Zanzibar: reviews from our travellers

"Great trip lived upto expectations. Ruaha was a revelation and a really great place to visit.

Everything wnet smoothly, apart from the hiccup with the Selous flight, which was a Costal problem.

Suggestions for improvements:

Nothing to add. We have used Expert Africa five times now and Sunvil to go to Costa Rica. We always mention the company whenever we are asked about our trips to Africa." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 11 on a Tanzania safari

"We had a fabulous time. The camps were both excellent and the safaris were the best part of the trip, but chilling out at Unguja Lodge was also great.

Zanzibar Coffee House was perfectly acceptable, but a bit of a step down in terms of quality/comfort after Unguja Lodge and Selous Impala Camp.

All the internal flights and connections worked out perfectly, making the travelling stress-free.

Suggestions for improvemwents:

Perhaps you should mention in the pre-trip letter that return BA flights can be confirmed , seats booked and boarding passes printed 24 hours in advance at internet cafes in Stone Town, (and presumably at camps with computer access and a printer if they're willing).
Also include water shoes in your list of what to pack, especially for Zanzibar." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari

"As we said before, perfect!!

All the transports were perfectly organized. The 3 places we stayed at were as we expected them (or better) and the choice was made with the help of Ellie, who spent a long time talking to us, explaining every detail and giving her gentle suggestions. She was always ready to answer anything at any time of the day. Thanks a lot Ellie!!

The best part of our trip was the waling safari at Impala. The days on the beach were really relaxing. We were a bit disappointed by Stone Town, but this is due to our expectations rather than any problem. We were expecting something different. Maybe the problem was that nothing could compare with the safari for us.

We will keep this part short in order to avoid repeating what we said for the prvious parts.

Best holiday we ever had!! The problem is we already want to go back..." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 4 on a Tanzania safari

"We had an absolutely brilliant safari - we saw loads of animals, more than I had expected. Our guide Halifa was fantastic - he was an amazing spotter, I don't know how he found all the animals but he did it somehow. He was also really helpful and would help out with any problem or enquiry. We also really liked him - very easy to get along with. I would recommend him to anyone going to Tanzania. All the camps we stayed in were excellent, again I'd have no problem recommending any of them. Staff were always helpful and friendly. All the people we met in the camps were very happy and very pleased with the guides and the camps.

The Shooting Star in Zanzibar was very nice, and again the staff very helpful. I think we enjoyed the safari part of the trip more, though - Zanzibar was more a place to relax and do nothing and we're not very good at that! Four nights was enough.

Ellie helped us with the booking and she has been great - she didn't mind any of us ringing up with lots of questions, and could always give you a sensible answer. She really knew her stuff!" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari

"The Fisherman drivers were professional, smartly dressed with an adequate level of English, and were good, safe drivers. The vehicles were clean and well-maintained. The drivers all arrived punctually at the agreed pick-up times.

I was disappointed that I had to initiate the arrangements for the transfers from all three hotels. Particularly at the ZCH, the receptionist spent an entire morning trying to contact the Fisherman office (on the two numbers provided by EA) to arrange my pick-up to the airport. Although the telephone numbers were ringing, noone was picking-up. In the end the receptionist called Mr Ali's emergency mobile. If pick-up times had been agreed between EA and Fisherman, I was unaware of them. I suggest transfer times are included in the itinerary letter you send to customers prior to departure to avoid any confusion." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zanzibar holiday

"Claire and her colleagues at Expert Africa were extremely knowledgeable and helpful in putting together our package of safaris and beach holiday. In both camps our excellent guides had to use all their skills to find the game in such dense bush and over such large areas, but find it they did.

The sightings were excellent, the animals and birds less skittish than we expected, particularly in Ruaha, and the weather much drier and more settled than might have been at this time of the year. The Safari Camps and their staff were excellent in every respect, and we had the comfortable and relaxing time at Breezes that we hoped for – a great holiday, and we can't wait to return." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zanzibar holiday

"I was drawn to Expert Africa by the quality of the website and this was supported by Eleanor understanding our brief straight away and sorting the itinerary. However we felt really let down when we had paid (I was given a 24 hour deadline to pay) and then told we couldn't do it because availability had not been checked fully and neither the suggested internal flights or suggested hotel rooms were available! It was then a scramble to try to find something that worked, which was more stressful than it should have been, involving compromise and additional cost on our part.

The trip itself was a wonderful experience and our expectations managed well. Expert Africa clearly know the accomodation in Tanzania and despite the early hiccup did deliver a great family holiday" Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 3 on a Tanzania safari

"thank you expert africa for a job very well done

Suggestions for improvement:

how can i it was perfect" Read full review: 22 nights in Africa; 14 on a Tanzania safari

"Thank you for your arrangements" Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zanzibar holiday

"The title says it all really, we had a really great time at both the camp and the beach lodge. Would we go there again? To Tanzania....possibly, to Zanzibar....probably not, but we're really pleased that we did what we did. At no point were we left waiting for someone to pick us up or for something to happen - all the transfers were seamless and a credit to the organising team back at base, so thankyou Ellie, for organising us so well!

We would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Expert Africa to any and everyone who wishes to travel to Africa and we look forward to dealing with you again.

Suggestions for improvement:

Absolutely none." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 4 on a Tanzania safari