Travel reviews by Ms B from San Francisco
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
2
Lodges stayed in
4
Excursions taken
0
Wonderful safari! Thank you, Expert Africa!
Zimbabwe and 1 other country between 30 Jun 2012 and 14 Jul 2012
"Claire Scott helped me plan this safari and she did a fantastic job.
I was very pleased with everything to do with the logistics, the flights, the camps, etc. The transfers went off without a hitch and it was a lot of fun.
When planning another safari, I would definitely use Expert Africa and Claire again."
I was very pleased with everything to do with the logistics, the flights, the camps, etc. The transfers went off without a hitch and it was a lot of fun.
When planning another safari, I would definitely use Expert Africa and Claire again."
Arranged By Claire Scott
Ilala Lodge
"Great location near Falls. Clean, Good staff."
2 nights
Arrived
30 Jun 2012
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Average
Facilities
Excellent
The Hide
"Low game, weak game drives, Disappointing!"
4 nights
Arrived
2 Jul 2012
"I was VERY disappointed in my experience at The Hide. The game drives were incredibly weak and that section of Hwange National Park has very low game density. I went there specifically for the game but found the guide to be very weak. He had little to say, and did not stop to view the very few animals (small predators) which we did pass. His reason for this, during the one instance that I insisted he stop, was the he did not want to get stuck in the sand on the road. I was there for four nights and it was a complete waste of my time. Given a do-over, I would have completely skipped both The Hide and possibly Hwange. The experience did not compare to South Luangwa National Park in any way.
The guide to whom I was assigned is quite new and I would rate him a 2 on a scale of 10. I am comparing him to the guides I have had at 7 other safari camps during 2 recent safaris. During the final day I requested a different guide and had one interesting game drive, albeit with us seeing almost no game. But the experienced guide was able to make the experience interesting by filling in the time with information about other things such as plants and a description of an elephant salt lick, etc.
The Hide has a water hole in front at which some interesting game passes through, particularly African elephants. The only good animal sightings I had spent watching the water hole with binoculars.
Other things to consider: They do not use bottled water and it is not available to buy at camp. If you don't wish to drink untreated Zimbabwean water, bring water purification tablets and your own water bottle. There is no heat in the rooms and the shower water gets warm but not hot. The very rustic accommodations provided an interesting change, but the price point is far beyond what is on offer here.
The positives about The Hide were due to many of the people: The guests comprised a very interesting, international group of people. The management was welcoming and professional. The wait staff was attentive and helpful. The dinners are served family style, so it is an interesting place if you are traveling alone."
The guide to whom I was assigned is quite new and I would rate him a 2 on a scale of 10. I am comparing him to the guides I have had at 7 other safari camps during 2 recent safaris. During the final day I requested a different guide and had one interesting game drive, albeit with us seeing almost no game. But the experienced guide was able to make the experience interesting by filling in the time with information about other things such as plants and a description of an elephant salt lick, etc.
The Hide has a water hole in front at which some interesting game passes through, particularly African elephants. The only good animal sightings I had spent watching the water hole with binoculars.
Other things to consider: They do not use bottled water and it is not available to buy at camp. If you don't wish to drink untreated Zimbabwean water, bring water purification tablets and your own water bottle. There is no heat in the rooms and the shower water gets warm but not hot. The very rustic accommodations provided an interesting change, but the price point is far beyond what is on offer here.
The positives about The Hide were due to many of the people: The guests comprised a very interesting, international group of people. The management was welcoming and professional. The wait staff was attentive and helpful. The dinners are served family style, so it is an interesting place if you are traveling alone."
Poor
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Poor
Location
Average
Service
Excellent
Activities
Terrible
Rooms
Average
Food
Good
Facilities
Average
Feedback response
We were really sorry to read this report. We passed the comments to lodges team where Lorraine, who has owned The Hide for many years, quickly replied that she was devastated and amazed by it, before taking time to investigate the issues.
Firstly, for her first few days, this traveller went out with Jean, one of the Hides learner guides. Jeans a young Zimbabwean man of 20 who has grown up with a passion for wildlife, especially birds and spent a lot of time camping in the bush (notably in Mana Pools). After his A-levels he worked and saved to follow his dream of becoming a professional guide. He put himself through the first set of guides exams, passing first time in Feb 2011. (Quite a feat if studying on your own!) It gave Jean the qualification to guide game drives, whilst working as an apprentice to a Zim-pro guide.
