Travel reviews by Ms J & Mr J from London
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
4
Excursions taken
0
My Oct 2008 trip
Tanzania between 4 Oct 2008 and 19 Oct 2008
"Generally we enjoyed our trip to Tanzania but missed the early starts that we had enjoyed in Zambia.
The guiding was variable in quality with Beho Beho being excellent and Lake Manze pretty dire. Ras Kutani was pretty and very relaxing and Mwagusi pretty good."
The guiding was variable in quality with Beho Beho being excellent and Lake Manze pretty dire. Ras Kutani was pretty and very relaxing and Mwagusi pretty good."
Arranged By Claire Scott
Ras Kutani, Tanzania (this camp has since closed)
"Surprise Turtles"
3 nights
Arrived
5 Oct 2008
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Average
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Mwagusi Safari Camp
"Charming Mwagusi"
3 nights
Arrived
8 Oct 2008
"Generally a good stay but one got the feeling that some supplies were running a bit low. Meals tended to be 4/5 different vegetable dishes and a very small amount of meat: perhaps more healthy than we had expected!
Standard of guiding was generally OK but we sometimes felt that guides were too eager to call their colleagues when they found a cat so that everyone could come and join the fun. This was OK with lions but we had to insist on leaving a cheetah which the guide said was shy but was actually quite stressed by being followed.
We would have preferred an all inclusive price: drinks proved surprisingly expensive and the prices didn't seem to be advertised."
Standard of guiding was generally OK but we sometimes felt that guides were too eager to call their colleagues when they found a cat so that everyone could come and join the fun. This was OK with lions but we had to insist on leaving a cheetah which the guide said was shy but was actually quite stressed by being followed.
We would have preferred an all inclusive price: drinks proved surprisingly expensive and the prices didn't seem to be advertised."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Average
Facilities
Good
Lake Manze Adventure Camp
"A long way to go"
4 nights
Arrived
11 Oct 2008
"There are some things which are quite good about this camp: the management are friendly, the food is reasonable and the tents fairly comfortable. That said we would never return and would advise that this camp really isn't up to standard yet for inclusion by Expert Africa.
The guiding was the worst we have ever experienced by a long way. The guides were young, inexperienced, often forgot to collect their binoculars and had to borrow ours to identify the birds (which they weren't very good at). They seemed mainly to be interested in finding cats and on one occasion pursued a leopard (we had seen the tail) into a thorny bush so enthusiastically that they had to be stopped as we were in danger of being scratched.
It was obvious that for part of the time on each drive that one guide wasn't even looking for animals/birds as his head never turned. Unfortunately there are so many first timers at this camp that they think the guiding is good providing they can tick things off their list. As a final probelm they got the meeting place for our Beho Beho transfer wrong so we sat around in a very hot and empty part of the bush for over 1 and a half hours and seemed quite happy to sit there for the rest of the day until we took action. This camp marred an otherwise excellent trip."
The guiding was the worst we have ever experienced by a long way. The guides were young, inexperienced, often forgot to collect their binoculars and had to borrow ours to identify the birds (which they weren't very good at). They seemed mainly to be interested in finding cats and on one occasion pursued a leopard (we had seen the tail) into a thorny bush so enthusiastically that they had to be stopped as we were in danger of being scratched.
It was obvious that for part of the time on each drive that one guide wasn't even looking for animals/birds as his head never turned. Unfortunately there are so many first timers at this camp that they think the guiding is good providing they can tick things off their list. As a final probelm they got the meeting place for our Beho Beho transfer wrong so we sat around in a very hot and empty part of the bush for over 1 and a half hours and seemed quite happy to sit there for the rest of the day until we took action. This camp marred an otherwise excellent trip."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Good
Service
Average
Activities
Terrible
Rooms
Average
Food
Average
Facilities
Average
Feedback response
We’re pleased that overall these travellers liked Lake Manze’s friendly management and its comfortable tents, even if they felt let down by its guiding. Responding to these comments, the manager explained that they’ve just received new binoculars – which the guides are now using. We’re sorry that these had not arrived before these travellers visited.
