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vacation to Tanzania
Gina Wang, 2nd July 2023I am obsessed with Tanzania - this was my first safari and first time in Zanzibar. It was magical and everything I had ever dreamed of - I am already plotting our next safari.
Accommodation Visited
Airport Planet Lodge
“Fine, just needed a place close to the airport for a couple of hours of sleep before our flight out in the morning. Sweet staff and nice breakfast.”
Lamai Serengeti
“We LOVED Lamai - the team was so warm and welcoming and the lodge was beautiful and unassuming all at once. The food was amazing and the game drives were so fulfilling.”
Entamanu Ngorongoro
“The team here was lovely, but this property is not as well done as Lamai (yet, I know they're upgrading from canvas). Tougher to have strong infrastructure here - the water didn't really stay as hot, wifi wasn't good, etc. I would advise future travelers to do the crater in a day and not to stay too long here (my opinion).”
Chem Chem Lodge
“Stuart, thank you so much for recommending Chem Chem so strongly - WOW. What a stunning, chic lodge. I absolutely loved our stay here - the staff, the food, the amenities, the game drive. We loved their "slow safari" approach and their private concession and airstrip were a relief after a lot of travel and activity. We absolutely LOVED it here.”
Asilia Matemwe Retreat
“The staff, especially our butler Thadeo, were AMAZING and warm and welcoming, but we didn't want to end our honeymoon here. Honestly - the place is run down and dated for the price. The view and bones of the villa were amazing, it seems that just a little upkeep would really make it feel more elevated (new linens, cushions, mosquito nets). Tough to pivot to here after Chem Chem where everything was so thoughtful and chic.”
Mnemba Island
“This was the best place we stayed and a highlight of our honeymoon. The room, the privacy, the amenities, the staff, the FOOD. Being able to run right out into the warm Indian Ocean from your private beach bungalow. The emphasis on wellness. I absolutely loved it here and am SO glad we moved here - totally worth it.”
Staff Review
“We appreciate Stuart's handling of all of the logistics (booking lodges, transfers, flights) and also handling our last-minute switch to Mnemba so quickly. As mentioned above, we were so excited for this trip and the experience was everything we'd hoped for and more! We are very grateful for it.
Some constructive feedback: we finalized in Feb 2023 and didn't hear from Stuart until right before the trip when he suggested a call, but it never happened. This was our first safari and we were very confused about things like what we do during the day, how we book activities, how the transfers work, etc. Also - what adaptors are used, what brand of bug spray do you recommend, etc. Also, the suitcase weight in the Mahlatini paperwork was wrong (20kg when the Coastal Air limit is 15 kg) - which made me concerned. We didn't know if being over the weight limit would be a huge issue or not (again, our first safari). For products, we just did the research ourselves and obviously, we've since realized how the activities/transfers work, but we were definitely not aware when we started the trip and I think this is where Mahlatini, as the African travel experts that you are, could have provided real value and removed some stress from us.
Another thing to note - this was our honeymoon and it does seem like some lodges offer specials for honeymooners that I don't think we were aware of - like Chem Chem would have offered free daily 60 minute massages for both of us for one more night stay or for Mnemba - I noticed online that there was a honeymoon special for 50% off for the second person and luckily I believe we took advantage of that. I think bringing that up as part of the planning would also have been a value add, as we won't have the option to take advantage of these deals again!
Also FYI - we were told the wrong price for the Serengeti balloon. We had to pay $150 more than we were quoted ($1250).”