The Hide heard about him, and offered him a position over a year ago, and Jean has spent the last year shadowing the camps excellent pro-guides. He has already, from his salary, bought all the literature to study and the necessary rifle. Jeans a very well-mannered young man, but under-confident. His knowledge is said to be excellent, but hes shy and doesnt always have the confidence to impart that knowledge to guests. Clearly he didnt have the confidence to deal with the sand trap near the jackal that he should have had!
Zimbabwes Zim-pro standard of guiding is the gold standard in Africa: the continent top guiding qualification. Getting it requires many years of learning, and practice on the job. Thus some guides at even the best camps are learner-guides; they are qualified to conduct game drives, but not to lead walking safaris. Jean was one of these guides.
The Hide is now reviewing their policy on their learner guides; re-considering how much guides like Jean are used to guide guests on their own. They pride themselves on high guiding standards, and realise that allocating this inexperienced guide to one guest for multiple days wasnt fair.
That said, they deeply regret that this traveller didnt tell the manager what she felt much earlier. Had they known that there was a problem they would have immediately swapped her guide for one of their more senior guides.
Weve had good game viewing in Hwange, and guests staying for three nights just before our traveller had five sightings of three different leopards, and good lion sightings. However, we understand that a small bushfire close to camp a few days earlier, and some burning of firebreaks on Hwanges boundary, by the National Parks Authority, may have chased some of the game, including the areas usual pride of lions (with cubs), out of its normal territory near the lodge.
Regarding the bottled water, most camps are now doing away with plastic disposable water bottles; the environmental impact of their transport and disposal is massive. The Hide has installed a top-of-the-range five stage reverse osmosis water filter to produce very pure, clean drinking water. This kind of system is becoming more the norm than plastic bottled water across Africa, so Lorraine apologised that this clearly hadnt been explained properly. The Hides water is not untreated in fact its probably of a higher quality than most municipal water supplies in the developed world.
Water for showers in each tent is heated individually by gas. Whilst these systems are checked regularly, clearly this one wasnt working properly. If this traveller had reported the problem to the lodge team, theyre sure that they could have rectified it immediately, and got the shower piping hot. This issue wasnt reported to the managers by this traveller, or anyone staying in the room before or since.
Firstly, for her first few days, this traveller went out with Jean, one of the Hides learner guides. Jeans a young Zimbabwean man of 20 who has grown up with a passion for wildlife, especially birds and spent a lot of time camping in the bush (notably in Mana Pools). After his A-levels he worked and saved to follow his dream of becoming a professional guide. He put himself through the first set of guides exams, passing first time in Feb 2011. (Quite a feat if studying on your own!) It gave Jean the qualification to guide game drives, whilst working as an apprentice to a Zim-pro guide.
The Hide heard about him, and offered him a position over a year ago, and Jean has spent the last year shadowing the camps excellent pro-guides. He has already, from his salary, bought all the literature to study and the necessary rifle. Jeans a very well-mannered young man, but under-confident. His knowledge is said to be excellent, but hes shy and doesnt always have the confidence to impart that knowledge to guests. Clearly he didnt have the confidence to deal with the sand trap near the jackal that he should have had!
Zimbabwes Zim-pro standard of guiding is the gold standard in Africa: the continent top guiding qualification. Getting it requires many years of learning, and practice on the job. Thus some guides at even the best camps are learner-guides; they are qualified to conduct game drives, but not to lead walking safaris. Jean was one of these guides.
The Hide is now reviewing their policy on their learner guides; re-considering how much guides like Jean are used to guide guests on their own. They pride themselves on high guiding standards, and realise that allocating this inexperienced guide to one guest for multiple days wasnt fair.
That said, they deeply regret that this traveller didnt tell the manager what she felt much earlier. Had they known that there was a problem they would have immediately swapped her guide for one of their more senior guides.
Weve had good game viewing in Hwange, and guests staying for three nights just before our traveller had five sightings of three different leopards, and good lion sightings. However, we understand that a small bushfire close to camp a few days earlier, and some burning of firebreaks on Hwanges boundary, by the National Parks Authority, may have chased some of the game, including the areas usual pride of lions (with cubs), out of its normal territory near the lodge.
Regarding the bottled water, most camps are now doing away with plastic disposable water bottles; the environmental impact of their transport and disposal is massive. The Hide has installed a top-of-the-range five stage reverse osmosis water filter to produce very pure, clean drinking water. This kind of system is becoming more the norm than plastic bottled water across Africa, so Lorraine apologised that this clearly hadnt been explained properly. The Hides water is not untreated in fact its probably of a higher quality than most municipal water supplies in the developed world.
