Travel reviews by Dr K from Oxford Univ
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
4
Excursions taken
0
Amazing trip to Zambia
Zambia between 3 Sep 2007 and 14 Sep 2007
"We loved it. The guiding was great, wildlife bountiful, lodges very good, service impeccable, people incredibly welcoming. And we greatly admired the responsible attitude to aids awarenes: clear messages were available even in nurseries, and free condoms are available in public lavatories.
We felt very safe everywhere, and there was no mass toursim, no convoys of 4WDs in the parks. We also particularly liked the fact that on walking safaris, one is accompanied by an expert guide and by an armed ranger- in the case of trouble, the former takes the visitors to safety, while the ranger deals with the problem animal. it does make sense!"
We felt very safe everywhere, and there was no mass toursim, no convoys of 4WDs in the parks. We also particularly liked the fact that on walking safaris, one is accompanied by an expert guide and by an armed ranger- in the case of trouble, the former takes the visitors to safety, while the ranger deals with the problem animal. it does make sense!"
Arranged By Claire Scott
Kapani Lodge
"First day in Africa - Kapani Lodge"
3 nights
Arrived
4 Sep 2007
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Nsolo Bushcamp
"The ultimate bush experience"
2 nights
Arrived
7 Sep 2007
"This was the real bush experience. Lions roared all night round our hut, and buffalo ran riot. There was quite a bit of damage to the dining area in the morning, and when we tracked the lions, we found several items, including a purloined pillow, a mile away.
The catering manager was excellent - used to extreme situations, great fun to talk to, very even-tempered.
This was our first introduction to a walking safari. We particularly enjoyed the walk from Nsolo to Mchenja.
This was very worthwile for a day or two, but on balance we prefer to be closer to water, as there is definitely more to see.."
The catering manager was excellent - used to extreme situations, great fun to talk to, very even-tempered.
This was our first introduction to a walking safari. We particularly enjoyed the walk from Nsolo to Mchenja.
This was very worthwile for a day or two, but on balance we prefer to be closer to water, as there is definitely more to see.."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Average
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Average
Facilities
Average
Mchenja Bushcamp
"5* luxury in the bush"
3 nights
Arrived
9 Sep 2007
"This was our preferred camp: we loved the walk from Nsolo, and the accommmodation was wonderful. The only thing missing was a mosquito net. We were told it wasn't really necessary, but we disagree: on two slightly humid nights we had to spray 3 times during the night, and did kill mosquitoes, plus thousands of small black flies, which covered our pillows and sheets. We really think nets should be provided, in common with the undertaking given in your notes for travellers.
We also think all of the staff should be required to have first aid training. What the (English) catering manager did in the case of a scorpion sting to a member of staff was exactly the opposite of what should have been done. There was some evidence of lack of training.
Our guide, John, was fisrt class. We feel, however, that he should not be oblidged to dine with guests every night - he was visibly exhausted, and it clearly wasn't that much fun for him.
Overall, however, we adored this place - wonderful location, beautiful accommodation, great rolltop bath, lovely atmosphere. The reason we will give the good' rather than `excellent' rating to the rooms is because of missing net.
It would be good to have more Africa-related books available"
We also think all of the staff should be required to have first aid training. What the (English) catering manager did in the case of a scorpion sting to a member of staff was exactly the opposite of what should have been done. There was some evidence of lack of training.
Our guide, John, was fisrt class. We feel, however, that he should not be oblidged to dine with guests every night - he was visibly exhausted, and it clearly wasn't that much fun for him.
Overall, however, we adored this place - wonderful location, beautiful accommodation, great rolltop bath, lovely atmosphere. The reason we will give the good' rather than `excellent' rating to the rooms is because of missing net.
It would be good to have more Africa-related books available"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Feedback response
We have been in touch with the Mchenja team on these points, and Nick (the GM there) admitted to being the guilty party when it comes to the nets or lack of them at Mchenja! He commented that members of staff had asked for nets, and he’d though them unnecessary. However, on the strength of this report he’s re-visiting this subject, and will re-instate the nets. (The camp uses them anyhow during the emerald season – for their Rivers & Rainbows trips – they’d just taken them down for the dry season.)
With regard to first aid: access for a guest in an emergency to a qualified practitioner of basic first-aid is important in the bush. In the case of camps, run by Norman Carr Safaris, the first-aid training for a few key members of the team is rigorous. We can confirm that all the camp managers have to pass first-aid training courses, as well as all the guides – for whom it is an integral part of their guiding exams!
However, we share the camp’s view that expecting every staff member in a camp to be first-aid qualified is not only impractical, but also probably undesirable. Like many of Africa’s best safari camps, Mchenja employs many of its staff from the local community. This is ‘responsible tourism’ in practice: it’s how it should be. However, inevitably some have had little formal education. Applying any blanket requirement for recruits to pass a written first-aid qualification would exclude many who need the work most.
With regard to first aid: access for a guest in an emergency to a qualified practitioner of basic first-aid is important in the bush. In the case of camps, run by Norman Carr Safaris, the first-aid training for a few key members of the team is rigorous. We can confirm that all the camp managers have to pass first-aid training courses, as well as all the guides – for whom it is an integral part of their guiding exams!
However, we share the camp’s view that expecting every staff member in a camp to be first-aid qualified is not only impractical, but also probably undesirable. Like many of Africa’s best safari camps, Mchenja employs many of its staff from the local community. This is ‘responsible tourism’ in practice: it’s how it should be. However, inevitably some have had little formal education. Applying any blanket requirement for recruits to pass a written first-aid qualification would exclude many who need the work most.
Senior Africa Specialist | East & Southern Africa
Tongabezi
"Wonderful finale to a great holiday"
2 nights
Arrived
12 Sep 2007
"A wonderful place to finish one's holiday.
The food, service, and accommodation are first class. Our valet was outstanding. We enjoyed the activities, but this is really a place for the end, not the beginning: the wildlife experience here is pretty limited, and if one had indulged in it here at the start of the trip, one would have wasted time and money since it doesn't compare with South Luangua.
Great visit to the school."
The food, service, and accommodation are first class. Our valet was outstanding. We enjoyed the activities, but this is really a place for the end, not the beginning: the wildlife experience here is pretty limited, and if one had indulged in it here at the start of the trip, one would have wasted time and money since it doesn't compare with South Luangua.
Great visit to the school."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Kapani is ideal for two nights- any longer and the activities become a little repetitive, since walking, while theoretically available, is not actively promoted. But the drives are excellent - on our first night, we saw pretty much all the animals that were top of our list: lionesses suckling their cubs, a leopard dragging its just-killed impala onto a tree, arranging it carefully over a branch so that it wouldn't slip down, elephants, impala, warthogs, hyena, aardvark and many more.
Our guide, Abel, was very good: very knowledgeable, calm and friendly. Abraham, much cheekier, was clearly hugely experienced. We thought this lodge very good value for money. The food is outstanding, esp lunch, with great vegetables from the garden, and excellent meat too.
We were glad to hear that the guides at Norman Carr felt well treated as employees, with 12-month contracts, good training programmes and paid annual leave."