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
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.
We had a dream holiday, got to see every animal possible up close and in their own environment.
Our guide in Uganda was excellent, so enthusiastic and proud of his beautiful country. We started with visiting a Rhino reserve, which was wonderful! We got to walk through the place to find them which was very exciting. The guides there were very informative. We got to see so much on the game drive at Murchison Falls, elephants, giraffes, lion, antilope, plus all the animals we saw on the river when we took a boat ride, and not forgetting the most amazing array of bird life we have ever seen! A high lite to us was at Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge, where we had a great view across the river from our veranda, and not long after arriving a big herd of 20 or more elephants came to bathe just about 30 metres away from us, what a buzz! The biggest thrill was tracking to see the Mountain Gorillas! That was absolutely breath taking! It was very emotional to be in their territory and not feeling scared. Tanzania was equally beautiful, with another excellent guide! We loved the lodges especially Manyara Wildlife Lodge and Tortillis Camp, we felt very well looked after on their hands! The game drives were stunning, I don't think there is an animal that we didn't see! We saw heaps of lions, a pride with around Fifteen Cubs, walked in front of our car! We also saw a kill involving a zebra, with four lions on it, a bit confronting but very natural. The Ngorogoro Crater was breath taking and also amazing for the wild life! This whole trip was more than we could ever imagine, we were blown away by all we got to experience!
US
Email Thomas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
DR Congo Nyiragongo and Gorillas!
A friend and I booked a last-minute trip to the DR Congo and to see the gorillas in Bwindi. They managed to put the trips together into one time-saving itinerary and get our visas in a short time, and we had a blast! Communication was good, Ilse (the booking agent) was very helpful, and they very helpfully included someone to shepherd us through immigration into DRC and Uganda/Rwanda. The hotel stays were cute, funky (but nice!) hidden gems and the total cost was very reasonable comparatively. I would go again, and recommend them to my friends.
CA
Email Karen and David Ravenscroft | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A trip with everlasting memories
We have just returned from our 15 day tour of Uganda which is a spectacularly beautiful country and its people are so friendly and made us feel so welcome. The service Matoke provided from the beginning of my initial inquiry was excellent thanks to Harriet and Lionel who answered my many questions promptly and co-ordinated all the activities and lodgings for our vacation. Our driver/guide Sulieman met us at the airport and was dedicated, thoughtful and conscientious throughout our trip. We felt very safe in his hands and all aspects of our trip were well timed and fun. I loved all of the safari camps/lodgings that we stayed at where the staff were attentive and welcoming and the food was always tasty. The bush dinner at Lake Albert was a lot of fun and certainly made us feel very special. Obviously our highlight was the gorilla trek in Bwindi were it took us only 1.25 hours to get to the Bweza family and we watched in awe the silver back contentedly munching on a log while a baby frolicked in the undergrowth watched lovingly by the extended family. Unfortunately we did not get to see any tree climbing lions in Ishasha but wildlife is unpredictable. I would say Murchison Falls is an absolute must - such an impressive hike with views from lots of different angles. The chimp tracking was also exciting and although the game in Uganda is not as plentiful as we saw in Botswana on a prior visit, the fabulous scenery of many varying kinds, especially in Lake Mutanda and Lake Bunyonyi area, is unequaled. Thank you Matoke for enabling us to have a worry free vacation and to see the magnificent gorillas of Bwindi, an experience we will never forget.
CA
Email Robyn | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience from start to finish!
Deciding where to go and what to do on your first safari can be an overwhelming experience. I began my research here on Safaribookings.com and tried to narrow down the options. I wanted to do a gorilla trek but also a more traditional safari. I kept coming across great reviews for Matoke tours and finally dropped them a line. Ilse very patiently answered my many questions and helped me design my perfect first trip to Africa. I won't lie - I was concerned about working with a tour operator who was so far away - what if something went wrong? What if it didn't live up to my expectations? I didn't need to worry. Every driver, every flight, every meal, every accommodation was perfect and well beyond my expectations. Connections were absolutely on time, service was outstanding and the one time I did have a small concern, I was able to contact Ilse directly who resolved this small issue right on the spot.
