The Matoke Tours Team
Matoke Tours
- Located In:
-
Netherlands
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2002)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, AUTO, SGR, UTB & UCF
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $300 to $750 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Cynthia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We couldn't have made this trip happen without Matoke! Excellent itinerary for Uganda!!
Matoke was incredibly helpful for us during the safari planning phases. They responded quickly and answered all of our questions. They were also responsive while we were in the country :-)
The Uganda portion of the tour was incredible. Chimp trekking in Kibale and gorilla trekking in Bwindi were absolutely amazing. Definitely a bucket list experience for us!
The accommodations were also quite nice! We were very comfortable the entire time :-)
Email Emily | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our tour was so well organised, and our guide was so knowledgeable and friendly!
Matoke was such a great company to tour with. Our days were packed so we made the most of every day, our guide seemed to know everyone and everything- he was so knowledgeable and taught us so much about Ugandan wildlife and culture. The tour exceeded all expectations, we will be using matoke again!!
CH
Email Zuzanna | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A great experience
Our 3 day tour from Kigali to Lake Mutanda, gorilla tracking and back to Kigali was amazing!
The gorilla experience was fantastic, we really didn't expect to be able to be so close to them, the Mutanda Lake Resort was really good, we enjoyed every second of our stay there. The new managers of the place are very nice and helpful. And our driver Ronald was a great company, we enjoyed talking to him and felt safe and well taken care of all the time.
The email communication and assistance from the moment of sending my first query to the email detailing recommended packing list were of high quality, professional and always timely.
I highly recommend booking with Matoke.
Email Nick Swift | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fly-In Safari
Ilse organised our tour and it was really great. We have three kids of 13, 11 and 9 so didn't want to do too much driving, so we pretty much flew everywhere. That was amazing. It was super easy and a lot of the airfields are really close to the hotels. All of the vouchers and tickets that Matoke had organised worked perfectly and they seemed to be very well known in the hotels etc. so the staff 'knew where we came from' as everything was prepaid. I strongly recommend them.
Magical with upmost professionalism
Our trip started with the upmost professionalism when we were greeted by our driver Ronald at Kigali airport. Ronald turned out to be fantastically professional, warm, insightful and very fun to spend our three days with and he kept the whole process running very smoothly.
We then drovee from here up through Rwanda and across to the Virunga mountains in Uganda - we stayed nearby at the magical Chameleon Hill hotel which overlooks the beautiful lake Mutanda.
The gorilla experience was as magical as we hoped it would be. Ronald was also very helpful in organising a mountain biking and coffee plantation experience on our last day. He enabled us to customise this experience and reduce it down from the half day activity to a few hours which enabled us to still catch our evening flight.
Once again thank you to Matoke tours, from start to finish the communication and overall execution was five star. I encourage any reader of this review to visit the Ugandan countryside as it is simply stunning and full of amazing people
Email Mike A | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect from start to finish
From the moment we showed interest in booking our trip to the minute we were dropped off at the airport at the end of our amazing two weeks in Uganda, Matoke Tours were superb, dealing with everything via email in a highly efficient way. We did the 12-day Nature Only tour and Edwin was a brilliant, knowledgeable and considerate guide. The whole trip was exactly as described and fully lived up to expectations. We added a couple of extras and they were probably not necessary given the breadth of the tour's itinerary. It also reduced the 'down time' that would have allowed us to the opportunity to enjoy the facilities at a couple of the lodges. You have to be prepared for some long days on the road, as while some of the distances may not be huge, some of the holes in the road are!
FR
Email Geert | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Impressed by their capability to design high quality offer for last minute bookings
I had a business trip to Uganda and decided to book a safari approximately two weeks before I went. Matoke was one of the operators I contacted and although some other operators left me with a good impression during the first contact, Matoke definitely stood out. They were very reactive and were able to put together a tailor made trip based upon my requirements. This is pretty amazing taking into account that most people book their safari many months ahead. An additional difficulty for them was that there were only a few gorilla and chimpanzee permits left on specific dates, and they had to build the itinerary around it. The chosen sites for accommodation were really nice, many with good views on the Nile, valleys, etc. and with good food. The driver John was very knowledgeable about the country and the wildlife. Thanks to his subtle observations I managed to photograph a leopard who was hiding in a tree! This is normally quite difficult during daytime. Communication with Wim (the owner I believe?) and several collaborators such as Ilse and Precious went very smooth. To resume, Matoke really went the extra mile. Finding a driver, accommodation, permits, etc. and designing a tailored made package on such short notice is very challenging but their extra efforts paid of!
CN
Email Paul | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My first safari (Kenya & Uganda) holiday and I’m really happy I went with Matoke Tours
- My first ever safari holiday. Having read the excellent feedback from other reviewers on Matoke Tours, I got in contact with them and Matoke staff quickly and diligently helped me organize my trip (14 day, Kenya and Uganda).
- My wife and I had a fantastic time in both Kenya and Uganda - The itinerary worked really well, capturing the best parts of both Kenya and Uganda. Also thanks to our drivers who were professional, knowledgeable and friendly and the staff at the camps we stayed at (especially Eden Mara camp, Masai Mara and Isunga Lodge, edge of Kibale forest)
- Highlights of the tour included Masai Mara Great Migration and watching the Mountain gorillas in Bwindhi forest.
- Matoke tours surpassed my expectations and I’ve already recommended the company to my friends and family.
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Email Jennifer | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded Expectations
The safari was way beyond incredible, and our wonderful guide Edward could not have been nicer, more knowledgeable or better in any way. In a word - amazing! We saw all the animals over the course of the safari very close up, saw a huge variety and loved every minute. The accommodations were all better then described, the staff at each wonderful and friendly. Zanzibar was relaxing and peaceful and nice to explore. The people of Tanzania are wonderful, friendly, and genuine people.
