Travel reviews by Mr C & Mrs K - Leicestershire

My Sept 2012 5088Km trip.

On this trip, I visited Namibia & South Africa between 20-Sep-2012 and 13-Oct-2012 and I travelled with 1 other person.

I can't find enough superlatives to describe the overall experience of the trip (despite the few difficulties listed in the wider feedback). In fact, even the tyre problems, listed at the begining of the document, were a part of the overall experience and have now become a signifiicant part of the 'adventure' and of the telling.

This was very well organised and the accomodation excellent. I can't thank Sabina enough.

A great trip though hard work at times. Deffinitely not a holiday for those with poolside inclinations but what an adventure.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Some additional recomendations for any one doing a similar trip at this time i.e probably wanting to see the flowers. Don't miss out a trip round the cape for wild protea. Don't miss out Kirstenbosch. On the journey north take the coast road from Cape Town and take in the West Coast National Park with the Postberg reserve. The flowers are stunning and there are also game and bird viewings to be had. The coast road is good with good tarmac. Make sure your car has a ZA sticker on the back as the Namibian police at the Orange river border will threaten to fine you if you don't get one put on at the service station just after the border.

As soon as you get into Namibia go to the service station anyway and get your type pressures checked and deflated to about 1.80 - 2.00Atm for the gravel roads or you risk having punctures.

I stayed at and have reviewed:

Place	Overall rating
Vineyard Hotel and Spa, South Africa 21-Sep-2012 review: Vineyard Hotel and Spa review	Excellent
Ndedema Lodge, South Africa 24-Sep-2012 review: Ndedema Lodge review	Good
Annie's Cottage, South Africa 26-Sep-2012 review: Annie's Cottage review	Average
Canyon Lodge, Namibia 27-Sep-2012 review: Canyon Lodge review	Good
Eagle's Nest, Namibia 29-Sep-2012 review: Very restful evenings at Eagle's Nest	Excellent
Hoodia Desert Lodge, Namibia 1-Oct-2012 review: Hoodia Desert Lodge review	Good
Cornerstone Guesthouse, Namibia 3-Oct-2012 review: Cornerstone Guesthouse review	Good
Camp Kipwe, Namibia 5-Oct-2012 review: Camp Kipwe review	Excellent
Dolomite Camp, Namibia 7-Oct-2012 review: Dolomite Camp review	Good
Okaukuejo Camp, Namibia 9-Oct-2012 review: Okaukuejo Camp review	Good
Okonjima Main Camp, Namibia 10-Oct-2012 review: Okonjima Main Camp review	Good

Namibia - Botswana trip summary

On this trip, I visited Botswana & Namibia between 23-Jan-2011 and 10-Feb-2011 and I travelled with 1 other person.

As a whole the trip was excellent. We had the most wonderful and at times exciting trip. The trip was in many ways better than we had expected.

Our main intent for taking the trip at that time was for birds with any animal sightings (which we had been advised could be difficult due to high grass and many water holes away from the lodges) being regarded as bonus. In the event we saw most of the possible animals and in close proximity. We missed cats and rhino. Getting around in our not 4X4 was mostly possible though not without some mud and water problems. These could mostly be overcome with a litle thought and careful manoevering of the car.

The lodgings were all great and all very different. People in the lodges and outside were all very friendly and helpful. Grateful too when we gave them lifts.
As is indicated below we were very pleased with the way Sabina dealt with all aspect of setting up the trip for us and especially the way the problem of the delayed outward flight was overcome.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

I'm mostly using this box to feed back other findings from the trip for information which may be useful to others. In our information we were told that we needed documentation and to take the car into Botswana that this would be taken from us at the border and that we'd have to purchase another to take the car back into Namibia. None of this happened. Other than the driver filling in details of the car in a book at each of the four posts (out and into Namibia, into and out of Botswana) they weren't particularly interested in the car as such. However, we did have to purchase documents to enter Botswana. These were - 1 year's road tax and 1 month entry permission (for the car) costing together 160 Rand (we had no Pula). I think our information only mentioned the entry permission. The tax thing may be new.

We were able to use debit and credit cards in petrol (Shell) stations in Bowsana though one insisted (at the junction onto the Trans-Kalahari Highway) in taking an amount from the card before pumping gas.

Information on the difficulties relation to the electrical sockets and lack of adapters may be useful.

I stayed at and have reviewed:

Place	Overall rating
Olive Grove, Namibia 24-Jan-2011 review: Olive Grove review	Good
Waterberg Camp, Namibia 25-Jan-2011 review: Waterberg Camp review	Good
Okaukuejo Camp, Namibia 26-Jan-2011 review: Okaukuejo Camp review	Excellent
Namutoni Camp, Namibia 28-Jan-2011 review: Namutoni Camp review	Good
Nkwazi Lodge, Namibia 30-Jan-2011 review: Nkwazi Lodge review	Good
Ndhovu Safari Lodge, Namibia 31-Jan-2011 review: Ndhovu Safari Lodge review	Good
Lianshulu Lodge, Namibia 2-Feb-2011 review: Lianshulu Lodge review	Good
Nxamaseri Lodge, Botswana 4-Feb-2011 review: Nxamaseri Lodge review	Good
Kalahari Arms Hotel, Botswana 6-Feb-2011 review: Kalahari Arms Hotel review	Good
Kalahari Bush Breaks, Namibia 7-Feb-2011 review: Kalahari Bush Breaks review	Good
Eningu Clayhouse, Namibia 8-Feb-2011 review: Eningu Clayhouse review	Good