Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs R from Wimbledon
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
2
Countries visited
4
Lodges stayed in
8
Excursions taken
0
A great experience and very enjoyable
Botswana and 1 other country between 21 Sep 2012 and 2 Oct 2012
"We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Botswana which is a wonderful country.
We would recommend it to others."
We would recommend it to others."
Arranged By Megan Green
Jack's Camp
"Jack's Camp is unique"
3 nights
Arrived
21 Sep 2012
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Average
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Little Kwara (Not currently featured by Expert Africa)
"The best camp of our whole trip"
3 nights
Arrived
24 Sep 2012
"Overall
This was our favorite camp because of its combination of first class tracking, wild life, intimacy with nature, small size, lovely rooms and really friendly service.
Location
Right in the Okavanga Delta and on an island, Little Kwara offers real intimacy with nature and the local wild life. We had Elephants right outside our room and heard lions prowling around quite close to our tent during the night. We saw a hug variety of game within a few minutes of leaving the camp. No mosquitoes when we were there.
Rooms
Excellent - spacious, comfortable, cool with fans and 24/7 electricity, good hot water, inside and outside showers and a bath, plenty of storage space, safe and a huge bed.
Service
The camp is very well run in a quiet efficient way and all the staff are very friendly and really care about making your stay as pleasant and memorable as possible. Guiding and tracking first class.
Food
Plentiful and good if not quite four star. Can get a bit repetitive.
Activities
Great. The huge plus point about this camp is that the drivers and guides will always go "off road" to find game. We saw a huge amount - Lions, three Cheetah brothers, Leopard, Elephant, Hippos, Giraffe, Wildebeast, Buffalo, Crocs and large and small birds. The boat ride to the Rookery is not to missed. We also enjoyed the the Mekoro boat trip through the reed beds.
Facilities
Very good"
This was our favorite camp because of its combination of first class tracking, wild life, intimacy with nature, small size, lovely rooms and really friendly service.
Location
Right in the Okavanga Delta and on an island, Little Kwara offers real intimacy with nature and the local wild life. We had Elephants right outside our room and heard lions prowling around quite close to our tent during the night. We saw a hug variety of game within a few minutes of leaving the camp. No mosquitoes when we were there.
Rooms
Excellent - spacious, comfortable, cool with fans and 24/7 electricity, good hot water, inside and outside showers and a bath, plenty of storage space, safe and a huge bed.
Service
The camp is very well run in a quiet efficient way and all the staff are very friendly and really care about making your stay as pleasant and memorable as possible. Guiding and tracking first class.
Food
Plentiful and good if not quite four star. Can get a bit repetitive.
Activities
Great. The huge plus point about this camp is that the drivers and guides will always go "off road" to find game. We saw a huge amount - Lions, three Cheetah brothers, Leopard, Elephant, Hippos, Giraffe, Wildebeast, Buffalo, Crocs and large and small birds. The boat ride to the Rookery is not to missed. We also enjoyed the the Mekoro boat trip through the reed beds.
Facilities
Very good"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Lagoon Camp
"Great camp; wildlife a bit scarce"
3 nights
Arrived
27 Sep 2012
"Overall
A very well run and comfortable camp but due to certain circumstances pointed out below the game was not as plentiful as we would have hoped.
Location
Wonderful location on the edge of a lagoon of the Kwando river. Superb views. However due to certain circumstances game not as plentiful as we had expected. Reasons seem to be:
1. Concession very large and not fully developed hence animals can retreat to inaccessible areas and sightings at one end of the concession can be difficult to get to from the other end
2. Some larger animals migrate across the Kwando river into and out of Namibia where there are shooting concessions. This means they can very shy of humans
3. A three year drought and the water in the Selinda Spillway which has been dry for many years means that certain animals that used to be resident in Lagoon have moved to other concessions
Rooms
Excellent - 24/7 electricity, fans, inside and outside showers, bath tub, safe, large comfortable bed, no mosquitoes. Could have done with a little more storage space. Wonderful views across the lagoon. Hippos outside room at night.
