Passionate Safari Experts in the Heart Of Africa
We are more than a tour operator. We are storytellers, conservationists, and guides — born from a deep and abiding love for Uganda, Rwanda, and the extraordinary wildlife that calls these lands home.
Who We Are
Tarec Gorilla Safaris is a locally owned and operated tour company headquartered in Entebbe, Uganda, specialising in premium gorilla trekking safaris, wildlife experiences, cultural journeys, and tailor-made adventures across East and Central Africa. We were founded on a simple but powerful belief — that travel, when done thoughtfully and responsibly, has the power to transform the traveller, uplift communities, and protect the natural world for generations to come.
Our name reflects our identity. We are defined by the gorilla — that magnificent, intelligent, deeply moving creature whose survival in the mist-covered forests of Uganda and Rwanda is one of conservation's greatest stories. Everything we do at Tarec Gorilla Safaris is guided by our respect for these animals, the forests they inhabit, and the communities who share their landscape.
From the moment you reach out to us to the moment you return home changed by what you have seen and felt, the Tarec Gorilla Safaris team is with you — planning, guiding, supporting, and ensuring that every element of your journey exceeds your expectations.
Our Story
Tarec Gorilla Safaris was born out of years of experience in Uganda's tourism industry and a growing conviction that travellers to this extraordinary part of the world deserved something more than a standard package tour. They deserved genuine expertise, deep local knowledge, personalised attention, and a connection to the places they were visiting that went beyond the surface.
Our founder- Taremwa Mandera spent years working across Uganda's national parks and Rwanda's conservation landscapes — guiding, researching, and building relationships with the rangers, communities, lodge owners, and wildlife authorities who are the true custodians of this region's natural heritage. That accumulated knowledge and those deep relationships are the foundation upon which Tarec Gorilla Safaris is built.
We started small, with a commitment to quality over quantity — a commitment we have never abandoned. Every safari we design is crafted individually. Every client we work with receives our personal attention. And every journey we send into the forests and savannahs of Uganda and Rwanda carries with it our reputation, our relationships, and our genuine pride.
Today, Tarec Gorilla Safaris is recognised as one of Uganda's trusted specialist operators, with a team of passionate professionals, an exceptional network of guides and partners across the region, and a track record of delivering safari experiences that our clients describe as the greatest adventures of their lives.
What Makes Us Different
In a world of safari operators, we are defined by what we put first.
We put the gorillas first. Our commitment to responsible gorilla trekking means we follow all Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rwanda Development Board guidelines without exception. We limit group sizes, enforce health protocols, brief our clients thoroughly, and support anti-poaching and habitat conservation initiatives financially and through advocacy. The gorillas are not a product for us — they are the reason we exist.
We put our clients first. Every itinerary we create begins with a conversation. We listen carefully to who you are, what moves you, what you are hoping to feel, and what kind of traveller you are. We then design a journey specifically for you — not a template, not a package pulled from a brochure, but a genuine, personalised experience shaped around your interests, pace, and travel style.
We put communities first. Tourism that does not benefit the people who live alongside the wildlife is tourism that cannot last. Tarec Gorilla Safaris is deeply committed to community-based tourism. We prioritise lodges and camps that employ locally, we include community walks and cultural experiences in our itineraries, we support local guides and artisans, and we actively direct our clients toward businesses that return value to the communities surrounding Uganda's and Rwanda's national parks.
We put honesty first. We believe in transparent pricing, clear communication, and straightforward advice. If a destination is better visited in one season than another, we will tell you. If a lodge does not meet our standards, we will not send you there regardless of commercial incentives. Our reputation is built on trust, and we protect it in everything we do.
Our Team
The heart of Tarec Gorilla Safaris is our people. Our team is a family of Ugandan safari professionals — guides, naturalists, driver-guides, logistics coordinators, and travel consultants — who bring not only professional expertise but a genuine personal passion for the landscapes and wildlife of this region.
Our guides are among the most knowledgeable in Uganda. Many have spent years working in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls, and Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park — developing an intimate understanding of these ecosystems, their wildlife, and the stories that make them come alive for visitors. They speak multiple languages, hold professional guiding certifications, and are trained in wilderness first aid. But beyond their qualifications, they share something that cannot be taught — a love for what they do and a gift for sharing it.
Our travel consultants based in Entebbe bring together years of destination expertise and a personal commitment to every client's experience. When you contact Tarec Gorilla Safaris, you are not dealing with a call centre or a booking algorithm — you are speaking directly with people who have stood in the forests of Bwindi, watched the sun rise over the Kazinga Channel, and felt the ground shake at the base of Murchison Falls. We know these places because they are ours.
