Reviewed 17 Mar 2011 by Claire Kelly
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I loved the variety of the trip, from bustling Nairobi, to the plains of the Serengeti, to the foothills of Kili and the gorgeous beaches of Zanzibar
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
It's a fantastic trip that I would recommend to anyone who wants to experience a lot on a relatively short space of time.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Definitely. We stayed in homesteads, used the services of locals and learnt a lot about the variety of cultures on Tanzania whilst conserving facilities and being respectful of the local environment.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent, I can't wait to book my next trip!
Reviewed 05 Aug 2006 by Gill Newson
I'll split part one of my feedback into 2 parts:
1) The safari
This was fantastic. The 4 crew from the operator worked extremely hard to make everything run smoothly and ensured we all had a great time. They paid special attention to hygiene (no tea towels, mandatory hand washing in Dettol before eating), which was essential given that in some campsites we had no running water at all. The operator was also very helpful because one of my bags didn't make it there and when it finally arrived, they drove for several hours to bring it to me at the campsite.
Most memorable for me was the visit to the Maasai tribe, but I think my 2 boys just enjoyed the whole experience.
Things other travellers should think about: the campsites are really basic, and even when they say there is hot water, it's tepid (heated by open fire mostly), and the shower cubicles were, in the main, shacks with a shower head! No electricity so dark at night! Don't expect proper toilets either - holes in the ground, poorly maintained, were the norm, and remember to take English loo paper as the Kenyan variety leaves a lot to be desired! Wet wipes also essential to clean faces and hands while travelling. The roads in Kenya are appalling, so be prepared for a lot of bouncy driving and take sunglasses and hats to protect your heads and faces from the dust that flies in as you travel (not just in the game parks, but mostly on the main roads which were more pot holes than tarmac!). There is a lot of travel between campsites, so ensure you take things for your kids to do - game boys were used extensively on our trip. Take sweets for the local children and plenty of small change for tips.
2) The hotel
My itinerary stated that we would be transferred to an all inclusive hotel for the last 3 nights but gave no details on the hotel itself. My fellow travellers had booked directly with The operator and their brochure stated it would be a 5 star hotel with bungalows in the ground where the staff would come and cook for them (I didn't see the brochure - this was hearsay).
What we discovered is that UK branch of the operator has sold Kenya branch and the Kenya one changed the hotel from the one that was described to the one we stayed in. Although this was OK, it was a typical 3-star beach hotel, in blocks, and we found we were there on a half-board basis, and all drinks had to be paid for - even soft drinks with the meals. They served Lancashire hot pot and "English fish and chips" for dinner one night - not what I'd expect!
We also found that The operator Kenya and the hotel had a mix up in the names of the guests so the hotel had no record of my family's nor of a second family's reservation, but 3 records of the 3rd family. Rather than accept that 10 places were paid for and there were 10 guests, the hotel made us chase The operator in the UK (and for the other family, their agent in the US), for proof that we should be there. This was resolved but unnecessary hassle!
Tips for fellow travellers - take time to stroll out to the reef with the locals. It is very interesting.
Do I feel the trip benefited local people? Yes, for the safari, although we were told some very sad stories by our crew about their current employers - not that this impacted the trip, but we felt very sorry for them after their hard work. No, for the hotel. The hotel praised itself (and had won awards) for being community friendly but employed nobody from the local village. All staff were from the region of Kenya where the owner (the president of Kenya...) came from. As a result a lot of villagers were on the beach trying to earn a living by taking us on walks to the reef or to visit their village. The hotel also said it had a trainee programme and had won awards for this - but strangely, nearly ALL the staff were trainees! (Cynical I know, but don't trainees earn less?!)
All in all, I'd rate the experience **** - I feel that if we were to return in one or two years' time, the road conditions may be even worse and the journeys will be far too uncomfortable to consider.
I hope this is useful feedback - very happy to expand on any points if you'd like me to.
