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
DE
Email Corinna | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
From the first contact to the end of our tour always available to us and always helpful
This was our first trip to Uganda, as we had done quite some traveling in Southern Africa we decided to go for a landcruiser with a rooftop tent (provided by Roadtrip Uganda) without driver. Already while planning the tour changes to our needs and wishes were made promptly and booked accordingly. As March is already low season even some last minute changes were possible. Upon arrival a driver was waiting for us at the airport to bring us to our first accommodation where we would get our car and all coupons the next day. We were very pleased to meet Anna Vos (Matoke) who would become our most important person for the next 2 1/2 weeks and Julius (Roadtrip Uganda).
We were handed once more the itinerary with addresses and telephone numbers, UWA cards for the parks, for the chimps tracking, the gorilla tracking, as well as US Dollar and UGX for some accommodations which were not paid in advance. This was a bit confusing and an extra list with where and when we would need to pay how much would have made it easier.
Off we went, the first challenge was getting out of Kampala, after that it got easier. This night we spend north of Jinja at The Haven, really beautiful set at the Nile Cascades. Next day to Sipi Falls, where we encountered our first problem, Lacam Lodge which sits beautifully on the slope of Mount Elgon with views of on of the falls, does not provide space for a rooftop tent (unless you park your car in the space above the lodge with the facilities being 30 meters lower over unlit stairs). Our first call to Anna, who organized a simple room in the lodge. We got a chance to visit an other lodge as well, but Lacam Lodge is definitely the place to stay, everything is very clean and the food is amazing. If you want to make a hiking tour to the different falls, a community walk, or coffee tour ask for Moses, he is a great guide.
Murchison Falls is next, it’s a very long driving day, but we make good time and decided to enter the park through the north gate, luckily the ferry is running that day. Camping is on the grounds of the Murchison River Lodge some distance from the main building, with modern, clean facilities. We have booked Full Board as we heard that the food is very good and we are not disappointed, you also get a packed lunch therefore you don’t need to rush back for lunch. The cruise to the Falls is commendable, but don’t miss the Top of the Falls.
To Hoima, the road till you leave the park has a lot of construction going on but is generally good, this changes quickly afterwards, this is our first stretch of really bad road till ca. 30 km before Hoima where it turns into a tarmac road. KonTiki Hotel feels like a little paradise, with a lush garden, pool, sophisticated Bandas, regular rooms. We opted for a Banda for a change, although you can perfectly setup the rooftop or pitch a tent.
Kibale is next, staying at the Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse, again great views on one of the crater lakes. It is close to the starting point for the Chimp tracking, which is an amazing experience, we basically run through the bush to find and follow them, they are real quick. We do an other community walk through tea plantations and around a lake, where we learn a lot thanks to Joel.
Queen Elizabeth NP staying on the Main UWA Campsite on the Mweya Peninsula, this is great, not so much the camp itself but waking up to the munching sound of an elephant not 10 meters away. We had a guard for the night who also maintained a fire, he told us we also had Hippos around the camp that night. Safari with a ranger, we are lucky and see lions but else the Kasenyi Planes feel deserted. In the afternoon we have an other cruise on the Kazinga Channel you shouldn’t miss that, we saw so many animals.
On to Ishasha, unfortunately we had a bad thunderstorm which turned the soil in parts into a muddy slippery slope, that’s when we got stuck. We were lucky some soldiers of the Ugandan Army and an other car with a driver of Roadtrip Africa came along and helped us out. As there was some damage to the car we decided to drive out of the park and to have it looked at in Kihihi. Thank you again Anna, to find us the nice Savannah Hotel for the night and to arrange that we still could get something to eat.
Next place Bwindi, this is probably for most people the reason to come to Uganda, gorilla tracking. Now, we had some trouble with the permits, few days before we noticed that the permits named an other place than we originally had booked and had the camp booking. Which meant again getting in contact with Anna, even though it was a long weekend (Women’s Day) she looked right into that matter and came up with two options, we chose to change our location to Buhoma, where we stayed in the Community Lodge. Also there we set up camp in the 'parking lot' which didn’t matter much as we had a nice green patch. For the mix up with the permits Matoke compensated us with paying for the breakfast and a nice bottle of wine (which we appreciated very much).
For the tracking the change in places turned about to be very fortunate, not only did we reach our designated group of gorillas already after 1 1/2 h but could also watch the biggest Silverback and the youngest baby (3 weeks).
