Travel reviews by Dr & Mrs B from Altrincham

"This is our second safari with Expert Africa and we stayed at Rivertrees last time. It has proved on both occasions to be a perfect spot to recover from the flights before we set off on the Safari proper.

The grounds are pretty and plenty of opportunity to watch the local monkeys in the trees. Accommodation is comfortable and well appointed. Bar facilities and food are great with a varied menu.

Staff are uniformly good. We couldnt really fault the place. Would certainly use them again should we fly into Kilimanjaro"

"We returned to Olivers after last being there in 2017. A bit has changed with the camp now joined with Little Olivers. We stayed at Little Olivers this time as there was still refurbishment going on at Olivers.

The tent was very much as remembered, very comfortable bed and well set out area with internal and external showers. Excellent wi-fi throughout camp. A pretty pool and bar area has been built in between the two camps and that is being connected to the two camps by a walkway. The sundowner area at Little Olivers didnt quite match the wooden decked area at Olivers from memory, but still afforded great views down to the river bed.

Plenty of wildlife about and our tent was treated to the gentle sound of munching water buffalo and elephants during the night time hours.

As previously the staff were outstanding, and Brian has a great team there. You are assigned a host for the duration of the stay who looks after all your dining/drinking needs. Genaroza was excellent. Food is of good quality and portions are generous.

We did a walking safari as well as our game drives, which was interesting and our guide took time to talk about tracks, signs of animals and bush craft. A nice change from being in the vehicle and well worth the time.

We had two days of game drives and there is a lot more water there than 2017 resulting in a large lake / swamp area which is a magnet to animals and birds. We saw a stunning variety of wildlife and a recent lion kill with the accompanying pride with its cubs.

We also did the night drive which to be honest was a little underwhelming. My thought was that perhaps half the distance at half the pace might have revealed more, but to be fair the guides still picked out a lot of things in the dark, and they do know their job.

We were treated to a great send off on the night before departure, and the staff work hard to ensure everything is just right

In summary we arrived already in love with Tarangire / Olivers and left even more smitten."

"We had a long drive from Tarangire to Ndutu, arriving just as it got dark.

We loved the feel of the place and it appears to have deliberately tried to keep the old fashioned lodge feel, whilst maintaining a good level of service provision.

The food was good quality, from a set menu, albeit there was alittle flexibility if you chose. Staff were friendly and efficient. The Dining area and reception looks straight out onto the bush, with views down towards the lake in the distance.

The accommodation is basic but clean, with a comfortable bed plus mosquito nets. Power is generator delivered and is switched off at about 11 until 5 am. Not a time we'd expect to be awake, so no great issue at all.

My only suggestion would be the addition of an overhead fan, although it would lose power at 11pm. The windows allowed a bug free breeze, so not really a problem for us. It might be hotter at different times of the year

The Manager was really friendly and knew our guide too. We enjoyed the contrast of the place with the 'camping'. and left a little entranced actually. It had a nice feel about it.

Game in the surrounding area was limited due to lack of grazing animals, but we did see plenty of bird life and elephants as we headed through it, en route to the Serengeti"

"Wow. We'd booked this in 2020 and didnt get to travel until now due to Covid issues. It looked amazing and it didnt disappoint. You have to chuckle really seeing the specification of this camp, so far away from anywhere. So, yes, the 'tents' are amazing and actually are even better inside than the pictures suggest.

The view is private and you look right onto the bush. The communal area is significantly upgraded and extremely comfortable.

Perhaps not quite the simpler charm of the previous camp at Namiri? But we absolutely loved both our visits and would definitely return. As with Olivers we were assigned a host for our stay. Dickson the camp manager was on the staff when we visited in 2017, and it was great to see how Asilia develop their employees. Moses our host was attentive and great company, and we took home a recipe or two from him.

Food was of excellent quality, and the level of cooking in these camps is impressive. Nothing got left on a plate. The wine choices, which are the same in all camps were certainly not the quality of our previous trip, and the company might give this some consideration

In keeping with our experience in Tarangire, no camp and drive experiences were like the previous trip, we saw different animals and different behaviours. Last time we'd seen lots of lion families, but this time we didnt. However we repeatedly saw a baby Leopard, a pair of Cheetahs narrowly missing an antelope and a trio of Lionesses attacking a baboon troop, with resulting casualties. Early rains had displaced the game a little, so sightings were harder won, but still plentiful. Our love of Namiri was further strengthened.

Our last night saw us treated to a private sunset drink on the rocks near the camp, which was magical, and accompanied by the persistent call of a nightjar.

In summary, an astonishingly high specification camp set amongst the big cats. A contrast to the other two camps, which we loved, and if you want to see big cats this camp will certainly deliver."

"We returned to Olakira after 5 years and due to circumstances beyond Asilias control, the camp is now further away from the river than previously. It takes a bit longer to get down to the river now. The camp itself has undergone a few changes but retains a more traditional camp feel, with the tents being more 'tenty' than our previous two camps, albeit with wooden floors. I wasnt sure I didnt kinda miss the 'two bucket' shower system. Sadly it had a tendency to rain at night so we didnt risk moving the bed for the new Stargazer option !

Sundowner and evening meals are deliberately a more communal activity here, and we loved the opportunity to get to really learn about the other guests over dinner. Food was again good quality and plentiful. Conversations were animated and great fun. Definitely a more camp like vibe.

Our manager Zainab looked after us well and the staff were as attentive as ever.

One of the chief attractions of Olakira is arriving at the time of the River crossings, but you are hostages to the thought processes of Wildebeest !. Early rains had resulted in considerable herd movements and we arrived knowing that many thousands had crossed in the fortnight before. Fortunately we had seen a good crossing the last time we were there, and as the numbers crossing had dwindled, we decided that rather than the necessary sitting and waiting that is required to view these crossings, we'd spend more time on game drives and if we caught one so be it. As it happened there were only a small number of small crossings during our stay. Luck of the draw.

Other wildlife sightings were however plentiful in terms of herds, lions and birdlife. We got to watch a very young male leopard for half an hour on the evening of our arrival. Last time we'd seen a fair few leopards, this time we saw many more lions instead. It was a recurring theme that we had completely different experiences than our previous safari, and that in essence is the beauty of it."

"This was the last leg of our trip and a few days to wash away the dust and get a couple of dives in. Ten days in the vehicle does result in a few aches and you do end up a little tired. We couldnt have found a better spot to unwind.

The team looking after us, led by Khamis were wonderful, very friendly and very attentive. The menu was varied and the food uniformly excellent. The wine list was once again limited, but the bar was otherwise well stocked.

The beach villas are wonderful, with a good bath and shower, air con (not used) and the ceiling fan might be needed at some times of the year, but with the Trade winds building up from about 3 pm onwards, they werent really needed that much.

The bar has its own resident Bush babies and iridescent sunbirds are easily spotted in the nearby flowers. The grounds have the wonderful elephant shrews in them, and a number of other animals can be seen. The beach is pristine white sand. Swimming in the 'reef' is probably not a great idea, it gets windy from lunch onwards and there is a current. In addition there are literally hundreds of sea urchins to step on if you're unwise enough to put your foot down without reef shoes.

A quick word on the diving as Zanzibar seems widely considered to be an excellent location. We had two dives here with the local PADI 5 star centre and found the current and visibility to be a problem. Again it's partly luck, as near full moon the tides and currents are at their worst apparently. We arrived with high expectations and were left a little disappointed. However we couldnt be happier with the dive team that looked after us from One Ocean Dive Centre, they were simply excellent.

You've two pools to choose from at the hotel and there is a snorkelling trip each day if you want to get in the water
There are other activities arranged by the hotel each day if you want to visit the local village / fish market, and a reef walk is quite good fun. The spa massage is very highly recommended by Shirley.

We couldnt quite believe how bad the access road to the hotel is, and indeed it services two other high end hotels. Not an issue for us, we'd just been driving around the Serengeti, but you had to feel sorry for the suspension of the taxi driver's cars.

The team ensure each set of guests get a special dining experience on the last night, so we were given a table on the beach which was lovely. We couldn't fault the care and attention.

We'd definitely stay here again."

"Lovely spot, and a great place to catch up on a few hours sleep and relax before the 'hard work' started.

Accommodation was comfy and well appointed. Pretty grounds and great to add several new bird species and watch blue monkeys before we'd even set foot in a Landcruiser. Staff were excellent. Bar and restaurant area were certainly up to standard.

We only stayed one night, but this would certainly be a great location to spend a few days looking at Arusha and environs"

"Wow. My wife was keen to see Tarangire and particularly its Elephants and Boababs. I was looking forward to the bird life. We were not disappointed and a walking safari the morning we left was a great experience.

The situation of this camp is fantastic. Decking for sundowners was lovely and the way the staff greet you and then involve you is lovely. The tents are really comfy and the beds great. Someone should find out where they source the mattresses. Our sleep was accompanied by a mother elephant and her minute baby munching an acacia tree about ten feet from our tent. Wish we could have stayed another night. A recurrent theme of our trip would be the outstanding quality of the Asilia staff in all the camps we stayed at.

We drove in from Arusha through the reserve and left through the reserve on our way North to the crater, stopping in at Manyara lake. Birds enough for any birder and a Leopard sighting (Lying on a branch alseep 10 feet from the roof) to boot. So glad we added this leg to our trip"

"This was proposed by Expert Africa as a great base for visiting the crater. We spent two nights here. To be honest we didnt look too closely at the details trusting Olivia to have made a good choice. Crikey. An amazing choice.

I'm sure we could have stayed somewhere less well set up, but having been here I'm not sure I'd want to. Simply amazing. Beautiful grounds, a lovely 'room' (Full suite would be closer). Staff were great and the restaurant is excellent. Met up again with a Swiss family who had been at Olivers on night 2. Far removed from the camp experience, but a very very pleasant interlude.

Trip to the Crater was relatively short allowing an early entrance and allowed us all day in there. An incredible place to visit. Hippos, lions, elephants and the usual plethora of antelope/beests. Watched lions tracking a group of buffalo, but in fact the only 'kill' we saw was a wart hog killed by hyenas (grisly but part of the experience) and the bird life was also amazing. Rhinos too far way to see from our vehicle (this is pretty much the norm apparently), but were able to spot a couple (specs admittedly) from the viewing area.

Geologically incredible place to visit, and fascinating to see a burnt out caldera, having been in an active one (Yellowstone) some years ago."

"We were promised cats and this camp did not disappoint. A great setting, and as we were already familiar with camp protocols it came as no surprise to find Dickson and his team were every bit as welcoming and efficient as Jennifers had been at Olivers.

Food and drink was universally great and they were keen to ensure I was 'tomato' free throughout.

Early starts with breakfast and sunrise were becoming part of our DNA and kevin proved to be phenomenal at finding the photo shoots. Cheetahs, Leopard and Lions galore.

Two days flew past, and we left with a slightly heavy heart, but we had more to see 'up North'"

"This was our last port of call and our third Asilia camp. This one, a mobile camp had tents that were slightly less equipped than Olivers and Namiri Plains. 'Bucket showers' sounded a bit basic but proved to be nothing of the sort. We'd been told by people that this was their favourite camp and looking out at the River in the evenings you could see why.

Goodluck and his team continued to impress, and Asilia's training is clearly top notch. Even a powercut did not stop them sorting out an al fresco breakfast with zero fuss. John the chef is a little genius.

Trips out over our two day stay revealed all the big cats, a 500+ wildebeest crossing and at last a Black rhino. Simply magical. Kevin simply continued to deliver

This camp threw up the only small criticism we could think of. For obvious reasons the bulbs are all light saving, and in main part of tent thats fine, but it would be better to have slightly brighter bulbs in the 'bathroom' area as the mirror lighting was poor especially for make up / hair manipulation in the evening when flaps and sides were down."

"We spent three hours here prior to flying. The airport terminal was undergoing building work and proved to be humid and pretty torrid when we got there so having booked this proved to be a good choice.

Nice little pool, shop with a few nick nacks and bar with a reasonable snack menu. We got on what was going to be quite along trip pretty fresh, and certainly in better shape than we might otherwise.

Certainly a good idea if your wait at Kili airport is going to be protracted. Good spot Olivia. Thanks"