DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Matoke Tours - Great parnet for visiting Africa!
First off some facts:
-We were 6 people between 27 and ~50years old from Germany
-Uganda 8 days from mid September 2018
-Tanzania/Zanzibar 5 day at the end of September 2018
It took me a while to find the time to write a review and I'm usually not the guy who likes writing reviews, but me and my co-travelers belief that Matoke Tours and everybody who was involved with our journey deserve some feedback. So here it is:
We started our trip at Entebbe airport and our plane landed quite late (around 10 p.m.). We got out of the airport and at first the heat and humidity hit us quite hard. It was dark, somehow smelly and we didn't really know what to expect. We spent our first night in some small guesthouse near the airport. The housing was somehow strange, there were a lot of mosquitos (which we tried to avoid because we heard all kind of stories about the diseases they might transfer...more of that later), and there were dogs barking all night. But we felt save because the guesthouse was well guarded. At first we thought, that it was not a good idea to travel to Uganda but that first night was literally the only not so good thing about our Journey.
The next days basically went like this: Kibale National Forest (Crater Safari Lodge - excellent!) - Community- and Swamp-Tour -Chimpanzee-Tracking + tropical rain in the forest and being attacked by African bees - Queen Elizabeth NP (Ihamba Lake Resort - Excellent!) - evening + morning Game Drive (same as Safari but Safari seems to be the Kenia-word for Game drive...) - Boat-Safari on the Kazinga channel - Gorilla tracking in the Bwindi National Forest (Mutanda Lake Resort - Excellent!) - Travel to Lake Mburo + Safari-walk in the queen Elizabeth NP (housing at Eagles Nest - great view, cute dog, nice bar, tent - Okay for one night) - flight from Entebbe to Zanzibar with a stay at the Blue Oyster for three days (super nice people, great lodging, nice bar + great cocktails, nice and clean beach, good food and they even send us a Christmas card - would definitely go there again and recommend to everybody!) - Stone Town (Swahili House - great!).
We saw a lot. Crazy African cities, beautiful nature, great rain forests, beautiful lakes, the Indian ocean, lions, elephants, hippos, Crocodiles, Eagles, snakes, giraffes, buffalos and many many more... Every place was full of really nice people, who always wore a smile on their face. And what was very strange: almost no insects and no mosquitos. Sure I got bitten twice but in the end I had more bee-stings that mosquito bites (and that only because we had to pay for the honey that the chimpanzees stole...). Recommendations for travelers: don't buy expensive mosquito-proof clothing- just buy one or two bottles more of DEET 50%.
And one thing or rather one person I did not mention at all: Our guide Big Sam. We were extremely lucky that he was guiding our tour. He is very experienced, he knows the nature, he knows the animals, he knows the authorities and he knew an answer to all our questions. And we had a lot of questions... And most importantly: He is a nice guy. He was joking around a lot and was able to laugh about himself. We had a great time and we think and talk about our journey a lot. We miss Uganda, we miss the people from the Blue Oyster and we miss Sam. We will be back and we will travel with Matoke again!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience. Smooth booking, payments, excellent coordination, great driver and vehicle.
It was all great, lived up to expectation. Smooth planning, coordination, payments, bookings, transportation including driver and vehicle.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was nice experience.
It was a nice experience with Lenchanda. Everything was good. only one thing can be improve if they start accepting Card or online payment.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
1 week/3 Parks with Young Children
Alliance Destinations were prompt and reliable. They were able to customize my travel/accommodation options. Their services met all expectations and the driver/guide (Antony) was pleasant and patient. He was quite knowledgeable and knew the interesting spots around the parks.
Elizabeth from the office desk managed the whole itinerary well and overall was a very memorable time.
JP
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Guides/Ground Transportation excellent. Food/Accommodations adequate/ lunch's terrible.
Communication between us and the guides the day his credit cards didn't work to allow us to get into the Serengeti would have been nice. It took over 2 hours... and very little to no communication as to why until the end?
Guides had awesome knowledge about animals, birds, and culture. They communicated with their peers on where animal sightings might be so we could see as many animals as possible. They were both also very accommodating to the needs of the group and made adjustments if needed. They always maintained professionalism and the safety of the group was always at the top of their list.
The guides made sure the vehicles were always clean for the next day's trip.
Food at the resorts was not bad, but the lunch boxes were not appetizing!
