coloured clothes and sturdy walking boots for chimpanzee and gorilla trekking; for the gorilla camp also have waterproofs and warm layers. Pack torches, most of the lodges are solar powered so lighting is very dim and you will have some early starts and late arrivals. Take a good camera but remember to come out from behind it to really enjoy the animals that are around you.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I definitely felt this trip supported local people and supported conservation. A percentage (around 20%?) of all permits and park fees go directly towards the local community- schools etc. To fully protect the parks it has been necessary to re-locate people who previously lived there and this hasn’t been without conflict I know, but money from tourists either through these fees; through employment and selling crafts etc has helped offset difficulties. Everyone seemed very keen for us to encourage friends and family to come to Uganda and raise awareness of conservation in Uganda. People valued their own jobs in the tourist industry. I’m not sure about reducing environmental impact ... I think Ugandans must be horrified by how wasteful western tourists are!4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Simply incredible! So happy that for my first trip to Africa I chose Uganda. My only regret is that I didn’t book a longer trip (we had 12 days) so that we could have had time to immerse ourselves in the culture a bit more.Ashley Irons review 10 Oct 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Hard to say as we went from one highlight to another. Probably the Gorilla trek if forced to choose.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
There is no way in 17 days you can cover what we did - and so well - without such a good driver/guide and really I'd say use this operator - this was such good recommendation from you! We will use them again. Jackson was very quick to reply to emails. He made suggestions with what we wanted and all good.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We used a Kampala company with local guide/driver and stayed in non 5-star accommodation so will be local benefit. We used local guides in all places - so benefit there as each knew their own area and what to look for. Our driver fixed this up if Jackson did not eg these were extras as we went along.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Superb - one of the best (and we have had many exotic holidays). Everything worked well.Barney Lyons review 27 Jul 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing the chimpanzees and gorillas of Uganda, and the beautiful countryside.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
The most common questions we've been asked and total misconceptions are whether it is a safe country and if there is a lot of poverty. Uganda is extremely safe, particularly with this kind of tour. People are too busy engrossed and immersed in their own lives to be interested in the foreigners passing through and the typical Western image of starving Africa was nowhere to be seen on the route we took - instead it was full of abundant farmlands, vibrant atmospheres and for the most part busy people. The other tip would be on malaria - despite being a high risk zone, we only had mosquitoes in the Queen Elizabeth Park and even then only one or two. In using repellant did not get any bites, having said that it's probably not worth the risk to skip the anti-malarials but we were advised they could be used as treatment rather than prevention and probably would have opted for that had we known. Specific to the trip - we did the 7 day tour which is a perfect amount of time. Bear in mind there is a lot of driving between locations which is ultimately necessary but be prepared as the tour description glosses this up a bit, but in effect it's just long drives to get to the next activity point. If you have longer spend more time in the Fort Portal area (where the chimps are) as this was the nicest region we were in and do some mountain trekking!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, although the tour didn't seem to be significantly different from other tours and groups that were following the same route and there were limited opportunities to meet with and interact with local people. The points we did interact with locals were still official 'tours' as such, but they were certainly interesting and allowed us to buy produce directly from locals which was a highlight of the experience. Likewise the gorilla and chimpanzee tours are pre- configured for conservation etc Uganda - you can only do it through one route. So yes absolutely, but I'm not sure there was anything in the tour specific to this that would have otherwise been unavailable from travelling in Uganda separately, although absolutely Responsible Travel do link you up to the firms like this one that are reliable and responsible which doesn't just apply to the environment.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
The holiday was fantastic - the company looked after us extremely well (our flight was cancelled and the airline lost our luggage, and Jackson and his team really saved us by rescheduling the itinerary and getting our stuff to us). Driver was very entertaining company and gave us a good tour and insight, and the tour length / itinerary. etc was absolutely perfect. Could not recommend it or Uganda itself more.Angie Polkey review 12 Jun 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Chimpanzee trekking - we were on the move quite fast through the forest and there was a strong element of discovery and anticipation. Spending so much time in the company of the chimps and experiencing a wide range of their behaviours was amazing - more than I could have hoped for. The gorilla trekking was memorable because of the sheer closeness and size of the animals and the behaviours we observed were also memorable. On the human side, the community walk was much more than I anticipated - it was a privilege to witness villagers demonstrate their crafts in their own language and without any sense of 'show' or touristical element - i really felt that they were sharing a genuine part of their lives eg making banana brews and processing coffee beans.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Go for it! Be adventurous - you are in safe hands and the wildlife experiences you will have will last a lifetime. The lodges, especially at Kibale Forest and Queen Elizabeth national park, are excellently run with attention to detail. Travel lightly, both in clothing and intent - minimise your own impact by being mindful of the culture and facilities (or lack of) in the country you are visiting. Enjoy every moment, especially encounters with the warm, friendly people as well as the animals.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
For the most part. I was a lone guest and would have preferred some company and to share the carbon impacts - i will enrol on acarbon offset programme to help compensate for the travel - you could offercarbon emission estimates for trips or responsible offsetting at the tme of booking. The accommodation services were all using single use plastics eg straws, soaps, biscuits - it would be good to encourage the tourism industry to become single use plastic free - the campaign is growing in the UK and Uganda has no recycling facilities. I declined to buy or use plastic bottles and used sterilisation tablets - it would be good to make clients aware of their own impacts - there were large piles of waste in some towns. My biggest impact was travel and I'd like to offset that. By using high quality lodges, where available, eg nature lodges at Kibale and QE, responsible travel and primate world safaris are helping to improve standards of eco-tourism and lessen the impact. The compost toilets at QE are to be commended and I know that the owner of the nature lodges is investigating ways to reduce their plastic waste eg by buying bottled water in bulk. Also it was clear that the staff at the nature lodges had a really pride in their work and their service was outstanding. The community walk, as mentioned, was also outstanding and should be more widely promoted including by Kibale National Park - it is all part of the experience and it's important that local people can both share their culture and see the benefits of responsible tourists.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Absolutely fantastic. The operator and my guide, Remmy, did everything they could to make sure that my trip was exactly what I wanted and more. They were polite, helpful, experienced, communicative and good company. My guide Remmy went the extra mile to share experiences with me that he realised I would enjoy, such as local foods en route. Thank you and thanks to Responsible Travel for helping me with the booking.Read the operator's response here:
Thank you Angie Polkey for taking time to review your holiday experience in Uganda. We are glad that you enjoyed and you traveled responsibly regarding the impact on the communities you visited and the efforts to conserve the environment.
We shall take into consideration emphasis on the highlights and tips you have mentioned for our future holidays.
Jacklyn Tuckey review 25 May 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Experiencing the local food & culture, which my guide ensured were as accessible to me as the tourist activities I had planned.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Get to know your guide and let them get to know you to make the most of your trip. My guide Remy learned that while there were tourist activities I wanted to do, I also wanted to experience the local culture, and that I like to hike, so he added in as many activities that could incorporate those interests as possible.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, it was wonderful to visit local villages and see the direct impact my visit had on them. We did a community walk, where the inhabitants of a very small town walked me through their day-to-day life and activities such as the brewing of banana juice, beer and gin, as well as a conversation with a medicine man. I learned a great deal from this activity, and it was explained to me exactly how the proceeds from my trip benefited the local people. I also felt that this trip supported conservation when I learned about the amazing things Uganda wildlife services are doing with proceeds from gorilla and chimpanzee treks to conserve the forest and the species within. Most of the places I stayed on this trip were powered by solar energy, which helped me to feel that I was reducing the environmental impact I may have made with another organization.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
I would rate my holiday as highly as possible. I cannot say enough good things about this trip and the organization. It was everything I had hoped for and more. I would recommend it to anyone considering a trip to Uganda and to those who weren't.Read the operator's response here:
Thank you Jacklyn Tuckey for taking time to review your holiday experience with us in Uganda. We are glad that you enjoyed your stay and had an impact on the communities you visited too. We take note of the of the emphasis on the guest-guide connection especially at the start of the holiday in order to pay more attention to individual needs and expectations during the holiday as this will indeed help to create the best holiday experience for our future guests. We appreciate your contribution to responsible tourism in Uganda!
Diana O review 26 Jan 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Hard to say as it was a very memorable trip. Of course the gorillas and the chimpanzees were amazing but probably the exciting part was the white water rafting !! Our guide Remmy made every day an adventure.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure you use the tour operator we used.....3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I hope so, the tour company made sure of it4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent - definitely one of my highlight toursJackie White review 12 Feb 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The chimpanzee and gorilla trek2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
The holiday fell well below the standard that you would expect for the cost, and failed to deliver its itinerary3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
No as the missed excursions were to projects,4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
PoorRead the operator's response here:
Thank you for taking time to write a review and choosing to visit Uganda with us. We appreciate this holiday fell below your standard and we thank you for being able to visit various places and also support the local people and communities like the Local restaurants you ate from, the Local porters you hired during the Gorilla tracking, Visiting the Traditional Palace in Fort portal and the Bigodi Community Swamp walk were you supported the Community tourism.
In some accommodation places you did not like the food and this we have addressed with the management in order to improve the service.
We always strive to provide the best holiday experience and have taken your comment on board in order to improve the level of service with all our Local partners.
Ellie Nicholson review 8 Oct 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Being so close to gorillas, chimpanzees and other amazing wildlife - including tree-climbing lions.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Definitely take gloves for the gorilla tracking!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
An incredible experience - would thoroughly recommend. Great company and guides.Andrew Parker review 12 Oct 2016
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I was able to get up close and personal with the Mountain Gorillas. A very special memory...2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Understand the level of physical activity and potential minor discomfort you will encounter so that you can be prepared. Little things like bringing appropriate footwear, gloves, camera equipment that can bear rough treatment, all of this is good to know before you start the tour.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, I stayed in environmentally-friendly/ minimum footprint accommodation, and was able to directly support the local communities by the purchases I made and the activities I undertook.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was wondrous and truly excellent, and I will always remember it. It is right up there with seeing the bears fishing for salmon in Alaska, the orang-utans in Borneo, and the Northern Lights in Scandinavia...Holiday Reviews
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