Do not hesitate to use Matoke tours if you are thinking of any of their destinations - they will help you design a trip that suits your needs perfectly. I really can think of no way I would have been any happier with their service. I am ever able to return to Africa, I would definitely ask for their help again!!
US
Email Julie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great gorilla trip
We chose Matoke based on recommendations from friends living in Uganda, and were glad we did. Everything was very well organized. We chose a mid-range booking, and stayed at Lake Mutanda Lodge. The views were breathtaking, the food was great and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. It was somewhat rustic, which was fine with us, but perhaps a bit more rustic than expected (cabins with canvas walls, very basic bathroom, beds not great, electricity during limited hours). That said, we would definitely choose it again because the positives far outweighed the negatives. Our driver was friendly and knowledgeable. Our arrangements were somewhat last minute, and Matoke was very understanding of the time it took us to arrange the wire transfer. They brought our permits and flight itineraries to our hotel in Kampala, which was very helpful. Of course, the gorilla trek was an amazing experience and totally worth the cost.
CA
Email David F. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Custom Safari Trip to Tanzania to view game and Uganda to view primates.
Matoke Tours exceeded all of our expectations from initial booking to after tour debriefing. Our service representative responded promptly to all of our questions, concerns and other communications. The accommodations they provided for us were exactly what we wanted, mid range in price but comfortable and more important, interesting. We mainly stayed in tent camps near the animals we wanted to see. All in all Matoke arranged a great tour for us.
US
Email Danny Selik | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Matoke Tour
Deciding to use Matoke Tours was by far the best decision in my safari vacation. Anatole was our driver and guide during the 7-day tour through Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Always with a smile on his face and a deep concern for our comfort and positive experience, Anatole represented Matoke with excellence.
US
Email Nadia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Christmas in Uganda with Matoke
One of the most wonderful trips of my life made seamless with Matoke. My husband and I did a 9-day 'mid-range' tour with gorilla and chimpanzee tracking. All of the accommodations were lovely, with the highlight being the Lake Matunda Lodge - a truly magical place (though, I have so many great memories from the entire trip - beautiful lodges, close encounters with hippos and elephants, meeting incredible people). Our guide and driver was very friendly and was happy to expound upon any of our inquiries (but, generally quiet otherwise). He had over a decade of experience with national parks and tourism, and freely shared his life experience and wisdom as well. I spent 2 months in Africa and never felt 'at risk' (save for a rhino incident in Zim) - and my time in Uganda was no exception. It is liberating to have a driver who knows the roads (some of which cannot be traversed without a professional!!), food options, local culture etc. so one can freely enjoy everything without worry. Admittedly I had a moment of panic after wiring Matoke a large chunk of money, but it's legit :) Also, I have done a few other tours before, and occasionally they aren't quite honest about what you get (drive time, experiences)...but Matoke was 100%. Lastly, Uganda is doing a really great job with conservation and protection of the mountain gorillas within its borders...this is absolutely the place to experience an encounter with a silver back (and babies!), and with confidence the rangers prioritize the welfare of the animals. Other asides - being a vegetarian is not a problem, and if you get car sick...bring a remedy. I absolutely love Uganda and cannot wait to return!!
CA
Email Léo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience!
We went on a 11 day tour in Uganda this summer (2015). The service of Matoke Tours was above our expectations! We had a mix of budget and mid-range accomodations. Both were very pleasing.
We were on a private tour, so only me and my girlfriend on board, which was great considering the flexibility we had on our everyday agenda.
We had the best guide of all, Anatoli! He was simply great in all aspect: lots of experience, funny, great storytelling, etc.
You shouldn't be worried to go with Matoke Tours for your Ugandan safari.