13 Days Wildlife Adventure Trip To The Pearl Of Africa

WARNING FRAUDULENT OPERATOR (Tubale Safaris) & APPRECIATION FOR UGANDAN AUTHORITIES

Uganda is an incredibly beautiful and safe country with world-class national parks and wildlife. However, my experience with Annette Tusubira and Tubale Safaris was a deceptive financial nightmare that only ended after the authorities intervened. NEVER book with Tubale Safaris. Annette’s license has been suspended/revoked by the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) due to fraudulent practices. From the moment we landed, she used a repetitive cycle of lies to avoid paying for pre-paid services: * Upon arrival, she claimed her funds were "unavailable due to theft of their bank money" and pressured us to pay for our first hotel and the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary ourselves. * The next day, the funds still "hadn't cleared," and she expected us to pay for our next lodge, a second night, and a river cruise. * This pattern of extracting more money while withholding pre-paid services would have continued indefinitely if the police had not been called. Her intention was to continue to scam us into paying for the whole trip twice * In addition to this our gorilla and chimp permits which have to be secured in advance were not purchased. We would have never gotten to experience this once in a lifetime encounter if police didn’t pressure her to get permits off another tour operator last minute. * Our guide also informed us he had not been paid for his work like he normally is and was forced to drive an old vehicle that was running out of gas and smoking from overheating when he picked us up. It also had no Air conditioning and the windshield wipers didn’t work. The police impounded this vehicle to use as leverage to get us paid back while we continued in a rental. A Special Thank You to Our Rescuers We are profoundly grateful for the integrity and dedication of the Ugandan authorities who protected us: * Senior Warden Eric at Murchison Falls National Park, who personally stepped in to assist. He impounded the safari car and forced Annette to fulfill her obligations to us. * Officers Martin and Goodwin with the Tourism Police, who worked with the warden and ensured Annette was held accountable and forced to provide the services we were owed. * The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) for their swift action in taking our case seriously. * Phillip with Albrieux Africa Tours * Our guide/driver Issa who stayed with us till the end of the tour and confirmed our story throughout. Warning: Expect "Crazy" Allegations Be aware that Annette has a history of responding to truthful reviews with fabricated, "crazy" allegations to discredit the people she has taken advantage of. Do not let these tactics distract from the fact that she has been identified as a rogue operator. Her favorite line in past reviews has been “I didn’t try to scam them they scammed me.” Steps to Protect Yourself If you have already booked with Tubale Safaris or are facing similar issues: 1. Contact the Tourism Police immediately. Use the national toll-free emergency number 0800300117. 2. Verify your operator. Check the UTB's official Licensed Tour Companies directory before sending any funds. 3. Lodge a formal complaint with the UTB Quality Assurance System to help maintain standards for other travelers. Uganda is worth visiting, but please choose an operator verified by the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) to ensure a safe and honest experience. Reporting and Safety Resources The following contacts and resources are available should you need to pursue a formal complaint or require immediate security assistance: * Uganda Tourism Board (UTB): The UTB has taken recent action against fraud, suspending the licenses of 18 tour companies while investigating similar reports. * Public Relations: +256 772 977 007 * Quality Assurance: +256 772 368 747 * Tourism Police Contacts: * Officer Goodwin: +256 775 003 772 Joint Security Command Centre: 0800 199 399. * Murchison Falls National Park: For verifying park entrance fees or activity status, you can reach the park directly at +256 709 477 232 +256 762 489 685.

via Tripadvisor

Avoid Tubale Safari

This is the Answer to my Review from Tubale Safari. They offered to pay for my next Trip with them… I would be happy if they pay me the Money they owned us. Again, empty promises. Answer from the Tubale Safari: Dear Markus, I want to take this time to thank you so much for having chosen to adventure Uganda with us. It was a true pleasure having you. I also want to extent my sincere apologies for all inconveniences caused. I want to let you know and the entire world that we're a professional, committed and fully licenced tour agency that is committed to offering unforgettable safari experiences to you and everyone else. We will continue doing that, offering the best to our clients. You said, On the beginning of the planning, the Company seemed to be good. She had good reviews on TripAdvisor, Safari Booking and on the UTB So I don’t know what happened, but I would never book with them again. We really did our best to ensure your trip was successful, even kept on communications with you later after the trip to ensure you're were comfortable. Am so sorry we didn't meet your expectations and we're committed to hosting you here again on our bill for a far better experience in the near future. Thank you so much for coming. My Review First of all, this review should not discourage you from travelling to Uganda and enjoying this beautiful country, its amazing nature, and the wonderful people you will meet there. This review is specifically about Tubale Safari and Anette. What followed was six months of frustration. Of the USD 7,500 they owe us, they have so far paid back USD 3,100. At the beginning of the planning process, the company seemed good. They had good reviews on TripAdvisor, SafariBookings, and with the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB). I therefore don't know what happened, but I would never book with them again. From the day we arrived, they did not stick to the agreement and itinerary they had offered us. A few days before our arrival, I asked whether everything was still in order with our trip because I had read a negative review on TripAdvisor. She assured me that everything was fine. When we arrived in Uganda, I received a message asking us to pay for the first two hotels, the lodge, and the first activities (Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls National Park, and the Murchison River Cruise) because she supposedly had some problems with her bank account. There wasn't much I could do, so I paid, as she promised that everything would be sorted out after Tuesday. Unfortunately, it wasn't. In the end, we had to pay for all but one of the lodges again, as well as most of the activities, including the Golden Monkey Tracking and others. We also had to pay for fuel and the vehicle. The vehicle was immobilized twice by the owner using a tracking system because Anette/Tubale Safari had not paid the vehicle fees. Our guide managed to resolve the problem, but because of this situation we missed an early-morning game drive. Throughout the entire trip, there were constant excuses and the blame was always placed on someone or something else. We had paid for the entire trip in advance, yet in the end we had to pay again for almost all of the lodges and most of the activities. Overall, we ended up with additional expenses of USD 7,500 for hotels, lodges, activities, the vehicle, fuel, food, and activities that we missed. On the last day of our trip, Anette came to meet us and once again promised that the money would be paid back by March 5, 2026. To this day, I have received only USD 100. So yes, I would not trust her or this company with a trip to Uganda again. Maybe everything will be fine for the next few tours, but I cannot say that with any certainty. There are many other safari companies that, in my opinion, are safer choices. If you have already booked with Tubale Safari, please make sure to contact the lodges directly and do whatever is necessary to get confirmation that your reservations are actually secured. And do not pay more than absolutely necessary — you will most likely end up having to pay the lodges and other providers yourself. It was not a pleasant experience having to deal with these problems every day during our trip. We never knew whether the planned activities would actually take place or whether our lodge reservations were still valid. That does not make for a relaxing holiday. In the end, because of the problems with Tubale Safari, we missed some experiences and did not get the trip we had hoped for. We had to pay for many things twice, even though we had already paid for them, and we had to deal with uncertainty every single day. On a positive note, we had a good safari guide, and the guides on the activities we were actually able to do were excellent. We also met some very nice people in Uganda. So please do travel to Uganda and enjoy this beautiful country — but based on our experience, I would not recommend booking with Tubale Safari. If you are just starting to plan your trip with this company: STOP. Look elsewhere. There are other options. After going through this experience, we spoke with other safari companies and found that there are good and reliable operators out there. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Anette is very good at telling you what you want to hear and always seems to have an excuse for everything. At one point, she said that her bank account had been frozen by the government. Another time, she told us that the night game drive had been cancelled due to safety concerns. The next day, however, we met other travellers who had actually been on the night game drive. And there were many other situations like this. I am happy to share the communication and screenshots I had with Anette and Tubale Safari. I hope that the Uganda Tourism Board and the other organizations and platforms where Tubale Safari is listed will see this review. As for SafariBookings: look elsewhere.

