Travel reviews by Mr and Mrs U. from UK

"Pioneers was a quiet haven after a long journey to Zimbabwe. It has great charm, feeling as thought it's been there for decades when it's actually fairly new.

The rooms are very comfortable with cosy duvets and good showers, the grounds are green and peaceful with two lovely (freezing!) pools and a beautiful family of ducks, the restaurant is great and the service was everything we needed.

It's location is not ideal if you want to walk to the Falls, but it is actually nice to come away from all the action at the end of a long day to such tranquility, and it's so easy to organise a lift.

Would highly recommend."

"Amalinda is a unique and extraordinary place, that feels quite other worldly tucked away amongst the granite boulders.

It is peaceful and extremely comfortable, with huge rooms and bathrooms, excellent food, great service, knowledgeable guides and some fantastic activities. We tracked white rhino on foot, visited Rhodes grave with a couple of G&Ts and a stunning African sunset and hiked over the rocky terrain past amazing butterflies and antelope before reaching ancient cave paintings.

Evenings around the fire before and after a 3 course dinner were a real treat, our guide joining us sometimes too, giving us an opportunity to get to know him and the Zimbabwean culture a little more. The infinity pool, set apart from the lodges, was stunning, the freezing cold water offering welcome relief from the hot sun. There was even a chameleon nestled in the plant by the bar to provide us with entertainment.

All in all, a very special place."

"If we could go back now, we would! The staff were amazing, so friendly, helpful and knowledgable. The setting is fantastic, it feels very isolated, with wonderful views of the water hole. We were in the private Hide area, with two tented lodges and a large decked tent with pool, comfy sofas, dining table and fire pit. It was absolute luxury. The food was the best we'd had, how they conjure that up in the middle of the bush is extraordinary. Our own fully equipped drinks cabinet had all we could wish for and somehow we seemed to have a personal waiter who made us fantastic sunset cocktails when we weren't doing sundowners on a game drive.

The lodges were great, big comfy beds and piles of duvets and blankets (we needed them!), a bath looking over the bush outside and an outdoor shower with hot water. It was the perfect combination of comfort and living in the wild.

The game drives were great, starting at 6.30am after porridge, cereal and pancakes around the fire. Bundled into the Hide's ponchos for warmth we would head off to see everything we could hope for (apart from leopard and cheetah, but who cares about them?!), learning much along the way before stopping for hot chocolate and use of the facilities (bush!). Our guide was truly amazing, with years of experience as a park ranger and now a pro guide. He was patient and enthusiastic, funny and hugely knowledgeable, and did a great job at finding lots of game, including three lions playing the courting game, an amazing opportunity to experience animal behaviour first hand. Those over 16 did a walking safari with him and loved it, going slowly to talk about all the little things you don't see from a safari vehicle. His large gun was reassuring!

The main lodge was beautiful, complete with bushbabies hiding in the rafters and the hide was a brilliant idea. The elephant would arrive around dusk, processing past our lodges to the water hole, at which point we would bury down into the hide to watch from as close as possible, drink in hand. It was a privilege. Going back to our lodge after dark required an escort, just in case we bumped into something we wouldn't want to. An excellent reminder that we were in their territory...

I had been a little concerned about this place when I heard that you can hear the train....I did hear it, most nights, but the same can't be said for the whole family! What our kids in the next door tent did hear was the elephant, sometimes trumpeting, sometimes growl-roaring like lions and all sorts of other night time snuffling and squawks. Knowing that there is so much wildlife just outside the tent door makes the train in the distance utterly irrelevant!

We couldn't recommend the Hide enough, the staff went way above and beyond and it really was a wonderful experience."