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Traveller reviews

Travel reviews by Mr E & Mrs H from Botswana

Review Distribution

Excellent
Good
Average
Poor
Terrible

Total number of trips

1

Countries visited

1

Lodges stayed in

4

Excursions taken

0

Report on our trip to Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe between 25 Feb 2015 and 8 Mar 2015

Trip rating: Excellent
"We were a little surprised at how few outlets took credit cards. So it is best to bring a lot of dollars or face having to go to ATMs which might well limit you to small withdrawals.

Wherever we went in Zimbabwe the people, of whatever colour or origin, were unfailingly friendly and helpful. And at no time did we ever feel other than safe! All in all we had a splendid trip, such that it is in our minds to return to Zimbabwe at some time in the future.

So, many thanks to Nick Hobbs and all the team at Expert Africa for all your work. We will certainly use your services again in the future."

Ilala Lodge

Ilala Lodge

"Ilala Lodge review"

3 nights Arrived 26 Feb 2015
"Although the facilities are a little timeworn at the Lodge they are of a decent standard and the layout of the communal areas is very pleasant indeed. Food was always nicely presented and perfectly acceptable, and service, whether restaurant, reception or otherwise, was excellent. So, we enjoyed our stay there.

The Falls themselves are, of course, quite stunning; awesome in fact at any rate in late February when the waterflow is high. I deliberately courted a drenching, and duly got soaked to the skin. We went to the Falls in the morning and took the helicopter flight in the afternoon. We are convinced that that is the best way to get the full experience of the Falls. We ate one evening in the Vic Falls Hotel. We dined, satisfactorily, in the restaurant on the terrace. The main restaurant was completely deserted!

As to the town itself, we particularly liked the Elephant's Walk Shopping Village (in which there is a pleasant open-air restaurant at which we had a good light lunch)."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Changa Safari Camp

Changa Safari Camp

"Changa Safari Camp review"

3 nights Arrived 1 Mar 2015
"At Changa, the service again was very good, as was the food. We liked the situation of the lodge, in the bush on the edge of the lake. Our sleeping quarters were excellent.

The managers, Andrew & Jean Riley, are very pleasant. Our guide, Greg, was first class. Typically, we did a morning drive on land and then spent three hours or so in the late afternoon/early evening on the lake, fishing and observing the hippos and, to a lesser extent, crocodiles. On the land trips there was plenty of animal activity, principally impala and elephants, a wonderful lion that we observed from very close up, and a huge amount of different birds, which were very impressive.

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Changa."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
The Hide

The Hide

"The Hide review"

3 nights Arrived 4 Mar 2015
"We arrived at The Hide in time for tea. It is a splendid safari lodge. The facilities are excellent and likewise the food. A particularly nice touch was the fact that the managers, Ian and his wife Leanne, as well as the guides, took their meals with the guests.

As with Changa, we had a first class guide, Daffie. Although it was the wet season (in fact not very wet this year) there were plenty of animals, and again beautiful birds, in evidence. Many elephants came to The Hide's water hole on two of our three evenings (the third one being a full moon night, and not many animals were seen altogether). Other memorable encounters which we had were one and a half hours spent with two male lions one afternoon, observing a cape buffalo from close up, and successfully tracking down a cheetah and her juvenile offspring.

Wonderful! Also, The Hide's underground observation room, about 50 yards away from the main building made for a unique, albeit very safe, close encounter with a male elephant bull - an experience we shall never forget."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Image alt

Nesbitt Castle, Zimbabwe (this camp has since closed)

"Nesbitt Castle and Bulawayo sightseeing"

2 nights Arrived 7 Mar 2015
"This was the one disappointing aspect of our trip. As you will know, its interior is rather dark and forbidding. And our suite (i.e. room) felt (to us, at any rate) rather like a dungeon. The restaurant service was poor and the food was certainly nothing to write home about. The gardens, however, are lovely and the bar area around the pool was lively in the evening.

The hotel does seem to make most of its revenue from events (weddings etc ) and the bar. Certainly, there were very few guests whilst we were there. You had made a point of advising us to remind the staff that we required a packed lunch for the day of our guided trip. Well, we did that, but even though the reception staff intervened on our behalf what was, eventually, produced was inedible and we threw it away. That, however, gave our guide Paul Hubbard and us the opportunity to have a good light lunch in a small restaurant near the centre of the city, which had a nice garden and excellent sandwiches.

We liked Bulawayo and think that it is well worth visiting. Our day out with Paul was first class. He is a veritable mine of information as well as being a genial companion. We had a full day with him and ended up having a couple of beers together at the Nesbitt Hotel bar. We can certainly recommend the use of his services and it was definitely worth the fee.

Before leaving for Johannesburg and home, we complained to the (new) manager of the hotel about the restaurant service and she was very apologetic, saying that she would take steps to improve it. We believe that she will do her best."
Poor
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Poor

Location
Average
Service
Poor
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Average
Food
Poor

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