Travel reviews by Mr J & Mrs C from Streatha
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
4
Countries visited
4
Lodges stayed in
13
Excursions taken
0
My Sep 2024 trip
Zambia between 3 Sep 2024 and 12 Sep 2024
"Fantastic trip, very well organised by Expert Africa.
The camp and our experience there was wonderful"
The camp and our experience there was wonderful"
Arranged By Amanda Bond
Kaingo Camp
"Kaingo Camp review"
6 nights
Arrived
4 Sep 2024
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Sightings report
Buffalo
7 sightings
Elephant
10+ sightings
Giraffe
10+ sightings
Hippo
10+ sightings
Leopard
10+ sightings
Lion
10+ sightings
Spotted Hyena
8 sightings
Wild dog
7 sightings
Wildebeest
5 sightings
Zebra
10+ sightings
Latitude 15
"Latitude 15 review"
1 night
Arrived
10 Sep 2024
"Hotel was comfortable with fairly good food.
It seemed to take ages to get to the hotel when we were tired from our trip.
We would have preferred something closer to the airport"
It seemed to take ages to get to the hotel when we were tired from our trip.
We would have preferred something closer to the airport"
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Average
Service
Good
Facilities
Good
My Sep 2019 trip
Tanzania between 8 Sep 2019 and 20 Sep 2019
"Our experience in Tanzania in the camps was first rate.
All travel arrangements worked well. Unfortunately we have serious concerns about the quality of the staff we dealt with in Expert Africa in terms to their attention to detail and customer communication skills. I will be sending a separate email to the Managing Director on these aspects.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service
Check what you are sending to clients is accurate. Treat clients as special people, Make telephone contact with them and find out what their likes and dislikes are, like some of your competitors."
All travel arrangements worked well. Unfortunately we have serious concerns about the quality of the staff we dealt with in Expert Africa in terms to their attention to detail and customer communication skills. I will be sending a separate email to the Managing Director on these aspects.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service
Check what you are sending to clients is accurate. Treat clients as special people, Make telephone contact with them and find out what their likes and dislikes are, like some of your competitors."
Feedback response
We were delighted these travellers enjoyed their trip so much and that all the arrangements we made worked well. However we were very disappointed that they had such strong remarks to make about Expert Africa staff. In the handover between a departing Expert Africa specialist and the team member who looked after the later parts of Mr J & Mrs C’s booking and travel, our team members did not communicate frequently enough with these travellers and we didn’t live up to our usual high standards of care and attention. Although these lapses had no impact on their trip, the effect was to undermine their confidence in Expert Africa and we are sincerely sorry about that. We have set up new processes to ensure that in similar handover situations, the new specialist always calls the travellers to introduce themselves and check fully on the status of their trips and anything that may need attention.
Sand Rivers Camp
"Sand Rivers Camp review"
5 nights
Arrived
9 Sep 2019
"Fantastic camp, immaculately managed by Michelle.
The location and rooms were stunning and the food was wonderful.
All the staff were very friendly and we had an excellent guide in Ernest."
The location and rooms were stunning and the food was wonderful.
All the staff were very friendly and we had an excellent guide in Ernest."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Buffalo
5 sightings
Eland
3 sightings
Elephant
4 sightings
Giraffe
10+ sightings
Hippo
10+ sightings
Lion
2 sightings
Spotted Hyena
5 sightings
Wild dog
2 sightings
Wildebeest
6 sightings
Zebra
5 sightings
Kwihala Camp
"Kwihala Camp review"
5 nights
Arrived
14 Sep 2019
"We absolutely loved this camp. We were fortunate to be there when there were very few other guests.
Very good tent, very nice main tented area and very good food. We loved eating out in the evenings surrounded by lights and a lovely fire. We had one of the best guides we have ever had in Charles who was most knowledgeable and a pleasure to spend five days with. We saw a huge amount of game including some wonderful sights of Roan and leopard. The other Charles, the camp manager was always very friendly. All in all it was one of our best stays ever in more than 15 safaris."
