Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs R from Cobham

"The excellent personal service was evident from the start of our visit. We liked being introduced to each of the staff and thought it was a really nice touch to be allocated a particular waiter and tent "butler" both of whom always addressed us by first name and had cheerful smiles and greetings when they brought the morning tea in bed (just what we needed !) or served meals. Everyone was extremely friendly and we appreciated the managers meeting us with cool towels after a drive and spending time chatting in the lounge before dinner. Although they must have heard the same accounts numerous times, they made you feel as though they were genuinely interested and cared if you experienced good viewings or not.

The game drives were very good and we were glad they used open sided land rovers which were nice and cool and gave excellent viewing although, of course, you have to put up with a bumpy ride as it's mostly off track. We were a little surprised that the guide also acted as the driver and wondered whether more game might have been spotted if the duties had been separated; however,the terrain is covered with trees and bush rather than open plain and the guide relied on his considerable experience to judge where the animals were likely to be. We were quite lucky to see a small group of wild dogs on our very first day.

We liked the opportunity of taking boat safaris on the lake - we're not great bird enthusiasts but were stunned by the sheer variety and number of bird species there. Lots of crocodiles and hippos too.

The accommodation was excellent, as were the communal areas. The meals were generally very good, particularly the lunches, and presentation was of a high standard. There was a good view of the lake from both our tent and the first floor dining room and nice to see the camp fire and candlelight in the evenings.

We did have a problem with tepid water in the shower but that was rectified once we mentioned it.
I think our only criticism was that we felt the prices of some items in the souvenir/gift shop were very high."

"We had high expectations from what we had heard about the camp but it didn't quite live up to these and we wonder whether Chris' absence, whilst setting up his other project, has affected the overall experience quality. The camp occupancy, down to 4 or 6 for a couple of the days, also affected the feel of the stay and unfortunately, both managers had bouts of illness - Serena on the first day and Ryan as we left.

The general staff were polite and looked after us satisfactorily but one got the impression that they were fairly new to the job, had very limited English, and, as a result, were rather nervous. Ryan was clearly extremely knowledgeable but didn't really initiate any conversation at mealtimes and perhaps we noticed this particularly after the warmth and friendliness of the Selous managers & staff.

Plus points were Jimmy, our really excellent guide, who was brilliant at spotting the game and went out of his way to give us memorable viewing and photographic opportunities. Also we liked the different settings around the river bed for the evening meals and the camp fires and lamps created a lovely atmosphere.

The accommodation was artistic - nice to have the natural materials and various artefacts - and the veranda overlooking the river bed was lovely. We would have preferred to have the bathroom area also enclosed in a linked tent as mosquitoes and little animals could get in that area (something made a deposit every night!) and it was a pain to keep unzipping the flaps when using the bathroom area.

We thought it was unusual that we were asked not to tip the guide separately and were a bit surprised that there was no indication of the price of any of the drinks and we got a hand written scrap of paper as our bill at the end. We suggest the camp should have a guest feedback form.

We were pleased that we combined Selous with Ruaha as the vegetation, degree of dryness, and quantity of game viewing were very different."

"Our standard room was spacious and comfortable and we appreciated the tea & coffee making facility. The standard rooms are a bit of a walk from the dining room and pool but we didn't mind the exercise after the big meals!

Staff were very welcoming and the service was good. You didn't even need to move from your lounger as the bar staff would come & take your order.

We liked the alternation between theme buffet nights and served set dinners and the way the waiting staff's outfits and tablecloths/seat backs changed to the theme of the evening - it just made it a little more special. The food was varied, hot and well presented. We also tried the al la carte restaurant and lunch restaurant by the beach and enjoyed both.

There was entertainment on most nights - sometimes just a group playing music but also some exciting dancers, a bigger band and acrobatic group - and this started at a reasonable time of the evening. (We've been to other resort hotels where the entertainment doesn't start until 10 pm and half the guests have gone to bed.)

We would definitely recommend the spa - lovely surroundings and very well trained practioners of the various treatments available.

The lounges, reception etc. were beautifully decorated in particular Arab & African styles."

"Very good location and enjoyed staying in this old tea house with its colourful furnishings and interesting old furniture and ornaments.
We were warmly welcomed and given an upgraded room overlooking the square.

We had a good evening meal in the restaurant but left too early in the morning to sample their breakfast. However, the manageress was kind enough to leave fresh fruit and provide toast for us before we left at 5.00 am !"