The Grassrootz Adventures Dream Team 2023
Grassrootz Adventures
- Located In:
-
Netherlands
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- UTB, UCF & UCOTA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $1,291 to $8,608 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
BE
Email Eric, Diane, Bastiaan and Wendela | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our 11-day Grassrootz trip through Uganda was amazing.
An experience that we will remember for a long time. Everything was very good organized and our driver / personal guide, Bob took very good care of us. Not only a very good driver, he also knew a lot of information about his country and all the animals and plants and flowers. He always arranged good guides in the parks we visit and we saw the Chimpanzees, Lions, Leopards, Gorillas, Hippos, Crocodiles, Elephants, Zebras, Giraffes, etc. We will definitely are going back to Uganda and we will plan our trip through Grassrootz.
Email Gerald | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Attentive and professional
We are an older couple visiting our son and his family who live and work in Kampala. We will be here for several months so we expect to take several short excursions around Uganda while we’re here. I researched tour companies, selected what I believed to be the five best suited to provide what we wanted, and I contacted them, asking for itinerary proposals. Of the five Grassrootz was by far the most responsive and professional, and their representative here in Kampala, Anne, provided us with exactly what we wanted at a very competitive price. Although they were not the least expensive, I felt they were definitely the most professional, and I was confident in my choice.
Our first excursion included my wife and me plus our son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. We did a five day trip to Murchison Falls with Moses as our driver and guide. We were booked at the Murchison River Lodge which we found to be adequate to our needs, but not luxurious. It was quite acceptable. During our stay we did two game drives, a guided game walk, river cruises both upstream to the falls and downstream to the delta, and a drive to the top of the falls.
Although we were very happy with Grassrootz overall I have given them only four stars instead of five for what we felt was one shortcoming in their service. It is true that due to Covid 19 tourism in Uganda has been severely impacted, and lodges and services are only now recovering. As a result we felt that Grassrootz was not quite on top of the situation existing at Murchison Falls which impacted our overall experience. Highway and bridge construction through the park has seriously limited access to the game tracks north of the river, and the river is at perpetual flood stage due to a disastrous water management project. Bridge construction combined with discontinuation of ferry service due to flooding severely limited our ability to do game drives at optimal times as our lodge was on the south bank of the river. The flooding of the river has not only closed the hiking trail from the base to the top of the falls, but it has completely drowned the delta causing much of the birdlife that was there to relocate. I will reserve comment on these joint Chinese/Ugandan projects other than to say that I fear for the future of the park. In any case, I believe Grassrootz should have been more aware of the situation at Murchison, and they should have provided us with this information ahead of time.
In spite of this I continue to have confidence in Anne, and I look forward to working with her in planning more short excursions in Uganda during our prolonged stay. She has already given us a proposal for a trip to Lake Mburo and Kibale which we expect to do next. I believe Grassrootz is a five star operation with quality people, so I will continue to utilize their services, and I will write off our experience at Murchison Falls as just one more casualty of the Covid pandemic.
DE
Email Sina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable Adventure in the North of Uganda!
Sander created a customized 8-day tour for our family (12 people). We can really recommend Grassrootz for their fast response and considering our wishes. Compared to other service providers the price and service was excellent. Thanks to the detailed itineray we were able to imagine our trip. We headed from Kapmpala to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and to Budongo Forrest for Chimpanzee Trekking. After visiting the Karuma Falls and a Game Drive in Murchison Falls we had a stopover in Gulu. The next days we stayed in Kidepo National Park were we made some Game Drives and a Walking Safari. We also visited the Karamojong who are still living in a traditional way. After a stopover in Moroto we went to Sipi where we joined a coffee tour which included the whole process from growing to drinking. We hiked to the different Sipi Falls and enjoyed the Sundowner Walk with a great view. Our last night we spent in Jinja. Some of us did a wild water rafting tour and the others took a boat cruise to the source of the nile. As you can see we had a very varied tour.
Our drivers "King" David and Peter made our trip memorable and joyful. They were very competent as we could see in their way of driving without navigation and on muddy roads, knowledge about the national parks, animals and history, spotting animals - none of them were able to hide, motivating our lazy family members and always being in time unlike us. We had experienced a lot of adventures with you by repairing a broken bridge, getting stuck in the mud, driving close to the rocks to see a lion and the break down of one of our vans a few kilometers before the airport. Especially the men enjoyed this parts of the tour!
Thank you and Weebale nyo!
In case we are planning to do another Safari we definitely would choose Grassrootz again!
CA
Email Aleda | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Sander is a fantastic tour operator he will ensure you have a fabulous trip!!!
I have been emailing Sander and he has been creating an itinerary that fits our needs perfectly, his patience is incredible as I am kind of fussy about everything and he has not always answered my tons of emails and changes. I would without a question trust this company to provide you with a once in a lifetime trip, they are so knowledgeable and give great suggestions.
DE
Email Niklas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organized tour!
I really enjoyed my Trip to Uganda.
Sander from Grassrootz Adventures planned my trip very well and there were no problems at all. I got a quick response on my Emails from the first offer until the end of my trip.
I had close contact with the local people and the staff were helpful and kind. Especially my driver Paul tell and show me a lot of Uganda.
Full recommendation!
Email Jean | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Stellar service
We very recently did a 3-day safari trip with Grassrootz during our brief stop in Uganda on our East Africa tour. Our main objective was to see the gorillas at Bwindi, but since that's only a one day activity, we were also scheduled to go chimp tracking on our first full day, and on a game drive in Lake Mburo national park (NP) on our last day.
Planning with Grassrootz was quite easy. Sander, the owner, is very responsive and helpful in his suggestions without being pushy. I had actually contacted 8 different companies, all of whom offered fairly similar packages at fairly similar price points, so Sander's responsiveness was the main reason we went with this outfit. It only got better from there.
To be clear, Uganda is still pretty rough around the edges as far as tourism infrastructure. We saw a lot of development in the works, but as of October 2017, we can report that the roads are awful and the hotels low quality. Food was the worst of any East African country we visited. There's a lot of pollution and everything is very very spread out so you're spending hours upon hours bumping and rattling along those terrible roads getting what the locals jokingly refer to as "an African massage."
I say all this bc without David, our local guide, I think the 3 days in these conditions would've been somewhat miserable. But David is a gem of a person and really made our journey one I'll look back on fondly. And here's why. He's deeply knowledgeable - e.g. it was obvious to us that he was more knowledgeable about animals at Lake Mburo than the park ranger who did the game drive with us. He also gave us advice that served us well and left us feeling well prepared before the chimp tracking and gorilla tracking, which we did with the designated rangers at Kalinzu and Bwindi, respectively - e.g. he told us what to look out for with the chimps in terms of safety, how to "slope" (hike downhill) safely, how to ensure the rangers kept our pace etc. The rangers themselves covered none of these subjects.
He's deeply passionate about, and proud of, Uganda and committed to educating the rest of the world about it and East Africa (he also guides in Tanzania and Kenya etc). He's very friendly in a completely disarming and unassuming and tactful way.
And he's beyond resourceful. Uganda had heavy rains both before and during our visit, which made the roads 5x worse by enlarging potholes and causing rockslides. On multiple occasions, David figured out ways to navigate past seemingly impassable roads to keep us on track. Most critically, the morning of our gorilla trek, we found our way blocked by mud and logs. Another truck already stood empty and abandoned at that spot. As far as I understood, they only allow one set of persons to go track gorillas each day at 8 am, and the $600 permit you buy is good only for the specific day. In case of an act of God like the one we were experiencing, I suspect they would have given a partial refund or told us we could come back the next day, but even the latter would not have helped us as we were slated to fly out the next afternoon and still needed to drive all the way back to Entebbe, which was an all day drive again. Without hesitating, David got out of the car and rolled up his sleeves and somehow miraculously got us through by shifting one of the unbelievably heavy logs out of the way (with a little help from me), putting rocks under the tires to provide traction, and some very skillful driving. Had it not been for David's refusal to just throw his hands up and wait for help, and willingness to physically put himself out there to push us through when at least one other driver had given up and just left his truck behind in the middle of the road, we would certainly have missed our opportunity to see the gorillas.
Later that same day, we came across a similar situation where another tour company jeep was waiting by a much larger rockslide, unable to pass. David got out and went to examine the situation on foot, and then came back and said he was going to give it a go. Again, with his skill behind the wheel, he got us through on the first go, which encouraged the other guide to follow. I don't know how long those other tourists were sitting there until we came along, but it was clear their guide was not willing to even try without first seeing David succeed.
Also among David's resources are the relationships he's cultivated with people at the various stops we made, which seemed to be to our advantage as his clients insofar as getting small advantages like assignments to the best gorilla tracking group (our ranger appeared very knowledgeable, spoke excellent English, and we saw gorillas within an hour of setting out).