Very good tent, very nice main tented area and very good food. We loved eating out in the evenings surrounded by lights and a lovely fire. We had one of the best guides we have ever had in Charles who was most knowledgeable and a pleasure to spend five days with. We saw a huge amount of game including some wonderful sights of Roan and leopard. The other Charles, the camp manager was always very friendly. All in all it was one of our best stays ever in more than 15 safaris."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Buffalo
2 sightings
Eland
2 sightings
Elephant
10+ sightings
Giraffe
10+ sightings
Hippo
3 sightings
Leopard
2 sightings
Lion
5 sightings
Roan antelope
1 sighting
Spotted Hyena
2 sightings
Zebra
10+ sightings
My Aug 2014 trip
Kenya and 2 other countries between 22 Aug 2014 and 6 Sep 2014
"A wonderful holiday. Very well organised by Expert Africa"
Ole-Sereni
"Ole-Sereni review"
1 night
Arrived
23 Aug 2014
"On both occasions reception staff were very rude and totally disinterested and seemed more interested in talking amongst themselves rather than to guests. On the second occasion they claimed not to have a booking for us. It took half an hour before they allowed us to stay. This was despite showing Expert Africa voucher. The company that met us in Nairobi said they had numerous problems with Ole Sereni."
Terrible
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Terrible
Location
Good
Service
Terrible
Rooms
Good
Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
"Gorilla Mountain View Lodge review"
4 nights
Arrived
24 Aug 2014
"Staff were incredibly friendly, particularly in the restaurant where Gilbert was outstanding. Nice rooms with fires. Welcomed the excellent boot cleaning service"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Ole-Sereni
"Ole-Sereni review"
1 night
Arrived
28 Aug 2014
"See previous [Ed: see below!]"
Terrible
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Terrible
Location
Good
Service
Terrible
Rooms
Good
Shiwa Ng'andu
"Shiwa Ng'andu review"
3 nights
Arrived
29 Aug 2014
"We had a wonderful stay at Shiwa.
Jo and Charlie were wonderful hosts and the rest of the staff were very friendly and attentive. The house and grounds are a gem and the game and lake were very attractive and appealing."
Jo and Charlie were wonderful hosts and the rest of the staff were very friendly and attentive. The house and grounds are a gem and the game and lake were very attractive and appealing."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Nsefu
"Nsefu review"
5 nights
Arrived
1 Sep 2014
"Once again a superb stay. Braston and the team did everything to make our stay memorable. Food and game drives were excellent.
However we felt that standards had dropped slightly in the last two years,Specifically:
Bathrooms and particularly basins were not as clean as they could be whilst bedrooms were immaculate.
On a number of occasions there were more than 4 guests per game viewing vehicle. This was put down to illness,shortage of staff etc. RPS has always prided themselves in keeping the numbers in vehicles to a minimum but we think this time they were stretching it a bit.
When suitcases come out of the transfer vehicles they are covered in dust. Surely they could be wrapped in covers to prevent this.
It is hoped that these are seen as positive criticism. Nsefu still is our favourite camp and has very high standards."
However we felt that standards had dropped slightly in the last two years,Specifically:
Bathrooms and particularly basins were not as clean as they could be whilst bedrooms were immaculate.
On a number of occasions there were more than 4 guests per game viewing vehicle. This was put down to illness,shortage of staff etc. RPS has always prided themselves in keeping the numbers in vehicles to a minimum but we think this time they were stretching it a bit.
When suitcases come out of the transfer vehicles they are covered in dust. Surely they could be wrapped in covers to prevent this.
It is hoped that these are seen as positive criticism. Nsefu still is our favourite camp and has very high standards."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
A wonderful trip to Zambia
Zambia between 5 Sep 2012 and 16 Sep 2012
"This was a wonderful trip. We were fortunate to have excellent lodges, very good service and some fantastic game viewing and guiding.
