Why Travel with Deks Safaris & Tours Africa?

Deks safaris & tours ltd has been the leader in small group adventure travel for nearly 30 years. How’d we get here? By listening to our travelers and giving them what they want: flexible itineraries, freedom to explore, smaller groups, safety and peace of mind, and locally-based guides who show you your destination in a way you’d miss traveling any other way. What does the future of travel look like? This.

Dream big. Travel small.

The trip of your dreams doesn’t need a Hollywood-sized budget or years of planning. Simply join a small group of like-minded travelers that, like you, are eager to experience all the things that make our world worth exploring.

Join 10-to-12-ish fellow adventurers.

We keep our groups small to create a sense of camaraderie and allow for closer connections to the places and people you visit. Most of our land tours have no more than 16 travelers and usually average 10-12 people.

The freedom of solo travel. The comfort of a group.

Single adventurers are welcome on all our tours! We’ll gladly pair you up with a roommate of the same sex to ensure you get the same price. You also have the option of “My Room” — a single room all to yourself at a great price. *Plus, traveling with a small group gets you insider access, safety and support, and camaraderie with an instant squad of traveling companions!

You’re going to need a smaller boat.

If you’re more the sea-faring type, we’d love to welcome you aboard any of the intimate vessels in our fleet. Whether you’re venturing into the arctic on the Deks Safaris & Tours Africa or floating down French canals on a river barge, our ships carry a smaller number of passengers so you can enjoy your journey with plenty of room while still making connections.

Our guides are all CEOs.

At Deks Safaris & Tours Uganda, we don’t have tour guides — we have Chief Experience Officers. Our founder, Bruce Poon Tip, gave up his title as CEO because he felt they needed a proper title to reflect how integral they are to giving you an exceptional travel experience. (But don’t worry, they won’t be using any office attire or business jargon.)

Locally based = local experts.

Our CEOs are locally based, meaning they know the area you’re exploring like the back of their well-traveled hand. They plan visits around the best times to visit (or avoid) the most popular spots, can help you choose local restaurants, and generally give you great tips on the best things to experience. And since they usually speak the local language, they are your go-to resource for anything that comes up.

Local support. All. The. Time.

All CEOs are supported by our local operations teams 24/7. If something comes up that your CEO can’t help you with (however unlikely that is), the team nearby is there to support them in keeping you safe and happy.

Your experience is their focus.

We want you to have the time of your life — that’s why we hire the smartest, friendliest, best CEOs around. It’s their mission to make sure you return home feeling like your life has truly been changed.

Travel like you live there.

Since our very first tour, our goal has been to connect travelers with local communities on a deeper level. These connections go beyond personal ones to help give back to the wider community of your destination and ensure the people who live there get as much as they give. Changing the world is easy — all you have to do is have the time of your life.

You stay local. So does your money.

Multi-floor, thousand-room hotel behemoths? Not on our tours.
We go for the connections, charm, and authenticity that can only be found in local accommodations, transport, and restaurants.

This also allows us to stay at smaller hotels and eat at restaurants with fewer people. Plus, using local service providers helps support the local economy and the people that make the places we travel so special.

Giving back through community tourism.

We’ve been pioneers of community tourism since the day we started. But what is that? It means we have always created our tours by building meaningful relationships with local communities, directly benefiting the people and places we visit, including Indigenous peoples, women, youth — anyone who has traditionally been marginalized or undervalued.

Today, our definition has grown: the communities we impact ripples far beyond our destinations. To us, it includes our employees, supplier and agent partners, small business owners, customers, social followers, and travelers just like you. There’s incredible power in being part of something bigger than yourself. Want in?

Enjoy more flexibility than in a yoga class

Adventure is all about having the freedom to follow your curiosity and discover the unknown. No matter the Travel Style, our tours balance well-planned itineraries with the flexibility to do your own thing and explore a bit on your own. From optional activities to free time, you can choose an adventure that will feel truly like your own.

Whoa, that’s a lot of tours.

We have tons of tours. No, really. Tours for you, your family, your friends, and your buddy from work who likes nature documentaries. Does the first trip ever and want to see all the highlights? Got that.

Heading to your seventh continent and want to be treated like the experienced wanderer you are? Got that too. Our 10 unique Travel Styles group tours together into themes based on what you like or how you want to travel.

Personalize your tour.

Squeeze every last drop of adventure out of your tour by customizing it to your liking. Add on amazing optional activities throughout your tours like hikes, local cooking classes, or helicopter rides depending on where you’re headed.

Want extra time for exploring? Book pre-or post-trip accommodations before or after your tour. Or let us give you a one-day-or-less introduction to your destination on one of our separate Day Tours.

Get your share of free time.

If you want to do some solo exploring or maybe just need a nap (it happens to the best of us), our itineraries feature built-in free time to let you do your thing.

Deks Safaris & Tours Africa

When you travel with us, you see our commitment to making travel a force for good is more than just words on our website — it’s in everything we do. Deks Safaris & Tours ltd stands for all of the social, environmental, and ethical good we create as a business that helps to fuel Community Tourism.

Our efforts to preserve and conserve our world fall under two approaches: Acting Responsibly, which is our commitment to improving the sustainability of our operations, and Creating Positive Impact, which focuses on leaving the right impact in the places we visit.
Learn more

Acting Responsibly

Animal Welfare

We recognize the importance of animal welfare. That’s why we have worked with experts from World Animal Protection, The Jane Goodall Institute, and The World Cetacean Alliance to draw up a robust policy, which builds on the ABTA Global Welfare Guidelines for Animals in Tourism and puts the needs of the animals first. We want to ensure that all animals featured as part of our tours are treated humanely. Learn more.

Child Welfare

No child must be ever harmed as a result of tourism. Travelers have the power to make a true impact in the communities they visit, and that’s why we actively work to ensure child welfare is protected in the places we operate. Learn more.

Respecting local cultures

Connecting curious travelers with Indigenous communities is an essential part of our identity at Deks Safaris & Tours Uganda. We are committed to respecting the rights, history, and culture of Indigenous people while ensuring that tourism supports their well-being. Learn more.

Plastics Partnership Project

Plastic pollution is a huge global problem. Deks Safaris & Tours Uganda is working with our partners to eliminate as much single-use plastic on our tours as possible. You can help, too.

Traveller Conduct Policy

Deks Safaris & Tours Uganda believe travel should be a respectful, safe, and enjoyable experience for everyone. That’s why we have the Traveller Conduct Policy. This set of guidelines is designed to help establish a sense of safety, security, and enjoyment for all on any of our tours. Learn more.

Creating Positive Impact

Planeterra

Established in 2019, Planeterra is our non-profit partner dedicated to ensuring communities touched by tourism benefit from the opportunities it provides. They help empower local people to develop their communities, conserve their cultures, and create humane and supportive systems for their endeavors. Learn more.

Ripple Score

For years we’ve talked about how we do travel differently, especially when it comes to working with local businesses and services to build our tours. You deserve to see exactly what we mean when we say we’re changing lives through travel. Now you can.

Deks Safaris & Tours Ltd Values Fund

Our CEOs are talented guides dedicated to making our tours as amazing as possible. But leading tours is hard work, and not everyone wants to do it forever. The Deks Safaris & Tours Africa Values Fund is a microloan program instituted by Deks Safaris & Tours Africa that helps former CEOs transition to life once their days on the road are through by helping them establish self-sustaining businesses that can be linked to Deks Safaris & Tours Uganda tour itineraries. That way, they continue to share all of their amazing knowledge, experiences, and personality with our world — just in a different way.