Travel reviews by MR & Mrs C from W Sussex

"We loved Gomoti Plains - such a nice camp, and the staff were so friendly, like a big happy family.

The food was amazing - probably the best out of all our trip. And the drinks (including branded spirits) were all included.

Wildlife often came through the camp - in fact, elephants held us hostage in our tent a couple of times, as they seemed to love the leaves just outside - a very special experience!

The tent was also really nice - a bit nippy on the windy night, as the velcro sides didn't stay fastened, but all part of the experience, and a 'breather' after some very hot days.

We did a mokoro trip - that was nice to see things from a different perspective, and always good to try something new.

Sadly there were no rhinos in the area - our guide told us that they had been moved to a different part of the country a few years ago. Had we known that, we would have booked to go somewhere else, as trying to spot rhinos (albeit always a low chance) was the main reason for our holiday.

As a tip for others, we didn't really need any non-safari clothes, as we went to meals straight after the game drives."

"Splash Camp was great - highly recommended.

The chalet-style rooms were extremely spacious and comfortable.

Food was tasty, and there was a help-yourself bar, with branded spirits included, and this was a nice area for guests to mingle.

Just for info, there is no Wi-Fi anywhere in the camp - a good excuse to switch off!

Laundry was included (and they did 'smalls!)

Our guide (Dave, with Village the Tracker) was great - really went the extra mile to make things perfect for us, and to find the special animals. We felt very safe and cared-for in their hands.

The sundowner on the boat, with hippos nearby, having seen elephants crossing the river, was the highlight of our trip.

As a tip for others, we didn't really need any non-safari clothes, as we went to meals straight after the game drives."

"The boat was very nice, as were the cabins and the food.

The table layouts were good ... they were set up in numbers, eg if you were a group of four, you picked one of the sets of four, but could vary which ones you chose.

Unfortunately there were problems with the engines, and the boat didn't move on the two main days, so we only got to experience it for a couple of hours on the day we arrived (while we were unpacking, which we wouldn't have done if we'd known that was our only chance to watch the world go by) and an hour on the day we left (while we were packing, which again we'd have done the evening before had we known). It was a real shame and, whilst the tender trips still took place, that wasn't the purpose of our stay, as we had already done two safaris at this point. The communication wasn't brilliant (for example they put on an extra tender trip, but not all the guests were told about it), and it all felt a bit odd. Also, it was very hot while the boat was stationary, so most people stayed in their air-conditioned cabins. (And the engineers forgot to turn the boilers back on, so we all had cold showers one evening!) There were also quite a few power cuts, but only for a few minutes at a time.

Soft drinks, beer and wine were included, but spirits weren't, which wasn't what we'd been told. The bartender poured me a gin (and made it a double without me asking) and then asked for my room number to put it on the bill. There were no obvious price-lists (and I was too embarrassed to ask).

Also to note an update to the info, laundry isn't included.

The tender boat trips were good, in so far as you got to see (hundreds and hundreds of!) elephants up close, plus birds, hippos and crocodiles. However, having just been on safaris where distances were kept, the tender boats got uncomfortably close to the birds and animals, causing them to rush away. This isn't a criticism of ZQ - there were dozens of boats on the river doing the same.

We initially had no info about tipping ... our tender boat guide strongly hinted on our last afternoon that he wouldn't be taking us out any more, so we felt that a tip was expected at that point (despite him spending most of the trips on his mobile phone, but maybe that was with colleagues?) so we went back to our cabin and gave him a tip. Then in the evening, the main 'host' told us that we could put tips in a box and they would be shared with the whole crew, including the boat guides ... we felt a bit duped.

I'd request not to be in cabins 12 and 13 - these are on the lowest floor, and next to the tender boats, so quite noisy (especially when working on the engines) and not very private (keep your curtains drawn). The view wasn't very good, especially when moored up (double anchor, so not evening swinging) for over two days.

A tip - people did tend to wear nice (but not posh) clothes, especially in the evenings ... I had only really brought safari-type clothes, so felt a little underdressed!

Also for info - depending on the time of year (earlier rainfall) depends how far up the river the boat can go.

To follow up please - quite a few of the guests had suggested they'd be getting a partial refund - please could this be checked out for us?"

"We loved, loved, loved Nkosi Lodge - it was perfect for us.

Pretty much everyone else we met on the other parts of our trip were staying at the Victoria Falls Hotel, but we were really pleased with our choice ... it was low-key, relaxed, and just what we needed.

The staff were soooo nice - really friendly and helpful. Food was very tasty too.

There's a small pool which we used a couple of times, with a few comfy loungers around it.

It's about a 45-minute leisurely walk to the Falls.

A tip - we visited the Falls around 2-4pm, to try and see the rainbows, and it didn't disappoint. There were also no crowds at that time, so it was easy to get photos.

Our late lunch at the Lookout Café (table 7 - lovely) was also really nice ... pleased we did that."