First Trip Anywhere in Africa Was a Big Hit Thanks to Matthew! - My wife and I utilized Matthew Grace to organize the logistics for our trip – our first trip anywhere in Africa. In the months leading up to the trip,... read more his prompt and thorough email replies (over 80 emails in total) are one of the main reasons we decided to go forward with the trip during a time of ever-changing covid restrictions. He even offered to help with accommodations and food if our dreaded fit to fly covid tests were positive before our flight homewhich they thankfully were not. Matthew’s lodge recommendations were perfect and he provided all the transportation for us between Skukuza, the two lodges and the airport in Nelspruit. We highly recommend Matthew’s expertise when it comes to the greater Kruger area and we hear he is also knowledgeable regarding Botswana and beyond.

  The wild life safari was amazing and we saw huge herds of elephants, buffaloes, hippos, rhinos. We also saw giraffes and pride of lions. There were the elusive wild dogs.... read more We also had a fantastic stay in Zambia where we got to see the magnificent Victoria falls. Lukimbi was a nice resort in the wilderness. Cape Town added an element of diversity to the whole package.

  Sabi Sands Safari, Rovos Rail and Cape Town - This is the second time I've had Matthew organize a trip to South Africa for me. The first was a solo day safari to Pilanesburg National Park while I was... read more on a brief visit to the country a few years ago. That was such a great experience that I wanted to bring my partner back to explore South Africa with me this time, and have a much longer visit.

Normally I like to plan out our trips myself. I'm a details kind of guy so I am used to taking care of everything -- from booking the accommodations to handling getting from one place to another. Matt had no problem with that and was happy to give me some ideas for great lodges and safaris, while I mulled over prices and dates. But eventually, he suggested I let him work his magic in terms of the planning and I am so glad I did.

Matt coordinated two nights at a wonderful bush lodge to start us off -- just as we had wanted -- out in the wild and away from the city. Then we moved on to Arathusa lodge for three nights -- absolutely spectacular location, service, food and wildlife. We saw four out of the big five on one day alone! After our big game experience, we headed back to Pretoria and connected with Rovos Rail for the trip to Cape Town. It was a luxurious trip we had heard lots about and something we had wanted to do, and Matt was happy to make it happen. Six nights in the Cape Town area -- half on our own at a spot we had pre-chosen and the rest at a self-stay that Matt recommended -- rounded out our trip.

It came out right on budget, and Matt's quote included all transfers as well -- which was tremendously reassuring since we had to cross a wide swath of the country at times.

Everything was taken care of. When it came time to move from airport to lodge, or one lodge to another, there was a transfer service with a professional car and driver waiting, or it was Matt who handled the transfer himself. That kind of flawless service is what makes African Safari Guru stand out. There was not a single mis-step in our entire trip, and that's why we will be coming back and using Matt's service next time we come to South Africa.

We're already planning that next trip. Victoria Falls is on the itinerary based on Matt's recommendations.

You can't go wrong. Matt will make your trip perfect.

  We found Matthew Grace/African Safari Guru through his website but we did not know him, other than believing these reviews! We first scheduled this trip in the fall of 2019... read more for travel in April of 2020. We all know how that worked out. We had already prepaid a big chunk of the trip and had to pay the balance in order to reschedule for an unknown date, given COVID and travel restrictions. Talk about an act of faith! Matthew communicated with us regularly and assured us our trip would happen as soon as we were ready, willing and able to travel from USA to South Africa. Once we were fully vaccinated and it looked like we could travel, although not without some risk, we took the plunge and Matthew set our dates at each of the 3 lodges (Inyatai, Lukimbi and Shawu). Honestly, until we landed at Nelspruit and our transport was waiting for us, we were operating solely on the hope that Matthew was good to his word and would come through.

