Travel reviews by Dr & Mr G from Bangor

"Chongwe River camp had a very special atmosphere - relaxed, friendly and very Zen if that doesn't sound too pretentious! There is such a lot lot of wildlife and birds that you can see and hear just sitting quietly in the camp, that you feel that you're amongst it all from the word go. It's in a beautiful setting on the confluence of the Chongwe and the Zambezi, and with good binoculars you can even watch elephants on the Zimbabwe shore.

The river trips,including canoeing and fishing, add an extra dimension to the safari., and watching the sun set with a sundowner on a boat on the Zambezi is sublime! Great guides, great staff and a fabulous place all round."

"Kaingo is fantastic.

It feels wild and remote , and we saw an amazing amount of wildlife, including some ferocious hippo fights. Being able to watch hippos from the hide was incredible - though be prepared to duck if they are spraying! The night drives were spectacular, with our guides spotting a camouflaged and motionless leopard , and somehow seeing even the smallest things like elephant shrews. The walking safari was great (and followed by a surprise which I won't spoil!).

Three activities each day means you are busier than in other camps, with a bit less siesta time, but having lunch privately on your own verandah makes up for it!"

"Tafika is lovely - it has a great open setting on the river bank, with daybeds to chill out on and watch the hippos. and sip a cold beer. The rooms are also open and you wake to the smell of the breakfast fire and shower under the stars. Be prepared to find that the cat has sneaked between the mosquito nets to curl up on your bed for the night.!

Great safaris with masses of wildlife and birds, spectacular sundowner spots and night drives . The trip to the village school was fascinating. Be prepared to dance! The microlight flight is well worth doing, and you can also go on bike rides . Dinner has a slightly more formal feel than in other camps, but the food is delicious, and there's a fire under the table to keep your legs warm!"

"Lovely relaxed place to chill out after safari, a 10 minute ride out of town, but on the banks of Zambezi and very peaceful. All the help you need to organize trips to the Falls, and more hair-raising activities like bunjee-jumping and gorge -swinging if you're up for them!

The sunset cruise was great, and we saw plenty more wildlife from the river. Very friendly staff, great food, lovely gardens and an infinity pool by the river (though a bit too cold for swimming in July)"

"We loved Lake Manze Camp. We went on a game drive straight from the plane, and lived amongst wildlife from then on.

Sitting on the terrace of our tent watching 3 young elephants just 12 feet away, mucking about and barging into eachother like adolescent lads, sitting up in bed to watch a hippo or an elephant grazing right next to the tent, seeing a genet cat walk down the trunk of a tree whilst we were having a starlit dinner - all completely amazing.

Excellent game drives and lake safaris - our guide (Ian) and driver (Sallum) were great , and worked really hard to make sure we saw as much as possible, including hunting dogs, crocodiles rolling themselves over in the water to wrench flesh from a hippo carcass, and driving us miles at some speed when they heard about a lion kill. Richard, the camp manager, was a good host, very attentive and knowledgeable about Africa - people and politics as well as wildlife. We really liked the communal eating, and the relaxed opportunity to chat to people from so many different places.

The tents were great - comfortable beds, and the open-air showering brilliant, particularly when there was an elephant grazing just the other side of the canvas and you wondered if its trunk might just come over the top to sample the water. The food was good, and they did the best poached eggs on the trip!"

"Selous Impala Camp was fabulous. The riverbank setting is beautiful , and the wooden deck is airy and spacious, and a wonderful place to eat, and to just sit around reading, watching the river wildlife and relaxing. The pool is great too.

All the safaris - driving, walking (and having a bush breakfast), and boat were amazing, and the trip to the bird island with Abdullah was a real adventure, as there was barely enough water in places to get there. And seeing our first leopard was breathtaking. Ezra our guide was delightful as well as being very knowledgeable.

Mateo, the manager, was friendly and entertaining, and the atmosphere accommodated everyone - honeymooners, single travellers, and mothers and sons! Although there are separate tables for eating, this didn't feel as unsociable as I thought it might.

Delicious food, with a choice of main course for the evening meal, and excellent service. The espresso coffee, bedside reading lamps and early morning tea brought to the tent felt like real treats. The complemetary laundry service was a nice touch, and the shower gel was gorgeous!"

"A very relaxing place to chill out after all the safari activity, a lovely swimming pool surrounded by plants and trees, lots of shady areas to sit and read, and friendly hosts Elies and Ralph always available but unobtrusive. Our villa was beautiful - spacious and airy.

The food is gorgeous, lots of local seafood and plenty of choice. Early morning tea brought to our doorstep was very welcome, also being able to have a lie-in and a late breakfast). The Kizimkaze village trip was very interesting and well worth doing .

The beach has quite a lot of coral outcrop in amongst the sand, so water shoes are important if you want to go swimming."

"This had a very authentic feel, with huge rooms, comfortable beds, fabulous coffee and cakes made on the premises, and very friendly staff. It's certainly quirky, but it felt a bit down at heel - the room had a lot of bare floor without rugs, the bathroom was small and pretty basic, the window netting had holes in it - not major problems, but it didn't quite live up to its description on the website.

The rooftop sitting area had spectacular views, though the breakfast itself was a bit disappointing in terms of choice, by comparison with the safari and beach lodges. We didn't get a cooked breakfast on our final day because we had to leave before the kitchen opened at 6.00 am, so they gave us coffee, fruit and muffins.

It's a 10 minute walk back from the waterfront area, but it's fairly easy to take a wrong turning, and pretty dark at night, so you need a torch and a good sense of direction! It felt perfectly safe though."