Travel reviews by Vanessa from Essex

"This was our first safari and the experience lived up to our expectations. The camp is in a beautiful setting. The big attraction for us was the easy access - only a 40 minute flight from Dar Es Salaam.

All the staff were friendly and welcoming and the guides were very knowledgable.

The camp was very quiet when we were there so we were fortunate enough to have a guide exclusively for us most of the time - an added bonus.

Overall the food was good and there was plenty of it. Tea and coffee was available all day/evening which was a nice touch. Drinks were very reasonably priced."

"A very relaxing place to stay. The hosts Thomas and Gloria were excellent - nothing was too much trouble and they made us feel very welcome. Overall the staff were very friendly and the service very attentive. Also, as 2 single females travelling together, we felt very safe.
The lodge is in an extremely quiet location which suited us but it might not suit everyone. We loved the fact that there was no TV!!
Overall the food was very good.

The one small negative was the seaweed in the sea - apparently it's seasonal.

Would I recomend it? Definitely!!"

"The Z hotel describes itself as 'a boutique on the beach'. Well it was - 35 rooms, nice pool, stunning location, great bar....but it just didn't quite work. The room/bathroom was well appointed, ipod docking station etc and the pool/decking area was very nice but the service really let them down and the food was pretty average. At times the staff made us feel like they were doing us a massive favour by serving us.

The hotel's private beach area was very small and crammed between the hotel building and a tacky supermarket -not somewhere you would want to spend time. Also it was hard to walk on the beach without getting hounded by someone trying to sell you something.

The hotel allowed guests for a fee of $8 a day. The result was that one afternnoon was spoilt by noisy children in the swimming pool and on another occasion we were subjected to a foul mouthed drunk. I think management seriously needs to consider what their target market is looking for from a 'boutique' hotel.

Would I recommend the Z? No.

The positive was the beautiful white sand and clear blue sea. Fantastic for swimming. Also there were some good places to eat and drink nearby."

"Can't fault it. Staff were so friendly and service was excellent."