Travel reviews by Mr RT from Sutton

"Very convenient, only 5 minutes from the terminal. We enjoyed drinks at the roof top bar on arrival and a good breakfast the following morning. Service was very good, and the rooms were clean and modern.

We returned at the end of the holiday, when we had a few hours to wait before our flight home, and enjoyed drinks and dinner."

"Four great nights at El Karama, a fabulous way to start our holiday in Kenya. The wildlife was good (though obviously not as prolific as we saw later at Masai Mara); we were fortunate to see the local lions and cheetah and a huge herd of buffalo charging across our path at night. Lovely to see Grevy's zebra and also several gerenuk, which I hadn't come across before. Our guide, Robinson, was excellent; quietly spoken, but knowledgeable and informative.

But a trip to El Karama is so much more than just the wildlife! Everything about the place has been put together thoughtfully. We stayed in a river cottage, which was certainly one of the most memorable hotel rooms that I have stayed in. The food was exceptional, not least the lunchtime salads which were so perfectly dressed with mint and dill. My dietary requirements were perfectly catered for.

The owner, Sophie, came round a few times to tell us about the place. A big highlight was the fly camping in a bell tent with a lovely bush dinner and drinks at the camp fire; Robinson ensured that we didn't run out of wine! The quality of service was exceptional throughout the stay."

"We asked for a tented camp with great wildlife and not too many visitors, and Porini Mara delivered all round.

The camp is perfectly located by a river in one of the Mara conservancies and aims to be low impact and supporting of the local community. The tents are comfortable; be sure to keep the front well zipped to avoid invasion from local monkeys! The "bucket" showers are good with plenty of hot water. The food was good too, and my dietary requirements were well taken care off.

But this camp is all about the game drives and the volume and variety of game was excellent. The camp was busy, mainly with USA visitors, and we shared a vehicle with a lovely young couple. Right from the start we were regularly seeing multiple lions and cheetahs, and saw both make kills! We would see large groups of both, including two families of cheetahs resting together, 7 in total, which the guides said was unprecedented. Plenty of other animals too, incl. elephants and hippos.

Many thanks to our driver / guide Stanley, who gave excellent service incl. taking photos for us if we were too engrossed in the action."

"We very much enjoyed our week at Mnarani Club. The hotel was fairly quiet when we visited, mainly UK and local guests. We had an upstairs Creek room with great views. The pool is fabulous. Dinner was generally a buffet, though they switched to a menu service at the end of our stay. Breakfasts were very good.

We spent most of the week learning to sail down at the beach. The set up there is attached to but separate from the hotel; the staff and facilities are excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

We managed to get out of the hotel a few times, to local restaurants and the local village."

"Good location, with great game viewing close at hand. The camp is good; tents are simple and comfortable, communal areas very good; all very well hosted by Shaun and Millie. Food was good, and they catered well for my specialised requirements. Very good value. With hindsight I wish I had stayed for 4 nights rather than 3.

January was quite wet, and some of the vehicles struggled in muddy conditions. I suspect that they could do with a little more investment. Boat safaris are good, with excellent bird life.

The local airstrip can't be used in very wet conditions and the road in can be blocked, necessitating a transfer by small boat, which can feel uncomfortable."

"Very comfortable camp, with high standards of service both in the camp and on the game drives. The food was of a very high standard, and the camp go to some trouble to present it well. A littler more expensive than other camps we stayed in, with a noticeable difference in quality. Staff were a more formal with the guests compared to other camps.

Game drives are good, though in the wet season it can be a challenge to find the wildlife. The guides will travel some distance from the camp to find the game, but are sometimes restricted where roads are cut by seasonal rivers.

The vehicles are excellent, as is the quality of the driving. Game drives are half day, which makes the day more relaxing. Boat safaris are good.

Pool is good for an afternoon break."

"A lovely camp in a very good national park.

Good service, good food, comfortable tents, and the game drives were exceptional. All day drives with lunch stops at picnic areas.

Very good bird life as well as all the regular game.

Some opportunity for a short walk."

"A lovely spot, right on the Indian Ocean. Fabulous service, great food, a great spot to relax.

The rooms are exceptional, huge beds, lovely bathrooms.

We had a great time and I hope to return one day."