Reviews of Impala Camp

"We stayed at Impala for 4 nights following 2 nights at Lake Manze. We had an amazing time, seeing plenty of game, including leopard and wild dogs. WE had our own driver/guide Dennis who was very knowledgeable and could often, to our amazement, track down a particular animal we wanted to see. Every evening we were able to choose what activities to do the next day, river safaris, walking or game drives, which meant if you were tired of bumping around in the truck you could have a nice relaxing ride along the river.

One evening we were returning from a boat safari upriver and on the way we stopped to find chairs with sundowners and canapes laid out for us overlooking the river. A lovely touch.

However, we went on another boat trip downriver, where we understood we would pass some villages. To our surprise we disembarked and were led to a village and taken to the local school where our guide insisted we met the headmaster. Although we gently protested, we did not want to offend anyone so we went along, and then had to think of some questions to ask him. We also noticed a clearly marked donations box on the wall - luckily we had a bit of cash on us which we happily donated, but we would like to have been forewarned of this 'side trip' which, although interesting, was completely unexpected and not necessarily what we wanted.

Accommodation was comfortable and we were glad the tent was raised on a platform when we heard the hippo wandering past at night! It was lovely relaxing on our veranda after lunch watching the birds. Food was good and our own waiter David was excellent. At night the tables were placed separately in various locations around the main area which was very romantic but if you are of a sociable nature it was not so friendly.

The camp seemed very well run and the safaris well organised." See all these reviews: 6n in Tanzania; 1n in Zanzibar

"Everything about this camp is excellent" See all these reviews: 14n in Tanzania

"The riverside location here made for excellent boating safaris which we very much enjoyed. We found the morning game drives to be quite arduous and their long duration left little time to enjoy other facilities (i.e. pool) before lunch. However, guiding and driving were excellent and although game was somewhat sparse we recorded over 100 bird varieties during our three day stay.

We were disappointed that drinks were not made available before early morning game drives unless one required them with an early morning call. We found the camp policy of individual tables at mealtimes most unsatisfactory as in our opinion and experience communal mealtimes are some of the most enjoyable experiences in bush camps when everybody has the opportunity to discuss their day with other guests and hosts.

Overall, we were somewhat disappointed with our experience of this camp as, although the staff were friendly and helpful, we felt somewhat pressurised and short of time to relax." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania

"We enjoyed the activities especially the water safari, which, according to the site manager, is unique to this area. The guides are knowledgeable and polite. We had a welcome party with snacks and champagne on the first day; sit-down breakfast at around 9:30 during our safari. All meals were cooked and well served.

The water safaris to the bird island; offered great opportunities for taking bird pictures although, in retrospect I feel guilty in disturbing the birds. I hope this activity does not agitate the birds in any harmful way.

My daughter and I arrived the camp with a couple also clients of Expert Africa. I believe the camp assumed that the four of us travelled together and therefore put us together everyday. I think we were good company to each other but it would be a good idea for them to consult us before hand. We did choose a different activity on the last afternoon, and it made me feel a bit special.

My daughter and I shared a family tent, i.e., two separated tents connected by a raised platform. On arrival, the people who carried our luggage to the tents had no idea of the difference between the two tents, so my daughter and I pick our own randomly. I would imagine one should be labelled as a parent tent and the other children.

The tents are well constructed and very sturdy sitting on a raised platform. They are well covered with screens to prevent insects from coming in. The entrances to the tents are equipped with a long vertical zipper in the middle and Velcro strips on the bottom. The zippers work well but the Velcro strips do not fasten too well so a few insects do come into the tents.

One major defect with my daughter's tent: the top of the toilet and bathroom area is not covered. Since we had to wake up around 5:30 AM and retire to the tent after 10 PM, using the toilet or shower would mean turning on the lights. In the forest, insects love light. With the lights turn on, insects swarmed the area, so using the toilet and shower was totally out of the question. My daughter ended up using my facility instead. They should have prepared the area ahead of time for our convenience and enjoyment." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania; 9n in Zanzibar; 3n in Zimbabwe

"We were both very impressed with the accommodation, food, service and above all the quality of the water and game drives were superb.

Of particular note was the quality of the guide. We were very fortunate to have had the services of Gerrard to ourselves for three days." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar

"Friendly and well run. Particulary appreciated having a guide allocated to us for the whole trip and we did not have new guests joiining in part way (which means that the guide inevitably repeats information we have already heard).

Breakfast in the bush is fun plus the mix of game drives and boat trips. Our guide Mokili was young but very enthusiastic and keen to please and his bird identification was good." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania

"Although the camp rates higher the wildlife was not so good. Our guide was more experienced but still was not in the league of Steve Roskelly. The staff were all very friendly and the service excellent, if possibly over the top for a safari camp. Again the range of activities were very good and were tailored to our desires as much as possible." See all these reviews: 15n in Tanzania; 6n in Zanzibar

"we moved here from Lake Manze and noted quite a difference in layout and style.
It is definitely a step up in terms of facilities. There is power and there are therefore welcome fans in the rooms. There is a very nice pool which was very welcome in the middle of the day with the temp at 36deg!

The whole camp is very well sited on the banks of the Rufiji. The main lodge area has been recently resited due to erosion of the bank, and will probably need to be moved again in a few years time. Although it has relatively few tents, there is a very spacious feel to the camp, particularly the main lodge area.

The food is very well prepared and served and was very delicious, usually with a choice between meat and fish at dinner time.
However it is the dining arrangements that draws my only negative comment. It seems strange to isolate diners at individual and widely spaced tables, particularly when there are relatively few people at the camp ,as when we were there. This does lead to a rather formal and less spontaneous mood at the camp.The actual service though cannot be faulted.

Although scheduled to be here for 4 nights we actually only stayed for three, due to a need for a side trip to Dar es Salaam for medical treatment. We cannot praise the staff and managers, Andrea and Lorenzo , enough for their help with making the arrangements in a difficult situation. This did mean we missed most of our drives and the scheduled bush walk which was a great pity.

Our guide Ezra was first class and very informative with good communication skills. We saw wild dogs during our first evening and stayed with them for quite a while. We were also lucky enough to see a herd of Eland on a drive, and spent time with a pride of lions at a more remote part of the camp. We saw many Giraffe and Zebra and of course Impala were everywhere.

We had a late afternoon boat trip along the Rufiji which was still pretty low, necessitating some good navigation skills by our driver! We had good sightings of Crocodiles and hippos and saw many fish eagles and herons as well as several Kingfisher species including a giant Kingfisher. The river bank trees and bushes were festooned with the nests of various weaver birds and there were also groups of bee eaters of several species.
The boat trips make for a nice contrast with the game drives.
Impala is a very comfortable and friendly camp with great facilities and certainly recommended by us." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania; 6n in Zanzibar

"Difficult to fault this camp - it was all brilliant. Particularly the options of game drives - in excellent land rovers and with very good guides - boat trips and walking safaris gave us plenty of variety. We had options of half day game drives with breakfast provided in the bush which was great. The rains had started early by the time we arrived but game viewing was excellent - particularly lion and wild dogs.

The walking safari guide was particularly good." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 4n in Zanzibar

"We stayed at Selous Impala for 3 nights and really enjoyed the camp. Guiding was superb and varied (boat, vehicle, walking and fishing). Tents were very comfortable and the food was outstanding.

The camp & Selous were an ideal contrast (in wildlife and scenery) to our 3 night stay in Ruaha. I couldn't choose a favourite between Old Mdonya & Selous Impala - Very different camps, but both excellent. We'd gladly return!

Highlight was Wild Dogs - Our guide was determined that we should see them and he managed it!" See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania