Mamaland Safaris
Mamaland Safaris
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About
Come explore Kampala, its surroundings and Uganda with us. We offer safaris as well as day trips in the area around Kampala for the one who doesn't have time for a full safari. Go for a city tour of Kampala, see the source of the Nile in Jinja, go for a birding adventure to see the great shoebill stork or get close to Uganda's animals at UWEC (zoo) in Entebbe. Or if you have more time come to explore Uganda's amazing wildlife and nature with us during a safari. Enter Uganda's Paradise Now!
Kampala, Uganda
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
157 reviews
Excellent
153
Very good
3
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0
onthemooove
New York City, New York12 contributions
Dec 2019
We did an 8-day trip with Mamaland Safaris in December 2019. The reason for choosing the company was because of the good reviews they already had. From the beginning, Anna and Edrisa were most helpful in planning the tour, and were always quick in responding to emails and really tried to accommodate all our interest and needs.
We had Donna as our guide, and in all my travels, I haven’t met a guide as friendly, professional, and informed as him. He was a very good and safe driver, with a lot of experience. The car we had was always in good condition despite the tough terrain (which Donna referred to as a ‘Ugandan’ massage) that we had to sometimes drive through. We visited the chimps in Kibale, QENP’s Kazinga Channel and Ishasha sector, mountain gorillas in Mgahinga, crossed into Rwanda, to visit Volcanoes NP, fish on Lake Kivu, Nyungwe NP before returning to Kigali to end that part of the trip.
At every location and even for the border crossing, Mamaland had made sure all the paper work was in order, and the reservations were made accurately, so we had no problem whatsoever. We stayed in a variety of accommodation, but all of them were clean, well situated, and with friendly staff. For example, Isunga Lodge just west of Kibale, where we stayed the after chimp-trekking was the best place we stayed in during our whole trip in East Africa- the views were spectacular and the food was amazing.
Our only negative would be the fact that at some places where we stayed, the menus were always too Westernised, and with few options to try the local food. But when we told Donna about this, he made sure we were able to try the local food everywhere we went. His experience as a guide made sure that he was able to read the clients, understand what their interest and needs were and accommodate it within means.
All in all, the trip was worth every penny…and we can’t wait to go back to Uganda to explore its culturally diverse north with Mamaland and Dona as our guide.
We had Donna as our guide, and in all my travels, I haven’t met a guide as friendly, professional, and informed as him. He was a very good and safe driver, with a lot of experience. The car we had was always in good condition despite the tough terrain (which Donna referred to as a ‘Ugandan’ massage) that we had to sometimes drive through. We visited the chimps in Kibale, QENP’s Kazinga Channel and Ishasha sector, mountain gorillas in Mgahinga, crossed into Rwanda, to visit Volcanoes NP, fish on Lake Kivu, Nyungwe NP before returning to Kigali to end that part of the trip.
At every location and even for the border crossing, Mamaland had made sure all the paper work was in order, and the reservations were made accurately, so we had no problem whatsoever. We stayed in a variety of accommodation, but all of them were clean, well situated, and with friendly staff. For example, Isunga Lodge just west of Kibale, where we stayed the after chimp-trekking was the best place we stayed in during our whole trip in East Africa- the views were spectacular and the food was amazing.
Our only negative would be the fact that at some places where we stayed, the menus were always too Westernised, and with few options to try the local food. But when we told Donna about this, he made sure we were able to try the local food everywhere we went. His experience as a guide made sure that he was able to read the clients, understand what their interest and needs were and accommodate it within means.
All in all, the trip was worth every penny…and we can’t wait to go back to Uganda to explore its culturally diverse north with Mamaland and Dona as our guide.
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris C
19 contributions
Mar 2022
My wife and I traveled to Africa for our honeymoon and were looking through the many options for safaris and ultimately decided upon going to Uganda because of the various things to do.
We did a 6 night / 7 day trip that included safari game drives, Nile boat cruise, chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking, rhino trekking, and a few community walks. Needless to say, the experience was absolutely incredible and we were able to encounter so many different exciting animals, some in very close ways (chimps and gorillas).
Hamza from Mamalands was our guide for the safari and leading up to the trip, was incredibly helpful with getting everything booked, making changes to our itinerary per our requests, and even rescheduling our trip after we had to move it due to COVID.