Service
Quietly well run camp. Nothing too much trouble for staff who joined us for dinner and were great fun.
Food
As in Little Kwara good , plentiful but could become a little repetitive. Drink selection excellent.
Activities
Driving and tracking very good and as in Little Kwara drivers always prepared to go off road. We saw Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Hippo, Giraffe, Zebra, a Hyena den with very young Hyena cubs, Jackal, Ostrich with young, Marshall Eagle and many other birds. A particular feature of the concession is the resident pack of Wild Dogs which although hard to find when we did find them were fascinating.
The sunset boat trip was great and especially the colony of Carmine Bee Eaters.
Facilities
Excellent - particularly the library, pool, lounge and recharging station!"
A very well run and comfortable camp but due to certain circumstances pointed out below the game was not as plentiful as we would have hoped.
Location
Wonderful location on the edge of a lagoon of the Kwando river. Superb views. However due to certain circumstances game not as plentiful as we had expected. Reasons seem to be:
1. Concession very large and not fully developed hence animals can retreat to inaccessible areas and sightings at one end of the concession can be difficult to get to from the other end
2. Some larger animals migrate across the Kwando river into and out of Namibia where there are shooting concessions. This means they can very shy of humans
3. A three year drought and the water in the Selinda Spillway which has been dry for many years means that certain animals that used to be resident in Lagoon have moved to other concessions
Rooms
Excellent - 24/7 electricity, fans, inside and outside showers, bath tub, safe, large comfortable bed, no mosquitoes. Could have done with a little more storage space. Wonderful views across the lagoon. Hippos outside room at night.
Service
Quietly well run camp. Nothing too much trouble for staff who joined us for dinner and were great fun.
Food
As in Little Kwara good , plentiful but could become a little repetitive. Drink selection excellent.
Activities
Driving and tracking very good and as in Little Kwara drivers always prepared to go off road. We saw Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Hippo, Giraffe, Zebra, a Hyena den with very young Hyena cubs, Jackal, Ostrich with young, Marshall Eagle and many other birds. A particular feature of the concession is the resident pack of Wild Dogs which although hard to find when we did find them were fascinating.
The sunset boat trip was great and especially the colony of Carmine Bee Eaters.
Facilities
Excellent - particularly the library, pool, lounge and recharging station!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Tongabezi
"Luxurious, relaxing and romantic Lodge"
2 nights
Arrived
30 Sep 2012
"Location
Beautiful situation in Zambia overlooking Zambezi river. A little far from the Victoria Falls and we were not told that the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls were dry at this time of year. The lodge advised that the walk at them was not worthwhile.
Rooms
Well laid out with luxurious single houses with balcony and veranda. Nice room, bathroom with shower and bath. Fans, fridge and safe. Good bed with mosquito net. Subject to occasional power failures.
Service
Excellent with personal valet who ran bath for us.
Food
Good with nice variety. However it sometimes took a little long to arrive.
Activities
Excellent range but some were difficult to book - particularly the visit to Livingstone Island, the only way to see the Victoria Falls close up from Zambia. We did finally get on it and it was spectacular but t would probably have been advisable to have pre-booked from the UK.
The 30 minute helicopter ride over the Falls and through the gorges was expensive but spectacular.
The nearby wild life reserve has one of the few herds of White Rhino which we were lucky enough to see. The rest of the reserve is not worth driving round if you have come from other reserves/safaris.
The sunset cruise was pleasant.
Most activities are an "extra" at this lodge and we ended up spending a significant amount of extra money doing them.
Facilities
Good but the main emphasis is on romanticism and in this it succeeds superlatively. Private meals are available on your own terrace. A feature for us was the interesting nature of the other guests with whom we had fascinating conversations in the evening over drinks around the fire and over shared dinners."
Beautiful situation in Zambia overlooking Zambezi river. A little far from the Victoria Falls and we were not told that the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls were dry at this time of year. The lodge advised that the walk at them was not worthwhile.