Our arrival at Inyati was such a relief! Matthew came through big time, in spite of nearly a year and a half delay. HIs advice on which lodges we would LOVE based on our interests was spot on. Inyati was so happy to have us as these lodges had seen very very few clients in the past year. We were treated like royalty. Matthew was right on about the people, accomodations, food, game drives and wildlife. We loved Inyati so much that we suggested we might as well go home as our safari could not possibly get any better. And then Lukimbi - and it got even better. Again, Matthew came through. Absolutely amazing experience. Food was delicious, our room was beyond expectations, the game drives, rangers, staff, wildlife ... I cannot say enough good things. And Camp Shawu was equally as amazing (maybe not quite as nice on the room - everything else top notch).

Matthew did our transports from Inyati to Lukimbi to Shawu. He also personally took us into town for our COVID test, back to Shawu and finally to Nelspruit at the very end of our trip. He checked in with us via WhatsApp throughout our trip and even joined us the last 2 days at Shawu.

I had such high expectations that I was pretty sure I'd be disappointed somewhere along the way. NOT AT ALL. This trip exceeded my dreams for a safari. The leopard cubs, the drinking giraffe, the mating lions, the Big 5 of course, oh those rhinos, but also the birds, reptiles, plants, insects.

  An Amazing Introduction to South Africa! - For my first trip to South Africa and a last-minute booking, Matthew did an amazing job curating the perfect trip based on my request. He arranged six days of game... read more drives and two beautiful lodges to stay at, creating a truly remarkable experience.

Having contacted Matthew at African Safari Guru and some other companies when initially planning my trip, he immediately stood out as the person to work with. He responded quickly to my email and did a fantastic job creating the perfect trip around my budget, limited time frame, and expectations. Matthew kept me up-to-date with everything before I arrived and was also on hand throughout my entire trip.

Organising a last-minute 8-day stay was proving difficult by myself, but Matthew had no problem organising two beautiful lodges for me to stay at. He even took time to help me transfer my luggage between the lodges, so I didn't miss any time from a game drive and could just settle into the new lodge after the long day. As a solo traveller, Matthew was also a wonderfully welcoming host at Grace of Africa, and I enjoyed sitting down over dinner to share stories and hear about his experiences. He kept in contact with me throughout the trip and even made the time to visit and see me off on the final morning of my stay.

Matthew did a great job arranging the perfect guide for the game drives. Rihanna was unbelievably knowledgeable, and his interest in photography made it the ideal trip for wildlife spotting. We were unlucky with the weather for a few days, but overall, we had some amazing experiences and saw the Big 5 and many other interesting species. The full-day game drives allowed us to head to further areas of the park we wouldn't have been able to without the extra time, and it was a treat to see such varying landscapes and topography in just the tiny section of the park we covered.

Matthew created a wonderful trip and the perfect introduction to South Africa. He provided support throughout the journey, making it one of the most uncomplicated and comfortable solo travelling experiences I've ever had. I'm already thinking about the next trip and can't wait to get in touch with Matthew again when the time comes.

  Amazing holiday experience - Matthew was very knowledgeable and kept us informed every step of the way with our two week holiday. All the locations he suggested and trips were of a high standard... read more and exceeded our expectations. The transfers and bookings were all efficiently managed and we had no issues to concern us.

  Above and beyond - 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... read more 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!

  Once in a lifetime safari experience - A twice-pandemic postponed African safari trip of a lifetime was only made possible due to Matt’s expert planning and attention to detail as well as his commitment to our safety... read more and happiness.

Our trip started in Cape Town then proceeded to Victoria Falls before finishing in two lodges in Kruger and Sabi Sands. Every location Matt chose for us was more beautiful and more perfect than the last. I could go on and on about the amazing itinerary, how it met every request or requirement we had, and how the trip was smooth and coordinated. However, I’m confident other guides would be able to do something similar. What separates Matt from other travel guides, and why I wouldn’t recommend going to Africa without using Matt is, in my opinion, how he expertly managed things when they didn’t go right.

While planning a trip to Africa under normal conditions may be hard for a foreigner, adding in pandemic factors like COVID testing, flight changes, and airline mishaps, having a travel guide who is capable of handling curveballs is critical. Matt helped us navigate the new pandemic travelling world with flying colors.