Find out more about our team at Tarec Gorilla Safaris
Our Destinations
Tarec Gorilla Safaris operates across the finest wildlife and conservation destinations in East and Central Africa, with particular depth of expertise in:
Uganda — our home, and one of the most extraordinarily diverse safari destinations on the continent. We operate across all of Uganda's major national parks including Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, and Semuliki National Park.
Rwanda — a nation whose conservation achievements in recent decades are without parallel in Africa. We specialise in gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, wildlife safaris in Akagera National Park, and primate and forest experiences in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Beyond — for clients wishing to extend their East African journey, Tarec Gorilla Safaris also designs and operates itineraries incorporating Tanzania, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Our Commitment to Responsible Tourism
At Tarec Gorilla Safaris, responsible tourism is not a marketing phrase — it is the framework within which every decision we make is taken.
Wildlife Conservation. A portion of every safari booking made with Tarec Gorilla Safaris is directed toward conservation initiatives in the parks and regions we operate in. We support ranger welfare programmes, anti-poaching efforts, and habitat protection projects, and we work closely with the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Rwanda Development Board, and African Parks in promoting the policies that keep these ecosystems healthy.
Community Benefit. We believe that local communities must be genuine economic beneficiaries of the tourism that operates in their landscapes — not bystanders to it. We employ locally, source locally, and design itineraries that route spending toward community-owned and community-adjacent enterprises. We include Batwa cultural experiences in our Bwindi itineraries, support the Bigodi Wetland Community Sanctuary in Kibale, and actively promote community lodges and guesthouses in the regions we operate.
Environmental Responsibility. Tarec Gorilla Safaris is committed to minimising the environmental footprint of our operations. We encourage clients to travel light, avoid single-use plastics, respect wildlife and habitat, and follow the leave-no-trace principles that protect the wild places we love. We prioritise eco-certified lodges and camps that share our environmental values.
Cultural Respect. Uganda and Rwanda are nations of extraordinary cultural richness — diverse peoples, living traditions, vibrant arts, and a depth of history that deserves the same reverence we give to the wildlife. We design cultural experiences into our itineraries with care and authenticity, in partnership with communities, and always on terms that respect local dignity and tradition.
Our Safari Philosophy
We believe the best safaris are slow enough to be felt. In a world of rushed itineraries and ticked checklists, Tarec Gorilla Safaris designs journeys that give you time — time to sit with what you have seen, time to absorb the forest, time to talk to your guide, time to let Africa work its transformation on you.
We believe that the encounter with a mountain gorilla — that single, silent hour in the forest — is not the whole story. It is the beginning of one. The days before, building through the mist-wrapped drive to Bwindi, the nervous anticipation of the briefing, the breathless trek upward through the bamboo — these are as much a part of the experience as the moment itself. And the days after, when the memory settles into something you carry permanently — they matter too. We design our safaris to honour the whole story, not just the headline moment.
We believe in the guides. The difference between a good safari and a life-changing one is almost always the human being standing beside you in the forest or beside the vehicle on the open savannah. We invest in our guides, support their professional development, and consider them the most important asset Tarec Gorilla Safaris has.
And we believe in Africa — its resilience, its generosity, its extraordinary capacity to move and change the people who come to know it. We are proud to call Uganda home, proud to introduce it to the world, and proud to do so in a way that ensures it remains extraordinary for the generations who will follow us.
Accreditations & Memberships
Tarec Gorilla Safaris is a fully licensed tour operator registered with the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and is a member of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO. We operate in full compliance with the regulations of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and Rwanda Development Board (RDB), and all our gorilla and chimpanzee trekking activities are conducted under valid permits issued by these authorities.
We are committed to the principles of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and continually work to align our operations with international best practice in responsible and sustainable tourism.
Awards & Recognition
Since our establishment, Tarec Gorilla Safaris has been recognised by our clients, partners, and the wider industry for the quality, authenticity, and responsibility of our safari experiences. We are proud of the reviews our clients share — not because they benefit our business, though they do — but because they tell us that the journeys we design are genuinely touching people's lives. That is the only measure of success that truly matters to us.
Come Travel With Us
Whether you are dreaming of your first encounter with a mountain gorilla in the mist-covered forests of Bwindi, a boat safari along the Kazinga Channel at golden hour, a chimpanzee trek through the cathedral trees of Kibale, or a star-filled night beside the thundering Nile at Murchison Falls — Tarec Gorilla Safaris is ready to make it real.
We invite you to reach out. Tell us your dream. Tell us who you are and what moves you. And let us design the African journey that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Tarec Gorilla Safaris — Your Trusted Safari Partner in the Pearl of Africa.
Locally owned. Passionately guided. Responsibly operated.
📧 Email: info@tarecgorillasafaris.com 📞 Phone / WhatsApp: +1-643-63476374 (US)
📍 Office: Entebbe, Uganda
We are available seven days a week to answer your questions, discuss your itinerary, and begin planning the safari of a lifetime.