Rooms
Well laid out with luxurious single houses with balcony and veranda. Nice room, bathroom with shower and bath. Fans, fridge and safe. Good bed with mosquito net. Subject to occasional power failures.
Service
Excellent with personal valet who ran bath for us.
Food
Good with nice variety. However it sometimes took a little long to arrive.
Activities
Excellent range but some were difficult to book - particularly the visit to Livingstone Island, the only way to see the Victoria Falls close up from Zambia. We did finally get on it and it was spectacular but t would probably have been advisable to have pre-booked from the UK.
The 30 minute helicopter ride over the Falls and through the gorges was expensive but spectacular.
The nearby wild life reserve has one of the few herds of White Rhino which we were lucky enough to see. The rest of the reserve is not worth driving round if you have come from other reserves/safaris.
The sunset cruise was pleasant.
Most activities are an "extra" at this lodge and we ended up spending a significant amount of extra money doing them.
Facilities
Good but the main emphasis is on romanticism and in this it succeeds superlatively. Private meals are available on your own terrace. A feature for us was the interesting nature of the other guests with whom we had fascinating conversations in the evening over drinks around the fire and over shared dinners."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
A fabulous safari
Tanzania and 1 other country between 22 Sep 2008 and 7 Oct 2008
"The safari part of our trip was excellent. Pole Pole was a little disappointing - quality and too long at the resort. Expert Africa should not use Beyt al Chai until it is refurbished.
We are very impressed with Exprt Africa itself. All staff very helpful and concerned that we have an enjoyable holiday (which we did).
Information provided pre deprture very comprehensive and helpful. Terrific web-site which was one of the factors that convinced us to use EA. We really felt they knew what they were talking about."
We are very impressed with Exprt Africa itself. All staff very helpful and concerned that we have an enjoyable holiday (which we did).
Information provided pre deprture very comprehensive and helpful. Terrific web-site which was one of the factors that convinced us to use EA. We really felt they knew what they were talking about."
Mwagusi Safari Camp
"A fabulous intro to safaris at Mwagusi"
3 nights
Arrived
23 Sep 2008
"Felt very close to nature. Very attentive and well trained staff. Good guiding. Well managed. Being a National Park, Ruaha has many pluses. In particualr wild life seems much less fearful of humans.
The food was very good and dining in the open air at night was a great experience."
The food was very good and dining in the open air at night was a great experience."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Beho Beho
"Great atmosphere at Beho Beho"
4 nights
Arrived
26 Sep 2008
"Luxurious and well apppointed, the lodge has a great atmosphere. Friendly staff who go out of their way to help. Guiding very good although could benefit further from having a separate driver and guide like in Mwagusi. Lovely location although at times when water is short it is a long drive to the water holes.
Its unfortunate that Selous has so many Tsetse flies.
Overall we had a great time."
Its unfortunate that Selous has so many Tsetse flies.
Overall we had a great time."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Pole Pole
"Good snorkling but Pole Pole needs a revamp"
5 nights
Arrived
30 Sep 2008
"Expected a four star experience but would rate it as three stars. The whole resort feels a little shabby and it requires investment to bring it back to the standard it clearly was when first developed. Specifically:
- there was no electricity from 12 noon to 5:30pm and then again no electricity from midnight to between 6.00 am. This meant the fans could not be used at night with the consequent heat and mosquito problems.
- food was very variable in quality. Meat was scarce.
- the furnishings and decor was slightly shabby eg mosquito netting over windows left large gaps for mosquitoes to come in and most chairs were very uncomfortable.
Staff were exceedingly kind, curteous and attentive and tried their best to please. Programmes were always adjusted to suit every individual. Nothing was too much trouble. The resort is well managed.
We were there for five nights which was too long. Three nights would have been adequate."
- there was no electricity from 12 noon to 5:30pm and then again no electricity from midnight to between 6.00 am. This meant the fans could not be used at night with the consequent heat and mosquito problems.
