Travel reviews by Red-eyed Dove from London
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
2
Lodges stayed in
6
Excursions taken
0
our honeymoon
Zanzibar and 1 other country between 22 Sep 2007 and 12 Oct 2007
"We had a brilliant trip. Majority of places we stayed at were great."
Fumba Beach Lodge
"Fumba Beach Lodge review"
5 nights
Arrived
23 Sep 2007
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Average
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Feedback response
We put these comments to Fumba Beach Lodge. They explained that the receptionist was unsure of how to handle the sun-bed issue, and so he told a manager. The manager then went to solve the problem within 10 minutes … but the guests had already left. They were sorry not to have got there in time to sort it out – and asked us to apologise to the clients for them.
Fumba told us that they try hard to employ local people where possible, including the therapists. They are new, and the lodge is acting on this poor feedback to train the therapists and improve the massages. If this doesn’t produce results, then Fumba tells us that they will employ more experienced therapists from mainland Tanzania.
Fumba told us that they try hard to employ local people where possible, including the therapists. They are new, and the lodge is acting on this poor feedback to train the therapists and improve the massages. If this doesn’t produce results, then Fumba tells us that they will employ more experienced therapists from mainland Tanzania.
Chumbe Island Lodge
"Chumbe Island review"
2 nights
Arrived
28 Sep 2007
"one of the best places we stayed at overall.
Facilities were better than we had been expecting (the compost toilet was fine), very friendly staff, brilliant excursions/activities (snorkelling, intertidal walk, forest walk) and educational. The bandas are cool and very easy to live in.
Food was fantastic and we were well catered for as vegtarians
Birthday cake and complimentary wine made us feel very special and we want to go back."
Facilities were better than we had been expecting (the compost toilet was fine), very friendly staff, brilliant excursions/activities (snorkelling, intertidal walk, forest walk) and educational. The bandas are cool and very easy to live in.
Food was fantastic and we were well catered for as vegtarians
Birthday cake and complimentary wine made us feel very special and we want to go back."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Unguja Lodge
"Unguja Lodge review"
4 nights
Arrived
30 Sep 2007
"Friendly staff - but were pretty slow, did not know about ettiquette in the same way as all the other places we stayed at (brought out the wrong wine on one occassion).
Nice to have tea on our doorstep before breakfast and a nice welcoming card on our arrival. We had a good village tour that we really enjoyed. Washing clothes was relatively cheap.
The bungalows were amazing - extremely spacious and well equipped with air con etc. However our private pool was not cleaned throughout our 4 night stay and by the end we would have not liked to have shared pool with all those fellow insects...
However this was the one place where we did not feel like we were on honeymoon. We did not have any 'special' dinners or complimentary wine, or any little special honeymoon touches. Was rather disappointing given that the rooms were fantastic.
the bar was pretty loud and not particularly relaxing. They often played loud music (which again did not make us feel like we were on honeymoon).
When we relaxed on the sunbeds, we felt that there were not enough around the pool for all guests at times.
the vegetarian food was the most dissapointing part of our stay. We felt like we were awkward guests by having dietary requirements. they did not have an a la carte menu for lunch, so we felt obliged to have a full three course set buffet meal for lunch (or at least pay for three courses, even though we probably had two courses at the most) - which was not brilliant for veggies. Having no real choice when we were there on a half board basis was not great. Despite this, they did make us veggies some chips for lunch, which were nice!
We both feel ill while we were there and think it was related to the food we had there one lunchtime (think that we had a cold soup which probably hadn't used boiled water). This didn't help our stay there.
We found it really strange how they would ask guests straight after breakfast whether they intended to have lunch with them. We were there ona half board basis and so would have liked the option to have lunch if we felt like it later on in the day. but to be honest deciding just after a meal, without knowing what was on the menu, seemed rather strange. When you're on holiday, you don't want to be making food decisions at breakfast!
At first we did not have to sign for our meals and so it meant that we had no idea how much we were spending.
We made a few enquiries while we were there - one asking about why our room safe was not working - another about whether there was anywhere we could go for a massage. we felt rather disappointed that we had to ask twice before anything was done."
Nice to have tea on our doorstep before breakfast and a nice welcoming card on our arrival. We had a good village tour that we really enjoyed. Washing clothes was relatively cheap.
The bungalows were amazing - extremely spacious and well equipped with air con etc. However our private pool was not cleaned throughout our 4 night stay and by the end we would have not liked to have shared pool with all those fellow insects...
