Travel reviews by Mr A from Madison
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
5
Excursions taken
0
My Aug 2014 trip
Tanzania between 26 Aug 2014 and 7 Sep 2014
"We enjoyed the diversity of the facilities, locations and animal viewing during the trip. Expert Africa was very helpful in the development of the itinerary and choose the camps to suit our interest and budget.
Coordination of our transfers went very well during the trip. We moved from one camp to the next seamlessly.
One point of communications that cause some confusing with our group as the ability to arrange trips to the crater floor from the Crater Lodge. We were told by Expert Africa that the lodge would make only one trip to the crater per day but we later found out the the Crater Lodge would accommodate any request that was made including morning, afternoon or all day trips to the crater floor. This simple clarification would have eliminated some anxiety by people in our group that wanted to maximize their time at the crater floor."
Coordination of our transfers went very well during the trip. We moved from one camp to the next seamlessly.
One point of communications that cause some confusing with our group as the ability to arrange trips to the crater floor from the Crater Lodge. We were told by Expert Africa that the lodge would make only one trip to the crater per day but we later found out the the Crater Lodge would accommodate any request that was made including morning, afternoon or all day trips to the crater floor. This simple clarification would have eliminated some anxiety by people in our group that wanted to maximize their time at the crater floor."
Arranged By Elizabeth Chapman
Onsea House
"Onsea House review"
2 nights
Arrived
27 Aug 2014
"Good place out of town to start or end a safari. Accommodations were pleasant and clean. Good three star hotel."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Average
Activities
Average
Rooms
Average
Food
Average
Facilities
Good
Oliver's Camp
"Oliver's Camp review"
3 nights
Arrived
29 Aug 2014
"We had a very good experience that the Camp. Accommodations were simple but conformable.
The setting was high on a bluff over looking the valley below fulled by many elephants. We enjoyed the camp fire in the evening and the "family" style dinners. The hosts were personable and professional. The bush walk was quite good, one of our high lights."
The setting was high on a bluff over looking the valley below fulled by many elephants. We enjoyed the camp fire in the evening and the "family" style dinners. The hosts were personable and professional. The bush walk was quite good, one of our high lights."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
"Lake Manyara Tree Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
1 Sep 2014
"Unique camp in a wooded setting. Cabins were roomy and conformable.
A surprising and diverse animal and bird viewing at Manyra."
A surprising and diverse animal and bird viewing at Manyra."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
"Ngorongoro Crater Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
3 Sep 2014
"Great location with beautiful vistas of the crater. The rooms and facilitates were eclectic and opulent, not to my own decorating taste but it appeared guests at this lodge were pleased with the style. There was some signs on the interior and exterior of the facilities of ware and tear.
The service was excellent, highly professional and friendly. Our driver/guide was the best we had on the trip.
Animal viewing in the crater was fair to good but the volume of traffic was often a distraction and occasionally annoying. At one lion sighting we counted 20 cars all maneuvering for position."
The service was excellent, highly professional and friendly. Our driver/guide was the best we had on the trip.
Animal viewing in the crater was fair to good but the volume of traffic was often a distraction and occasionally annoying. At one lion sighting we counted 20 cars all maneuvering for position."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Singita Mara River Tented Camp
"Singita Mara River Tented Camp review"
4 nights
Arrived
5 Sep 2014
"This is a new camp located along the Mara river. The reason we went there was to see the great herds on the pains and witness a water crossing. We did see the herds and the experience was great. the river crossings were a bit elusive. We felt the guides were inexperienced and uncoordinated in their approach to maximize the chances of actually seeing a crossing. Accordingly, we missed several opportunities to view a crossing. This was very frustration and certainly negatively effected our experience at the camp.
We also felt the staff was trying hard but were also also inexperienced. This was not what we expected form a Singita Camp.
We also witnessed evidence of poaching close to this site. It was very disturbing. Singita need to be more proactive to try to reduce this type of illegal behavior as they have in their other locations. We did not get any indication that Singita had theses anti-poaching programs in place at the Mara River Camp. Food was usually served cold and not up to usual standards. We would rate the overall value as fair."
We also felt the staff was trying hard but were also also inexperienced. This was not what we expected form a Singita Camp.
We also witnessed evidence of poaching close to this site. It was very disturbing. Singita need to be more proactive to try to reduce this type of illegal behavior as they have in their other locations. We did not get any indication that Singita had theses anti-poaching programs in place at the Mara River Camp. Food was usually served cold and not up to usual standards. We would rate the overall value as fair."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Good
Service
Average
Activities
Average
Rooms
Good
Food
Average
Facilities
Average