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
BE
Email Gerard & Gaby | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Extremely professional company,outstanding service on private tour itineray, very client minded team
Three weeks ago we have been travelling for the second time in Uganda (period 10/2011 & 02/2014) with our preferred Matoke tours travel agent due to their professional knowledge , assistance and cooperation . Each time , one of their selected private driver/guide such as Big Sam or Alfred contributed to great memories being taken home to Belgium, every detailed travelling program has been completed without any negative experiences , unexpected events , any disturbances or any claims during or after our tour. Matoke team members in The Netherlands (Holland) and Kampala do contribute spontaneously on free upgrading advises in order to satisfy their clients the upmost towards the final itinerary , the revised quotations in order to prepare and proposing the printed order . To us , Matoke tours has a variety of opportunities of which you can choose the preferred accommodations as budget , medium upgrade or very luxury stays. Another flexible advantage , you are able to select your flights yourselves or they take care of the flights both ways . We are thinking already to contact the Matoke tours office once again with regard to future plans on safari tours in Tanzania , focus on south parks such as Selous +Mikuti + Ruaha and afterwards relaxing on the coast site as an extended beach accommodation for a few days. Outstanding job guys keep the good work going on and once again many thanks for your contribution on preparing a very detailed and outlined daily program within estimated travelling times and agreed financial budget .
Their 4WD vehicles are very well maintained and each driver/guide is very safety minded on the roads without taking any risks , he does show an outstanding responsibility attitude every day , we love them so much ......thanks to you guys as well.
BE
A great Africa experience!
Everything was arranged according to the schedule. The personal attention towards us was perfect. Our driver/guide was Richard Tumusiime. He was able to maneuver his Jeep trough the 'massage' roads and the wildlife in order to get us the best spots. He knows exactly the behavior of each animal, he gave us a very professional explanation. He took good care of us...
Many thanks to Matoke Tours, especially to Richard, he did a great job!
Webale nyo
BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great trip to Uganda
We had a fantastic trip to Uganda with Matoke (Murchison Falls,Queen Elizabeth national park,Kibale forest,...) Our guide Sam did a great job. The lodges were beautifull and our
best experience was to be close to the gorillas ! Thank you Matoke!
NL
Email Hamoedie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Private Safari, Beautiful Country & a Very Nice Driver
I've been to Uganda before & fell in love with the country, it's people & nature. I wanted to experience this with my girlfriend so Matoke Tours adviced us to go to Kidepo Valley ( North Uganda ). A hell of a ride, however, what you see & experience along the road is amazing. The north of Uganda is not yet touristic so you get the best Africa experience value for your money. The scenery is beautifull and you won't find a lot of other tourists in the Parc. The accommodation is this parc is basic but perfect.
After Kidepo, we went to Murchison Falls ( 6 hrs drive ) and stayed at Nile Safari Lodge. If you are a romantic person, check it out! Small, personal, nice staff & a beautifull view over Murchison.
Matoke tours did it for me again!
Thanks again.
Ps. Our driver was Sam and i recommend him
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 :)
DE
Email Sue | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Matoke Tours was fantastic and surpassed our expectations.
We had a fantastic tour through Uganda. It was very well organized, we couldn’t have a better guide/ driver who accompanied us throughout the trip. Everything was always on time, just as planned. The guides in the National Parks were very good qualified , knew everything about nature and animals. Everybody was concerned about the environment and respectful to the animals.
We would absolutely recommend Matoke Tours. They did a very professional job. Many thanks to all the hidden organizers and of course especially to our guide Barnabas.
