The Gorilla Safari CompanyReviews of gorillasafaricompany.com

Our family of six spent the most wonderful holiday in Uganda organised by Donna and Amanda from The Gorilla Safari Company. The itinerary was perfect - they listened carefully to everything we wanted to do and made excellent suggestions regarding accommodation and itinerary planning. Amanda was incredibly patient with last minute panics and changes of plan - entirely brought about by me! On our tour we spent three nights at the fabulous Bakers Lodge in the Murchison Falls area where the safari was incredible. Made all the more so by our guide/driver, Jude, who was exceptional. He was extremely professional and knowledgable as well as charming, polite and a lovely person to be with. We were very sad to say goodbye to Jude at the end of our tour with him. Trekking for the mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenatrable Forest is an experience that will stay with us forever. The feeling of standing within feet of a Silverback Gorilla is very humbling. Again - all meticulously organised by the company and executed by their staff on the group professionally and without a hitch. It truly was a trip of a lifetime. Thank you Gorilla Safari Company.

I did two separate tours with Gorilla Safari Company. I flew from Nairobi to Kigali, did a day in Kigali (fabulously beautiful) then took a three hour drive to see the Mountain Gorillas at Volcanoes National Park. I stayed at the Mountain Gorilla View Lodge. It was modest but comfortable, staff was fabulous, food was good, scenery was spectacular. Innocent was a particularly helpful staff person at the Lodge and took me on a walking tour of the neighboring villages (met his grandmother). The Gorilla Trek was a spectacular, once in a lifetime experience. The Golden Monkeys were wonderful, as was my trip to Red Rocks where we made banana beer and danced (loved it, women were fun, Peterson was terrific). My driver/guide for the entire trip was Mbabazi. He was informative, professional, on time everywhere, helpful. I went back to Nairobi and did a tour of the elephant orphanage (fun but watch out for warthogs!) and of the National Park outside of Nairobi, also arranged by the Gorilla Safari Company. Both were worth a day, my guide Richard Bett was very good and knew where to find all the animals in the park, and got me to my flight out of Nairobi on time in spite of a horrible traffic jam. Gorilla Safari staff was helpful in arranging these trips, I had all the info I needed, my guides were fabulous and I highly recommend the company, the tours, the guides and the trips.

Visiting the gorillas has been on our bucket list for many years; however being in the mid and high seventies we approached our journey to Uganda and the gorillas with significant anxiety primarily because of lack of knowledge of conditions in Uganda including personal safety, diseases, physical stamina (especially for the gorilla trek) and logistics of moving about the country. My wife and I have visited many countries, developed and developing, and set foot in each of the seven continents. We usually travel alone, just the two of us, except in developing countries or those where there is a language barrier. As noted we are in our mid and late seventies but keep ourselves physical active and fit, both cardio and stretches. The folks at The Gorilla Safari Company, Donna and Amanda, informed us that travel in Uganda is safe so long as we followed advice from hotel personnel and with the usual precautions (immunizations and pills) illness would not be problematic. This advice we found fully accurate regarding both safety and illness; both of us enjoyed good health during and after returning home. Yet, despite the excellent advice and detailed itinerary developed by TGSC we were skeptical regarding in-country travel. We explored itineraries offered by several companies but settled on The Gorilla Safari Company on recommendation by friends who traveled with TGSC to visit the gorillas in Uganda. Our itinerary covered ten days in Uganda and two days visiting Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side. They scheduled the entire trip including airline ticketing. The total cost for the two of us was significantly less than the competitors which caused us to question whether we were with the “right” Company? Our friends assured us that the folks at TGSC were professionals and their personnel on the ground in Uganda and Zimbabwe were caring, knowledgeable, attentive to details and responsive to special requests. All of this turned out to be true and accurate. Every detail in the itinerary was executed exactly as planned resulting in flawless logistics that involved the coordination of many people and facilities. After two long flights we arrived in Entebbe to be greeted at the airport by our guide and driver, Ismail, who escorted us to the Papyrus Guesthouse which was the first of our first-class hotel accommodations, two of which were 5-star accommodations with robes and slippers (in one sun screen and deet were provided). Thanks to the suggestion by TGSC we enjoyed a day of leisure at this Guesthouse. We were joined by another couple from the U.S. and enjoyed their company during our visit. The four of us shared the safari vehicle and Ismail—we enjoy a small group. Every detail was arranged and executed by TGSC and its in-country agents. Our requests for seeing something outside of the TGSC itinerary, a tree-lion wildlife safari and a walking safari, were arranged efficiently by Ismail. We found Ugandans friendly, engaging and are not the typical aggressive vendors we’ve found in other developing countries. After a restful day in Entebbe we started the journey to the Uganda National Parks, including Lake Mburo, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Kibale and Queen Elizabeth. Once out of the metro area of Kampala we discovered beautiful countryside, rolling hills, dominated by fields of tea, coffee, bananas, pineapples, cotton, mangos to name a few. As we approached Lake Mburo NP the landscape became a bit more mountainous and later as we arrived in the area of Queen Elizabeth NP for our gorilla trek the mountains were 7,000’ plus. During our boat rides on Lake Mburo and the channel connecting lakes Edward and Albert we saw many species of birds, including fish eagles and spoon-bill storks, a few crocs, elephants, countless hypos, water bucks, zebras, giraffes, impala, cape buffalo, etc. Our gorilla trek in QENP was the highlight of our Uganda adventure. Visiting our gorilla group, Mukiza Group, was one of the most exciting experiences of all our travels. In close second were the lion and chimpanzee treks, both fun and unforgettable. Sandwiched between these highlights were many fun and interesting experiences including a swamp trek, visiting Botwa cultural village (marginalized community) with a session in company with the community “traditional healer”, shopping in local markets, women’s handicraft centers, etc. Each day started with a robust breakfast complete with juice, a variety of fruits, eggs to order, bacon/sausage, pancakes, etc. We enjoyed lunch at local restaurants usually buffet style with an unbelievable variety of salads, vegetables, meats, deserts. At day’s end our overnights accommodations were, as I noted, first class, 4 and 5 stars. Each evening meal included a variety of salads, vegetables, meats, deserts, and for those inclined adult beverages, beers, wines and liquors, after which we retired to our lodge to find the bed netting in place and sheets and blankets turned down followed by near perfect slumber. Yes, there are a few negatives to travel in Uganda. Roads are busy, with some “pot-holes”, and a number of roads we traveled were not paved as is expected for wildlife safaris. Ismail was an excellent and safe driver and made our ride as smooth as possible. Almost all vehicles in Uganda run on diesel with the usual exhaust; however this should not be a major issue except for those with respiratory issues which includes my wife (she unequivocally endorses the content of this message). Our travels with TGSC were especially extraordinarily wonderful!

