Customer Reviews

"Dear Heidi, Thank you so much for the wonderful holiday package we booked through Exotic Vacations! This holiday exceeded all expectations and it was an exotic vacation indeed.... We spent the days relaxing in the warm sun and swimming in cool blue waters. We went kayaking and did two trips on the catamaran. On my birthday, we went for a Blue Safari, what a blessing! Mapenzi is a wonderful place and the staff are so friendly and helpful, (and we made a few Italian friends as well). Mapenzi really does a lot of effort with the quality of food, every lunch was packed with fresh ingredients and tasty seafood dishes and fish, and dinners were colourful and exciting (once at the swimming pool, another on the beach, and at the restaurant). On the evening of my birthday, they brought me a birthday cake (with a candle!) while dancing and singing Hakuna Matata, I was overwhelmed and enjoyed every second of it! My husband and I had one of the best holidays of our lives, thank you so much for being a part of it. (Ps: The value for money for this package was absolutely worth every cent, and we will definitely recommend it to all our friends and family...and we will be in touch again soon!) Asante Sana! Ps: Attached a few photographs for your perusal... Thanks again, Kind regards, Marike d.K."

Cj K., September 2011 · Diamonds Mapenzi Beach Club

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"We had a wonderful holiday! Everything worked out perfectly and Cristal Hotel is AWESOME! Thank you so much for all the arrangements etc. We'll upload the photos as soon as possible. Kind regards Obie"

Obie B., September 2011 · Cristal Resort

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Our family had a very good vacation in Paje Arabian Nights. As you asked feedback, please find below the issues, which might have be better. - I was worried, because I had no feedback from you company within one week after I had paid the trip. I hadn't work with you company earlier and I live remotely in Mozambique, so I hope you understand my concerns. - It was not very convenient for my family that we had two separate rooms instead of one bigger room. I did not understand that until in in the hotel. That can be actually understood in the Voucher, if you read it carefully. It was anyhow good that you were able to find us accommodation for that period. - The Voucher says that the price includes Breakfast and Dinner. The receptionist in the hotel said that dinner is not included, so we paid our dinners separately. - It was unclear when the transportation leaves on the departure day. The reception could not help, so I called your office and got information by email. It stated that they pick us up at 11 o'clock, but already at 9:50 they came to say the we need to hurry up in order to get the plane. We left the hotel at 10 o'clock and had adequately time at the airport. + The resort is is excellent. White sand,clear water and pleasant temperature. Hotel is very clean and works ok. This is Africa and we are used to that all the things are not perfect. + The flight tickets and accommodation vouchers worked fine and we had no problems with reservations. + Your information set including a list of common swahili words is good."

Petri T., September 2011 · Arabian Nights

Our service: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"Hi, We had a awesome time at Sandies Neptune and the service was always friendly and it is a recommendation for any honeymoon couple. Just need to mentally prepare the people before the time that its Africa!!! We never felt unsafe and the people are over eager to assist. One critic we have are the beach boys in front of the beach area, we could only enjoy the beach early morning other wise they flood you with excursions. We used the hotel booking and our highlight was the Safari Blue "we got to swim with the dolphins" :) Stone town was weird but interesting ps fish and meat market not for the faint hearted trust me!! Spice tour was a bit of a disappointment and a bit over priced if you compare it to the Safari Blue real value for money. We will defiantly book with exotic vacations again and we would like you to keep us posted on specials in future please. Regards Juan & Lee-Ann"

Juan B., September 2011 · Neptune Pwani Beach

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Hi Heidi I would like to break up our detailed feedback into a number of categories remembering that it was our first time to Zanzibar and that our previous island vacations have been a number of times to Mauritius both at top end hotels and self catering villas. Also we got ourselves there via SAA from Dar es Salaam with Coastal Air, returning with Azaam Marine Ferry: 1. Organisation from your side: Top class and always kept in the picture. Well done. 2. Location of Hotel: Very good. First 53 km's from airport on reasonable to fairly reasonable tar road with Combi waiting for us. The last 2km's was an ABSOLUTE shocker, even for South African standards!!! No ways would a hotel here receive ANY guests with the type of road. It was pot holed and actually non excistant. It put us off to go anywhere other than one day to Stonetown!!! Where we used our own great taxi by a guy called Spiderman, at half the hotel quoted price. I have his details and he is highly recomended speaking English very well and travelling in a spotless airconditioned Toyota combi. 3. The hotel is NOT a 5 Star standard but for SA standards on a 4 star level. The rooms, service, location and attention to guest's requirements, a 10 out of 10. Our own room's bathroom had this contious disgusting sewarage smell which they tried to address, but could not overcome. Also the toilet used was horrible, it looked like it continously was falling off the inner card board roll, very strange indeed.Julie for reservations was really great and she moved my father in law closer to us after two nights. The intermitent WIFI was a REAL Pain and this needs to be resolved. The "sea facing room which our sons had did not warrant the higher cost as the view was still partially obstructed with plants. They should quote one price on a first come ,first served basis. The English tourists (majority) who arrive with Pounds score big time. With our miserable Rand, it was not that cheap. 4.The Breakfast: The green fly menace was actually TOTALLY unacceptable and the breakfast became an effort every morning because one had to "defend one's food with covering it up" and the flies were just soooooo disgusting, in the juices, in the fruit, in the cereal!!! Also although the waiters were trying to be helpful, their knowledge of English is VERY limited, often getting simple orders wrong, not even understanding the word "toast". Also the bread quality was not good. The croisants though were not bad. The hotel needs to have a VISIBLE manager there for breakfast. The food on offer was not varied enough and for the overall price charged was NOT on a 4 star standard, perhaps 2 Star. My wife and I owned a 4 star B&B, so we are in a position to be crytical. 5. Around the swimming pool and the beach: Overall, very, very nice. The intermittant rain showers were a pain though and nobody could understand why this was happening this time of the year. Again the flies were a pain when trying to eat something on the pool patio, the little swines even fell into my beer glass and bottle and the bar did not bother to replace it for us! 6. Considering the limited food available away from the hotel and the fact that ALL the food started to taste the same after a while, (remember we were there for 10 nights), other people we met agreed with us, we think that it is that all the restaurants seem to "over spice" ALL their food with the SAME spices. So whether you ate fish or meet or pizza or salad, it all tasted the same and got a bit much. The food offered by the hotel was far nicer and more varied, except it was alawys quoted in US$ and as mentioned, with our measily Rand, it just became too expensive for 5 of us.Thus I am wandering whether it perhaps be a better idea to take an all inclusive half board package ensuring that one gets a varied decent dinner as well. 7. General: We found Stone Town of high interest and we should have actually spent say our first two nights at a great looking place like the Serena Inn or the Swahilli Inn or the Tempo Hotel. We just did not have enough time there. The Z Hotel's General Manager MUST be visible to guests. I saw him once or twice "holed up" in his office. To run a boutique business like this one, needs the General Manager to be walking around and talking to guests! Persoanlly I did not agree with their TV channel offering on Multi Choice, catering too much from a sport point of view for English soccer fans only etc. But then again, the TV is not that important when you are on holiday. Would we return? Highly unlikely as the overall value for money, less hassles with Yellow Fever vacination, Visa costs, 18% vat, ripping the tourists with another 5% on credit card purchases, US$ 30 departure tax, twice having to fill in stupid forms on the ferry and at Dar es Salaam airport, TWICE physical security check DESPITE all having gone through x ray machines, we were requested to remeove belts, watches shoes, my wallet being "searched", my wife's jewellery being "inspected" by "eager" eyes, no, those requirements and actions actually put a damper on one's holiday. A Mauritius has seen the REAL bebnefit of tourism and is far more "tourist friendly". 8. Having said that, we had a great break for the family, relaxing and doing very little other than to soak up the sun, thanks to you Heidi for your recomendation. We walked past many hotels and I believe that the Z Hotel will be hard to beat from a PERFECT location point of view. The Gemma del Est beach for instance is terrible compared to what we had."

Bernd G., August 2011 · The Z Hotel

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"Had a wonderful time!"

Charlene B., August 2011 · Sea Cliff Resort & Spa

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"We had a fantastic stay in Diamond Dreams of Zanzibar. The rooms were very comfortable but I was disappointed that we did not have a view of the sea- just bad luck of the draw. The service was excellent and nothing was too much trouble. The resort was spotless. We had a previous stay in Zanzibar in a 5 star hotel of the same group and if memory serves me correctly -the food was better. Not to say that the food was not good at Diamonds Dream but the main restaurant seemed to have the same every day. Zanzibar is a true jewel of Africa - I love it. The people are gentle. Stone Town is very interesting and certainly needs a return visit. I will start my next visit in Stone Town and then move to a luxury resort. The spice tour we went on was excellent- we had a very animated and bright guide who was able to charm the tourists in all languages. Exotic Vacations was spot on in all their bookings and I will certainly use them again. Thank you."

