About us

Testimonials

What our clients are saying about us and our trips...

With web review sites being all the rage these days, it can be a little difficult to sift through the debris to actually find out what a place or hotel is like. From our point of view, having stayed in 99% of the hotels and safari lodges we sell (and quite a few we don't), we think that these reviews can be very misleading as it is impossible to know what the reviewer likes, was looking for, paid etc. etc. In our opinion our job is to find out what you like and match the correct product to you...see how we have done. (please note that ALL of the reviews we feature are 100% real and unedited. If you would like to speak to any of our past clients please let us know)

Furthermore, we have started to gather customer reviews through Trustpilot so please take a look at our page on there to see how we are doing! Trustpilot Reviews >>

Hi Nick,


I was going to e-mail you last night but ran out of time. The hotels were wonderful and we had a fantastic time.

The location of the Z Hotel was perfect private but near to the lively beach and bars when we wanted to go there. The staff were brilliant and very helpful, we couldn’t fault it. They also organised a private snorkelling trip for us as we noticed that the “public” ones were a bit crowded and it was excellent.

Unguja Lodge was indescribable it was absolutely perfect. It wasn’t like being in a Hotel at all but rather more like being very well treated house guests of Ralph and Eilies. We had monkeys in our villa’s which we loved, enough lizards etc around to satisfy even my reptile mad husband and the staff were outstanding nothing was too much trouble for them at any time.

Nick who runs the dive centre was great we did an excellent snorkelling trip and then a trip to swim with dolphins. We were exceptionally lucky with this and swam for a couple of hours with a pod of around 30 dolphins. I have been sad to end a holiday before but never to actually leave a hotel but I was genuinely upset to leave the lodge it was like paradise and felt like a home away from home.

We had a great meal at Esseque Zula many thanks for that and it was just a shame that this hotel was virtually empty and Aidan and I were the only ones in the restaurant but the food was excellent.

Another big surprise to us was how reasonable Zanzibar was, we didn’t spend even half of what we had expected to on food and drinks!

The Seyyida Hotel was also good but unfortunately plagued with mosquitoes and in a bit of a dodgy area but again their restaurant was excellent and very reasonable.

I really want to thank you Nick as the hotels you selected for us were exactly what we wanted and far surpassed our expectations. I don’t think we could ever go on a “resort” holiday again. We are hoping to return to the Lodge again and to combine it with a few days on Pemba Island and Chumbe Island so you will be hearing from me.

Again many thanks it was all exactly what we wanted but never thought we could find. If you want me to write a review for your website I will be more than happy to do so,
 
Marina

Marina and family
April 5, 2012

We had a wonderful time and Zanzibar is beautiful!

Shooting star was very relaxing, i like to call it bare foot luxury in a unique setting. We were lucky enough to spend half our time in a sea view cottage amongst the gardens with lots of privacy (tea for two waiting on the verandah in the morning was a nice touch) and then were upgraded to one of the suites with private pool, day bed, roof top terrace with panoramic views, his and hers dressing rooms the list goes on! We were very spoilt. 



The local staff were very friendly although service was a little inconsistent. The beach was nice but we didn't spend too much time bathing on it given there was lots of sea weed that wasn't cleared routinely. The sun loungers at shooting star were also not readily available on the beach and we got the impression that it would be a mission to request some to be moved to a nicer less rocky part of the beach where the beach was combed and sea weed removed.



The food was amazing. Kim and I both like a variety of home cooked and haute cuisine (if you will) and Shooting Stars food was a happy medium. Good local fare with a unique twist, always delicious and much better than the neighbouring Gabi Beach. I would encourage people staying else where to visit Shooting Star for lunch, that said... I would also give the staff a lesson or two on cocktail making and suggest they find cheaper alternatives for their overpriced wine list. 



Our transfers were seamless and the 11 seater single prop plane was a fun way to arrive (very glam- bar my deshevilled appearance). So In all we would like to thank you for your help in choosing the right spot and arranging a wonderful holiday with lots of happy memories that we will cherish. I would like to return one day with an even bigger budget!

We will be in touch for our next holiday in Nov for advice on Colombia.

Matt and Kim
April 1, 2012
Robert
February 19, 2012

Hi Nick,



We're back safe and sound in Edinburgh having had the most amazing time. 

Everywhere we stayed was fabulous - great rooms, locations and with helpful, knowledgeable and passionate staff.



The Olakira tented camp was a real highlight - such an experience to go to sleep surrounded by the sounds of zebra and hyena (and to wake up to find paw prints just outside the tent door!) . 

Our safari guide (Kevin) was fantastic - really going out of his way to make sure we got the most from our Safari time, and we saw more than we could have hoped in terms of the wildlife. Watching three cheetah brothers stalk and then take down a wildebeest is the sort of thing we thought we'd only ever watch courtesy of David Attenborough - we feel very privileged to have seen (and heard!) this spectacle first hand.

And then there were all the lions (cubs, mating and all), the cheetah mum and her 4 playful cubs, and 400,000 migrating wildebeest thrown in for good measure! The only thing we failed to see "properly" was a leopard. We did catch a glimpse of one hiding in a bush, but he seemed intent on not putting on a display for us. I suppose we'll just have to go back to Africa in the future and try again! 



Zanzibar was a real contrast to Safari and we were so pleased you recommended to do the safari portion first. I don't think we have ever enjoyed a swim and a shower quite so much as we did our first ones at Matemwe - we'd never realised it was physically possible to get so so dusty!

Matemwe was an idyllic place to spend some quality R&R time. And in general we did very little other than laze about by the pools. We did go on a snorkelling trip, and also did a spice tour (really interesting and e have returned to the UK with a freshly stocked supply of vanilla pods and various other spices) and had a quick look at Stone Town, but by and large we just enjoyed the sun, the sea and the cocktails!

All flights and connections went off without a hitch. Flying in the small bush planes and taking off from the N'Dutu airstrip was great, as were the views over the Serengeti, the Maasai village we visited and the Great Rift escarpment. A real bonus on the flight from Dar es Saalem to Heathrow was to pass Mount Kilimanjaro on a perfectly clear day. Stunning.

All the unpacking is done and just the photos need to be sorted through!

Thanks again for all your assistance - we really did have the best time and would thoroughly recommend you to our friends and others. If we are ever lucky enough to return to Africa again we will certainly be in touch.

Matt and Janette
February 10, 2012

Nick spent a large amount of time working on what WE wanted from our honeymoon, then recommended an itinerary that was perfect for our holiday of a lifetime.

All of his recommendations were spot on and amazing and all of the transfers were top class and on time.

He managed to get us some free upgrades and the overall package was 30% cheaper than the quotes from his competitors. Add in the fact that we received the best service we have ever received from a travel agent and you can't go wrong in booking with The Tanzania Specialists.

Dan and Vivienne
September 3, 2011

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