Reviews of Impala Camp

"The location was superb overlookingt the river and the mixture of activities was excellent - particularly the river trips which were amongst the best that we have had anywhere.

The guiding was very good and we saw plenty of wildlife, including hippo actually in the camp.

The food was really good - imaginative and interesting and of particular note was the chance to have a genuine cappuccino! The 'fly camping' was a good experience." See all these reviews: 13n in Tanzania; 1n in Kenya

"If you want luxury and fantastic food this is the place to go. This camp reminded us very much of the high standard in Botswana. We were really well looked after in our stay. Great atmosphere and everyone was very friendly. You can do what ever activities you want and when you want to, nothing is too much trouble. Mohammed was our personal waiter at all our meals and Denis was our guide and driver both were very good.

Saw lots of wildlife, and had our best ever sighting of leopard.

The transfer to the air strip by boat was also a nice option." See all these reviews: 11n in Tanzania; 3n in Zanzibar

"Selous Impala Camp was fabulous. The riverbank setting is beautiful , and the wooden deck is airy and spacious, and a wonderful place to eat, and to just sit around reading, watching the river wildlife and relaxing. The pool is great too.

All the safaris - driving, walking (and having a bush breakfast), and boat were amazing, and the trip to the bird island with Abdullah was a real adventure, as there was barely enough water in places to get there. And seeing our first leopard was breathtaking. Ezra our guide was delightful as well as being very knowledgeable.

Mateo, the manager, was friendly and entertaining, and the atmosphere accommodated everyone - honeymooners, single travellers, and mothers and sons! Although there are separate tables for eating, this didn't feel as unsociable as I thought it might.

Delicious food, with a choice of main course for the evening meal, and excellent service. The espresso coffee, bedside reading lamps and early morning tea brought to the tent felt like real treats. The complemetary laundry service was a nice touch, and the shower gel was gorgeous!" See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar

"A perfect 'starter' camp for our first safari. Matteo was an excellent host and his team were superb. Nothing was too much trouble and his relaxed and friendly approach made us feel 'at home' and part of the 'family' from day one.

Our guide, Mpogo was amazing. He worked so hard, wanting to show us the sights and sounds of the Selous, both by 4 x 4 and boat. His tracking skills and eyesight were legendary! He had a lifetime of knowledge of the area and answered our endless questions readily and in depth, giving us so much background information and many great photo opportunities. His patience on our fishing expedition was noteworthy! We certainly enjoyed his company and left (sadly) with a much greater understanding of this diverse environment and special memories of leopard sightings and a close encounter with at least thirty elephants. Even Mpogo took photos!

The meals and choice were excellent, with something for everyone and all dietary requests caterd for. Everyone went that extra mile (km?) to make my husbands 60th birthday a special event. A handmade card, cake and our own table in the bush, accompanied by an English and Kiswahilli rendition of Happy Birthday, made it a truly memorable occasion.

We would like to make just one suggestion. It would be nice to be given the option to sit with other 'campers', particularly at lunch and dinner. There were four of us and we did swop our experiences with others in the bar, but especially for those travelling alone or as couples, the opportunity to share a table and exchange stories, might really round of the day." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania

"In a word: perfect! In more words: everything is organized to the single tiny detail to make you feel at ease and relaxed.

From the moment when Dennis picked us up from Mtemere to the (sad) moment when he drove us back on the last day, all the staff was incredibly helpful, reliable, friendly and professional. We did not personally meet everyone but here are a few names: Dennis who patiently drove us everywhere, constantly giving explanations and always finding whatever animal we were looking for. Mokamba who leads the walking safari and seems to know everything about the bush. Daudi who waited on us always with a smile (giving us some free Swahili lessons as well). The chef is great, we were spoiled with three excellent meals a day, bush breakfast and lunches. monica is vegetarian and she ate different dishes every day.

Matteo and Barbara are the perfect managers, always smiling and helpful; they chat with you but always make sure you have your privacy. Everyone seems to effortelessy do the extra mile for you with a smile. There are too many people and too many details to describe them all, so forgive us if we do not mention someone/something!

