Ecotourism in action
Bamboo Ecotours
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- Association of Uganda Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $1,894 to $10,329 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
QA
Email Anne | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Brilliant gorilla & chimp experience
I chose this tour company as I like to go with local companies. From my first email to Edison who answered all my questions promptly to my eventual drop off back in Kigali after my tour ended I found Bamboo Ecotours to be highly efficient, professional & caring. I was traveling solo & I felt safe & comfortable the whole time.
Joseph (guide) & Herbert (driver) were fantastic & friendly, couldn't have asked for better companions. They were both very knowledgeable & able to answer any questions be it about Rwanda or Uganda. As they are both from the local area it was interesting to see & hear about life from their perspective. As I suffer from asthma, Edison & Joseph both endeavored to see if I could trek a gorilla family that was closest to the headquarters which I was extremely appreciative of. Seeing the gorillas & chimps was an amazing experience & the rest of the tour was very good too.
The transport, meals & accommodation were all of a high standard. Everything met or went above my expectations.
I have no hesitation at all in highly recommending this company!
Email Aaron Mills | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic service. Great communication, flexibility, bespoke itinary and community partner
Xxx Review - Eco Bamboo Tours
My wife and I have just finished a 5 day tour with Eco Bamboo tour and are still reeling from the great time we had.
Our choice of operator came via a friends recommendation who said the company were great value and importantly, worked hard to ensure that local communities benefit from tourism. They were spot on!
We decided to start from Kigali (Rwanda) so that the transfer to Bwindi NP was shorter (then that from Entebbe/Kampala). Godfrey picked us promptly on the 1st day and we set off for the Ugandan border which we crossed with ease.
Not long after, we were in the town of Kisoro, staying at Golden Monkey our base for the next 2 nights as we tackled the Gorilla trek. This was a truly amazing experience!
On the 3rd day we checked out and headed for Amajambere Iwacu Community Campground by Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, where Mt Sabinyo resides. After consecutive days of heart pumping exercise, for the most amazing reward of wildlife and scenery, we then headed South to rest up at Lake Bunyoni. Our original itinerary had us staying one night, but mid way through the trip we felt we might want an additional night to rest before the long drive back to Kampala/Entebbe, and EcoBamboo tours were very accomodating in making this possible.
Our final day saw the longest drive, broken up by a lunch stop just outside Mbarara and picture opportunity at the Equator before we were dropped at Entebbe.
We cannot thank Edison and all the Godfrey’s enough for their help, patience (with all our questions) and fantastic company in making this tour one we will never forget.
There is still so much for us to see in Uganda, so we will be back, and when we do, we will look to EcoBamboo tours.
Perfect one week experience
I found Bamboo Ecotours online and talked to Edison via email to give him some ideas about what I was generally looking for and see what he suggested. He quickly created an itinerary for me that was perfect and gave me a fair price. I talked to several other tour companies but picked Bamboo Ecotours because I felt they were honest, fair, patient, helpful, and knowledgable. Coming from another country I didn't want to take a risk with a company that might not be trustworthy. On the tour, my guide Joseph was the best I could have asked for. He is friendly, caring, fun, respectful, and was always making sure I was taken care of. From start to finish, he went above and beyond to show me a great time, including taking me to additional interesting places along the way that he didn't need to. I had so many incredible experiences on this trip and I'm so thankful.
An absolute must visit! Exciting moment seeing gorillas at a close range+ unique cultural dances!
Great people with a 'at-your-service' culture. Highly responsive and ready to serve! Highly recommend !
DE
Email Franziska | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful
My trip through Uganda is now over and I’d like to thank you for the excellent organisation.
I had a wonderful trip. My guide John did a great job, I could rely on him completely
Email CZ | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable experience with a local Ugandan company!
My husband and I just completed a 3-day Kigali to Bwindi Gorilla trek with Bamboo Ecotours, and it was truly unforgettable! Note: this tour is much shorter (5-6 hours drive vs 9+) vs from within Uganda!
From the start, Edison helped us plan the trip around our interests—adding a visit to the Ellen Center for deeper insight into gorillas and a Golden Monkey trek on the return journey. His communication was always prompt, professional, and incredibly helpful, even guiding us through visa questions.
Our guide and driver, Fred, was outstanding. A native of Kisoro, he shared rich knowledge of the region and navigated challenging rainy-season roads with skill and confidence. He was punctual, attentive, and made sure we were well taken care of throughout.
We loved working with a local Ugandan company that knows the area inside out. The trip was flexible, customized to our preferences, and everything went exactly as planned.
We chose the mid range lodge and will also highly recommend the Gorilla Leisure Lodge.
For both cost and experience, you simply can’t go wrong with Bamboo Ecotours. Highly recommended!
Email Xiao | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, efficient, caring
I just finished an 8-day Uganda safari with Bamboo Ecotours, and it was a great experience.
