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 Jeff & Keri | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable honeymoon in the best ways possible!
My wife and I just returned from two weeks of honeymooning in Uganda with Matoke Tours. We had planned this trip for months, working back and forth with our Matoke travel consultant, Pleunie. From day 1 of the planning process Pleunie was instrumental in constructing an incredible, custom itinerary for us. We video conferenced so she could get a sense for what we were looking for in the trip, and proceeded to deliver on all counts! We were able to customize every element of the tour to meet our interests and budget. Adding some luxury lodges, bush breakfasts (not to be missed!), and a hot air balloon ride on top of the standard fare of safaris and gorilla trekking made for a romantic experience. Also important was Pleunie's ability to keep us informed and comfortable with the evolving COVID situation in Uganda, addressing my every concern within a few hours on WhatsApp.
When it came time for the tour itself we felt nothing but competence from Matoke. At this point, Matoke adopted the form of our guide, Dunn (though Pleunie checked in a couple of times on WhatsApp). Dunn was such a joy to be around. He safely and confidently navigated the Ugandan roads (not a straightforward task—and he didn’t even use Google Maps!) to get us from place to place, keying in on our interests and attitudes along the way to cater to our wants and needs. We reliably accomplished all elements of our itinerary. Dunn has a strong knowledge of birds, helping us pick out nearly 300 species over the course of the trip. He has a wide network of friends in the industry, picking up top-notch site guides to help us along the way. By the time we left for home, we had a new friend.
We felt very comfortable traveling in Uganda from a safety perspective. We had no issues of petty crime or encounters with intimidating characters. With PCR tests required to enter and exit the country, being vaccinated, and having minimal exposure to other people besides Dunn, we felt safe from COVID (safer than in the USA). We elected not to wear masks in the tour van (that would be a LOONNGG time with them on); but the option was definitely there. Our accommodations were top-notch and filled with the friendliest staff. We experienced no shortage of hospitality! We would have zero hesitancy to take another trip to Uganda with Matoke. I’m already scheming about having them build me an itinerary to hike in the Rwenzoris.
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Email Lorraine | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Highly recommend Matoke!
The commutations with Matoke were top-notch. We dealt with several different representatives over the course of our two-year planning (Covid pauses). Matoke managed to move effortlessly throughout the process. The tour itself was just what we asked for and we felt as if we saw all the highlights and more of Uganda! It’s a beautiful country and should rank higher on the tourist ‘must see’ list! We definitely received excellent value for money.
Email TvdSpuy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Our tour operator, Pleunie, listened to our request and she made our Uganda safari dreams came true
Excellent service day and night with friendly staff
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Email Margot | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
No worries
We booked a private trip to Rwanda through Matoke Tours. From the moment we landed at the Kigali airport we were taken care off. Matoke made sure we had the best guide and everything was perfectly organized. We could basically lay back and enjoy beautiful Rwanda and it’s very friendly people. We went to Akagera, Kivu lake, the gorillas and the Nyungwe Forrest. In 11 days . It was one of the best trips we ever made, thanks to our excellent guide (Ezra), the local tour operator (Tim & Palast Tours) and of course Rob and Matoke Tours
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Email Greg | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Incredible and Professional Service
We had an amazing trip with Matoke to Uganda. We went over Christmas 2020 and they were very flexible and responsible and tailored a great trip for our family of 5. We would use them again in a heartbeat. Dunn was a fantastic guide for the 2 week trip
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Email Sheryl Fajardo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service, great value!
My husband and I just returned from a 9-day trip to Uganda and we certainly wish we had more time. The country and the people are beautiful but what made the trip even more enjoyable for us was our tour guide Jeffrey from Matoke Tours. He is very knowledgeable, accommodating and has a great sunny personality! Since this is our first trip, we relied a lot on Jeffrey's expertise on how to best spend our short stay and what the local customs are. Overall, it was quite an enriching experience which wouldn't have been possible if we didn't have an excellent guide like Jeffrey.
We are also very pleased with the sales team, particularly Sven who has assisted us with the planning of the trip. We wanted to see many places in a limited amount of time, but Sven was able to create an itinerary for us that suited what we wanted and packed it with some of the most exciting activities possible given our short stay...
We are very happy and would definitely recommend Matoke Tours to our friends and family who plan to visit Uganda.
Email David Smith | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Took extremely good care and attention of all my travel arrangements including planning the trip.
