Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs J, from Edinburgh

"Very comfortable stay, with wonderful privacy and excellent eating options - the food at "The View", in particular, is amazing. The staff are very friendly and helpful, and the location is beautiful.

Only minor criticism - this was our second stay here, and the second time the road outside the hotel has been closed for a local event, blocking all incoming traffic, and resulting in chaos and delays trying to get out of the hotel grounds and to the airport. We understand this can be out of the hotel's control, but would expect the Westcliff to work with the local authorities to have a better contingency plan than currently happens."

"We had an absolutely wonderful stay with Chobe Under Canvas.

The guides were the best we have encountered on safari to date, and the support staff were equally great - fantastic food, very comfortable tents, and amazing hospitality. The wildlife encounters were also excellent, and thanks to the guides we felt we really got to understand the dynamics of the 2 local lion prides and leopard, not to mention all the other great wildlife.

Would definitely recommend Chobe Under Canvas."

"Wonderful location and a very comfortable visit. The hotel is very well placed for visiting the falls and exploring the town. The service staff were also very friendly.

Unfortunately, our experience and memories of our visit were spoilt a little at checkout when several bar bills were included in our bill, but were clearly not ours (different handwriting and names given on the bills). It didn't come to very much (about $15) but the responsible waiter was called and accused us of having the drinks, which really cheapened our experience.

Seems like all the hotel really cares about is money (we had actually been quite generous in our spending anyway, so the $15 was really peanuts to them). They need to tighten up their payment systems and think a little more about the lasting impression they make on their guests. For this reason we probably would not stay with them again, which is a shame."

"We will start with the positives - the staff on the train were amazing, really friendly, helpful, and the food was excellent. The sleeping quarters were also very atmospheric and beautifully designed, and the beds surprisingly comfortable - really brought the old era of sleeper trains to life.

On the downside, the dining coaches were fine but very tired, and certainly did not look like anything you see in the photos on the Stimela Star website - the website could do with a more realistic makeover. In addition, it was clear that customers using the train to travel between Imvelo-owned safari lodges (who just happen to run the Stimela Star) had priority over other passengers. The train had been delayed leaving Victoria Falls and it was clear that Imvelo was not going to help us very much if our connections were messed up.

Finally, as the train leaves and arrives in the dark, there is no chance of any wildlife sightings (other than a lone warthog hanging around Victoria Falls station). All in all I would probably not choose to take the train again, but it was an interesting one-off experience."

"The camp was absolutely beautiful, with enormous tents filled with light and beautiful furnishings. The beds were also the most comfortable we have ever slept in, and the electric blankets a very nice touch for the cold evenings and mornings in Hwange NP. The food was also excellent and the staff very friendly and helpful, making you feel like one of the family.

Our guide was very good and very informative, and it was great to be able to travel large distances throughout the park while hardly seeing another vehicle. The range of wildlife was the best we saw, with cheetah being the real highlight for us (along with the bat-eared foxes). The optional visits to the Wild Dog Foundation and local village (including cocktail bar!) were also great and very informative.

Highly recommended!"

"Amalinda was our favourite stop of our whole trip to Zimbabwe - beautiful setting, wonderful rooms, fantastic infinity pool and great hospitality.

Although the game drives are quite benign compared to elsewhere in the country, but scenery is stunning and the close encounters with the white rhino are an amazing experience we will never forget.

Our day being guided by Paul Hubbard was also a real highlight, with Paul really bringing the history and rock art to life.

We didn't want to leave this very special place."