The honeymoon was absolutely wonderful. Indeed I cannot
really think that it could have been better. All of the places we
stayed were ideal for us - intimate, luxurious and wonderfully
relaxing. The service we received everywhere was also universally
excellent: personal and unobtrusive, we wanted for nothing and were
looked after royally. It was so nice to be welcomed and waved off
warmly wherever we went; and everywhere had laid on a special
honeymoon extra or two for us (private dinners, champagne, floral
baths, massages and gifts to name but a few of the things).
The rooms everywhere were fantastic, with a special mention for the
villa at The
Palms. Without a doubt the nicest 'room' (if that is the right
description!) we have stayed in. It is also fair to say that the
tent at Siwandu was a tent in name alone - wow! And being able
to see hippos, giraffes, crocodiles, elephants, impala, baboons and
eagles on your deck with a morning cup of tea in hand is a pretty
hard view to beat.
Good food is really important to us and it was terrific everywhere
we went. We were both hugely impressed with the variety and quality
that even these small resorts and camps were able to provide. If
you did not want to, you certainly would not have had to eat the
same thing twice which is amazing. It was great to have a mix of
formal dinners, barbeques, buffets and private dinners.
I think for both of us the safari in the Selous was the highlight. An absolutely incredible
experience. Again, we were indebted to you for your recommendation
of going there rather than to the north of Tanzania. We still managed to see an amazing
array of wildlife and, importantly for us, were able to see it
without a convoy of other jeeps around. Indeed, we barely saw
another jeep during the daytime. Siwandu was such a beautiful
camp.
We also had an amazing guide. He had a really good feel for where
the game would be and when, so we saw some pretty spectacular stuff
- including following two lionesses on a daytime hunting trip from
waking up under a tree all the way to a wildebeest kill. Truly
heart stopping and amazing and not something you see every day.
About the only thing we didn't see were the elusive wild dogs, but
you have to leave something behind for the next trip! The variety
of safari experiences there was also really great - the
boating and walking safaris were brilliant to break up the game
drives and really interesting in giving a new perspective in
their own right. I would happily have done a walking safari
every single day, it was so interesting. Sitting on an island on
our final afternoon with crocodiles and hippos swimming around as
the sun went down, with a g&t in one hand and a fishing rod in
the other, was also pretty unforgettable!
In short, everything was perfectly organised and so well-suited to
us. It was great to have the down time at Ras Kutani before heading on safari; the
recommendation was spot on.
Thank you so much for all your help, recommendations and
organisation. It was absolutely seamless, from the first moment we
spoke to when we came home.
I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Original
Travel to others and will certainly turn to you again for trips in
the future. We were really impressed.
