Travel reviews by Annabel from Somerset

"I chose to stay at Aero Club after landing at Jomo Kenyatta late night from London. I had a morning flight from Wilson and preferred to get the transfer over and avoid Nairobi's morning traffic. It was a good call and I'd definitely make it again.

The Aero Club is not luxurious but it is very 'real' in a Kenya kind of way, with all sorts of historical and colonial references to pilots past and present (including the half dozen or so who were sitting at the bar at midnight - I was invited to join them but declined, fingers crossed that none of them were flying me into the bush next morning).

My 'Captain's Room' was more than adequate. Clean, good space for luggage, coffee and tea facilities, shower and loo., (plus my B.A. mini bottle of red!) I slept well.

The Club has pretty gardens with views to the airfield, and a lovely (chilly looking) pool. There's also a terrace where you can have breakfast."

"This was my second stay at a Kicheche camp - the first was at Bush Camp in January 22.

This camp is in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, which specialises in rhino and has a high density of the threatened Black Rhino. The camp is very small, only six tents, (although I think some of these are doubles for families), which are well spread along sandy paths either side of the mess and dining tents. As at all Kicheche camps, an askari (guide) will always walk you to your door between dusk and dawn, which is just as well because wildlife does wander in, (I certainly heard leopard and hyena close by), despite the fence which is designed to keep out bigger beasts such as elephant and buffalo.

The camp overlooks a small reservoir, which had water in it when I was there (it rained quite a lot), but only ever a lone antelope that I saw.

The new manager, Anita, is wonderful. A white South African, career safari camp manager who literally throws her not inconsiderable weight into the job. What makes her so good is her sensitivity to the mood/character of her guests. She played a very inoffensive, very funny, practical joke on me which could have been a disaster (I hate practical jokes) but it was so finely tuned and so well done because she had so quickly and correctly sussed my humour - it was hysterical. That, to me, is the sign of a true hospitality professional.

Anita’s deputy is a HUGE man who I always called Naff, although I may well have misheard the introduction. He is also brilliant, as are all the camp staff. Look out for Jamu in the restaurant - he will remember your favourite cocktail/sundowner/wine until the day he dies.

Food is good, unpretentious and largely successful. I found the breakfast choices difficult since it’s not something I normally eat and I don’t like granola. But then I cracked it with delicious fresh salad of tropical fruit, yoghurt and local honey. There is no communal dining table as I’d had previously at Bush Camp. Guests are seated with their travelling companions, so I was Billy No Mates (when Anita didn’t join me) but would far rather that than be seated with someone not of my choice (which happened later, at Kicheche Mara). The evening mess tent (there’s a different one for lunch) has lovely log fires at each end - one by the big bouncy sofas, another in the dining area itself.

The ‘tents’ are as I recall them at Bush Camp - well-appointed, comfortable, down-to-earth and a teeny bit rustic/colonial. Wellies, brollies, torches all supplied. Good charging facilities for phones, camera batteries, et al. The Kicheche group is part-owned by a wildlife photographer, so the camps are particularly well geared for photographers’ needs. This includes their guides, some of the best in Kenya, who are trained to position their vehicles for the most beneficial angle/light. Sounds tedious, but you don’t know it's happening until you realise how good your normally very amateur pictures are turning out.

Beds are comfortable and you’ll find a (somewhat overfilled) hot water bottle waiting for you after dinner. (I thought mine was a visiting mammal the first time, such was its shape, size and radiating heat).

Showers are also good, although it takes a while for the solar generated hot water to come through, which is a bit disconcerting when signs make you gently aware of the preciousness of water. I brought this up with Anita who said all water is re-used.

I had my wonderful guide, Simon and his vehicle, all to myself. That was a rare and really special treat.

Simon is mad about birds. I wasn’t (and had actually said as much on my Expert Africa wish list) - but Simon very gracefully converted me, so much so that I spent the next nine days looking for a Malachite Kingfisher - which I finally found.

Simon also went out of his way to find me leopard (a no show) and to take me close to Black Rhino, which had been my main reason for choosing this camp. We watched, and I would even say interacted with, more than ten individuals, including mothers with calves. All of the rhinos at Ol Pejeta are ear-notched and given a number, and each individual has to be located and recorded EVERY DAY by the Ol Pejeta rangers, so it was a real pleasure to be a part of this as Simon and I noted each animal we saw, radioed its position, or told the rangers as we came across them face to face.

As to Ol Pejeta itself, I would say there is traffic. It’s nothing like the big reserves such as the Mara, but parts of the conservancy are open to campers and there are school visits to the Northern White rhinos, etc. All to the good, and Kicheche Laikipia is in its own area, so it's not a problem.

Go to the Rhino Cemetery. I was in tears reading the plaques on cairns that commemorate the deaths of so many rhinos (not) killed (but left to die) by poachers, and how these animals were sacrificed for such a small but ludicrously over-priced and worthless portion of their vast and irreplaceable bodies. It is unbelievably moving, especially when you drive away and find yourself within a few feet of their living cousins.

The Ol Pejeta landscape is a mix of wide open plains and scrubby bush, which is why, according to Simon, it’s quite hard to find leopard - these cats don’t like open country, and since there are few tall trees, they stay low in the bush and are hard to see.

On the other hand, the open plains should be prime cheetah country but a coalition of three brothers had recently been ‘lost’ - two thought to have been killed by lions, one thought to have moved to the Mara, so we saw no cheetah. Hopefully things will improve and there'll be lots of new cheetah for you to see!

In summing up: I'm not sure this is the camp for 'newbies' looking for a sure-fired ticking off of the ‘Big Five’ - although they are all there. I missed leopard (and cheetah) but saw many elephant, buffalo and lion, and of course the rhino. Go here for the rhino because they are guaranteed like nowhere else, for great hospitality, good food, enthusiastic service, spectacular guiding, BIRDS, all of the plains animals and more - bat-eared fox, black backed jackal, baby hyena - and night drives, where you can learn about the difference between a predator’s eyes - close together, front facing and reflecting the red of the torch filter - and those of its prey - wide apart, side set and glowing white. Like this, I saw a serval, a pair of porcupine, mongoose, jackal and hyena.

This camp isn't luxe but to me it's the best of its kind. A lovely, quiet place with great management, faultless guiding and good hospitality. A great place to slip into safari mode or wind down before returning home."

"This is hard for me to review because I’ve never been anywhere quite like it. It's fairly remote - it certainly took a while to get there by road from Kicheche Laikipia via Nanyuki. Fly to Loisaba airstrip if you can because that’s how I left and it avoided a horrible main road full of potholes. Having said that, my transfer driver was incredibly skilled and seemed to know every hazard and how to avoid it, and the journey is definitely worth it, however you get there.

This camp has no airs and graces or ‘extras’ but is very genuine and welcoming. I instantly felt at home. It’s like staying with your slightly eccentric extended family in their fittingly eccentric home. Your coffee cups might not get cleared away immediately and there are no hot water bottles in your bed (as at Kicheche) but it really doesn’t matter. You are surrounded by real knowledge, and the Zimbabwean owner, his Kenyan partner and their wonderful staff exude enthusiasm for everything around them. They also have four dogs equally enthusiastic dogs - big but not scary.

The comfortable guest tents are built on a hillside. Each has all the essentials including a really effective shower with properly hot water in a ‘bathroom’ that is open to the sky but can be zipped closed to separate it from the (ceilinged) bedroom.

There is a small building with sofas, desks, charging points and the only guaranteed wi-fi, although I found I could ‘carry’ wi-fi to my tent, once I’d picked it up.

The 'mess' is raised with steps up to a big, covered area with sofas and a long dinner table, and an open area with good views, more seating, and a less formal table where breakfast and brunch are served. They also have a great raised deck at the edge of a nearby lake, where we had brunch one day and also saw Grevy’s zebra, crocodile, hippo and elephant at various times.

The food is really good - not fancy but hearty and plenty of it, taken around a big long table at dinner and less formally at ‘brunch’ which is served mid morning, as soon as everyone’s back from the drives. This replaces and seems much more sensible than the more formal lunch at 1 pm which other camps do but which chops into the (much needed, I find) free time between drives.

I chose this camp because it’s known for its wild dog and because I wanted to feel slightly more intrepid than on my previous safari. I booked over a year ahead, before I'd heard about the black leopard, Giza.

When I arrived, I was told that the dogs were out of range (three of the pack were wearing tracking collars) and hadn’t been seen for a while. I was disappointed but accepting. I didn’t dare ask about Giza but I did see her that evening, albeit in darkness. There was also a leopard in camp after dinner, chased away by the askari. Next morning, the dogs’ signals were picked up heading towards us. I had thought the collars were a bit of a cheat and would take the excitement out of seeing them - not at all! Knowing they were coming our way and might be seen at any time made things extra gripping. I spent the early part of the morning with my guide, Simon, who showed and taught me a lot of his local knowledge and then, by 9.15 the dogs had arrived and we were watching them flopping about, dozing and cleaning themselves and each other. An amazing morning - but my third and last evening/night at Wilderness was one I’ll never forget and really illustrates why a stay at this camp can be so utterly special.

My photos tell me that from 5.30 pm we sat with the black leopard for half an hour in the most beautiful golden light. At 6.45 we were with the dogs once more, watching them chase and catch dik-dik. By 7.30 we were sitting on the edge of a lake, sipping wine as our dinner cooked on an open campfire, and leopards’ eyes shone at us from across the water. After dinner, individual tents were raised (because there were mosquitos - we would have slept in the open otherwise) and I snuck into the cosiest camp bed ever, and fell asleep looking through my mesh ceiling at the Milky Way. I never felt scared. I was with three people who’d done this all their lives, including a Samburu spotter, plus a guard dog and (somewhere) a rifle. Two of those three people had a leopard outside their tent for most of the night. It was amazing. Do it if you possibly can.

I would highly recommend this camp to anyone who wants a really safe and rewarding stay in a slightly more edgy environment. The wild dog and leopard are not guaranteed - I know I was incredibly lucky - but you'll still have a wonderful experience."

"This is one of four Kicheche Camps and the third I’ve stayed in. It borders the Maasai Mara Reserve but is in the Mara North conservancy, which means it has masses of animals but none of the traffic you get in the reserve. It’s also fairly near the Mara River, which I’d always wanted to see, and did see, along with its hippos and crocodiles.

The drive to camp should be around 30 minutes from the airstrip - mine took longer because we stopped, firstly to watch a leopard in a tree, and climbing down it, and then, just outside camp, to watch the Acacia pride of lions dozing in the sun. I also saw buffalo and elephant on that drive, so four of the available big five, if that’s what floats your boat, before I’d even got to camp (there are no rhino in Mara North).

All Kicheche camps have wonderful guides. At Mara, mine was David, a Maasai so in tune with his environment he seems to know every rock, pebble and blade of grass. He also has binoculars for eyes.

The camp is bigger than the other Kicheches and appears to have almost double the guest capacity. The tents are spread out in a really pretty area next to a stream but they (or at least mine - Zebra) are not as secluded as at the other camps, so I could hear conversations from both tents either side of me. There’s plenty of wildlife right on the doorstep. Mating hippos, hyena, leopard and lion were all seen or heard, buffalo walked past my tent every night, and there were bushbuck and vervet monkeys during the day.

There has been a massive makeover of the guest tents and they are very swish. Mine was huge, with a double bed and a day bed, desk and wardrobe area and a curtained bathroom with double basins, separate shower and loo; all singing and dancing. There’s even washing powder, a line and pegs. No full length mirror, strangely, and the wardrobe area is very dark for getting dressed before dawn. This new poshness took me a while to absorb. I love the ‘old’ Kicheche branding with its rather rustic, colonial feel and unlined tents. Maybe colonial’s not the done thing any more, but it was done well. This new look is a bit ‘could be anywhere’ and, whilst I can’t deny the comfort, I worry slightly that the wafty cream curtains and pale rugs will tire very quickly. Still, that’s not my problem, and for the moment the tents look fresh and beautiful.

