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
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
DK
Email Henrik & Laura | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
8 day Uganda tour - To perfection
We did the 8 day safari (Budget lodging) in Uganda covering Kibale forest national park, Queen Elizabeth NP, lake Bunyoni and Bwindi impenetrable NP - And all the magic in between!
It was an amazing experience right from the start to the very end.
We were supposed to start on Entebbe, but since we were already in Kampala visiting some friends we asked Matoke tours if we could get picked up there instead, and it was no problem at all, the company is flexible and overall service in regards to planning and organizing was superb and fast.
We thought we would be stowed in a vehicle with 6+ otger people, but instead we were the only ones in the vehicle for the whole trip, which made it that much more intimate - But if you are traveling alone and want a safari in order to meet fellow travelers you should make sure that you ask matoke for that preference, I am sure they will be able to help out there too!
Our trip went from amazing to perfect because of our guide 'Mike' who was also our driver, mechanic, zoologist, food connoisseur and culture specialist on our trip, this guy really made our trip an unforgettable experience - If you book your tour you should ask to get Mike as your driver if possible, you won't regret it :-D
On the way back from Bwindi we asked if we could make a stop at Lake Mburu NP (For the zebras there), Mike just said sure thing and got us to where the zebras were even without entering the actual park (Thus saving us the money for the permits!), again very chill and flexible like the whole journey.
As to what we saw in the parks, the nature in between, and to seeing the gorillas... I don't want to write how it was because I want you to see it for yourself - Just go already, it's worth all the money times two, plus a good chunk of the permit price really goes to the small communities just outside the parks, by buying a permit and by visiting Uganda you actually help not only to feedthe families but also prevent poaching and help secure the animals.
Book a trip, you won't regret it, and you will want to go back!
10/10 stars for Matoke Tours!
US
Email Gail and Karen | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
12 Day Tour of Uganda Left Us Wanting More!
Matoke Tours was recommended to me years ago and my sister and we are so glad we took the recommendation. Our expectations were exceeded! This was our first visit to Uganda (my sister's first trip overseas) and we loved it. Anna and Pleunie are very responsive and accommodating. We appreciated their advice and suggestions offered as this was our first visit to Uganda and were unsure how to structure our time. We were able to plan for as much or as little activity we desired, and were pleased by the accommodations (except for Marafiki Safari Lodge). Overall, the itinerary that was put together for us (customized to our requirements) gave us a wonderful overview of the country and left us wanting more.
Our driver, Musa is wonderful! He's an excellent driver, very professional, and we felt very safe. We learned a lot about birds (he's an avid birder) and the native species in general through our conversations during our drives.
We were treated most hospitably by our lodging hosts Magdalene at Papaya Lodge, Nick and Merlin at Mihingo Lodge, Darius at Enjojo, and Ann from Bwindi Lodge. We enjoyed ourselves and found Uganda to be a beautiful country with beautiful, welcoming people.
US
Email Beth | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fabulous 14 days!!! Wildlife! Birds! Culture! Great accomodations!! Amazing staff and guide/driver!!
My adult son and I spent 14 days driving through Uganda, from Kampala, Jinji, Sipi Falls, Kedepo, Murchinson Falls, Queen Elizabeth and finally the gorillas in Biwindi, with our amazing guide/driver: Geoffrey Katende. Every part of the trip was planned by Pascqa Lorna in the Matoke office and every part was amazing. I cannot say enough about Geoffrey who both is extremely knowlegable about wildlife, birds, geography, land marks, and culture, but is a very patient and sweet person. Geoffrey really cared about us and tried his hardest to make sure we had a great experience. It was often Geoffrey who wanted to continue to drive around the parks or see more sights, and we would have to say that we wanted to go back to the lodge to rest. He is very enthusiastic and is excited about every aspect of Uganda even though he has probably seen everything many times. Geoffrey is also a very safe driver which is important in Uganda and he never tired even after hours of bumpy roads, he never got rattled and he always got us where we were going safely and without drama. I had total faith in him to be safe and professional.
Pascqa Lorna was also amazing. She planned everything and worked very hard to make sure we did everything we wanted to do. During the planning phrase she emailed me faithfully and quickly and she was available while we were in Uganda and helped me with problems even when she did not have to. She also really cared that we had a great experience, it was much more than just doing her job. The lodges we stayed in were uniformly very nice and were picked by Pascqa and the activities we did were very fun and rewarding. Also because it was just the two of us, we were able to do things we had not planned sometimes and Geoffrey was always willing to change plans and do whatever we wanted to do.
I would definitely recommend Matoke to anyone traveling to this part of the world, and if I am lucky enough to return to East Africa, I will use them again.
CA
Email D and B | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing 14-Day Trip in Uganda
Thank you to the amazing Matoke team for a wonderful holiday! Ilse and Pleunie helped us plan an incredible two-week trip in Uganda. The Matoke staff is absolutely wonderful - they are incredibly knowledgable and were quick to answer any questions we had. We had a wonderful guide, Confidence, who we really enjoyed traveling with. We can't wait to book our next trip with Matoke Tours!
US
Email Tyler | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience with Matoke!
Top notch experience both working with Matoke and throughout the trip. The organizer (Pascqa) did a great job answering questions about the various options and was very timely in her responses. The accommodations were great in all three countries, the guides (Kule- Uganda and Doto-Tanzania) were both super friendly and knowledgeable, and the trip flowed smoothly. Cost was very competitive and days were packed with many fantastic memories. Would definitely use this provider again for travel throughout eastern Africa.
Email Robyn | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our 6 day Matoke Tour of Uganda was fantasic, truly unforgettable.
Booking the trip was made easy by our helpful, honest and caring consultant. She tailored our tour according to our timeframe and preferences. Nothing was a problem. Our guide was 100% professional and accommodating. At all times he made us feel safe and comfortable. His knowledge and insight into his country, the wildlife and social factors made our experience far richer than we expected.
Overall it was a truly unforgettable trip. Thank you Matoke, Confidence (our guide) and Lorna (our consultant).