Travel reviews by B & F from Hexham
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
3
Countries visited
6
Lodges stayed in
16
Excursions taken
0
My Feb 2023 trip
Botswana between 28 Feb 2023 and 7 Mar 2023
"Potentially it was a great trip but the insect bite which resulted in hospitalisation in Johnannsburg rather took the shine off!
However all the people at Kwando Safaris were extremely helpful."
However all the people at Kwando Safaris were extremely helpful."
Arranged By Lucy Copson
Tau Pan Camp
"Tau Pan Camp review"
3 nights
Arrived
28 Feb 2023
"The guides and trackers were excellent, the camp staff could not not have been kinder or more helpful after I experienced a particularly bad insect bite."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Giraffe
Many sightings
Leopard
1 sighting
Lion
Many sightings
A brilliant trip
Tanzania and 1 other country between 3 Jan 2016 and 15 Jan 2016
"This was an amazing holiday incorporating 2 long held dreams of seeing the Gorillas in Rwanda and visiting the Selous in Tanzania.
Absolutely everything went according to plan (unbelievable for Africa!) and apart from the problems we raised about the hotel in Dar we couldn't have asked for better.
Fantastic, thank you!"
Absolutely everything went according to plan (unbelievable for Africa!) and apart from the problems we raised about the hotel in Dar we couldn't have asked for better.
Fantastic, thank you!"
Urban Boutique (Not currently featured by Expert Africa)
"Good city hotel"
1 night
Arrived
4 Jan 2016
"Friendly, helpful, efficient staff.
Comfortable, spacious room and good breakfast with views across the city from the dining area."
Comfortable, spacious room and good breakfast with views across the city from the dining area."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
"Good lodge, convenient for the park."
4 nights
Arrived
5 Jan 2016
"The staff were all vey friendly and tried very hard - there were occasionally "lapses" but we felt that was more as a result of inexperience than carelessness.
Our only 2 criticisms were the poor lighting in the room and also the lack of safe - having to leave electronic gear in envelopes at the office was a bit of a pain! The boot cleaning service was absolutely amazing (still don't know how they could do such a good job in such a short space of time).
It's position only 15 minutes from the park HQ was great."
Our only 2 criticisms were the poor lighting in the room and also the lack of safe - having to leave electronic gear in envelopes at the office was a bit of a pain! The boot cleaning service was absolutely amazing (still don't know how they could do such a good job in such a short space of time).
It's position only 15 minutes from the park HQ was great."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Lake Manze Adventure Camp
"Wonderful experience."
4 nights
Arrived
11 Jan 2016
"A wonderful place, extremely well organised with enthusiastic, friendly, knowledgeable staff - an absolute delight.
The game viewing was excellent both on land and water. The number of animals that wandered through the camp was fantastic.
The food was good, wine choice and price also good and laundry brilliant!"
The game viewing was excellent both on land and water. The number of animals that wandered through the camp was fantastic.
The food was good, wine choice and price also good and laundry brilliant!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
My Sep 2007 trip
Namibia and 2 other countries between 19 Sep 2007 and 18 Oct 2007
"Very, very good. I still cannot believe how smoothly it all went. Apart from Epacha Lodge ( a night necessitated by lack of accommodation elsewhere) it was all at exactly the level that we wanted - miraculously Tracey somehow managed to discern this from my ramblings!
Only during the last couple of days of the holiday did I notice that mobile and home numbers are provided for Expert Africa staff - amazing!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much."
Only during the last couple of days of the holiday did I notice that mobile and home numbers are provided for Expert Africa staff - amazing!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much."
Arranged By Tracy Lederer
Kulala Desert Lodge
"Kulala Lodge"
2 nights
Arrived
20 Sep 2007
"The hot air ballooning trip, though expensive, was an absolute must - out of this world!"
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Brigadoon
"Brigadoon review"
2 nights
Arrived
22 Sep 2007
"Everything was OK, just that everywhere else was so much better.
The mini 4x4 tour to Sandwich Harbour (run by the guy that owns the ballooning operation in Soussevlei) was great fun."
The mini 4x4 tour to Sandwich Harbour (run by the guy that owns the ballooning operation in Soussevlei) was great fun."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Good
Service
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Good
Doro Nawas
"Doro Nawas review"
1 night
Arrived
24 Sep 2007
"By far the most magical of the lodges.
