Kajie Safaris Director Ronald at Ngorongoro crater
Kajie Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Member Of:
- AUTO, USAGA, UTB & UWA
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $2,595 to $13,841 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DK
Email Oliver Nielsen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding 10 day Ugandan safari for 2
After researching several tour operators, my girlfriend and I chose Kajie Safaris because of their strong reputation and the quality of lodges included in their itineraries, which already looked very appealing and noticeably better than those offered by many other providers.
We initially contacted them about one of their pre-planned tours, and from the very beginning the experience was excellent. They were extremely helpful in suggesting modifications, offering thoughtful recommendations, and tailoring the itinerary to better match our interests. After a few adjustments and extensions, we were very happy with the final program and decided to book.
Communication leading up to the safari was outstanding. Responses were always quick, clear, and detailed, and Kajie Safaris was proactive in reminding us about visas, yellow fever certificates, and other important preparations. This gave us a lot of confidence and peace of mind before arrival.
The safari itself exceeded our expectations in every way. Uganda is an incredible country, with stunning landscapes that constantly change—from lush forests and crater lakes to wide savannahs and dramatic views. Every day felt different, and the scenery alone made the journey unforgettable.
The lodges were truly exceptional. We knew in advance that they would be nice, but in reality they were outstanding, often featuring spectacular views from both the rooms and the restaurants. They were comfortable, beautifully located, and added enormously to the overall experience, making it feel both adventurous and relaxing at the same time.
Our guide and driver, Eddie, was absolutely exceptional and elevated the entire safari to another level. He ensured everything ran seamlessly, from transportation and check-ins to schedules and coordination with the lodges, including dinner arrangements, allowing us to fully relax and enjoy the trip. Eddie drove very safely throughout the journey, which was greatly appreciated given the long distances and varying road conditions.
Eddie was also incredibly attentive and proactive. A great example was when he extended an excursion in Queen Elizabeth National Park to include a visit to a crater with flamingos, simply because we had been talking about flamingos during the night drive the day before—without us even asking. He was an excellent wildlife spotter and consistently helped us see animals we might otherwise have missed. Everywhere we went, staff and locals greeted Eddie warmly, clearly showing how well-liked and respected he is. His knowledge of wildlife, local culture, and politics was impressive, and he answered all our questions with ease. Thanks to Eddie, we had fantastic game drives and excursions and truly felt we saw everything we could have hoped for—and more.
Our only disappointment was the vehicle. We paid approximately USD 700 extra to upgrade from a minibus to a Land Cruiser (or similar). While we did receive a Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof, it was a standard SUV rather than one of the larger, safari-specific vehicles shown on Kajie Safaris’ Instagram (which most other tourists had). That was probably a communication error on our end. However, the vehicle did not have air conditioning. Despite driving with the windows fully down, it was still very warm inside, especially during long stretches on the highway. This resulted in long, uncomfortable drives with wind buffeting, significant dust inside the car, and heavy truck traffic passing close by. Even if we wanted to roll up the windows, the door window tint was so dark you could hardly see out. Given that several drives lasted over six hours, air conditioning would have made a substantial difference in comfort. At this price point, we had expected AC would be included, and we were therefore quite disappointed with the upgraded vehicle.
In conclusion, we are very happy that we chose Kajie Safaris, but we would require a car with AC next time at that price point, or not pay to upgrade. The landscapes, wildlife, lodges, planning, and especially our guide made this an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we would absolutely recommend Kajie Safaris to anyone considering a safari in Uganda.
CH
Email Toyota | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Makes sure it all works out.
I would always pick Kajie Safaris again for a tour through Uganda. The response and organisation of my trip was super easy and the team was very flexible on making sure I get all I was looking for during my 7 days in Uganda. Thanks to Ronald and Josephine for helping me out with all my requests. Needless to say that all the accommodations were top notch, from the Bweza Gorilla Lodge, Aakvard Safari Lodge, Chimp Nest - I loved them all and I was always sad to check-out after 1-2 nights only.
The biggest shout out and thanks go out to my on site guide Casmir aka Herbert who was not only my guide and driver but also my babysitter, 24/7-entertainer and car-pool-karaoke-buddy becoming more of a partner in crime (metaphorically speaking of course) during these past 7 days. Making sure we were always safe on the road, never missing on one of the scenic routs instead of the main-road, finding the best coffee places with a view and making this week of looking for wild-life and being in nature into one of the best weeks in my life. Travelling solo is not always easy, but with a guide like him there was no single moment to be worried or to be bored - time was flying way to quick, even during the long hours of driving/roadtripping across the country - he was really the best company I could have asked for. (althought he did not let me win at pool. ;-))
Thank you - it would not have been the same without you. ♡
RU
Email Dmitrii | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Safari in Uganda was magnificent, but there were some organizational shortcomings
Overall, the safari went very well and the country was magnificent, but unfortunately there were a few minor issues on the organizational side.
I will start with the positives. During the booking process and afterward, communication with the manager was excellent. The company provided all the necessary information, reminded me to apply for a visa, informed me about the introduction of the health declaration due to Ebola that had to be completed before the flight, clarified the details of my flight, and so on. The airport pickup went according to plan, and I set off on the safari right away. Uganda’s parks are magnificent - the gorillas, chimpanzees, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Murchison Falls.
Nevertheless, there were several shortcomings that I unfortunately have to mention.
First, the lodge in Murchison Falls was changed from Pakuba Safari Lodge to Bamboo Safari Lodge. Bamboo Safari Lodge is a good lodge, but unlike Pakuba, it is located outside the park. Although it is formally situated right next to the park entrance, in reality it takes about 20 minutes to get to the area where the main game drive begins. Even if that road is inside the park, it is mostly an asphalt road with almost no animals around, while the main game drives take place in the Pakuba area.
Second, I missed out on the game drive in Lake Mburo National Park. The original plan was that I would arrive, spend the night in Entebbe, and the next day go to Lake Mburo, where I would have an evening game drive. When I provided my flight details and said that I would arrive at 11:15 AM, the company said that “since you arrive early on the first day, we can start the safari immediately” and suggested slightly changing the plan so that I would go straight from the airport to Lake Mburo on the first day for an evening game drive. I agreed, but it turned out that this plan was not feasible. The drive to Lake Mburo, taking traffic and congestion into account, took so long that I arrived at Lake Mburo only around sunset, and the evening game drive in this park did not take place.
The third issue was on the first day in Queen Elizabeth National Park. According to the plan, I was supposed to have two activities that day: Afternoon - game drive in Ishasha, and Evening - game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. In my view, this should have meant that the first activity would start around 12:00–13:00, but the guide had a different understanding of this. I spent half the day at the lodge, and only at 15:00 did the afternoon activity begin, which consisted of a very short game drive in one area. Then at 16:30 the evening game drive in Queen Elizabeth already started. At the same time, the guide claimed that evening game drives in Queen Elizabeth begin at 16:00, but I asked the staff at the park entrance and they said that an evening game drive usually starts at 15:00.
I cannot say that these shortcomings seriously spoiled my overall impression of the safari, but I prefer to describe my impressions honestly, and perhaps this feedback will help the company take these points into account and avoid such issues in the future.
AT
Email Charlotte | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great safari experience!
I just came back from my 11 days safari in Western Uganda organised by Ronald from Kajie Safari. During preparations, he was reachable 24/7 and open to customize our stay, find a balance between low-cost and mid-range lodges given a strict budget and guide us through a reliable pre-payment procedure. During our stay, I found out that Kajie Safari is not your regular Tour Operator: Ronald who was our guide/driver all the way through, could provide insights on wildlife and nature (enabling me to grasp the basics being a true city gal) of each national park, Ugandan geography and traditions, but was also open to discuss everyday life and hobbies of a young modern Ugandan man (#GamesofThrones). He is a good driver (for me a combination between safe and fast), eager to settle you first at the lodge (before other tourists), providing you with snacks. In short, he is making sure that you are fine, which is quite important considering the roads in part of the country. After 11 days, the four-wheel drive Toyota Van will definitely convince you of its advantages compared to a "range rover" type of vehicle. My highlights clearly were the tracking on foot of rhinos, chimps and gorillas, which provided me with adrenaline spikes for the rest of my life. But also the red colobus monkeys playing while having morning tea with the soothing murmurs of the Kibale jungle, the sweet lady-finger-bananas eaten in the car, the flamboyant sunset in Queen Elisabeth Park, discovering the taste of confort food such as Matoke, the calm and friendly ways of Ugandan going about their business... I'll stop here, you know what you should do.
