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Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge
Safarihoek Lodge

Reviews of Safarihoek Lodge

Wildlife sightings and reviews

36 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Safarihoek Lodge and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in Jul-2018, 30 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Safarihoek Lodge.
Lion

75% success

Leopard

6% success

Cheetah

6% success

Giraffe

100% success

Oryx

100% success

Zebra

97% success

Black Rhino

93% success

Wildebeest

93% success

Elephant

87% success

Eland

86% success

White Rhino

57% success

Sable antelope

55% success

Spotted Hyena

33% success

Brown Hyena

18% success

Roan antelope

18% success

Pangolin

11% success

Aardvark

0% success

Showing 11-20 of 36
Duration
Arrival date
Mr & Ms B
Florida, US

"Safarihoek Lodge review"

3 nights Arrived 10 Mar 2022
"This lodge was our first proper safari destination. Originally we had planned to go to the Ongava Reserve, but their camps were either fully booked or closed for renovation. Therefore, with the help of expertafrica we chose this one as an alternative. It is one of several private nature reserves adjacent to Etosha National Park, which we visited in 2016. That was our first game reserve on our first trip to Southern Africa, and we were enthusiastic about it at the time. However, in hindsight it was very much a mixed experience, largely due to the enormous number of self-driving tourists that, quite frequently, misbehaved at some of the waterholes.

This reserve, with a landscape that does not really resembles Etosha NP proper, was a pleasant surprise. Although the camp is easily accessible by self-drivers they do not drive through the reserve themselves but participate in the guided activities.

We came here for one major reason, namely that this park features white and black rhinos. And indeed, we saw both of these species several times, thanks largely to the perseverance of our guide Ramon. Besides seeing all the usual suspects, such as springbok, blue wildebeest, zebras and giraffes, we also had several nice encounters with a coalition of three male lions, and on our second day here, we had an experience that we never had before. On a drive to the western boundary of the reserve we encountered a pride of lions consisting of several adult females, 2 grown-up males, several subadults and 2 cubs, altogether there were like 8 or 9 lions. The males stayed pretty much in the background, but they roared ferociously. The animal closest to us was an adult female next to an adolescent male. Even we could sense that the female was not too happy to see us. She just stood there and gave us a scrutinizing look. After 3 or 4 minutes, she and then the whole rest of the pride decided to turn the tables and they started to chase us! Ramon, our guide, immediately started the engine and got us the hell out of there: First, he drove in reverse (luckily those Toyota Landcruisers appear to be much faster than regular sedans) and then did a 180 degree turn. We and the other two guests in the vehicle were quite eager to hear what he had to say about this.

Well, since he never saw this pride of lions before, he guessed that they probably just moved in from Etosha, and he assumed that they most likely had a bad experience with cars recently. To me that made sense, because according to him, there were rangers operating in the area to protect the resident rhino population. These rangers might not have shown the lions the proper respect, who knows. And now, this was their act of retribution, and Ramon was not convinced that this was just a mock charge. As scary as that might have been it did not prevent us from seeking out lions during the rest of our trip.

I would like to mention another commendable fact: Our guide Ramon consistently managed to position the vehicle in such a way that I could photograph the animals at eye level (rather than from above).

The rooms, the amenities, the service and the food in this camp were all very good if not excellent. But this is not our priority when traveling to Africa. We don’t come here for good food or luxury accommodation, but for encounters with animals and people." See all these reviews: 19n in Namibia; 15n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Good
Service:
Good
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

3 sightings

Eland

1 sighting

Giraffe

5 sightings

Lion

3 sightings

Oryx

2 sightings

Sable antelope

2 sightings

White Rhino

2 sightings

Wildebeest

4 sightings

Zebra

5 sightings

Mr & Mrs V.
Leiden

"Safarihoek Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 15 Oct 2021
"Safarihoek Lodge was our hidden gem. Originally not part of our trip, it was kind of a last minute improvisation. Usually we're not too fond of big shiny lodges, but for Safarihoek we gladly make an exception. We stayed for just two nights, but from the moment we set foot there we knew that this simply wasn't enough. During our stay we were the only guests and the staff catered to our every need. Fine dining, good wine, brilliant views from the deck and a pool you could only tear yourself away from because the game drives were even nicer.