- food was very variable in quality. Meat was scarce.
- the furnishings and decor was slightly shabby eg mosquito netting over windows left large gaps for mosquitoes to come in and most chairs were very uncomfortable.
Staff were exceedingly kind, curteous and attentive and tried their best to please. Programmes were always adjusted to suit every individual. Nothing was too much trouble. The resort is well managed.
We were there for five nights which was too long. Three nights would have been adequate."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Good
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Average
Facilities
Average
Feedback response
We regard Pole Pole as a great ‘small island lodge’, which is informal, relaxed and fairly low-key – where luxury and comfort is moderated by a real effort to blend with the nature. Perhaps because of this, we don’t think of Pole Pole in ‘star’ terms. We apologize if we made a mistake sending these travellers here, when a more formal, 4- or 5-star hotel might have suited them better; this might be the root cause of some of their comments above.
We have never regarded Pole Pole as ‘shabby’ - it’s never been so when we have visited in the past - although we were not actually visiting the lodge at the same time as these travellers.
We sent these comments to Massimo, Pole Pole's owner-manager, who was concerned by them. He remembered these travellers, and their warm goodbye to the team on their last day. He was very concerned that they hadn’t been happy – but said, ‘I wish that they had voiced some of their issues whilst they were with us; we would have looked into them immediately’.
Pole Pole has mains electricity, but during Sept/Oct 2008 an exceptional power-cut all over Mafia lasted 3 weeks. Pole Pole’s back-up generator then kicked in immediately. As the evenings windy and relatively cool, it was decided to switch it off at night, and also around lunch-time, to preserve the silence. Again, Massimo commented, “If any guest had wanted it to be kept on all night, all they needed to do was to ask.”
Massimo explained that Pole Pole has recently taken on a new ‘food and beverage manager’ to further boost the lodge’s cuisine. “He changes the menu every day.” In Expert Africa’s experience, Pole Pole has always tried hard to satisfy the dietary requirements of the travellers that we’ve sent there – and we’ve sent vegans, people who need gluten-free meals, amongst others. However, as with any lodge; they need to know about the preferences of their guests in order to act upon them.
Massimo commented, “Most guests just want seafood here, which is fine! But if anyone’s not happy with the choices on the menu, all they need to do is ask and we’ll try to prepare something to suit them. Meat is never a problem!”
Regarding mosquitoes, all Pole Pole’s bungalows have mosquito-screened windows, plus a separate mosquito net protecting the beds. At the start of 2008, Pole Pole’s regular annual maintenance included work by carpenters who stripped down each room, sandpapered all frames, changed every hinge and lock, repainted walls and made sure everything was working well. During this work, they changed all mosquito screens on the windows. Massimo commented that he wasn’t “aware of any holes in the screens, but if we do find any – they’re easy to fix. You must tell your visitors to point out things like this to us when they are here, not after they get home!”
Having said all this – we’re delighted that these travellers found that Pole Pole’s staff were exceedingly kind, courteous and attentive; that everyone tried their best here to please our guests; and that nothing was too much trouble. That’s exactly what we’d expect from a great ‘small island lodge’!
We have never regarded Pole Pole as ‘shabby’ - it’s never been so when we have visited in the past - although we were not actually visiting the lodge at the same time as these travellers.
We sent these comments to Massimo, Pole Pole's owner-manager, who was concerned by them. He remembered these travellers, and their warm goodbye to the team on their last day. He was very concerned that they hadn’t been happy – but said, ‘I wish that they had voiced some of their issues whilst they were with us; we would have looked into them immediately’.
Pole Pole has mains electricity, but during Sept/Oct 2008 an exceptional power-cut all over Mafia lasted 3 weeks. Pole Pole’s back-up generator then kicked in immediately. As the evenings windy and relatively cool, it was decided to switch it off at night, and also around lunch-time, to preserve the silence. Again, Massimo commented, “If any guest had wanted it to be kept on all night, all they needed to do was to ask.”