Even more so, Hamza was an incredible host for the week, being very professional as a driver as well as incredibly friendly and fun to talk to. On top of that, he was very knowledgeable about Uganda as a whole, providing many interesting insights, as well as very interesting details about animal encounters we had. Additionally, Hamza has built a great network all over Uganda, leading to knowledge of where certain animals can be seen (we were able to see three leopards due to this!), as well as making checking in and out of our lodges easily and comfortable.
I should also add, every lodge we stayed at was lovely, the staff super friendly, and the views were unbelievable.
We are so happy we chose Mamalands for this experience and would recommend them to anyone else looking to make a booking. Additionally, we also can't stress enough how incredible and beautiful Uganda was as a country. We definitely hope to be back sometime in the near future.
We did a 6 night / 7 day trip that included safari game drives, Nile boat cruise, chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking, rhino trekking, and a few community walks. Needless to say, the experience was absolutely incredible and we were able to encounter so many different exciting animals, some in very close ways (chimps and gorillas).
Hamza from Mamalands was our guide for the safari and leading up to the trip, was incredibly helpful with getting everything booked, making changes to our itinerary per our requests, and even rescheduling our trip after we had to move it due to COVID.
Even more so, Hamza was an incredible host for the week, being very professional as a driver as well as incredibly friendly and fun to talk to. On top of that, he was very knowledgeable about Uganda as a whole, providing many interesting insights, as well as very interesting details about animal encounters we had. Additionally, Hamza has built a great network all over Uganda, leading to knowledge of where certain animals can be seen (we were able to see three leopards due to this!), as well as making checking in and out of our lodges easily and comfortable.
I should also add, every lodge we stayed at was lovely, the staff super friendly, and the views were unbelievable.
We are so happy we chose Mamalands for this experience and would recommend them to anyone else looking to make a booking. Additionally, we also can't stress enough how incredible and beautiful Uganda was as a country. We definitely hope to be back sometime in the near future.
Written March 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nina Niinja M
Kampala, Uganda39 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Me and my 2year old son had the luck to have Edrisa as our guide during our 3day trip to Murchison falls.
He was polite, good with my son, open for suggestions, made sure we had everything we needed and was flexible with the itinarery.
Everything from the first contact with the company until the end was great and I recommend anyone to do a trip with them. You wont be disapointed🙂🙂🙂
He was polite, good with my son, open for suggestions, made sure we had everything we needed and was flexible with the itinarery.
Everything from the first contact with the company until the end was great and I recommend anyone to do a trip with them. You wont be disapointed🙂🙂🙂
Written January 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nastya Kalina
Minsk, Belarus27 contributions
May 2022
It was the first and best safari. We went with friends in a group of 4 people. Everything was well organized. We didn't have to pay any additional fees. The price included food and water, all entrances to the parks, housing, a boat. We liked everything very much. Our guide reacted quickly and thanks to him we saw almost all of the big five (except for the leopard).
Written June 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leo B
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Friends
I want to thank all of you at Mamaland Safaris for a fantastic trip.
We were three people from Denmark, who went with Mamaland Safaris on their 12 days birding trip.
We all agreed that the guides were excellent. Tony and Alex did a fantastic job finding birds. We have travelled all over the world finding birds and have had many very good guides. Tony and Alex belong to the very best we have had. And besides this they were very good company for us.
So please, tell them.
Another good thing about Mamaland Safaris is the communication with Hamza that we had planning the trip. Hamza was always very fast in answering different questions that we had.
So we will recommend Mamaland Safaris to whoever is planning a birding trip to Uganda.
Best wishes from
Birgitte, Leo, and Ole from Denmark.
We were three people from Denmark, who went with Mamaland Safaris on their 12 days birding trip.
We all agreed that the guides were excellent. Tony and Alex did a fantastic job finding birds. We have travelled all over the world finding birds and have had many very good guides. Tony and Alex belong to the very best we have had. And besides this they were very good company for us.
So please, tell them.
Another good thing about Mamaland Safaris is the communication with Hamza that we had planning the trip. Hamza was always very fast in answering different questions that we had.
So we will recommend Mamaland Safaris to whoever is planning a birding trip to Uganda.
Best wishes from
Birgitte, Leo, and Ole from Denmark.
Written August 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dennis b
5 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
Wow, what an experience. Hamza organised our 17 day Birding Tour, he was always helpful and replied quickly to our queries.
Tony, the owner of Mamaland Safaris, was our bird guide and what an excellent bird spotter he is. Ibrahem was our excellent driver, guide, bird spotter etc.
We started our trip by staying at Tilapia Lodge for 2 nights, on hindsight we should have stayed an extra night to recover from our overnight journey from the U.K.
We continued travelling to Murchison Falls, Semliki Forest, Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Ruhija, Lake Mburo and finally Entebbe. Of course birding at every opportunity on our journey. Over 450 birds were seen or heard including the Shoebill, African Finfoot, Papyrus Gonolek, Green Breasted Pitta, Great Blue Turaco, Black Bee-eater and a very memorable hour or two looking for the Chocolate backed Kingfisher in Semliki Forest.
Even though we booked a Birding Tour Uganda is much more than that. We saw the Big 5, and lots of other mammals.
The scenery in Uganda is beautiful, with the rice fields, Tea and Coffee plantations, tropical fruit growing on mountain sides and happy friendly Ugandan people.
Tony and Ibrahem looked after us very well and we had an enjoyable and happy time. Thank you to Mamaland Safaris for our truly memorable trip.
Dennis and Margaret
Tony, the owner of Mamaland Safaris, was our bird guide and what an excellent bird spotter he is. Ibrahem was our excellent driver, guide, bird spotter etc.
We started our trip by staying at Tilapia Lodge for 2 nights, on hindsight we should have stayed an extra night to recover from our overnight journey from the U.K.
We continued travelling to Murchison Falls, Semliki Forest, Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Ruhija, Lake Mburo and finally Entebbe. Of course birding at every opportunity on our journey. Over 450 birds were seen or heard including the Shoebill, African Finfoot, Papyrus Gonolek, Green Breasted Pitta, Great Blue Turaco, Black Bee-eater and a very memorable hour or two looking for the Chocolate backed Kingfisher in Semliki Forest.
Even though we booked a Birding Tour Uganda is much more than that. We saw the Big 5, and lots of other mammals.
The scenery in Uganda is beautiful, with the rice fields, Tea and Coffee plantations, tropical fruit growing on mountain sides and happy friendly Ugandan people.
Tony and Ibrahem looked after us very well and we had an enjoyable and happy time. Thank you to Mamaland Safaris for our truly memorable trip.
Dennis and Margaret
Written February 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meander529604
22 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Moc jsme chtěli vidět gorily, ale tahle část Afriky se nám zdála dost turbulentní. Po shlédnutí řady videí a přečtení několika cestopisů a hlavně po rozhovorech s panem Kočvarou jsme změnili názor. Rozhodli jsme se pro Mamaland Safaris a byli jsme nadšení. Mohli jsme si navrhnout změny v navrhovaném plánu a cestovka nám vyšla ve všem vstříc. Šimpanze jsme například nenavštívili v Kibale ale navrhli nám Kalinzu forest a bylo to úžasné. Všechna ubytování byla na vysoké úrovni a hlavně čistá, jídlo výborné. Veškerý servis spojený s ubytováním byl jak v hotelu. Díky Abdulovi našemu řidiči a průvodci v jedné osobě jsme se dostali do míst kam bychom se sami nedostali. Na safari si s ostatními řidiči si vyměňoval informace a snažil se abychom viděli co nejlépe a co nejvíce zvířat.
Na závěr bych rád poděkoval panu Kočvarovi a Panu Hamzovi za úžasný zážitek.
Libor, Gábina a Dominik
We really wanted to see gorillas, but this part of Africa seemed quite turbulent. After watching a number of videos and reading several travelogues, and especially after talking to Mr. Kočvara, we changed our minds. We decided on Mamaland Safaris and were thrilled. We were able to suggest changes to the proposed plan and the itinerary was accommodating in everything. For example, we didn't visit the chimpanzees in Kibala, but they suggested Kalinzu forest and it was amazing. All accommodations were of a high standard, clean, the food was excellent. All the service connected with the accommodation perfect. Thanks to Abdul, our driver and guide in one person, we got to places we wouldn't have been able to get to on our own. On safari, he exchanged information with the other drivers and tried to ensure that we saw as many animals as possible.
Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Kočvar and Mr. Hamz for the wonderful experience.
Libor, Gábina and Dominik
Na závěr bych rád poděkoval panu Kočvarovi a Panu Hamzovi za úžasný zážitek.
Libor, Gábina a Dominik
We really wanted to see gorillas, but this part of Africa seemed quite turbulent. After watching a number of videos and reading several travelogues, and especially after talking to Mr. Kočvara, we changed our minds. We decided on Mamaland Safaris and were thrilled. We were able to suggest changes to the proposed plan and the itinerary was accommodating in everything. For example, we didn't visit the chimpanzees in Kibala, but they suggested Kalinzu forest and it was amazing. All accommodations were of a high standard, clean, the food was excellent. All the service connected with the accommodation perfect. Thanks to Abdul, our driver and guide in one person, we got to places we wouldn't have been able to get to on our own. On safari, he exchanged information with the other drivers and tried to ensure that we saw as many animals as possible.
Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Kočvar and Mr. Hamz for the wonderful experience.
Libor, Gábina and Dominik
Written October 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alain M
2 contributions
Feb 2024 • Friends
After a first week of holidays in the Ethiopian highlands, looking for the Ethiopian wolf as well as a bunch of endemic birds, we took a smooth flight from Addis Ababa to Entebbe and embarked on our 6 day journey taking us to some fascinating parks located in central Uganda. We combined Lake Mburo, the Mabamba swamps and Murchison Falls National Park in our quest to find the emblematic African finfoot as well as the Shoebill stork along with many other sought-after species. Although we were on a tight schedule with long days and short nights, our splendid guide and driver Hilary managed to show us the beauty of these parks with all it’s peculiar birds and mammals. And yes, we got the best views of the African finfoot as well as the shoebill stork, with superb boat rides on Lake Mburo, the Mabamba swamps and the White Nile up to the utterly impressive Murchison Falls. A fantastic destination for bird-watchers, nature lovers, Africa addicts,… Definitely thumbs up for Mamaland Safaris and for our knowledgeable guide Hilary and for sure another adventure to Uganda is in the making, this time most likely the Western part with Bwindi, Queen Elisabeth, Kibale and Semliki for many more fascinating birds and mammals… well done Mamaland Safaris! Cheers. Alain & Bernard/Belgium.
Written February 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sophie_198802
London, UK10 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
We had an amazing experience with Mamaland on a 10 day tour seeing all the wonderful sights of Uganda with key highlights seeing a leopard and the chimpanzees. Madi our tour guide was great and a really knowledgeable guide who was always willing to help and go out of his way.
The only downside was we had a trainee with us which at first we were delighted with, however, we weren’t told about this in advance and unfortunately she came across disinterested and as if she didn’t really care whether we had a good time. At times we thought she was on a free holiday vs a trainee eager to learn and improving the experience of the tourists, so I would check when you book whether a trainee will be with you and their interest in becoming a tour guide.
Overall we would highly recommend this tour as everything else was above our expectations. From the accomodation, food to the wildlife. It was all we hoped for. Thank you Mamaland
Sophie and James
The only downside was we had a trainee with us which at first we were delighted with, however, we weren’t told about this in advance and unfortunately she came across disinterested and as if she didn’t really care whether we had a good time. At times we thought she was on a free holiday vs a trainee eager to learn and improving the experience of the tourists, so I would check when you book whether a trainee will be with you and their interest in becoming a tour guide.
Overall we would highly recommend this tour as everything else was above our expectations. From the accomodation, food to the wildlife. It was all we hoped for. Thank you Mamaland
Sophie and James
Written July 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Sophie and James.
Many greetings from Uganda and Mamaland safaris Team.
We are happy to be reading such great review from your side. I have to say that we are so much excited to have met your expectations while with us here in Uganda.
We shall still be available to organize more trips for you and your loved ones in future around Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.
Warm regards.
Hamza and Mamaland Team
Written January 30, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Frederik S
Frederiksberg, Denmark18 contributions
Mar 2024 • Solo
I wasn't aware of Mamaland Safaris until I started planning a trip to the gorillas' home as part of research for a video and art project. I've been incredibly pleased with their professionalism, thoroughness, and transparency. Coming from Denmark, it's not always that you get a prompt response from agencies elsewhere in the world, but Mamaland responded promptly every time.
When I arrived at the location, everything was taken care of. A beautiful room, great service, and all the paperwork was in order, so I absolutely didn't have to worry about anything other than enjoying my experience with the mountain gorillas.
I would use Mamaland again anytime.
Warmest regards from Denmark.
When I arrived at the location, everything was taken care of. A beautiful room, great service, and all the paperwork was in order, so I absolutely didn't have to worry about anything other than enjoying my experience with the mountain gorillas.
I would use Mamaland again anytime.
Warmest regards from Denmark.
Written April 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hola , tienen guías en español ??
Written March 8, 2020
Hi there, may I know if your company offer some travel package to visiting the gorilla or the big mouth bird in late December for 2 persons? thanks.
Written October 14, 2017
I'm glad to hear you are interested in exploring Uganda. We would be happy to arrange a safari for you. Please send us a mail and we will send you an option.
Written October 15, 2017
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