Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs C from Co Durham
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
2
Countries visited
2
Lodges stayed in
13
Excursions taken
0
We expected the best.
Zimbabwe between 5 Oct 2014 and 16 Oct 2014
"And we think we got it.
A fantastic 9 day 3 location safari with light aircraft transfers between lodges. Clearly Zimbabwe is going through some troubled times but this in no way detracted from our trip, People are genuinely pleased to see you, none of our camps where full and the parks seemed very quiet in terms of visitors, but plenty of game. We had a fantastic trip that will live long in our memory.
A special word for Rhino Safari camp, spend 2 nights here for a totally different amazing experience.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Difficult to suggest an improvement, our second Expert Africa trip, will definitely return."
A fantastic 9 day 3 location safari with light aircraft transfers between lodges. Clearly Zimbabwe is going through some troubled times but this in no way detracted from our trip, People are genuinely pleased to see you, none of our camps where full and the parks seemed very quiet in terms of visitors, but plenty of game. We had a fantastic trip that will live long in our memory.
A special word for Rhino Safari camp, spend 2 nights here for a totally different amazing experience.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Difficult to suggest an improvement, our second Expert Africa trip, will definitely return."
Arranged By Claire Scott
Sprayview Hotel
"OK for 1 night"
2 nights
Arrived
5 Oct 2014
"To be fair Expert Africa advised us against the Sprayview, it wasn't awful, but there are far better places to stay."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Poor
Service
Poor
Activities
Average
Rooms
Good
Food
Average
Facilities
Average
The Hide
"Painted Dogs at the hidd"
3 nights
Arrived
7 Oct 2014
"An excellent lodge in a superb location, this is one of the best places we have stayed, i only have 1 criticism; sometimes it can seem a tad too formal, but do not lat that put you off.
In 1 memorable morning we saw a pack of 17 wild dogs, 250 buffallo, and 100 Elephants; all from the Hide it'self."
In 1 memorable morning we saw a pack of 17 wild dogs, 250 buffallo, and 100 Elephants; all from the Hide it'self."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Rhino Safari Camp
"Basic but charming."
2 nights
Arrived
10 Oct 2014
"Very different to our other camps, Rhino was all about the outdoors. Although the fabled owners where not there during our stay we where hosted admirably by Stephen and Levi.
Food was simple but tasty and the rooms where simple but comfortable. Highlight was the water safaris; lake Kariba is beautiful and seeing Lions from the water will be a memory that will stay a long time. Another highlight was watching Hippos grazing below our cabin.
This is a fantastic place to spend 2 or 3 nights."
Food was simple but tasty and the rooms where simple but comfortable. Highlight was the water safaris; lake Kariba is beautiful and seeing Lions from the water will be a memory that will stay a long time. Another highlight was watching Hippos grazing below our cabin.
This is a fantastic place to spend 2 or 3 nights."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Vundu Camp
"Difficult to imagine a better place."
4 nights
Arrived
12 Oct 2014
"Vundu Camp was without doubt the highlight of our trip.
Very comfortable large rooms, excellent food, great staff; often things one takes for granted on high end Safari, but what marked Vundu Camp out was Brandt and Nick, great host's determined to show us all that was there, including an African Wildcat.
The canoe trips alone make this place a worthwhile stop, the guides really know their stuff and gave us some incredible experiences. The only thing they could improve was the breakfast, slightly disappointing but the other meals more than compensated."
Very comfortable large rooms, excellent food, great staff; often things one takes for granted on high end Safari, but what marked Vundu Camp out was Brandt and Nick, great host's determined to show us all that was there, including an African Wildcat.
The canoe trips alone make this place a worthwhile stop, the guides really know their stuff and gave us some incredible experiences. The only thing they could improve was the breakfast, slightly disappointing but the other meals more than compensated."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Our first trip to Namibia
Namibia between 18 Apr 2011 and 6 May 2011
"Without doubt one of if not the best hollidays we have ever had.
There are so many highlights it is difficult to specify in particular, but Africat stand out.
Apart fron Halali the lodges where all of a very high standard, with friendly efficient service being the norm.
We cannot wait to go again.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
A minor niggle we had was over the use of 200 Rand notes, after being told they would not be accepted we changed most of ours to lower demoninations, when we got to Namibia we found that everybody accepted the ones we had left over, even the craft stalls and filling stations.
Apart from this one thing we found Exprt Africa to be superb, Sabina organised a fantastic holliday for us."
There are so many highlights it is difficult to specify in particular, but Africat stand out.
Apart fron Halali the lodges where all of a very high standard, with friendly efficient service being the norm.
We cannot wait to go again.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
A minor niggle we had was over the use of 200 Rand notes, after being told they would not be accepted we changed most of ours to lower demoninations, when we got to Namibia we found that everybody accepted the ones we had left over, even the craft stalls and filling stations.
Apart from this one thing we found Exprt Africa to be superb, Sabina organised a fantastic holliday for us."
Feedback response
We really appreciate our travelers’ feedback about the R200 notes.
It is great news that everyone is starting to accept some of the notes again.
We have since looked into the matter further with our colleagues on the ground in Namibia and it is our understanding that the new R200 notes are being accepted. However the old R200 notes is not being accepted and unfortunately they seem to still be in circulation. So to err on the side of caution we are still advising our travelers to avoid taking along R200 notes as it may not always be apparent which is new and which is old.
Arranged By Sabina Hekandjo
Olive Grove
"Olive Grove review"
2 nights
Arrived
19 Apr 2011
"Good welcome, excellent room,food and service very good."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Average
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sossus Dune Lodge
"Sossus Dune Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
21 Apr 2011
"Fantastic place to stay, room was excellent, difficult to find any fault with this place."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Central Guest House, Namibia (this camp has since closed)
"Central Guest House review"
2 nights
Arrived
23 Apr 2011
"Young lady on reception could not have been more helpfull, making dinner reservations, sorting out an issue with the hire car, and general advice. A real credit to the guesthouse."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Average
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Erongo Wilderness Lodge
"Erongo Wilderness Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
25 Apr 2011
"only 2 negatives about this stunning place,
1) The beds could benefit with mosquito nets.
2) They could do with a way for arriving guest`s to contact the lodge, if their is nobody at the parking area it is a bit of a trek to get to the reception.
But these are only slight niggles, we loved the place."
1) The beds could benefit with mosquito nets.
2) They could do with a way for arriving guest`s to contact the lodge, if their is nobody at the parking area it is a bit of a trek to get to the reception.
But these are only slight niggles, we loved the place."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Mushara Bush Camp
"Mushara Bush Camp review"
2 nights
Arrived
27 Apr 2011
"The scores below are comparative to the other places we stayed.
What they cannot show is the very high level of service the staff deliver, they are superb."
What they cannot show is the very high level of service the staff deliver, they are superb."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Okaukuejo Camp
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
2 nights
Arrived
29 Apr 2011
"After reading other comments on Okaukuejo we thought this place was going to be dissapointing, how wrong we where, reception and restaurant staff where very efficient and friendly. The food was as good as anywhere else we stayed.
Our only reservation was with the Kiosk, one hard pressed lady doing her best to satisfy a constant demand, she could do with some assistance."
Our only reservation was with the Kiosk, one hard pressed lady doing her best to satisfy a constant demand, she could do with some assistance."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Halali Camp
"Halali Camp review"
1 night
Arrived
1 May 2011
"We where quite dissapointed with Halali, Staff seemed poorly supervised and lacked motivation, had to chase the staff to get served.,
Food was below average, and poorly laid out.
Upon departing we where accused of stealing a bathmat.
Not a place I would wish to return to, thankfully we where only there for 1 night."
Food was below average, and poorly laid out.
Upon departing we where accused of stealing a bathmat.
Not a place I would wish to return to, thankfully we where only there for 1 night."
Poor
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Poor
Location
Good
Service
Poor
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Good
Food
Poor
Anderssons Camp, Namibia (this camp has since closed)
"Anderssons Camp review"
1 night
Arrived
2 May 2011
"Unfortunately we only had 1 night here, best rooms and service of the entire trip.
Food and facilities excellent, the safari to view the Rhino was expensive but well worth it, a fantastic experience."
Food and facilities excellent, the safari to view the Rhino was expensive but well worth it, a fantastic experience."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Okonjima Plains Camp
"Okonjima Main Camp review"
2 nights
Arrived
3 May 2011
"Our last place on our trip, and one of the highlights.
Our guide (Sydney) was brilliant, taking us within 10 feet of Cheetahs and a leopard.
The 24km drive is an experience in itself.
A great place to stay, but use cash to check out, it took us over an hour to pay with a debit card."
Our guide (Sydney) was brilliant, taking us within 10 feet of Cheetahs and a leopard.
The 24km drive is an experience in itself.
A great place to stay, but use cash to check out, it took us over an hour to pay with a debit card."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent