I am a university professor in the states, and this is my second stay at the lodge, but the first since John purchased the property. We (13 students and myself - all women) could not have had a better experience. The game drive was a success (we saw all the big animals one can expect to see during the day) and the boat trips on the Rufiji River were beautiful and informative. Patrick is an outstanding guide, full of knowledge. The cultural day was also great; we met with teachers and students at both a primary and secondary school in the morning, and in the afternoon visited a farming area on the other side of the river. Some students even got to pet a monkey that the villagers had tamed. The food was the best we had during our 3 week trip to Tanzania, and the lodging is quite nice. Located on the river, the lodge is such a peaceful and restorative place in which to soak in all the beauty TZ has to offer. John is an outstanding host, and the students loved him. At times it seemed he had arrived straight out of a British storybook. But most of all I so appreciated the respect he had for the Tanzanian staff. There was no sense of superiority on his part; instead he delighted in learning from those with previous safari experience and relishing in the skills that each member brought to the table.

We stayed in this wonderful lodge for three days and had an amazing time. The staff was taking care of us in a very discreet but also relaxing way, the way that everything run smoothly without us noticing any effort at all. It is something quite rare that I appreciated a lot.

John, the owner, has been working for years in development organizations and you can have very interesting conversations with him. He was a great host, making sure that we felt alright and enjoyed our time.

The food was remarkable and absolutely delicious. Can't still believe how we've had such amazing dinners in the middle of nowhere. Someone else mentioned how great the roast duck was and I second that.

During the safaris, we were guided by Patrick, a very wise man to say the least, who was like a library of National Geographic magazines. Although he seemed to know everything about everything, he didn't bore us and definitely didn't act like a know-it-all guy. We liked him very much. And our jeep driver was very nice too and he stopped in villages on the way, helping us with shopping and communicating with locals.

I sincerely cannot recommend this place enough. You will always remember the feeling you get overlooking the river during sunset.

My fiancee and I spent 3 days in this beautiful lodge, located on the shores of the Rufiji River and we would highly recommend it ! Delicious meals, great staff and a knowledgeable guide named Patrick.
The Owner John is very friendly and polite and organized our tour from Dar to Selous and back in a very professional manner, even though we did not have the pleasure to meet him in person, he took care of all our needs over the phone and through his nice staff, down at the lodge.
We hereby like to thank you John and your lovely team for having us and would be more than happy to return one day! Keep up the good work!

Regards,
Georgiana and Alex

Fantastic location in the game reserve with great river views. Great meals. One night we came home from safari and had roast duck as good as plenty I've had in NYC. John is a fantastic host. One of my fellow travelers mentioned the first night he liked Captain Morgan. Well, by the time we came home, John had found what was probably the only bottle of it in east Africa. Here's a host that understands comfort even though you're sleeping far from civilization. Great place to stay.