When planning this trip, I contacted several tour operators in Uganda. Communication with Bamboo was by far the most effective. Edison showed an excellent understanding of our constraints and preferences, and the itinerary he proposed was the most practical among all the responses we received. He clearly knows the activities very well and offered concrete suggestions that proved extremely helpful.
His responses were always prompt and to the point. For example, shortly after I paid the deposit, he sent copies of our chimpanzee and gorilla trekking permits, along with the list of hotels that had already been booked for us. He also provided a helpful packing guide for the various activities and explained the subtle differences in how Uganda and Rwanda handle the East Africa Tourist Visa. This level of organization is exactly what you would expect from a professional tour operator.
The finalized itinerary included the Mabamba shoebill tour, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a Nile boat tour in Murchison Falls National Park, the Bigodi swamp and community walk, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale, the Kasenyi game drive and Kazinga Channel boat tour in Queen Elizabeth National Park, gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, and the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Every one of these activities turned out to be a great experience.
Unfortunately, our trip began with a major disruption. Our flight to Entebbe was severely delayed due to an aviation workers’ strike in Nairobi. During this uncertain period, Edison and our driver and guide, John, stayed in close contact with us and provided practical advice on how to deal with the situation. Thankfully, after a 15-hour delay, we arrived in Entebbe just in time for our first major activity, the Mabamba shoebill tour. John remained available the entire time, which gave us great reassurance.
We had a wonderful time traveling with John throughout the trip. He knows the destinations and activities inside out and made sure everything on our itinerary was carried out smoothly and on time. During dinners, he told vivid—and sometimes suspenseful—stories about local people and culture. He is clearly proud of where he comes from and often pointed out interesting things along the way that were not listed on the itinerary, such as scenic viewpoints during our drives. On our final day, he also handled the border transfer at the Uganda/Rwanda crossing and our airport drop-off in Kigali as smoothly as possible.
We chose the budget lodging option, and the “budget” hotels all turned out to be quite decent. Their locations were reasonably close to the places of interest. Many had beautiful gardens with birds and occasionally calm warthogs wandering around. The rooms and bathrooms were clean, and the meals and service were very good. Some places even had live music.
That said, Edison had mentioned that “mid-range lodging offers more comfort,” and after experiencing the budget options, I understand what he meant. Some rooms were quite small—just barely enough space for a bed and our luggage. A few showers required some effort to keep the water at a comfortable temperature.
Our stay in Bwindi was unfortunately the least comfortable, despite the sincere efforts of the hotel staff. We experienced intermittent but heavy rain during our stay, and the air was very humid. As a result, our clothes constantly felt damp. The shower drainage was also clogged for about a day and drained very slowly. The only place available for drying clothes was a single fireplace in the reception/dining area. I’m not sure whether the mid-range lodging option in Bwindi would be significantly better, but it is definitely something worth discussing with Edison when choosing accommodations there.
One small regret from the trip is that I did not get to see any nocturnal primates, despite including a night walk in the itinerary. If seeing nocturnal primates is high on your list, it may be worth doing additional research or discussing this in more detail with Edison during the planning stage to improve your chances.
Overall, Bamboo Ecotours is a very professional tour operator. They are pleasant to work with and clearly care about their guests, the wildlife, and the local community. I highly recommend them.
Email R.K. | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable and memorisable
This 1 day gorilla tour to Bwindi was professional and amazing from start to end. I strongly recommend this tour and the company! Thank You <3
Email David H | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Bamboo Ecotours is a great company
As a seasoned traveller to Africa for over 60 years, Bamboo Ecotours has proven to be the best travel company I have ever used. Edison was very efficient and responsive and the plan we developed together unfolded smoothly, on-time and as expected. Jackson, our driver and guide, was professional, polite, trustworthy, careful and shared his passion for the land and and the wildlife. Over six days, my famly of three saw the beauty of Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda and then made our way to Uganda for separate day treks for chimps, gorillas and golden monkeys in and around Bwindi National Park. We would definitely use Bamboo Eotours again and we give them the highest recommendation.
MT
Email Michela | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Edison and his employee, John, were wonderful and ensured that we had the best time in Uganda!
We cannot recommend Bamboo Eco Tours enough!
We started communicating with Edison in December for potential tours in Uganda for February. Edison was always quick to reply, efficient and always available to explain and answer any questions. He provided us with links to accomodations, a detailed itinerary and handled booking of permits and accomodations as was required. He also provided us with the contact details for our guide, John, in advance so we could communicate with him before we arrived.
We spent 8 days travelling around Uganda with John - the van was spacious and comfortable, John was always ready to answer our questions, friendly, polite and went out of his way to make us happy throughout the trip. He is well educated, funny and friendly with tourists and locals alike. His personal experiences and love for the job really made our trip more authentic and unique.
The accomodations we booked were budget-level, but we were very surprised and happy with the level of the accomodations - food was good, with a mix of local and Western options, and the owners and staff were always very friendly, polite and welcoming.
We loved our trip with Bamboo Eco Tours and couldn't recommend this company enough!