US
Email Jess | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The 14-day Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania tour was a once in a lifetime incredible experience
My fiance and I did the 14-day Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania tour. Our guide through Uganda and Rwanda was Alfred, and we thoroughly enjoyed him. He was an excellent driver, we felt safe and comfortable the entire trip, which is important as we shared several, lengthy drives together. He shared a lot of information and answered any questions we had regarding culture, wildlife, etc.
Uganda
We enjoyed the view in our first accommodation, Cassia Lodge, and if we had to rate it on a scale from 1 (below average) to 5 (above average) we would rate the overall experience there a 3. The food was good, but the service and interior room accommodations (bed, bathroom) left a lot to be desired. From there our lodges appeared to increase in beauty and comfort. Getting to travel through Kampala with a guide who actually lives in the area is an experience that is unmatched. We were in awe throughout our entire trip through Uganda’s breathtaking countryside.
Kibale Forest Camp was our next stop, in which we were surprised and delighted to be instantly greeted by black and white colobus monkeys. We would rate our overall experience here a 4, our tent was comfortable and clean and the service was good. We especially enjoyed the restaurant area on the upper level of the main lobby and we also liked the fact that we could explore the grounds with a self-guided tour. We awoke bright and early for the chimpanzee habituation tracking, which was a great overall experience and then Alfred picked up a ranger and took us on a quick game drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park, where we were able to see a good deal of wildlife including lions and elephants and were even lucky enough to spot a python killing a baby kob.
The Marafiki Safari Lodge was great. We would rate the bungalow itself a 4, but the staff and food definitely deserve a 5. Everyone was extremely friendly and the meals were outstanding. We enjoyed getting to spend extra time with Alfred during our stay here. We were quite pleased with the balance of alone time meals and meals we had with Alfred. Our second chimpanzee tracking experience at the gorge was one of our favorite moments of the trip. We had an incredibly enthusiastic guide named Robert who lead us to a small family of chimps within the gorge. This was followed by the boat safari, which was also fun and filled with wildlife.
The next morning was hot air balloon day and that entire experience was fantastic from start to finish. The breakfast in the bush was so special and charming and we especially enjoyed the water jug and soap provided to wash our hands before eating. The drive to Lake Mutanda was breathtaking, which led us to our favorite lodge in Uganda, the Mutanda Lake Resort. We would rate our experience overall a 5 from our room to staff to food. The view from this lodge was incredible and it was clean, comfortable, and intimate. Gorilla Tracking was a once in a lifetime experience and it was nice to have downtime at the Mutanda Lake Resort, where there is so much to see and explore. It was a great finale to our overall Uganda experience.
Rwanda
This day we had a lot of downtime, almost too much. We were driven right to Le Bambou Gorllia Lodge, which was our least favorite lodge of our entire trip. While there were some available activities at the lodge, it wasn’t enough to fill our time and we also weren’t thrilled with the room and bathroom in terms of cleanliness and comfort. We would rate this a 2, though the food and staff were great.
We did the golden monkey tracking while we were here, which was another fantastic experience and then drove to Kigali. Alfred took us to the Rwandan genocide museum, which was sobering and informative. Alfred then drove us to our final Rwandan stay at the super luxurious Flame Tree Village. While this was more of a hotel and less of a “lodge” it gets a 5 as well for cleanliness and comfort.
Our overall Uganda/Rwanda experience was unmatched. We were overall thrilled with the entire experience; our only complaint is that we were unclear about what meals were included and which ones weren’t. Often times it didn’t match what the itinerary stated and we found that more meals were included than we originally expected, which was a good thing—we just were left questioning things a lot of the time.
Another thing we wanted to mention is that we also didn’t realize how often US currency is preferred over the local currency, and had we known this ahead of time we would have brought more US currency. And although it is stated on the website that US dollars have to be produced from 2006 on, it might be helpful to reiterate that to US travelers prior to their journey.
Tanzania
Our first driver was Lawrence. He indicated right away that he was just driving us to our first lodge and we would have someone different for the remainder of our trip. Lawrence was also great! He was pleasant and informative and had a great sense of humor. We stayed at Ilboru Safari Lodge, which gets a 5+. The food was delicious, the staff was friendly, the grounds were beautiful, and our bungalow was perfect and clean. The next day we met our guide for the remainder of the trip, Rama. Rama was also great, he went out of his way to help us spot a Leopard and also taught us a lot of Swahili. He also helped us track down some nice souvenirs before we left for the United States.
We both loved the cultural tour through Mto Wa Mbu—what a unique and fun experience! The food at the end was delicious. Our Lake Manyara game drive was fun. We stayed at Manyara Wildlife Safari Camp, which was another beautiful location. We would rate this one a 4—it was comfortable and the staff was friendly. Our packed lunch from this place was our favorite overall, filled with lots of options, though we really did enjoy each and every packed lunch we received throughout this journey.
We then drove to the Serengeti for a game drive for yet another unique and once in a lifetime experiences. We stayed at our absolute hands down favorite location of the entire trip, the Tortilis Camp. It was luxurious and our tent was huge. The staff was beyond friendly—so accommodating and full of enthusiasm. This place gets a 5+ as well.
The next day was Ngorogoro Crater day, which again was fantastic. Rama was a great guide throughout both of these adventures, spotting tons of wildlife and getting us great views of the animals.
Our last stay was at the Country Lodge Karatu, which we would rate a 4 overall. It was comfortable and clean and the food was fine.
We cannot say enough wonderful things about Matoke Tours and our entire experience. Our expectations were far exceeded and the beauty of Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania blew us away.