Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa whose diverse landscape and abundant wildlife attracts travelers ready for outdoor adventure. The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park features mist-covered hillsides that are blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests, and is most famously known for its renowned mountain gorilla sanctuary believed to contain roughly half of the world’s remaining population. One of my more adventurous clients recently visited there and this is what he had to say:

Once again, I would like to commend the services of Avant Travel for helping me to book and plan a week-long safari for three in Uganda. After having enjoyed previous Avant-assisted adventures to Kauai, Botswana, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico & Dominica, this latest excursion to Uganda proved to be an off-the-charts adventure.

Jane Hughes was our agent who fielded each of my requests — the parks I wanted to visit, the animals I wanted to see, and the modes of transportation that I thought would work best. The whole adventure was to culminate with an hour-long, up-close-and-personal viewing of the mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. To Jane’s credit, she was able to book everything I wanted … and for the record, I am reasonable but demanding and I love details! Jane, likewise, proved to be perfect kind of “detail person” needed to get this job done.

The entire trip went smoothly — flights, luggage, transfers, accommodations, food, and the week-long performance of our local guide, Davis. We saw lion, leopard, elephant, hippo, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, hyena, and crocodile among the other usual suspects. A chimp trek in the Kalinzu Forest Reserve was literally heart-pounding and our standing just five feet away from the gorillas in the mist for an hour was an experience well beyond words. Though Uganda did not have the sheer number of animals to be seen as were viewed in either Kenya or Botswana, the diversity of its wildlife, the lushness of its vegetation, the variations of its topography, the hospitality of its people, the security of its borders, and the limited number of tourists all added up to Churchill’s spot-on assessment, “Uganda is truly the pearl of Africa.” Excellent work, Jane Hughes & Avant Travel! For my children and for me, Uganda proved to be the thrill of a lifetime!

Reverend John White, Lexington, KY

Avant Client

Thank you, John, for your complimentary and informative review. The pictures you took were fantastic! Kudos to our Swain Travel partners; Kevin Murray in particular, for working with me to ensure John’s Uganda wish-list became a reality. John had very specific thoughts about his trip. Swain Tours and Kevin were responsive to our needs and requests. It is extremely gratifying to know the time and effort we take with each client turns travel dreams into lifelong family memories!

Jane Hughes

Travel Advisor