Travel reviews by JD from Harrogate

"The receptionist was very helpful when we arrived and showed us around the property. She also booked a taxi for us to visit Joe's Beerhouse later in the day.

The room was very spacious and comfortable and just what we needed after a long day's travelling. The honesty bar is a good idea. Breakfast the following day was beautifully prepared and set us up for the long journey ahead."

"The reception staff were all very friendly and we were escorted to our room. Our room overlooked the small waterhole although we didn't see anything there during our stay. Our room was massive and there was also a spare room.

We had lunch when we arrived ordered at the bar which was delicious. The breakfast and evening meals were served in a large dining room and were buffet style. Everything we had was really good with lots of choice. Only negative was that there wasn't enough sunbeds to sit around the pool."

"Very warm welcome from the staff although we didn't get our welcome drink. We were shown to our cottage by two very helpful girls who insisted on carrying our bag. The cottage exceeded our expectations as it was embedded in the kopje and was very rustic but luxurious as well. The bathroom was lovely but there was only a bath and no shower but not a major issue.

The swimming pool was a short walk away and looked out over the surrounding area was very peaceful. Meals are served in the main building and are buffet style with a wide selection on offer."

"We realise that there are not many accommodation options in Luderitz and hoped that the poor reviews we had seen about The Nest Hotel would not apply to our stay. Unfortunately we were very disappointed with everything about this hotel.

When we arrived the reception staff were reluctant to even get up and attend to us. When someone did come to the desk we were told our room was not yet ready and told to go away for about half an hour. When we returned the receptionist was slightly more helpful and he recommended we would need to book to get a table in the restaurant which we did.

The Penguin Restaurant gets very good reviews so we were looking forward to a lovely evening. The waiting staff were rude and made us feel very uncomfortable throughout our meal. It also was very busy so no need to book.

For our second night we chose to eat on the quay side at Essenzeit which was so much better and we wished we had eaten there both nights. Our whole experience at the Nest was disappointing to say the least."

"We had high hopes for this retreat as the photos were amazing. Accessing the rooms was along rough pathways so we were fortunate to be close to the main building and car park. When we got to the room we found that one of the windows had fallen out (the window frame had fallen off) so had to find someone to mend it. After about an hour we were able to get into our room and it was nice but nothing special. There were a couple of chairs and a small table on the veranda but they were very basic and not very comfortable.

The pool is near the reception which is at the bottom of the hill which you needed to drive to if you wanted to avoid a long walk. There are only 3 sunbeds and although there was a box for pool towels, it was empty and it was a long walk to reception to ask for them. Fortunately we had some in our car.

Dinner and breakfast are served in the main building and the food was good but there was no atmosphere not helped by there only being two other couples staying. Some of the furniture on the veranda of the main building needs replacing as the covers on the chairs are ripped and the sofas are grubby."

"As you approach Rostock Ritz you know you are staying somewhere quite different.

The receptionist advised that they had a large party booked in so to accommodate everyone they had upgraded us to a suite. It was massive! So much space, it was a shame we weren't staying there longer.

They have some very unusual chairs near the pool which looked really comfortable. The pool area is very well equipped and looks out over the surrounding area. We had been advised to come early to the terrace area before dinner as you could get spectacular views of the sunset. It didn't disappoint.

Dinner was very good and a lovely atmosphere in the restaurant."

"The staff were very helpful and recommended some places to eat as they do not serve evening meals.

The rooms look out over a long courtyard which is beautifully laid out with lots of plants. They also booked our boat trip for the following day even though it was quite late in the day.

Being on the coast, the temperature in Swakopmund is considerably cooler than inland. We did not expect to have hot water bottles put in our beds when we returned to our room and the heating turned up. It was lovely and thoughtful.

A quirky hotel but thoroughly enjoyed our stay."

"We have stayed at Okaukuejo on a number of occasions so we knew what to expect.

The staff were a bit more friendly than previous visits but still room for improvement. We stayed in a Bush Chalet but the chairs and sofa are really dirty and need new covers. The overall look of the chalet is tired and in need of refurbishment which can be said of the whole camp.

The only reason for staying here is the waterhole which is world renowned and it didn't disappoint.

The restaurant is now waiter service rather than buffet and there is not enough staff for the volume of visitors. They are only offering a very limited menu (3 main courses) and for the quality it is very over-priced.

There was a power cut on our first night so no electricity and water but we were left 2 large bottles of water outside the room in the evening. This also affected the credit card machine (but there is always a problem with this) so a lot of people were very unhappy. Next day breakfast was quite chaotic due to the power cut. The staff tried their best but everyone was very frustrated. NWR need to get their act together and start investing in their properties otherwise people will not return even for the waterhole."

"Halali Camp is so much nicer than Okaukeujo. The staff are friendly and it has a lovely relaxed atmosphere.

Our room was comfortable and spacious. The food in the restaurant is buffet style and there was plenty of choice. Service was also very good despite it being very busy with some large groups. The meals are a set price and very good value for money.

We drove to the waterhole as it was quite some way from our room and it was raining quite heavily. It is quite a busy waterhole and worth the trek to get there."

"This is our second stay at Emanya and it was just as good as the first time. It is a very modern property and the rooms are laid out in a rectangle around a lovely garden.

The staff are all very friendly and helpful. It is a great location approximately 20 minutes from Etosha. There is a small waterhole to the rear of the property where eland, warthogs and various other animals visit regularly all day.

They offer a free foot massage when you arrive and afternoon tea is served every day. Meals are served on the decking by the pool although one night we ate indoors as the first storm of the season arrived with torrential rain."

"We booked a View Room and it did not disappoint. All we could say when we entered the room was 'WOW'. All of one wall was a window out on to the plains and you felt like you were actually with the animals. There was a veranda with chairs and a bed with linen provided if you wanted to sleep outside. We didn't as there always seemed to be jackals close by.

We were in room 10 which was quite a way from the main building so we tended to drive down at meal times and for activities. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor tables and lovely firepit.

The staff were very friendly. The first activity we booked was Leopard Tracking and Daniel the guide was excellent. It was so exciting as he persevered in looking for one particular leopard who suddenly appeared on top of a mound of earth. We next booked a Night drive and although we realise that you might not see loads of animals, the guide did not engage with his guests and his light was broken and the red cover kept coming off which made it difficult to see anything. We spoke to the lodge manager as we were very disappointed with the whole trip and felt that it had been a waste of money. He admitted he'd had similar feedback and made a note of our comments but did nothing else. In hindsight we should have asked for a refund or at least a reduction in the cost as it was a very expensive trip.

We finished off with the Africat Carnivore Care and Information Centre which included a visit to the enclosures where they keep the cheetahs which cannot be released. Peter our guide was excellent and talked about the cats as if they were his family as he knew them so well. A perfect way to end our stay at Okonjima."