Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs M from TulseHill
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
2
Lodges stayed in
2
Excursions taken
0
My Dec 2014 trip
Tanzania and 1 other country between 26 Dec 2014 and 5 Jan 2015
"Parts of our trip were really amazing but other aspects were so disappointing, so it's difficult to give an overall level of satisfaction really. In our view this was partly down to advice from Expert Africa and partly down to failings of Sunshine Marine Lodge (i.e. the food).
The connections etc. were all very smooth - the drivers were always waiting for us and there was never a need to follow anything up, so the trip had clearly been very well planned out and was very easy for us, which was great.
The upgrade for the last few nights at Sunshine Marine Lodge made a lot of difference, as it afforded some privacy, so we're pleased that it could be put in place."
The connections etc. were all very smooth - the drivers were always waiting for us and there was never a need to follow anything up, so the trip had clearly been very well planned out and was very easy for us, which was great.
The upgrade for the last few nights at Sunshine Marine Lodge made a lot of difference, as it afforded some privacy, so we're pleased that it could be put in place."
Siwandu
"Siwandu (Selous Safari Camp) review"
3 nights
Arrived
26 Dec 2014
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sunshine Marine Lodge
"Sunshine Marine Lodge review"
7 nights
Arrived
29 Dec 2014
"We were really disappointed with Sunshine Marine Lodge. Whilst a great mid-range option for a family holiday, it was totally unsuitable for honeymooners. Fortunately we were able to be upgraded for a few nights, which made a huge difference, but it's simply not an appropriate recommendation for a romantic holiday. The standard banda rooms offer absolutely no privacy to the point that you could hear people coughing in the next door room - at one time my husband had to shout at a young boy watching me in the shower from the stairs up to his room through the mosquito netting! - the hotel did not seem to cater particularly for honeymooners, for the second half of the trip the place was over-run with kids jumping and splashing about in the pool, including, from what we could tell, the manager's kids, so we had very little peace - great for families (and we may even return in the future with a family subject to other improvements) but absolutely not right for a romantic trip in any way. This is obviously an issue with the travel advice provided by Expert Africa rather than the hotel, of course. We cannot emphasise enough that this should not be recommended for people on honeymoon.
On the hotel itself, the setting was great - really beautiful view of Mnemba and very secluded. It was a very lovely spot.
The standard rooms are quite basic but fine. The room we were upgraded to (room 1) was really lovely - again fairly basic, but much more spacious, much more private and with amazing and uninterrupted views. There is an odd habit of putting ant covered flowers on the bed for new guests, which means the bed is then over-run by ants... I would suggest that they stop doing this or wash the flowers first! If you are going then you must ensure you get the Blue Breeze suite to have any sort of privacy.
We went on an enjoyable snorkelling trip, though it was cut short because the manager had agreed to take out a group who had to return early for their flight. We didn't know this until we were on the boat and we weren't given any discount or any offer to stay out for longer or go out again, which is quite poor... I think we were in the water for all of 10 minutes on the second dip.
The service was mostly very average, on some occasions bordering on rude. It seemed to improve towards the end of the week.
Apart from the lack of privacy, the major problem with Sunshine Marine Lodge was the food. The upside being that I lost weight because it was mostly inedible. Given that there is no other option for food as the hotel is so remote, this has to be improved. It was really, really appalling and it should be so easy to offer simple and fresh seafood and salads. The food is genuinely terrible. Especially given we had been on safari the week before where they had managed to make amazing food in the middle of the African bush."
On the hotel itself, the setting was great - really beautiful view of Mnemba and very secluded. It was a very lovely spot.
The standard rooms are quite basic but fine. The room we were upgraded to (room 1) was really lovely - again fairly basic, but much more spacious, much more private and with amazing and uninterrupted views. There is an odd habit of putting ant covered flowers on the bed for new guests, which means the bed is then over-run by ants... I would suggest that they stop doing this or wash the flowers first! If you are going then you must ensure you get the Blue Breeze suite to have any sort of privacy.
We went on an enjoyable snorkelling trip, though it was cut short because the manager had agreed to take out a group who had to return early for their flight. We didn't know this until we were on the boat and we weren't given any discount or any offer to stay out for longer or go out again, which is quite poor... I think we were in the water for all of 10 minutes on the second dip.
The service was mostly very average, on some occasions bordering on rude. It seemed to improve towards the end of the week.
Apart from the lack of privacy, the major problem with Sunshine Marine Lodge was the food. The upside being that I lost weight because it was mostly inedible. Given that there is no other option for food as the hotel is so remote, this has to be improved. It was really, really appalling and it should be so easy to offer simple and fresh seafood and salads. The food is genuinely terrible. Especially given we had been on safari the week before where they had managed to make amazing food in the middle of the African bush."
Poor
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Poor
Location
Good
Service
Poor
Activities
Average
Rooms
Average
Food
Terrible
Facilities
Average
Feedback response
We were really sorry to hear that this couple were disappointed with their stay at Sunshine Marine Lodge, as was the lodge when we passed the feedback through. In hindsight we should have perhaps have explored a greater variety of options with varying luxury and budget, and, had we understood they were looking for something more private we would have encouraged them to stay in one of the premier room types. It was great that they contacted us whilst they were away as this enabled us to help rectify the problem as best we could immediately; and we encourage other travellers do the same, should they ever have similar problems. We were delighted to find out that their stay improved when they were upgraded.
Sunshine Marine Lodge does not accept children under the age of 10 and it is well suited for young adults. We were therefore surprised to hear that there were any children at the lodge at all, and can only imagine that because it was the Christmas period there were more families there than usual. This is something that we have brought up with the lodge and we will monitor closely.
We have visited Sunshine Marine recently, and were really impressed, and the reviews from other travellers have been very positive. However, the lodge is relatively new, and it seems like they are still finding their feet a little. We are working with the lodge to resolve these points, and will keep a close eye on them.
Sunshine Marine Lodge does not accept children under the age of 10 and it is well suited for young adults. We were therefore surprised to hear that there were any children at the lodge at all, and can only imagine that because it was the Christmas period there were more families there than usual. This is something that we have brought up with the lodge and we will monitor closely.
We have visited Sunshine Marine recently, and were really impressed, and the reviews from other travellers have been very positive. However, the lodge is relatively new, and it seems like they are still finding their feet a little. We are working with the lodge to resolve these points, and will keep a close eye on them.
Thank you to everyone at Siwandu for making the first three nights of our honeymoon so special and memorable. We couldn't fault it. The game drives and boat and walking safaris were amazing. We were lucky enough to have private drives and boat safaris whilst we were there. The camp managers were so accommodating and made us and all the other guests feel incredibly special. We couldn't believe how incredible the food was - the best food my husband has ever had in East Africa, and he's spent a lot of time in Kenya and Tanzania. Really brilliant. Every single member of the team was wonderful. The tent was incredibly comfortable and we loved the outdoor shower - particularly as it was so HOT whilst we were there! We are desperate to return to Siwandu or one of its sister properties in the future. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone there."