Travel reviews by Mr T from london
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
4
Excursions taken
0
My Feb 2025 trip
Tanzania between 5 Feb 2025 and 18 Feb 2025
Tam, from enquiry to amending the draft plan to booking to documentation as good as any (quality rather than too much quantity info)
Accommodation in Dar Sheraton (very good) both camps (wonderful!) and Pemba (palatial villa) outstanding.
Flights/transfers all punctual
Game drives/walks excellent guiding, flora, fauna, birds. Both camp teams brilliant.
Tam, your responsiveness to Elaine’s health issue was top class with help from Mollie in Kichaka and Abeid in Pemba
But….
Advance info on page 15 of the travel document on suitcase dimensions sizes is incorrect for Auric Air (a full size case is fine)
No confirmation in Dar hotel of pick up time, especially because on arrival our driver thought we were staying at the Hyatt. To ensure we’d be collected next morning at the Sheraton we repeatedly phoned (with the help of the hotel) the local agent (Kearsley?) but it just rang out. We tried again 3 hours later and confirmed.
No prior info regarding Zanzibar/Pemba ‘mandatory travel insurance’ of $88 on arrival. It’s superfluous as it duplicates our worldwide insurance, just a disguised government tax.
Africa Assist was like talking to a US hospital! First question - what’s your insurance policy number, they didn’t recognise it or listen. It took another 2 hours before they contacted us and then only after Expert Africa’s intervention. They then followed up (unnecessarily) in the following days maybe to try to make up for their initial unhelpfulness? Lucky it wasn’t an emergency."
Feedback response
We were delighted to hear that these travellers had such an outstanding trip and we really appreciated them taking the time to share their feedback. We were sorry to hear about the challenges they had to deal with and we looked into each of these to ensure the best possible experience for future travellers.
The baggage allowance information for Auric Air has now been updated in our travel documents to reflect their policy more accurately. We appreciate this being brought to our attention. Some flights using the smallest aircraft are not able to carry suitcases and we always err on the side of caution in relation to luggage rules.
Regarding the hotel pick-up in Dar es Salaam, we raised this with Kearsleys. They sincerely apologised for the mix-up and assured us they would take steps to avoid any similar mix-ups in the future.
On the mandatory travel insurance for Zanzibar and Pemba, this has always been included in our pre-departure documentation since it was first introduced. We appreciate that there is a lot of information to take in. We agree that unexpected costs can be frustrating, and we’ll continue working to ensure such key details are as clear as possible.
As for Africa Assist, we were sorry to hear that their initial response was not anywhere near as helpful as it should have been. After following up with them, it seems there was some misunderstanding on their side about what was required and they sent their apologies to these clients. We continue to have confidence in their service, as they have been excellent in emergency situations over the years when needed. We were pleased to hear that our team response and the teams on the ground were able to assist and ensure everything was resolved.
Arranged By Tamara Hoskyns-Abrahall
Four Points by Sheraton Dar es Salaam
"Four Points by Sheraton Dar es Salaam review"
Sand Rivers Camp
"Sand Rivers Camp review"
The whole team led by Bernadeta were all genuinely welcoming, hospitable, attentive, efficient and knowledgeable. The meals were delicious, the snacks never ending, the drinks plentiful and free.
Our spacious room (number 4) with a breathtaking view was beautifully designed and equipped. There was even WiFi in the room (but not in the communal areas).
The location is the very essence of tranquility. The abundant flora, fauna and brilliant bird life were all expertly explained by Fazo our guide. The game drives, boat trip and walk were wonderful and virtually devoid of any other visitors unlike so many other safari destinations where one fights for a view amongst the crowd of jeeps/minibuses.
All of this was more than enough but as a bonus, we enjoyed several surprise treats which we won’t describe here to avoid spoiling them for future guests.
We’ve been on many safaris in several countries and none surpass the River Sands experience."
Buffalo
10+ sightings
Eland
1 sighting
Elephant
10+ sightings
Giraffe
10+ sightings
Hippo
10+ sightings
Leopard
1 sighting
Lion
3 sightings
Wild dog
2 sightings
Wildebeest
4 sightings
Zebra
10+ sightings
Kichaka Zumbua
"Kichaka Zumbua review"
The whole team were genuinely welcoming, hospitable, attentive, efficient and knowledgeable. The meals were good, the drinks plentiful and free.
The accommodation is a wow! Our spacious, well furnished ‘tent’ (doesn’t nearly do it justice) had a breathtaking river view. On one side of the huge bedroom, our bathroom was enormous and on the other was our plunge pool and sun deck. All tastefully designed.
There was WiFi in the panoramic communal areas which was hit and miss but remember where you are.
The abundant flora, fauna and brilliant bird life were all expertly guided by Mollie, the infectiously enthusiastic and hugely knowledgeable owner and the confident, keen eyed Moyo.
The game drives and bush walks were wonderful and totally devoid of any other visitors unlike so many other safari destinations where one fights for a view amongst the crowd of jeeps/minibuses.
We’ve been on many safaris in several countries and the Kichaka experience is up there with the best."
Elephant
10+ sightings
Giraffe
10+ sightings
Hippo
3 sightings
Roan antelope
1 sighting
Wild dog
1 sighting
Zebra
10+ sightings
Aiyana Resort
"The Aiyana review"
The hotel design incorporates nature into the architecture. Every aspect, both large scale and detailed has been imaginatively and innovatively thought through. Unlike some hotels where design is a substitute for substance, the Aiyana functions well.
Our villa’s terrace with sea view, entrance hall, lounge, huge bedroom, even bigger bath/shower room plus an outdoor shower were all tastefully furnished. The large bed was oh so comfortable. There is a small price to pay for the remote location in that the WiFi needs an in-room router to be reliable and the satellite tv reception is unstable.
The tranquil, long, white sand beach is pristine, backed by palms with guests well spaced apart (no rush to reserve a beach umbrella here).
The only significant negative factor about the Aiyana is that the pool is ornamental, better for a dip rather than a swim. This is a pity because at anything much less than high tide the warm, clean sea is pretty much inaccessible because of the extensive exposed sharp coral rocks. So near and yet so far from the sea. In any case, bring rubber sea shoes!
All the staff were ever helpful, the food was good although not outstanding.
Finally our special thanks to Abeid who was hugely supportive, patient and went above and beyond when we needed assistance."
Our room with a harbour view was modern, unfussy and well equipped with speedy free WiFi and a range of satellite tv stations in English. The shower was hot and powerful.
The quality and choice at the dinner buffet was very good.
In summary we can wholeheartedly recommend the hotel as a fine place to stay in Dar."