Liselle’s clients sent their Client Feedback : Klaserie Sands, Hoyo Hoyo & Simbavati Hilltop
Hi Liselle,
Here is some more detail about our trip. Sorry this took so long. Overall, everything went very smoothly and we had a great time. Thank you again.
The Peermont Mondior was fine for what we needed. The shuttle bus was convenient both ways. The room was small but adequate and it was good to have some choices for dinner. The breakfast buffet was the best part of the stay.
The Seasons In Africa Shuttle drivers were all good. They all arrived early and were courteous and professional.
Each of the places we stayed had a different vibe and the order in which we went to them worked out well.
For each place, there were two parts- the time in camp and the safari experience.
Klasserie Sands was our favorite place for the time in camp. With only 8 guests, they really did a good job of creating a family feeling. It helped that the guests did not change during our 3 days. The facilities are top notch, the staff extremely friendly, and the service was excellent. The chef, Steven, was really good and also very accommodating. The room was very nice.
For the safari experience, in retrospect, we saw the fewest animals at Klasserie Sands. Because of that, it was good that we went their first. The guide was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about smaller, less noticeable things like nests and trees. We did see a lot of animals but they were more spread out.
Next stop was Hoyo Hoyo. The staff there were all very nice and professional but were not attempting the family feeling. With 12 guests, there was a natural division between the guests based on which vehicle you were in. The main area of the camp was very nice with a good pool and plenty of places to sit. What we liked best was all of the animals that came to the water trough across the dry river. The executive chef for the 3 related resorts talked to us to make sure our dining needs were being met. The room it self was fine but we did not like the shower. It was outdoors but we were told not to use it at night because of animals around. It also lacked privacy as the wood slates had lots of gaps. That was our main complaint with Hoyo Hoyo.
For the safari experience at Hoyo Hoyo, the number of animals was by far the most. In particular, we saw lots and lots of lions and elephants. It was a little different because the vehicle had a top and there was only the guide, not a tracker. It took us a day to get used to the guide as he was much more of a performer than the guide at Klasserie. We grew to appreciate his knowledge of where to find the animals.
Last stop was Simbavati. The “tent” was certainly luxurious and we liked having a stocked minifridge. The outdoor shower was fine. The bathroom part was very hot and was inconvenient at night. We loved the outdoor daybed and the fantastic view of the lake and all of the animals. That was our favorite part. The main part of the lodge as a long walk on the boardwalk. The pool was very nice. The staff were all very friendly but the operations seemed to be a little off of their game. Nothing very wrong but the kitchen seemed very slow, our “butler” seemed to be new and needed to be asked for things twice, etc. Also, with it being bigger (16 guests), a lot of turnover, and not much chance to meet the people in the other safari vehicle, it was not as friendly an experience.
For the safari, we liked our guide (Colbert) and tracker (Derek) a lot. They were very knowledgeable and good at tracking animals, including finding a pack of wild dogs. As this was the only area we went that had significant water, we did see more of animals that like water such as hippos and buffalo. Unfortunately, we had two different couples (different days) in our land rover with us who were not very pleasant for different reasons. That is not anyone’s fault and we were probably lucky not to have had that issue at other times.
It was a wonderful trip and we thank you.
Susan and Steve Hansler