The only slightly disappointing part was aspects of our stay in Livingstone but overal these did very little to affect our impression that this was one of our best holidays ever.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
None"
The only slightly disappointing part was aspects of our stay in Livingstone but overal these did very little to affect our impression that this was one of our best holidays ever.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
None"
Tena Tena
"Tena Tena review"
2 nights
Arrived
6 Sep 2012
"Beautiful new tents and a great location.
We received very good service in camp and some good guiding. We saw some memorable game including 5 lions crossing the river and wild dogs.
Food was excellent and the whole ambience in the camp was welcoming yet professional."
We received very good service in camp and some good guiding. We saw some memorable game including 5 lions crossing the river and wild dogs.
Food was excellent and the whole ambience in the camp was welcoming yet professional."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Nsefu
"Best camp in the world"
3 nights
Arrived
8 Sep 2012
"I think Nsefu is the best safari camp I have ever visited in safaris in 9 countries over many years. The level of service was quite exceptional.
Nothing was too much trouble and we were treated impeccably. Th rooms are delightful and very tastefully decorated. The food and service were excellent. Polly is doing a brilliant job as caterer. Guiding by Braston was quite exceptional and we saw some outstanding game including wild dogs.
We found, two camps later that we had left credit cards in the room. Polly reacted immedialely and went to the considerable trouble of getting these to us at Mfuwe airport. Another example of exceptional service. It is the first time that am able to say that our stay was perfect on all counts."
Nothing was too much trouble and we were treated impeccably. Th rooms are delightful and very tastefully decorated. The food and service were excellent. Polly is doing a brilliant job as caterer. Guiding by Braston was quite exceptional and we saw some outstanding game including wild dogs.
We found, two camps later that we had left credit cards in the room. Polly reacted immedialely and went to the considerable trouble of getting these to us at Mfuwe airport. Another example of exceptional service. It is the first time that am able to say that our stay was perfect on all counts."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Tafika
"Tafika review"
3 nights
Arrived
11 Sep 2012
"The rooms were very good, airy, lots of space and attractively decorated. Food and service were very good in camp but not quite up to the levels of RPS camps.
Activities were unusual and excellent and we tried microlighting and biking, both of which we enjoyed enormously. We had some excellent guiding from Bryan and Amon and saw some wonderful game including lots of leopards."
Activities were unusual and excellent and we tried microlighting and biking, both of which we enjoyed enormously. We had some excellent guiding from Bryan and Amon and saw some wonderful game including lots of leopards."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Royal Livingstone Hotel
"Royal Livingstone"
2 nights
Arrived
14 Sep 2012
"The location is stunning and the rooms are very well appointed.
Unfortunately the levels of service have dropped significantly in the past two years in the restaurant and bar. The bar deck by the river is a wonderful place but service was very poor with the staff standing around chatting and taking long times to deliver drinks. The quality of the food in the restaurant was very mixed, some good and some poor. However our experience was coloured by one dinner when I received overcooked food and the very poor reaction to resolving the problem."
Unfortunately the levels of service have dropped significantly in the past two years in the restaurant and bar. The bar deck by the river is a wonderful place but service was very poor with the staff standing around chatting and taking long times to deliver drinks. The quality of the food in the restaurant was very mixed, some good and some poor. However our experience was coloured by one dinner when I received overcooked food and the very poor reaction to resolving the problem."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Poor
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Poor
Feedback response
The hotel manager has apologised for the poor service that these travellers experienced during their stay at the Royal Livingstone. He felt that the negligent service on the sundeck is unacceptable and will be looking into this straight away.
The manager also apologises for the review of the restaurant and the complaint about the overcooked meal. He addressed this with the restaurant team and though the meal was replaced for these travellers, it was not done so quickly and easily, nor was it initially removed from the bill. He is looking into these service issues and hopes to resolve them straight away.
The manager also apologises for the review of the restaurant and the complaint about the overcooked meal. He addressed this with the restaurant team and though the meal was replaced for these travellers, it was not done so quickly and easily, nor was it initially removed from the bill. He is looking into these service issues and hopes to resolve them straight away.
The room and facilities were first rate and it has a wonderful location by the river.
All of the management and staff were very friendly and helpful"