The mess tent has a couple of seating areas with big sofas and an area for dining. Lunch was taken outside on a deck overlooking the lawn. Some people seem to expect a lot of the food on safari. I don’t. I just want it to be fresh, balanced and well thought out, which this is.

I missed the communal table I’d enjoyed at Kicheche Bush camp the previous year. I don’t mind eating alone - rather that than be ‘paired up’ with other guests not of my choice (and vice-versa), for three meals in a row. As the third one loomed I asked if I could have dinner in my room. True, it was my last night and I needed to pack, but it was a relief to have that excuse and I really enjoyed that time - alone with my pasta and glass of red.

I found Kicheche Mara less cosy and strangely less 'genuine' than the other two Kicheches I’ve stayed at (Laikipia and Bush) but it has great service with fantastic wildlife and the right guides to find it."

"This is not one of Expert Africa’s recommendations but it perfectly suited my end of trip needs, which were to have a couple of days near water and to visit Watamu.

The Mida Creek Hotel is a very small property, recently reopened by new (British) owners. It could go either way.

It’s very sheltered and quite out on its own with its own tiny beach on a creek running inland from the ocean. It has very pretty gardens with plenty of daybeds, swing seats and different eating areas, plus a small saltwater pool (with Dock & Bay towels provided). I was there in low season and the hotel was virtually empty, so I had the facilities and staff much to myself and it was heaven. Unfortunately, it might be very different at other times of year because some of the six rooms sleep three or four people. Add to that the non residents who come for lunch and stay until dinner, and the pool having only two sides (the others being a wall and an eating area) and things could get crowded.

My room was Palm Deck, up some steps and overlooking the gardens, pool and creek. The gable end was open with seating, a small table and a mosquito net (with a few holes in it!) to divide it from the sleeping area. Nothing luxurious but the bed was very comfortable (with another mozzie net) and there was plenty of storage/hanging space. The bathroom was also fine, with a good shower, nice towels and hot water.

The staff were all charming. Nothing was too much trouble, and while service wasn’t snappy, it was enthusiastic.

The food was variable. My first dinner was a massive portion of calamari rings the size of quoits and a little tough - but then I discovered the Prawn Tempura and never looked back.

To get to Watamu, you have to ask the ‘Captain’ to take you across the creek in his boat (complimentary) - and then you can get a tuktuk or taxi, or one of many soliciting motorcyclists to drive you up to Watamu itself. I did this journey twice. The first trip was to have a drink at a posh hotel (Hemingways - terrible, like a provincial airport but with less soul), see the famous white beach, (very windy and covered in black seaweed), visit the Italian owned ice-cream parlour, Non Solo Gelato, (the best vanilla ice cream I’ve ever had anywhere), and explore the little supermarket, Blue Marmalade, which had the Baobab oil I wanted.

The second trip was to see the Gede Ruins and Watamu Snake Farm. The clues are in the names. Stay away if you’re not interested in ancient, rather creepy, overgrown archaeological sites and/or glass cases inhabited by deadly reptiles (which you can also watch being milked for their venom). I was riveted by both places and would highly recommend them and their guides. Go. They need visitors and their entrance fees are ridiculously low, particularly for sites that are so important and so obviously underfunded.

The Mida Creek still needs work and won't ever be to some people's taste but I wish it every success. It's a sweet property in a great, if somewhat remote, location."

"This was a short stay after a late night arrival from London. Did what it said on the tin, really.

Charming female driver collected me from the airport and took me to the door, where both the car and my luggage were scanned. Reception was welcoming and efficient.

Dinner was still available but I passed. Room was clean with black out curtains and no noise from the airport, although there was noise (from guests/housekeeping?) outside my door at 3 am.

Massive spread of breakfast options went on for about twenty feet and could be eaten indoors or out."

"This is the perfect place to ease yourself into a safari. It's right on the edge of the Nairobi National Park and really helps get you used to the light, the early mornings and the wildlife (and how to spot it). I would really recommend it, especially if you've never been on safari and are going into the bush proper.

The staff are well trained and eager to please and the surroundings are lovely. Some reviewers have mentioned the road. The Emakoko is built on the side of a ravine, so yes, the road is steep and bumpy but their drivers and their 4WDs are more than capable of getting you there and back in safety. Just enjoy.

I saw fantastic wildlife in the short time (two nights) I was there. Two lion brothers staking out the plain at dawn, another male lion with two females, adolescent cheetah triplets, a male black rhino, mother and calf, all together in one group; several white rhino including calves; also bushbuck, giraffe, zebra, hippo, black backed jackal and several species of antelope.

The restaurant and bar are run by charming Linus. I didn't have cocktails but the wines were good. The food seemed sometimes to be too ambitious. I had a steak which looked delicious but turned out to be chewy. On the other hand, the snapper with "custard" was so good I thanked the chef. Be prepared for company during dinner. The rooms are open to the surrounding woodland so you may be visited by the resident genets and a bushbaby (who loves to be fed with sliced banana). There are often hyrax on the bridge across the river.

The public rooms are very comfortable and stylish with big sofas and tables with piles of animal reference books. The bedrooms are well equipped and welcoming. Mine had a jug of roses on the table and petals on the bed and bath. Small touches which I really appreciated. Having a hot bubble bath both nights was a joy! Again, some reviewers have criticised the rooms, saying they look 'tired'. I'd agree to a point, but it's not as though you'd open he door and go, 'Oh my God, this is tired, get me out of here.' It's minor, certainly not enough to put anyone off or marr your stay. I just assumed that a very tough two years had tightened the refurb budget. I've since heard that an upgrade is on its way."

"This is a really good camp with top class management, house staff and guides. It's not in the prettiest area but it is right out on its own in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, so its six guest tents and two mess tents really make you feel you're in the middle of nowhere although in very safe hands. Animals regularly wander into camp, especially at night, (lion, hippo and elephant whilst I was there), and there are almost always giraffe and zebra browsing the surrounding woodland.

The food was good, homely fare with some choice at lunch and more of a set (and posher) menu at dinner. Meals were usually eaten at one big table - outside at lunch, inside at dinner although you can opt to eat separately if you prefer.

The room was very comfortable with great wi-fi and lots of sockets to charge camera batteries, iPads etc. There are also newly installed 'proper' showers, rather than the bucket shower I was expecting (and secretly looking forward to).

I saw amazing wildlife - including cheetah, lion and leopard - far more often and in greater quantities than I'd imagined possible.

My only criticism would be that things sometimes felt a bit too organised. Safaris are tiring and a bombardment on the senses. I had one day when four things happened all at once - a drive to the other side of the conservancy for my PCR test, a sighting of two adolescent cheetah cubs being taught how to hunt, i.e: teasing a week-old impala fawn that was bleating for its mother, elephants outside my tent so I couldn't go to bed and then very heavy overnight rain. All good safari experiences. No complaints there, but when my tea arrived at 5 am next day, I decided I wouldn't go on that morning's drive but would try to catch up on sleep. At 7 I felt much better. It was light by then but still raining, so I used the thoughtful wellies and umbrella from my tent, ignored the distant lion roars and squelched my way to the mess tent to find some tea.

I didn't know there was never anyone there until 8 am. The place was deserted and I felt a bit abandoned and frankly, scared. I returned to my tent and blew the 'emergency' whistle. Nothing. I waited fifteen minutes and squelched back to the mess tent, then wandered down the path that I thought led to the staff tents. Blew the whistle again and the manager screeched to a halt beside me in his Jeep, clearly concerned that something dreadful had happened.

