Travel reviews by Dr E from Pennsylvania
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
2
Countries visited
3
Lodges stayed in
12
Excursions taken
0
Rwanda and Tanzania March 2018
Rwanda and 1 other country between 3 Mar 2018 and 17 Mar 2018
"The biggest issue with comfort for the trip was that we were given an older vehicle which is quite uncomfortable from the beginning of the trip until we reached Kivu lake. At Kivu Lake, three days into the Rwanda part, I let Expert Africa know about my concerns regarding the possible safety issues of the vehicle as well as the comfort issues. I had an almost immediate reply from Expert Africa who contacted the tour organizer, Primate Safaris in Rwanda. They met us the next day with a new vehicle for the rest of the trip.
The entire planning of the trip took multiple conversations and emails with the Expert Africa team. They were extremely helpful and worked with us until we found a trip that we thought would meet our desired experience. I believe we had seven iterations before finally choosing the last one.
I would have mixed feelings about going during rainy season again. It was less crowded, which was quite nice. A few plans did get rained out or had to be changed.
The few hotels we stayed at in between various parts of the trip were used only for several hours and simpler, less expensive accommodations would probably have sufficed quite well.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
We did not seek other quotes for the trip.
Our previous trip to Zambia with Expert Africa impressed us so much, that we only used them to arrange this tour for us. It was a good decision."
The entire planning of the trip took multiple conversations and emails with the Expert Africa team. They were extremely helpful and worked with us until we found a trip that we thought would meet our desired experience. I believe we had seven iterations before finally choosing the last one.
I would have mixed feelings about going during rainy season again. It was less crowded, which was quite nice. A few plans did get rained out or had to be changed.
The few hotels we stayed at in between various parts of the trip were used only for several hours and simpler, less expensive accommodations would probably have sufficed quite well.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
We did not seek other quotes for the trip.
Our previous trip to Zambia with Expert Africa impressed us so much, that we only used them to arrange this tour for us. It was a good decision."
Arranged By Lyndsey Marris
Hotel des Mille Collines
"excellent"
1 night
Arrived
4 Mar 2018
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Nyungwe House
"Excellent "
2 nights
Arrived
5 Mar 2018
"Excellent lodge. Terrific accommodations. Long drive to get there from Kigali.
Good location in the forest. Beautiful grounds. Staff and lodge director were excellent and willing to accommodate any needs that we had. Very interested in assuring that our experience there was excellent. They organized lodge activities outside of regular hours that they were scheduled. Food was exceptionally well presented and prepared.
Enjoyed the family style dinner seating with very interesting other guests.
Muddy boot cleaning service in the laundry were very helpful."
Good location in the forest. Beautiful grounds. Staff and lodge director were excellent and willing to accommodate any needs that we had. Very interested in assuring that our experience there was excellent. They organized lodge activities outside of regular hours that they were scheduled. Food was exceptionally well presented and prepared.
Enjoyed the family style dinner seating with very interesting other guests.
Muddy boot cleaning service in the laundry were very helpful."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Cormoran Lodge
"Good to average"
1 night
Arrived
7 Mar 2018
"Nice location on the lake.
Average room and food. Limited dinner menu.
Average service.
One night stay here was enough."
Average room and food. Limited dinner menu.
Average service.
One night stay here was enough."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Average
Activities
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Average
Facilities
Average
Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
"Excellent"
3 nights
Arrived
8 Mar 2018
"Wonderful staff and directors of lodge. Friendly and knowledgeable. Excellent accommodations. Interesting guests. Nice cocktail hour before dinner.
Muddy boot cleaning and laundry was very well appreciated.
Food was well presented but I personally did not find it as much to my liking has some of the other places. I think this is more of a personal perspective than a criticism.
Accommodated vegetarian diet very well."
Muddy boot cleaning and laundry was very well appreciated.
Food was well presented but I personally did not find it as much to my liking has some of the other places. I think this is more of a personal perspective than a criticism.
Accommodated vegetarian diet very well."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Kigali Serena Hotel
"Kigali Serena Hotel review"
1 night
Arrived
11 Mar 2018
"Arrived late and left early. Packed a very nice breakfast to take to the airport with us
They did not have hot water in our wing of the hotel. They acted surprised when we told them about it but clearly other people have reported it. I had mentioned on check-in that I would like to have a hot shower.
I think with this knowledge they could have put us in a different part of the hotel."
They did not have hot water in our wing of the hotel. They acted surprised when we told them about it but clearly other people have reported it. I had mentioned on check-in that I would like to have a hot shower.
I think with this knowledge they could have put us in a different part of the hotel."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Average
Rooms
Excellent
Facilities
Average
Dunia Camp
"Wonderful caring staff"
2 nights
Arrived
12 Mar 2018
"Game viewing was more sparse and limited than Olikira.
We did view a very large pride with several litters of Cubs. Staff was very kind and desired to give us the best possible experience there.
Our driver and Guide was quite nice, but relatively young.
Stopping a bit more frequently to look at birds, smaller game, etc. would have been nice."
We did view a very large pride with several litters of Cubs. Staff was very kind and desired to give us the best possible experience there.
Our driver and Guide was quite nice, but relatively young.
Stopping a bit more frequently to look at birds, smaller game, etc. would have been nice."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Olakira
"Excellent "
2 nights
Arrived
14 Mar 2018
"Wonderful location to view the migration. Rainy season was a challenge with some of the driving but our driver and guide were excellent.
He was quite knowledgeable and shared many stories and information about what we’re were seeing with us.
Some very heavy rains postponed one of our drives and he took the time to show us videos and review the map and other information about the area."
He was quite knowledgeable and shared many stories and information about what we’re were seeing with us.
Some very heavy rains postponed one of our drives and he took the time to show us videos and review the map and other information about the area."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
My Sep 2016 trip
Zambia between 11 Sep 2016 and 24 Sep 2016
"Initially Megan and then Ellie when Megan took maternity leave.
Same review would apply to both.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
This was one of the best planned and orchestrated trips we have taken. We were met and guided within all airports.
The guides for the safaris were the best we encountered on any of our trips and were uniformly friendly and helpful. We were so impressed, we would like our children to use your services.
The only thing I would consider doing differently if the trip had to be 2 days shorter (for our family or friends on a limited timetable) is one less day in Chongwe river camp and dropping the fly camp ."
Same review would apply to both.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
This was one of the best planned and orchestrated trips we have taken. We were met and guided within all airports.
The guides for the safaris were the best we encountered on any of our trips and were uniformly friendly and helpful. We were so impressed, we would like our children to use your services.
The only thing I would consider doing differently if the trip had to be 2 days shorter (for our family or friends on a limited timetable) is one less day in Chongwe river camp and dropping the fly camp ."
Arranged By Megan Green
Stanley Safari Lodge
"Stanley Safari Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
12 Sep 2016
"Wonderful Staff. Extremely accommodating and friendly. Very nice facility but not as luxurious as others on the trip. About 1/2 hr from the airport. The grounds were quite nice, but we did not use the trails or other parts of the camp other than the living areas.
Not all tours included in price.
Suggest visiting the Zambia and Zimbabwe sides of Victoria Falls at the same trip instead of separately Ideally, this would be one of the included tours. Had to pay a second park entry fee to the Zambia side when returned to visit the Zimbabwe side the next day.
Trip to " authentic village" was very cursory appeared to be a means to get you to visit the market there, which did have some good items. However, a couple who visited the village the previous day reported a very different and worthwhile experience."
Not all tours included in price.
Suggest visiting the Zambia and Zimbabwe sides of Victoria Falls at the same trip instead of separately Ideally, this would be one of the included tours. Had to pay a second park entry fee to the Zambia side when returned to visit the Zimbabwe side the next day.
Trip to " authentic village" was very cursory appeared to be a means to get you to visit the market there, which did have some good items. However, a couple who visited the village the previous day reported a very different and worthwhile experience."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Nsefu
"Nsefu review"
2 nights
Arrived
14 Sep 2016
"Very nice rooms and very friendly and helpful staf
Guides were terrific."
Guides were terrific."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Robin Pope Safaris bush-camp
"Robin Pope Safaris bush-camp review"
1 night
Arrived
16 Sep 2016
"One day and 2 walking safaris were just right for our group. This was a very fun experience. I would probably prefer a morning game drive from main camp and afternoon drop off with an evening and longer next am walking safari. Guide was excellent.
As it turned out, we did a morning drive instead of a hike to meet a guide from the next lodge 1/2 way."
As it turned out, we did a morning drive instead of a hike to meet a guide from the next lodge 1/2 way."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Robin's House
"Robin's House review"
2 nights
Arrived
17 Sep 2016
"It was outside the park, but the guiding was exceptional. It was interesting to use the raft to enter the park. Parking in the park overnight and taking a boat across the river was very appreciated and avoided longer drives outside the park.
Accommodations were luxurious and top notch. Service and meals terrific."
Accommodations were luxurious and top notch. Service and meals terrific."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Chongwe River Camp
"Chongwe River Camp review"
4 nights
Arrived
19 Sep 2016
"Service and staff were incredibly attentive.
Guide was very knowledgeable and obviously expert, but I would have liked a bit more communication of what he was doing to find the game, tracks, etc.
Location on the river was the most interesting of the trip and accommodations were incredibly good. Also was significantly cooler than arid region nearby. Water based activities were a very important factor in making this our favorite lodge ."
Guide was very knowledgeable and obviously expert, but I would have liked a bit more communication of what he was doing to find the game, tracks, etc.
Location on the river was the most interesting of the trip and accommodations were incredibly good. Also was significantly cooler than arid region nearby. Water based activities were a very important factor in making this our favorite lodge ."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
The room was really more than we needed for the few hours that we spent there."