Denise B., August 2011 · Dream of Zanzibar

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"Dear Heidi We had a great time at Sandies Mapenzi. The staff were charming, friendly and helpful. The food was good. Rooms nicely furnished ( Zanzibar style!) and comfortable. Our highlight was the blue safari trip on a dhow, snorkeling and lunching on an island. The traders on the beach could be annoyingly persistent, but the hotel guards did keep a watch. We were not pestered on the elevated section above the beach, only on it. We do feel we could have had extra time in Stone Town. Due to the very early start, getting to the airport at 445 am for the flight, we were really tired when we got to the hotel at 130 pm.We felt compelled to rush out and sightsee as much as we could, as we only had that afternoon. Stone Town is very interesting and has so much history, it would have been better to have had more time there. Otherwise it was lovely. Thank you very much for your input in the booking. Regards Jenny T."

Jennifer T., August 2011 · Diamonds Mapenzi Beach Club

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"We honestly thought that had we died and landed in heaven.We travel a lot but never before have we EVER experienced a holiday like this before. The Palms is just the most wonderful resort in the world. Could not find one thing to fault them on.The accommodation,service ,drinks,cocktails and then of coarse the food - if I was able to rate them it would be a 10 star. The price may sound a bit pricey but once you have experienced what we did it is the best value for money. If ever anyone wanted the most special holiday or ideal honeymoon destination the The Palms is the answer"

Heather M., August 2011 · The Palms

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Hi Heidi Well we got back a few hours ago and don’t know how I will ever come down to earth What an amazing holiday!! Thank you so much for referring us to this property The attention to detail, the property the unbelievable chef, staff just everything was so much more than we expected. I will most certainly suggest this to others. Once we have downloaded pictures I will send you some. Once again thanks so much this was a holiday of a lifetime. Kenny & Sue"

Susan L., August 2011 · The Palms

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Dear Heidi, We had a fantastic holiday. Le Cannonier is a world class hotel. The staff were so friendly and helpful. The food superb and the accommodation outstanding. We will contact you again for our next holiday. Thank you for an awesome holiday. Andre Z."

Andre Z., August 2011 · Canonnier Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Hi Heidi I just wanted to email and thank you for organising my trip to Zanzibar. I cannot even begin to say how myself and my girlfriend enjoyed it, it was the such an amazing trip. The country is wonderful and the people are so friendly. The organisation from Exotic Vacations was perfect. There were absolutely no issues with the flights or the accommodation and I loved the room we stayed in. The driver was also exactly on time for both the pickup and drop off and was very friendly and informative. The only issue I had is that I had to come back to South Africa at the end of the trip, I wanted to stay there forever. Thank you again, I will definitely organise further trips abroad with Exotic vacations. Hope you have a wonderful week. Kind regards Ryann D."

Ryann D., July 2011 · Neptune Pwani Beach

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"I must honestly say this is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in and the service is excellent !!! We have had a great time thus the reason for trying to extend our stay. They went out of their way to give my fiancé a birthday she will never forget. Best Regards"

Peter W., July 2011 · Trou aux Biches Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Hi We had an awesome holiday, thank you. Langi Langi Beach Bungalows in Zanzibar!, is a really great place to visit. The whole area offers various accommodation from Back Packers to 5 star luxury, and there was lots of choice to eat out etc. Another nice place in the area was Flame Tree Cottages, I am not sure if you know of that establishment. One thing that caught out some of the passengers on the flight to Dar, was that when you pay in dollars the dollars have to be issued after 2002. Any dollars before that date were not accepted as tender for the entry visa. This caused one man to have to go and get shillings from an ATM, and then exchange them for dollars, a process he was quite stressed about. Thanks again, we will certainly use your travel agency and recommend to others. Thanks Wendy"

Wendy K., July 2011 · Langi Langi Beach Bungalows

Our service: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"Dear Heidi, I really wish to thank you for a fantastic holidays – everything was perfect. We were picked up by Exotic vacation transport immediately after arrival to Zanzibar airport. The trip to the resort was pleasant – we even saw monkeys as we passed Jozani forest. We got a galss of iced tea as a welcome drink after arrival to Cristal resort and were welcomed by pleasant staff – house keeping manager and his trainee Veronica. Our bungalow D10 had perfect sea view, was clean and comfortable. The only problem we had was with the sliding door frame – there was a wide gap allowing free access to mosquitoes, but it was rectified immediately after we reported it. Diva was very efficient , she has very friendly and pleasant personality. All the waiting staff did their best so that guests were served meals as quickly as possible. We enjoyed sea food in particular, but all food on menu offer was tasty and variety good. We were sorry not to be younger – we admired those who did the kiting – the conditions were ideal for that sport as during afternoons the wind was quite strong. There is a big difference in sea level due to the tide, so we rented a bicycles to ride along the beautiful white beach during that time when the ocean was far away and we could not swim. We did snorkeling with dolphins and visited Stone Town and spice farm, but prices for tours organized by accredited tour operators are enormous! So, once again, many thanks, we appreciate all what you have done to make our holidays perfect. Kind regards, Vera V."

Vera V., July 2011 · Cristal Resort

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Thanks for a proper organized holiday. I must congratulate you with a well planned holiday. About the Al Johari Boutique Hotel: I think it was, maybe 10 years ago, a 4 star hotel. It does not live up to the standards of the surrounding hotels. We had no hot water for our entire stay. We reported it the first morning, but it was not fixed. In case of power failures, it was the only hotel that do not use a generator. The food (breakfast) was the only high light. I think it is because the manager is not at the hotel. He had only arrived when my husband told them that he will put his comments on the Internet."

Anita L., July 2011 · Al Johari Boutique Hotel (Stone Town)

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★☆☆☆ (2 out of 5)

"Excellent arrangements by Exotic! Their suggestion of Cristal Resort hotel in Paje as a family-friendly, casual kind of place, was spot on. What a beautiful location - the long palm lined beaches and powder fine sand, kites soaring into the blue sky. All transfers worked well, Cristal turned out to be really friendly and accommodated the children by supplying extra beds with mosquito nets and offering to make special meals like hamburgers or chips. Speaking of food: the breakfast is very basic but the dinner was always nicely presented, very tasty and plentiful. We asked for the chef's soup recipe! We especially enjoyed the local seafood. There were also lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. The 'local' evening in the boma was fun. Linen and towels were regularly replaced and the rooms well serviced by friendly staff. The swimming pool is a real boon for when the tide goes out or when the wind was too strong at the beach. Most afternoons were very windy and the kite surfers have a wonderful time. Security was always very good. Adjacent bars and restaurants offered a nice change. We realise that the hotel does not pretend to be 5 star and has a casual atmosphere but here are a few things that could only be an improvement: (a) After being dropped off by the minibus and walking down the path, a sign should indicate where reception is. (b) Ideally there should be a door to the bathroom. (Eco bungalows) (c) The showers have hot water, but it is not always indicated. (d) Some of the children injured themselves on the sharp edges in the swimming pool. Round edges would be better. (e) Gates to swimming pool area - already enclosed by planted fence. Should be easy to implement and better safety. (f) The neighboring hotel, Teddy's Place (south) plays loud music until very late every Wednesday night."

Eleine R., July 2011 · Cristal Resort

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"Hi Esme, Ek weet nie of Juanli al vir jou 'n e-pos gestuur het nie, maar ek wil net baie dankie sê vir al jou moeite met ons vakansie. Dit was 'n baie vinnige besluit gewees om te gaan, en sonder jou sou ons dit nie gemaak het nie. Die hotel was fantasties! Mens hoor baie keer van mense wat 'n plek op foto's sien en dan teleurgesteld is as hulle daar kom, maar met Le Mauricia was dit glad nie die geval nie. Ons is beide effe loskop en impulsief, so sonder jou baie professionele hulp sou ons gestrand gewees het. Die pakket wat jy vir ons onderhandel en gekry het, was ook baie beter as wat ons enige plek anders gekry het, so dankie vir jou moeite daarmee. Ons wil definitief weer van jou gebruik maak! Ons wil eintlik sommer nou al vir jou vra of jy kan kyk vir ons vir pakette vir volgende jaar, dat ons so bietjie vroeër al die admin kan uitsorteer hierdie keer! Groete, Tim T."

Tim & Juanli T., July 2011 · Mauricia Beachcomber Resort & Spa

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"HI There, We will send you photo’s as soon as we have downloaded them! In terms of feedback: • Great service from all the staff! • The food on the buffet was very good. There was something different every lunch and dinner. • There could have been more variety in the entertainment at night. • Exotic vacations need to make sure that all travellers are informed that the hotel does NOT accept debit cards or travel wallet cards! We found thi out when we had to settle our bill and were told to use credit card!! Also, ensure that travellers are aware that the nearest ATM is an hour away in stone town!! • I would certainly recommend this resort to those who seek a relaxing break. • Travel Zanzibar was great – Jefferson took us on Safari blue and the stone town and spice farm tour. The travel guides that he chose for us were all great!! The only down side was that he had to transport us to these in a sedan car, which proved a bit small for 4 passengers…. Many thanks!! Justine M."

