Customer Reviews

"It was absolutely fantastic. Everything work out accoding to plan. The island is very romantic and the staff are very friendly. They are also trying to accommodate every request with special care. Thank you so much for all your assistance in making our honeymoon a unforgettable experience. Regard Lukas and Salomie"

Salomie J., March 2008 · Chapwani Private Island Hotel

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

"Hi We had a wonderful time at le Coco Beach. There were 12 of us ranging in age from 2 to 55. For a family holiday with lots to do I would highly recommend Le Coco Beach. We only left the resort once to go on a Catamaran trip to Ile aux Serfs which was the highlight of our trip. We did lots of swimming, snorkelling, paddle boating and canoeing. We water-skiied, and some of us windsurfed too. Most days we had lunch at the boat house which served fantastic french cuisine. Most evenings we had dinner at the Pool Bar and breakfasts we had in the main dining room. The food was very varied and delicous. The shows and disco in the evening were great! We had lots of fun. Michele at Exocitic Vacations did a great job with our reservations. Thank you!"

Pamela B., February 2008 · Le Coco Beach

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

"Zanzibar was great, but if you do not want to listen to 3 mosques competing for morning prayers at 4am, then try some more remote hotel. Mntoni was nice and central to Stone Town, which made getting to town for the snorkelling and shopping etc very easy, as well as cheap. A spice tour is a must - it's like walking in the garden of eden - just about everything grows there. Debbie & Van Zyl S."

Debbie S., February 2008 · Mtoni Marine

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

"Hi Salome / Sjani, Sorry for the late reply, it’s just been very hectic since we returned from our wonderful trip. Richard and I would like to thank everybody involved in making our Zanzibar trip an absolute magical memory, that we will be sure to talk about to our grand children one day. We found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. The food was amazing and the fruit out of this world, especially the grapefruit and the jack fruit. Our Wedding day was made very special for us, from the preparing stages through to the fresh flowers, the view with a breath taking sunset and our lovely dinner table on the beach, just the two of us – very romantic. I loved the way our rings were presented in the coconut and the lovely arch of flowers that I walked through to meet my groom – husband to be! I must say I thoroughly enjoyed not having to wear any shoes – barefoot ;0) We will definitely be visiting again and I would definitely recommend it to any couple for a holiday or as a wedding venue. Thank you, once again… Richard & Wendy P."

Richard P., February 2008 · Mtoni Marine

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

"Hi Salome Just a quick note to thank you for the flawless service in arranging our recent family holiday to Zanzibar (7-14 Jan 2008). We had a fabulous time and absolutely love the island, its people, culture and learnt soo much too. Mtoni Marine was an excellence choice in terms of its proximity to stone town, good service and offers good value as well. A special thanks to their staff. We did lots of outings and enjoyed the snorkelling the most as it was our first time. Overall a good time was had by all, even my 6yr old. So thanks again and I will certainly use or recommend your service (and Zanzibar) should the opportunity arise. Best regards and wishing you a good year ahead Shaheen"

Shaheen P., January 2008 · Mtoni Marine

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

"Hi Heidi We had an absolute awesome time at Trou aux Biches. The hotel was lovely, staff were amazing and of course I'm sure one of the best beaches on the island. Thankyou for arranging our extended stay as well. Please could you send me a quote for the Dinarobin hotel and Le Paradis for end December beginning January 2009. You can include all the suites except of course the presedential suites. Thanks so much Lili H."

Lili H., January 2008 · Trou aux Biches Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa

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

"We had the MOST incredible time!! I would actually like to get a quote from you for September this year for between 5 and 7 days staying at Princess Bora Bora. I would like to go back for the whale watching expeditions they have. The only horrible thing about Lakana was the lack of a fan or aircon. The heat at night was unbearable. We were showering and going to bed soaking wet to try to sleep. :0) Other than that we had the MOST incredible time. We partied with the locals, went to a local festival and just all-in-all had the most relaxing awesome time!!! We EVEN met the prime minister! I would be happy to recommend Madagascar to anyone and give advice from what I've learnt and experienced. Regards Tammy"

Liesel S., January 2008 · Lakana Hotel

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

"We had a great rest. Beautifull setting. Room was nice. Upgraded us to a room with two bedrooms & bathrooms. Staff very polite & friendly. Service was good & the food was different but good. There could have been better communication by the resort as to the facilities available. Great holliday"

Lew K., January 2008 · Shandrani Beachcomber Resort & Spa

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

"Dear Salome Had a great holiday, Ocean Paradise is a well run resort, and the food was excellent. SAA left our luggage behind in Johannesburg, which we had booked through directly from Cape Town. Your representatives at Dar and Zanzibar airports were most helpful, as was Suma, who delivered our luggage to the hotel once it had arrived in Zanzibar 2 days later. Also met up with a local tour guide on the beach who goes by the name of Madiba, and he has phoned me three times since our return to find out how we are. This is probably because when I first met him to arrange a sailing cruise on a dhow, I accepted his opening quote as being fair and reasonable, despite having been told at the hotel to reduce any price offered by 50%, and then to start negotiations! In summary, I was most impressed with your team, Ocean Paradise and Zanzibar, less so with SAA. Regards Allan S."