The camp is not described as luxurious but to us it was perfect - a beautiful tent, perfect location, en-suite hot shower, purified water. Andrea the hyppo walking around in the evening...the bush babies screaming during the night...the monkeys jumping on the roof of our tent...

The highlight of our stay were definetely the walking safari, they were just a overwhelming! We wish to go back and spend a few days in a fly camp. Another great detail is that you have the guide and driver for yourself and every day you can choose what activity you wish.

Despite the fact that it was officially low season we saw lions, a leopard, wild dogs (with puppies!), hyppos, crocs, giraffes, baboons, you name it! It maight be that we were really lucky! The landscape was still green and really beautiful. It is very difficult to describe the feelings and emotions in writing as our experience was so much better than these words!!

Asante sana to everyone. We love Impala Camp." See all these reviews: 4n in Tanzania; 2n in Zanzibar

"Again Chloe, the team and our guide Musa made this a wonderful experience. It was a great location where the team went out of their way to make it work for you (e.g Chloe ventured out in pouring rain to find me in my tent to get my view on going out of safari..when really she did not need to).

The difference between here and Manze is that here they were much clearer on their roles and all pulled their weight - the result being a superbly ran 'hotel' in the middle of the Selous." See all these reviews: 3n in Tanzania; 3n in Zanzibar

"Well run Camp" See all these reviews: 14n in Tanzania

"I cannot stress enough how fantastic Impala camp is. Everything from the tented rooms to the food to the activities to the location and the staff was really wonderful. We have so many great memories from our trip that I cannot mention them all, but here's a few. Seeing african wild dogs, being moved on by an elephant whilst trying to catch fish in the river in the camp, being on game drives and not seeing any other vehicles for hours making it feel a much more private experience, enjoying breakfast next to beautiful lakes with hippos, crocs and numerous birds around, the list could just go on and on.

The food was lovely and well presented. Our waiter, Obani was very nice, friendly and attentive. We loved the fact that the camp is small and made you feel totally relaxed. The intimate numbers made it easy to chat with other guests about the days experiences whilst enjoying a refreshing drink.

Organising the following day's itinery with Chloe was great as it made you feel that you are in charge of you days rather than doing what everyone else is doing. Having more options (game drives, boat trips, guided walks or fishing) than other safaris we have done was wonderful. Ezra (our guide) was great and Raja really knows how to drive a 4x4. Going off road was new to us as we have always had to stick to the tracks in previous safaris and made the game drives extra special. We stayed for 6 nights and enjoyed not having to travel to other lodges. Although some people think that 4 days is enough in 1 place we feel that there is so much to see and experience there is no chance of getting bored. If we had stayed any less time we would have regretted it." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania

"Impala was outstanding. Not only were Chloe and her team good company, they provided great guiding and wonderful food. (We marvelled at how Mohammed,the chef, provided such innovative dishes in such a remote location.) Breakfasts were a treat , and was provided at all hours without a hint of a problem.

Our tent was very comfortable and provided everything we needed - including a very welcome fan! And the westerly view from its deck across the bend in the river was lovely. For us, the water safaris were again the high point but we did have great game drives and a lovely early morning walk.

And we became such good friends with one of the Maasai escorts that our final departure at the airstrip was rather emotional !" See all these reviews: 16n in Tanzania; 2n in Zanzibar

"This camp was managed very well by Chloe and her staff who were all friendly and attentive.

The afternoon boat trips were fantastic and Hassan's knowledge of birds was first class. We were able to get very close to Malachite Kingfishers and Bee-eaters. The large flocks of Egrets and Open-billed Storks in the evening light was a wonderful sight to see.

Game viewing by vehicle was a bit more difficult as everywhere was very green and animals more difficult to find and see. However, the large flocks of Carmine Bee-eaters were fantastic flying around the vehicle. We saw a large pride of Lions and a Leopard.

I would like to return in September to see how different it is in the dry season." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania