NZ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Disappointed with tour organization and transportation issues
My partner and I did a 4 day Gorilla Tour in Uganda and while I would like to say the tour was great, I just can't it was filled with disappointment from Matoke Tours..
Our driver David was a good driver, and drove sensibly throughout the very long drive. However my partner and I didn't really know what was going on. David's communication with us and the other 4 tour guests that traveled with us was a bitter disappointment. He failed to give us any detailed itinerary of the day.... Yes he was only the driver but when you pay a lot of money for a trip of a lifetime I do expect some professionalism with all staff from reputable tour company.
It gets worse though.
We asked our driver to drop us off at Entebbe Airport along with another guest (so 3 of us travelling to airport) instead of going to Kampala and then going to Entebbe which can add another 1.5 hours to 2hours. The driver said he could drop us off and a Taxi would pick us up to take us to the airport. No mention of cost or price here. So one would assume that cause our driver didnt want to drive via Entebbe that Matoke should accomdate us and include this in our tour cost which was $1890 USD for the two of us.
When we got dropped of at the pickup point the taxi driver had been waiting for us for over 2 hours. We were then shocked that he was told to tell us the cost is $40 USD to take us to the airport from there. Which was a crazy price. We paid $23 USD from Entebbe airport to Kampala when we arrived, they charging over double the price and it was 15km shorter distance. We refused to be extorted like this and so the driver then called Eric one of the managers from Matoke to say we wouldnt pay that. He dropped the price to $30 USD which we had no choice to accept, it was late and we had been driving for 12 hours. When we got to airport I got driver to call Eric back and I spoke to him directory and said how unhappy I was with the situation and very disappointed and there lack of communication. He promised he would have someone email me the next day to recity the situation..... now 5 days later and nothing. Just confirms the type of company you are dealing with. You pay a lot of money and then they are trying to rip you off with a taxi.... Transport should really be included, pick up and drop off. Dont try and rip people off to make a few dollars so you can benefit more for tours that already cost us a lot of money.
The Gorilla Tours with the rangers at the National Park was perfect. But it should be and this part of the tour actually had nothing really to do with Matoke Tours as you get dropped at the national park and do the Trek with the rangers and scouts.... This part was great.. The Accommodation and the dinners we had was also amazing.
However the driver and logistics issues left a very sore taste in our month and really resent choosing Matoke Tours for our Gorilla Tour. My advice choose another company that has reliable communication.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari w/ Easy Travel!
We took a 7 day safari a few weeks ago - Easy Travel was a fantastic company to work with from start to finish. There are so many tour companies to choose from and we never regretted going with Easy Travel. Everyone at the office was extremely friendly and helpful. The safari itself was an unforgettable experience. Emmilian was our guide and was so knowledgeable and friendly. He knew all of the parks like the back of his hand, and we knew we were in good hands the entire time. Could not recommend this trip and this company more!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Holiday of a lifetime
We had always wanted to go on safari and had saved up for this holiday so we were hoping and expecting a holiday of a lifetime. We were not dissapointed! From the moment we arrived we were treated like royalty. The staff were all so friendly and couldn't do enough for us. The amount of luxury and facilities there was far beyond what we expected considering we were in the bush. The tours were well organised and the knowledge of our driver was amazing. I am a primary school teacher and i feel i have not only had a holiday but an education which i have shared with my class back in England. What i loved about the holiday was that we were not part of a huge long line of cars with only the front car getting a view and the back cars seeing dust. We rarely saw another vehicle when out on safari and when we did it was usually from a distance. I would thourougly recommend this safari for old and young, our 10, 13 and 16 year olds were as emanoured with this experience as we were, there is no getting bored here and they didn't ask for their phones or tablets once!!
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Simply fantastic
What a great job in giving us the ultimate safari experience. Our itinerary was set up with everything that we wanted to check and a few optional tours we could have taken. Before and during our trip there was constant communication where they inquired how we were doing and if there was something that we may require. Our guide was first class and he provided us with a immersive experience regarding the culture and wildlife of Kenya and its many preserves. Our hotels and lodges were first class, and we felt welcomed. I would definitely recommend East Africa Wild Adventures to set up your custom, personalized safari tour. He will do everything possible to make sure your experience is u forgettable.
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great experience
Me and my boyfriend had a great safari experience thanks to Aardvark. We did a privat budget camping safari and visited Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ndutu, Serengeti, Ngorongoro (if I remember well, we did it in 6 nights, and 7 days). Definitely something to recommend if you are looking for a near nature experience! Our guide Godfreay was very knowledgable and made the whole experience even more interesting and fun. With him onboard you don't need a binoculars or to worry that you'll not see all hidden animals - he spotted animals from miles away! We could observe the nature and animals in our own pace, which we really appreciated. Our chef Moses was a real magician and made simple but very tasteful food.
DE
Amazing Trip!
We had a really nice weekend! Even if we were just in the smaller National Parks, we saw many animals (more than expected) and were lucky to see lions hunting! It was amazing! Many thanks to our great guide, Hussein, who informed us quiet a lot and speaks English very well. Our accommodation was very nice. It seemed like every wish would be fulfilled and the meals have been tasty!
This weekend-trip exceeded our expectations!
Many thanks to Mega Adventures!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
So good I did it twice.
the "luck" in seeing the animals largely thanks to guides who sees everything and are very knowledgeable. I was on the "budget" safari, the food was outstanding (thanks you Charles) and everything was clean and lovely.
DK
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A very beautiful trip...worth it!!!
My son and I are very satisfied customers :-)
We saw beautiful animals and the driver was excellent. A most exiting experience. We will use the company again.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An excellent value for money safari
We had a four day / three night safari in Selous Game Reserve for four people, staying at Hippo Camp. Although my wife and I had been on safari before and knew what to expect, my parents (who had never travelled to Africa before) were apprehensive. We selected Usambara on the basis of the best price being offered and equally importantly for the responsiveness of Alex at Usambara to the frequent questions and specific requests that we made. Usambara were very helpful and willing to make changes to suit our tastes.
The safari itself was well organisedand problem free. We had a full itinerary (two full days in the park, a boat safari and a walking safari), which meant that we were able to see a wide variety of animal and bird life during the time in the park. Hippo Camp was conveniently located near the park entrance and offered spectacular sunsets over the Selous river each evening. Accomodation was perfectly acceptable for our budget range, and the food and service were very good. The only downside was the fact that power was turned off at 10pm, making for a hot and sweaty night without fans. All in all, a very memorable holiday.
IL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We expected much but got way more than we imagined !
Just came back from 8 amazing days in Tanzania. We stayed one night near Arusha, 2 nights in Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and 4 nights at Nomad Lamai in the north Serengeti.
The lodges, guides and transportation were perfect. We were taken care off 100% of the time like clockwork.
The Serengeti was undoubtedly the highlight of the trip (we could have skipped Ngorongoro altogether and do 3 days in Zanzibar).
I'm very pleased with how The Luxury Safari Company took care of us and will be happy to book with them again to another Safari...