CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
First African Safari .... Absolutely Wonderful
Once the decision was made to do this grand African Safari it was with the understanding that this may be the one and only Safari therefore it had to be great and by way of custom itinerary. After much searching Mike Haines of Safari & Co. was referred via a friend of a friend. Mike sat down with us, listened to our desires and concerns, gave his views and came up with a preliminary itinerary which ended up being the final version after a few minor tweaks. Based on the time of year and our desires it was suggested the countries to visit should be Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. The Rwandan inclusion was a personal must for the gorilla trekking experience. The itinerary was action packed with THE most beautiful lodges and locations and couldn't have been more perfect. The custom itinerary was truly the best way to go and ultimately, cost wise by no means the cheapest, but certainly the most effective for our needs. During the actual travels there were a couple of times when things came into question but in forging onwards the reasons for all became clear. During the planning stages Mike explained each lodge/location, the reasons for the suggestions and when 1 particular location was mentioned by us Mike gave a negative facial expression. When asked why the facial expression Mike was very honest in his answer and when we did see the location during our journey we remembered that expression, understood why and nodded in agreement.
As this was the 1st time on the African continent and not knowing what to expect there was much trepidation about the whole trip however everything, guides/drivers/transfers, ran so smoothly. All of this pays tribute to the fact that Mike is obviously well versed in his field, well connected with the required tour operators in Africa and understands his client's needs and desires.
Just as an aside....upon first meeting Mike we immediately liked and felt comfortable with him especially after he explained that he was a TICO member which helped to raise the comfort & confidence levels further.
Safari & Co was the right choice. If the future holds a 2nd African Safari Mike will be the 1st call.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A wonderful trip to three fascinating countries
We found Nick Buys and his company through the internet, and he was the quickest to respond with the relevant information. We are experienced travellers, and felt from the start he would do a good job for us, and so it proved. He designed an itinerary to take in all the things we wanted to see, mainly in Namibia and then flying into and out of the Okavanga Delta in Botswana, and finally on to Livingstone, Zambia and the Victoria Falls. We were a private party of four, travelling with my brother and his wife, and journeyed well over 2000 miles together with Nick - so it was particularly good that we soon discovered that he was excellent company and had a great sense of humour! It all went really smoothly, we stayed in some nice places, none disappointing and some of them exceptional, and went on various fascinating side-trips that Nick recommended. He was also flexible if we wanted to make any minor unscheduled detours or stops. The wildlife we saw exceeded our expectations. Nick is knowledgeable and able to spot game and birds (his special interest) when we would certainly have missed them. We felt lucky to have had his personal services, and had a memorable and enjoyable time. We would not hesitate to recommend anyone to put their trust in Nick to arrange for them an equally memorable experience.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
perfect tour!
I had never been in south africa before, so i sent an email to south african dream tours and they organized all the journey. It was all done by emails. they asked me to select the areas i wanted to visit and the level of accomodation and then planned all the journey. i just asked few corrections and then approved the schedule. they booked international flights, hotels, lodges, some of the game drives, domestic flights, car to rent. and it was all perfect (choice of lodges, number of days spent in each area, quality of game drives). i'm sorry I couldn't go in hoedspruit, where they are based, to meet them and thank personally. it was all perfect! so thanks now to all the staff! quick, smart and professional!
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very nice experience!
We have done 4 days on safari at Kruger. The organization of the trip by plane until the last day to La Digue (Seychelles) was everything perfect. In particular in South Africa at Kaiatani Lodge, the reception was fantastic. Alberto has conducted all the guides to safari: very prepared and addictive! Africa there has remained in our heart ..... we will definitely be back! South African Dream ..... to the next!
Marco e Doretta
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect African Adventure
Our overall experience with East African Wild Adventures and Alym was fantastic. When we first contacted Alym, we had a rough idea of what type of trip we wanted. Alym provided a fully customized itinerary based on exactly what we were looking for. We were able to make changes right through the process and he was always very accomodating. The other companies that we contacted seemed far more rigid in the schedule and itinerary.
We arranged to climb kilimanjaro, followed by a safari and trip to Zanzibar. Every detail of the trip was perfectly coordinated. We had several calls with Alym leading up to the trip and he provided all of the information and details on packing and what to expect when we arrived. Despite this we still had a few concerns before we arrived because my wife and I had never been to Africa. However, once we did arrive, we were very impressed with how seemless and easy everything was for us. All of our guides and drivers were friendly and extremely helpful. The accomodations throughout the trip were luxurious and the staff were great.
