Travel reviews by Mrs & Mr S from Yorkshire

"We stopped here at the start and end of our time in Namibia. Rooms are comfortable and staff helpful and friendly. The pool was welcoming during the hot afternoons. Although Galton House is on the edge of the city it is easy to find from the airport and also very straight forward to drive to the centre. Staff will advise on the route and where to park. We enjoyed looking round the craft centre there.

The only slight issue is regarding afternoon tea. It is advertised as complementary tea/ coffee and cake between 3-4pm. However, on both occasions cake was not available. The staff then set to and baked one which was delicious when it arrived sometime later."

"We stopped here on our second night in Namibia. We would have preferred to travel further but had problems finding availability with our lodges (booked in February for travel in October).

The bedroom accommodation is looking tired and badly in need of an update. Also it was strange that we had a small fridge in our room but our friends did not. The outside area was in full sun and therefor could not be used during the day.

Food was excellent but despite trying to engage the host in conversation on a number of occasions, she was quite abrupt. This was the least friendly of all our accommodation and we wouldn't return.

Directions to this lodge were unclear and we turned off the main road too soon, travelling miles on a gravel road to then realise we were back close to the main road again."

"Everything about this camp was excellent.

We received a warm welcome and staff were all friendly and attentive throughout. We loved the fact that wherever you were in the main area you could see the waterhole. A giraffe was drinking when we arrived which was fantastic as it was our first giraffe of the trip. We also saw a rhino whilst eating dinner. Food was great and the accommodation lovely.

What a shame this camp is closing to tourists."

"We have visited Erongo on 2 previous occasion and always enjoy this lodge. We opted to leave our car at the bottom of the hill and get transferred up to the lodge with our luggage. What we particularly like about Erongo is the amazing scenery and the fact that you can go on guided or self walks. The guides were very knowledgable and friendly and we took advantage of a sundowner walk and 2 early morning walks whilst there. We also did a self guided walk which was well signposted.

The Rock Dassies are prevalant in the area. We enjoyed watching them climb trees to feed on the leaves, very entertaining. You can see many bird species here particularly from the main lodge where water is provided.

A very comfortable lodge, good food and friendly staff, as well as the chance to get some exercise makes this a good place to spend a couple of days going to or from Etosha."

"Our second visit before returning to the airport. See previous comments. [Ed: see below]"

"Although the Victoria Falls Hotel is very grand it has a comfortable feel about it and is very welcoming. The grounds are immaculate and it is a short walk to exit the hotel towards Vic Falls where you are escorted to the falls entrance as wild animals often frequent this area.

We ate our evening meal on the terrace which we enjoyed. Breakfast was very impressive. Make sure you leave enough time to do it justice.

Our only negative point was that the standard rooms are very small."

"We truly did not want to leave this lodge. From the moment we arrived, nothing was too much trouble. A special thanks needs to go to Hope who was a very special host indeed. She was warm, friendly, funny and extremely good at her job of making sure everyone had their needs met, which at times was no mean feat.

The tented accommodation was beautifully appointed and very well designed. The main lodge had a number of seating arrangements both inside and out. Drinks were readily available and you are encouraged to help yourself, if a staff member is unavailable. Lunch and dinner are taken around a large table with other guests, Hope, and guides. This we enjoyed and gave us chance to discuss experiences as well as get to know more about the background of staff members which we found very interesting.

If you love elephants then this place is a must. Sitting on the deck area directly next to the pool and water trough was a highlight of the holiday. You see elephants so close up as they fill their trunks with water to drink. An amazing experience that we will never forget.

Robert our guide also deserves a special mention. Such a lovely, gentle, and knowledgable young man. We very much enjoyed all the game drives we experienced with him. The area is abundant with wildlife. As well as seeing hundreds of elephants highlights were observing a herd of around 250 buffalo.

We witnessed a pride of lions feeding on a recent buffalo kill and followed a lone male lion along the road for at least 30 minutes. He had no intention of moving over so we had to follow him until the road split. The animals in this area are used to seeing vehicles and appear very relaxed in their presence."

"We were slightly apprehensive about going to the Bush Camp after the luxury of Somalisa Expeditions and in retrospect it would have been better to have visited this camp first as it could not possibly live up to the amazing hospitality and setting of Somalisa. Saying that, once we settled in we really enjoyed the Bush Camp. The food there was delicious, probably the best of all the camps, which is amazing considering the limited cooking facilities.

They also produced the most imaginative vegetarian meals, which were much appreciated. Another surprise to us all was the care and attention that went into setting the table for dinner. Lucky went to astonishing lengths to produce beautiful table settings which even included napkins modelled as giraffes. All very impressive in a bush camp.

There is no waterhole at this camp but the night noises and animal visitors make up for this. We frequently heard lions quite close to camp and one evening the staff has to chase away a hyena.

The time spent on game drives can be quite tiring. Up at 5.15am for a quick breakfast and out by 6am. A break on route for a drink and biscuit at around 11am was much needed. Although the homemade biscuits are delicious, maybe something more substantial is required at this point as we didn't return to camp until 1pm with lunch at 1.30pm. After a delicious lunch we had a short rest before going out again at 4pm until 6.30pm. Dinner at 8pm then bed. This regime may it suit everyone but for 2/3 days it is worth it.

The animals in this area of the park are less used to being observed and are therefore quite skittish and more difficult to find. The advantage of this though is you do not share the experience with others, which makes it more special? Our guide, Andrew was very experienced and along with Felix the tracker, they made a formidable spotting and tracking team. We not only went on game drives but also tracked lions on foot as well as elephants. We were keen to see hippo so Andrew took us to a section of river one evening where we had our sundowner watching them. It was a magical experience, particularly as we were the only ones there.

Don't be put off by the bucket showers it's not as bad as it sounds. A canvas bag on the outside of the tent is filled with warm water when you request it. You then turn on a tap in the shower as normal and water appears through a shower head. There is ample water for 2 showers.

We were so pleased that we stopped at this camp."

"We stopped at Ilala on our last night after 6 nights in Hwange National Park. It suited our needs perfectly. Close to town to purchase last minute souvenirs and to have a lovely meal at The Three Monkeys.

The ample and delicious breakfast set us up perfectly for our long haul flight home to the UK."

"We were surprised and delighted to find that we had been upgraded to the newly built garden suite. This has to be seen to be belived with its private garden, atmospheric lighting, roll top bath and seperate shower, two kingsize beds and lounge area to name but some of the features. The Olive Grove is very contempory in style which we liked but may not be to everyones taste. It was very easy to find from the airport and an excellent first stop. Staff are helpful and friendly. The food is plentiful and of excellent quality. Plenty of choice at breakfast and you could book an evening meal at the Olive Grove if you wish which also looked very good. Staff will also arrange a taxi and suggest and book a resturant if you wish to eat out, which is what we chose to do."

"We very much enjoyed our three nights here. Although the rooms are basic, they are clean and functional. The cost to stay here is also less that other lodges to reflect this. Ernst and Joanna are excellent hosts. We enjoyed their humour and warmth. This is an excellent location if you enjoy walking or horse riding, which is why we chose to stay for three nights. Ernst and Joanna will readily offer useful and informative advice on the area. The quiver trail is to be highly recommended as a good way to see the mountains, zebra and for an enjoyable walk.

The food is excellent and plentiful. Although it is a set menu, Joanna will do her best to accommodate something different. Sitting with other guests as well as our hosts at brekfast and for the evening meal allowed everyone to socialise and discuss their plans. We met some very interesting people and for us this meal time arrangement was a real strength of Bullsport."

"What a fantastic setting. This is a very special place with a wonderful feeling of isolation and peace and quiet. The manager Thomas, and his staff are the friendliest that we have come across. Nothing is too much trouble. Although we had our own car we decided to go on the dunes excursion. Despite the cost and the very early start it lived up to expectations and was worth the expense. David, out guide was both informative and humourous and we thoroughly enjoyed our day with him.

The one slightly negative comment was the quantity of food. The food was very well presented and of a high quality, but larger portions, particularly of vegetables and starch would be better."

"Sam is a very friendly and helpful host. A short distance and very safe to walk into town for an evening meal. We ate at the Tug, recommended and booked for us by Thomas at Kulula. Sam also provided an extensive evening meal at a reasonable price if you wish. Very comfortable room, plenty of tea and coffee available and free internet which was a bonus."

"This is a very beautiful place with excellent rooms. Friendly staff, particularly the guides who we always cheerful and thoroughly enjoyed their job. They were also very knowledgable. A good place to stop if you enjoy wildlife, particlarly birds and walking. The floodllight water holes provided alot of entertainment, as did the rock dassies. It was nice to see porcipines. Food was excellent with a choice of main."

"We were pleasantly surprised by the excellent standard of uor accomodation at Okaukuejo. It was more than adequate. The only fustration was that it didn't have an outside area to sit to have a drink. The camp is also clean and well set out.The waterhole here is amazing, so much going on. It didn't seem to matter what time of day or night you visited, there was always something to see. We could not quite believe it when we strolled down after our evening meal to see four black rhino. A mother and her calf plus two males.

It is not as intimate hear as the lodges and the food is a hot buffet which was plentiful but quite expensive. Also it gets quite repetative if you stop for a while. Paying a deposit of 500 Namibian Dollars for return of the key seemed strange and unnecessary.

All in all I would rather stop here for the amazing water hole that outside of Etosha."

"Same arrangement at Okaukuejo in terms of food and key deposit. Staff were also similar. We prefered the accomodation here. We has a small kitchen area and seperate lounge as well as a patio.

The waterhole is smaller than at Okaukuejo and further from the camp. It was not visited by the same numbers of animals but we did see leopard and enjoyed a sunset watching a herd of 15 elephants coming to drink. The waterhole is in a more natural setting and the atmosphere is quieter. Very enjoyable, nut you have to be patient."

"A very comfortable, convenient place to stop after Etosha and on the way back to the airport. Our room was lovely. If you stop two nights, as we did, you are put into one of the thatched detached little houses, which was very nice.

Food here is excellent and staff friendly and helpful. A visit to the Cheetah Conservation Centre was worthwile."