The Matoke Tours Team
Matoke Tours
- Located In:
-
Netherlands
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2002)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, AUTO, SGR, UTB & UCF
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $300 to $750 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Michael | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Well planned and wonderfully executed custom-built 12 day tour
From my initial enquiries about the tour through to the end when I said farewell to my driver and guide I can honestly say that it was all a marvellous experience.
I started out by asking about group tours as I thought a customised tour for me, as a solo traveller, would be too expensive. My communications with Lionel in the office were always very constructive and together we developed a tour that was perfect for me and for the costs I had in mind. In the end I paid significantly more than I had originally expected but the trip was worth it. The payments were all processed very smoothly and my special requests were attended to by Ilse, the manager.
On the tour itself I was fortunate to have been assigned a freelance tour guide and driver; Confidence Matsiko. He was very professional, knew the job well and he had a number of contacts, some of whom he called upon to ease the minor challenges that cropped up. Confidence has a good knowledge of birds and was keen to learn more; so with our shared interest we never tired of conversation. My tour however was to focus on the larger primates and I can honestly say my close encounters with both chimps and mountain gorillas were way beyond my expectations.
I'm so glad Lionel persuaded me to go for the Chimp habituation rather than chimp tracking. My full day with the chimp group enabled me to experience them successfully hunting a Colobus monkey. The insight into this aspect of chimp life would not have been possible had I been tracking them for just 2 hours.
The Gorilla experience was equally rewarding. Confidence had managed to put me into the group that was to locate the Bitukura group out of Ruhija. His friend was to be the lead ranger for the eight-person group. The Bitukura group were known to have silverbacks and youngsters in them so, when we finally located them after quite a tiring climb up through the forest, I was thrilled and delighted to find a huge silverback male with two young playing and tumbling with each other on his back. He was completely ignoring them until the babies moved off to join their mum after which he set off to find some more food to fill his enormous belly. To watch all of this and to experience the smells and sounds as well as the sights was just fantastic. No TV film could ever match the reality of sitting so close to these wonderful animals.
The choice of accommodations used was also entirely appropriate for me but next time I think I would opt for more homestays rather than the less-friendly lodges.
The only aspect that I offer as a helpful comment is to make customers aware of the journey time between locations. The 12 hour trek between Murchison Falls NP and Kibale was exhausting and I hadn't realised how long it would take. Perhaps in the itinerary some indication of travel time would help clients appreciate what is required and thus prepare themselves accordingly.
I'd like to thank Matoke tours for enabling me to enjoy such wonderful wildlife-filled experiences. All the other game-viewing and birdwatching days of the trip were equally enjoyable and I reckon that I managed to identify, with the help of Confidence, nearly 230 species of birds despite not really working hard for them. If you choose Matoke as your tour operator I think you will almost certainly be very happy with your experiences. Having travelled extensively across Africa I think my Ugandan trip was one of, if not, the best.
Email Julie/Yasmin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trip of a lifetime!!
We have just returned from the most amazing week in Uganda. Our holiday from the start of booking with Matoke Tours was completely stress free and communication was very quick and efficient. As Uganda seems to be so under marketed in the UK we were a little unsure what to expect we certainly need not have worried, Our driver/guide Antoli met us at the airport with a huge smile!he was friendly, so knowledgable and a pleasure to spend our week with. We feel we have learnt so much about the country from him. A credit to Matoke.
The itinerary of our tour was perfect for us,the diversity of where we visited was astounding and the gorilla trek was magical. The sometimes long drives in between each location we were staying were both really enjoyable and seemed much quicker as there was so much to see and talk about.We felt very safe and completely at ease throughout our trip.
We could not have asked for more and would certainly book with Matoke again. Thank you all so much!
Email Nick Swift | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fly-In Safari
Ilse organised our tour and it was really great. We have three kids of 13, 11 and 9 so didn't want to do too much driving, so we pretty much flew everywhere. That was amazing. It was super easy and a lot of the airfields are really close to the hotels. All of the vouchers and tickets that Matoke had organised worked perfectly and they seemed to be very well known in the hotels etc. so the staff 'knew where we came from' as everything was prepaid. I strongly recommend them.
BE
Email Eric Lahey, Wildlifebrothers.com | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Mdonya Old River Camp, bushlife at its best
Mdonya, bushlife at its best.
Knowing our expectations and our desire to find interesting spots to make great pics, Matoke Tours adviced us to stay at Mdonya Old River Camp.
If you are looking for an authentic bush experience, don't look further ... Mdonya has it all. At Mdonya the impossible is made possible.
After more than 10 African safari's and having visited even more camps, lodges,..., our stay at Mdonya was a blast!
It was our second stay in Ruaha, which is one of the best remote wildlife parks we have ever been to, and this time it exceeded our expectations once again. Ruaha, same size as Switzerland and one hour and a half bushplane flight away from Dar Es Salaam is one of the parks that is least invaded by tourists in Tanzania and is known for its density of wildlife including several packs of Wild Dogs.
We arrived at the end of the dry season and we had a marvelous stay.
First of all, the Mdonya camp itself is so authentic that you imagine yourself being Dr Livingstone. The Camp is composed of 12 authentic bushtents. No electricity inside but candles, petroleum lamps and comfortable beds. The toilet and shower are located outside the tent. The dinner area is just a big long wooden table under the African sky. But heck, what else do you need? The reception area does have a charging station (to charge your batteries, phones,...). Life at Mdonya is mainly spent in the open air which is beautiful! The food is fantastic. You taste the Italian "cucina" mixed with the finest African delicacies.
The camp is completely focused on pleasing its guests. That is the sole mission of superb camp manager Mary and her staff. Whether you want the standard gamedrives in the morning or in the evening or whether you want to go on a full day gamedrive, everything is possible. We did a fullday gamedrive every day, got breakfast in the bush and got lunch in the bush. Every day, we left before dawn and arrived back at the camp after sunset . We never heard a complaint from our overtired driver or guide. Neither did we get a remark from the camp manager that we had spoiled too much fuel. :-)) Not to mention that the on-the-go meals were mouthwatering! Living life to the fullest!
Ruaha is a national park but the area where Mdonya is situated offers the opportunity to go offroad if something interesting is spotted. We arrived at the end of the dry season, meaning that all wildlife was concentrated around the few waterponds in the dried out riverbeds (the Mwagusi & Ruaha river) which was the sign for OMG sightings during our whole stay. We saw at least 7 different Lion prides. One pride had cubs, the other one had killed a giraffe 30 minutes before we arrived, another one had killed a baby elephant just minutes before we arrived, another one did an attempt on a herd of buffalo's,... Every day we saw lions and not just passive ones but the very active ones. A real photographic peak! Apart from that we saw the rare sable antilopes and bat-eared foxes, hyena,elephants, giraffes, impala, gazelles, duikers, dik dik's and more than 20 different birds of prey (Martial Eagle, Fish eagle, Verreaux eagle owl, tawny eagle, ...). But the real highlight of our journey was the "live" kill of a leopard that we followed during a few days and that killed a baby impala just in front of us. What an experience! Every night, satisfied and well-fed, we fell asleep accompanied by the sound of roaring lions or hyena calls.
Unfortunately, we did not see Wild dogs and the Tse Tse flies - especially in the Jongomero area - were annoying, but these were only a minor inconvenience in what was overall a truly fantastic trip.
For more reports, movies or pictures, please watch our website wildlifebrothers.com. More to come soon!
FR
Email Geert | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Impressed by their capability to design high quality offer for last minute bookings
I had a business trip to Uganda and decided to book a safari approximately two weeks before I went. Matoke was one of the operators I contacted and although some other operators left me with a good impression during the first contact, Matoke definitely stood out. They were very reactive and were able to put together a tailor made trip based upon my requirements. This is pretty amazing taking into account that most people book their safari many months ahead. An additional difficulty for them was that there were only a few gorilla and chimpanzee permits left on specific dates, and they had to build the itinerary around it. The chosen sites for accommodation were really nice, many with good views on the Nile, valleys, etc. and with good food. The driver John was very knowledgeable about the country and the wildlife. Thanks to his subtle observations I managed to photograph a leopard who was hiding in a tree! This is normally quite difficult during daytime. Communication with Wim (the owner I believe?) and several collaborators such as Ilse and Precious went very smooth. To resume, Matoke really went the extra mile. Finding a driver, accommodation, permits, etc. and designing a tailored made package on such short notice is very challenging but their extra efforts paid of!
US
Email SaraD | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jackson - The guide that can find the Dodo bird
We just got back from a 9 day safari followed by 3 days in Zanzibar. We had a group of four, two couples in our 30’s. We worked through Matoka Tours. I found them online. They had the best reviews by far. Most importantly everyone raved about their guides. This was a huge sell for me. Connecting with you guide can make or break your trip.
I started out with emailing Ilse van Agtmaal, Sales Manager for Tanzania. I was worried at first but let me tell you….IIse has to be the most patient person there is. She put up with a least 75 emails from me (our group went back and forth on time of year and locations). Every email was answered with grace and kindness. By the time we paid for the trip I had zero worries about sending money.
