ABOUT

  Our Uganda trip was merely beyond our expectations. Thank you to Anthony for planning and to our guide/driver/now friend Chris for being the best guide we could have hoped for.... read more />
Chris was the perfect guide. He was super informed, helpful and advised us on how to make the very most out of our itinerary at every stage. He was friendly, good-natured and an excellent driver. He told us a lot about Uganda's culture and its people. Not once did we feel unsafe the whole trip. His recommendations really made our trip.

The car we used and the lodges Anthony chose were clean and had very great food especially Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort.

We didn’t really know what to expect visiting Uganda, but it's truly one of the best trips we have done. While we had a structured itinerary, we were prepared to be flexible to take into account tips from Chris, and it really paid off.

Thank you, Anthony & Chris 🙂

  We hired the company for a 7 days and 6 nights tour in Uganda, including chimpanzees and gorilla tracking. The itinerary was agreed and confirmed by email the second week... read more of February. We paid a total of $6.820,40, canceling more than 40% by bank transfer on March 3rd. I can honestly affirm that it’s not worth doing business with Friendly Gorillas Safaris. I will only give three reasons that I hope will convince other travelers not to contact this company:
1. Permits for gorilla tracking were not acquired on time. A day before the tour started, we even received an itinerary and activities totally different to those agreed: different dates, different hotels and gorilla tracking planned for the day we were supposed to leave Uganda because the company “was not able to get permits for August 4th” (the date we agreed on March!). After complaining bitterly through WhatsApp, we received confirmation on the correct itinerary with gorilla tracking on the 4th. The first days of our tour, the company complied with the initial offer. However, the night before the 4th our guide informed that he got permits for the 6th and that the next day we will “go to Bwindi very early to try to convince the guard to allow us tracking gorillas”. Next morning was a nightmare: our guide trying “to convince the guard”, the rest of the groups excited to live a once in a lifetime experience (some even got the permits the day before!) and us hidden in a corner “so the guard doesn’t see us or raise suspicions”. When all the groups started to leave, our guide informed us that we were allowed to track on the 5th. Given that we had a very early flight the 6th, the gorilla activity was planned to end at 2pm and the travel from Bwindi to Entebbe takes more than 10 hours, we refused and asked our money back. Minutes later, the guide informs us that “the guard has allowed us to track today” but we need to pay $300 to a company that had free spots. Even though the company offered to pay this, the guide only had $100 and we put the remaining $200 (luckily, after the guide insinuated we was going to pay us back in Ugandan Schillings, we received our 200 USD minutes after taking our flight back home). At the end of the day, we were able to track gorillas as promised (we didn’t have time to hire a porter) but we couldn’t live the experience fully due to Friendly Gorillas lack of planning.
2. The company lacks a proper infrastructure. The owner seems to be an entrepreneur with multiple interests. He doesn’t have time to pay attention to the details a professional travel agency needs. Friendly Gorillas Safaris doesn’t even have its own guides: they hired as needed. This explains the last-minute arrangement of our tour (the first night, the hotel said there was no reservation under our name, or the company’s..... fortunately, they had a single room available, when we paid a double). When asked about the pending balance, they gave an incorrect amount and I needed to tell them it was actually more! The owner acts as “travel consultant” but he barely knows commuting times or proper hotels and need to ask to guides recognized by the governmental office.
3. Even though Friendly Gorillas Safaris apologized for their many mistakes (the guide was annoying, forcing us to take pictures of things we were not interested, dangerously stopping in the road, making us having matooke when we didn’t want to), it doesn’t compensate the terrible experience we had in Uganda. They offer a discount in future trips, as if we were interested in hiring them again! Apologizing and promising to be better next time is not enough for us. I advice other travelers to select another company to visit Uganda. And keep track on the different names they may used (verify that on their Facebook page).

  Friendly Gorillas safaris was amazing. The Gorilla tour we had was amazing. Anthony was so prompt when it comes to reply to our inquiries. The selection of lodges and the... read more choice of vehicle was rather impressive.

The extra romantic relaxationin Lake Bunyonyi was the best that can ever happen.

  A must for any wildlife enthusiastic. It was such an unforgetable experience. The trekking insearch for the gorillas started at the bwindi impenetrable forest consetvation meeting point with a wonderful... read more traditional welcome by the staff. All trekkers were segregated in to groups of 08 and were assigned to a see a particular family of gorillas. Trekking took us around 03hr of ascending the steep mountains to finally spot the big gentle beasts. It was such a awesome sight to have experienced.

At the meeting point, for those who require assistance in ascending and descending the mountain during the trekking and to help with their back packs, you could request to hire a local residence for a minimum cost of US20/= who will assit you throughout. Hiking sticks are avaiable free of cost. There will be 04 rangers escorting the group in to the mountains and at the end of the trekking once back at the meeting point depending on how you would want to appreciate them you could tip the head ranger. Do not forget to collect your memorabilia. An official certification of gorilla trekking.

Lake bunyonyi was where I headed to thereafter it was such a pictureque site to see. I would recommand Arcadia Cottages, as this place is at the cliff of the mountain with the view of the lake. Every cottage has the lake view and the cottages were exceptional amazing. The staff too were great.

The tour and the permits for the gorilla trekking was arranged by a company named "car rental uganda" info@carrentaluganda.com. Contact name is Mike. I had to provide the payment upfont for the 01 day permit US600/= which was paid online. Once he had your permit arranged for the day you would want to do the trekking the rest of the itinerary is based on your request. Lake bunyonyi is a must.
I would place 100% of my trust in Mike and the guide/driver who was George.

  Our adventure was irresistibly great and amazing. We are happy to have chosen Friendly safaris.

The vehicle used, the booked lodges and food was amazing.

Strongly recommend them.... read more

  This was the most amazing trip ever. Friendly gorillas are true professionals. Their prices are competitive, their guides are excellent and so knowledgeable, and their tours are planned and well... read more organized. Anthony and Toni kept us abreast of all the plans of the tour since before we even set foot in Uganda. They were also flexible and allowed us to add more activities to our tour: we even ended up extending our trip with them. If you are between travel companies, think no more. Friendly gorillas is the way to go. Ask for Toni our tour guide!