Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs H from UK
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
11
Excursions taken
0
My Sep 2014 trip
Namibia between 22 Sep 2014 and 14 Oct 2014
"Our holiday was superbly planned to allow us the opportunity to include a wide range of activities, landscapes and wildlife. We particularly enjoyed the opportunities to stretch our legs both independently and guided. We had a framework of ideas at the planning stage but Sabina, expanded and improved them. Her idea to go to 2 centres in Damarland, in particular Etendeka, was inspired and suited our love of wild scenery.
The other suggestion which worked very well was to include the Dolomite Camp which allowed us to do our own self drive the whole way across Etosha from west to east.
We were very lucky as we both had never been to Africa before and we saw so much wildlife at very close range.
We also enjoyed the variety in style and location of the lodges, and the distances between lodges was such that we never arrived too late to have the chance to relax a little in the afternoon. It was nice that the longer transfers were usually interspersed with a shorter transfer.
If or when we decide to return to Africa, we will be back in touch! Thank you so much."
The other suggestion which worked very well was to include the Dolomite Camp which allowed us to do our own self drive the whole way across Etosha from west to east.
We were very lucky as we both had never been to Africa before and we saw so much wildlife at very close range.
We also enjoyed the variety in style and location of the lodges, and the distances between lodges was such that we never arrived too late to have the chance to relax a little in the afternoon. It was nice that the longer transfers were usually interspersed with a shorter transfer.
If or when we decide to return to Africa, we will be back in touch! Thank you so much."
Arranged By Sabina Hekandjo
Olive Grove
"Olive Grove review"
1 night
Arrived
23 Sep 2014
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Zebra River Lodge
"Zebra River Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
24 Sep 2014
"Loved Zebra River Lodge. Did two walks on our own from the Lodge. Did the second walk at dawn when we realised how hot it was for the first walk.
Lovely room in beautiful location. A fantastic introduction to Namibia. One of the best sundowners of the holiday. It was lovely when the staff came and sang beautifully to us at the end of the meal."
Lovely room in beautiful location. A fantastic introduction to Namibia. One of the best sundowners of the holiday. It was lovely when the staff came and sang beautifully to us at the end of the meal."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Desert Homestead
"Desert Homestead review"
2 nights
Arrived
26 Sep 2014
"Food and accommodation excellent. No trips on offer for the afternoon/evening we arrived, but the pool area was nice.
The trip to the dunes and Sossuvlei was brilliant even though it was freezing travelling there!"
The trip to the dunes and Sossuvlei was brilliant even though it was freezing travelling there!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sam's Giardino
"Sam's Giardino review"
2 nights
Arrived
28 Sep 2014
"The room was good. The food and location were both excellent. Sam was very helpful with our car problems.
I didn't find him the most welcoming of people, but he did his job. The trip with Turnstone Tours wasn't quite as good as expected. That may be in part because it was very windy that day."
I didn't find him the most welcoming of people, but he did his job. The trip with Turnstone Tours wasn't quite as good as expected. That may be in part because it was very windy that day."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Average
Rooms
Average
Food
Excellent
Doro Nawas
"Doro !Nawas ace place"
2 nights
Arrived
30 Sep 2014
"Our room and view were lovely. The staff were welcoming and in the evening they sang beautifully to a very small group of customers. We loved the translation at meal times into the local Damara dialect. The food and service were excellent.
Both trips at Doro !Nawas were excellent. Our morning trip to Twyfelfontein and the Damara Living Museum was very interesting. The evening trip in successful pursuit of the desert adapted elephants was one of the big highlights of the holiday. We were so much closer to a herd of 13 elephants than we would have expected - and for so long. Amazing."
Both trips at Doro !Nawas were excellent. Our morning trip to Twyfelfontein and the Damara Living Museum was very interesting. The evening trip in successful pursuit of the desert adapted elephants was one of the big highlights of the holiday. We were so much closer to a herd of 13 elephants than we would have expected - and for so long. Amazing."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Etendeka Mountain Camp
"Etendeka a fabulous stay in the wilds"
2 nights
Arrived
2 Oct 2014
"Loved everything - the journey in and out of the camp, our simple but effective accommodation, the food - which included two of the best puddings of the holiday, the general atmosphere and of course the guides.
The walk with Bonnie was interesting, but constrained by others on the walk. The location and scenery would take some beating. What a place!"
The walk with Bonnie was interesting, but constrained by others on the walk. The location and scenery would take some beating. What a place!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Dolomite Camp
"Dolomite Camp"
1 night
Arrived
4 Oct 2014
"It was a smashing idea to let us drive the whole way across Etosha and the Dolomite Camp was a fundamental part of that.
The views across the plain were excellent, but the camp suffered from its design. The tents were much too hot in the afternoon and the little golf buggy which plied regularly was noisy. The pool area was lovely and provided much needed shade when we arrived in the afternoon.
We weren't offered any trips on arrival, but it didn't matter too much as it was only an overnight stop and our own drive through the Park to the camp was a trip in itself."
The views across the plain were excellent, but the camp suffered from its design. The tents were much too hot in the afternoon and the little golf buggy which plied regularly was noisy. The pool area was lovely and provided much needed shade when we arrived in the afternoon.
We weren't offered any trips on arrival, but it didn't matter too much as it was only an overnight stop and our own drive through the Park to the camp was a trip in itself."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Good
Service
Average
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Average
Food
Excellent
Ongava Lodge
"Ongava Lodge - what a gem"
3 nights
Arrived
5 Oct 2014
"We enjoyed our 3 night stop here. It gave us a chance to slow down and recharge batteries. It was a good place to do this. The Lodge was excellent in all respects. The staff were extremely helpful and welcoming across the board.
We spent a morning in an empty lodge watching an endless procession of animals coming to the waterhole. We were lucky to see a mother and baby white rhino close up on our sundowner drive. Black rhinos came to the floodlit waterhole every evening. The whole stay was fantastic."
We spent a morning in an empty lodge watching an endless procession of animals coming to the waterhole. We were lucky to see a mother and baby white rhino close up on our sundowner drive. Black rhinos came to the floodlit waterhole every evening. The whole stay was fantastic."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Onguma Bush Camp
"Onguma Bush Camp"
2 nights
Arrived
8 Oct 2014
"Onguma gave us the only disappointment of the holiday. We were expecting a waterhole room, looking directly at a waterhole, whereas the reality was such that the only animal we might have seen at the waterhole was a giraffe, as we couldn't actually see the water beyond the swimming pool. If we paid extra for the luxury of a waterhole room, it really wasn't worth it!
Onguma also let themselves down as on our arrival the first activity on offer was the following evening as all drives were fully booked, which was poor.
Ignoring the waterhole aspect, the rooms were lovely, and the food was good. We did our own drive into Etosha the following morning."
Onguma also let themselves down as on our arrival the first activity on offer was the following evening as all drives were fully booked, which was poor.
Ignoring the waterhole aspect, the rooms were lovely, and the food was good. We did our own drive into Etosha the following morning."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Average
Activities
Average
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Okonjima Plains Camp
"Okanjima a great experience"
2 nights
Arrived
10 Oct 2014
"Everything about Okonjima was good. The staff were very organised and we had already been booked onto an afternoon drive on our arrival mid afternoon.
As it would have been a rush to be ready on time we elected to do both a morning and evening drive the following day and the staff were very helpful with that. The cheetah tracking on foot was excellent and we were so lucky to witness a kill.
Our evening guide, Jonas, went beyond the call of duty in successful pursuit of a leopard. We then followed him to 2 further viewing locations. Fantastic."
As it would have been a rush to be ready on time we elected to do both a morning and evening drive the following day and the staff were very helpful with that. The cheetah tracking on foot was excellent and we were so lucky to witness a kill.
Our evening guide, Jonas, went beyond the call of duty in successful pursuit of a leopard. We then followed him to 2 further viewing locations. Fantastic."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Erongo Wilderness Lodge
"Erongo Wilderness lodge - a tent with a view"
2 nights
Arrived
12 Oct 2014
"We were worried that perhaps our final stay in Namibia should have been Okonjima, which was going to be such a hard act to follow, but no - what a delight. Erongo provided yet another fantastic location with yet another type of scenery that Namibia continued to surprise and delight us with. Our tent was lovely, very comfortable, and with a stunning view.
We enjoyed the pleasant little sundowner walk and the following morning thoroughly enjoyed being able to get up early and do all 3 of the walking circuits from the lodge independently. The sundowner drive including the trip to the cave paintings was excellent and we finally saw our remaining antelope, the klipspringer. A fitting end to an excellent holiday."
We enjoyed the pleasant little sundowner walk and the following morning thoroughly enjoyed being able to get up early and do all 3 of the walking circuits from the lodge independently. The sundowner drive including the trip to the cave paintings was excellent and we finally saw our remaining antelope, the klipspringer. A fitting end to an excellent holiday."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Easy to find and handy for Joes Beerhouse which was excellent."