This was our second visit to Rufiji with my husbands 2 boys. Last time we stayed in 2 tented huts & needed to separate the adults as the boys were too young to be by ourselves. As this is one of the few parks that allow children, we came back, expecting to do the same even though they are older now. Imagine our delight when informed on our arrival that we would have a family unit, where we would all be under one roof. This was such a huge improvement on our previous accommodation - 2 large rooms, one with a double bed for my husband & I and 3 single beds in the boys room. We had 2 separate bathrooms which connected the 2 bedrooms. One bathroom even had a bath as well as shower. Both bedrooms faced the river (although mostly the view was blocked by trees) and we felt no need to cover the windows at night so that the dawn light woke us in the morning.
Once again we were highly impressed by the guide and driver - we had the same two for our entire time. They interacted very well with the boys (which had been our experience last time also) - this alone is worth the cost of the stay for us. We had a really lucky boat safari on our first afternoon, one full-day game drive with a picnic in the open, and 2 morning game drives. We saw many many different animals and birds, often at very close quarters. As photographers, my husband and I had a wonderful time, but importantly, the boys did too. On the afternoon they had off, they swam in the pool & relaxed in their room or in the dining area.
Our only quibble (& a minor one) is that the vegetarian food for my husband & I was somewhat unimaginative and repetitive. Also, until we actually requested their menu, the food for the boys wasn't very child-fussy friendly. However, once we realized there was a problem, we asked for specific meals for the boys, which they happily ate. They also accommodated our request to eat earlier than the usual 8pm start.
All in all, the experience was as good as it had been the first time and we felt we had received good value for the (for us) very expensive holiday. Rufiji has a great location, and the staff are outstanding and the animal viewing opportunities excellent. We would wholeheartedly recommend this camp to families in particular.