Mike our guide was without a doubt the highlight of Safarihoek. In all our previous trips across southern Africa we never met anyone like him. His enthusiasm was energizing, knowledge exceptional and his humour ever present. Because Etosha Heights is a private reserve, the possibilities for game drives are greater than in Etosha. I'd like to highlight two:

On the first one we came across two black rhinos in the distance. Mike however wanted us to experience the beautiful animals a little closer. Long story short; we ended up just a few metres from these usually shy and potentially agressive animals (a mother and a calf). Totally at ease they let themselves be observed for at least 15 minutes without ever being disturbed. It might have been something to do with Mike talking to just about every animal and showing them respect in his own unique way.

On the second one we spotted two large male lions and decided to stay with them for a couple of minutes. These lions started roaring, which in itself is pretty impressive, but even more so when a third one answered. These three lions teamed up, started walking and decided to take over the territory of a fourth one. We followed the three brothers for a long time (luckily we already had a night drive with Mike planned) and at one time we lost track of them. Eventually they appeared behind us unexpectedly, which was quite an adrenaline boost. It never came to a confrontation (they scared the one away) and the lions just kept walking and roaring, marking their new territory once in a while. Probably a once in a lifetime experience, even Mike hadn't witnessed this before. It was the longest and most exciting game drive we ever had.

Of course, our Safarihoek experience is coloured by these experiences and the fact that we were the only ones. Still; the staff, the park and the conservation philosophy behind it all are great assets and definitely make us want to go back." See all these reviews: 16n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

4 sightings

Eland

10 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Lion

4 sightings

Oryx

10 sightings

Spotted Hyena

1 sighting

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr M.
Haifa

"Safarihoek Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 24 Jul 2021
"A higher level lodge
Stunning rooms and luxurious lobby as well as the pool
Wonderful food and really really professional service
Beautiful view of a cistern (sic meaning waterhole) a bit far away but a lovely view
We went out for evening and morning activities with more professional guidance
We located black rhinos, lions, chitas (sic meaning cheetah) during action and much more
The order included epilene all inclusive of laundry we received with a good smell" See all these reviews: 16n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

4 sightings

Cheetah

2 sightings

Eland

10 sightings

Elephant

7 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Lion

3 sightings

Oryx

10 sightings

Roan antelope

Multiple sightings

Sable antelope

Multiple sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr & Mrs P
New Jersey

"Safarihoek Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 28 Apr 2021
"Staff were the highlight here. Guiding was by far the best we had in Namibia.

Very convenient location and great view from rooms overlooking watering hole. Good value property though the rooms and main lodge felt quite sterile.

Some outstanding Rhino viewing very close to the lodge.

Etosha heights is not the greatest landscape but allows for excellent game viewing." See all these reviews: 13n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Average
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Average
Miss K & Mr G
London

"Amazing!!!!"

3 nights Arrived 24 Oct 2020
"Lovely lodge. Very comfortable. Good showers. Excellent food. Great views overlooking the distant waterhole, with a steady stream of animals coming and going.

The photo hide is fabulous – loads of animals (including lions, elephants and sable antelope). Our guide, Michael, was amazing. He was incredibly knowledgeable, had amazing eyes, and was a fountain of interesting information. He was also very personable and it was a joy to be guided by him. He also knew exactly where to position the jeep to get the best light for photography.

Our sightings of elephants and black rhino here were simply incredible." See all these reviews: 18n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

5 sightings

Eland

10 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Lion

2 sightings

Oryx

10 sightings

Sable antelope

6 sightings

Spotted Hyena

2 sightings

White Rhino

1 sighting

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Ms S.
Surrey

"A Little Disapointed Until the Lion Sighting"

1 night Arrived 21 Nov 2019
"Overall had a good stay. Décor wasn't to my personal taste; it felt a bit unfinished and impersonal (lots of space with nothing in it). This was particularly the case in the room which felt a little like an oversized student accommodation / military camp room. However, the view from the room was incredible which made up for the poor inside.

The front gate didn't have our details so there were slight delays getting in when we first arrived. Check-in was quick but there was very little information provided. We were not provided with details of game drive so had to actively enquire about these. Dinner quality was ok but serving size was very small. Restaurant as so big there was no atmosphere.