Vaughan M., June 2011 · Neptune Pwani Beach

Our service: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Dear Heidi, I would just like to report back on our holiday in Mauritius. First of all thank you very much for your good service. Especially helping me get my pen back. I did receive it this morning. It was great to fly SAA business class. Definitely much better than British airways, which we had the previous year. So we will definitely do that again on our next trip. The transfers in the Prado were also great, especially the return transfer in a brand new model.... very nice. Dinarobin: Beautiful resort all in all. The pools and general areas are very beautiful. Pity one cannot just walk into the ocean to swim; but we did go over to Paradis for a dip in the ocean. The rooms were good, so all happy there. The spa was very disappointing. Treatments are very expensive, so we booked in for only one massage each. I wanted to use the steam room and/or sauna before the treatment, but when I arrived an hour early for the treatment, neither the steam room nor the sauna had been switched on...... And this was at about 12h00 noon on that day! When I asked the girl at reception to please see to it, she did not know how to switch it on, and had obviously not checked them earlier in the day. She was reading a paperback novel at reception. The whole spa is very deserted all in all, and I am not surprised at all. The steam room had ant colonies walking up and down the walls, so it did not seem very sanitary or well looked after. There were also no extra towels around these areas. I then had to go over to the sport centre steam room. The male side was not operational at all during our stay. The treatment rooms are also not maintained with love. The dish under my massage bed, (the one you can see when you look through the breathing hole; had an old wilted flower floating in it, and the whole dish was not placed correctly. So my view during the massage was of a therapists’ stool with chipped paint . No incense, no candles..... The spa at the Royal Palm (last year) had been so great in comparison. Residents had free access to the steam and saunas all the time, and they served teas and waters. That was a real treat and I enjoyed that very much. I still dream of that. The food at Dinarobin was quite good. I enjoyed the ‘Il Gusto’ restaurant very much. Very good food and good service. L’Harmonie was ok. Breakfast never changed. We went on two nights; one was good, the other not. Le Morne Plage was good: we had one special Lobster evening there. Unfortunately it is not open every night, as I love to sit on the beach for dinner. I wish to return to Royal Palm next year this time latest. Which time would you recommend in the year? Lowest rates at best weather? (We had two days of rain this time) Thank you again for everything. I will contact your office again very soon for another booking."

Daniela H., May 2011 · Dinarobin Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"We had a fantastic holiday in Zanzibar, it is a most wonderful place to visit with friendly people and beautiful sights. Mtoni Marine was a great hotel, the staff were friendly and helpful. Being located so close to Stone Town made access to sights very easy, however being far enough from the town that it felt like a beach resort up North. When we were not touring the island, we spent a lot of time in the infinity pool and at Mcheza's sports bar watching the sun set. I would recommend this hotel to anyone!"

Kirsten C., May 2011 · Mtoni Marine

Our service: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"Dear Heidi We are sad to say we are back from our break at Zanzibar. We would like to thank you for suggesting to us our hotel where we stayed. We had the most wonderful time and are planning to go back there in December. Kind Regards Elsie M.M."

Elsie M., April 2011 · Neptune Pwani Beach

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Dear Taryn, When something is too good to be true, it normally is. But I got a huge surprise. When I first asked about the Mauritius quote, you asked if I was a Discovery member, and added that I can get money back if I pay with my Discovery credit card. Yesterday I received a back payment of nearly R8000! on the Mauritius purchase. This is the first time in my life that something like that happened. We are so thankful. Once again, I want to tell you that you provided simply the best service I ever had from travel agencies and I will recommend you whenever there is a chance. Erna"

Erna O., April 2011 · Sugar Beach Mauritius

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Hi, Heidi As you may have gathered, we had a fantastic holiday! We really enjoyed Breezes Beach Club and would recommend it to anyone. The facilities, food and ambiance were excellent. There was perhaps one minor disappointment: the transfer that picked us up to take us to the airport on 12 April did not have a functioning air-conditioner. Otherwise, thanks for everything! With best wishes Dave"

Dave S., April 2011 · Breezes Beach Club

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)