1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

1. 'Joseph', an unusually people curious bull elephant, came to visit us in the lounge one afternoon. He walked through it with amazing daintiness (didn't knock into or touch anything in his path). We quietly watched and moved slowly away if necessary to give him his space. His look was one of pure contentment!
2. The lions are not afraid of the vehicles and so we were able to watch them mate from a distance of about 10 ft!
3. We saw at least 20 different kinds of animals and a huge variety of birds!
4. We were able to view scores of hippos in their water hole from a close but safe patio without frightening them in any way.
5.Being a very small camp, the staff members and guests became like family instantly, so much so, it was very sad saying goodbye!
6. Being foremost a camp, there are no shops, televisions, radios or telephones. It is a totally back to nature and peaceful adventure with respect of the animals and their environment given top priority.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

1. Pay attention to the dress code. Safari attire should be neutral colours (no white, blue, black or bright) so as to blend in with the surroundings and not alert the animals to your presence.
2. Beho Beho's laundry service is quick and easy and hand washed clothes dry very fast. Therefore there is no need to pack lots. We walked several times so loved having the support and security of our hiking boots.
3. Our camera doesn't have a zoom lens and this is one place we sure wished it did. The animals at Beho Beho are still timid because of the hunting which occurred there in the past so they keep a safe distance as a rule.
4. This holiday far exceeded our expectations, from the fabulous bandas, to the top notch food, the knowledgeable guides, the amazing 'sundowners' and the incredibly friendly and happy staff. My only fear is that any safari adventure after Beho Beho will not measure up. It was that good!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

We certainly did.
1. Beho Beho's staff members are, for the most part, local men who have been in thier employ for years.
2.When on safari or nature walks we were always careful to follow the rules, 'Leave behind only your foot steps and take away only photographs'. The guides drove their vehicles slowly, kept a comfortable distance from the animals and didn't harm plant life in any way.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

We have had many, many very happy, exciting and memorable holidays but three stand out as being "over the top" because we didn't know what to expect and the reality far exceeded our expectations; this was one of them. We were completely blown away!

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

The most memorable part of my holiday was during my stay at Beho Beho lodge in the Selous Game reserve. We were out on a walking safari in the early morning when suddenly 2 lions ran right in front of us. They weren't bothered by our presence in the slightest and it was a very moving feeling being so close to such powerful and beautiful creatures.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Make sure that you understand what type of place you are staying in because this will help you judge how many nights to stay there. I spent a week at one lodge on safari. Many people were surprised that I was staying so long as people tend to do 2/3 nights in each place. Staying a week enabled me to really get to know the place so as a first time visitor to Africa it was perfect.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

Yes, as part of my stay at the Chole Mjini treehouse lodge a $10 fee per day goes directly back into the village to contribute towards a learning centre and a clinic.

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

The most memorable part was the week on safari in the Ruaha Game Reserve. We were stunned with the number and variety of animals we saw and how close we saw them. Seeing lions from an opened sided vehicle lying only a few feet away topped the bill AND we saw that several times with up to 15 lions AND we saw lions feeding on a recently killed buffalo and calf AND the next day another pride on a giraffe. AND we saw a leopard close to. Everything including the scenery.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

- on safari realise you are completely isolated in your banda at night as wild animals often roam the camps so you have to be escorted back to them at night
- I did wonder what we were supposed to do in any emergency as we had no way of contacting any staff except screaming and everything was very spread out so you would be unlikely to he heard.
- torch is very important as there may be no electricity at night
- don't expect drink to be cheap ; its well up with UK prices and not like in Mediterranean resorts.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

All the local people we met were the guides or those serving us. They seemed to work long hours and often away from their homes for months. Our guide wasn't expecting to go home until November and I don't know how long he had been away already. Its certainly conditions westerners wouldn't put up with but I don't know how they would compare with what was available locally. I'm sure its better. But I'm not sure it makes it right. In one safari camp we had men carrying buckets of water up ladders to roof top storage tanks - it certainly made you think twice about whether you needed a shower but also wondered about whether it would be better to have a simple solar water pump (but then what happens to the men who run around with the water buckets?)

I would have liked to find out more about where the water came from and supplies and what happened to the waste. We had normal western flush toilets which I wondered about in areas with low rainfall. It seemed all supplies came in from outside; I would have thought there could have been some opportunities for growing some food on site with grey water as irrigation. But I don't know how that fits in with game reserve regulations.

