Reviewed 20 Jul 2009 by Jonathan Rourke
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
It is impossible to pick one thing as the most memorable and exciting part of our stay, so I'm going to have to make a list, in no particular order...
1. The incredible rooms, with panoramic views over the bush, watching monkey's in the distance as we had our breakfast on our veranda, the bush shower out in the open with steaming hot water, just feeling part of nature. Amazing!
2. Konyagi and tonic around the fire in the evening with the Barbour family, getting excited as one of the staff practiced his English by announcing the menu for the evening.
3. The fantastic little secluded dinner spots that Jeanann and the staff would set up for us.
4. Sun set drinks (more Konyagi and tonic) at the end of a walk through the bush.
5. The Saadani prawns, as well as every single fantastic dinner we were served.
6. Walking round Matapweli village with Jeanann, both humbling and exciting to see a village really working to improve and full of hope.
7. The most unbelievable welcome from the Barbour family and every single member of staff who together made the camp so special and memorable on our honeymoon.
8. Richard's incredible enthusiasm for everything in the bush, from birds to trees to flowers to monkeys to antelope and even leopard poo!
To summarise, every part of our stay contributed to making it the most memorable and exciting place we have been to. It is unique, fantastic, amazing!
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
If you have any doubts, please put them to one side. I booked with a little trepidation as it was a surprise part of our honeymoon. My wife likes her home comforts and I was a bit nervous, however this nervousness was totally unfounded. We both had such a wonderful time and were devastated when our 4 night stay came to an end. Therefore my only tip - go to this camp!
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Definitely. A short trip to the village and you can see the difference it is making to the local people. All staff are employed from the local village and those we asked were all enthusiastic about working at the camp. The Barbour family also seemed to genuinely care about what they could do to improve the opportunities and in particular education of the local children, a passion that was very infectious and made you feel that by staying you were contributing to the improvement of peoples lives. Impacts on the environment certainly seemed to be minimised, lighting in the rooms was solar powered, water wastage at an absolute minimum, everything in the rooms made from fallen timber etc. Definitely a lodge that is as ecofriendly as they come!
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Probably obvious from the above! Without being too repetitive, we simply had an amazing experience and felt we were experiencing a bit of the real Africa. Relaxing, enlightening, full of laughter, full of food, great activities, great "room", great welcome. The whole experience really was unbelievable and we cannot wait to return.