Massimo explained that Pole Pole has recently taken on a new ‘food and beverage manager’ to further boost the lodge’s cuisine. “He changes the menu every day.” In Expert Africa’s experience, Pole Pole has always tried hard to satisfy the dietary requirements of the travellers that we’ve sent there – and we’ve sent vegans, people who need gluten-free meals, amongst others. However, as with any lodge; they need to know about the preferences of their guests in order to act upon them.
Massimo commented, “Most guests just want seafood here, which is fine! But if anyone’s not happy with the choices on the menu, all they need to do is ask and we’ll try to prepare something to suit them. Meat is never a problem!”
Regarding mosquitoes, all Pole Pole’s bungalows have mosquito-screened windows, plus a separate mosquito net protecting the beds. At the start of 2008, Pole Pole’s regular annual maintenance included work by carpenters who stripped down each room, sandpapered all frames, changed every hinge and lock, repainted walls and made sure everything was working well. During this work, they changed all mosquito screens on the windows. Massimo commented that he wasn’t “aware of any holes in the screens, but if we do find any – they’re easy to fix. You must tell your visitors to point out things like this to us when they are here, not after they get home!”
Having said all this – we’re delighted that these travellers found that Pole Pole’s staff were exceedingly kind, courteous and attentive; that everyone tried their best here to please our guests; and that nothing was too much trouble. That’s exactly what we’d expect from a great ‘small island lodge’!
Beyt al Salaam
"Disappointing accomodation at Beyt al Chai"
2 nights
Arrived
5 Oct 2008
"While very atmospheric, Beyt al Chai is in urgent need of a makeover. The electrics were unreliable; beds were three feet above the ground and the furnishings were poor. Very steep climb to bedroom which was not suitable for anyone with handicap like my wife.
We were in this hotel beciuase the Serena was full. Current manageress, the third in two years, is very good and is trying very hard to get the owners to invest. However if they do not we believe this hotel should be taken off your list.
We were on a bed and breakfastr rate but ate in the restaurant one night. It was very good."
We were in this hotel beciuase the Serena was full. Current manageress, the third in two years, is very good and is trying very hard to get the owners to invest. However if they do not we believe this hotel should be taken off your list.
We were on a bed and breakfastr rate but ate in the restaurant one night. It was very good."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Poor
Food
Good
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Jack's Camp with one exception (see below). The location and surrounds are unique in our experience with amazing scenery and wildlife. The guiding was excellent as was the food. However the management was inexperienced, far too young and sometimes invisible. The tents are in need of a refresh in order to make them comparable to the best Botswana has to offer.
Location
The Kalahari is an amazing place truly different from anything we have seen before. The camp is very well situated for the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans.
Rooms
They are comfortable but somewhat dated. While the loo was very quaint (throne type) the fact that the seat could not be fully lifted caused some hygiene problems. The room was also rather dark even during the day with no electricity after 5 pm. Hot water supply was sometimes a problem.
Service
The staff were very friendly and helpful and we would especially single out our guide, Shabah, who was first class and also accompanied us at meal times. Unfortunately senior management at the camp was almost invisible and front of the house was left to temporary and volunteer staff who were either just about to leave or straight out of school in the UK and had only been there for 2 days! This got reflected in the way the camp was run: our hot water was not switched on before we arrived; drink facilities that we were told would be open were locked and it was impossible to find anyone to open them even for water; flight times were changed at VERY short notice with no explanation; no one from management was there to say goodbye to us when we left.
Food
Was excellent - probably the best of our whole trip - good quality and very nicely presented.
Activities
Very good. Although being a desert, game is sparse but we saw magnificent Kalahari Lions, Ostrich, Meerkats and a variety of birdlife including a huge flock of vultures. The quad bike ride into the salt pan was unforgettable as was the walk with the Bushmen.
Facilities
Very good - especially the pool area and the library."