Email Glen Allen | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kampala City Tour With Friendly, Knowledgeable Ronald
I did a 1 day Kampala city tour with Ronald and was very satisfied. Price was fair but moreover Ronald was friendly, knowledgeable, imformative and I felt safe at all times. He’s a true asset to this company and Uganda tourism as a whole.
AT
Email Moritz | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great trip with a great guide
We had an amazing trip – all thanks to Ronald! Right from the start he was very helpful and flexible when we wanted to make some changes from the initial route that was proposed on the website. I think this really was the biggest advantage of booking the trip directly at a local guide instead of a travel agency in Europe: we had so much more flexibility on the dates, the routes and an extra day of rest in comparison to everything else we had been offered at the agency (for a much better price was well).
The booking process was very secure via credit card and was without any problems. Once we were there Ronald was a great guide indeed, always trying that his group got the best spot to see animals, that we were given the best room etc. Besides his great knowledge about the country and its animals, he was also very funny and it was a real pleasure to have this adventure with him on our side.
Thanks to him we really got to know the country and its people and had a great time throughout the whole trip!
10/10 – really fantastic trip with a really fantastic guy!
ES
Email Julia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kajie safaris made my trip in Uganda Worderful
Ronnie is one of the best guides you can find in Uganda. He knows the best places to visit in the country. He knows people everywhere along the country. He is a very respectfull and honest person and helps you solve all the problems you can have. A part from that he is a great person. I had a really great confortable and safe trip traveling with him. I really recomend him.
QA
Email Anniina from Finland | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing commitment to provide the most unforgettable experience in Uganda
First of all the company is very quick and professional answering all inquiries. I love the easines of being able to contact them through a chat on their webpage or just by writing a message to them on facebook.
They answered my inquiry just within hours and I could sense the dedication to make all our wishes possible for a four day safari. We were hoping that we could do Kazinga Channel cruise, gorilla and chimpanzee tracking, batwa visit and a game drive in Uganda, and finalizing the safari with a visit to the genocide memorial in Kigali, Rwanda within four days - many companies told us this is too much for that period of time but Kajie Safaris seemed to have a really good knowledge about the driving times and what is realistic and what is not. They gave us an itinerary with everyrhing we wanted and more - we were able to fit in a visit to lake Bunyiony with canoeing and all.
The company was also very open about the cost structure, and kept us up to date on accommodation reservation status and getting gorilla permits etc. Also the payment method they provide is reliable and secured. I felt comfortable doing business with them at all times.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and super nice - it was really nice to have him at the safari with us. If I go back, I will use Kajie Safaris again and would recommend them to any traveller. The accommodation they booked for us exceeded our expectations.
I felt that there is quite little variation in the prices after asking for a few quotes from different companies. Therefore price was not the driver in our decision making when we decided to pick Kajie Safaris - we chose them because of the can-do attitude, quick and professional communication and providing better visibility over the full booking process.
To wrap it up - We could have not hoped for a better service.
Email Shawna | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Every day was paradise!:)
Ronald went above and beyond to make us all safe and comfortable. He worked very hard every day of the 13 day safari and I recommend him to anyone that is planning a trip to Uganda. I told him as I do here again-every day is/was paradise on the Kajie Safari!:) it was crazy fun and beautiful! I wanted wild and rugged and it was!
IT
Email Danila | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
How to make a tour in Uganda unforgettable
Found Kajie on SafariBookings. It took almost 60 emails to arrange the 13 days safari and Ronald was really patient and always flexible in changing previous plans, since the first email to the last safari day. He cared for every little detail and you can feel his love and enthusiasm for the places you are going to visit. The safari at the end contained all the amazing things that made the tour unforgettable: looking for Big 5 in Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth by car and boat, chimps in Kibale, gorillas in Bwindi, zebras in Lake Mburo, stunning views on Lake Bunyonyi, plus 2-day trekking on amazing Rwenzori Mountains and rafting on White Nile. Martin, the professional guide who took care of us, was such a friend: he suggested us little tricks to better appreciate what was going on and told us interesting stories about his country and culture. Also, food and accomodation was really beyond expectations, if you think that we had tried to be as cheap as possible on these subjects. People like these guys definitely need to grow in order to enrich Uganda!