However this was the one place where we did not feel like we were on honeymoon. We did not have any 'special' dinners or complimentary wine, or any little special honeymoon touches. Was rather disappointing given that the rooms were fantastic.
the bar was pretty loud and not particularly relaxing. They often played loud music (which again did not make us feel like we were on honeymoon).
When we relaxed on the sunbeds, we felt that there were not enough around the pool for all guests at times.
the vegetarian food was the most dissapointing part of our stay. We felt like we were awkward guests by having dietary requirements. they did not have an a la carte menu for lunch, so we felt obliged to have a full three course set buffet meal for lunch (or at least pay for three courses, even though we probably had two courses at the most) - which was not brilliant for veggies. Having no real choice when we were there on a half board basis was not great. Despite this, they did make us veggies some chips for lunch, which were nice!
We both feel ill while we were there and think it was related to the food we had there one lunchtime (think that we had a cold soup which probably hadn't used boiled water). This didn't help our stay there.
We found it really strange how they would ask guests straight after breakfast whether they intended to have lunch with them. We were there ona half board basis and so would have liked the option to have lunch if we felt like it later on in the day. but to be honest deciding just after a meal, without knowing what was on the menu, seemed rather strange. When you're on holiday, you don't want to be making food decisions at breakfast!
At first we did not have to sign for our meals and so it meant that we had no idea how much we were spending.
We made a few enquiries while we were there - one asking about why our room safe was not working - another about whether there was anywhere we could go for a massage. we felt rather disappointed that we had to ask twice before anything was done."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Average
Service
Average
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Poor
Feedback response
Elies, the manager at Unguja, was upset to hear these comments, as she said that if these travellers had made their problems known to her whilst at the lodge – then she would have solved them. This is an important point for all of our travellers: if you want something changed, then it’s important to address the issues squarely when you are there.
In this case, the managers would have had the chance to get the pool cleaned – and perhaps to lessen the volume of sound coming from the bar!
We’re sorry that these travellers didn’t feel ‘special’ here. Elies tells us that they did do several ‘special’ things for these clients. However, it wasn’t made clear that these particular things were done for them because they were a honeymooner couple, and so our travellers though that this was the lodge’s normal service!
These clients are vegetarian. Early in their stay, a misunderstanding seems to have led to the lodge believing that they didn’t want any spices or rice – which thus ruled out many of Zanzibar’s spiced vegetarian dishes. Clearly these restrictions did make catering a challenge.
We’d always encourage clear communication between our travellers and the chefs and managers about what they would like to eat – especially when difficulties are encountered, or diets have any restrictions. For example, we’d recommend that any travellers with restricted diets give us some examples of the kind of things that they do like to eat – which we can then pass to the lodges to give them ideas.
Elies assures us that Unguja is very particular about its kitchen procedures and hygiene: they always make fresh vegetable stock for their cold soups, and the soup is then cooled down prior to serving. Unguja also use water filtered to a very high quality to rinse fruit and vegetables and in cooking.
Small lodges like this generally run very good kitchens, and cook everything freshly. That’s why, after breakfast, Unguja do ask guests if they would like to have lunch at the lodge. This saves wastage, and helps the lodge to plan their food for the day.
Unguja Lodge does this before the specifics of the lunch menu have been worked out – which is a little unusual. We’d hope that guests could treat this as a luxury: a chance to give the kitchen some suggestions as to what they’d like for lunch …
Unguja doesn’t have an in-lodge spa; it’s really not that kind of lodge. However, they can organise a taxi to a Stone Town spa if one is wanted, and it’s not fully booked up.
In this case, the managers would have had the chance to get the pool cleaned – and perhaps to lessen the volume of sound coming from the bar!
We’re sorry that these travellers didn’t feel ‘special’ here. Elies tells us that they did do several ‘special’ things for these clients. However, it wasn’t made clear that these particular things were done for them because they were a honeymooner couple, and so our travellers though that this was the lodge’s normal service!
These clients are vegetarian. Early in their stay, a misunderstanding seems to have led to the lodge believing that they didn’t want any spices or rice – which thus ruled out many of Zanzibar’s spiced vegetarian dishes. Clearly these restrictions did make catering a challenge.
We’d always encourage clear communication between our travellers and the chefs and managers about what they would like to eat – especially when difficulties are encountered, or diets have any restrictions. For example, we’d recommend that any travellers with restricted diets give us some examples of the kind of things that they do like to eat – which we can then pass to the lodges to give them ideas.