We went on our own to the rock art site - very interesting - but the petrified forest was not worth the minor diversion"
We went on our own to the rock art site - very interesting - but the petrified forest was not worth the minor diversion"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Epacha Game Lodge, Namibia (this camp has since closed)
"Epacha Game Lodge review"
1 night
Arrived
25 Sep 2007
"Disappointing for a 5 star place and the formal atmosphere didn't sit well with the "bush" location.
We were advised not to bother with the night game drive as we were unlikely to see anything. On the morning drive we saw very little."
We were advised not to bother with the night game drive as we were unlikely to see anything. On the morning drive we saw very little."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Average
Service
Excellent
Activities
Poor
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Average
Facilities
Excellent
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Ongava Lodge
"Ongava Lodge review"
1 night
Arrived
26 Sep 2007
"Seemed the most committed to ensuring we saw the maximum amount of wildlife possible and went out of their way to accommodate our request for a specialist drive in the morning."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Halali Camp
"Halali Restcamp review"
2 nights
Arrived
27 Sep 2007
"We expected very basic accommodation (along the lines of restcamps in Zimbabwe national parks 9 years ago) and were astonished to arrive at Halali and find such luxury.
Didn't take advantage of the night or salt-pan drives; watering hole was fantastic.
Swimming pool was still being refurbished."
Didn't take advantage of the night or salt-pan drives; watering hole was fantastic.
Swimming pool was still being refurbished."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Facilities
Poor
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Okonjima Plains Camp
"Okonjima Main Camp review"
1 night
Arrived
29 Sep 2007
"Mixed feelings. Felt quite pressurised by the staff when we arriived as we were told what we were booked in for and when.
Dinner arrangements were not properly explained, hence we held everybody up.
Activities : leopard tracking was too artificial and we felt as though we were crowding the poor beast when we eventually tracked it down. The Wild Dog and Cheetah experience the following morning would have been interesting, as opposed to depressing, if we'ld have had chance to read all the background material first.
Perhaps if we had come here before Etosha, etc. we might have felt a bit more positive."
Dinner arrangements were not properly explained, hence we held everybody up.
Activities : leopard tracking was too artificial and we felt as though we were crowding the poor beast when we eventually tracked it down. The Wild Dog and Cheetah experience the following morning would have been interesting, as opposed to depressing, if we'ld have had chance to read all the background material first.
Perhaps if we had come here before Etosha, etc. we might have felt a bit more positive."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Good
Service
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Average
Feedback response
In each room at Okonjima there is a folder explaining the aims of the AfriCat Foundation and the work that it does in helping to rehabilitate the large cats found in Namibia back into the wild. This information is also on large, colourful boards at the swimming pool. Guests are encouraged to study the information before going on trails in order to get an idea of what the AfriCat foundation is about, but if you are only staying for one night there is often very little time to do this. By the time you arrive, go to your room to freshen up then head straight out onto your afternoon activity, then back for a quick shower before dinner, then to the night-hide, your first day has vanished. The next morning you will wake-up early for your morning activity, then return for breakfast and then depart the lodge. Consequently, on a one night stay, there is not much time to see and read all the available information. A two night stay will give you more time to take in the good work done by this foundation.
Southern Africa Manager
Olive Grove
"Olive Grove review"
2 nights
Arrived
30 Sep 2007
"Really nice place and would highly recommend it.
Embarassingly we realised when we got to the airport that none of us had left the staff tip - many apologies."
Embarassingly we realised when we got to the airport that none of us had left the staff tip - many apologies."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Southern Sun (Not currently featured by Expert Africa)
"Southern Sun airport hotel"
1 night
Arrived
2 Oct 2007
"Fit for purpose."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Average
Service
Average
Rooms
Average
Food
Average
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Avani Victoria Falls
"Zambezi Sun"
2 nights
Arrived
3 Oct 2007
"Value for money given the location."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Good
Service
Average
Activities
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Average
Facilities
Average
Southern Sun (Not currently featured by Expert Africa)
"review"
1 night
Arrived
5 Oct 2007
"see previous"
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Bazaruto Lodge
"Bazaruto Lodge review"
4 nights
Arrived
6 Oct 2007
"A bit too much pressure to sign up for activities; oherwise excellent - beautiful location, lovely staff, great diving and snorkelling.
Just need to offer drinkable wine by the glass as opposed to paint stripper!"
Just need to offer drinkable wine by the glass as opposed to paint stripper!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent