Some of our landcruiser and our lead team
Mattaw Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email J. Blaney and A. Khalamayzer | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stop looking for a tour guide, you've found the best!
First, if you want to know what you'll see on a Safari with Mattaw, here's a link to some footage we captured on an iPhone:
https://youtu.be/qegxw1pu-R
The above video pretty much speaks for itself, but there's a lot more to choosing the right safari guide than beautiful footage.
When we selected Mattaw, we really didn't have any idea what to expect either on a Safari, traveling to Kenya or from our guides. We were literally confused by everything. Do they pick us up at the airport? What should we wear? What vaccines do we need? What's the situation with COVID and getting tested for our return journey? What will we see when we're there? We got bids from three other operators and had the hardest time choosing between them. They all seemed to offer similar services, though the prices ranged quite a bit. In the end, we went with Mattaw because they had a fairly large number of positive reviews. They were not the cheapest, in fact we had another option that was almost half as much. But we felt more comfortable paying more for someone who seemed to be proven, given how little we knew about what to expect. Boy are we glad with our decision!
Mattaw was amazing in every way. We loved all three drivers--Bud, Steve and Charles--they showed us so much that we never would have seen without a guide. We loved every place we stayed, it was all well above expectations. And we couldn't believe how many amazing animals we saw. Literally thousands of them. It felt like we were living in The Lion King.
You definitely get what you pay for, at least with a reputable safari guide like Mattaw. So if someone is quoting you less money, that means you will be staying in less expensive accommodates or something else will have to be cut. Some guides say you will be in a private tour and then end up putting you with other people for a portion or most of your trip. Or by using really old vehicles that are more likely to get stuck, which you don't want happening as an Elephant charges. Some guides save money by hiring very low cost drivers who don't really know anything about how to drive around the animals or where to find them. Experienced guides will take you to the best locations, even drive the car in such a way as to provide you with a stunning backdrop for the animals. And most importantly, if an animal gets aggressive, you want someone experienced helping get you out of there.
I recommend going with Mattaw, or someone with a similarly stellar reputation, and then you can adjust the trip as much as you want from there. They can set you up with nicer places or less expensive places to stay. You can fly or drive between locations. They can go anywhere you want and stay as long as you want. That's something we really didn't understand when we booked the trip. The details of the trip aren't as important as who you choose to work with.
Go with Mattaw and you will have a great experience.
Amazing animals! Amazing tour! Amazing guide!
As soon as our tour guide picked us up, we knew we were in for an amazing time. Charles was incredibly friendly, flexible and energetic. We traveled first to Amboseli where we stayed at a luxury campsite, complete with tented rooms, wandering giraffes, an evening bonfire and delicious meals. From there we went on to Lake Naivasha where we stayed one night in a safari hotel and enjoyed a ride on the lake and a walking safari, and then to Masai Mara where we took several game drives and visited a Masai village. While giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, ostriches, antelope, and elephants were in abundance, Charles knew how to find the more reclusive game. We saw several male and female lions, the band of four brothers (cheetahs), leopards, hippos, rhinos, and Cape buffalos. At the end of our safari, Charles took us to a clinic to get our Covid tests, and then on to the airport. If you can get Charles as a guide, do it! The price of our tour was quite reasonable, communication with Charles and with Bud Huffman (owner of Mattaw Safaris) was excellent, and the tour exceeded our expectations.
US
Email Kimberlu | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mattaw Safaris and our guide, Charles, provided a Safari experience that exceeded our expectations.
The entire experience with Mattaw Safaris was top notch.
Scheduling and communication was so easy. Charles is excellent at his job from customer service to finding the animals out in the wild.
He was very knowledgeable about his native land, the animals, and was able to teach us and our kids so much.
Charles also made us feel so welcome. His attention to detail and care for his customers is what sets him apart.
We will definitely be using Mattaw Safaris again.