A few situations in which Matt helped us to highlight his commitment:
Before the trip, we had flight times change or get cancelled entirely due to COVID. Matt used his connections with airlines like AirLink to provide us direct, prioritized service to resolve any issues we had. If flight times were changed, he updated itineraries to reflect the new times going to and from the airport as well as any activities that needed to shift.

Next, when we missed a connection in Ethiopia due to a delayed flight leaving the US, he immediately set off to restructure our time in Cape Town to maximize our shortened stay. Then, when Matt found out that the flight wasn’t going to get us in until 3pm the next day, he booked us a flight at 5am on his own dime to ensure we got as much time in Cape Town as possible. Matt said that human dignity is worth whatever the flights cost. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of someone doing something like this and really showed Matt’s dedication to his customers.

A final story – in the process of our missed connection, our luggage was lost by the airline. When Matt found out, he sent off a flurry of emails unlike I have ever seen. He got multiple airlines involved and resolved the situation in less than 24 hours. Without Matt, we might still be waiting on our luggage.

Travelling in a foreign country during COVID can be confusing, stressful, and sometimes even a little scary. Now, we must consider things like when and where to get tests, how to organize picking up copies of the results, etc. It’s a huge amount of effort on top of an already complex trip. Matt did an amazing job in ensuring the tests were done efficiently and to minimize the impact to the fun vacation part of the trip.

As to be expected given the numerous other positive reviews, I would wholly recommend Matt to anyone interested in travelling to Africa.

  Africa an amazing continent - What an incredible trip to the most amazing continent... Africa It was another special reminder that life is TRULY about relationships and memories...thank you to Matthew Grace for planning every... read more detail of this trip truly was a life changing experience that everyone should be able to do. In the past two weeks my husband and I got to experience the most incredible scenery starting at Cape Town being able to stay close to the ocean and hiking up table mountain with mesmerizing views of the city follow by going to Franschhoek to experience the taste of the South African wine. Follow by experiencing one of the seven wonders of the world the Victoria falls from above in a helicopter experience and from both Zambia and Zimbabwe an incredible reminder of how beautiful nature can be. But the most magnificent part of our trip was experiencing the animals in Kruger National park in their habitat and being able to learn and see an immense amount about each species! But most importantly what we loved most is the people of Africa thank you for sharing a piece of your life and culture with us all of you have added so much to this incredible journey.

  Recommend for a safari in South Africa - For our first trip to south africa and first safari we wanted an organised tour. Thats when we contacted Matthew ( always available and asking for updates during our stay... read more ) and african safari guru. Everything went smoothly and this trip was amazing. The resorts (idube and lukimbi) were perfect for this journey and we saw a lot of animals (including the big 5 and hippos, cheetahs). Thank you again for everything

  Fantastic experience - We traveled with African Safari Guru - all services provided by Matt to Cape town - 4 fantastic days with everything professionally managed. Then we came Marataba (2 days), exclusive... read more resort with Big-5 and then to Madikwe (3 days) - both Malaria free Safari. I would highly recommend this experience to anybody even with children. Matt can make it another 10 days trip. Everything was scheduled on 100% with all-time support from Matt and African Safari Guru. From private wine tasting, cape town viewings, table mountain, horse back riding, helicopter flight to private transfer and flight from Johannesburg to all 5 stars Safari lodges.

The list of things we have experienced have been the most amazing experience we have ever had with all viewings and holiday perfectly planned. This was the most memorable and lovely traveling experience we have ever had. Matt - thank you!

  This was our second trip to South Africa using the services of African Safari Guru and , once again, Matthew came through for us. He arranged all accommodations, transfers,... read more and the daily activities we requested and suggested many other viable options. He provided detailed itineraries and updates on a regular basis. The businesses he contracted with were all top notch and everything went according to plans leaving us free to concentrate on enjoying a marvellous family vacation. We highly recommend the services of African Safari Guru for planning your next African vacation.