First time travelers to Africa and safari vacation. Found Gorilla Safari via internet and received phone call from principle, John, within 24 hours of my email. Asked me what we wanted from our travel experience: budget, safari destinations, travel vehicle, and accommodations. He presented several itineraries for us to make final choice. His assistant, Amanda, handled all administrative matters and advised us on everything from required vaccinations, entry visa, and even tipping practices for locals. Finally, our guide in Uganda was Julius Abigaba who became a member or our family for a week. My 16 and 20 year old daughters loved him and we trusted him on the road and with our family. We ended up doing the gorilla trekking in Bwindi, the Ivey River Trail, and the Ishasha lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Could not have possible planned and executed a better trip without John, Amanda, and Julius. Value for the money, and complete trust, confidence, and integrity with them. Plus great customer service. Next time, will do Murchison Falls and will plan through Gorilla Safari Company and ask for Julius (he used to work at the Zoo in Kampala and knows his wildlife).

AMAZING!!!! We just lucked out finding them doing a search on the internet and were thrilled with everything they planned for us. I loved that the trip was tailored just for us. All the drivers, treks and lodges were fabulous. Thank you for making our trip so incredible! We have memories we will cherish forever. When we go back to Africa, we will be sure to use their services again.

I was thrilled with every detail of this trip organized by The Gorilla Safari Company. They provided excellent pre-departure information and answered every question we had in advance with great detail. Then, every aspect of the actual trip went off beautifully - it started with an excellent guide so we felt well-informed and safe for the duration. The lodgings and logistics were all exactly as expected or better. We had an amazing experience at an excellent value and if I ever have friends who are interested in a similar trip or anything in Africa, I will wholeheartedly urge them to use this company.

We had a great time on our Gorilla safari. During the experience we stayed at both the Papyrus Guest House and Engagi Lodge. Both places were beautiful and gave us exceptional care. The food at Engagi was especially good, with 3 course lunches and 4 course dinners. Everyone from the lodge staff to our driver to the gorilla guides and porters did everything to make sure we were well taken care of!

The chimp and gorilla trekking experiences were thrilling. Thanks to The Gorilla Safari Company and their guides, Jude and Ismael, the wants and needs of our group were handled without a hitch. Since I have MS, I think I have even more needs. It was prearranged that my room was the closest to reception and dining. I had a person to take me to and from the room when needed because of the slippery footing. And my litter and chairs for the treks were arranged. i had a wonderful experience. We were much better informed than the people who booked through a different company. And you should see the photos.