Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs D from Crawley

"We thouroughly recommend anabezi. The location, the rooms and the food are all top class. the chalets are well spaced out and allow privacy, each has an indoor and outdoor bathroom, and a small plunge pool on the private deck. One looks out over the riverbank at a constant stream of wildlife - warthogs, elephants, baboons, various antelope, and occasionally big cats.

there are 2 outdoor pools, one at each end of the camp, and 2 eating areas, though while we were there, the camp was not full, so everyone ate in the main dining area.

Nobby was our guide, and the standard of guiding lived up to it's high reputation. 2 game drives per day, the evening drive includes sundowners and a good chance to see nocturnal wildlife while driving back after dark.

The birding is just brilliant, and we also enjoyed a variety of river- based activities- including fishing. The Staff could not have been more helpful, and we appreciated having the same guide for our whole trip. We only shared the vehicle with one other couple on one occasion, otherwise we were just 2 plus the guide."

"John and Carol Coppinger set a fine example in the field of responsible tourism. The camp is just outside the National Park, set on the river bank. there are no water-based activities here, but on offer are 2 x4hour game drives per day, or small group day walks ( we did not try the cycling!).

The chalets are all made of local material, no electricity ( plently of re-charging sockets at the main lodge), but lit by solar lamps.comfy beds and we were not too hot at night. At the rear of the room, the bathroom and shower facilities are open to the sky - a hot shower under the stars was a wonderful experience! The rooms are well spaced, and the communal meals are tactfully organised so that everyone mixes well. The food was excellent on the whole, our only mild complaint was there was too much pudding!

We enjoyed the fact that the guides , and the management Staff ate with the guests. Every effort was made to suit the game viewing to our particular interests (eg, birding, photography). 4 travellers per vehicle, so everyone gets a good view. the afternoon drive includes the traditional"sundowner" and then gives you the opportunity for a couple of hours driving after dark.

The Park has excellent game and birds- hightlights were a leopard kill, hyena sightings by day and night, carmine bee-eaters nesting in their hundreds, crowned cranes flying in over the salt pans, following a pride of 10 lions on a hunt, and many cute baby elephants.

Walking tours allow you to see the smaller creatures- chameleons, insects, and also some close encounters with the larger animals. We felt very safe whilst on foot with 2 guides and an armed park ranger. The guides were all excellent.

We also learned such a lot about the life of the villagers from our guides. Remote Africa support many community projects, and provide employment for a substantial number of local people. this was not the most luxurious of the camps we visited - there's no wifi or mobile phone signal, but, of the 3 places we stayed, it's probably the one we are most likely to return to for a second visit."

"We had 5 nights at Pumulani after 2 very active safari camps. The location is stunning and the facilities are top notch (no wifi). The lodge was very quiet during our stay, so the atmosphere was somewhat low-key, but that is not to detract from the helpfulness and friendliness of the Managers and Staff. Compared to safari camps, the pace of life at Pumulani is slower - but no early morning starts, and plenty of opportunity to laze on the beach or by the pool.

One of the highlights was snorkelling in Lake Malawi (no bilharzia). The visibility is very clear and the cichlid fish are brilliantly colourful. The other outing we enjoyed, was visiting the orphanage in the local village. This is run by Loyce, a most remarkable woman who, in addition to her own 2 children and her job at Pumulani, has taken 20 orphaned children under her care. We gained much insight into the lives of rural Malawians, and felt very humbled after our visit. Robin Poe Safaris offer a lot of support to the local community, and this is a huge help for the villagers.

There is not a lot of wildlife, but the birding is excellent.

The food and wine are 5 star, and the rooms offer privacy and comfort."