Reviews of trips to Stone Town
354 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Stone Town.
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Suggestions for improvement:
We thought everything was well handled and the key was the level of local knowledge by the staff at Expert Africa. This I believe is very important." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zanzibar holiday
"Overall feedback"
We were glad we could recover at Mchanga Beach lodge though because being on safari can be quite tiring. It was nice to just sleep, eat and relax for a few days before heading home.
I only have one criticism of Lake Manze. When we arrived at 6.30am we had just flown overnight from London to Dar El Salaam. We didn't really sleep on the plane so were very tired when we finally reached Selous National park at 10 am. Instead of being taken directly to the camp we were told we had to wait until 12 noon to also collect another couple. They therefore took us (and another couple who were with us) on a short game drive before we drove back to the airstrip to wait for the other couple. In that time they could easily have taken us back to camp but obviously decided not to (probably to save petrol?)
By 12 noon we were all starving and then it was another hour to Lake Manze. By the time we arrived at Lake Manze I was far too hot and we were both really burnt. (We both had to stay totally covered up for the whole time we were at camp.) I also ended up feeling quite ill and had to lie down for the rest of the afternoon. I missed out on the late afternoon champagne reception at the Lake and also went to bed early that night which was New Year's Eve. Now I am not totally blaming this incident for the fact I felt so ill in the afternoon. However on top of the lack of sleep and the fact I had a cold, I do feel that waiting around so long before getting back to camp was the "last straw." In the future I really think they should get the guests back to the camp as soon as possible so they can rest and freshen up.
In terms of using Expert Africa - I found them to be excellent. It never occurred to me to arrange such a trip over the internet and the phone but it wasn't a problem at all. I think the website is superb and the independent reviews really give you a good idea of which trips to do and where to stay to suit your budget. I made a number of calls to the team and Ellie answered all my questions thoroughly. It was also really nice to chat through my trip with her when we got back. It was clear she is committed to making sure my feedback is relayed back so that future experiences can be even better.
I did a lot of research when looking into this trip and I can assure you that in my experience Expert Africa offered us the best trip at the best price compared to many other companies." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 4 on a Tanzania safari
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Suggestions for improvement:
We can't think of any." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zanzibar holiday
"Amazing holiday in Tanzania and Zambia"
We were both very pleased we had been advised to go to the Selous and both the camps we visited were absolutely perfect for us. The only mistake we made was in deciding to stay at a beach resort for 4 nights. We are much happier where there are interesting places to potter around and we are keen to try and learn about the places we are visiting.
I think Ellie understood our requirements very well: she did not mind how many times we asked her opinion and never failed to answer our queries.
We used Sunvil last year to go to Chile and Argentina and are pleased that we had the same high standard of service again this year." Read full review: 23 nights in Africa; 8 on a Tanzania safari
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Suggestions for improvements:
Good organisation and recommendations have turned out to be accurate. Thanks" Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari
"A perfect honeymoon"
Expert Africa were really helpful when our BA flight was delayed - much appreciated." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari
"Wonderful holiday - thanks"
You didnlt ask about Primate Safaris so I have to ass that they were fantastic – our guide was William. What a great guy, he looked after us very well.
Seeing the Gorillas was just amazing – what an experience! The trek wasn't particularly difficult (thankfully), it only took about an hour and 10 minutes in total, and not too hard either. With hindsight we should have done 2 gorilla treks. The Golden Monkeys were interesting but nothing like seeing the gorillas – we were the only people who did the monkey trek, so we had a guide, a trainee guide, two trackers, a porter and two armed guards – and us!!!
A couple of things that are different from your info:
There is an exit charge from Zanzibar Airport of $30 each. We were told that there was no facility to get money from the airport and anyway they would only accept it in US$. What happens if we don't have $60 cash we asked – you get a taxi to Stone Town and get the money, was the reply. Fortunately we had $62 – but I just don't know what would have happened if it had been a Sunday and the banks were shut.
The Spice Tour was $60 EACH – for about 2 & a half hours and 1 hour 20 minutes of that was travelling to and fro. Interesting but not worth £85.
All in all we had a truly wonderful holiday and would not hesitate in recommending Expert Africa. We will certainly be back.
Many thanks" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zanzibar holiday
"EA does what it says in on the website"
I should also mention Claire Scott, who dealt very efficiently with our holiday arrangements whilst Eleanor was away." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 6 on a Tanzania safari
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"Expert africa staff"
Thank you for your recommendations - they all turned out to exceed our expectations. Would book with you again," Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 5 on a Zanzibar holiday
Where to stay in Stone Town
Our suggestions for places to stay in Stone Town