Matthew Grace & Nicolette Grace ~ Founder & Owner
African Safari Guru
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2005)
- Member Of:
- SATOA, FGASA, SATIB, DEAT, CASSETHA, For Wildlife Non Profit Trust & Prodly South African
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $339 to $938 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
QA
Email Brian Kennedy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Everything we could have wished for from a tour operator.
We worked with Matty to plan a 3-week tour of South Africa with 1 week in Cape town and 2 weeks on safari. Matty immediately stood out to me as the person I wanted to work with on the tour by having a very fast response rate and setting up a video conference with me to discuss our wish list and budget requirements. Once our meeting was finished he quickly had a proposal in our hands that blew our minds! I thought there was no way someone would be able to offer a high-quality tour and stay within our budget, but he found a way.
In Capetown, he arranged a beautiful apartment in a very safe and scenic area close to the pier. As for the activities, we really enjoyed the cape fur seal snorkeling and shark dive. Matty chose companies that truly care about the country, the wildlife, and your safety. (Cape fur seal snorkeling is a must! easily our favorite experience in Capetown!) I should mention that Matty admitted that Capetown is not his specialty, but he represented it very well. We will return!
We then flew to Johannesburg and commenced a 2-week safari tour. Matty had arranged 5 camps of changing amenities, each with its own topography and animal specialty. We started at Mosetlha Bush Camp in Madikwe, and what a way to start! (FYI. opt for the bush flight in and out if you can afford it) This is truly a special bush camp. The manager (her name escapes me right now) made us feel like family as soon as we arrived. She showed us to our bush hut and took us through the amazing procedure they have for hot water showers, the well-stocked and priced honesty bar, and the daily itinerary. Guests should know that there is no power or wifi at this camp, don't show up thinking you're going to the Shangrila to be pampered, this is a bush camp after all. The food was home-cooked with locally sourced ingredients, and the staff was all very friendly. As for animals, I think we lucked out! We had almost everything covered in 2 days! But I don't think this was normal.
The second Lodge was a high-end safari lodge named Lukimbi. Everything was amazing here, the food was prepared by an award-winning chef, the wine cellar was fully stocked with local wines, and the game drives and bush walks were conducted by true professionals who were excited to answer any questions we had. I truly cannot say enough good things about this lodge.
Umkumbe Safari Lodge was next. This place was another great spot, just not quite as high-end as Lukimbi, but great nonetheless. What stood out about Umkumbe was the relaxed atmosphere, amazing views from the bar/pool area, craft beer selection from the honesty bar, and the excellent chances to see leopards. right from check-in, we were greeted by 4 lions and 1 leopard on the far bank of the river, and a local hippo that would often make an appearance.
Back to the bush! Umlani Bush Camp is a small family-owned (like most places we stayed) camp that has a very close-to-nature feel. from the hyena and lions that sing you to sleep, to the boma fire that we sat around exchanging stories nightly, this place made you feel like you were a part of something special. The booze was inclusive, the food was great, and the staff was all friendly. I would recommend asking them to take you out and leave you at the tree house for a couple of hours or for the evening, it was an experience not to be missed. The animals act completely different when you are in the tree house because they don't realize you are there, it's so exciting waiting to see what will pop out next! The staff even packed us a cooler of beer and snacks for our tree house visit.
Arathusa Safari Lodge. Matty ended us off with a bang! another higher-end lodge with full amenities and a beautiful spa. The animal sightings were plentiful, and the food and drink top notch. After 2 weeks of twice-a-day game drives our backs deserved the spa treatment they received from the magical hands of the ladies at Arathusa, pure bliss.
To conclude, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the unparalleled support we received from Matty. The nonstop emails, calls, video chats, transfers, and local information we received were second to none (and we've been on lots of safaris, in many countries). He was always available and even took time from his busy schedule to drive us between the lodges. He is a true professional, I dare say that if you put him at the front of a land cruiser he could provide you with as much quality info as any of the lodge-supplied rangers. He's a real gem.
We will be back!
AE
Email Francionette | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful Honeymoon
Matthew came highly recommended to us by family in Canada who used his services in March during their visit to South Africa, and they sang his praises all the way.
From the first point of contact Matthew answered all our hundreds of emails and questions, with lots of patience. He proposed tailer-made options that exceeded our expectations and standards and when we finally made a decision he ensured that the lodge we chose - Mara Bushtops - offered us the best honeymoon experience we could ask for.
Our safaris and the customer service at Mara Bushtops was outstanding, the staff, drivers and spotters were very knowledgable and no request was too big. Matthew made an effort to follow up with the lodge during our stay to ensure we were having a good time. The experiences we had on our honeymoon will forever be remembered and cherished.
Thank you Matthew and Mara Bushtops for providing us with and experience of a lifetime.
US
Email Gary Rupe | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic personalized travel service
We used South Africa Guru for a last minute trip and we were absolutely amazed. We provided some broad guidance on what we thought we would like to do and Matthew Grace knocked the agenda out of the ball park. With only two weeks notice before we arrived he put together every detail into an amazing agenda we turned into wonderful memories. Give Matthew a call with a little guidance on your dreams and I am sure he will do the same for you.
