Travel reviews by Mr N. from Watford

"I enjoyed every part of my stay at Lake Manze Adventure Camp, and found it to be the perfect base from which to explore the beauty of Selous Game Reserve.

The camp had a truly authentic, and rather rustic feel, and the local wildlife, including giraffes, elephants and impala would frequently wander through camp. My tent had everything I needed, and I slept very well despite being woken occasionally at night by grazing hippos, and the sound of nearby hyenas and lions.

Shaun and Millie were incredibly welcoming, and always sat with the guests at meal times, and entertained us with their stories. Dinner under the stars was wonderful, and we would see the resident genets and bush baby each evening. The food was always very tasty, and my vegetarian diet was very well catered for.

One thing that I especially liked about Lake Manze was that guests can choose their own itinerary for each day. You could choose a morning game drive with bush breakfast, come back for lunch and a little siesta, then go out again in the afternoon for another game drive. Or you could decide on a boat trip instead of one of these. Alternatively you could have breakfast at camp, and then experience an all day game drive with bush lunch.

I was lucky enough to be the only one on my safari vehicle, and was shown the wonders of the game reserve by my expert guide Kalisti who was very knowledgeable, and shared my passion for birds. He was ably assisted by my driver/guide Kamkumba, who pointed out plenty of wildlife, and negotiated the sometimes tricky tracks with great skill.

As a conclusion, I would thoroughly recommend Lake Manze Camp. The hosts and all of the staff made my stay a special one, which I will remember for a very long time. I had so many excellent wildlife sightings, and Selous Game Reserve is a stunning region of Tanzania. I hope to return one day!"

"From the moment I saw the view when I first arrived at Ikuka Safari Camp, I knew I was going to enjoy my stay. The camp has a stylish, yet very natural and rustic look to it, and its location looking out across Ruaha National Park was absolutely stunning. The rooms are very spacious and tastefully designed, and the veranda also has great views across Ruaha.

The staff at Ikuka were all incredibly friendly, and went out of their way to make sure you had everything you needed. The managers Mark and Tanya were also very friendly and attentive, and always had dinner with the guests in the evening. All of the food was delicious, and there was always a special vegetarian option waiting for me, which was much appreciated!

Our safari guide Habibo was very knowledgeable, and led us to some amazing views of two separate leopards, hundreds of elephants and plenty of beautiful birds. He also found some lovely spots for us to enjoy our sundowners and to take in the sights and sounds of Ruaha.

I had been wanting to visit Ruaha for several years prior to my trip, and wasn't disappointed. It really had a rugged beauty to it. Being the green season, the wildlife was rather spread out, but we still saw plenty, especially elephants. I have never seen so many in my life! The birdlife was outstanding too. I hope to visit again someday!"

"After visiting Selous and Ruaha, Amani Beach was the perfect place to relax and unwind. There was some confusion when I arrived at Dar domestic airport, as I couldn't see the person from Amani Beach who was supposed to drive me to the resort. I eventually had to take a taxi. The journey took just under two hours, and the roads were bumpy in places, but it was fascinating to see the outskirts of Dar es Salaam. When I arrived at Amani I was given a warm welcome, and they said their driver had been looking for me, but we obviously missed each other. This was soon forgotten when I heard the sound of the Indian Ocean, as I was taken to my comfortable lodge, which overlooked the beach.

All of the staff were very friendly, and were constantly on the go. Whether it was in the dining area, or staff maintaining the attractive gardens. The food although not particularly exciting was well cooked and very tasty, and my lodge had everything I needed. The air conditioning was especially welcome!

I did enjoy being a few seconds walk from the beach, and the swimming pool, and hearing the therapeutic sound of the ocean. On my last day I went for a swim in the shallows with my goggles on, and was mesmerised by the marine life living amongst the rocks. So many colourful fish! The resident blue monkeys which lived around the grounds were also fascinating to watch.

I would recommend a stay at Amani Beach, pre or post safari. A great place to recharge the batteries."