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holiday to Kenya & Seychelles
Jarrett Burns, 15th July 2024The first half of the trip to the Maasai Mara was absolutely spectacular. The highlights were the game drives at Governor's Camp and the stay at Mugie House. The overall experience in Seychelles was just average, primarily due to our negative experience at the resort (see below for more details).
Accommodation Visited
Governors' Camp
“Our tent on the river was wonderful and peaceful. The interaction with wildlife throughout the camp was spectacular. The crossing of the Mara River to the hot air balloon was exciting. The balloon ride was fun and informative, and the champagne breakfast was delicious.
David, our server/bartender, was absolutely wonderful. A nice surprise for my birthday was the Maasai men singing and dancing for me.
The only negative feedback is that the continental breakfast needs a bit more variety. It was the same choices every day. Also, the coffee took a very long time each day and wasn’t served until we had finished eating. One night, for dessert, I was served nuts even though we specifically informed the servers of my allergy.”
Governors' Mugie House
“This place was spectacular! The cuisine was top shelf. The accommodations were beautiful and the activities were fun. John (our guide) was such an amazing host and by far our favorite part of the trip.”
House of Waine
“House of Waine is situated in Karen which is a beautiful part of Nairobi. The grounds were stunning and the fresh cookies and champagne were a nice touch.
The negatives were that the room was a bit dirty (e.g. hair on the bed). The bars on the windows and panic buttons throughout the cottage were a bit unnerving. The food was average.”
Constance Ephelia Seychelles
“Ok, so there is a lot to unpack here: I think overall we were just disappointed with the entire experience in the Seychelles. It reminded us a bit of a budget family vacation in the Caribbean or a cruise ship (even though we have never been on a cruise but imagine this is what it would be like).
This was our feedback to the resort: First of all, these may be small details, but aren’t the small details what separate “five-star resorts” from others? At this time, you are still referring to me as Mrs. Jennifer Burns. My name is Dr. Jarrett Michael Burns. My name was on all of my paperwork and my passport (which you made a copy of at check-in). The TV screen welcomed Mrs. Burns and the telephone welcomed Mr. Vanhasselman.
Your resort has two beaches, one that is mostly uninhabitable (south) and one that is public (north), where you are panhandled by coconut salesmen and approached endlessly by vendors selling their boat tours and excursions. Again, not what I would expect from a “luxury five-star resort.” Speaking of the beach, the women working the beach towel stations are not very congenial. They seem bothered or annoyed with their job. A smile and a hello go a long way.
You placed us in a unit (Senior Suite 98) that was surrounded by families with children. We had to deal with screaming children and slamming doors at 6 a.m. almost every day. Children were actually at times pulling on our door handle and trying to get into our room. Perhaps finding a quieter area with other adults on honeymoon would have been best. I am not sure why we were not booked in a villa. Again, we will discuss this with our booking agent, as it might have been worth the extra expense.
Housekeeping did not leave fresh towels after removing the dirty ones. We needed to call and wait for towel delivery. There was fresh ice on the first day, but that was never replaced. We had to call and ask each day for ice. We used the milk in the fridge for morning coffee, and it was not replaced for the remainder of our stay.
The food was subpar at best. I do not expect buffets at five-star resorts. Those should be reserved for cruises and families on a budget. We tried the pasta night and the street market night and were not impressed, so we canceled the Creole night on Friday at Seselwa. The à la carte menus offered basically the same food. My wife and I found the gastronomy to be just average. We opted to walk off property to Del Place for two dinners during our stay in search of a better dining experience.
Charging a fee for bicycles is just tacky in my opinion. We have stayed at large properties before, such as the Montage Palmetto Bluff, where you were welcomed with two complimentary bikes to use during your stay. The shuttle service is not reliable, as we waited up to 20-30 minutes at times. We stopped using the shuttle and walked everywhere to save time. It seems that many activities at your resort come with an extra price tag. Perhaps we are just used to paying upfront and not being nickel-and-dimed for everything throughout our stay. Your resort speaks of wellness. You should encourage exercise through walking and complimentary bicycles.
The interaction with the bellhops and workers at the front reception was not ideal. We had a day trip planned on the ferry to Praslin and La Digue on Friday. We stopped by the front after dinner on Thursday to ask the gentlemen to book a taxi for us in the morning. When we asked what time we should leave, one of the guys told us that 7 a.m. would be plenty of time. We got to the front at 6:50 a.m. on Friday, and the taxi driver almost had a heart attack. He said we would never make it due to morning traffic and we should have left an hour earlier. He luckily was able to get us through traffic and to our boat in time. James (the taxi driver) was also going to give some feedback.
We also did not want to rush to get back for the Creole dinner reservation at Seselwa, so we asked if they could cancel it for us, and they said no; we would have to do it. When we explained that we would not be back until late, again they were not helpful. These staff members should be trained to accommodate guests as best as possible. In hospitality, the answer should always be yes or let me see what I can do to make that happen. Thankfully, I was able to send a cancellation message when I connected to Wi-Fi on La Digue.
Being approached by management while trying to check out to ask about our survey answers was again tacky. After miscommunication, we were allotted a suite to shower at 2 p.m. for a 2:30 p.m. pick-up. After this discussion with management, it was already 2:10 p.m., and we had to rush. As you can imagine, this was not the way I wanted the check-out process to go. It felt like we were being ushered off the property. In the future, request that guests gather their thoughts and write a succinct review upon returning home.
Finally, for a resort that touts an action plan regarding sustainability, the condition of the surrounding neighborhood outside the gate is atrocious. There is a large amount of trash in all of the mangroves, which is incredibly sad to see. Perhaps use some of the money collected from bike rentals to clean up the neighborhood surrounding your resort, especially if guests are going to be sharing the beach with the community. Guests want to feel safe, and this image portrays an environment far from a “peaceful, unspoiled haven.”
I hope this provides you further insight into our survey answers. Our stay at the Constance Ephelia was good, but overall, it did not meet our expectations, and hence we gave it a score of 3 out of 5.”
Staff Review
“Jessica is wonderful and attentive. She made sure we were well-prepared for our trip. Her phone calls were always prompt and informative. She responded in a timely manner when I reached out during our trip regarding flight delays, etc.
Our only constructive feedback is that we would have liked more communication regarding the Seychelles part of the trip. Jessica did warn us about the difference in service from the staff at Governor's Camp vs Constance Ephelia. However, we do not think the letdown was only related to service. Overall, we were disappointed in the resort itself. It would have been nice to have options to upgrade the room to a private villa or consider staying on another island or resort elsewhere. Even if there was an increase in cost we would have liked to discuss other options.”
