Le Bougainville is gorgeously designed with outdoor seating at the front and back, two dining areas, three lounges and a comfortable theater. The lounges offer three different atmospheres, including an upper deck observation lounge with panoramic windows facing forward and the Blue Eye, a multi-sensory lounge below water level with windows looking out to the sea and sounds from the ocean piped in.
Dining options include the formal dining room upstairs with a small outdoor seating area and then the more casual outdoor restaurant that is poolside on the floor below. In a twist of irony, reservations are recommended for the casual dining area and we quickly learned why. With a weather forecast of nonstop sun, dining outside is heavenly! The food definitely leans toward French cuisine with a smattering of international options. I do wish that they incorporated more local products into meals. Thus far, breakfast has been my favorite with an ample selection of fresh and dried fruits, cereals, cheeses and baked goods in addition to the standard international breakfast fare - eggs, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, etc.
Cabins are wonderfully laid out with a set of drawers that actually fits most everything you need, closet space and ample storage under the bed. Every cabin has a private balcony, though I wondered how much we would've used ours with all the other beautiful areas to enjoy outside. Bathrooms are divided into a separate toilet and shower room so that both cabin mates can access a part of the bathroom at once. My only complaint here is that the sink is in the shower room so you have to open the door of the toilet room with unwashed hands and move to the separate bathroom. Aside from this small detail, these are probably the best designed cabins I have encountered. There is even a DND (Do Not Disturb) button that you can use in place of traditional signage that silences the phone/announcements in addition to signally staff not to stop by.
Wi-Fi is free and surprisingly good considering that it is provided by satellite. Room keys are also modern and serve multiple purposes as they are used to scan in and out as you leave the ship and they contain passport numbers for easy check in at port security. There is also a heated saltwater pool and a gym with varied equipment and stunning views.
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
3 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
4 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.