Hotels... Moivaro Coffee Plantation Lodge - Really not good at all. Afraid to eat the food and very confusing at check out time for the food/bar bill. We were overcharged... double for the drinks and food we had already paid for the night before. 2nd lodge - Tarangire Sopa Lodge - Very nice lodge, the view was great and the pool was chlorinated which was nice. 3rd lodge - Escarpment Luxury Lodge - by far the cleanest and nicest lodge of the entire trip with another awesome view! The food at this lodge was the best of the entire trip as well. 4th lodge - Serengeti Sopa Lodge - Location and view were awesome... the food adequate. 5th lodge - Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge - Location and view were awesome, food... this is where one of us got sick from the food. 5th lodge - KIA Lodge - Food was not good here. Accommodations were okay, but having the A/C that night was the best!
In all of the lodges, the staff was very nice and accommodating. The guides were awesome and overall the safari was outstanding!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beautiful scenery, great wildlife viewing, and really caring & personalized attention from the crew.
Our trip was spectacular, thanks to our amazing guides and caring bush camp team. We saw amazing wildlife, made new friends, and learned a lot about the Bush in Botswana!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
My safari in Uganda was simply fantastic! Every aspect was amazing!
My trip with Home to Africa was everything I had hoped for! I traveled to Uganda as a single women, on a solo trip and I didn't know what to expect. Home to Africa tours and Karim in particular were just perfect. Of course, the gorillas are amazing (you may be 6 feet away from them! Be aware, the trek to see them is not easy...be in shape and USE A PORTER!) Everywhere you look, wildlife abounds and this place is a birders paradise. My treks were everything I had hoped for. The accommodations were also very unique and special...and I mean this is a very positive way. I LOVED the variety of accommodations and the attention to detail. Ugandan coffee overlooking the game reserve as elephants walk by...does it get any better? Majestic hills, beautiful lakes where wildlife gather, crested cranes and towering trees surround you. Your dinner, served to you by candlelight many times, is superb. Every day on my safari was unique. You will travel far and wide to see all of Uganda, but it well worth the trek. After 6 days, I still felt there was so much to see and do. Home to Africa tours made my trip so special! They are responsive and are very good at adjusting the schedules if travel plans change suddenly. Ask for KARIM for sure! He is very knowledgeable and easy to work with. Truly, this trip was such a good time and I felt relaxed the entire time.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great country to do safari!
Great country to go for safari. The big 5 and more. Maasai Mara was great!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Extremely satisfied with the knowledgeable, polite, responsive tour operator agent Walter Kohrs
Working with the SA based tour operator SAFARI ONLINE was a tremendous plus compared to a USA base operator, only enhanced by the very knowledgeable, responsive, and friendly tour operator agent Walter Kohrs.
We were so pleasantly pleased that all bookings made by Safari Online worked out to the "T" - no delays, prompt, and reliable. We were concerned that transfers between 3 safari lodges and to the airports would be a bit cumbersome, but no worries, at every location transfer a friendly, knowledgeable driver with a modern SUV came to pick us up, even being early by 30 mins. each time.
We very much enjoyed our 3 days at Victory Falls, Zimbabwe and our stay with tours at Victoria Safari Falls Safari lodge, likewise our 3 full days each at Umkumbe Safari Lodge and Arathusa Safari Lodge in the Sabi Sands, SA area. Each of our lodge stays and excursions recommended by Walter Kohrs worked out real well, each lodge and terrain was different, allowing us to see all Big Five many times and visiting different terrain. All 3 lodges pride themselves in supplying great customer service and satisfaction - their tips depend greatly on the customers' satisfaction.
In summary, we are more than satisfied and our thousands of phots remind us of an unforgettable trip organized by a very competent tour operator SAFARI ONLINE and agent WALTER KOHRS. We have happily recommended Safari Online and Walter Kohrs to lots of friends.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tongesai was EXTREMELY responsive to emails and customized our trip exactly as we requested.
A vacation truly feels like a vacation when the only thing you have to worry about it getting yourself to the airport. From the airport pick up, to the resort, to the numerous adventures and tours, to the last minute shopping trip, and the return to the airport, everything went so smoothly. Tongesai did a great job tailoring our (way too quick 2.5 day) adventure to exactly what we wanted. Instead of doing a helicopter ride we opted for an additional day on a game drive to Chobe National Park. This also gave us some much needed time for shopping at Elephant Walk and the market. We stayed at the Bayete Resort which is a beautiful place with helpful staff and great accommodations. The pool was a nice relaxing treat for the end of adventure filled days. The Boma Dinner was so much fun, the falls were gorgeous, and it was really nice seeing the rhinos making a comeback on the Stanley and Livingstone Reserve. If you have never considered Zimbabwe a destination resort, then you must reconsider. From beginning to end, the people of Zimbabwe were some of the most friendly people I have met on the planet. Thank you to all and a special thank you to Tongesai for making this such a special vacation:)