Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs G from Finchley

"What surprised us the most was the excellent accommodation, services and food that was provided in such a remote place.

We particularly liked the sincerity and great teamwork of the staff which helped create just the right atmosphere around the camp."

"Little Vumbura is set in an area that feels like an untouched paradise. Great care is taken to keep the place as pristine as possible and the low density of visitors certainly helps to keep it this way. The camp and staff were delightful and we felt privileged just to be there.

One of our highlights strangely enough was a boat trip that went wrong. It meant that a motley crew had to resort to use 1 wooden pole, 1 garden shovel and 2 cool box lids to propel our boat in order to save us from spending a night with the hippos after the engine and radio died on the boat.

Sevara (one of the guides) is a great character and we learned a lot from him about this beautiful place."

"After being at Kalahari Plains camp then Little Vumbura, Baines camp had a lot to live up to. We were not disappointed and although we found the place slightly more staid and traditional than the others it was no less comfortable. the staff once again were impeccable, caring and personable and greatly contributed to our enjoyment.

The highlight was the "walking with Elephants" experience which We would recommend as unmissable if visiting Baines. It is an emotive experience being up so close with such interesting and beautiful animals and one that we will never forget."

"We arrived in Ilala Lodge after being in 3 camps in Botswana and it was quite different.

The comfort,design and location of the Lodge is wonderful but the staff a bit less personable than we found in safari camps. This is quite understandable as it is a hotel in a tourist town and has to cater for many different tastes.

The breakfasts were magnificent and the dinners at the restaurant were tasty but slightly fussy and over designed.

We paid a handsome sum to go microlighting over the Victoria Falls from the Zambia side. It was worth digging deep in our pockets as to see the falls this way is possibly a once in a lifetime experience.

We liked Victoria Falls town but fear for it's future. The tourist police are very helpful and do their best to stop tourists being hassled by local people selling anything and everything they can to you. The Elephant Walk shopping centre in town is nice (no hassling) and has a great friendly little cafe where one can escape from the heat and eat some nice food such as Warthog ciabatta! It's quite fun to watch the wildlife including baboons, warthogs and mongoose wandering around town."