Hotel Safari Gate

The room had a nice view, though the hotel itself felt a bit dated. The staff were welcoming, helpful and friendly, and they accept euros, dollars and local currency. The place is kept tidy with plenty of maintenance, and there’s a lovely lake view, a swimming area with a small children’s pool, a lakeside restaurant and another one on the rooftop. We had dinner there, but the meal was disappointing. The curry we ordered from the menu was bland steamed vegetables with a little sauce drizzled over them and some rice, nothing like curry. The fries were fine. All in all, not too bad.

They told me there was no room for me when I arrived, despite my booking a week earlier. The same thing happened to my workmate. That’s the last thing you need on a trip, and it’s never happened to me before. Without my friend here to rely on, I’d have been in a really bad spot. They didn’t even say sorry. Just to be clear, I didn’t stay there, so this isn’t a comment on the hotel itself. It’s only what happened to me.

The rooftop restaurant served good food quickly. The rooms, though, were more worn than I expected: broken showers, ancient towels, old spring mattresses and a garden chair at the desk. The terrace door wouldn’t lock, they’d lost my reservation, and I was asked to pay for a pool view even though my room faced a wall. Apparently they’re full every night with UN visitors, so they have no incentive to improve anything.

This place could be great, but the service really lets it down. I was especially frustrated by the gym and the receptionist’s behavior. The way I was treated left a lot to be desired.