Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs K from Maidstone

"On previous trips to Lusaka we have stayed at the Radisson Blu but have not had good experiences, So this time we used Latitude 15 which was a much better experience.

It is a smaller operation being more of a boutique hotel with good quality food and staff who were most pleasant.

Although a bit of a longer journey to the airport it was worth the extra time needed and this was hardly noticeable as we were going for early morning flights and were on the road before rush hour."

"This is the third time in four years we have spent a week at Kaingo which says all you need to know about our assessment of the camp and its location.
See my more detailed comments on previous years reviews.

One little point to look out for is that if you wish to visit the hide at Mwamba bushcamp (and it is a good location) but you are staying at the main camp at Kaingo then your ability to access this hide cannot be guaranteed as residents at Mwamba have priority."

"See earlier comments [Ed: see below]"

"We have been going to Chobe on and off during the last 30 years.

Over that time the Kasane area has grown enormously with more and more visitors and hotels so it was a great surprise to find this excellent small hotel operation together with its own land and river safari facilities.

It has the advantage of being "family run" with the owners keen to discuss all aspects of your stay and excursion planning."

"Excellent location right on the airport, but you pay for this convenience.

As we have one person in the party requiring assistance with mobility the location suits us perfectly."

"A high standard all round as one expects from &Beyond locations.

The location of the main lodge is at the end of a "panhandle" attached to the main traversing area and this means that each game drive uses up something like 20 minutes at start and finish passing through a narrow part of the territory where there is less opportunity to see animals. However, the total time on each drive takes account of this relatively dead time so total viewing time is acceptable.

There is another camp (the Tented Camp) more centrally located within the Ngala territory."

"Top quality service with all requests acted upon quickly and pleasantly."

"Reception told me they had not been paid by Expert Africa (not true) and requested us to pay for the accommodation. We refused.
Expert Africa confirm this is not the first time they have had problems with this group's administration and it is unlikely we will use them again."

"A relatively new camp with rooms offering a wonderful view.
Their policy aim is to give each party their own vehicle and it felt that the whole stay was being made into a personalised safari experience.
This even extended to the catering where you could choose beforehand your meal and even select ingredients for the cooking of your dish. Food quality was excellent - some of the best we have experienced in recent years.
Service and attention to your needs was high class.
If there is a slight downside it is in the fact that they are at one end of the traversing area so that the viewing activities mostly need to travel in one direction or have to go further to change the environment."

"We visited after Amanzi and found ourselves now more in the traditional bushcamp of earlier years but nevertheless with excellent comfort and facilities.
A high level of service and attention to needs and they created an activity program to meet specific client needs.
Like Amanzi (see previous) being a small camp of 4 tents this enables a very personalised safari experience to be achieved.
The camp is located more centrally in their traversing area and this enables different terrains to be experienced and the animals which locate in these different environments are more varied.
Game viewing was good and we achieved excellent photographs. There were large numbers of elephants, buffalo, waterbuck and impala, but we would have liked to see a greater variety of animals - we were told some had dispersed to the hills and further areas away from the river areas. Good leopard sightings but lions are a bit scarce at current times due to a higher proportion of males present and this has led to the females keeping a low profile to try to keep their cubs safe."

"Good service.
Convenient for the airport.
We felt the evening menu could have had a bit more choice."

"We have visited the South Luangwa area many times over a period of over 20 years of regularly going on safari.

In our opinion Kaingo is the best location in the area and this must be a view shared by many other guests as we have never seen so many photographers with "serious photo kit" at a camp before. The explanation for this lies in the camp having constructed 5 separate hides to enable photographers to get close to their subjects and the fact that the river and its banks provide an excellent backdrop for many photos. Having reviewed our photos we can only confirm that this is an excellent photographic environment.

The camp is well run and operates in a flexible way so that guest preferences for activities can be organised to suit. There is always plenty to do.

The rooms are of a standard which is common to camps in the area.

Food is varied with much supplied from the camp's farm on the outskirts of Mfuwe. The standard is good - one must remember that this is a wildlife safari and not a gastronomic tour.

We can highly recommend this Camp and hope to return very soon"

"A good place to stay.
A little bit quieter than the larger hotels in the area.
Their menu and range of choice has improved since our last visit."

"Our third visit in the last seven years.

A very well run operation with good flexibility in offering choice to guests. They have two hides for close encounters with the wildlife. A big feature is a large pan in front of the main facilities which brings the wildlife almost into your room.

Having experienced many lodges and camps over many trips to Africa this pan with its size and location is probably the best front door waterhole/pan view we have come across. We visited at a good time of year when the wildlife was having to use the watering facilities as there had not been rain for several months and so there were only a few locations available for drinking. There will be times of the year when the availability of more natural water holes appear after rainfall and the game will stretch out over a wider area.

