Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs P from Germany

"Great little camp, it looks to be well managed and the staff team are very friendly and efficient. They go to considerble trouble to set up different options for dining, and we had a lovely sprise for a sundowner on the first evening.

With Italian owners (and managers) coffee is taken very seriously - they have a real coffee machine, a great coup!
Some very knowledgable guides also keen to share enthisiasm for birds."

"Fantastic experience here - great attention to detail. Two key elements are food and guiding, and the camp excels on both. The tents/rooms are enormous and are very well serviced. Staff got to great trouble to make evening meals memorable and atmospheric. Great flexibiity possible in managing game activities.

As an aside, this was our fisrt trip to Ruaha - this is a fantastic park, suitable for first safari and afficionados too: it is also a very attractive area: rolling hills, baobas, woodlands and the river. Very photogenic."

"Great location a lovely 'private' white sand beach. Attentive staff and good food. Although popular you do not get the feel of a large establishment - other than at evening meal - when the dining room has something of a refectory feel.

Rooms are only very simply furnished - those on the (beach) front seem to have better options for relaxing, we only had a simple bench on the porch but we made use of the ample options of loungers, hammocks and rondovels on the beach itself.

Easy place to relax. Activities are limited unless you taxi elsewhere: snorkelling is an option, but very wind/tide dependent. 'Good' snorkeliing would be a bonus rather than an expectaion - unless you pay for the more expensive trip to Mnemba. Good pool though, and swimming from the beach is great too."

"This lodge is very well designed, both public areas and chalets. Chalets are enormous and encourage relaxation in various postures. The dining area is lovely and enables groups to be together, or cosy corners for couples. Food is great, and the fish options are marvellous.

Lounging or sitting around pool is very easy too. ~Although not used by us, the dive centre looks well run and beginners and young children were well catered for.

The main limitation of Unguja is the location: it sits on a coral platform that is isolated at high tide - and even at low tide, timing a walk along the beachfront can be tricky. Southern winds meant swimming/snorkelling from the lodge were difficult - but with calm weather options would improve. This is a perfect location for the dolphins (which can be seen from the lodge) but we declined the boating option which seems to be something of a circus (this is no reflection on the lodge) with too much poor behaviour from local 'captains'."

"Great value for money. You feel as though you are in a very authentic Zanzibari merchants house. Coffee is very good, pastries too and becasue location is good we found it useful to be able to slip back to the room during bouts of shopping. Staff are lovely, rooftop breakfast is a wonderful experience.

All in all, clean and practical B&B leaving options for own dining arrangments in the evening."

"Tafika offers more than enough comfort for a lengthy stay but retains a real bushcamp intimacy. High standards are maintained across all aspects of your stay, but above all this is an operation for people serious about understanding the wildlife and ecology of the valley. Remote Africa provide a very exclusive experience, in 7 days (four walking) we encountered no one from another camp.

Make no mistake, this is not a 'fringe' camp, sightings here were spectacular: a leopard hotspot; lion kill; massed buffalo. Not only is the standard of guiding excellent, but there is a professionalism that manages the sensitivites of the bush with those of the client.

For a truly wonderful package make sure you take in the lovely riverine walks, a sunrise microlight flight with John Coppinger, and a visit to the local village."

"You will be staggered by the logistics entailed in setting up Crocodile each season. It is a real priviledge to be able to stay here and there is a great backroom team of guys ready to make your stay special. Of the two walking camps perhaps this is shaded by Chikoko simply on the basis of game density in the immediate area, but anything can happen here.

Walking up or down the riverine pathways is a delight, but some decent footwear helps crossing the floodlplains once they start to dry out because there is not a square inch that has not been pot-holed by game.

I give top marks for facilities because apart from the necessary there are none - which is how a bushcamp should be. All remote camps have a range of natural history books and magazines to entertain those lazy mid-day moments - but be warned, they work you hard here - before you know it it is time for afternoon tea and off you go again."

"Overlooking a flood plain creates many opportuntites for game viewing from camp, and particulalry the vantage point afforded by rooms on stilts. This is a well sited camp and the walks that break through to the Luangwa itself are stunning. Like Crocodile, this is bush camp perfection where the day starts and ends around an intimate camp fire, from bush tea to G&T, nothing beats this!

Rooms are a little whacky - so you may need to do stairs in the middle of the night to get down to the loo - but hey, you are here for adventure anyway!"

"Locations by water always offer something extra. Here at Old Mondoro the 'open aspect' lodge perches on the bank of the Zambezi with an attendant orchestra of hippo to ensure the right atmosphere. But take a look round 180 degrees and there is a wonderful open wood of winterthorn within which we were able to enjoy stalking leopard one evening and hyaena on a kill another morning.

Whilst game may be more abundant at the other end of the park, here it is much more visible, especially with Levy as your guide - and you are likley to have the seclusion of private viewing. River activity here is excellent - and you must take a trip down 'corocdile alley' with Andrew.

Mondoro is a bush camp, but there is comfort a plenty. However, there may be some changes in place for the 2010 season, including new managers when John and Lana move on, so you will need to ask about these."