Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs M from Victoria

"Kingdom Hotel is over 300 rooms in centre of Vic Falls and within easy walking distance of the Falls. Our family group of 14 had two short stays here, before and after our trip to Hwange National Park.

On our first two nights we had rooms that suffered from lengthy periods of no airconditioining (and one room that had had the airconditioner removed!). With temperatures in the high 30s (centigrade) this made sleeping, or even resting, uncomfortable. On our second stay we were in a different wing with full time airconditioning.

The grounds are expansive with three largish swimming pools and lakes and lawns that support their own wildlife - eg mongoose, small crocodiles and birds.

Breakfasts were good, lunches at the pool bar OK, but the smorgasbord dinner was not worth the money."

"Our group of 14 spent 6 days at Somalisa Acacia in early December. This time of year is supposed to be their "green season" with animal viewing not as good as the peak months. However we experienced our best ever lion encounters (including 1.5 hours with a pride of 5 lionesses, 6 eleven month old and 3 two month old cubs playing in the early morning rain), best ever elephant encounters (drinking from the abandoned camp plunge pool only metres away from where we sat sipping our drinks) and best ever leopard encounter (only one sighting, but up close and personal when he climbed the "elephant fence" around our dining area and tried to join us for our night time brai/bar-b-que!).

Other notable sightings included a cheetah, hyena, painted dogs and sable antelopes as well as the usual giraffes, zebras, buffalos, other antelopes, jackals, baboons, monkeys and birds galore.

The food was also the best we have experienced on safari (but maybe too much of it!).

The guides, our hostess, and other staff, were also top class and made us feel right at home.

Along with this, the accommodation is on the luxurious side."

"Kingdom Hotel is over 300 rooms in centre of Vic Falls and within easy walking distance of the Falls. Our family group of 14 had two short stays here, before and after our trip to Hwange National Park.

On our first two nights we had rooms that suffered from lengthy periods of no airconditioining (and one room that had had the airconditioner removed!). With temperatures in the high 30s (centigrade) this made sleeping, or even resting, uncomfortable. On our second stay we were in a different wing with full time airconditioning.

The grounds are expansive with three largish swimming pools and lakes and lawns that support their own wildlife - eg, mongoose, small crocodiles and birds.

Breakfasts were good, lunches at the pool bar OK, but the smorgasbord dinner was not worth the money."

"Excellent houseboat accommodation with very good meals. This was a return trip and the bird and game viewing exceeded our 2013 trip - including three separate lion viewings with one pride feasting on a buffalo kill.

Multiple tender boats allowed the group to undertake different activities at the same time, although the fishing trips provided better bird viewing results than tiger fish!"

"A very comfortable reasonably priced hotel right beside Vic Falls - with Falls access included in the room charges. What more needs be said?

Whilst in Livingstone, these travellers enjoyed a scenic helicopter flight over Victoria Falls and the Batoka Gorge. Here's what they said about it:
15 minutes circling Vic Falls was topped by riding the rapids in the gorges below the Falls at less than two metres above water level!"

"Luangwa Safari House is luxurious, spacious four bedroom house with excellent game and bird viewing and great meals.

From our bedrooms we were treated to visiting elephants, buffalo, impala, puku, hippopotamus, giraffe, mongoose, warthogs, baboons and monkeys. On our drives and walks with our excellent guide Jacob, we came across all of these plus multiple leopards, a lion pride and many other animals. And we lost count of the birds.

And as Jacob kept telling us, the landscapes were highights in themselves.

We also spent half a day visiting a village supported by the local tourist industry - an eye opener to the life of the locals."

"Our short time at Tena Tena provided a slightly more remote and rustic experience of South Luangwa National Park than the Luangwa Safari House.

The tented accommodation was top class and the food excellent, whilst the guiding by Nyambe could not be faulted with his informative walks particularly enjoyable.

The wild life and bird viewing was superb. Lions and hippos wandered through the camp whilst we were there, and we had multiple leopard sightings out on drives."

"Chongwe River House is an outrageous, luxurious four bedroom house on the edge of Lower Zambezi National Park that provides an array of great activities: game drives, walks, canoeing, boating, tiger fishing, four wheel driving or simply lounging about the house keeping an eye on the elephants, hippos, kudus, water bucks, warthogs and monkeys in the back and front yards.

As with our other guides in Zambia, Moses led us in four days of great wildlife and bird viewing with the highlight being a walk that encountered a small pack of African Wild Dogs on a chase."

"Nice rooms and surrounds in the middle of town and within walking distance of the falls.
Good and cheap food and wines.

Only criticism was inability to accept Mastercard payments"

"Four spacious well equipped cabins, large dining/lounging/viewing area, up to four tender boats for close up viewing and fishing. And a professional attentive crew of five to cater for all needs.

The food, prepared on board by a dedicated chef, was quality restaurant standard.

Although late May is not supposed to be the prime time for game viewing we had no lack of animals or birds to keep us constantly entranced. We even managed to catch a few tiger fish."

"A very comfortable camp with very good game viewing from comfortable vehicles. Plenty of elephants, hippos, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, impala, kudu and other herbivores. Wonderful sightings of a pack of nine wild dogs plus a leopard and lion!

Only criticism is that our "tent' did become quite hot at afternoon siesta time."

"One highlight after another over our 4 night stay at Little Kwara.

Multiple lion sightings, the cheetah coalition, wild dogs plus all the other expected animals. The thrill of serious tracking to find them. The dedicated and informative guides and trackers.

Plus double decker boat trip into the middle of the Okavango and a mokoro trip around the local lagoon.

Then there was the bull elephant that had made the camp area his territory and tried to join us for the occasional dinner and breakfast. Plus the time he was photographed checking out one of our party through the gaps in the bamboo "fence" of the outdoor shower!

Spacious and comfortable "tents" and common areas, good food and professional and friendly staff.

We intend to return."

"We organised this overnight stay at Protea OR Tambo hotel ourselves.

Hotel was good, with good, cheap food and wine, but stay was marred by being hassled by airport porters on way to shuttle bus stop, too long a wait (well over half an hour) for our hotel shuttle bus then arguments as later arriving hotel guests tried to squeeze onto the bus which was nowhere large enough for all waiting guests."

"Nowhere near luxurious but good value for money in a great location for early morning gorilla trecking.

Power was only on for part of the day and the rooms got cold despite efforts to heat them with a wood fire - but this is what we told to expect.

Food was good, service great and wine reasonably expensive."

"Luxurious hotel in centre of Kigali. Pity we only had 10 hours there (check in 5 pm, check out 3:30 am!)

Very good food, wine expensive compared to elsewhere we travelled in Africa."