Travel reviews by Mr J & Ms J from Devon

"Hilltop was very comfortable, but as we were there In July it was quite cold sitting outside eating breakfast. But the variety and quantity of food made up for it"

"I think the tents had been upgraded since our last visit and the one we had this time was really good, very light and airy. The best thing about Erongo are the walks and guides, some of whom were there on our visit 4 years ago. The sunrise walk was wonderful."

"The night drive was the highlight of our trip. The staff were very friendly and accommodating"

"Okaukeujo is an essential stop while travelling through Etosha, as the wildlife sightings are excellent. Sadly the food and accommodation were not that good. Our chalet was dismally decorated, though always clean. The buffet style meals are overpriced and disappointing and the staff lack the enthusiasm and interest that greeted us in the rest of Namibia.
We were given wrong information about the opening times of the snack bar and so missed it. The stock of food at the shop is not good. Very difficult to self cater"

"The chalet was very good, light and spacious. The water in the camp is not drinkable and they charge for water when dining in the restaurant. Staff struggle to understand our English. I purchased cider in the shop and was charged double the price at Okaukeujo. Tip for future travellers, stock up on food and drink before you get there as the shop has minimal supplies."

"A real treat after the Government camps in Etosha. The tent was superb, overlooking the waterhole. It was left open at night, with just a mosquito net. The beds were warm and a hot water bottle supplied. The staff were very friendly and efficient and seemed very happy in their job, which made the whole atmosphere light. We had a morning in their hide, which is unique and at waterhole level, so excellent for photography. The morning walk was interesting and educational, but not long enough and enough exercise. But I learnt a lot about termites! I would recommend this lodge highly"

"The rooms are superb and it is a shame to use them for just one night. The river cruise was OK, but we didn't see a lot of wildlife.
The meals are buffet style and the food good. This is quite a large lodge and quite commercial, but well run and a relaxing setting by the river."

"I had been looking forward to this lodge, after reading the good reviews, but the overall experience disappointed us. We had to drive through a bush fire to get to the lodge, which was worrying. On arrival we expressed our concern about the fire but were told it was under control and would not get to the lodge, but were not told any possible evacuation procedures. We were shown to our room and told about the activities, but not told the price until we had done one and asked. They were much more expensive than anywhere else we had stayed. The boat trip and game drives were excellently guided by Hanis, who we had met at one of the other lodges 4 years ago. The water in the cabins was not drinkable but none was supplied, you had to ask and pay for bottles, which were re-filled from their water filtration machine. There were no tissues in the room and the bed sheets of poor quality and not big enough for the single beds, so the bedding kept falling off during the night. We ran the hot water tap for ages but couldn't get any hot water, this was not good in a country with a water shortage. It was quite cold at night but no hot water bottles were supplied. You had to pay for wifi. The food was very good, but as we were the only guests we felt like we were being watched while we ate, which made me feel very uncomfortable. On our day of departure we asked for an early breakfast but were told it was at 7.30, yet we were the only ones there. For an expensive lodge, the service does not live up to the cost."

"As soon as we stepped onboard we were overwhelmed with the warmth and brightness of the boat and the friendly, efficient and friendly service of the staff, led by Robert. The rooms were bright and airy, with very good hot showers. The food was excellent. We saw a lot of birds and other wildlife on our morning and evening boat trips and they were expertly and safely guided. We were in a less populated area of the Chobe river, so there were not so many boats, which made the experience so much more enjoyable. We did the village walk, which was interesting, and participated in the compulsory dancing! Also unsuccessfully tried tiger fishing off the small boat.
Overall, I cannot recommend this experience highly enough, we shall certainly return."

"Our second visit to Muchenje and it was as good as before. The chalets are superb, which wonderful views, very well equipped and comfortable and with all amenities you would expect from a luxury lodge. Water is not drinkable but supplied free in the rooms and at reception. The staff are friendly and helpful and the food and wine excellent. We did a morning walk, and saw a lot of wildlife and at last got some exercise.. The game drives and boat trip, led by KB, were excellent. He was a very good guide and for the first time, we met someone who understood completely the English language and his humour was very dry and cheeky! We hope he is still there when we return. We even saw a leopard on the way back to the lodge one evening, which made us late through the park gate, but he managed to charm the guards and get away without a fine. We also surprisingly saw our first ever wild dogs.
I would highly recommend this lodge, it is in a quiet area just outside the park and on the game drives you meet fewer vehicles."

"Our room had superb views over the plains and was quite secluded.

The food was fine the first night but the service and food the second night were average. The staff seemed tired and we were rushed through dinner. Two mistakes were made on our bill, when we came to settle it and more attention needs to made on billing of drinks to customers. There is no longer the porcupine night feeding, as was previously offered at Main Camp.

The cheetah tracking was excellent and the guides very good. There was one girl member of staff who excelled herself, though unfortunately I don't recall her name."

"Because of the location, Okaukuejo is very popular, but we will try not to stay there again. The food and service has deteriorated over the years and dining is not a pleasant experience.

The buffet style meals bring out the worst in people. The selection had been drastically reduced. There is not a good atmosphere about the camp. We witnessed a serious accident when a man fell from the concrete grandstand steps at the end of the waterhole. He badly injured his ankle and had to be taken by ambulance to hospital. We considered these steps to be very dangerous and work needs to be done to make them safer"

"Halali is in a good position for a trip through Etosha, but as we had a bad experience at Okaukeujo, we opted for meals from the Kiosk, which we were told were available until 6pm each night.