This was an absolutely wonderful trip and I cannot thank Matoke Tours enough for making this all possible. I had used Matoke Tours on a previous visit to Uganda and, so it was a relatively simple decision for me to approach them once again. Given the general travelling situation at present, I felt completely reassured right at the outset that I was in good and capable hands once again. Sven Gilian, the Sales Manager of Matoke Tours, took a lot of meticulous care and attention in planning my itinerary and dealing so promptly and efficiently with all my queries. There was also sufficient flexibility provided in case I had to make any late amendments or rescheduling to my travel plans. I spent 12 days in total going initially to Murchison Falls and then headed south towards Kibale National Park, QE NP, Lake Mburo and then back towards Entebbe. The lodges were excellent, the food and hospitality as well. There was full adherance to Covid protocols in the vehicle, the lodges and all the national parks offices etc. I had an excellent and knowledgeable driver/guide, Kule from Matoke Tours , whose company made the journeys so much more enjoyable. We had a little debrief every evening and discussed the route/activities for the next day which was really good. I hope once the travel restrictions are eased, many more can visit Uganda and experience the natural beauty and wildlife. I look forward to my next visit and to reunite with all my friends at Matoke Tours.
Incidentally, whilst I was at the Kibale National Park, I lost my cap, It is a brown cap and has 'Panama Canal' on it. If any of you happen to visit Kibale NP in the future and see one of the chimps wearing it, it's mine and I would be grateful if the chimp could be coerced into returning it back to the main office :)
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Email Eire STewart | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Everything taken care of from beginning to end!
We actually booked our tour in June of 2019 for the August of 2020. As the global pandemic took hold, we rescheduled for Christmas/New Years of 2020, but then that became doubtful. Matoke helped us reschedule around multiple flight cancellations and Covid Testing requirements and were prompt and flawless in their response. Matoke went out of their way to make sure that everything was safely set-up for us from the moment we got to the airport to the moment we departed back to the USA. Every lodge used Covid safety measures far beyond our expectations and we never felt at risk. Our Tour Guide, Musa, also enforced precautions as we went between activities and on Game Drives and Treks. Not only were our expectations met, under difficult situations, they were exceeded.
All of our scheduled activities, which were planned 18 months earlier, were carried out, and a couple of unscheduled ones were added (FLAMINGOS!!). The lodges which were chosen for us were uniformly of high standard while each being unique and special. Matoke's staff was always cheerful in our emails, which, due to the circumstances, were numerous. We can't speak highly enough about our experience!
Email Vincent Meyer | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
All super well organised, great tour of great Uganda's south-west area
A great tour at Christmas 2020 / new-year 2021, when most of the rest of world was under lock down...
All was well organised, and the tour well conceived. The driver / guide was interesting, and most importantly drove very well, be it on the road or during game drives.
I appreciated having been contacted after having booked (and paid our tour) to let me know that, due to a national parks entrance fees discount I had paid too much a s was entitled a refund, I though that was very honest, thanks for this honesty Matoke!
I can only recommend traveling with Matoke in Uganda, all good !
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Email Chad Mills | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable journey tailored by a 5-Star company
My wife and I went on our first ever African safari with Matoke Tours in Uganda in December 2019. Months later, we think about the trip daily! From our wonderful and experienced guide Big Sam, to the awesome accommodations and friendly staff at each lodge, it was the trip of a lifetime. We began our vacation with a visit to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. We traveled from there to Murchison Falls National Park, then to Kibale National Park, then to Queen Elizabeth National Park, to Ishasha, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and finished at Lake Mburo. When we set out on our trip, we didn't expect to see each and every animal as advertised. However, we did! It was better than we imagined. We saw a 3-month-old rhino, a pride of lions, the "rare" leopard. Our guide helped us spot the elusive leopard on four occasions, how lucky! We observed a bachelor group of elephants making mischief, walked behind a chimp, had a hippo nearly visit our cottage porch, and spent the most magical hour with a gorilla family. We photographed the most beautiful, perfect male lion standing out on a tree branch in Ishasha. We spotted a mother and young leopard on the prowl during the night game drive at Lake Mburo, and more. We certainly felt well cared for, and in good hands. Every detail was carefully thought out and planned for us ahead of time, by our wonderful trip coordinator Pascqa Lorna, so that we never worried about anything. As for Big Sam, he's truly what made our 12 day journey so fulfilling. I highly recommend booking Matoke Tours. Our experience was beyond five stars! https://youtu.be/QVQF9ZexnR4
