Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs H from Warminster
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
4
Excursions taken
0
My Sep 2012 trip
Tanzania between 22 Sep 2012 and 5 Oct 2012
"Absolutely fantastic and lived up to and in fact exceeded our expectations. We had been wanting to go on a safari for several years and when this year we finally decided that we would go we thought it was going to be Botswana.
However having had many very useful and informative phone calls with the Ellie and other members of the Expert Africa team we ended up going to Tanzania, and were delighted with our choice. Everything that Ellie said was accurate in every respect and we would not hesitate to return to a wonderful country, with fantastic people, scenery and wildlife
Ellie could not have been more helpful and our overall experience with the Expert Africa team was excellent. I would not hesitate to use Expert Africa again or indeed recommend them to other people.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
No!"
However having had many very useful and informative phone calls with the Ellie and other members of the Expert Africa team we ended up going to Tanzania, and were delighted with our choice. Everything that Ellie said was accurate in every respect and we would not hesitate to return to a wonderful country, with fantastic people, scenery and wildlife
Ellie could not have been more helpful and our overall experience with the Expert Africa team was excellent. I would not hesitate to use Expert Africa again or indeed recommend them to other people.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
No!"
Kwihala Camp
"Kwihala Camp Review"
4 nights
Arrived
23 Sep 2012
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Beho Beho
"Beho Beho Review"
5 nights
Arrived
27 Sep 2012
"We were told Beho Beho would be a wonderful camp and so went with high expectations, which were absolutely exceeded! Quite simply wonderful in each and every respect.
Location - The location is stunning. The camp sits in a fantastic location with very far reaching views over the plains. You are able to sit in your room or in the main camp lounge area and watch a huge variety of wildlife both near and far. The camp has a small watering hole about 40 meters from the main lounge and bar area, which attracts a huge variety of wildlife, including Elephant, Buffalo, Hippo, Hyena, and Impala to name but a few. You never go anywhere around camp without your binoculars as there is always something to watch!
Rooms - This is on a whole different level to a tented safari! The rooms are magnificent and make the most of the wonderful views. The front of the room is entirely open to the elements with seating arranged to make wildlife watching easy and comfortable. They are very spacious indeed and had everything that we could possibly wish for to make our stay extremely comfortable.
Service - Quite simply the best service that we have had anywhere in the world. The staff at Beho Beho pride themselves on making you feel like a family guest and that is exactly how we felt. There was a very happy atmosphere all the time between staff and guests which led a very relaxed feel, despite the camp being run with great efficiency. Everything they said they would do, they did. Nothing was too much trouble and whatever the request they received they seemed to be able to deliver and do so with a genuine smile! We could go on much longer but the service we received here will be remembered for a very long time and will be the benchmark against which others will be judged! Walter and Karin were fantastic, exceptional managers leading an exceptional team.
Activities - Again these were superb. At Beho Beho they are very keen that everyone experiences all that is on offer and each evening and at lunchtime you are asked what it is that you would like to do for either the morning or afternoon activities. This is mainly either walking or driving, both of which are totally different experiences but equally excellent. They rotate the guides and so on each walk or drive you will have a different guide which ensures that you benefit from all the guides knowledge and expertise. Every guest is also taken on a trip to Lake Tagalala, which again is something very different to the drives and walks and a fantastic experience.
We also took advantage of the bush night, which really encapsulated their service and attention to detail. We don't want to describe it in any real detail here for fear of spoiling the experience for others, but suffice it to say, it will certainly exceed all your expectations and you will have the most wonderful experience. It is quite a lot extra to do but in our view, it is absolutely worth it. Walter and Saning'o ensured that our bush night would be a memory that we were very unlikely to forget.
Food - The food was both excellent and varied. We had meals served in a different place each and every meal time, which was wonderful for us but must have been difficult for the staff. Our most memorable location being the lookout where as we sat having lunch overlooking a river valley a leopard quietly sauntered along and then rested in the shade! As stated above going the extra mile is what they do and what they do very well! We were there for six nights and there was not a hint of repetition at any time. Any dietary requirements were accommodated without fuss and all meals were taken together, making them happy and enjoyable occasions.
