US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They delivered exactly what they promised and the experience was awesome
Our agent (Kathi) was very helpful. She gave us a few options and worked with us to setup the itinerary that we wanted. She managed to get us an extra day in Safari and one fewer day in Cape Town than the default itinerary had which matched our preferences. The hotel in Cape Town and the lodge in Kruger lived up to our expectations and then some and the experience was fantastic. Highly recommend both the Victoria & Albert hotel on the Cape Town waterfront and the Serondella lodge in Thornybush that she booked for us. She also gave us all the information needed for travel (needed birth certificates for the children, the kind of plug adapters we needed etc). All in all she made sure we had an awesome time.
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tours are not that organize when it comes to timings.
I was dissapointed as we were not able to see the crossing/migration due to time.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience!! Best tour operator ever!
My experience with Tanzania Roadside expeditions tour operator was great. Communications was really easy (email or WhatsApp) and Paul (tour operator manager) answered all my questions and doubts on time. We were a group of five people and we spent 2 nights in a lodges and 1 night in tended camp. Both the accommodation types were much better than expected. The safari tour was awesome. One of the best experience of my life. We saw a lot of animals (lions, cheetahs and so on) hunting or resting on the ground.
I suggest this experience to everyone.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful vacation and perfectly planned
We had great communication with Mark Hathaway from the very start. Mark was very patient with us, changing our itinerary to suit us and our price point and timeline. He was very knowledgeable about all of the lodges and camps that we planned to stay at and gave us pros and cons for each. Everything was planned to the tiniest detail. Our vacation was outstanding and we can't wait to go back. When we do we'll be using Gondwana again.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Mount Elgin with quality comfort
Comms were excellent throughout. Slight acceptable delays when the staff are in the bush but more than acceptable. Chef and tour leader were provided and did an excellent job - food was outstanding in an austere environment. A good company providing a good, honest reliable service.
TR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect!
We were very happy with the tour team. They planned everything (from pick up from the hotel in Johannesburg to the dates and places of our accommodations in Kruger Park) in detail and all we had to do was show up. Our emails were speedily replied and our tour guide was the best! We had one of the most memorable days of our lives in the park. We did a combo tour where we got to experience staying in the bungalows, lodges and the tent, all of which were unique on their own. Highly recommended!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fabulous 14 days!!! Wildlife! Birds! Culture! Great accomodations!! Amazing staff and guide/driver!!
My adult son and I spent 14 days driving through Uganda, from Kampala, Jinji, Sipi Falls, Kedepo, Murchinson Falls, Queen Elizabeth and finally the gorillas in Biwindi, with our amazing guide/driver: Geoffrey Katende. Every part of the trip was planned by Pascqa Lorna in the Matoke office and every part was amazing. I cannot say enough about Geoffrey who both is extremely knowlegable about wildlife, birds, geography, land marks, and culture, but is a very patient and sweet person. Geoffrey really cared about us and tried his hardest to make sure we had a great experience. It was often Geoffrey who wanted to continue to drive around the parks or see more sights, and we would have to say that we wanted to go back to the lodge to rest. He is very enthusiastic and is excited about every aspect of Uganda even though he has probably seen everything many times. Geoffrey is also a very safe driver which is important in Uganda and he never tired even after hours of bumpy roads, he never got rattled and he always got us where we were going safely and without drama. I had total faith in him to be safe and professional.
Pascqa Lorna was also amazing. She planned everything and worked very hard to make sure we did everything we wanted to do. During the planning phrase she emailed me faithfully and quickly and she was available while we were in Uganda and helped me with problems even when she did not have to. She also really cared that we had a great experience, it was much more than just doing her job. The lodges we stayed in were uniformly very nice and were picked by Pascqa and the activities we did were very fun and rewarding. Also because it was just the two of us, we were able to do things we had not planned sometimes and Geoffrey was always willing to change plans and do whatever we wanted to do.
I would definitely recommend Matoke to anyone traveling to this part of the world, and if I am lucky enough to return to East Africa, I will use them again.
HK
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful and memorable trip
It was a wonderful and memorable trip. Mr Dennis the director of Baboon Budget Safaris Ltd has been very helpful and flexible in arranging the private tour for us. Our drivers in both Kenya and Tanzania was very knowledgable who brought us to see a lot of animals. All in all, the tour is excellent
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Masai Mara/Serengeti Safari and Lake Elementaita Tour with My 11 Year Old
I found this excellent tour company online based on strong reviews and was not disappointed. Edward runs an extremely professional and efficient operation and operates with the highest integrity. Every part of our trip ran like clockwork from transfers to our excellent guides. While the company is called "Budget," Edward was happy to provide custom services, upgrades and recommendations when we wanted them, though he was also very respectful of my attempts to economize where we could. Edward also met us in Nairobi both before and after the trip for a nice personal touch. Based on our interests, he put together a great itinerary that combined game drives, activities and sightseeing. He's very knowledgeable about Kenya, as well as other popular tours in Tanzania and Rwanda. Edward was great on communication and exchanged dozens of emails with me over the past year, from when I first started planning.
My 11 year old son has always had an interest in animals and the safari experience truly enchanted him. Eleven is a great age for safari because he could fully participate in wildlife spotting and could handle the longer game drives. He also loved the tented camps. We did game drives in both Masai Mara and Serengeti and got to see the migration. While getting to the Serengeti was a challenge, it was worth it to see so many lions. We loved watching the lionesses hunt!
After the game drives, we arranged to rest and see some other areas. Edward recommended the Lake Elementaita area 2-4 hours north of Nairobi depending on traffic. From our lovely resort hotel with pool (Pelican Lodge), we were easily able to enjoy horseback riding around Lake Elementaita (flamingos!), a boat ride on Lake Naivasha (great bird watching) and a surprise biking safari and beautiful gorge hike/scramble in Hell's Gate National Park. It was also good to have some activities for my son after a week of game drives. I highly recommend Edward's company and exploring more of Kenya!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A trip of a lifetime in the African bush we would like to relive again
An incredible trip with an exceptional guide who has shared with us his passion for animals, birds and trees to name a few.
Benjamin accompanied us throughout this 14-day expedition that ended in early August. He chose different parks and very interesting for us. He also has unparalleled cooking skills and demonstrates incredible calm and wisdom throughout his stay with two women of a certain age. He could have been our son and we appreciated him for all his qualities and for the surprises he has reserved for us. We are still filled with these strong experiences of being close to giant and small animals. A very great feeling of gratitude inhabits me and I wanted to express it in French so that this message is well received. Wanting to translate this trip, it was indeed an expedition in the African bush in winter with such dry areas demonstrating the ability of animals to adapt to survive. The Zulu people of this part of the world welcomed us like queens and I will never forget their sincere smile.