When we got to Arusha we were greeting by one of the kindest people I have ever meet. Jackson H. (or action Jackson). He has two beautiful children, his baby was born SIX days before our tour. And is basically a walking animal/bird encyclopedia.
He/they took care of everything, all lodges/camps were always happily awaiting us. We never had to do anything in regards to park registration/fees. He even found me clean and tidy restrooms whenever I needed, except the Serengeti, which is too beautiful to pollute with structures and buildings. (Hey! This is a big deal for a lady).
On the second day it became very apparently that Jackson was truly listening to everything we said. He knew all the special things we each wanted to see and was very determined to find them for us. He saw stuff that other guides drove past without noticing, and knew how to position us so we always got our own private viewings. Like the morning he found us an entire pride of Lions in the Serengeti. There were 12 of them, from babies to full grown males. We watch them lay and play, then we followed them as slowly got up, one by one and drifted back into the trees and fog like a dream.
We ended up seeing over 50 lions, the Big 5? No Problem, we saw 4 in one day. I am fascinated by little cats in the wild....he found me a Serval at Sunset! We have movies of baby elephants playing in mud puddles, and a Cheetah teaching her cubs how to hunt. We sat near a leopard in a tree for what had to be 30 mins...time stood still as I gazed upon it and sketched its spots. I saw a baby wildebeest take its first drink of milk, followed by its first steps. Our grouped dubbed him as….”Jackson, the guide that can find the Dodo bird”.
Since this is getting to be such a long review i’ll sum it up and say:
Every meal was amazing, I never imaged we would eat as well as we did. I had planned on dropping a few pounds on the trip...nope! I gained some.
We always had hot showers, the cleanest of rooms and the best service. We had booked a comfort tour, but it was a luxuries and extravagant to us.
So many clean bathrooms..Everywhere!
The vehicle was always in perfect condition. We saw some people with a broken jeep in the Serengeti. Not us, we rode in style.
Clean water was never an issue
Travel sickness - One of the gentlemen in our group fell very sick. One night he couldn’t make it down for dinner, Jackson had the lodge cook him a special meal of tomato soup, rice and bread. He had them take it to his room/hut/tent and wouldn’t leave until he tried to eat. (now that's caring for your fellow human)
Zanzibar - not so much for me. Not to be a silly America, but oh my goodness hot in summer. We should have sprung for a lodge with A/C. Personally I felt more at home in the Serengeti. I connected with the park people better. Zanzibar felt a bit icy.
To conclude, I am so blessed to have taken this trip. I thank Makote Tours for making it the trip of our lives. (well, actually….we might go back, it was too good to stay away). And for always making us feel safe and comfortable, for treating us as good friends, not just clients.
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Email Melissa Faith Klar | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Perfect Midrange trip to Uganda/Tanzania
I am super impressed with Matoke, that is why I am writing about them. I have been a travel consultant and freelance travel writer for over 37 years and have booked with countless operators for my clients and my friends. To start the communication was Outstanding. I worked with Manager Ilse and she was very clear in every thing she stated. She replied immediately and always in great depth with extreme clarity . This is important when you are working with a local operator and especially when there is limited Skype access....I trusted her every word and she was right with everything. The trip I booked was a "midrange" trip and it felt more like a Luxury high range trip. They work on a tiered program, so if you wanted to upgrade you could do it where you wanted to. I also have been to 22 countries in Africa through the last 44 years and I have booked and stayed in luxury, not my choice for a Safari and certainly NOT necessary, give those extra funds to the various NGO's empowering people's lives there.. Maktoke offers such quaint, cozy and clean well run properties, that they scout themselves. Their vehicles are clean, and well maintained. They partner with Easy Travel in Tanzania, a top notch operation in itself. The "Pearl of Africa" is Uganda, and the driving was perfect including offering Chimp and Gorilla tracking that anyone can do even disabled, they need to pay for a chair to be bring up and it is so worth the experience. The prices that most tour companies in the US offer for Africa are double the price. With Maktoke you can book directly and save about half the price, this makes Africa affordable. Also dealing with a Dutch company comes with organization and no stone unturned. Their tiered system of bookings is state of the art for Travel. Only a company that knows all of the properties can offer this. They are now offering trips to the Congo and to Madagascar. I am looking forward to putting my next group together for Madagascar.
Email Jodie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stop looking start booking!
Thank you so much to Ilse and Matoke tours for providing such outstanding service, recommendations, tours and guides. From the first email I received after requesting details about a safari and gorilla trekking the information I received was so prompt and professional that I stopped looking at any other tour companies and booked with Matoke tours. From the booking process, being welcomed at the airport and accommodations the staff were professional, welcoming, friendly and incredibly helpful to ensure our stay was perfect.