Rooms are typical of many camps.

Food is varied and of a good standard. (See also our previous comments on Kaingo Camp) .

Whilst The Hide has some "concessionary territory" where it can go off road much of the daily trips on the game drives is in the National Park area and there are restrictions on how much it is possible to stray away from the main tracks.

Nevertheless game viewing opportunities were good at this time of year."

"Over recent years we have been to several lodges and camps to the south east of Main Camp and now we decided to explore the area north and west of the Park where the terrain is more varied than we had experienced previously. This led us to select Camp Hwange. It proved to be an excellent choice.

Their emphasis is very much on providing a full experience,

We do not go on guided walks which is one of their regular features, but concentrate on game driving on which we can comment. Game drives last more or less as long as you want from 3 or 4 hours up to 6 hours and if required a whole day with packed lunches ( you can even discuss your meal requirements with management). Note: there are formal toilet facilities at one or two sites you may pass by during the day.

Camp Hwange offers good flexibility and a full day of activity if you want.

They have a large area of "concession" where they can search for animals plus the formal waterholes and pans which are located in National Park area and which we found provided good scenic backgrounds for photography. Rooms and food are typical of this type of camp and we would rate as good.

This was our first visit and we would hope to return again in the near future."

"Overall impression was of "an old lady past her prime" (I don't know how old it is but that does not matter)
The bed was the hardest thing I have ever slept on - seriously uncomfortable and I hardly slept despite being tired after a long haul flight.

Three items in the room were broken or did not work - the most important being the door lock which in the current security environment in Kenya worried me quite some."

"We have been to numerous camps in southern Africa over a period of 25 years and if ever there was an outlook from the bar/dining area (accompanied by a glass of chilled white wine) better than Tortilis we have not met it. A wonderful location.

Game viewing is fine, helped by the fact that they can off-road in the concessionary area. Elephants predominate and we were fortunate to see one with quite the largest tusks we have ever seen.

Tortilis are designing their vehicles for no more than two persons on a row so those guests with lots of camera equipment can be accommodated well. Our vehicle had adjustable support platforms for cameras.

Extremely attentive service from the staff."

"We used this Lodge as an easy-to-get-to first base for an extended trip. We were prepared for being at a large lodge where there would be quite a number of people at meal times etc. but this was no problem as the facilities were spaced out well.

Staff were very attentive to our needs and particularly on our arrival when, due to a delay on our flight, we had missed a game drive and they organised a separate vehicle and driver for us.

Food was typical of a mass catering operation although one evening buffet was outstanding in the choices and quality offered - sadly the next night was not so good."

"We have visited previously and looked forward to our return - they did not disappoint.

Over more than twenty years we have travelled extensively to southern Africa on safari and in certain locations have found camps or lodges to which we keep returning. The Hide falls into that category.

We feel that the Hide benefits from the ownership being a privately/family owned operation and we were made to feel "at home" and the organisation of the events for the day is very relaxed and personalised.

The location in terms of the view from the main facility is one of the best we have met and it is possible (at the right time of year) to virtually stay at the camp and watch all the animals come to you. The waterhole in front of the camp is large and well frequented and provides excellent photographic opportunities.

We consider the Hide to be very good value and look forward to a return soon."

"Has the advantage of being a small camp which enables staff to give good levels of personal attention."

"Being only a moderate sized hotel we felt more relaxed than if staying at a much larger hotel.

Service levels were good."

"Such a convenient location - literally only across the road from the arrivals hall at JNB.
This was our first use of this hotel.

On previous visits we have used other hotels very close to the airport and we now wonder why it has taken so long to get round to using the InterContinental. Whilst more expensive the extra cost was well worth paying. The standard of staff and quality of food were in a higher league when compared with other hotels nearby."

"The accommodations are superior to those one is used to experiencing in other state parks e.g. Kruger Park.

Despite the current high levels of rhino poaching we were able to find good sightings."

"This was our third visit and probably the best so far.

The staff really go out of their way to please and on several occasions we were asked to compose our own menu for a meal as there was some flexibility in the cooking arrangements at the time of our visit. It also helped that within Phinda this is a small lodge (the other small one is Rock lodge) and it is easier to give guests personal attention.

Game viewing was excellent with good sightings of cheetah and black rhino which were the main reasons for visiting the area.

We feel that the standards, which previously had been very good had increased even higher.

As regular safari travellers we seek out good value for money locations as we cannot afford too many nights at higher cost lodges or camps. The &Beyond group have set high standards and the prices reflect these levels. We would only use this Company if we could get a discounted rate or offer. On this occasion there was an offer available (6 nights for the price of 4)."

"Similar comments to those for Vlei lodge.

The location is a major feature here."

"Service levels from staff were excellent.

The meal menus were imaginative (not too many dishes) but the actual quality was not quite as good as I had anticipated having read the menu particularly when considering the price which I felt was pretty expensive."

"A most satisfying experience. We had noted the location of the Hide on a previous visit to Hwange (15 years ago) and wanted to go there the next time we came to Hwange.

In our opinion, when considering the charges for this lodge, it punches well above its weight.
The quality of the food was very high and its presentation made one feel you were in a quality restaurant. Not large quantities and you don't need that when there are so many meals in a day, but absolute superb quality.

The Manager, Ian, was always available to communicate with guests and arranged our programme which had considerable flexibility and options.

We had the advantage of being present at a time of year when game sightings were plentiful in the area due to water being concentrated at the water holes. I do not know how good the sightings would be when there is rain and water available in more widespread areas.
The lodge provides several options for the length of game drives so, if you are up for it, you can spend a large part of the day game driving or however long you wish depending on your energy levels. They have 2hour, 3 hour and 4 hour drives scheduled each day plus a variety of other activities including walks, community visits, and an excellent hide right alongside the main water hole in front of the lodge from where you can get superb pictures - it seems you can almost touch the animals as the drink at the waters edge.

This a privately run operation, not part of a group, and that ensures attention to guest needs is high on their list of priorities.
You have to remember that the lodge is within the National Park and they are not allowed to go "off road" so some of the trips may appear to cover the same ground but this did not appear too much of a problem as the sightings were plentiful. However, this comment will apply to all the lodges in the Park."

"A typical good and well run camp as one would expect from the Wilderness group. Not one of their more expensive locations, so it was good value for money.

Management were able to respond well to certain requests when we had particular requirements.

On the game drives we had to travel frequently through a part of the Park which had little animal activity but we did not lose out on the total amount of time spent in the more interesting parts of their territory as the game drives gave plenty of time in the areas where animal activity was greater."

"See previous comments earlier. [Ed: see below!]"

"Typical airport hotel. Very convenient - walking distance within the airport area.

Very limited dining facilities for evening meal with small menu. Cannot comment on breakfast as we had to depart before breakfast was served."

"Good knowledge by Expert Africa staff and all special requests were met."

"Little Vumbura is an excellent location where, by virtue of being separate from the main land area (by only two minutes boat trip), you feel that you are not part of a large operation and therefore have your own private area shared with a few other guests.

In February there was still a lot of water left over from above average summer rains and this prevented the whole area being available to traverse, but the loss of amenity did not restrict us too much - the additional water provided a very different scene for our photography and took us away from some of the traditional photo scenes so giving us pictures of the animals walking and running through water.

The game viewing was still very good (including wild dog on our first game drive) and the bird photography opportunities were excellent."

"Similar comments apply as mentioned in my review of Little Vumbura. Some excellent lion sightings however, due to the somewhat reduced viewing area, over the three days spent at the camp we frequently saw the same animals on successive days.

Had a rare occurrence happen when compared with today's "throw away society" whereby one of the fitters was able to perform a first class shoe repair for me in circumstances where in the UK we would have discarded the broken shoe, but I was travelling light with only one pair of shoes so I was in a hole. Therefore in Africa the "make do and mend" attitude proved my saviour!"

"This was a camp that grew in our appreciation of it over the four days we stayed. I was a little worried at first in that, being within the Moremi reserve and its restiction on the ability to drive "off road", we might find our drives rather limited. In reality there turned out to be a large number of tracks (some not often used) but still enabling us to legitimately traverse to get our game viewing opportunities.

The boat activity had plenty of scope to get excellent pictures.

Also, we transferred to Xakanaxa from Little Kwara by boat which made a pleasant change from the light aircraft transfers elsewhere in the delta."

"After three separate camps in the Delta it was good to make a complete change of scenery and take in something entirely different.
This is a new camp and the facilities were more modern than we have found elsewhere.

It was certainly well worth making the trip and there were plenty of animals at that time but not as much variety as in the Delta.
As the area is relatively new for having a camp, I felt that there should be a few more tracks to ensure easier access to some sightings. This is something which may develop with time. In the event we were fortunate with our sightings and obtained good lion and cheetah pictures.

I think it advisable to discuss in detail with your agent contact when best to visit and what you are likely to find."

"A great pleasure to return to Tafika where one is made to feel very much at home by the personal attention of John and Carol Coppinger and you are made to feel part of their bush home and life.

A slight downside is that the game drives tend to always go into the same direction as this is defined by their location at the top end of the viewing territory. On this trip, as we had not previously visited Nsefu or Tena Tena, we combined all three and this combined grouping did not produce enough variety of scenery or environment to be fully successful. (For example, by the end of our fourth day, which means 8 separate game drives, we had been to see the same group of mating lions eight times!).

