Reviews of Garden Lodge
(96%) From 39 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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3 lovely nights
Beautiful accommodation and setting on the banks of the Chobe. Very friendly and helpful staff. Again we enjoyed the conversation at a communal table.
Every meal was a culinary treat - including afternoon tea in temperatures of 40C! Excellent inclusive trips ( although our relief driver learnt a bit about wildlife from us!!) Lovely and airy and relaxed.
Friendly lodge in Kasane!
We spent two nights at this friendly lodge. The lodge is smaller than many others we saw in Kasane, which gave it a homey feel. The staff is incredibly friendly and the guides very knowledgeable. The meals, served family style, are basic but hearty.
The lodge is situated on the banks of the Chobe River with lovely views. Travelers should note, though, that the lodge is situated just outside of Chobe so you need to head into the park for game drives and boat trips – the area immediately inside the park can be a bit crowded with boats. We saw a lot of animals, particularly elephants, and on our game drive to Chobe saw a leopard and a pride of lions. The boat tours are great and personal given their small size. The guides are extremely knowledgeable and friendly.
We were surprised the game drives start at 8:30 (a bit later than many lodges), but the game viewing was still great as the guides were successfully tipped by previous drives.
Lovely friendly place to stay.
A lovely friendly place to stay. It was good to sit with others when eating, to share experiences.
The staff are very genuinely friendly and seem to actually enjoy meeting and chatting with guests, rather than just passing pleasantries. The boat trips and game drives were excellent, we had never realised how much game there was here, compared with Namibia. Though it was a bit of a shock to see all the boats on the river from the large lodges. So pleased we were in the Garden Lodge, as it was small and intimate.
Our room was the smallest, but it was cosy and had everything we needed. A really good end to our trip.
Our hire car was collected from the lodge, which was very convenient and unexpected. A very good end to our adventure
Garden lodge heaven
Although not as luxurious as others this is a charming lodge, with fantastic food and great hosts who sit wiht the guests over meals.
Maybe our favourite place.
Enjoyed it
Two nights here and enoyed it. The concept is of the shared Lodge experience, with communal meals and, to some extent, outings. This approach suited our family well. The location on the Chobe River is excellent as was the river cruise into the National Park. Our land excursions into Chobe NP were also very rewarding.
I thought the food was adequate but uninspiring.
We had great fun here
A great position on the edge of the Chobe River.
The large rooms had good views and were comfy and well equipped.
The staff were extremely helpful and friendly, providing a very personal service.
The food was variable and the dining area very cold.
Our boat trip was excellent and our day long game drive was very enjoyable.
The elephants and hippo in the garden were an added bonus.....if unplanned.
Garden Lodge is an Oasis
Terrific oasis in the middle of town.
Wonderful place to rest, relax and regroup!
The Garden Lodge - back to be pampered
This small intimate and quite lodge is situated on the Chobe River front, but away from the main action area of town. This served our main purpose : to unwind from all the camping excitement, getting organized, and of course being pampered (proper shower, proper food, proper sleep, ...).
The private access to the river, is without any doubt a privilege for the guests. We were very fortunate in having a boat tour just for ourselves, which was excellent, as we were able to choose what to see. Seeing Chobe from inside-out is really different and unforgettable. The guiding was excellent.
The Garden Lodge review
Exceptionally good location and especially good guides (John and Innocent). Afternoon/twilight boat trips were a special feature and both guides set up some wonderful sunset photographs for everyone in the boat by manoeuvring us all into the right position at the right time. By reason of the size of the lodge the wildlife activities were compact enough for all participants (in our experience the maximum number of guests being 6) to be able to get close to the shorelines where some of the more interesting scenes were to be seen, cf the gargantuan boats which ply their trade on the Chobe. We were able to walk through the grounds of the lodge avoiding the warthogs (of course) and on to the boat with minimum fuss.
The staff were very accommodating and were able to give us our room preferences. The staff were helpful particularly when confirming the collection of the hire car and the departure arrangements for the onward journey to Zambia.
Dining was again communal either at a very long table or at a smaller table with the staff and guides eating with the guests. Afternoon tea was served at the boma in the verdant garden prior to the afternoon activities.
This lodge caters for a mainly but not exclusively German-speaking clientele.
Friendly
This was one of many lodges located on the banks of the Chobe river, and indeed it was possible to walk from the lodge through the verdant back gardens right to the river.
The atmosphere was friendly and informal, with guests sitting together with lodge staff members at a big table at meal times. Our room was pleasant, with a veranda overlooking the back garden.
The day activities consisted of a morning game drive and an afternoon river cruise. It has to be said that this area of Chobe National Park is very touristy, and neither of these activities felt like a wilderness experience. Nevertheless, we got some excellent sightings. And, most impressively, after we returned from a cruise, the lodge manager informed us that three male lions were relaxing at the roadside a few miles away. Without further ado, he personally drove a group of us to see them, and there they were in their full glory.
We have always believed that acting responsibly is the only way to approach tourism and we're one of
the few companies to hold AITO's original coveted 5-star status for responsible tourism. It's a lead
that others are now following.