Activities ~ By now you will appreciate that we felt Beho Beho excelled in all areas and the activities were no different. We were very keen to have a high standard of guiding and Beho Beho has just that! As mentioned above, the guides rotate making the most of their individual knowledge and experience. At no time was there more than 4 guests in the vehicle and sometimes it was just the two of us. All the guides had a fantastic knowledge of the area and the wide variety of wildlife found there. The walking was excellent and the guiding experience that you are able to have whilst walking is very different to that on a driven safari. When we walked it was just the two of us and a guide and whilst we were warned that we would probably not see as much as when in a vehicle, in fact we had some wonderful sitings. When walking in the afternoon you suddenly come across a table and chairs in the middle of the bush with your sun-downers ready for you! Quite incredible! Whilst we felt absolutely safe whilst walking in very capable hands of the guides, there is no doubt that it does get the adrenalin going!
Facilities ~ Brilliant! everything we could possibly want, even a snooker table where we had several tournaments with the staff, some going on until the early hours!
We have been planning our first safari for some years and Beho Beho brought a dream to reality in every respect."
Location - The location is stunning. The camp sits in a fantastic location with very far reaching views over the plains. You are able to sit in your room or in the main camp lounge area and watch a huge variety of wildlife both near and far. The camp has a small watering hole about 40 meters from the main lounge and bar area, which attracts a huge variety of wildlife, including Elephant, Buffalo, Hippo, Hyena, and Impala to name but a few. You never go anywhere around camp without your binoculars as there is always something to watch!
Rooms - This is on a whole different level to a tented safari! The rooms are magnificent and make the most of the wonderful views. The front of the room is entirely open to the elements with seating arranged to make wildlife watching easy and comfortable. They are very spacious indeed and had everything that we could possibly wish for to make our stay extremely comfortable.
Service - Quite simply the best service that we have had anywhere in the world. The staff at Beho Beho pride themselves on making you feel like a family guest and that is exactly how we felt. There was a very happy atmosphere all the time between staff and guests which led a very relaxed feel, despite the camp being run with great efficiency. Everything they said they would do, they did. Nothing was too much trouble and whatever the request they received they seemed to be able to deliver and do so with a genuine smile! We could go on much longer but the service we received here will be remembered for a very long time and will be the benchmark against which others will be judged! Walter and Karin were fantastic, exceptional managers leading an exceptional team.
Activities - Again these were superb. At Beho Beho they are very keen that everyone experiences all that is on offer and each evening and at lunchtime you are asked what it is that you would like to do for either the morning or afternoon activities. This is mainly either walking or driving, both of which are totally different experiences but equally excellent. They rotate the guides and so on each walk or drive you will have a different guide which ensures that you benefit from all the guides knowledge and expertise. Every guest is also taken on a trip to Lake Tagalala, which again is something very different to the drives and walks and a fantastic experience.
We also took advantage of the bush night, which really encapsulated their service and attention to detail. We don't want to describe it in any real detail here for fear of spoiling the experience for others, but suffice it to say, it will certainly exceed all your expectations and you will have the most wonderful experience. It is quite a lot extra to do but in our view, it is absolutely worth it. Walter and Saning'o ensured that our bush night would be a memory that we were very unlikely to forget.
Food - The food was both excellent and varied. We had meals served in a different place each and every meal time, which was wonderful for us but must have been difficult for the staff. Our most memorable location being the lookout where as we sat having lunch overlooking a river valley a leopard quietly sauntered along and then rested in the shade! As stated above going the extra mile is what they do and what they do very well! We were there for six nights and there was not a hint of repetition at any time. Any dietary requirements were accommodated without fuss and all meals were taken together, making them happy and enjoyable occasions.
Activities ~ By now you will appreciate that we felt Beho Beho excelled in all areas and the activities were no different. We were very keen to have a high standard of guiding and Beho Beho has just that! As mentioned above, the guides rotate making the most of their individual knowledge and experience. At no time was there more than 4 guests in the vehicle and sometimes it was just the two of us. All the guides had a fantastic knowledge of the area and the wide variety of wildlife found there. The walking was excellent and the guiding experience that you are able to have whilst walking is very different to that on a driven safari. When we walked it was just the two of us and a guide and whilst we were warned that we would probably not see as much as when in a vehicle, in fact we had some wonderful sitings. When walking in the afternoon you suddenly come across a table and chairs in the middle of the bush with your sun-downers ready for you! Quite incredible! Whilst we felt absolutely safe whilst walking in very capable hands of the guides, there is no doubt that it does get the adrenalin going!
Facilities ~ Brilliant! everything we could possibly want, even a snooker table where we had several tournaments with the staff, some going on until the early hours!
We have been planning our first safari for some years and Beho Beho brought a dream to reality in every respect."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Beho Beho Tree-house
"Beho Beho fly-camping review"
1 night
Arrived
2 Oct 2012
"This was a fantastic experience. We wish not to spoil it for others who have yet to experience the Beho Beho bush camp but are confident that anyone who goes on it will have the most wonderful time. As with Beho Beho it is the staff and the attention to detail that makes this so special and it is an experience that we will both remember for a very long time to come.
If you are thinking about doing it we would definitely recommend it. There is no question that it is an expensive add on but in our view it was worth every penny and when you see the trouble and effort that they go to the price is very reasonable!"
If you are thinking about doing it we would definitely recommend it. There is no question that it is an expensive add on but in our view it was worth every penny and when you see the trouble and effort that they go to the price is very reasonable!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Ras Kutani, Tanzania (this camp has since closed)
"Ras Kutani review"
2 nights
Arrived
3 Oct 2012
"We were only at Ras Kutani for two nights arriving at 18.00 one evening and leaving at 0600 a day later and therefore there were many aspects of the property that I am sure we did not experience. Ellie recommended Ras Kutani as an alternative to driving into Dar for the night before our morning flight left back to the UK. Instead of battling the Dar traffic you take a 10 minute flight out to Ras Kutani, where you are able to relax, sort yourselves out and prepare your flight home.
The staff did everything they possible could to make our short stay enjoyable. Mark, the manager, introduced himself to us on the evening of our arrival, and made sure that we had everything we needed for our stay. They are very used to people doing as we did, and using the property as a stop over prior to flying home and had the departure routine down to a fine art. Even though we had to leave at 0615 a full cooked breakfast was waiting for us at 0600, setting us up well for our long trip home. The food, staff and location were great.
Ellie's recommendation was perfect and suited us very well indeed."
The staff did everything they possible could to make our short stay enjoyable. Mark, the manager, introduced himself to us on the evening of our arrival, and made sure that we had everything we needed for our stay. They are very used to people doing as we did, and using the property as a stop over prior to flying home and had the departure routine down to a fine art. Even though we had to leave at 0615 a full cooked breakfast was waiting for us at 0600, setting us up well for our long trip home. The food, staff and location were great.
Ellie's recommendation was perfect and suited us very well indeed."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Rooms - The tents were well spaced out giving a pleasant sense of privacy. They were well equipped, clean and everything worked as we were told it would. The bucket shower was extremely easy to use and there was plenty of hot water. In short the room had everything in it that we required.
Service - The camp staff were excellent and could not have done more to make our stay enjoyable. There was always someone there to meet us when we arrived or left camp. The service was unobtrusive and yet always there with the sense that nothing was too much trouble.
We did pick up on some tension between the self employed guides and their interaction with the camp schedule. (We were unaccompanied by our guide on the last game drive as this was determined to be an airport transfer which "was not in his contract" despite the fact that to us it was a normal morning game drive starting at 6.30am and finishing at the airstrip at 11.00am) A disappointing aspect of this was that we were only told of this arrangement at 10pm on the night prior to departure which meant it was difficult for us to thank our guide as we would have wished to do so. As things worked out we had a fantastic last drive with Saidie who was an excellent guide.
Food - The food was excellent. If anything we were slightly overwhelmed by the quantity but that was probably just us adjusting to the heat! The change of location for dinner each evening added another dimension to the experience and one which we greatly enjoyed.
Activities - The game drives that we did were exceptional - we asked if we could explore different areas of the park, which was always accommodated and allowed us to get a better perspective of the area. However, although we mentioned doing night drives and walking safaris as soon as we arrived, and whilst there was a reasonably positive response they were never organized. This was a shame as we had wanted to do both night drives and walking whilst at the camp. Our rating remains excellent on the basis of the drives that we had and the quality of the guiding. We had the same two guides all the time we were there. Mark, who arrived at the camp on the same day we did and Saidie who had worked at the camp for some time. Both Mark and Saidie could not have been more helpful. They asked what we wanted to see, went at the pace we wanted to and ensured that our first trip to Africa was an experience we would remember for ever.
Facilities - All that we wanted and required to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable was present, we neither needed or wanted any more."