We had been looking forward to this trip for a long time and we couldn't have chosen a better tour company. The cost was much more competitive than the other companies we contacted. I would highly recommend East Africa Wild Adventures to anyone looking o plan a holiday in East Africa. Alym was a pleasure to deal with and we had the trip of a lifetime.
NL
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our experience with Matoke Tours are great!
We went with four people on a 12 day safari-tour in Tanzania by Matoke Tours. We visited Lake Manyara, the Serengetti and the Ngorogorocrater. We saw lots of wild animals. Our guide/chauffeur Gerald showed us de most beautiful spots and told us much about it. After that we went for een few days to Zanzibar. The whole trip was above our expectations. I am sitting in a wheelchair, but I can walk a few steps with crutches. With a little bit of help you can make this trip for sure. The people of Tanzania are very kindly en helpfully. The hole team of Matoke Tours as well in Holland and Tanzania created the journey of our life.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
More than committed and awesome experience. Experienced team, reliable, joyous to travel.
The Safari was beyond words. The most important is commitment & it matters to every tourist. Day one the communication was fluent & transparent. If you travel as group then you have concurred as you have flexibility for everything but still its not mandatory. The team is very co-operative and homely. They took care to every possible extent.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Stephen is the best guide one can ask for!
On my first trip to Uganda, now almost 8 years ago, i met Stephen who was at that time an employee at Matoke Tours. Stephen had been a driver in Uganda for a while but this was his first trip for an international (dutch in fact) group. Right from the start my friend and i was suprised by his eagerness to learn: he was soaking up all kind of information he could in order to provide the tourist with information in the future. He was interested in our culture, how we saw the world, studied all folders in hotels and parks, learned quickly about different bird species, etc. His willingness to learn was astonishing and soon enough we found out Stephen was a very intelligent person. Not only that, he also has a fantastic personality: he is very honoust, social and fun to be with! One feels comfortable being around him. He is always happy to help, answer questions, tell about his country but also knows instinctly when it is the right time to be quite and just enjoy what we see around us.
With his intelligence, eagerness to learn and pleasant and trustworthy caracter it was obvious that Stephen had great potential in the tourist industry!
He took several courses on tourism and wildlife and by the time i returned to Uganda almost one year later he had grown from not only being driver to also guiding private tours.
A few years later i was happy to meet Stephen again in Belgium where he was promoting tourism in Uganda. I was so proud of him being there. I knew he had the potential to make it in the tourism industry but apart from the potential one needs the right attitude to get where you want to be.
Stephen has the right attitude: he is a hard worker, will do everything to make his clients happy, he is flexible and listens well to his clients wishes. By now he is very experienced in tourism, knows what clients want and probably one of the most important things: you can trust him! If Stephen makes a promise to you, you can be sure he will make it happen.
I am very happy that Stephen has started his own travel agency Cul Tours! It is without any doubt that i recommend anyway to go and travel with him! Cul Tours will make your holiday in Uganda an unforgettable one where you will see and encounter more than "just" the highlight. You will get the chance to taste the real Uganda, like i did.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Honeymoon in Uganda, Tanzania and Zanzibar
We had an excellent experience overall with Matoke; from the arranging of the honeymoon, all our questions were answered and they were very patient with our requests! We had a fantastic guide (Dan) in Uganda, and a great experience trekking with the gorillas which was a once-in-a-lifetime event. We absolutely loved Uganda, and would perhaps liked to have done one other activity there, because we were not aware of all the different activities that were available, so if something else had been suggested that would have been great, because we did have a couple of days just waiting in Kampala. In Tanzania, we had a great time; having a private tour for just myself and my husband was a great experience, it felt very personal and our guide was very knowledgeable. All the accommodation we stayed in was lovely, customer service was obviously a very high priority here! We were very lucky on safari and saw all the animals we had hoped to see, and again, having a private tour meant we had great views of the animals. The Ngorongoro Farm House was a particularly wonderful place to stay, especially after getting back from safari! Our accommodation in Zanzibar (Unguja Lodge) was fantastic - the staff were attentive without being overbearing, there were plenty of activities to occupy us if we wanted, and we felt thoroughly relaxed after our time there!
IL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Sincere thanks from Flamm family
Hi Zuzana, My family and I want to thank you for the amazing trip we had Safari was excellent, the driver / guide was professional, nice and interesting. We saw all the animals you can see :)
All Lodge were good and comfortable sea cliff resort in Zanzibar was excellent.
I have emailed you some pictures and a video clip link.