CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Ouganda will be in my heart forever thanks to Matoke Tour
Well having just spent 3 weeks in Ouganda, I must say it has been BEYOND my expectations and Matoke tour has definitely something to do with that feeling.
We visited with their recommandations all the possible highlights, staying in the most beautiful places nature wise , it was a great mix of safari, roads used by very few tourists, boat safaris, Sippi falls, Nile rafting, Kibale forest with the chimpanzes, Mutanda Lake and the gorilla tracking. We went round the country in a really cool 4x4 and the driver was very safe on the sometimes very bumpy and difficult roads. His service was perfect! Always on time, very friendly and fun and making contact with the locals really eased the relationship to people. Matoke could even organise us to visit the secluded far North tribe of the Karamanjong which was A highlight.
We could relay on Matoke tour at every moment, the head office was always there for questions or details to sort along the trip.
We had the best conditions to visit Ouganda , because we felt they love to share their enthusiasm and love about Ouganda. So I can only recommend Matoke highly. Thanks to the head manager Vim and our driver Franck !!
Fun and interesting.
Communications were not handled by myself but feedback seemed to be prompt and efficient.
The tour was great but long distances and slow travel meant safari time wasted. Not sure what the criteria was for the itinnerary as I did not book it, but one day extra to break up the journey back to entebbe would have been welcome.
The guiding and destinations were fantastic.
Great time with Big Time Safaris!
My dad came to visit me in Kenya, and I just knew we had to see Masai Mara together, and Big Time Safaris really came through for us. They were easy to book with, very "on top of it" when it came to communicating pre-safari, and extremely accommodating during the safari. They were able to not only pick him up at his hotel in town, but they braved the traffic to pick me up at my private residence outside of town as well. They were a bit late picking both of us up, but this is Kenya, and I think all tourists should be open to adapting a little bit to "Kenyan time."
The "budget camping" accommodations were actually very nice - the fixed tents were like little homes, and it was a pleasant surprise that there was always hot water. You need to want to camp and have "that experience" if you go for the camping trip though; if you want Grand Hyatt or Hilton-esque accommodations, that's not the trip for you.
Our driver, Joseph, was excellent. Lots of friends who've been on safari in the Mara say that your experience really depends on your driver, and Joseph was able to spot four out of the Big Five for us (five, if a cheetah counts as a leopard to you!) His persistence with spotting and finding the two black rhinos that he found - we were the only vehicle that day to see them - was amazing and made for a very exciting drive.
Definitely also make it a point to visit the Masai village while you're there. It will be obvious that they make a lot of money from selling their goods to tourists, but being able to see their homes and ask questions about their lifestyles will be worth the hassling to buy goods at the very end of the visit.
Overall, such a great time with Big Time Safaris!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Three day Safari as it should be
The safari was excellent as could be expected from an institution such as Little Governors. Good guides, friendly service and not so bad food.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Expert knowledge and outstanding attention to safety and comfort.
From the time we were picked up at Nairobi's airport to the end of our journey, we were well taken care of. We had customized our itinerary and found all arrangements to be more than satisfactory. Mr. Agoi was indeed affable and willing to share his wealth of knowledge. The nine days we spent in the Mara and Amboseli certainly exceeded my personal expectations. The "cheery on top" came in the form of the Sheldrick Elephants Orphanage in Nairobi- not to be missed.
QE National Park and Gorilla Trekking
From the initial information and options supplied everything was easy and straightforward with Safari Wildz. We were all met at the airport even though our group arrived from three different destinations at different times. The Entebbe accommodation was perfectly fine for a night stop at either end. The QE Bush Camp, Ishasha Wilderness Lodge and Buhoma Lodge in Bwindi Forest were all very nice, and ranked in that order with Buhoma being the nicest. The accommodation and food was VERY good value with the average cost per day of transport, accommodation and full board being around $150 or less. Around half of the cost of our Safari Wildz experience was the permits (Gorilla, Chimp, Park Entry etc) so all in all incredibly good value. Our guide Hollie Manuel (Ma'Gog) was tremendous. Great fun and a tireless tarmac trekker she was also a mine of information and an excellent safari guide. Spatially and chronologically challenged at times which was never less than endearing I hope we didnt give her too much grief!!! She is to be thoroughly commended and recommended for a job well done under difficult conditions! Some of the road trips were rather long and gruelling and there were times when we wished for a vehicle with better (or indeed some) suspension but given the Ugandan Government's love affair with speed bumps I'm not sure if anything short of flying wiould shorten the trips and that would have made the trip prohibitively expensive. In short the itinerary worked well, the accommodation and food was much better then I was expecting, the guiding was MOST EXCELLENT and all the destinations and wildlife experiences were as good or way better than promised. The trip was VERY GOOD value for money. Safari Wildz are 100% recommended
SE
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Meet the Wild with Safari Wildz - one of the big Five operators
I have met a lot of operators during 20 years of safari travelling in Africa. Safari Wildz is in my opinion one of the very best. A professional and serious company with great feeling for customers wishes and demands. A company to rely on.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Flawless.
Extremely smooth experience. No issues when switching between camps and guides, fantastic service, food and amenities throughout. Highlight, of course, was the wildlife; plentiful and easy to observe, incredible to witness their natural behaviors in person. Highly recommended for families.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extraordinary
From the beginning to end Pembury Tours was amazing in helping me plan an unforgettable holiday in SA. From giving recommendations, scheduling and answering all questions they helped me every step of the way. We just wrapped up the best holiday of our life in the most amazing country I have ever discovered. My tour organizer was Kerry and she went above and beyond for me from day 1. I highly recommend Pembury Tours to help plan your holiday in SA. I also highly recommend a Safari at Arathusa Sabi Sands, this place was a hidden paradise perfect for a traveling couple to escape. I'm forever thankful for this trip and this company for making it happen. We will return and work with Pembury tours again!
NO
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Spectacular trip to Uganda
It is difficult to express in words the feelings one experiences being within a couple of meters of some of the few remaining mountain gorillas on the planet. Add to that the 7 hours with a group of Chimpanzees in Kibale, 100's of hippos (together with 62 elephants) in the Kazinga chanel, 2 game drives in QE National Park, discovering the awesome beauty of Uganda and the kindness of its people, and you have one of the most spectacular trips ever.
Encounter Africa Safaris was, without doubt, a professional and caring group of indidivuals from my first email. We quickly came to an agreement based on what I was interested in, and the business was taken care of in a quick, simple and professional manner.
Arriving in Entebbe after a long trip I was met by my guide, Tolbert. Being together, alone, for 7 days proved to be most enjoyable. Tolbert is not only gifted as a guide and driver, but also has excellent social skills. He didn't "drown" me in information, responded expertly to all my questions, and had an excellent sense of timing for his comments, and observations. Always professional, and personal when appropriate.
The choice of accommodations met my expectations with one exception. Tolbert and I discussed this, he offered to move me, but it wasn't so terrible that I had to make a move. I know that the company will consider other options for other guests in the future.
What was most surprising to me on the trip was the quality and quantity of the food! All of the lodges/hotels (save the one mentioned previously) offered top of the line meals. I would say the quality was equal to many European city restaturants (if not better), and the quantity equal to the largest dishes served in the great state of Texas (where EVERYTHING is large!)
To conclude, I give Encounter Africa Safaris my highest recommendation and will definitely use them again on my next trip to Uganda. What a gem of a country. And Tolbert, you're a great guy, a great guide, a great driver, and I'm pleased to say a friend. Continued good luck and success to you all.