Allan S., January 2008 · Ocean Paradise Resort

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

"We had a wonderfull stay at the AMARINA. FOOD WAS GOOD , THE STAFF GREAT. A wonderful location and kept in the natural state of the Tropical Island."

Roberts, January 2008 · Amarina Hotel

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

"Exotic Vacations service very efficient. I would consider using again. BA return flight was cancelled - nothing you could do about that - but we were efficiently looked after though it was of course inconvenient to have to overnight at another hotel and miss connections. Dinarobin is a wonderful resort, but then it should be at the price. Suites are great, food ranges from fantastic to pretty good. Standard of servicing of rooms surprisingly poor at the price - we might just have been unlucky. Private airport transfers very efficient and comfortable - Mautourco service excellent. All in all a great resort - but very expensive."

Shaun J., January 2008 · Dinarobin Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa

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

"Hi Salome, Hiers so paar fotos van ons trou dag en 2 van die swambad.. Dit was absoluut pragtig! Kon nie vir beter gevra het nie en ons trou dag (7de Junie) was net amazing! Was 'n ongelooflike vakansie en sooooo stres vry! Was meer opgewerk vir ons onthaal hier in Pretoria! Sal weer deur julle bespreek, en dan vat ons ons ouers saam, vir 'n regte vakansie! Dankie vir als, Denise en Nico"

Denise K., January 2008 · Karafuu Beach Resort & Spa

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

"Salome, thanks for arranging the most awesome holiday for me. Everything went smoothly and beyond my expectations. The flight to Dar is short enough to get prepared and on arrival, the airport was a bit chaotic but there was the guy from Coastal with a board with my name and he efficiently took my passport, $50 and handed everything over to the passport/visa desk. He collected my luggage while I was waiting for my passport and visa. Another driver was waiting for me to take me to another part of the airport to depart on the 12 seater to Zanzibar! The adventure had started and off we went. On arrival in Zanzibar, I went to the Coastal office and was met by Suma who took me to Mtoni Marine. Lovely hotel, very friendly and well kept gardens. The room was very comfortable, clean and the safe was an added bonus. The next morning Suma and I went to Kendwa. I had this vision in my mind of what "my beach bungalow" would look like. Well, after 1 hour 15 minutes, we arrived. As I walked into the reception and was greeted by the friendliest staff with the widest smiles, I knew I had arrived in Paradise. Off we went to my beach bungalow. It was exactly what I had imagined and the best was I had a beautiful rocking chair on my little balcony - the other bungalows had hammocks. Unpacked within 5 minutes and off to the beach. I had to let you know - six steps from my front door to the beach and then 130 strides to my spot in the sun on a beach bed under a thatch gazebo! Again, being greeted by friendly staff and quickly started to pick up on the language. Eventhough the hotel was quite full, it never felt busy or crowded. My bungalow was very clean, although basic, the bonus was having a little fridge in the room to store my water. There was a kettle with a supply of tea, coffee, sugar and powdered milk. Airconditioning and a ceiling fan added to the comfort. One needs to put the geyser on about 30 minutes before a shower - bathroom was also very basic, taps were a bit wobbly but did not bother me one bit. If you spend more than one waking hour in the beach bungalow, you're on the wrong holiday!! The grounds and plants are extremely well kept and very neat and tidy. There was always a Masai walking the grounds at night and along the beach although I never experienced any problems. Zanzibar touched my soul in many ways. I will definitely go back to Kendwa Amaan Bungalows. I hope that Kendwa Amaan Bungalows retains it service and laid back atmosphere - that is what made it special for me. No loud tv's, no disco's, no themed parties, etc. A perfect holiday for which I am very grateful to have spent in Zanzibar. Kwaheri! Regards"

Iris V., January 2008 · Amaan Kendwa

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

"Dear Exotic Vacation Team, We had a great time in Malawi, Danforth Yachting is a fantastic place to stay and Howard and Michele make it a great experience. I can really recommend the lodge. Thank you for your great service and I will definitely go onto your web side when I plan my next trip. Thanx Regards Gareth A."

Gareth A., January 2008 · Danforth Yachting

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

"Hi Salome THANKS for all your support. We had loads of fun – everything was really well organized. The only snag that the driver was an hour and 40minutes late when he fetched us to depart from the hotel to Zanzibar airport. He did make every attempt to get us to the airport on time. The hotel is highly recommended for anyone. Thanks for the superb service. Have a fantastic 2008. God BLESS Natalie"

Natalie M., January 2008 · Ocean Paradise Resort

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

"Hi, I would like to thank you for a fantastic holiday experience! Salome, thank you so much for all the help and professionalism. Both my wife and I agree that this was the best holiday experience we ever had. Everything was perfectly planned. We had no hassles whatsoever. There was always someone to meet us and we never had to wait for anything. We want to thank you for this great experience! Cristal Resort was the perfect spot and we had a great time. This holiday was just what we wanted and it could'nt have been any better. I will recommend this resort anyday. It was perfect! Thank you! Peet d.T."

Peet T., January 2008 · Cristal Resort

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

"A perfect recommendation of resort from Salome. My sincere thanks to Salome for here efficiency and friendliness in arranging for the perfect vacation. The resort is equisite, the views, facilites and pampering submlime. The service is pure perfection, I could not have wished for a more relaxing vacation."

Leanne F., January 2008 · Karafuu Beach Resort & Spa

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

"Dear Exoticvacations, (Salome) Thank you, thank u so much for this fantastic, devine and exciting vacation due to your very organized services~ Our flight from SA was right on time! Arriving in Tanzania, it was boiling outside. We were directly taken to a cab to catch the coastal plane. We were lucky to take an early one leaving 1hour before ours, so we did, and what an experience...they are good!!! Zanzi was beautiful! We waited a while (because we were 1hour early) for our cab driver (who was right on time and very friendly). After 1hour we arrived at our hotel, welcomed by Peter. He made us feel at home, had us unpacked and showed us the beautiful (SEA VIEW ROOM)-we were amazed! WOW, for budget accommodation we couldnt ask for better! The food was lovely! The staff friendly and helpfull & the service very well done! The weather out of this world! Stone town is a must and snorkeling gives u another reason to appreaciate the turqouise water and blue skies! Back in SA, we miss the snady white beaches already! I will definately load some pics on the website! Kind regards Melisna"

Melisna G., January 2008 · Blue Oyster Hotel

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

"Everything was absolutely perfect! From the flights, to the transfers to the accomodation. Arabian Nights is a beautifull place to stay at and the staff went out of their way to make our stay unforgetable. We will definatly be going back there again! Special thanks to Salome from Exotic Vacations for making all the arrangements and answering all our questions."

Herman S., January 2008 · Arabian Nights

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

"We absolutely loved this place it is exactly as your pictures showed. What a romantic Island. We got engaged."

Vicki & Kelli D., December 2007 · Princesse Bora Lodge

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

"Everything was extremely well organised. One request: please supply a list of telephone numbers with the final documentation (for example the transport from airport to resort, the resort, etc). Service was excellent and carried out in an extremely friendly manner. Resort is well looked after, staff is generally well trained (some need a little bit of finishing off), well mannered, want to serve and loved by all. True paradise all around you. Extras (such as drinks) on the expensive side (compared to the going rate at shops in the island). Food second to none, fresh tropical fruits unbelievable! Wish we had more time and money to repeat. Went snorkelling (possibly the highest high point), rent a car - everyone should try that - walked to the reef and spend nearly two hours looking at fish, sea stars, corral life, and many more fascinating creatures, took time to talk to the locals about their everyday lives (and struggles to survive), relaxed, drank the best passion fruit cocktails in the world, watched the tide coming in and going out, took photos of the amazing scenery, met people from all over the globe and exchanged views and fostered friendships, explored Stonetown on our own, cried for the people tortured at the Slave Market many years ago, experienced the chaotic traffic while driving with low stress levels (everyone is friendly!), was stopped at most of the road blocks and assisted by police, argued about prices and buying the bargains, ran through the rain in the narrow passages past ancient Arabian architecture, drinking a Coke quickly to hand back the bottle to the local vendor, taking many more pictures of Dows, enjoying the dinner events (with a live band and taking my time between choices what to dish up next, that is more exotic than the previous helping), having a long conversation with Immanuel (the waiter loving South Africans and boasting with his Afrikaans vocabulary), exchanging wit with Devotha (working at guest relations and the best servant of clients I have come across in my life) and naming her after my cousin Deborah, and many more! What a holiday, wish I could do it again tomorrow. Thanks everyone!"

Japie W., December 2007 · Ocean Paradise Resort

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

"The actual trip The trip was beautiful, Zanzibar has to be the best place on earth. We absolutely loved it. The water, the excursions and the spa....all was absolutely wonderful.The resort and the people in Zanzibar were most welcoming and the friendliest bunch. They made our stay that much more memorable."

Abigail M., December 2007 · Bluebay Beach Resort

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

"Dear Salome: You wanted a feed-back from us after we were back home on our farm in Humansdorp - here it is: Everything went perfectly well, and we enjoyed every minute of our holidays. Thank you very much for your input - also for the choice of Mtoni Marine as our first stop on the island. It saved us from a long drive out to Jambiani after arriving rather late in the evening. Also it allowed us to visit Stone Town the next day without a fixed schedule and completely relaxed. From the Blue Oyster Hotel it would have meant twice an hour's drive, and it would have taken a whole day. There, at the Blue Oyster Hotel, they know you well. Peter and Sebastian, the two guys who are running the place, seem to like you quite a lot! Not only because you send them so many guests, (a family from PE arrived just a day before we returned home) but also because you stayed at the hotel, and they met you in person. Anyway it was a great holiday. By the way, we went on this trip to celebrate our 45. Wedding Anniversary. Thanks again, and find attached a little "collage" with pictures. Hans & Ulla R."

Hans R., November 2007 · Blue Oyster Hotel

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

"Stunning! The only bad experience we had was the service at the pool side bar."

Jeanne Z., November 2007 · Ocean Paradise Resort

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