Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs L from Cheshire

"We had a fabulous time here from arrival to departure. Gerald and the team met us at the reception area and gave a comprehensive introduction to the camp, with each member of the team who would be looking after us introducing themselves in near perfect English. Mohammed and Omary who looked after our room and dining made sure we wanted for nothing. The attention to detail and service at this camp was excellent in all aspects.

The rooms were very comfortable and clean with sensational views onto the surrounding bush. Watching two hippos charge by the tent at 3pm was certainly confirmation we were in the wild!

The jeep and boat safari trips were excellent. Tea breaks and sundowners were always very welcommend after a couple of hours of activity.

The highlights for us included the early morning walking safari with Mtambo, who's calm attitude helped to calm the nerves! Seeing the wild dogs on foot is something we will treasure! Secondly we did a boat trip down the river which is not to be missed by bird watchers.

Our only suggestion to the camp was that they could have promoted the river trip as an option. For us it offered a real alternative to the main lake and it was only by chance that we requested to visit the river. Gerald did explain that this option is seasonal and based on the rains which is completely understandable, but we think that it could be promoted as a seasonal option.

Overall we had a fantastic time here and a perfect start to our honeymoon."

"Arriving at the camp to the staff lined up singing a welcome greeting and providing cool towels and a little tipple was absolutely fantastic!!

The view over the river bed from the reception area was breathtaking and I'm sure we will find it hard to ever see anything like it elsewhere.

The rooms were very comfortable, clean and tidy with spectacular views over the river and surrounding bush. There is nothing nicer than watching monkey's playing in the trees from bed with an early morning cuppa.

The food here really was something special. It was very much appreciated that efforts were made to provide an alternative choice after having an upset stomch over one night. Molly was an excellent host which gave this camp a generally more relaxed feel compared to Selous.

Sadly we were unable to do a walking safari with Molly due to the bush being very dense after the rains, however the jeep safaris were fantastic. It was nice to do a long day trip to see the slightly different landscape of the plains were it was generally easier to spot the wildlife than closer to the camp.

We felt that the animals here were less skittish than at Selous and we were able to have some close encounters with lion and elephant. The river scenery was lovely and a change to what we saw at Selous. Tetse flies were around, but burinng elephant poo on the back of the jeep appeared to help to keep them at bay.

A highlight was finding a leopard sleeping in the bough of a Baobab tree, thanks to the keen eyes of our guide Kim. Kim made our jeep drives something to treasure with his extensive knowledge and experience with the wildlife!

Overall this camp was extremely relaxing a nothing was too much trouble for the staff. We really felt the sense of being away from the outside world and it was well worth making the journey from Selous! Congratulations to Molly and the team!"

"We were greeted by Robyn on arrival at Pole Pole and shown to our bungalow which was very comfortable with a lovely sea view.

This once again was a very relaxing resort with excellent facilities, attentive staff and a lovely quiet location. We spent some time chilling by the pool which was very quiet and welcomed at times when the tide was out. A very good addition to this resort.

It was nice to have fresh fish at meal times and once again all the meals here were fantastic although we struggled a little with the portion sizes.

Nothing was too much trouble to organise and we thoroughly enjoyed the sunset cruise and snorkelling trips that were included in the room rates. The local diving centre was very well organised with good equipment and experienced staff and the reefs within the bay area were lovely with a huge variety of fish. Nice to see hardly any dive boats in the bay.

The highlight for us (and reason for choosing Mafia over Zanzibar) was having the chance to swim up close with 5 whale sharks. Absolutely wonderful!

The restaurant area was very pretty and relaxing for a drink before dinner and the romantic dinner for two was very much appreciated!

The only small improvements to be made would be to the service, as there were a couple of times that morning wake up and tea didn't arrive and an evening where balcony drinks orders weren't taken.

Overall a first class resort with friendly staff."

"We had a very friendly and professional greeting on arrival as well as honeymoon congratulations and sparking wine from the management which was very much appreciated.

The rooms were clean and comfortable and the A/C was welcomed! The bar area and restaurant provided us with drinks and a very reasonably priced evening meal.

A great place for the overnight stay and only 15mins from the airport which was good for the early start for the journey home."