I did get breakfast but was told 'no one has ever missed a drive' (which I now know to be untrue), then left to my own devices until lunch at 1 pm. No suggestion that I might like to go for a walk with one of the staff (although I did do exactly that when a buffalo and her calf shot across the main pathway and William, who was serving breakfast, said it was being chased by a lion and he'd seen the start of the chase whilst having his tea. Lions won't come into camp in daylight, even for a buffalo calf, so William then took me fifty meters and still well within the camp boundary to point out where the lion had been).

I've written about this incident with the encouragement of Richard Trillo and because I hope Kicheche will put a contingency in place for any future guests who might decide to catch up on sleep. All that was needed was for someone to acknowledge me, stick a note through the door of my tent to say they hoped I was feeling better, and mention that the mess tent wouldn't be open until 8, after which I'd be welcomed for tea/breakfast.

Other than that one small incident, I loved my time at Kicheche Bush Camp and would definitely return were I not so intent on first visiting their Laikipia and Mara camps."

"Kholle House was once the home of an Omani Princess, now restored by a Frenchman whose daughter, Anna, is the current manager.

It's a really charming oasis in Stone Town. The decor combines the chic with the exotic, something hard to do and pull off, but it's been done with aplomb. There are many quiet indoor areas to read or have a drink, plus a covered area in the garden, small tables and chairs and more seats/a sofa beside the pool. It wasn't particularly hot when I was there but even so the pool was really welcome when I got home after hours of wandering and getting lost in town.

My room was long and narrow, so not much room either side of the bed but that somehow contributed to the atmosphere, as did lovely touches like the good linen, cut glass and votives. And the air-conditioning and wi-fi!

The staff were charming and very keen.

The chef is young and probably too ambitious. He has fantastic ingredients to hand, but over complicates things, particularly at dinner.

I loved Zanzibar, but realistically I'm not likely to return. If I did, I wouldn't stay anywhere else in Stone Town."

"This hotel in Jambiani is not on Expert Africa's website but it is mentioned and given a good review in M.D. Chris McIntyre's Bradt Guide to Tanzania, which is how I found it.

It's well established, German owned and very laid back. Don't go there for marble atriums, swim up bars, snappy service and evening entertainment. It has none of those things. It doesn't even have a pool, (but it does have a garden shower if you want to cool down). The hotel has won sustainability awards and there are nice touches like baskets at reception for you to take on beach walks so you can collect any rubbish and bring it back to recycle, (although the beach is pretty litter free - unlike the village beyond).

The tide goes out a long, long way - there are tidetables in reception to tell you when and also shoes to hire if you want to walk out to it (lots of urchins) and watch the women harvesting seaweed. I saw far fewer hawkers here than I did further up the coast - we had one or two regulars and that was all.

My room was on the first floor and was spacious with a large balcony to sit out on and a sea view. No air con but plenty of insect proof windows and a fan. The bathroom was fine, water was hot and there was good hanging space and ample electrical sockets. Good wi-fi, too.

Food and drinks are cheap and the staff are very smiley, some have been there since the place opened twenty years ago. Some things are done incredibly efficiently, notably by the front office, who are brilliant. Other things are slow but never without charm. One girl spent a lot of time folding two bath towels (I was alone and had been all week) into swans and then wandering the garden collecting hibiscus petals to scatter over my bed whilst ignoring my used cup, saucer and wine glass.

The food is good if you stick to basics. I had a very fresh fish carpaccio on my first night. It then disappeared from the menu but when I asked for it, it appeared. Cooked fish was always overcooked. The club sandwich was the worst I've had, ever. Two doorstops which someone had stamped on, and yet the garden salad was the best I had all holiday. Friends said the pasta was good, and I enjoyed the calamari and salad (with chips!) - a long way from Greece but it always works.

The hotel organises various tours, boat rides etc. which I didn't do.

The Blue Oyster is unpretentious and completely hassle free (as were its clientele). Its lack of some facilities and its island-style service isn't for everyone but I found it to be the perfect place to end my holiday. I would go back."