Water for showers in each tent is heated individually by gas. Whilst these systems are checked regularly, clearly this one wasnt working properly. If this traveller had reported the problem to the lodge team, theyre sure that they could have rectified it immediately, and got the shower piping hot. This issue wasnt reported to the managers by this traveller, or anyone staying in the room before or since.
Senior Africa Specialist | East & Southern Africa
Lion Camp (Not currently featured by Expert Africa)
"Great camp, staff and game, Lovely rooms"
5 nights
Arrived
6 Jul 2012
"Lion Camp was Excellent! It GREATLY exceeded my expectations. There is tons of game at South Luangwa and my guide was very knowledgeable and experienced. One of the South African guests on my vehicle, who has done tons of safaris over the past several decades, asked my guide all sorts of questions about flora and fauna and there was literally nothing to which he did not know the answer.
The meals are served as a group if you want, or separately if you so choose. The chalet to which I was assigned was lovely, with a wrap-around deck overlooking a tiny river, which attracted grazing animals, a crocodile and a bunch of birds. The rooms do not have heat, which is typical of bush camps. The food was quite good. The staff management and hostess were very welcoming and had great stories. The wait staff and safari camp staff were attentive and helpful.
I would stay here again in a heartbeat and would highly recommend it."
The meals are served as a group if you want, or separately if you so choose. The chalet to which I was assigned was lovely, with a wrap-around deck overlooking a tiny river, which attracted grazing animals, a crocodile and a bunch of birds. The rooms do not have heat, which is typical of bush camps. The food was quite good. The staff management and hostess were very welcoming and had great stories. The wait staff and safari camp staff were attentive and helpful.
I would stay here again in a heartbeat and would highly recommend it."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Sausage Tree Camp
"River activities! Good ending to a safari."
3 nights
Arrived
11 Jul 2012
"Sausage Tree Camp was a GREAT place to end my second safari. It sits right on the banks of the Zambezi River and they offer various water activities such as canoeing in a channel with hippos and crocodiles, fishing for Tiger Fish, or taking a boat cruise. There are some memorable moments such as a luncheon on and in the water (up to your ankles) and a bush dinner which is out in the dark with a camp fire, lit by hurricane lanterns.
My guide, Charles, was very knowledgeable and experienced. The camp managers (Allen, George, Nikki and Merle) were fantastic and welcoming. The bar and wait staff were friendly and accommodating. They assign you a personal butler. Mine was Phillip and he did a great job being helpful and organized. The owner, Jason, was in town and he is a great story-teller who has traveled extensively around the world.
The meals are served as a group if you want, or separately if you so choose. The chalets overlook the water and have decks. The rooms have no heat, which is typical of bush camps, and have outdoor bathrooms. I am not a fan of an outdoor bathroom, particularly not when a spider could drop off a tree onto me while I'm washing my face. (This did not happen but it could have!)
If you are going on your first safari and are anxious to see tons of game, this is NOT the place to go first. Go somewhere else first, get your Big Five viewing out of the way. Then, come here to enjoy the nuances of something different, such as the riverine forest and the Zambezi experience.
The food here was quite good. I would stay here again in a heartbeat and would recommend it."
My guide, Charles, was very knowledgeable and experienced. The camp managers (Allen, George, Nikki and Merle) were fantastic and welcoming. The bar and wait staff were friendly and accommodating. They assign you a personal butler. Mine was Phillip and he did a great job being helpful and organized. The owner, Jason, was in town and he is a great story-teller who has traveled extensively around the world.
The meals are served as a group if you want, or separately if you so choose. The chalets overlook the water and have decks. The rooms have no heat, which is typical of bush camps, and have outdoor bathrooms. I am not a fan of an outdoor bathroom, particularly not when a spider could drop off a tree onto me while I'm washing my face. (This did not happen but it could have!)
If you are going on your first safari and are anxious to see tons of game, this is NOT the place to go first. Go somewhere else first, get your Big Five viewing out of the way. Then, come here to enjoy the nuances of something different, such as the riverine forest and the Zambezi experience.
The food here was quite good. I would stay here again in a heartbeat and would recommend it."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
It's walkable to the Victoria Falls park entrance. The facilities are pleasant and clean. There is internet connectivity available for guests in the lobby. The food was just average but the service was very good. There is a pool and a bar area overlooking a garden, which is a nice place to relax and recover from jet lag."