Zanzibar: reviews from our travellers

"I have had the most wonderful holiday.

Everything was seamless with the arrangements and accommodation. The staff at the hotels and lodges were friendly and made me feel welcome and as if nothing was too much trouble.

The trip itinerary was informative and everything worked to plan.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

No....I have been impressed with the way the holiday was planned and with the seamless way it all fitted together while away. The connections were all on time. I always felt that everything was taken care of...and each step of the holiday fitted into place without any stress......just what a holiday should be.

Thank you Expert Africa." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 10 on a Tanzania safari

"My daughter and I absolutely loved our safari and bush experiences. The bush camp staff were exceptionally committed, knowledgeable, and hospitable.

Unfortunately, we were terribly disappointed with the last part of the trip in Zanzibar." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 12 on a Tanzania safari

"This was a wonderful trip and our first experience of a safari holiday. It exceeded all our expectations.

We didn't have to worry about any of the arrangements and were met when we were supposed to be met and given clear instructions of timings to be collected. The safari camps were different in their own way but were both most satisfactory. The free laundry service was an added bonus and our rooms (tents) were kept spotlessly clean and tidy. At Impala Camp we had our own Masai man to escort us to and from our tents in case there were any visiting animals. He was always there and yet was unobtrusive.

The only concern was the tipping system, particularly in Mwagusi Camp. Here it appears the staff were only given their tips once a year, including the guides. We would have preferred to tip the guides separately as we did in Impala. We were put in a difficult position and this needs to be sorted.

It is essential to have cash! Neither camp had the facility to pay by card. We also needed to pay by cash at the hotel in Dar es Salam because their internet was down.

Pongwe Beach Hotel was almost the icing on the cake." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari

"A wonderful trip which is going to be difficult to follow.

The logistics worked out exactly right, and thank you Claire for the little extras that appeared at several of the stops to recognise our anniversary." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 5 on a Zanzibar holiday

"We got the balance of Safari (3 days) and Lazing (6 days) just right and all the properties we stayed at great and as expected.

My reservations about Tanzanian safari are the volume of vehicles around the sighting of a leopard and the crossing; it resembles a traffic jam and the authorities need to place restrictions on the lodges/parks as it did affect the experience.

I would have second thoughts about returning to Tanzania having seen this congestion which I haven't encountered before." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 6 on a Zanzibar holiday

"An excellent first trip to Africa and on safari. It exceeded our expectations and was hugely enjoyable.


Suggestions to help us improve

Thank you so much. You were recommended to us and we would recommend you to others." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 5 on a Tanzania safari

"We loved our holiday.

The safari was simply amazing and we loved our trip to a Zanzibar.

Everything was organised perfectly. We couldn’t recommend it more highly." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 5 on a Zanzibar holiday

"We had a brilliant holiday. We enjoyed our stay in Stone Town, a very interesting place, and our stay at Pongwe Beach was very relaxing and everything we could ask of a beach stay. Our safari experience was on a different scale, exceeding our expectations on every level. It’s hard to imagine how it could have been bettered. More than half of the people we met at the Kicheche Mara camp were repeat customers. They really have got everything right." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zanzibar holiday

"It was amazing. I am glad that we had 3 nights in both camps in Serengeti. Camps were great fun and driving in open sided vehicles a definite bonus. 4 in a jeep seemed an ideal number.

We saw more animals than we could have hoped for, including 2 leopards up trees. We were disappointed not to have tour of slave museum which had been main reason for going to Stonetown.

Matemwe Lodge at the end was perfect although it was only about half full so would have been even better with a few more guests around in the evening. I could have done with 5 days there!" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari

"This was a trip of a lifetime and we had an outstanding time. The number of different animals on safari was incredible and the differences between Ruaha and Selous made the trip complete. Great camps, great service, great food and great activities. Who could ask for anything more? Memories to last a lifetime." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari