Reviews of Halali Camp
Wildlife sightings and reviews
330 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Halali Camp and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
76% success
33% success
3% success
97% success
94% success
94% success
94% success
92% success
82% success
64% success
38% success
33% success
10% success
4% success
3% success
0% success
0% success
"Halali Restcamp review"
Seems as if the restaurant hours and the likelihood of people being on safari during those hours hasn't been thought out. It was a shame because whilst they have obviously put a lot of thought into the accommodation, the attitude of those working there does not seem to be any different from what you would expect in a backpackers hostel.
Lovely waterhole. Could have done with 2 nights here." See all these reviews: 7n in Namibia
""Hell - ali" restcamp"
Rude, surly and unfriendly service - should they be working in a service industry?
Shop was poorly stocked. Restaurant baking hot (although you could eat outside)
Breakfast was abysmal -poor choice and poor quality, tinned fruit cocktail, bread (dry from the atmosphere) no toaster and not even marmalade or jam and they made us pay $12 for it although our voucher stated we had B&B. Didn't fancy anything cooked.
Made to pay $500 room deposit in case we stole anything or trashed the room - what sort of welcome is that?
Room had been very nicely refurbed and was very clean, lovely bedlinen.
Suggest Expert Africe arrange some form of" bond" should any of their guests "trash" the room - an event that I believe will never happen. It would be better to bring your own packed food that eat here." See all these reviews: 9n in Namibia
The Namibia Wildlife Resorts organisation (NWR) is aware that their service and food standards are in need of quite a serious overhaul. Their priority was to finish their scheduled refurbishments by November. This has been completed and now the staff training has begun.
"Manager"
"Halali Restcamp review"
I think it is worth emphasising that the Rest camps are in no way comparable to the private lodges" See all these reviews: 10n in Namibia
"A different view"
We stood in a queue at the bar in the evening while waiters were served before us (they, too, used the same facility) only to be told, when we reached its head, that they couldn't serve us because they had run out of glasses. Tempers became pretty frayed. One tour operator had a public row with the restaurant manager - 'if you charge premium prices you must deliver premium service'. We had some sympathy with that.
A waitress who might or might not serve you - she certainly wouldn't expect to supply you with cutlery - could never be found to give you a bill; if you wrested her from the kitchen, she would have to go to a madame sitting in a booth to get the bill, to bring it to you, to take it back to madame, to grope for change, to take it to madame .... You had to start this process early - we were committed to a night drive at 8.00 p.m. and asked for a bill at 7.30 p.m. Tempting providence. We were just lucky - I fancy there are still some folk waiting even now to pay - or, more likely, they've sneaked off without paying out of sheer frustration.
The following morning, the same waitress is listlessly mopping the floor; madame objects to being invited to give us a bill direct. Systems, procedure, management .... dire. And all those lovely rooms. The waterhole was disappointing, too, though we do remember that wild animals are exactly that and you take your choice; and we did come across eight lions sitting by the rpoadside on our way out." See all these reviews: 25n in Namibia
"Halali Restcamp review"
"Halali Restcamp review"
The night drives are over-priced and are frankly terrible. The guides are not properly trained and give inaccurate or downright wrong information. The drives are run on the cheap with the driver trying to operate the spotlight as well as drive which doesnt work well" See all these reviews: 17n in Namibia
"Sound accommodation, great waterhole"
The accommodation at Halali is better than adequate and the location is prime - we used it as a base to explore a significant proportion of the eastern end of Etosha going as far round as Tsumcor (which is well worth the trek). Of course, Halali's strongest point is the waterhole which is brilliant: we were fortunate enough to see myriad elephants and five black rhinos there as well as a wide range of herbivores.
We did not do any organised activities out of Halali but drove ourselves and simply enjoyed the waterhole at the camp.
In the context of exploring the east, from our brief stop there we'd be a little cautious of Namutoni (which we note you didn't recommend) where we were unimpressed by the waterhole." See all these reviews: 7n in Namibia
"lovely waterhole at halali restcamp"
We only stayed one night and left early in the morning so did not really have a chance to use facilities etc." See all these reviews: 14n in Namibia
"Halali Restcamp review"
My only criticism with this camp would be with the catering facilities - the lighting in the dining room was so bright at dinner in the evening that it felt like a school canteen and the air conditioning was ineffective making life very uncomfortable. Also the shop had minimal goods and in order to self cater (even for sandwiches) one needed to bring food into the park and could not rely on buying anything on site." See all these reviews: 10n in Namibia
"Small is not necessarily better"
Our villa was refurbished but had an ant problem - which we solved ourselves. It was quite nicely decorated and the camp was really quiet, which was lovely. The main room of the villa got very hot in the day and didn't really cool down at night but the bedrooms were air conditioned which made sleeping comfortable.
Halali's restaurant was boiling, maybe the aircon was broken both nights we were there but it was certainly very uncomfortable to sit in for long - most people ate outside [luckily there are few mosquitoes at this time of year]. No explanation or guidance was given. The food is pretty much the same as at Okaukuejo but there's less variety and it's not so well done. Some of the bread and desserts were stale and they seemed to run out of things a lot. The buffet was the same price as at Okaukuejo which seemed quite cheeky when the quality and quantity was worse.
We did take the guided night drive from Halali [as you can't go outside the gates after sunset alone]. Our guide tried hard to find animals but we were unlucky and saw nothing. Others had seen leopards, cheetah etc so it was quite disappointing but that's the luck of the draw. We saw nothing at the camp's waterhole although we visited it a few times, again this is just down to luck.
Overall this is a useful camp to stay in as it's in the middle of the park but the facilities still need to be improved [particularly the restaurant] and the staff need to work on their social skills." See all these reviews: 9n in Namibia
Holiday styles & special interests in Namibia
From birdwatching breaks to walking holidays, find great ideas for your trip in Namibia.
Other lodges in Etosha National Park
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Okaukuejo Camp
Set within Etosha National Park, Okaukuejo Resort is a large camp with a productive, floodlit waterhole.
Mushara Bush Camp
The family-friendly Mushara Bush Camp offers great value and is an excellent base from which to explore Etosha National Park.
Ongava Lodge
With fantastic views over a private reserve bordering Etosha, the smart Ongava Lodge offers driving and walking safaris on the reserve, and guided drives in Etosha.
Ongava Tented Camp
Set around a waterhole on a private reserve, the small Ongava Tented Camp combines understated comfort with activities that include walks and night drives.
Onguma Tented Camp
Onguma Tented Camp is a lovely, little tented camp which centres around an attractive waterhole a short drive from the Von Lindequist Gate to eastern Etosha.
Dolomite Camp
Opened in 2011, Dolomite Camp allows visitors access to the far west side of Etosha National Park, which was previously off limits to most visitors.
Mushara Lodge
Close to the eastern entrance to Etosha, the comfortable Mushara Lodge is well-placed for exploring the park in your own vehicle or on a guided drive.
Namutoni Camp
Centred on an old fort, the government run Namutoni Camp is located just inside Etosha National Park, close to Fisher's Pan.
Onguma Bush Camp
For great wildlife viewing without breaking the bank, the affordable and understated luxury of Onguma Bush Camp could be perfect.
Hobatere Lodge
To the west of Etosha National Park, on the edge of Damaraland, Hobatere Lodge offers good game-viewing on its own reserve.
Mushara Outpost
Intimate and luxurious, Mushara Outpost is well-placed on a private reserve to explore nearby Etosha National Park on your own or on a guided drive.
Onguma Camp Kala
For a bird’s eye view across African bush, the stilted rooms at Onguma Camp Kala are truly special.
Onguma The Fort
The Fort is the jewel in the crown of the Onguma lodges, and arguably the whole of eastern Etosha.
Safarihoek Lodge
At the heart of the private Etosha Heights Reserve, Safarihoek Lodge offers comfortable accommodation and excellent game-viewing.
Onguma Forest Camp
From its woodland setting on the Onguma Reserve, Forest Camp is within easy striking distance of Namibia’s flagship national park.
Taleni Etosha Village
Only 4km from Etosha's southern entrance, Taleni Etosha Village is an affordable base from which to explore the park.
Etosha Safari Lodge
A short drive from Etosha National Park's southern entrance, Etosha Safari Lodge is a convenient base from which to explore the park.
Little Ongava
The beautifully located and luxurious Little Ongava is a stunning place to stay in order to explore Etosha National Park and the private Ongava Reserve.
Etosha Safari Camp
Funky, low-key and very original, Etosha Safari Camp is well placed for visiting Etosha National Park on a self-drive or guided safari.
Andersson's at Ongava
With game drives on both its private reserve and in Etosha, Andersson's at Ongava also offers access to the Ongava Research Centre.
Mountain Lodge
In the heart of the private Etosha Heights Reserve, the family-friendly Mountain Lodge offers game drives and bush walks within an exclusive environment.
Mokuti Etosha Lodge
With 106 rooms, child-friendly Mokuti Etosha Lodge is more like a hotel than a lodge. Facilities to include a gym, spa, tennis courts and even a snake park.
Etosha Oberland Lodge
A short drive from Etosha National Park's southern entrance, Etosha Oberland Lodge is a very comfortable base from which to explore the park, with excellent food.
Vreugde Guest Farm
Vreugde Guest Farm is a delightful owner-run and working sheep farm where you can expect a warm welcome and charming hospitality.
Villa Mushara
Offering luxury on a peaceful private reserve close to Etosha, Villa Mushara is a great choice for honeymooners & those wishing to indulge themselves.
Etosha Garden Hotel
Safari in Etosha National Park Namibia, whilst based at the nearby Etosha Garden Lodge.
Etosha King Nehale
A short drive from the national park's northern entrance, Etosha King Nehale Lodge is an interesting and comfortable base from which to explore the park.
Safari House
The private Safari House on the Etosha Heights reserve is a great option families or friends travelling together.
Onkoshi Camp
Onkoshi Camp is owned and run by Namibia Wildlife Resorts. Built on elevated wooden platforms it overlooks Etosha Pan.