Lake Manze is one of the less costly camps in the Selous. The guides here aren’t as experienced as those at Mwagusi or Beho Beho; this is one reason why Lake Manze is cheaper. That said, they are trying to improve their guiding, and it’s obviously inexcusable for a guide “not to turn his head” whilst on a game drive. The guide has now been reprimanded for his attitude, and we hope he’s turned over a new leaf.
The manager remembers these travellers mentioning that they were unhappy ‘chasing the leopard through the bush’, but says that that they didn’t make any other comments to him about the guiding. This is a shame, as in cases like this, we always urge our travellers to make clear if they are unhappy about anything, and to explain what they want.
Firstly, we’d urge them to speak frankly with their guide – telling him/her what they do and don’t want. If this is done clearly, most guides will then do their best to accommodate the traveller’s wishes.
Secondly, if any traveller is still not happy with their guide, we’d urge them to be very clear about this to the camp’s manager as soon as they return to the lodge! In most cases, including this one, the manager could easily swap them to a different guide.
One specific point: clearly there was some confusion about a rendezvous point. We’re sorry that this happened; with no road names in the bush, it’s an easy mistake. We hope that they were parked in a spot with good birdlife to watch – and meanwhile we’ve talked to both lodges to try and ensure that such misunderstandings don’t happen again.
We remain very sorry that these travellers were unhappy with their guide at Lake Manze, but pleased that they liked everything else there, and that when leaving they felt able to write in the guest book, “Many thanks for an excellent four days – lots of game and birds and splendid hospitality. S. and P., London.”
Lake Manze is one of the less costly camps in the Selous. The guides here aren’t as experienced as those at Mwagusi or Beho Beho; this is one reason why Lake Manze is cheaper. That said, they are trying to improve their guiding, and it’s obviously inexcusable for a guide “not to turn his head” whilst on a game drive. The guide has now been reprimanded for his attitude, and we hope he’s turned over a new leaf.
The manager remembers these travellers mentioning that they were unhappy ‘chasing the leopard through the bush’, but says that that they didn’t make any other comments to him about the guiding. This is a shame, as in cases like this, we always urge our travellers to make clear if they are unhappy about anything, and to explain what they want.
Firstly, we’d urge them to speak frankly with their guide – telling him/her what they do and don’t want. If this is done clearly, most guides will then do their best to accommodate the traveller’s wishes.
Secondly, if any traveller is still not happy with their guide, we’d urge them to be very clear about this to the camp’s manager as soon as they return to the lodge! In most cases, including this one, the manager could easily swap them to a different guide.
One specific point: clearly there was some confusion about a rendezvous point. We’re sorry that this happened; with no road names in the bush, it’s an easy mistake. We hope that they were parked in a spot with good birdlife to watch – and meanwhile we’ve talked to both lodges to try and ensure that such misunderstandings don’t happen again.
We remain very sorry that these travellers were unhappy with their guide at Lake Manze, but pleased that they liked everything else there, and that when leaving they felt able to write in the guest book, “Many thanks for an excellent four days – lots of game and birds and splendid hospitality. S. and P., London.”
Senior Africa Specialist | East & Southern Africa
Beho Beho
"excellence everywhere at Beho Beho"
4 nights
Arrived
15 Oct 2008
"You just can't fault this place. The guiding was knowledgeable, sensitive and the guides soon picked up on what interested us and made the whole experience great fun even though we never found the wild dogs.
The rooms were spectacular, the food was excellent and althogether we were loathe to leave.
We didn't really need/want the level of luxury but the ethos of the management and guides made it worth every penny."
The rooms were spectacular, the food was excellent and althogether we were loathe to leave.
We didn't really need/want the level of luxury but the ethos of the management and guides made it worth every penny."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Road transfer was interesting and quite quick but if you are not arriving on Sunday morning early, the transfer time through the Dar traffic can be quite extended.
The release of baby turtles while we were there was a surprise bonus which gave us a bit of a beach safari too."