4. Any other comments?

We all (2 adults and 3 children) had a really brilliant time. For once the brochure undersold the places and everywhere and everything was above our expectations. Overall between 4 & 5 star.

Read the operator's response here:

Thanks for your email, and copy, and you initial questions. They were well-raised, and valuable for us to hear, and help in encouraging, for example, Mwagusi to take action on the 'whistle' issue. We always take such comments and issues seriously; it's very much a part of what we do.

Here at our company we try very hard to give our travellers realistic expectations of their trips, warts and all. So we are particularly delighted that Phil & Janet's trip exceeded their expectations. That's always the best way; it's what we aim for!

With regard to emergencies, it's usual for most of the safari camps that we feature to supply a large whistle, and emergency air-horn or a radio to each room at night which can be used to alert the staff in the rare event of an emergency. I'm surprised that one of Phil & Janet's camps didn't do this (Mwagusi). I've been in touch with the owner, Chris Fox, who commented that there's usually a member of staff within earshot of the rooms. However, as the result of the comment and our discussions, he's planning to get some powerful whistles for use in emergency.

It's perhaps worth making an observation here that's pertinent to all safari-goers. Emergency contact devices really are for use in serious emergencies only; not for use because there are spiders inside your room, or elephants nuzzling outside. Remember that when you sound an alarm, staff will immediately hear it and come swiftly over; if there's a pride of lion in the camp - you will be putting their lives in danger by calling them over.

I'm surprised that Phil and Janet were surprised that the only local people that they met in the parks were working at the camps.

If someone takes a fly-in trip to Africa to safari camps - then they are often going to remote areas which are really the preserve of the wildlife. Often these will have no resident human population; it's animals only which are allowed here. Hence the only people that you meet will be other visitors and those working in the safari industry. That remoteness and lack of population is very much a part of the attraction for some people.

I think Phil & Janet went on to end their trip in Zanzibar's Stone Town - where doubtless the reverse was true; they would have met lots of normal Zanzibari people going about their normal daily business ... but probably come across very little wildlife! Inevitably, who you meet depends on where you visit.

With regard to working conditions - because safari camps are often in remote locations, all of the staff and managers tend to work for long periods at a stretch, before taking a block of leave. That's normal throughout Africa (and indeed similar throughout the world for the work on oil rigs, and in other remote locations).

Generally, safari work is highly sought after by Tanzanians - because of its good wages, augmented by often substantial tips, and the opportunity to interact with people from outside of Africa. The wages are vastly more than the (admittedly very low) national average - and these posts are regarded as prestige posts by many of the population. Tanzanians not only put up with the long working stints (albeit with long breaks off), but they actively seek out these jobs - and jobs at top camps are sought-after.

Finally - the issue of the water-carriers. It's interesting that I asked exactly the very same question when I first visited Mwagusi Camp. I had a long discussion with the owner, Chris Fox, about the water-carrying. He explained to me that it would probably be much cheaper in the long run to buy a water pump from Europe or the Far East to supply the camp with water. If he did this, he'd then save money .. but he'd employ many less people, and so be paying much less to support the local community.

Instead Chris has implemented a system that is, as far as I know, unique in African camps. Every new camp employee that he takes on starts off by carrying water for a period. Often they have little education, and need training in very basic things. This is also a time for them to learn about the visitors, and learn about how the camp works.

Typically one employee at a safari camp in Africa will support a family of six people; so Mwagusi's four full-time water-carriers support a total of about 24 people .

Gradually, each new water-carrier moves on to other jobs in camp, including waiting at tables, game-spotting, and eventually working as a chef and guiding. Thus Chris prides himself on the fact that all of his staff learn to do everything that they possibly have the ability to do - - and on the fact that his camp employs a lot of local people. Some of hiss team have done as many as seven different roles in the camp.

Chris knows tourism is a fickle industry, and said to me that one reason that he does this is so that "if tourism collapses, then all my staff can they can get jobs as electricians, plumbers, stone or brick masons, drivers, cooks etc..even outside of the tourism sector."

Tourism in Africa is often very labour-intensive - and this is one of the reasons why building the tourism industry there, in the right way with many more small camps like this can have such a positive impact on the poorer communities in Africa.

That why we regard camps like Mwagusi as doing some great work for both conservation and their local communities, and why we are committed to supporting them. Thanks & Very best.