Travel reviews by GC from Loule

"The new public buildings are excellent as is the food, the quality of which is extremely impressive given the challenging circumstances of limited supply etc. The position and outlook of the camp are lovely. We enjoyed the variety of bush types and landscapes within the concession.

The layout and concept of the guest rooms are excellent and very spacious however the condition of the rooms are well below par as a result of insufficient maintenance. The condition of bathroom fittings is completely unacceptable at this price point and every other prices point for that matter all the way down to simple B&B's - eg. cracked and chipped sinks, rotten floorboards around the shower and poor quality minor repairs and fixes. Having a pool with each room is a great option but when they are not properly cleaned and maintained the pool became a negative - I doubt that the water quality was ever properly tested judging by the 'tidemarks' around the pool at the waterline level.

The guide was obsessed with finding lions, even if that meant hours of fruitless driving around with EVERY client in the vehicle expressing a wish to focus on the more plentiful games animals.

By and large the staff are well trained, pleasant, happy people who provided high levels of service, however the company standard approach to clients wasn't to our (and other clients) preference - Wilderness seems to want to treat everyone as if they are part of 'the family' and the approach is a Disney level of insincere friendship. The synchronised waving by a group of staff members every time a vehicle entered the camp was nauseating. In my view luxury isn't treating everyone the same its providing what each individual feels most comfortable with and for our part we actually didn't want to meet every member of staff and every other guest we wanted to enjoy a private holiday.

Two game drive sessions were used to go out on a boat and on a mokoro which were both interesting options but personally I found them dull and I would have preferred to have the option to take a normal game drive as an alternative.

Much of what I have written is negative but I should clarify that none of the points raised had a lasting negative impact on the holiday, we thoroughly enjoyed being at the camp and in the concession and our over riding long term impressions will be favourable."

"The setting of Mombo is simply fantastic, it was possible to sit for hours and watch the game activity on the plains in front of the camp. The public buildings and guest rooms are stylishly laid out with a sense of quality and care, they are all generously proportioned as are the private decks with each guest room. Maintenance and presentation is excellent.

The food was first class, amazing really considering the challenges associated with catering in the bush.

Game viewing was excellent and varied and the landscape was just beautiful. We were lucky enough to have really good sitings of the Big 5 plus cheetahs and a full range of plains animals.

By and large the staff are well trained, pleasant, happy people who provided high levels of service, however the company standard approach to clients wasn't to our (and other clients) preference - Wilderness seems to want to treat everyone as if they are part of 'the family' and the approach is a Disney level of insincere friendship. The synchronised waving by a group of staff members every time a vehicle entered the camp was nauseating. In my view luxury isn't treating everyone the same its providing what each individual feels most comfortable with and for our part we actually didn't want to meet every member of staff and every other guest we wanted to enjoy a private holiday. The management seemed to want to play host to the guests and be larger than life, front and centre whereas I would have preferred the management to be accessible but low key and discrete."

"Tongabezi is beautifully positioned and our accommodation (Bird House) had first class views of the Zambezi, as it appeared did all other rooms. The food was very good, a credit to the chef who was incredibly enthusiastic about his food made essentially from local, in season products.

The room was very well sized and the original concept was great, as was the concept for the hotel in general, however the hotel appears to have been in some sort of decline and is now a poorly maintained and outdated facility. The room rates are world class but the hotel standards, facilities and service are significantly below world class. Major maintenance is needed to the deck (and it is due to be rebuilt but it should have been rebuilt years ago), pathway lighting does not work in places, doors don't close, sofa coverings in the bar area haven't been cleaned in years and neither has the dust cover on the coffee and tea facilities in the room or the outdoor furniture coverings. Nobody in management would appear to have paid any attention to points of detail for some time.

The staff are kind and pleasant but would appear to have had virtually no training, it didn't help that the hotel wasn't full and consequently staff weren't fully occupied and they tended to hang around in groups chatting amongst themselves.

At one fifth of the price Tongabezi may have been acceptable but it certainly does not merit its price tag."