The gorillas were absolutely incredible and one of our all time favourite life experiences. The gorillas are magnificent and I couldn't believe how close we were able to get. We had a guide called Francois on the day who was absolutely fantastic - he has been a tour guide for 30 years and was so knowledgeable, funny and passionate about the gorillas he made the trip even more special.
Words can't describe how amazing this experience is we were just in awe of these majestic, magnificent animals, everything else faded away and nothing else in life seemed to matter except for that moment right there being in the Rwandan jungle sitting less than a few metres away from a magnificent silverback whose commanding presence and sheer beauty was breathtaking. Seeing a mother gently hugging and kissing her newborn baby with such tenderness and radiating so much love was absolutely heartwarming. The experience is life changing as it reminds you what is truly important in life. The conservation work being done by all the people involved in protecting these endangered gorillas is nothing short of outstanding.
The Serengeti was just amazing. Our driver from start to finish in Tanzania was Jackson and he was the best! He was always fun, friendly, incredibly knowledgeable not only about the Serengeti and all the animals and Masai but also about the local culture and history of Tanzania and was able to answer any question we asked. He was always on time and did his utmost to make sure that our experience was the best it could possibly be. He found the big 4 every day in the Serengeti for us and the black rhino in the Ngorogoro crater. It was all so beautiful it was surreal. Jackson was also so incredibly patient and happy to wait 10 minutes or an hour… he would stay anywhere for as long as we wanted in any area so that we could enjoy our experience to the full of watching the animals. He was passionate about making our trip as special as he could which he certainly did. The Tortillis camp in the Serengeti was fantastic, all the staff there were absolutely wonderful, there was nothing they wouldn't do to ensure our stay was as comfortable as possible.
We absolutely loved the safari and seen such an abundance of wildlife. I couldn't pick a favourite as everything was so spectacular to see. At one point Jackson had a radio call and he asked us to sit down and raced off down the road, he didn't say why but we knew we were about to see something amazing! Not long after we came around a bend and there were 3 lionesses in the distance walking towards us down the road! He stopped the car and I quickly started taking photos expecting the lionesses to take off in to the grass but they just kept coming toward us it was absolutely incredible as they continued down and right past our car!
I highly recommend this tour as it is a trip of a lifetime and Matoke Tours made it perfect from start to finish!
NL
Email Manfred | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Marvellous Tanzania
After arrival at Arusha AirPort our guide Elias welcomed us and brought us to the Kiboko Lodge. This is a result of the Watoto foundation and the next day we were very glad to visit this children supporting organisation. Also we started our 9 days safari in the northern parks. Elias was a safe, nice and very experienced guide and cared very well for his customers. The accomodations were very well selected by Matoke, the friendliness and the welcoming everywhere were outstanding. After this period we had a flight to Selous and stayed there for 4 days. So close to the Rufijiriver with stunning sunsets we had a wonderful stay in the camp. Here too only careful and friendly people, making our stay unforgettable. The safari is a little different: walking, boating and driving. After this stay we moved by an other small airplane to Zanzibar, were we stayed at the Next Paradise Resort, a really excellent and beautiful choice with fantastic swimming pool and outstanding service. Matoketours did a marvellous job in organising our trip and we surely can recommand them.
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Email Chad Mills | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable journey tailored by a 5-Star company
My wife and I went on our first ever African safari with Matoke Tours in Uganda in December 2019. Months later, we think about the trip daily! From our wonderful and experienced guide Big Sam, to the awesome accommodations and friendly staff at each lodge, it was the trip of a lifetime. We began our vacation with a visit to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. We traveled from there to Murchison Falls National Park, then to Kibale National Park, then to Queen Elizabeth National Park, to Ishasha, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and finished at Lake Mburo. When we set out on our trip, we didn't expect to see each and every animal as advertised. However, we did! It was better than we imagined. We saw a 3-month-old rhino, a pride of lions, the "rare" leopard. Our guide helped us spot the elusive leopard on four occasions, how lucky! We observed a bachelor group of elephants making mischief, walked behind a chimp, had a hippo nearly visit our cottage porch, and spent the most magical hour with a gorilla family. We photographed the most beautiful, perfect male lion standing out on a tree branch in Ishasha. We spotted a mother and young leopard on the prowl during the night game drive at Lake Mburo, and more. We certainly felt well cared for, and in good hands. Every detail was carefully thought out and planned for us ahead of time, by our wonderful trip coordinator Pascqa Lorna, so that we never worried about anything. As for Big Sam, he's truly what made our 12 day journey so fulfilling. I highly recommend booking Matoke Tours. Our experience was beyond five stars! https://youtu.be/QVQF9ZexnR4