Buhoma to Lake Mburo, we ask for the best way to get there and are directed to Rukungiri because from there it’s all tarmac, but to get there... It’s the first time we are really fed up with the roads in the west, stretches where you go with 25 km/h don’t seem to end, but finally we arrive. Last night out, at the UWA camp near the restaurant, as soon as the sun sets we have company, the hippos are grazing around us while we sit by the fire. The same in the morning, we watch one from our tent . Accompanied by the cries of the African Fish Eagle and the constant vigilance not to get breakfast stolen by the Vervet Monkeys we pack for the last time.
Entebbe Pineapple Guesthouse, what a great place to end our journey, Avocado trees, flowers, a very nice pool, rooms with lake view, a rain shower....the perfect place to reflect and relax before the flight home.
Next time we would probably not go with a rooftop car but with a movable tent, as the most places we stayed at would have accommodated it much better. And although we love to cook for ourselves, this seems like a waste of time because everywhere one could eat either at a lodge or restaurant or at a simple canteen, and it’s never expensive. Furthermore we would hire a driver, not because we could not do it, but because also for the game drives you drive your own car, there are almost no companies or lodges which provide that service.
At any time we would book again with Matoke, Anna was always available to us.
CH
Email Reto, Birgit and Pascal | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect Safari for family of three with Massai Guides and plenty of animals to see
We had booked our safari with Ilse from Matoke Tours and were very pleased with the whole booking process. Ilse provided valuable advice and helped us to compose our individual trip out of several of the standard Matoke offerings with multiple adjustments for us.
Everything worked out as planned - Nairobi, the safari at Masai Mara, Dar es salaam, whale sharks on Mafia Island.
We really enjoyed the safari at the very lovely Masai Mara Eden Camp - surprisingly with a private car with a driver and a guide (real Masai warriors ;-) only for us - we had not expected to get a private car. So everything was very flexible as we could decide anytime when to leave and return from our game drives - our 10y old son seemed to get never tired of driving around and hunting for new sightings, so we had very long days ;-) Maria Eden camp was a perfect fit for us - everything we needed but not to posh. The view onto the river with hippos und crocs was gorgeous, right from our tent.
Mafia Island was great. We snorkelled with 5 or 6 whale sharks. The change of lodging from Kiti Kiblu to Meremeta lodge was also very good as there is not much more to do than the whalesharks on the Kilidoni sido of the island and Kiti Kiblu was - as expected - really quite basic, good enough for 1 or 2 nights, but nothing for a week… Meremeta was a very good fit for us, we liked having dinner together with all the other guests on one long table. For a next time we would also consider staying at https://www.mafialodge.com/ as it is directly on the beach and had a nice buffet with good seafood, but might also be a different price range... Snorkelling in the Chole Bay was also very good - the corals are very healthy and there is lots of colorful fish.
The dayroom in Dar at the slipway hotel on our last day we appreciated a lot - we certainly would not have enjoyed spending 8 hours at DAR airport, and traffic in Dar was much better than expected.
BE
Email Johan Torfs | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A splendid 100% satisfying experience giving us everyday of our journey a warm and wonderful feeling
We travelled with our family through this beautiful country. Matoke arranged the best hotels and lodges, located on extremely attractive places all over the country. Our tour was perfectly organised and we all had the time of our live. The program matched with our expectations much more than we might have dreamt of ! Our driver was a surplus. He was a passionated birdwatcher and could give us extra information by informing us about the birdlife in Uganda...We would like to thank the Matoke-team for the perfect organisation. We had the time of our life !
US
Email Sara | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
amazing gorilla trekking
The communication was clear and prompt, we couldn't decide on our itinerary based on work etc... and Harriet was really flexible and worked with us. We flew to Kisoro from Kampala and stayed at Mutanda lake resort and gorilla trekked in Bwindi from there. The resort was amazing, with great views and awesome food. Our driver Emmanuel made our 4 day stint fun and safe.
We decided kind of last minute to do one of the strenuous hike on one of the Virunga volcano mountains, Matoke and Mutanda lake resort accomodated us and made it work.
We loved everything about our trip. Matoke tours took care of it all for us!
AE
Email Georgiana | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent experience
Our Uganda trip was beyond our highest expectations. Thank you to Ilse for organising and to our guide/driver/now friend Bob for being the best guide we could have hoped for.
Bob was the perfect guide. He was so incredibly helpful and knowledgeable and advised us on how to make the very most out of our itinerary at every stage. He was friendly, good natured and an excellent driver. He told us a lot about Uganda and its people. Not once did we feel unsafe the whole trip. His recommendations really made our trip.