I would not attempt to classify the rooms in terms of luxury accommodation as they are rustic and localised style but nonetheless are clean and comfortable for where we are."

"Rather like my views on Tafika, there was a tendency to keep going into the same area so sightings were a bit repetitive. There was a move to go to where there was more chance of seeing sightings which had been identified earlier as opposed to trying other areas to find new situations."

"We had the benefit of one of the best guide/rangers we have met in many years on safari (Jason) who had an extensive knowledge and views which he shared with us - there's often much more to the safari experience than just viewing the sighting and a good or excellent guide can make a lot of difference.

Tena Tena had taken the trouble to construct a hide on the river bank close to a carmine bee-eater colony which gave us a wonderful opportunity to get close to the action.

Of a slight concern is the proximity of the camp to an area where hunting is taking place and this seems to be having an effect on certain of the species and their behaviour - particularly the lions."

"A reasonably good location for a stop-over. We were disappointed that there was no facility to have a "lighter meal" other than "room service" in the evening. It was the fullblown "all you can eat" restaurant and that is expensive if all you want is only one course!"

"Recent modernisation has produced excellent quality rooms. A good result for this level/standard of camp.

This was our first experience of the Kwando group of camps and we were very satisfied with their attitude and principles that the game viewing is of prime importance and the food can wait until you have finished the game drive (no rushing back to in case the meal gets spoilt!). As your brochure has said, the staff are very dedicated and go to great lengths to try to find suitable sightings - this we can confirm.

We also visited Little Kwara (part of the same group) and found similar attitude regarding the game viewing. This is something which will cause us to choose their camps again on future visits."

"A quite delightful location. The island location provides excellent seclusion while there is still easy access to "the mainland" for game drives."

"Same comments as for Lebala (same owners group - Kwando). Guides work hard to find the sightings and do not worry if you need to stay out long to get to them. Game drives have priority over meal times!

We particularly enjoyed the river trip here. Whilst we have been on many such trips over the years, for this one there was a variety of scenery and environment through which we passed which provided good photographic opportunities and in our opinion it is one of the best we have come across.

There was one thing wrong and I have made the comment to local management and will repeat to their Head Office and that is the need to start this trip probably half an hour earlier. Inevitably some of those participating are slow to arrive in time being rather laid back and treating the whole experience as a bit of a holiday as opposed to serious game driving (in this case cruising). Such delays and any need during the duration of the cruise to stop to take photographs means that, as happened to us, we arrived at the heronry too late to take good photographs - it was almost dark. This was a missed opportunity as the double-deck boat gives an excellent platform to photograph the heronry and there was a lot happening there."

"Excellent point is that you feel you are very much included as part of the "family" - a very friendly environment.
We made a slight error in that as we were staying for 4 nights and only using the 4WD activities and as their 4WD journeys tend to go in the same direction from the camp there became a feeling of "repetitveness" . In view of this comment we feel that 3 nights is probably a better period for the current location if you are just using 4WD trips.
(There are other activities eg walking trips in addition to 4WD)

We will return."

"This location did not meet our particular requirements:-

1. The river trip has limited viewing and photographic opportunities - both banks are hemmed in by trees with few occasions where the banks flatten out to provide animal access, so, while pretty in itself the repetitive scenery quickly became boring.

2. The area did not appear to be particularly strong on game viewing - the poorest location of the five camps we used on this trip.
On a more positive side the rooms,food and attention from the camp management were excellent.

The tsetse flies were a bit of a problem."

"Well run with excellent management and very high level of service in all areas.

Our Guide/Ranger was keen to find out our particular preferences and worked hard to meet these objectives.

Out on the plains there were no problems with the tsetse flies but there were occasions where it was necessary to venture into tsetse territory to get the sightings we required."

"See comments from previous visit"

"The choice of food at their buffets is excellent although we felt that compared with a visit two years ago there was a slight reduction in overall quality.

The prices for extras (drinks) seemed quite expensive."

"We have visited previously and were happy to return. Despite being full on this occasion (it seems to be becoming increasingly popular) the lodge still maintains its ability to be informal with guests mixing freely in the public areas and exchanging experiences. The big plus point is the management's efforts to provide flexibility in the daily events and they will arrange events to suit the specific needs of their customers.

If there is a negative it is that the location means that for the trips into the Chobe park area it is necessary to make a road journey (variable length 10 -30 mins), however the Lodge's location at the western end of the sector is far better than to be in the Kasane sector where the masses of vehicles from the large hotels in that area reduce the sense of "being in the wild".

The Lodge has a fine view being on the top of an escarpment. The rooms are a bit cramped compared with some other locations but still contain all that is required and to a good standard."