Reviews of Impala Camp

"very good overall impression. We enjoyed the stories about the stars told by Andrea every night around the fire and did used the pool every day! Very nice boat safari with the surprise on our arrival. The food was excellent and all the staff very friendly." See all these reviews: 6n in Tanzania

"Great little camp, it looks to be well managed and the staff team are very friendly and efficient. They go to considerble trouble to set up different options for dining, and we had a lovely sprise for a sundowner on the first evening.

With Italian owners (and managers) coffee is taken very seriously - they have a real coffee machine, a great coup!
Some very knowledgable guides also keen to share enthisiasm for birds." See all these reviews: 9n in Zanzibar; 7n in Tanzania

"We really enjoyed our stay at Impala Camp. All the staff made us feel so welcome - Lorenzo and Andrea. The guides Gerard and Saningo were brilliant and drivers Omari and Khalid were very good.

Game drives, boat safaris and walking safaris were all excellent." See all these reviews: 5n in Zanzibar; 3n in Tanzania

"The whole experience was fantastic from the minute we were met at the landing strip until we left. Our guides, Gerhard and Saningo and drivers, Omari and Khalid, did everything possible to ensure that every possible need was met and that we saw as many animals and birds as possible. Their knowledge was incredible - Gerhard even knew the Latin names of all the birds!

The camp staff were equally attentive and efficient - Andrea and Lorenzo were constantly aware of our movements and requirements and everyone went out of their way to make our stay such a good experience. Our waiters, Evans and Kafuto were always delightful and always smiling and we always felt that we were being treated as very special people.

The experience of big game in the camp at night was thrilling and the standard of facilities in the tents exceptional - there was no exaggeration of the rooms in the brochures - everything was exactly as shown. Our expectations were high and they were more than met." See all these reviews: 5n in Zanzibar; 3n in Tanzania

"Selous Impala Camp is slightly more up-market than Mdonya (we actually preferred the intimacy & informality of Mdonya!) with a beautifully laid out dining area (crisp linen & very attentive waiters). The rooms were very comfortable & furnished to a high standard & we enjoyed being able to take a swim in the delicious pool after the mornings activites. It was great to see different habitat as Selous is based more around the large lakes and waters of the Rufiji River, so we saw different types of game & birdlife etc.

Once again, the guides & drivers were of a very high standard & extrememly knowledgeable & friendly. We found them very easy to get along with & Mpogo was like a magician - if we happened to mention something, he seemed able to whisk us off to the exact place were said animal was then spotted! Amazing! We did a couple of boat safari's with Abdula, which we combined with fishing. This was particularly enjoyable on the second one whereby we both managed a really good catch & the chef prepared samples of our tiger fish & cat fish & served us on our own personal table with our own fire, tucked away under the stars.

We also did a couple of walking safaris which gave us a different kind of perspective to the habitat and area we were in. We were able to get very close to a family of warthogs, who appear much larger when you are on the ground rather than in a jeep! The only negative point we can think of & it's hardly worth noting, is that the fishing equipment on the boat was somewhat lacking! Didn't stop us from catching things though (but David was getting a bit grumpy at one point as there wasn't enough line on the reel & he lost a big bite!)" See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 6n in Zanzibar

"A fantastic strat to the trip, the camp is excellent and very well maintained.

The private tents are very comfortable and and set in a wonderful location right on the river. That really is the great thing about this camp, the location right on the river and the option of going on river safari's.

The staff were all extremely welcoming and the guides were also very good and enthusiastic." See all these reviews: 9n in Zanzibar; 7n in Tanzania

"We were very impressed with the quality of the accomodation and food and levels of service at Impala. Barbara and Andrea run a tight ship and are excellent hosts.

The guides are first rate and very determined to give you as many good sightings as possible." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania

"great! faultless" See all these reviews: 5n in Tanzania; 4n in Zanzibar

"A splendid location on the river gives fantastic views from the communal areas and the individual stilted tents. The big bonus of the camp is to be able to offer game drives and boat excursions. The drives around the lagoons and the river were always interesting with plenty of activity.

Elephant ,lion ,giraffe and wild dog on land , with hippo ,crocs and abundant birdlife by boat. Barbara , Andrea and the staff were most attentive and thanks to Ally and Makumbo for the spotting on the game drives and Damon on the boat. Lunches were excellent , the diners not quite as good as some of the flavour combinations were somewhat unusual." See all these reviews: 14n in Tanzania

"This was a perfect place to take a family, beautifully located on the river, tastefully constructed but not over the top. As the camp is unfenced, we particularly appreciated having adjoining family tents, giving the children an added sense of security. Our guide Gerard was first-class, knowledgable, patient with the children and extremely professional in the face of two unexpectedly close encounters on foot in the camp: an elephant did a "fake charge" at us as we turned the corner to board the boat, and a hippo crossed in front of our daughter as she returned from the pool. In both cases, he was perfectly calm and dealt with the situation. Nobody, and neither animal, was harmed! My only suggestion might be for the managers to stress early on that such encounters are not rare but common at this camp, and the hippo and elephant concerned are regular visitors.

The safaris were excellent and varied, with the great advantage of being able to go out on the river as well as the jeep (we found a pride of 17 lions at one point, and the birdlife in February was amazing). The tents were exactly what we were hoping for: simple, but elegant and with a sense of being close to nature (that hippo munching grass by the tent in the morning again...!). The camp lay-out was very nice, though I would have added a few more chairs around the camp fire as there was sometimes not enough space for us to sit there. The managers did not seem as knowledgable about the bush, or as keen to chat around the camp fire, as others in some camps we have visited. The food was very good, with plenty of fresh ingredients and spices." See all these reviews: 6n in Zanzibar; 4n in Tanzania