Reviews of Impala Camp

"The service was excellent and so was the the efforts to fulfill my wishes. I was very impressed by the guide (Makomba) and driver (Aridi) who were at my disposal during my stay. I got a lot of good informations about the wild life while we were on game drives.

I had preferred dining in groups at larger tables in stead of sitting at individual tables at lunch and dinner but it didn't spoil my impression of an excellent camp." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania

"We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Impala, and have no complaints. Our guide, Ezra, was excellent and really 'made' our stay; he was knowledgable, interesting and amusing, and went out of his way to find out what we would like to see. He seemed to have binocular vision, and together with his driver Roger (?) made a great team. Abdullah, Hassan nd Gerard were also very good at driving the boat safaris. It was good to have the variety of walking, boat and car.

The accommodation was excellent, and the staff were very helpful. The little luxeries like early morning tea, eucalyptus flannels after a long day, juice befroe the afternoon safari, and always being welcomed back by Chloe and Mara were really appreciated.

Our only comments (not complaints!) were connected with food. the food was excellent - the only problem was that there was too much! Lunches could have been lighter, and it would have been friendlier if all the guests could have eaten at a long table more often. However, bush breakfasts were something never to be forgotten; coming round a promentory after 2 hours walking, and seeing breakfast laid out on a table by the lake was very momorable." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar

"We loved the river safaris which were so relaxing after the Land Rovers - great views of wildlife from the boat, especially elephants.

Food was delicious - special mention for the home made marmalade!" See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania

"Staff incredibly helpful - I would say they enhanced the experience.. The balance of river and land advantageous ( Gerard the boatman deserves a special mention) Had a very unsettling elephant encounter on the way to dinner one night which was not dealt with very well by the Askari - other people at the lodge also commented that they found the attitude to animals in the camp perhaps a little casual.

Food was strictly average overall (poor on one night)but on 2 occasions the staff arranged a different venue with surprises to celebrate birthday and retirement which was much appreciated. Bush breakfast also good, Choice of sundowner drinks limited.
Swimming pool a huge advantage in such heat.

Availibility of fresh coffee also a bonus" See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar

"Our stay at Selous Impala Camp was truly wonderful - we were reluctant to leave after 5 nights which is a longer than average visit. We clearly enjoyed the experience last year as we came back - but this year was even better

We couldn't fault anything. Mara was acting Camp Manager whilst we were there and she was brilliant, nothing was too much trouble. Always smiling, she chatted with every guest at several points during each day checking that all was in order, attending to everything in great detail. She certainly gets things moving too - on our first day she located the missing binoculars (which had been promised for a few days by then) - and they arrived the next day!

I had a wonderful surprise birthday meal under the stars complete with a birthday cake (the first one I haven't had to make for myself for ** years!) accompanied by a procession of the staff and rendition of Happy Birthday and Jambo Bwana!

Our guide for the whole time, Ezra, was excellent. His happy smiling face greeted us unfailingly as we met for each new adventure! Ezra's excellent knowledge of birds, animals, insects and plants ensured that we had our best walking safari - and we saw Colobus monkeys too! All the game drives were wonderful (with Rajabu driving) and we enjoyed the huge amount of game viewing - and Ezra we never tired of our Leopard search!!

We had 3 boat safaris - all very different. The birds along the river are beautiful (Ezra's 'bling birds') - the malachite kingfishers patiently waited for us to take photos and we got some really great shots of them, the pied kingfishers and bee-eaters. Gerard got us very (but safely) close to groups of elephants crossing - a wonderful sight in the beautiful sunset.

We also enjoyed our Verandha Safaris, exchanging stories of the days events round the fire, excellent bush breakfasts, evening meals under the stars, the conversations with various staff and much more. This was certainly a very memorable stay. A big thank you to all at Impala!!" See all these reviews: 14n in Tanzania

"We really enjoyed our stay in Selous Impala Camp. I expect we have stayed in about 20 game lodges/camps and Selous Impala Camp is the best by a margin.

The setting, accomodation, staff and, particularly, the food were excellent. The scenery and game might have been better in other areas but this camp was the tops. I find it strange that at both this camp and Magwusi the guides did not have binoculars.

We raised this locally but the point was not taken. Overall the guides were not as good as Botswana/Zambia but were 'good enough'." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania

"Well organised camp. The staff and guides were excellent, the accommodation was confortable and well located.

All the activities were well run, but individual tables for meals made it a bit more formal than Lake Manze, but it meant you had more personal attention!

Everyone was particularly kind as they were aware of Margaret's accident the previous year and we had a special starlight dinner thanks to Tessa Zanacchi." See all these reviews: 11n in Tanzania

"Every care and attention was given to us right from our arrival at the airstrip. Ezra , our guide with the huge smile, and Raja our driver were superb and were even able to show us wild dogs on the way to camp! Chloe, Mara and the rest of the staff took good care of us in camp. The tent was very comfortable and we certainly appreciated the electric fan!

The food was very good, enhanced by the beautiful setting overlooking the river and a view of the resident hippo.

We certainly saw plenty of animals and birds on our game drives, boat trips and in the camp but the most memorable would have to be the day we attempted to have a bush breakfast. A suitable spot had been selected and breakfast preparations started when driving rain rapidly moved in. Even the Land Rover couldn't supply shelter from the deluge so we got soaked and eventually moved on to dry out. Compensation came by way of a pride of lions 'playing' on the road. Suddenly the 4 lionesses became alert as they spotted a herd of eland. You can guess the rest. After many years of safari trips we saw our first hunt/kill – 2 huge male elands brought down by these superb hunting machines. And our vehicle was the only one to witness it!" See all these reviews: 13n in Tanzania

"River location allows good boat trips. A morning walk followed by breakfast by a lagoon and a return boat trip was a highlight. The bird checklist was a good idea

Dining arrangements of seperate tables lead to a less sociable atmosphere in the evenings." See all these reviews: 20n in Tanzania

"This was the second part of our trip and it was absolutely fantastic. The camp is superb - I've travelled the world and don't think I've received such a high level of service. A case in point was on our last night when they moved us to a table to ourselves underneath the stars to celebrate our anniversary - a really nice touch.

The tented rooms are great, very stylish with comfy beds, 24/7 hot water, writing desks, 24/7 electricity and more. The staff were extremely friendly and the guides really knowledgeable. The food was superb - a la carte menus (two choices for each course) all cooked to a really high standard. I don't eat fruit so they would often prepare me a special alternative, another example of great service.

The game viewing was very good, although the animals were slightly more skittish than at Ruaha due to hunting in the other parts of the Selous. You can choose from game drives, boat safaris and walking safaris. The boat ones are very good for bird watchers, and you also get to see an abundance of crocs and hippos. We saw a wide variety of animals, including 2 leopards (very rare!), elephant, giraffe, lions, impala, kudu, baboons, colobus monkeys and loads more.

I couldn't recommend this place highly enough." See all these reviews: 6n in Tanzania; 1n in Zanzibar