Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs F from Marlow
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
2
Lodges stayed in
2
Excursions taken
0
My Nov 2012 trip
Tanzania and 1 other country between 5 Nov 2012 and 16 Nov 2012
"We had a wonderful trip and it lived up to its expectations and in many cases exceeded them. The standards of accommodation at the Sand Rivers were exceptionally high and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.
We had one blip - the taxi at Dar to take us to the hotel did not turn up. A local tourist information official rang Eco Tours but they said there was a mechanical issue with the taxi and nobody would be coming! We negotiated with a local taxi driver to take us to the hotel for $50 and were told that they hotel would pay the bill. The driver had no idea where the hotel was and the hotel did NOT pay the bill but fortunately we had the cash to do so. Eco Tours did ring to apologise and the fare was re-imbursed when we left.
But overall excellent!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
I found the information you sent us in advance of the trip to be very useful, especially as this was the first time we had been on a safari. However, I think it would have been good to have added just a short paragraph specifically on the places where we were actually staying, for example at Sand Rivers they provided for everything - sun cream, mosquito repellant, full set of toiletries, rain jackets. Had we known, we would have limited the amount of toiletries we took with us and fleeces which were just not required at this time of year. For Matemwe, it would have been good to have read about their work with the local community with a list of anything specific required. I also found parts of the Brandt guidebook to be out of date, referencing things that might open in 2009 and certainly a few more hotels in Matemwe (but I guess it's difficult to keep up with the pace!)."
We had one blip - the taxi at Dar to take us to the hotel did not turn up. A local tourist information official rang Eco Tours but they said there was a mechanical issue with the taxi and nobody would be coming! We negotiated with a local taxi driver to take us to the hotel for $50 and were told that they hotel would pay the bill. The driver had no idea where the hotel was and the hotel did NOT pay the bill but fortunately we had the cash to do so. Eco Tours did ring to apologise and the fare was re-imbursed when we left.
But overall excellent!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
I found the information you sent us in advance of the trip to be very useful, especially as this was the first time we had been on a safari. However, I think it would have been good to have added just a short paragraph specifically on the places where we were actually staying, for example at Sand Rivers they provided for everything - sun cream, mosquito repellant, full set of toiletries, rain jackets. Had we known, we would have limited the amount of toiletries we took with us and fleeces which were just not required at this time of year. For Matemwe, it would have been good to have read about their work with the local community with a list of anything specific required. I also found parts of the Brandt guidebook to be out of date, referencing things that might open in 2009 and certainly a few more hotels in Matemwe (but I guess it's difficult to keep up with the pace!)."
Arranged By Elizabeth Chapman
Sand Rivers Camp
"Sand Rivers Camp review"
4 nights
Arrived
6 Nov 2012
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Matemwe Lodge
"Matemwe Lodge review"
6 nights
Arrived
10 Nov 2012
"After 5 days' safari, standards of accommodation were not as high on Zanzibar. We found the room to be dark and slightly jaded, the quality of decorations basic, not the same level of attention to detail as in Selous e.g. quality of bed linen low, lights not working, fan only half working, body lotion in the hair conditioner bottle(!). However, the common areas were excellent - the pool, restaurant, bar area were extremely welcoming. Throughout the hotel, the service was excellent and you had the impression that the young staff were trying very hard to please.
We visited the local village and were shocked by the level of living conditions of the inhabitants. We were quite taken back by this and feel that it would be better to warn people in advance. I heard other guests saying they found it 'shocking' - I wouldn't go that far but I feel it would have been good to know what we could expect. It would not have put us off going but would have just made us aware. In addition, I think more should be made of the local community work carried out by the Matemwe Lodge which is excellent, despite the challenging conditions. We deliberately asked to visit the school and it was a memorable experience but we had wished we had taken something that we could have given them, like footballs or books."
We visited the local village and were shocked by the level of living conditions of the inhabitants. We were quite taken back by this and feel that it would be better to warn people in advance. I heard other guests saying they found it 'shocking' - I wouldn't go that far but I feel it would have been good to know what we could expect. It would not have put us off going but would have just made us aware. In addition, I think more should be made of the local community work carried out by the Matemwe Lodge which is excellent, despite the challenging conditions. We deliberately asked to visit the school and it was a memorable experience but we had wished we had taken something that we could have given them, like footballs or books."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
We enjoyed the concept of being in a fully catered lodge, where nothing was too much trouble - they even provided everything from sun cream to umbrellas and macs when it rained. The whole experience exceeded expectations."