via Tripadvisor

A must do for everyone

We booked with Tubale Safaris after we compared with several operators. We choose to book with them due to their professionalism in communication, quick to respond and relatively better priced. We indeed made a better choice. Everything was well organized from start to end. Highly recommended!

Response from the operator: Dear , wow, am so delighted to hear you had a beautiful safari experience with Tubale Safaris and that all was amazing. Thank you for having given us the opportunity to serve you. It was a true pleasure Adventuring Uganda with you. Cheers!

via Tripadvisor

Dream trip!!

While our trip was over a while ago, we keep going over the fond memories we made in our extraordinary visit to Uganda. From the breathtaking wildlife, the delicious food, the kind people, the beautiful hotels, to our amazing guide Jamal, we had a truly unforgettable experience. Everything worked seamlessly starting with the communication with Annette, our Travel Consultant, who always provided us with fast answers and accommodated all our requests to tailor our dream trip. We chose a mid-range budget option, with a variety of hotels, and we never lacked for comforts - we always felt very well taken care of, and we got to experience some of the dreamiest hotels. The key piece of our trip was our incredible guide Jamal. He is very experienced, fun to talk to, a confident and safe driver, extremely knowledgable in everything about Uganda - especially the animals!!! - and eagle-eyed in spotting all the species. When a personal situation forced us to make ad-hoc stops and detours, Jamal was incredibly acommodating and understanding, doing everything he could to support us. We wholeheartedly recommend this 11-day trip to anyone. Go for the magnificent gorillas, but don't miss out on the endearing chimpanzees and the unique shoebill near Entebbe. Uganda truly is the pearl of Africa, and Tubale the perfect option to discover it.

Response from the operator: Dear, wow, am so delighted to hear you had a wonderful safari experience with Tubale Safaris. Thank you very much for having given us the opportunity to serve you. Cannot wait to share this with Annette and Jamal, they will be thrilled. It was a true pleasure having you. Cheers!

via Tripadvisor

Perfect trip with Tubale

Note: Our trip was in February 2025. Even though our trip took place more than a year ago, we keep on going over all of the fond memories of our time in Uganda. From the breathtaking wildlife, delicious food, extraordinary hotels and the most amazing and knowledgeable guide, Jamal, we had the most unforgettable experience. The trip was perfect in every step: starting with the seamless communication with Annette, our Travel Consultant, who answered always very fast and was extremely accommodating to all of our desires in terms of trip customization. We planned a mid-range budget experience with a mix of hotels and never lacked for comforts - we felt extremely well taken care of and still got to experience some of the dreamiest hotels. Our trip would have never been so extraordinary without the key piece of it all: our guide Jamal. He is extremely experienced, fun to talk to, a confident and safe driver, incredibly knowledgeable about everything in Uganda - especially animals!! -, and absolutely eagle-eyed in spotting all species. When a personal situation forced us to make ad-hoc stops and detours, Jamal was incredibly accommodating and understanding, going out of his way to support us. We wholeheartedly recommend taking this unique 11-day trip to anyone. Go for the magnificent gorillas, and Dr. Goodall’s chimpanzees, but don’t miss out on the amazing safaris and shoebills in Entebbe. Uganda truly is the pearl of Africa and Tubale are the perfect choice for this adventure!!

Response from the operator: Dear, wow, am so delighted to hear you had a wonderful safari experience with Tubale Safaris. Thank you very much for having given us the opportunity to serve you. Cannot wait to share this with Annette and Jamal, they will be thrilled. It was a true pleasure having you. Cheers!

via Tripadvisor