Reviews of Mwagusi Safari Camp

"A lovely, slightly 'colonial' experience at this camp in the most amazing and awe-inspiring location. Lying in one's banda (we were lucky enough to have the honeymoon one which is a long way from the main camp - a little map would have been helpful!) with the nearly full moon illuminating the river bed, watching elephants walk by - oh what an experience.

The bandas were beautifully presented, comfy and well-equipped, with great attention to detail. The meals were delicious and being served around the campfire and by candlelight created a superb atmosphere. The requested gluten-free meals appeared with no fuss and were excellent.

The game drives and the guiding were superb - we saw so much including leopard, lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe (just missed a birth - we arrive about two minutes after the drop) kudu, and everything else. Samson gave us a terrific amount of information seemed to take joy in imparting his knowledge.

This is not an 'all inclusive' camp - and we really did not like the whole ethos of having to sign for our drinks and later to settle up, (incidentally we thought these rather expensive - with prices not easily forthcoming). Shame - it took the gilt off somewhat.

Enjoyed the political discussions with Chris and grateful to Adrian for his advice about green ginger infusion as an aid to prevent air sickness - it worked." See all these reviews: 11n in Tanzania

"Good game. Good 'Hemingway' camp. Nice dining set up outdoors." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania

"We had a very warm welcome from Connie and members of staff, with fresh juice and freshening towels. Our Banda was fabulous, very luxurious. A huge lounge area with overstuffed cushions and hammock, looked directly over the dry river bed. Lots of animals came along including vervet monkeys, elephants, baboons and bush hyrax.

The rest of the Banda consisted of two very comfortable beds, dressing table and a huge trunk to put the cases in. The bathroom area was lovely with antelope horns used as towel rails and toilet roll holder.

The food was absolutely fabulous, the chef, Meru has been there for 25 years and is truly talented.

Dinner is served in a different location every night, in two different parts of the river bed or in the bush. There were oil lamps and candles everywhere so it was easy to see. The main courses were served buffet style on a bed of charcoal, and there were lots of different dishes every night.

There is freshly baked bread every day, baked in a wood burning stove,also the cinnamon bread was fresh daily too.

The bird walk in the morning, about 6.45am was a real eye opener. There were not too many birds around but it was fascinating to see all the tracks of the animals that had passed through the camp overnight!

The landscape in Tanzania is so varied, from dry savannah to mountains and rivers and rocky hillsides. All great for seeing a wide range of animals and birds.

We were really feeling at home when we had to leave, it was a sad day." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania

"We all had a great time together and the safari trip was a really good bonding experience for the whole family. We are planning a photo book and will send you a link as soon as it is ready. However, with over 6,000 images taken by 3 cameras and 6 hours of video footage this will take some time to create. Planning the trip: Your Services are outstanding and we appreciate your patience.

Wildlife

The camps were well chosen for their wildlife variety and different landscapes. The most striking was the difference between a National Park (Ruaha) and a Game Reserve (Selous) close to a hunting concession. While we saw a large number of animals in both camps, those in Selous – especially zebras and wildebeest – were running away as soon as they got to hear/see/smell the jeeps. We did not come as close to the animals as in the private game reserve in South Africa as drivers in the National Park are not permitted to leave the road to follow the animals. However, large herds of elephants, giraffes and zebras are quite close to the tracks and sometimes even the lions!
We recommend to inform any visitors to Selous that wild dogs are not to be seen during the dry months as they obviously live underground until the rain ‘flushes’ them out.
We were impressed how well all animals looked at both locations– clearly a sign of a balanced wildlife.

Guides and Drives
Guides in both camps were adequately knowledgeable – however less than what we had experienced in South Africa, where all local guides had a special degree which clearly made a difference in the information they provided.

In Selous we were disappointed that there was no additional driver, leaving the guide to drive the car while looking for wildlife. He did a great job driving in incredible difficult terrain though. Drives in Selous only start at 8:00 am – obviously to accommodate the foremost honeymooning guests – but we believe that the best time to see the game is shortly after sunrise. Selous’ late morning game drives were considered as negative by several well-experienced safari tourists we met in Ruaha. An earlier start could allow to visit more remote places.
The guided walking tours in both camps were outstanding. In Ruaha the river walk seeing hypos, crocodiles and huge flocks of birds was absolutely fantastic - to get so close to the animals yet staying safe. The landscape is overwhelming!
In Selous the walking tour guide was very good – we enjoyed the information and the subsequent surprise breakfast at the lake side.
We also recommend a boat trip on the lake in the morning, when hordes of elephants and giraffes visit the shores – great photo opportunities beyond the many hypos and crocs; however you need a really good telephoto lens for close-ups.

