Travel reviews by Mr M & Ms T from Ongar

"Staff were very helpful and the food was the best we had on the holiday"

"The new generation handled the guests and the camp well"

"Amazing rooms in the middle of nowhere. Very flexible staff, keen to satisfy guests needs - porridge and mint tea appeared after a little wait - the time needed for them to get creative."

"Striking modern hotel with helpful staff but very average (or in our case poor) food. Basically a business hotel - maybe the patrons don't worry too much about the food."

"Super setting, colonial grandeur. base rooms very old fashioned but comfortable. Stable block rooms better.

The vast majority of the staff were extremely helpful and welcoming. Just one of the terrace staff was a bit grumpy.

The Livingstone Room offered excellent food and polished service."

"Camp feels like it was plonked around the water hole rather than blending in.

Rooms are comfortable and well equipped

Food was of a consistently good standard

Service from all the camp staff and the guiding was excellent throughout our stay."

"Setting. Brilliant. Beautiful water hole. Thatched tents hidden in a dense woodland. Underground hide by the water hole was great.

Tents - very nicely furnished with very delightful outside shower

Staff very efficient and welcoming in most cases

Food was really good with some great inventive combinations

Our guide was very good but not convinced the ability was consistent."

"See previous feedback. [Ed: see below]"

"Hotel manager was welcoming. Staff were polite and efficient"

"Little Kwara was overall excellent and we really enjoyed our stay there. All the staff were warm and welcoming. The guiding was excellent and we saw some great wildlife and things that we have never seen before - wild dogs hunting, hyena carrying and looking after her cub. and a spring hare. G&T's at sunset were perfect."

"The camp manager and all the staff were great. The wildlife was varied and we saw far more large animals than we had expected to. The meerkat's were amazing! What made Jack's camp exceptional was attentiveness of the staff, the pool (much needed at 42 degC), the sunset drink bar in the middle of nowhere, the quad bike trek in the evening and the pre-dinner drink location (dinner had to be cancelled because of an imminent storm) and the walk with the bush people. Of course it does come at a price, so maybe the overall value is probably only good!

We are not sure we really agree with the manmade water holes but they certainly bring in the game."

"as before"

"Our only issue with the hotel (for which the Manager was extremely apologetic on a mobile phone link) was the transfer out. We left the hotel in good time but about 3-400 metres off the beach the main engine stopped and would not restart. The crew did not have the pull chord for the back up motor which as it turns out would not start either. We had to punt our way back to shore to pick up the starter chord. We think they misled the manager into believing this was a new failure although we suspect they knew it would not start.

After about an hour of failed attempt to start the engines, we transferred to the old Dhow which eventually got us to the meeting point with the taxi. The taxi driver then did his best racing driver impression and got us to the airport in time for the flight.

If this had been a "normal" hotel we would accept it as part of Africa but at this level with the boat being the main way in and out....................."

"Guludo was a fascinating experience.

Our only complaint was the cost of the day trip to Mocimba da Pria. The day went very well and was well worth the time. But I think you charged £500 for the trip. The driver was great abd the vehicle did the job but 6-7 hours in a very old Rav 4 does not seem like good value. It would have cost less in a limo in the UK."

"Loved it."

"Excellent - very helpful staff"

"Only buffet available for evening meal - would have preferred a la carte

Breakfast buffet was excellent

Overall a very acceptable modern hotel with very helpful staff"

"Very professional team both in the camp and on safari"

"The hospitality shown by the family and the team was great. The team operated very professionally and efficiently to provide a great overall safari experience.

The rooms are very rustic but comfortable and fully acceptable. Our only comment would be that compared to the other camps the beds had more insect life that needed clearing out before sleeping commenced!"

"Interesting camp. Everything about the technical analysis said it should have been great but there were a few issues that let down the overall experience.

On the positive side the variety offered by boat based trips and vehicles based trips was brilliant and we loved the location on the river bank. The guides Patrick and Victor were both very knowledgeable and passionate abput their subject.

One the negative side,

The rooms were beautiful but balancing the hot and cold water to deliver a shower of an acceptable temperature proved impossible. It was either far too hot or cold. Luckily cold was acceptable most of the time given th temperature!

The hosting at dinner - after the sheer professionalism of Nkwali and Tafica this was terrible. Daniel (Maintenance Manager) did not understand the concept of coaxing the guests to talk to one another - preferring to hold court on subjects that he clearly knew little about having only been in Africa 6 months. It proved a viscious circle. The more he talked the less the guests talked so the more he talked to fill the silence. As he also answered all the questions that the local people should have answered, we also felt that the team was not entirely happy. Two of the guides left dinner early when (we suspect) they felt surplus to requirements or at least left out of the monologue. I think Daniel's intentions were of the best but the end result was a bad expereince for both the guests and for the locally based team.

Without this issue, the overall experience would have rated excellent."

"The Royal Livingstone is a beautiful hotel and provided a fitting end to our safari expereince and an excellent location to experience the majesty of Victoria Falls.

The only glitch was when they billed us for the basic room rate (already paid via Expert Africa) but that was probably because of the confusion over our 'upgrade' from the Zambesi Sun."