DE
Email Svein, Nadja & Katharina | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience of a Lifetime
Planning our first ever trip to South Africa, we searched for potential tour operators to help us realize our African Dream. Within 1 hour of posting our general inquiry on Saferibookings.com, Matthew had responded, and never seemed to go off-line after that. Within no time, he had put together a set of options, and had the perfect package put together for us, with 5 days Madikwe Sarafi Lodge and 4 nights More Quarters (Cape Town) with local tours.
This was only the beginning of a fantastic relationship with Matthew, who by all standards proved to be the best organizers we have had the pleasure to meet. He makes the impossible possible, and follows you up every step of your trip to make sure everything is ok and to your liking. One example worth mentioning is the evening just before dinner we contacted Matthew to check the possibility to alter our program for the next morning in Cape Town, and within no time he had organized everything (from Johannesburg) with our local Tour Operator in cape town and before dessert we had received the updated itinerary via WhatsApp. Never have we seen this kind of good service anywhere before.
Matthew Grace is THE African Safari Guru. If you ever consider to travel anywhere in Africa, he’s the man. We’ve never met anybody so dedicated to his clients, country and wildlife, and he seems to have a never ending network of people and companies to help take care of you every step of the way. It’s really a one-stop-shop for any travel and any budget-range, and he is with you all the way until you arrive back home. Even then he checks how your return trip was. Our trip was truly an Experience of a Lifetime, mainly made possible through Matthew Grace and THE African Safari Guru!
CA
Email Debbie and Glenn | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime!
Matt at African Safari Guru helped us put together a custom safari vacation that suited us perfectly. From the initial contact and planning of our trip to the final transfer to the airport for our trip home everything went smoothly and was very well done. Even though our initial flight was 2 hrs lathe arriving Matt and Nicolette were at the airport to greet us when we finaly landed. Matt picked two excellent lodges for us to visit - Lukimbi Lodge in Kruger and Arathusa in Sabi Sands and the accomodations and game drives at both lodges not only met but exceeded our expectations. We had fabulous close encounters with all of the Big 5 and even had black rhino and wild dog pack sitings! Thanks to African Safari Guru for all the wonderful memories, we will definitely recommend you to our friends!
US
Email Annette & Michael | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari experience!
Matt is a true South African and loves his country. That comes through in everything he says and does. He is very knowledgeable about his country, the people and the wildlife. We had dinner with him and his wife, and we got to have a sample platter of biltong, a must have when you're there.
This was a wedding anniversary trip and Matt notified both lodges and made sure we got a special treat in both places, and we did. It's that kind of extra that makes Matt great.
We initially gave Matt a budget to work with and he sent us detailed proposals with pros and cons for each place he had in the list. The choices were all excellent and we loved the lodges we stayed at. In both places, service, food, and wildlife viewing was excellent. We preferred Arathusa because there was more opportunity to get to know other people in your "game drive" group. Lukimbi was excellent too, but we wouldn't return there in high season because we prefer adult-only environments.
The transfers were all taken care of by Matt personally. He drove us from Johannesburg to Sabi Sands, then from there to Lukimbi in Kruger National Park, and then to Nelspruit airport.
All-in-all, excellent value for an excellent experience. Thanks Matt!
US
Email Abhijit | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Priceless!!!
What a trip, Africa. What a travel agent, Matt. Priceless!
Matt planned an amazing 2 week adventure for 2 families to SA, Zimbabwe and, Zambia. Going to a new country, you always expect some hiccups, but nothing in our case. Everything was perfect .... from transfers, to personal chefs, to Safari's, to kids entertainment ...everythign went smooth and perfectly.
We visited CapeTown, VicFalls, The Hide (in Zimbabwe, a must do), and Madikwe (in SA). Matt took personal care and went above and beyond to meet us personally and chauffeur us from Johansburg to Madikwe and back.
For people planning Safari Trips ... The Hide in Zimbabwe is a magical place, and must do.
I cannot recommend Matt enough ... give him a call, and he will take the best care of you and your family at a personal level!!!
US
Email Bruno | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
He was so knowledgeable about all the animals and reptiles in the regions he was amazing
From the planning stages he would answer all our questions and concerns right away so his communication was top notch. We traveled to South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe and everything was set up for us we never had to wait a car was always waiting to take us to our next destination. This was the most stress-free trip I had ever experienced! Matthew picked us up at the airport when we first arrived in South Africa and right away he was calling the lodge to make sure they would have dinner for us upon arrival. He was in communication with us during our whole trip it was so ideal!
US
Email Marina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience for reasonable price!
Staff replied on my emails within short period of time. They staid on top of my preferences and priorities. I would describe them as highly efficient, friendly and caring about client
Offered tour: canopy tour and Elephant Sanctuary was well planned and managed
Feedback: great experience and time that I truly enjoyed
US
Email Pete morelli | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Greatest vacation of my life
communication was excellent. Matthew Grace made this trip perfect. His knowledge and love of animals and Africa was mind blowing. We stayed at 6 different places and they were all unique and beautiful. I had high expectations after booking the trip but the actual trip exceeded my expectations by far. Everything went smoothly and perfectly. It was the greatest vacation imaginable and I will definitely be booking through him again in the future
