Travel reviews by F family from Sherborne

"We very much enjoyed our stay at Ilala Lodge: easy ten minute walk to the Falls; comfortable rooms; excellent food; great service."

"We loved the location. It is extremely photogenic with the camp overlooking a wide expanse of river with numerous pods of Hippo wallowing in the shallows.

We found the accommodation most comfortable; all chalets are perfectly situated facing a small tributary with the main river to the left. Game was ever present: elephant were regularly sighted having mud baths a few metres away below our veranda; plus water buck, buffalo, impala and countless birds large and small: Goliath Heron, Grey Heron, Egrets, King fishers and Ibis.

The staff were lovely: attentive and courteous, and the food was excellent. No chance of losing weight here, with the charming Madeline, the hostess, anticipating our needs before we knew we needed them! The very knowledgeable guides proved to be expert trackers - the excellent host Mark being one and Sebastian another. We saw leopard three times in our short stay, and the rare aardvark and honey badgers on our nocturnal safaris.

We also loved the canoeing and boating experiences: lots of crocs, hippos, marabou storks, marshal eagles, fish eagles, a Harriet hawk, bee eaters and more kingfishers. On land the open vehicles gave unrestricted viewing. My only recommendation would be to have adjustable camera selves on the guide rails to rest long lenses on.

A memorable stay - thank you."

"Like walking into an Edgar Rice Burroughs novel. A love of wild nature embodies this place and we loved it. It's taken down and rebuilt every year in traditional materials and is perfectly in keeping with its surroundings and most comfortable!

There is a good emphasis on photography: a photographers' hide overlooks a water hole on site from which I saw an elephant (I needed a wide angle to take the picture he was so close), and numerous birds and impala, and there are other hides a short drive away to visit. The open vehicles allow for unrestricted viewing and come equipped with camera pods for long lenses to rest on. The game drives and our walking safari rendered numerous sightings, with Andrew identifying sounds and tracking with expertise.

Lots of leopard, hyenas, lion (+ cubs), giraffe, Cookson's wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, mongoose, kudu and an eland. Plentiful bird sightings: fish eagles, hawks, vultures, storks, heron, ibis, snake eagles, Egyptian geese, lilac breasted rollers, blue eared starlings, love birds, ground hornbills and guinea fowl - wonderful! The night safaris allowed for late returns with sundowners supplied for the photogenic sunset stops.

My only recommendation would be to consider red filtering the night safari lights (photos easily corrected in a software programme) and I've found the animals don't seem to notice the lights as much. My thanks to our excellent hostess, Yvonne, and her attentive staff who on our penultimate night went to the trouble of preparing a romantic supper for us on a viewing platform lit up with candles and torches - a lot of work much appreciated.

Glorious experiences!"

"We were so happy to have discovered Kaya Maya.

It met our concerns for sustainable and responsible tourism with its collaboration with the local community and its focus on conservation. In addition the stunning beach, the comfortable, romantic chalets and the delightful staff and charming hosts made this for us the most perfect finale to our safari.

Love to go back!"

"All the more special for its lack of carpets and air conditioning: showering under the stars and lighted by oil lamps we felt we were sharing a well kept secret. If you want sophisticated luxury then don't come here, but if you want good comfortable facilities in a distinctive camp that suits its environment, then do.

The game was plentiful; much of it walking through the camp on a regular basis. Whilst sipping a cool beer I saw impala, elephants, monkeys, baboons and hippos from my tent's veranda. The staff were always friendly with wide, warm smiles, and the general good humour about the place made one feel genuinely welcomed. Our guide was an expert and charming. We loved the game drives, much of them off road. The trip to the hot springs was particularly scenic, and breakfast and lunch out in the wilds very special. We also enjoyed the boat trip, and wished we had stayed another day to do it again.

Loved it!"

"We were stunned by the beauty of the camp's location and in particular the location of the bandas built right on the river bank overlooking a dry river bed. With animals coming down to drink in the bore holes on a regular basis I began to think game drives might be unessential. This is a special place.

I was initially a little put off by the attentiveness of the staff, such as the pulling out of one's chair before you sat in it, but I soon appreciated they were taking enormous pride in attending to their guests. The game drives were very different from the Selous experience were there was abundant surface water.

Some rivers were not entirely dry, but it meant for some easy viewing of large numbers of animals seeking out what was there, with lion ready to join in the fun. We saw lion and elephant every day, and cheetah and leopard twice. Our guide Isaac was eagle-eyed and another expert, and our driver excellent. They were both charming. We were entertained and educated in equal measure."

"The beach is fine, white coral sand with palm trees giving welcome shade, and the beer is cold and the sea is warm. The staff are attentive and friendly, and the food, particularly the sea food, is excellent.

We stayed three nights and did very little. Perfect for total relaxation, but If you stay longer you may start getting restless as it is quiet and secluded."

"The bandas are well designed, very comfortable and entirely perfect for those who like space - they are enormous! Ours had a sea view and I recommend it.

With a dive centre on site this is a good place to learn to dive, although you will see lots just snorkeling. At low tide there is a beach, but nothing to match the East coast, as the beach here is completely covered at high tide. It does not dry out as a consequence, so the staff take beds down to the beach to lie on. We stayed there quiet happily watching fishermen in their dugouts and others wading the surf looking for crab and octopus.

It got quite crowded around the lovely pool, but everyone got on and made friends. The Dutch owners are very personable and accommodating, arranging a sea food lobster supper for me when I asked, and for little extra cost. We stayed for three nights only, but would seriously consider coming back to take a diving course."

"We loved it but it might not be to everyone's taste. This is the house of the most famous photographer in East Africa, not a luxurious hotel. His photographs adorn the walls, and his books are to be found in your rooms. The rooms are dark, but distinctive, with individual exotic characteristics.

We were intrigued by the plumbing rather than annoyed. It worked well enough and the stone bath was quite luxurious. A good safe deposit box in our room accommodated all our valuables with ease, along with three camera lenses and a camera. When I asked for someone to take us to a restaurant on the other side of Stone town a guide was provided at no extra cost. The staff could not have been any more welcoming.

We had a very comfortable and pleasant stay here. We ate a good breakfast of fruit, pancakes etc, but chose to eat elsewhere at dinner. Had we stayed longer dinner on the roof was an option we would have tried."