Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs E from Birmingham

"Because of the level of services, the good facilities, Nkwali is a good place to start our safari.

We've done safaris before and our transition into that style was not difficult, but I do appreciate the more complete facilities than what you find in a bush camp. Level of understanding of what guests want/need is very good and everyone tried to accomodate.

Guides were good and generally worked hard to accomodate. Food was imaginative and well presented."

"Quite a change from Nkwali as there was only one other couple in the camp compared to the constant movement of people at the larger camp. Rooms were good -- the remodeling for bigger bathrooms/changing areas was great & location on the river was great.

Irene worked hard to ensure everything went well and our guide Braston was knoweldgeable and very personable. He did a good job at gauging our interests."

"I liked our tent at Tena Tena -- very lovely to watch bushback & impala grazing by the lagoon. I was torn between sitting there or in the hide facing the river!

Didn't get to see much of Simon as he was on his days off & rather regret that as he was very interesting and knowledgable. Again, the guides were accomodating and we went on a lovely walk. Food was very good, staff polite and personable.

Game viewing wasn't as good as I've heard it can be (and saw the least here), but guide did his best with what he could find."

"Undoubtedly the best camp we've visited anywhere in the world. While the range of game may be better in other parts of Africa, we see a good & varied amount here. What makes Sausage Tree so special is the location on the Zambezi River, with all the hippos, elephants, etc visiting and the opportunity to canoe or go on boat cruises. The tents are lovely -- well-planned and luxurious and full of lovely touches. But the highlight are the amazing people running it.

All the guides are engaging and pleased to chat, Alan and Nicci run the camp flawlessly -- nothing fazes them and their knowledge of Africa, wildlife, hospitality profession, mechanics, etc just boggle. They were head & shoulders above any camp managers we met.

Our guide Chris was not only knowledgable, but could sense what interested us and was a good judge at how long to stay at a site, what sort of information to give. He also explained a lot of his approach so we better understood the guide's job and because of that, we built a strong relationship.

The attention to detail -- be it in the rooms, or dining area/bar are amazing. Everything Sausage Tree does is to the highest standard. Perhaps the only point that lets them down was the food -- quality was good, but needs more variety and less emphasis on red meat (we had steak-lamb-steak on three consecutive nights). That has been changed now to a menu where you have choices of starters & mains, etc. That will help.

This was our second time at Sausage Tree, and I think it holds a more special place in our hearts than before. They certainly are the most professional and comprehensive safari camp we've been with."

"This was awful and not really our first choice for our last night in Lusaka before flying out the next morning. Your Expert Africa representative advised us to stay there because of its proximity to the airport. However, that should not be the guiding factor in helping a client select accomodation.

We were out in the middle of nowhere and didn't have access to Lusaka as information provided suggested, so instead of getting a late afternoon in Lusaka for shopping, we were left with nothing to do. The room was very basic -- holes in the mosquito netting, hard to get hot water, even with every light on, the room was poorly lit. And Expert Africa should not put people out there in the middle of a Zambian winter as the windows only have screens, so as the temps dropped to 5-6 degrees, we froze. There were blankets which we used despite their musty-damp smell.

I would have preferred getting up earlier and leaving from Lusaka rather than suffering a poor night's sleep at Pioneer Camp. This really let you down."