NE
Email Sandra & Dominik | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great trip with Matoke
We've just come back from an 8 day mid-range Uganda tour booked with Matoke Tours. Our trip was organised and arranged very speedy and efficiently via email, the communication with Matoke's Travel Consultant Pascqua Lorna extremly professional, prompt and friendly. The itinerary of the tour was well and accurately planned, including great activities and 4 lodges well chosen and super nice lodges. With Confidence Matsiko, we had an excellent guide on our side during our whole trip. He is an excellent safe driver, always friendly, polite and in good mood. Also he's an expert about his country's nature and animals and made sure we spotted as many beasts and birds as possible during our safaris. We really enjoyed our time with Confidence, he was not only very helpful and well organised, making sure we had a great holiday, but also super nice and interested in his clients, happy to chat, share ideas or answer questions and thus making the sometimes long journeys very enjoyable. Confidence Matsiko is truly a gem, a very experienced, knowledgeable, reliable and pleasant guide - we strongly recommend him to anyone planning a trip to Uganda. Same applies to Matoke Tours: contact Pascqua Lorna and she'll make sure you'll have a great experience in Uganda. A big thank you to Lorna and Confidence for a truly unforgettable trip!
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.
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!
Email Janet Sorensen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic, can’t wait to organise my next tour through them. Everything was perfect
I had an absolute adventure in Uganda and Kenya! I love the outdoors and doing fun activities -So travelling to Uganda and Kenya was a perfect choice. Every time I arrived at my next accomodation or activity I was so grateful to the Matoke team. They were efficient, professional and really friendly.
Anna, from Matoke tours, did such an excellent job at organising everything, and when I arrived I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. She really did an exceptional job at organising a tour I’ll never forget.
Everything was way beyond my expectations. I stayed at Nile Porch in Jinja and went down the white water on a single tube - I’d definitely recommend it if you love white water rafting, but looking for something a bit different but just as much fun (if not more) than a blow up raft.
Nile porch was a beautiful place and had spacious safari tents with showers that overlooked the Nile, surrounded by monkeys jumping through the trees.
I also stayed at Mihingo Lodge and it was by far the most incredible place in terms of accomodation; it was something out of a dream, up on a huge rock, with an infinity-like pool overlooking the safari park, directly in front of a watering hole.. we saw a leopard one morning while we were eating breakfast. I went specifically to Mihingo lodge for the horse back safari - if you love riding, this safari is great. It was the best horse ride I’ve done on a holiday - I had the time of my life galloping through the safari park, riding next to the zebras and giraffes.
However the gorillas near Mutanda were by far my favourite part of my holiday.
We stayed at the mutanda lake resort and trekked through Mgahinga National Park.
We got so close to them! I actually couldn’t believe how close we were, I could almost touch them, it took my breath away. I saw gorillas nine in total, a big family - and they were really playful. My friend went to a different area in Uganda to see the gorillas, near Biwindi, but apparently they were hidden among the bamboo and they didn’t see any silverbacks. The area where I was booked is apparently the best place because there are more silverbacks in the family and the gorillas are out in the open a little bit more - I got to just sit right next to one :) this is a bucket list activity and worth every penny. The trek can be hard, and one older lady had to turn back because she couldn’t physically complete the hike. The trek can take between 4-9 hours and it’s thrlugh dense jungle. But it’s worht it and the trek itself was so much fun. Don’t wait to you’re too old to do the things you love!
We managed to squeeze in the Sabinyo mountain hike as well. It was really was an adventure climbing up those little stick ladders! I absolutely loved this hike - it was a real adrenaline rush because the ladders and bridges were made out of little sticks - so not for the faint hearted, but the view from the top was worth it and I can’t wait to come back and do it all over again.
Kenya was also great, we saw heaps of animals (the big 5 and so much more) in the Masai Mara, I even got a kiss from a giraffe.
We did the hot air ballooning over the Masai Mara - and while expensive, again it was a memory I won’t forget.
We also went to meet the Masai tribe and had some fun dancing and jumping with them.
Jimmy our driver also a special place in my heart forever, we got along really well, I loved him. We ended up meeting his family and had lunch with them on the last day :) he was such a genuine and lovely guy.
I can’t thank Anna and the Matoke team enough for all the work they put into organising my trip. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life. I can’t wait to come back again to Uganda - and I look forward to organising my next African adventure with Matoke.
