Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs P from Flaunden

"We were so impressed with our first two nights in Tanzania staying at Lemala Manyara. We had no great expectations from previous reviews etc. of the area but nothing further could be the case!

We had the whole camp to ourselves which made for a rather surreal "Out of Africa" experience but the staff could not have been more attentive and welcoming which made us feel extra special. The tent was spotless and beautiful and the "talking shower" experience a delight. The sounds of lion in close proximity at night was thrilling. Food was abundant and of good quality, but a lighter lunch would have been quite adequate.

The park was beautiful with varied terrain/habitats and the game quite superb. 50 elephant next to our safari vehicle, 11 lion, 2 leopard and 2 spotted genet were highlights as well as the amazing sighting of thousands of flamingos on the fringe of the lake right in front of our camp. Altogether, a fabulous experience with excellent guiding by Ayoub, a seasoned guide whom we were delighted to spend 5 further days with."

"Another great Lemala camp at Ngorongoro. Excellent comfortable tent again with wooden floor, sofa, hot water bottles and this time a gas heater which was much appreciated in the chilly extremes of the day at altitude. Superb position with easy access to crater at 6am before anybody else. The staff were helpful and polite but seemed a little distant and less interactive than at other camps. Nevertheless, we would recommend this camp above all its competitors because of its location in the wilderness.

We encountered a number of travellers whom excluded the Ngorongoro Crater from their itinerary, for fear of too many vehicles, mass tourism and dust. This was not our experience at this time of year, when the maximum number of vehicles around a lion kill was no more than five, and all drivers were courteous to other visitors and respectful to the animals. At times, we were on our own in parts of the beautiful crater expanse which was an amazing experience.

The game viewing was excellent, despite no off-roading being permitted. 25 lion, 11 black rhino, numerous huge tuckers, hunting hyena and prolific bird life were encountered in this extraordinary geographical setting and was certainly not to be missed. Our morning departure was met with a leopard emerging from the forest on the crater rim road to complete a Big Five sighting!

Again, Ayub, our highly experienced guide for the week was outstanding for his overall care and professionalism."

"Friendly and attentive Asilia staff with good food. Tent was not as clean as with the two Lemala camps we had been to previously and the lack of wooden flooring made this more noticeable. Some bathroom glitches were quickly sorted out by the staff. Nevertheless, taken as a whole, we had a great experience in the heart of the bush here. We enjoyed our community dining in the evening and banter with other guests.

The main reason to come at this time of year is for the migration which was fascinating, although most of the wildebeest were males and birthing was taking place elsewhere in the Serengeti which we did not witness, which was a shame. Plenty of predators in evidence - 42 lion, 13 cheetah and an unusual sighting of 7 African wild dog. We were amazed at the variation of habitats in this area of the Southern Serengeti which made for a great safari.

Ayoub, our superb guide for the previous 4 nights as well, continued to work hard at making sure we saw everything we could have wished for and enhanced the whole experience. We were so sorry to waive him goodbye at the airstrip for our onward travel - he had become a friend over the course of the week."

"We were so pleased that Expert Africa recommended us to stay at this camp in the Northern Serengeti as a fitting conclusion to our 10 night Tanzanian safari under canvas. It was indeed the highlight of the trip.

The camp is stunning, in a great wilderness location and the five star tents with running hot water and glass windows and front doors added to the luxurious experience. Julie, the new manager, was an excellent hostess and the camp staff could not be faulted in any way - always friendly, smiling and anxious to help us to have a great time. The food was superb and the outdoor dining experience on the grassy area in front of the main reception area a real delight. A dip into the infinity pool to cool off in the heat of the day, with wonderful expansive views was a real treat.

The grass was getting quite long at this time of year and made our quest to locate leopard and rhino rather challenging. Nevertheless, sightings of cheetah, lion, bat eared fox and klipspringer were not infrequent. The game is quite different in this extreme Northern part of the Serengeti compared to that in the South, with plenty of elephant and topi as well as grazing antelope and zebra. Precious few wildebeest at this time of year, as the migration is occurring in the Southern Serengeti. This meant that we very rarely saw other safari vehicles which contributed to the exclusive feel of the area. Abundant rocky terrain, plains and forest habitats made for a safari of contrasts and the visit to the Kenyan international border in a very remote and beautiful area was a memorable experience.

Kivuyo, our guide for 3 days, was excellent, and sharing our open safari vehicle with two other guests a welcome change from the open-topped Landcruiser we had used for the previous week."

"Our luggage got lost for >24h between Jo'burg and Livingstone. When the bag arrived nobody informed us and even when we enquired at the lobby desk there was general poor communication between reception staff. It was only due to our own persistence that we got the bag back at all! This was my main gripe about the hotel.

The second point is that at $39 a head for the evening buffet this was overpriced. The service in the restaurant was very good and attentive and has obviously improved since previous reviews I have read. Location was superb. We were hassled by locals trying to sell things when walking over the bridge towards Zimbabwe (we didn't cross the border proper) and other travellers should be alerted about this as they were persistent and difficult to get rid of.

I presume that if we had taken a walking tour organised by the hotel this would not have arisen and we would have been happy to do this had it been recommended for the reasons given."

"Our favourite camp overall. Staff particularly welcoming, friendly and attentive. Customer satisfaction was obviously their overwhelming priority.

Ambience was very relaxed and view from room superb. Game viewing was excellent with Mocks our guide - pride of 12 lion now in the area, now that Savuti channel is filled with water for the first time in 26 years. Regular sightings of leopard and 4 cheetah in one day!

We were chilly on morning drives and only discovered that we coud have been offered a warm poncho on the last day!"

"This camp had only just reopened after refurbishment. We were the first guests to stay in the new tented room and there were a few probably inevitable glitches. Hot and cold taps in outside shower were the wrong way round, and there was no blind on the window by the indoor shower leading to lack of privacy. The staff did attend to the latter as soon as we mentioned it, however.

No tea and coffee facilities in rooms, unlike at other camps and no safe in room. Staff very friendly, especially Nick and Dawson. We were rarely collected on time at 6am by the staff though for breakfast and there were inconsistencies in advice given regarding making our own way which I am sure would have not been company policy. Area given for breakfast cramped and poorly laid out. I think this is a reflection of the fact that the camp had only just reopened and that staff had not yet got the feel about what worked well or less well.

Game viewing excellent and Andy the guide superb. Cheetah, lion and superb leopard to be seen. An opportunity for extra night drive would have been welcomed, as there was more to be seen here than at the other camps after dark."

"Area around the camp island has more water in it than ever before! Previous guests had been stranded in their Land Rovers in water and had to be towed out. The Company therefore acquired Devil boats from Tuba Tree to cut an access channel through the reeds in the surrounding flood plain so that we could access the camp by boat and circumvent the need for road access. Not ideal experience at night with ++ bugs but the company went out of their way to make guests comfortable and satisfied in difficult circumstances for them.

Shop was the best of all the camps and camp open layout was the best design. Staff exceedingly helpful and friendly - meeting guests on jetty with glass of sherry a particularly nice touch. Suvara the guide excellent with good viewing of lion with cubs and pangolin!!!!

Less game evident here overall, compared to other camps - ?due to prevalence of surrounding water. This should not dissuade others going there. The experience was very varied and a trip to the Delta would not have been representative without visiting Little Vumbura. Lovely camp!"