Food
Food was above expectations at Ruaha – clearly Mrs. Fox’s recipes cooked on open fire are a legend. The settings of the dinner tables in the river bed close to an open fire are dreams come true.
In Selous, food was good too, however less experimental – breakfast was much better at Ruaha.
In Selous, unfortunately two members of the family caught a stomach bug – both believe it had to do with the drinking water provided from the lake. Our son-in-law was worst hit and could not go back to work for a week after his return.
Accommodation

Both camps were outstanding in their own way and clearly exclusive and clean.
Beds are very large and comfortable. Bathrooms are an experience in itself with smaller wildlife never being far away… However, closing the tents properly makes you feel very safe also at night. No mosquitos in September!

Safety
In Ruaha, the elephants visit the camp during day and night to feed on the fruits of the palm trees. Our daughter Jennifer had one looking into her bedroom – she froze for a good 15 minutes before the elephant moved on…
We were a bit surprised that in Ruaha there were no guards to be seen during day time, while at night we did not see a single guard carrying more than a light. In contrast, there were plenty of armed guards in Selous – the hypo trails go through the camp to the lake.

Service
Service was very warm and polite and clearly staffs are making huge efforts at both camps to accommodate all your needs.
The laundry service is very helpful and good to point out to visitors struggling to fit your clothes within the 15 kilo permitted by the local airline.

Flights and luggage
It may be helpful to mention that we were not asked to add hand luggage (camera equipment) to the weight of the bags. However, you have to place hand luggage on your lap during the local flights – very cramped then.

Tips
We believe it is very important to make tourists more aware of the additional costs including the additional payments for the water provided on game drives. This can be a substantial sum to be added to the pre-paid expenses and should be
added to the quotation when planning the trip to avoid surprises. Tips are clearly expected – and almost as compulsory as on cruises.

Hotel accommodation Dar-Es-Salaam
Please make a note that the Asian restaurant at the Sea cliff hotel was below standard. Service was extremely slow (35 minutes!) and the food was dreadful." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania

"We liked our banda and it's position, but there were problems with the lighting on three of the mornings which made getting ready for the game drives difficult.

The food was very good, served buffet style and normally at a communal table (in various locations) except for our last night when we were treated to a private supper in the river bed below our banda. Our guide and driver were very good (Samson & Vincent) and we enjoyed the game drives.

We saw 44 lions from 5 prides in one day! We saw lions and cubs on a kill, lesser and greater kudu, male and female bushbuck, jackal,ostrich, a herd of 500+ buffalo and a herd of about 100 elephant. We also were lucky enough to see a lion chase a leopard in the moonlight, along the river bed outside our banda. Chris, Adrian and Connie were good hosts." See all these reviews: 16n in Tanzania

"Had an great stay at Mwagusi. The guiding was up to the excellent standard we had hoped for and the camp was comfortable along with very good food. We were also fortunate to meet Chris Fox who shared his passion for the area and need for protecting hiigh guiding standards.

Our only suggestion for improvement is the inclusion of sundowners on evening drives as these are an integral part of safari and were conspicuous by their absence." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania

"Very different to our first taste of safari at Selous. It was like spending a few days as a guest at a country house party but with a bar bill at the end!

The drives were limited in that the vehicles were only allowed to use established tracks, of which there were plenty. We gather this was because Ruaha is a National Park and Selous is a game reserve. However, this did not prevent us from experiencing a very wide variety of wild life action at its best.

Nearly all the evening meals were taken outside on the river bank by torch light. We were really spoilt by a superb selection of food.

The staff and management team lead by Chris Fox (the owner) could not have been more friendly or helpful." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar

"Mwagusi Safari Camp is an extremely comfortable camp, with beautifully designed "bandas" overlooking the dry riverbed of Mwagusi River.

Animals such as elephants, giraffes and baboons can be seen directly from your own, plush living-room complete with hammock and over-stuffed sofas! Great friendly atmosphere, pre-dinner drinks around a roaring fire, delicious dinners under the star, courteous and efficient staff.

The guide we had during our stay was very knowledgeable and tried very hard to show us all the game on our "wish-list"! Ruaha, although very dry and arid at this time of year, is a beautiful place and a wonderful safari destination." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 6n in Zanzibar

"Very nice accomodation & excellent food, evening meal at a different spot on the dry river bed every night.

Excellent guiding." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania

"Food was excellent. The guides were very knowledgeable and it was a benefit to have a driver and a guide who could really concentrate on spotting wildlife.

Our visit was somewhat spoilt by ignoring the advice given to lock valuables in the office safe. On the one occasion my husband left money hidden in the room - it was taken. Use the facilities offered!

Showers a little unreliable - which seemed odd as at the next camp we stayed they always had hot water even when the sun didn't shine." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar