Travel reviews by Mr A. from Newton Abbot

"Sea Cliff hotel used as a Dar es Salaam stop-over prior to and on return from our Safari. Hotel suited us perfectly for this. The only consideration is that its quite a drive to get to from the airport (especially during busy traffic periods)

I have not marked the hotel down on location because there isn't an issue with location as such (its in a very nice part of Dar), only that its a good drive from the airport."

"Second time staying at Siwandu and still a great place to stay. Fantastic location on the edge of a lake.

Many activity options available including a boat safari, seeing Hippo, Crocodile up close as well as lots of birds. Also walking safari available if desired (we didn't do this) Not entirely clear if night drives are possible at Siwandu.

Food and service top-notch. Really enjoyed the pre-dinner camp fire chat. Emile was a great camp manager, larger than life and very engaging. Additionally, was very helpful to me when trying to capture particular types of photos around the camp (star trails)"

"A fantastic tented camp right next to the river (albeit bone dry) Everything about our stay at Kwihala was fantastic.

Guiding was great thanks to David, we saw so many things over the four days. We also found ourselves having many interesting conversations about a variety of topics (David was very knowledgable about all things Tanzania).

It seems that Asilia are the standard bearers for what quality and attentiveness of service can be like when on safari. I cannot stress enough how thoughtful and caring the staff were in all aspects of the service they provide.

The food quality was fantastic (fine dining in the bush, seriously) especially given we are vegetarians and accept this might be limiting. We were even given a welcome tour of the kitchen facilities (the charcoal fridge is ingenious)"

"Katavi is simply a specular location for viewing wildlife - We had our best sightings of Lion, Leopard, Hippo, Crocodile and buffalo ever of all our safaris to date.

You also realise immediately how incredibly remote you are - over the three days we didn't see more than half a dozen other vehicles (and these were mostly from our camp)

Chada camp is different to other camps we have stayed in. It's very simple and perhaps rustic in look and feel (authentic?). You could argue that some refreshing of the accommodation would be desirable, however this is not a distraction from staying here (it was just something noticeable when coming from Kwihala camp in Ruaha)

Service was really good, food good and tasty and the guiding from Bismas fantastic. We also had a great night drive and saw so much more than you would ordinarily see during the day.

Worth noting that there are Tetse flies at Katavi. Not an issue when the guides know where they are but we did have one evening drive (wrong turn) where we got caught big time with the little sods. A small price to pay given the magic that is Katavi (just have strong insect repellent)"

"I don't really know where to start...

Simply the very best safari experience we have every had. Everything about the place is astonishing, even how you get there.

When you first catch sight of Greystoke from the Dhow, its enough to make you catch your breath (or tear to your eye) - Its beautiful and situated right on the lake beach.

The 'bandas' you stay in are simply fantastic, high quality, plenty of room and beautifully put together. You even get an upstairs.

The service, food, and activity options are great (these are not normal safari activities) - We spent most afternoons diving of the boat into Lake Takanika. (you can't do this from the shore due to the odd Hippo and Crocodile)

The highlight is (of course) the time you spend trekking to and spending time with the Chimps. Its completely magical and unlike viewing any other animal (that we have experienced) - Coupled to this is the time you spend with the guides (for us Butatis & Mwega) The knowledge and passion they have for the M Group of Chimpanzees is spectacular. (Both have spent many years in Chimp company so (as expected) are an authority on their behaviour and back story)

My tip when spending time at Greystoke is to take some time learning the back story to M group and their current structure / hierarchy. This adds to the experience significantly when actually observing them."