In short, if you want to see Uganda with a guide who is going to go above and beyond to get you safely everywhere you need to go, then you should book with Grassrootz and ask for David specifically.
DE
Email Steffi und Andreas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent, Highly recommended!
Our trip to Uganda with Grassrootz was exceptional in every respect and counts among the most impressive travel experiences we have ever had.
Even the communication beforehand was excellent. Sander was always available, answered all of our questions in an extremely professional manner, and responded to every request with flexibility and reliability. The entire trip was superbly planned, well structured logistically, and perfectly coordinated. Every single destination was absolutely worth recommending and offered unique experiences.
Our route took us, among other places, to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where we were able to see rhinos up close; to the Bugoma Forest for chimpanzee trekking; through the Bigodi Swamp; into the impressive Queen Elizabeth National Park; and to Ishasha, famous for its tree-climbing lions. An absolute highlight was the gorilla trekking in Bwindi — a deeply moving moment that will remain in our memories forever. Lake Mburo National Park, with its giraffes and zebras, was also incredibly beautiful.
On the last day before continuing our journey to Kenya, we made a stop at the Mabamba Swamp near Entebbe. Unfortunately, we arrived at Mabamba Swamp a bit later than planned and therefore had less time than expected. All the more remarkable was the dedication of our guide: Amos organized another opportunity for us completely free of charge, which we were able to take advantage of on New Year’s Day — a service that is anything but taken for granted.
Our guide Amos was simply outstanding. His professionalism, extensive knowledge of animals, plants, and Uganda’s nature, as well as his warm and humorous personality, made every single stage of the journey a special experience. No matter what question we had, Amos always had an answer. He consistently managed to keep the mood high and accompanied us with so much passion and commitment that we will never forget this time. Our greatest thanks go to him.
We will definitely be back.
Thank you very much for this unforgettable journey!
CH
Email Fabian | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Grassrootz offers well paced, authentic adventures that reveal Uganda in all its wild richness
We travelled through Uganda with Grassrootz for two weeks, and it was an outstanding experience from start to finish.
From the first communication with Sander van Zanten, everything was clear, honest, and very well structured. The itinerary made sense and was exactly what we were looking for. Long travel days were balanced with calmer moments, and intense wildlife experiences were followed by time to rest and absorb everything.
Travelling through Uganda requires experience, flexibility, and good planning, which is exactly where Grassrootz really stands out. Despite long distances, rough roads, and changing conditions, everything ran smoothly. We always felt well prepared, well informed, and in very good hands.
A huge part of the experience was our guide and driver Bob Magezi. Calm, reliable, and extremely knowledgeable, he took great care of us every single day. His ability to spot wildlife was remarkable, and many of our best sightings happened thanks to his experience and patience.
The route itself showcased Uganda’s incredible diversity. Savannah and rainforest, rhinos, chimpanzees, lions, leopards, elephants, and gorillas. Over the course of the journey, we saw more than 150 bird species, over 50 animal species, and countless butterflies and insects. At times, it truly felt like being in a living nature documentary.
We also deeply appreciated how respectfully Grassrootz handles cultural encounters and wildlife experiences. Nothing felt staged or rushed, and there was a strong sense of responsibility throughout the trip.
Grassrootz offers real, well-thought-out adventures with strong local knowledge and genuine care. We would absolutely travel with them again and highly recommend them to anyone looking for an authentic Uganda safari.
NL
Email Tineke | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic
What a fantastic trip we had through Uganda! Sander was very attentive to our wishes and suggested wonderful excursions. Trekking with chimpanzees in an area still relatively undiscovered by tourists, mountain biking through a park, boat trips—we were constantly surprised, and this was also true for the beautiful accommodations where we stayed. And then there was Paul, the driver/guide who traveled with us for 19 days. He has such a passion for the country and its people. We could ask him anything about the culture and customs; he's incredibly knowledgeable about animals and knew all the birds by name. He's a fountain of knowledge and a very pleasant person to be with, and an incredibly good driver.
Email Jenny Shelton | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We have no hesitation in recommending Grassrootz to anyone wanting to tour in Uganda.
After doing thorough research into numerous tour companies, we chose Grassrootz based on communication, flexibility with itinerary, accommodation etc and competitive pricing. It was a great decision. Our driver and guide was Barnice who was excellent. It truly was a trip of a lifetime and if you have time, it is worth going to Uganda not just for Gorillas but for multiple other amazing wildlife and nature experiences.