However on the 2 occasions we tried to get food, we were told that they finished at 5pm and it was only after insisting, that we actually got anything. A mis-communication between reception and the kitchen.

Our Bush suite was very nice."

"A beautiful peaceful place, with shade and green grass, The staff were very attentive and the spacious room was excellent.

Superb position at the Eastern Gate of Etosha."

"A lovely place to stay for one night. The staff were very helpful and happy.

We had coffee delivered to our room in the morning - an unexpected pleasure.

Good boat trip."

"The lodge is in a superb position on the river and we had a river front tent. However, it was supposed to be a "luxury" tent, which was far from true. The zips didn't close and the mosquito net was filthy and had holes in it which had beed stuffed with tissues.

I reported the zip to Cameron, the owner, who said something would be done about it but nothing was. Apart from a luggage rack and hanging rail (which kept falling down) there was nowhere to put anything in the tent. A chair would have been handy.

The bar service at mealtime was poor. We booked 2 walks and when we appeared for them, they hadn't been organised, My village walk was was hurriedly arranged, but my partner didn't get his bird walk. There was a mistake on the bill when we came to pay."

"A beautiful place to stay. The staff all seemed happy and helpful and a lovely atmosphere about the place, with a resident dog, who was good fun.

The food was excellent and so were the guides. Electricity is limited because of their location and power is supplied by a generator so there was no air conditioning in the room, apart from a fan, so it was very hot at night. The river trips and game drive were excellent.

I would highly recommend this exclusive lodge and wish it all the success in the future."

"A lovely friendly place to stay. It was good to sit with others when eating, to share experiences.

The staff are very genuinely friendly and seem to actually enjoy meeting and chatting with guests, rather than just passing pleasantries. The boat trips and game drives were excellent, we had never realised how much game there was here, compared with Namibia. Though it was a bit of a shock to see all the boats on the river from the large lodges. So pleased we were in the Garden Lodge, as it was small and intimate.

Our room was the smallest, but it was cosy and had everything we needed. A really good end to our trip.

Our hire car was collected from the lodge, which was very convenient and unexpected. A very good end to our adventure"

"The staff at Bagatelle are very friendly and welcoming, especially Paul, who, despite being unaware of our previous requests to see the meerkats as the lady we had dealt with had left the ranch, arranged for us to view them at very short notice. He went out of his way to arrange for us to spend time with them and take photos. We stayed in one of the dune chalets, which have amazing views, you can sit in bed watching the waterhole and also the night sky. Beware in winter it can be extremely cold here - our bottle of water froze solid overnight in the car. We wish we had spent more than one overnight stop there."

"We received a very warm welcome from Thomas, the owner. The food was excellent, one of the best meals I have had for years. The staff are all very enthusiastic and accommodating and the tented bungalows very comfortable. Lovely position beside the river."

"It was good to return to Erongo, which we visited 4 years ago. Some of the staff were still there and remembered us. The bird viewing from the restaurant deck is fantastic and a relaxing place to spent a couple of days. The walks were excellent and the guides all very knowledgeable. Very friendly staff and always keen to help in any way. The tents are a bit jaded, but we understand they will soon be refurbished."

"This lodge is run for the benefit of the community and we were therefore surprised that it was so expensive. We were only able to do a short walk unaccompanied from the lodge and all the other activities are very expensive, even the short guided walk. There is not a lot else to do there and clients should be aware of this when booking. We did the rhino tracking day, which was good, although we didn't actually see any. The pathways around the lodge are very uneven and the steps up to our chalet were very narrow and I thought quite dangerous, especially as there was a steep drop off. The towels were tired, though the lodge has only been open a few years. The situation of the lodge is fantastic."

"We were lucky to be the only guests at Etendeka and so had exclusive guided walks and drives, accompanied by the very knowledgeable Bonnie. Although Etendeka is quite expensive, with the 2 x 1.5 hour "nature" drives from the pick up point to the camp, the guided walk and the official nature drive, it is good value. The setting is remote and beautiful and a great place to chill out. The outside bucket shower was great, but not to be attempted early morning in the winter!"

"Our third visit to Okaukuejo and probably our last. The canteen style restaurant seems to bring out the worst in people and the food was very expensive for the quality and content. The best thing about the camp is the waterhole as the wildlife is prolific there and herds of elephant regularly visit. We had a bush chalet, which, although had a kitchen area, had no facilities for cooking or utensils for eating, apart from the BBQ. The chalet was near the camping area so was quite noisy early morning and late at night."

"Halali is lovely and peaceful after Okaukeujo, but the food was not any better. We had booked an inside table for dinner but they didn't have enough tables so we ate outside, which in fact was better as the inside restaurant was so noisy. The rooms are good, but the bathroom extremely small. The staff are helpful - on a previous visit the manager had assisted us with dealing with the car hire company, as we'd had a hole in our petrol tank. He was still there and remembered the occasion."

"The is the best tented camp we stayed at, an inside bathroom and even a hairdryer and hot water bottle! The staff are wonderful and the food excellent. It is very well run by friendly and professional staff. We will definitely return here. Excellent internet reception."

"A long bumpy drive to get there, but it was worth it. The staff were very good, the rooms very comfortable and well equipped and we were able to walk unaccompanied along the river bed. A nice sociable place to stay, wish there were more places like this where you can socialise with your fellow travellers."