All the negatives however, were compensated by the game drive. The guide was fantastic and spotted a black rhino and her baby. In the morning there were 4 lions viewed at the watering hole from our room. A little while later a male lion was spotted and a guide took guests on an impromptu drive to get a closer look, this was fantastic and much appreciated.

I think this is possibly usually a very good hotel and we just had a bad timing re: the service (which wasn't bad, just did not meet our expectations, lion drive aside)." See all these reviews: 13n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Average
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Average
Food:
Average
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

3 sightings

Eland

5 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Lion

4 sightings

Oryx

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Dr CB & Dr MB
Tring

"Safarihoek Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 17 Sep 2019
"What a great place to stay. The view from our room was fantastic. A pity that we didn't have the opportunity to visit the water hole that we could see in the distance.

Our room was amazing and we felt very pampered here.

The game drive was fine when our private driver took us but the driver that was provided by the lodge was poor. He appeared to think that he was in a formula 1 race (we had 2 such drives with him). Quite honestly we felt unsafe and certainly uncomfortable with him. We know that other guests in the same vehicle felt the same." See all these reviews: 17n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

Multiple sightings

Eland

Multiple sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Leopard

1 sighting

Lion

1 sighting

Oryx

Multiple sightings

Pangolin

1 sighting

Spotted Hyena

Multiple sightings

White Rhino

Multiple sightings

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Mike
Oxford

"Amazing"

2 nights Arrived 1 Sep 2019
"Having bounced along the D2671 (one of the worst roads we experienced) and opened a few gates on the D2680 we reached the security gates to Etosha Heights and the 5km drive to Safarihoek Lodge. Very impressive!! A warm welcome and a toasted sandwich for a very late lunch. A lovely big room with a terrace overlooking an extensive plain and a water-hole.

Tea and cakes and then off on the 16.30 Afternoon Game Drive with Grevin - huge number of animals: Springbok, Oryx, Waterbuck, Giraffe, Zebra, Kudu, Elephant, Steenbok & Black Rhino. Followed by a sun-downer!

06.30 - Game Drive (wrapped up well) - White Rhino, Lion and a brilliant close-up of the dexterity of elephants.

16.30 - another Afternoon Game Drive with a wealth of birds and other wildlife. Grevin did us proud!

Lovely food and personally looked after by Titus who was very attentive. Felt very special.." See all these reviews: 17n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

3 sightings

Eland

1 sighting

Elephant

4 sightings

Giraffe

4 sightings

Lion

1 sighting

Oryx

4 sightings

White Rhino

2 sightings

Zebra

4 sightings

Mrs E & family
UK

"Better than Etosha National Park."

1 night Arrived 18 Jul 2019
"The plaudit owes something to our guide who went by the wonderful and unlikely name 'Ethelbert Teek'. Teek, as he wanted to be known, took us on quite the most remarkable safari game drive of our entire trip around the private reserve that is 'Etosha Heights/Safarihoek'. This man is a Namibian Croccodile Dundee.

We were really hoping to see Elepants as we hadn't found any in Etosha. Teek tracked them by following dung and tree damage and surely enough we crept up upon a herd of 10 elephants including 2 calves feeding on acacia. The private reserve seemed to us to contain lots more wildlife than Etosha and we also had incredible close up encounters with Black Rhino (mum and baby) zebra, giraffe, moongoose, honey badgers, African Wildcat, you name it.

The lodge itself is quite modern and overlooks the vast reserve. We shared it with just a group of Italians. It deserves to do well and if wildliife is your thing, this is your place." See all these reviews: 11n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

2 sightings

Brown Hyena

Multiple sightings

Eland

Multiple sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Oryx

10 sightings

Roan antelope

Multiple sightings

Sable antelope

Multiple sightings

White Rhino

Multiple sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr GM
Porthcawl

"Safarihoek stay"

1 night Arrived 13 Jul 2019
"Something not right about this lodge but what? People were great especially Theresa, lots of rhino sightings, great view from the lodge, food good (apart from no veggie option, but even that was expected to a degree). Maybe it's because the lodge is very modern, chrome and glass. I just can't put my finger on the reasons." See all these reviews: 10n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

7 sightings

Elephant

3 sightings

Giraffe

6 sightings

Oryx

4 sightings

Wildebeest

5 sightings

Zebra

7 sightings

Showing 11-20 of 36
95%
36 reviews of Safarihoek Lodge by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
28
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1
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