Reviews of Garden Lodge
(96%) From 45 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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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.
Lovely place
Very close to Chobe, lovely common areas. Dinner was ok but not as nice as most places we stayed. Staf were very nice and helpful. Especially Mosi and our guides. Many thanks to them. Room was small and air con too loud to have on although we would have needed it.
Water cruise was fabulous. SO much wildife to see. Game drive was great too. Very personal service.
The Garden Lodge review
God food great rooms. Boat cruise very god even though we had taken the same trip the day before. Friendly staff
Read more about the whole tripGarden Lodge - Fantastic
Absolutely lovely place to stay. Superb service. Superb rooms. Superb activities and guides. Really helpful staff too. Great location right on the river.
Read more about the whole tripThe Garden Lodge review
This was our favourite lodge of all. Staff were friendly and helpful - Kin in particular went out of her way to help us retrieve a toy that my daughter had left at a previous lodge. Our children loved the mezzanine design of the family room. Food was lovely and the children particularly enjoyed afternoon tea (well the cakes mainly !!)
John was an excellent guide and our package included 2 boat cruises and a game drive. The boat cruises were the best of all and Chobe exceeded all our expectations. Compared to many of the other lodges around the Garden Lodge has small boats which makes the cruises and the overall experience much more personal. For us we also loved the small size of the lodge generally.
The other nice thing here is being able to stroll along to a few local shops and experience a bit of 'real-life' in Africa
