Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs R from Middlesex

"We thought the camp delightful and appreciated having the same guide and driver throughout our stay. We liked going out early in the morning 6.30 and having bush breakfast, but found the first time we did this we didn't get back till almost 1p.m. and found this too tiring so we mentioned this to our hostess and next time returned at 11.30 which was much better. The majority of the time we were the only two passengers in the land rover and consequently were able to ask lots of questions.

Paul was really pleased they gave him a meat alternative when fish was served at lunch time. I liked the barbeque when all the guests and some of the guides sat down together. I mentioned this to our hostess (apologise I can't remember her name) and she said some guests liked being alone especially if they were on honeymoon or were there for a special occasion. I said it was our wedding anniversary and the next evening we were treated to a romantic candle lit dinner complete with a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine.

All the staff, without exception, were kind, friendly and helpful and made the whole experience delightful.

Our only negative comment would be that it might have been nice to have a few more loungers round the pool."

"This was a fabulous experience with very friendly staff and interesting guests.

We are pleased we went to a different part of the Selous as the terrain was quite different. Unfortunately, the trip between the Impala Camp and Sand Rivers was very long taking about five hours, as a bridge had collapsed and we had to go the long way round.

Again, we had the same guide, Edson, throughout our stay and his vast knowledge was amazing, although we did have a little difficulty in understanding him sometimes. It took us a while to realise what a "lilac breasted lola" was!

As there were only a few other guests, there was never any feeling of over crowding and we both liked the fact in both camps the lay out of our bedroom facilities meant we were never aware of any one else.

The food was excellent and beautifully presented but it would have been nice to have a flannel, or something simlar, to wipe our hands with when we had a bush breakfast.

Our hosts, Lynne and Steve were delightful and as previously mentioned, it was nicer dining with other guests. Our final dinner was a surprise beach barbeque."

"We were both very disappointed with this hotel which lacked the warm and friendly feeling of the two game reserves. I think we should not have chosen a location so far from a local village as we felt totally "captive" once at Echo Beach. Neither of us dive and I was worried about being able to get back into a boat if we had chosen to snorkel so things were a bit restricted for us.

Part of the problem was the fact that there was no where really comfy and shady to sit and relax. The swimming pool was in glaring sunshine all the time and the loungers were not very good. There were only 3 other guests at the hotel which didn't add to the atmosphere. We couldn't fault the food and we found the room, which was large, was very basic with nowhere comfortable to sit.

The owner was not surprised when we said we were leaving early and she didn't charge us for luch or our drinks. She did mention she would make a refund and we sincerely hope she will."

"We decided to move to this hotel earlier than anticipated and arrived on Sunday 21st December. Although expensive, we thought every penny was worthwhile as this was a most delightful place to stay. Without exception, all the staff from the cleaners right through to the managers were all friendly and helpful. We were given a fabulous corner room with balcony to the side and front and complimentary basket of fruit. The hotel building was full of character and interest with beautiful features and furnishings.

The location was perfect as we had all the benefits of being by the beach but could meander through the very interesting streets of Stone Town at our leisure as the hotel was so well positioned. Stone Town is interesting with plenty to investigate and we never felt threatened or uncomfortable (except for the humidity) during our stay. An altogether memorable visit."

"We had quite a shock when we arrived here as the comparison to the Serena Inn was so marked. This is a very modern hotel where a lot of thought has gone into the design which was most impressive, with internal fountains etc, but it was very impersonal and the staff not particularly friendly. The bedroom was quite cold and impossible to raise the air-con. Although the bathroom was well designed, I found the bath very slippy and difficult to get out of.

The only meal we had at the hotel was breakfast, which was amazing with a huge choice.

Although the swimming pool was fine, I was a little surprised that there was no shallow end and you were completely out of your depth to begin with.

I'm pleased we had an overnight in Dar. We went to The Slipway on the evening of 26th Dec and arranged for a City Tour for the Saturday before we flew off which gave us the opportunity we had wanted to see Dar which was so different from Zanzibar."

"We both liked this hotel very much and felt the staff much warmer and friendlier than in Dar. Again we were pleased to have the opportunity to see another city and liked having an interesting guide to take us around on our city tour. We both feel it is important to try and understand, if possible, how the local people feel, how there education system works and how they cope with high unemployment etc.

The food was always of high standard and well presented."

"This is a magnificent hotel set in the most beautiful surroundings. I was slightly surprised, however, to have to ask for a drink on arrival as no "welcome drink" was offered despite the fact they knew I was feeling slightly unwell after the flight.

I'm very pleased we stayed in the park as the location to the falls was perfect and it was lovely to sit on the Sun Deck and watch the magnificent sunsets over the Zambezi River. We went to the falls on several occassions and visited the most informative Visitor's Centre as well as taking a taxi to Livingstone to visit the museum.

The breakfasts were extremely good but we only had dinner on our first night as we found the menu a little pretentious for our tastes. I really didn't fancy eating impala! Although I don't really like buffets, we decided to eat dinner at the Zambezi Sun on the remaining evenings as there was a wider choice but I'm pleased we didn't stay there as it was quite noisy with lots of children. However, they had a very nice group playing which made the overall experience very pleasant.

The grounds of the Royal Livingstone are lovely with lots of places to sit and relax although I did find it somewhat offensive to have someone having a foot massage next to me whilst at the swimming pool."

"The hotel staff were pleased to see us and surprised when we returned for yet another day after our flight back to the UK was delayed. They were all most helpful."