Travel reviews by Mr M & Ms T from Dublin

"We really enjoyed Dunia. It is a fantastically run camp, Jose was an excellent host and the food was excellent.

Its location (certainly at the time of the year we were there) could not be bettered.

The tents were luxurious and the ability to have a long hot shower was very welcome."

"Piyaya suffered because of its location and the fact that having been to Dunia we were comparing it to that. I was a long drive from Dunia, probably 4 hours and as we seemed to be moving further from the animals it felt like we were going the wrong way. The camp was very nice but not as luxurious as Dunia.

However Esto was a very good host and has a great air of calm and reassurance about him. We did get to do a guided walk and a night drive there which would not have been possible at Dunia. It was probably only a few days before the animals arrived in force here which would have made it a better experience."

"We felt we didn't really get Matemwe and its style didn't particularly suit us. It is very relaxed and laid back and having come off climbing Kilimanjaro and safari we would have liked somewhere that was more luxurious. Of the 7 nights we were there, on 3 of those we had to share tables for dinner.

As Matemwe seems to specialise in families and honeymooners the idea of sharing dinner probably doesn't suit either. We also found having a suite a little bit of a waste. As the main room, which contains the shower is open at the roof it was a haven for mosquitos. While coils and spray were provided it wasn't and area you could spend much time in and having the shower there didn't make sense. With the problems Zanzibar has being experiencing with its electricity supply, there were restrictions but these weren't unreasonable.

On the plus side the staff were extremely helpful and friendly and made a really big effort for Christmas night and New Year's Eve. We did get to have dinner one night in the beach hut and the food was of exceptionally high quality. The flower petal arrangements left on the bed every day were really cute. The diving was excellent and we also did a snorkelling trip which was very enjoyable and well run. The dive centre was well run with helpful staff.

I wouldn't recommend against going to Matemwe but the "No news, no shoes" catchline is worth keeping in mind!"

"We were backpacking in Zanzibar in 1999 and ended up having a drink in Breezes and really liked the look of the place. We decided that if we ever got back this would be the place for us. It certainly lived up to our expectations and we are glad we made the trip.

The room was excellent and was exactly what we needed at that stage of the trip. The food was also very good and while not generally a fan of buffets, the variety and quality of food meant they weren't the chore they can sometimes be. They also tended to serve starter and/or dessert so it wasn't all queuing. The restaurant staff were very friendly and chatty.

Overall facilities were very good and the beach was really nice and it also has an excellent dive centre attached. There were also nice touches like a present of a Christmas decoration on arrival and a Breezes shopping bag on leaving. We also dined in the Sultan's Table restaurant which was a lovely treat."