Elies assures us that Unguja is very particular about its kitchen procedures and hygiene: they always make fresh vegetable stock for their cold soups, and the soup is then cooled down prior to serving. Unguja also use water filtered to a very high quality to rinse fruit and vegetables and in cooking.
Small lodges like this generally run very good kitchens, and cook everything freshly. That’s why, after breakfast, Unguja do ask guests if they would like to have lunch at the lodge. This saves wastage, and helps the lodge to plan their food for the day.
Unguja Lodge does this before the specifics of the lunch menu have been worked out – which is a little unusual. We’d hope that guests could treat this as a luxury: a chance to give the kitchen some suggestions as to what they’d like for lunch …
Unguja doesn’t have an in-lodge spa; it’s really not that kind of lodge. However, they can organise a taxi to a Stone Town spa if one is wanted, and it’s not fully booked up.
Zanzibar Palace Hotel
"Zanzibar Palace Hotel review"
2 nights
Arrived
4 Oct 2007
"Excellent. Sebastian and his team were great.
Friendly, great breakfast, good local knowledge and advice."
Friendly, great breakfast, good local knowledge and advice."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Impala Camp
"Selous Impala Camp review"
3 nights
Arrived
6 Oct 2007
"Excellent. The food was amazing, safari drives amazing - our guide was fantastic, the boat safari was cool and different and walking safari fun too.
What can i say - absolutely brilliant! we saw some amazing game and just loved this place."
What can i say - absolutely brilliant! we saw some amazing game and just loved this place."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Ras Kutani, Tanzania (this camp has since closed)
"Ras Kutani review"
3 nights
Arrived
9 Oct 2007
"the massages here were fantastic. the food was good, nice romantic dinner was put on for us, we felt on honeymoon!
there was good service and the staff well trained
only drawbacks (perhaps out of their control) were that you had to request for the hot water to be turned on in the morning (and they forgot or the hot water was all used up by our neighbour on our first full day their) as well as lights going out after the last person had left the bar i.e. no electricity during the day."
there was good service and the staff well trained
only drawbacks (perhaps out of their control) were that you had to request for the hot water to be turned on in the morning (and they forgot or the hot water was all used up by our neighbour on our first full day their) as well as lights going out after the last person had left the bar i.e. no electricity during the day."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Average
Service
Good
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Average
Food
Good
Feedback response
When told of these comments, Ras Kutani advised that they are installing electric hot water geysers in all the rooms to solve this problem. (Currently, the wood-boilers are lit in the late afternoon, for hot water during the evenings. In this instance, the fire was lit but went out. The lodge did re-light it, and apologised to the guests as soon as they were made aware of the problem.
Like in many bush camps, Ras Kutani’s diesel generator is not kept on 24-hours every day. Instead it’s switched off an hour after the last person has gone to bed, and then on again for a short period in the morning. This keeps noise and energy use to a sensible minimum. Each guest is also provided with a torch when they check in, and there are times when guests can charge batteries, cell phones etc.
There’s a valuable general point here – that even African camps which have generators will often not run them all the time, and visitors do need to be aware of this when travelling to Africa.
Like in many bush camps, Ras Kutani’s diesel generator is not kept on 24-hours every day. Instead it’s switched off an hour after the last person has gone to bed, and then on again for a short period in the morning. This keeps noise and energy use to a sensible minimum. Each guest is also provided with a torch when they check in, and there are times when guests can charge batteries, cell phones etc.
There’s a valuable general point here – that even African camps which have generators will often not run them all the time, and visitors do need to be aware of this when travelling to Africa.
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
When we arrived we had some other people using our beach beds and when we asked the man in reception to ask them to move (as they could see into our outdoor shower), he was not willing to ask them to move, which was rather disappointing. Especially as he agreed that they shouldnt have been using them.
Vegetarian food was on the whole good. However there were at least two occassions when they forgot we were vegetarian. The availability of an a la carte menu at lunch was great. They catered well for us, though the options were repetitive.
We had a massage here - but I wouldn't recommend it. It was not great.
Bungalows were very cool, though we prefered number 6 over 5, less mosquitoes and cleaner. They both had lots of space.
Cool surprise dinner settings, this was very well thought out and made us feel special on honeymoon. Complimentary bottle of wine also helped us feel like we were on honeymoon."