9 Days Mt.Rwenzori Hiking Adventure

  I found Inspire African Safaris on Trip Advisor as the number 1 in Uganda. So I reached out and contacted them to try and organise a custom private tour of... read more Uganda and Masai Mara. My friend and I had a very specific itinerary we wanted to do, in a specific time, with a specific budget. So the big group tour company’s like G Adventures or Intrepid wouldn’t work. So after contacting a few companies, IAS stood out straight away with the speed and ease of communication from Richard. We discussed all elements of our proposed itinerary on What’s App. He would reply to my messages at all hours of the day. He tailored our plan to meet exactly what we wanted to do and ensure it was within budget. His knowledge of everything was clear from just his messages.Obviously when it comes to booking after just speaking to someone on WhatsApp and needing to send $8000+ to someone on PayPal, you naturally get a bit nervous, but let me assure you that if you are in the same position with this company, you have nothing to worry about! Richard even offered different ways to pay so we didn’t have to pay hundreds extra for credit card fees.
When it came to the actual tour we arranged, we had a chimp trek and 2 gorilla treks on back to back days (in 2 different sections of Bwindi), game drives in Queen Elizabeth NP, followed by a flight from Kigali, Rwanda to Nairobi, Kenya and ten a return flight from Wilson airport in Nairobi go Masai Mara.
Just before we arrived in Uganda, Richard sent me a message saying there had been a landslide and one of the main roads to Mgahinga section for our second gorilla trek had been blocked. So without hesitation he changed the trek to a different section. So we were always kept up to date with events on the ground in Uganda, especially because it was the rainy season and there could be landslides and flooding.

Upon arriving in Uganda from the UK we were met at the airport by Richard himself and driver Alex. We had 6 days with them both in Uganda. Both were fantastic the whole time. We had some very long drives, often on very bumpy dirt roads. Alex was great, driving on those roads were not easy. The accommodation Richard had organised for us were great. They were all ‘mid range” lodges but were all very nice and comfortable and offered full board- some definitely seemed higher than mid range. As we were there in the low season, a lot of the lodges we stayed in were very empty. On multiple occasions we were the only guests there!
Richard even made sure he left us with Alex a couple of days early, so to ensure he could get to the Masai Mara on time to meet our flight, as the route and roads were so bad due to the rains.
Just to talk briefly about the activities we did
We did 2 gorilla treks, one day after the other. The first one was in Ruhija and there was a total of 6 guests. The next day we did one in Nkurungo section, where the two of us were the only guest. So we basically had a private tour!! All the activities we did were amazing. We saw so much in Uganda in our short time. When it was time to go to our Kenyan part of the tour, Alex guided and drove us across the border to Rwanda and we had time to explore Kigali before heading to the airport and to say bye to Alex. We then had an independent flight and hotel in Nairobi before catching our flight from Wilson airport to the airstrip in the Masai Mara where we were met as soon as we landed by Richard and his Masai driver Cole. We had 3 days in the Mara where we explored all corners of it with our two experts. Their knowledge of animals and also for spotting was great too. As it was the low season there seemed to be less animals around but we managed to see everything we wanted (apart from a Rhino).
When our time was up we flew back to Nairobi with Richard before saying our goodbyes and heading to JKIA for our flight back to London.

Overall I can’t recommend Inspire African Safaris enough! 100% 5 stars. Anyone who is thinking of travelling to Uganda and is looking for a trustworthy company, who will look after you and do everything you ask. This is the company. We felt at ease with Richard and Alex, they were both fantastic! There’s a reason they are number 1!!

  Queen Elizabeth National Park - I really enjoyed the experience and Mark was a great guide! He explained a lot and it was a pleasure to have conversations. The lodge was very nice and the... read more meals delicious. So I am happy I have booked the trip! Thanks a lot!

  Experience within Queen Elizabeth National park Uganda 🇺🇬 - We had a wonderful experience where the planning and guidance was excellent. The accommodation was really good and Mark, our guide knowledgeable and ready to fulfil our wishes. Thank you

  Ever a lifetime to watch Gorillas in the wild, something I found more interesting is the the Batwa culture experience.
Many... read more years ago these great apes lived together in the wild until of recent when they were separated.
Until now, pygmies Batwa, live a distinctive life to human, i.e. ther culture is wild related
Very interesting and painful culture.
Always ask your trip organizer to include it on your package.

Or contact local tour guide
ANGEL NIWAMANYA
at Buhoma gate, he has excellent information about the Forest and Batwa

  Fantastic experience. Recommended! - Inspire Safaris is a great company. I especially value reliability and flexibility. All the places visited were inspiring. Everything agreed was valid. Seriousness!!!

  Worthwhile Safari - What an incredible safari! The cruise and game drives were fantastic. Saw the elusive leopard (several times)! The team at Inspire African Safaris made it easy with hotel pickup and... read more drop off. The drive out to Queen Elizabeth National Park was beautiful and the chosen lodge was great. Will definitely book another adventure through Inspire African Safaris!

  My 3-Day Gorilla Trek adventure with Inspire African Safari's began long before i arrived in Uganda. From the moment i messaged Richard online, their service and pricing was second to... read more non. I had reached out to three tour companies to try and organise a tailored tour and found the service provided by IAS to be miles above the rest. Richard makes himself available 24/7 to his clients. While i frantically tried to sort out my East African Visa, Richard provided guidance and assurance and took care of the trip details so i didn't have to worry, responding to me even on Christmas Day.
From pick up at my hotel in Entebbe, to the most enjoyable journey down to the forrest at Bwindi which i shared with two amazing guides in Isaac and Alex, i could not have had a better experience. The highlight of course was the trek to see the Gorillas. This could never disappoint any traveller. Simply amazing and very well organised. Being so close to a Silverback and seeing their raw power really sends chills down your back .
My accomodation was well above my budget expectations. I could not help but think as i sat there in camp deep in the heart of Africa with no internet, no distractions and no noise, that this is how life was meant to be. Us as one with nature.
I was hesotant to go on the Batwa Cultural experience. I was assured by the organised guide that it would be hassle free. This made the whole experience very pleasurable for me and i was more than happy to leave a small donation to the Batwa people. Well worth the visit. At the end of the trip, Richard arranged for me to be dropoed off in Kigali, Rwanda. Another personal touch that i was grateful for so that i didn't have to make the 10hr drive back to Entebbe
Uganda has won my heart in so many ways. I just want to thank Inspire African Safari's for allowing me to have this bucket list experience. Very few tour operators offer this kind of personal service and i know for me it made all the difference. You and your team inspire me to see more of Africa and i will be sure to bring my family back with me to Uganda in 2024. Keep providing those extra little touches, they make a world of difference to a traveller ️

  I enjoyed the walking safari with Richard, in the park, being close to giraffes was awesome plus he was really great, I felt comfort the whole safari, Yeah the safari... read more is recommended

  This safari is everyone's dream, I couldn't believe my self infront of the giant silverback gorilla, the whole experience was amazing from start to finish and most importantly my... read more guide was amazing, the silverback was just watching us and the juvenile made fun of us he was waiting to see anyone who dares to touch the baby, this is a trip worthy every dollar despite the permit being abit expensive 700 in Uganda by government but it's worth more than Rwanda which sells x2 the price in Uganda, after I secured my permit Richard had to reserve everything for me and I paid the rest on arrival. I loved the Van with a full time deep freezer to take cold water whenever needed, it was 3 days of super experience and if your looking for a gorilla experience here you goo.

  A trip beyond expectations - It was my son who suggested we should spend our vacation in Uganda and so we had to look for a tour company that can be trusted. A friend who... read more once visited Uganda recommended Inspire African Safaris and so we emailed them. Manager Richard handled our booking and he replied every email in time, we selected a package that was 3days Bwindi because my wife always wanted to carryout the gorilla trekking activity. When we reached Entebbe airport, Isaac the guide picked us up in a luxury safari vehicle and took us to the hotel and we were all more than excited about the whole trip.
The entire trip was on point and the guide was very punctual and very informed. We got the exact package we booked for and the accommodation was very nice. Thank you Mr. Richard for giving us the trip we always wished for and we're highly looking forward to exploring more with your company. You all should trust Inspire African Safaris with your trip around Uganda.