He advised us on the best way to see chimps in Kibale and the experience was so much better than we had anticipated. When we went to Queen Elizabeth National Park to find tree-climbing lions, Bob found out that they were climbing in a different area than usual and using his local contacts, we ended up being the only car in the vicinity when three lionesses were in a tree. When we went to the place the lions usually climb the next day, we didn’t see anything. But thanks to Bob, that didn’t matter. We also saw a leopard one morning in Queen Elizabeth National Park. We expressed an interest in eating more local food and he spoke to the hotels to accommodate us.
On the last day, we arrived at the airstrip early and Bob managed to get us on the earlier flight from Kihihi to Entebbe, but via Kasese, which meant we flew over Queen Elizabeth National Park. The pilot flew low and we saw swimming elephants, hippos, crocodiles. It was madness. And all thanks to Bob.
We didn’t really know what to expect visiting Uganda, but it was one of the best trips we have done. While we had a structured itinerary, we were prepared to be flexible to take into account tips from Bob, and it really paid off.
Thank you Ilse and Bob and Matoke Tours.
US
Email John | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A great tour company!
I have used Matoke tours a total of 4 times for trips to Uganda(I go to Africa almost yearly!) and have always found them to be exceptional in all aspects. The accommodations are first rate, the guides are knowledgeable and professional.
I have to make all arrangements from the USA before I go and I find them to be very reasonably priced, good to work with AND they give good advice about the appropriateness of my requests and give good suggestions for activities.
I have been totally satisfied. If I am touring East Africa they are the tour company I will use!
CA
Email Venta Kabzems | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Marvellous experience!
Our custom tour was well organized with great accommodations, prompt responses to any queries and notification, plus a refund for any changes. Aside from being able to see the gorillas, chimpanzees and monkeys so close up, our experience was definitely enhanced with the quality of our guide/driver. He was exceptional! He was knowledgeable about Uganda - wildlife, farming practices, history, governance and global events for example, which made for excellent discussion during some of the long drives. He was also curious about our home country and asked many thoughtful questions. Our guide/driver was calm, consistently positive and an extraordinarily good driver, no matter the road conditions.
US
Email Julie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very responsive and professional
From the beginning of setting up the tour until the end, Harriet was always very responsive and helpful. Everything worked on time and well (with one car breakdown that was immediately fixed with another car/driver). The gorillas, of course, were amazing, but I really appreciated how well everything was coordinated and taken care of. My recommendation is to ask about other potential tours you can do (we went to the lakes on our drive back and really enjoyed that - but arranged that on our own), because the gorillas and monkeys only take up the first half of the day, so there is plenty of time to do other things.
Email JH | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zanzibar amazing memorable trip!
From my initial tentative enquiry to the day of departure Harriet at Matoke was always there quickly answering my many questions. She promptly dealt with adjustments to our itinerary and gave advice and reassurance when needed.
Her exprience and knowledge helped us to put together an amazing trip taking in Gorillas in Uganda, countryside and history in Rwanda, multiple safari drives in Tanzania (Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater - where we saw the Big 5 and much much more) and a final few relaxing days on the beaches of beautiful Zanzibar.
Our drivers/guides along the way were outstanding - so knowledgeable, friendly and welcoming. Nothing was too much trouble and we felt like they became part of our family group, we were sorry to say goodbye. We have learnt so much, thanks, Ronald and Stefan we miss you!
All of our chosen accommodation was exactly as described in advance and in several cases far exceeded our expectations. Warm welcomes (including dancing and singing) comfortable beds/rooms and so much delicious food!
We have memories that will stay with us forever together with thousands of photos.
Thanks Matoke - hope to come back to use you again soon.
AE
Email Ruth & Mark | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The most amazing 20 day tour of Uganda with an outstanding guide
We chose to go to Uganda to see the gorillas and the shoebills but discovered so much more. We approached several companies via emails and was impressed with Harriet at Matoke Tours response - she took time to read our emails and answer our questions and tailor the proposed custom itinerary to meet our needs. Everything went according to plan but the whole experience was enhanced by our exceptional Ugandan guide, Geoffrey Katende whose knowledge of wildlife, culture and history plus exceptional driving skills, along with just being such a great guy to spend 20 days with, will never be forgotten. We had a humbling experience spending time with the Karamojong people in the North East, and enjoyed the many wildlife encounters including 3 leopards in Murchison Falls and the tree lions in Ishasha. We did indeed find the shoebill, and the gorilla encounter at Nkuringo in Bwindi will be forever a highlight of life experiences - even the effort of the hike in and out seemed to add to the experience (although at the time we had serious concerns that we could actually make it out ... it was tough for two nearly 60 year olds!) The stay at Lake Mutanda Lodge and Turaco Treetops was exceptional but all accommodations were clean and comfortable. If you are looking for a great Ugandan experience we would highly recommend arranging it through Matoke Tours