Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs V. from Leiden

"We had just a one night stay al Ilala Lodge.

It's a conviently located and beautiful hotel and a good place to spend a day without having to go out. The rooms are spacious and clean, the restaurant is excellent with the piano player as a charming bonus.

Two points of critcism:
- rooms are expensive
- the all-day-long helicopter rides are a bit of a nuisance"

"Though we never stayed at bush camp before, it immediately felt familiar. The setting is beautiful, the staff are incredibly friendly and the guiding is top level. It's definately more comfortable than its predecessor Hwange Mobile, but fortunately without losing any character. They are still capable of being able to offer an authentic experience and upon arrival we knew we were in the right place.

We were lucky enough to have a private guide on most of the game drives and this enabled us to go slow and really take time to appreciate the surroundings without rushing to see the next lion. Actually experiencing a red crested korhaan showing its red crest, while dancing around may not sound like a big thing, but for us it was.

I can honestly not think of any improvement. Please keep doing what you do and thank you for doing it."

"Camp Hwange was exaclty how we remembered it to be. In a good way.

The location is still a very good one, within the private concession that makes it just a little bit more exclusive. The tents offer everything you need, are spacious and have an unobstructed view at the never quiet waterhole. We were lucky enough to watch three wild dogs coming in for a drink and ending up chasing an impala. What else do you need?

It's still ticking all the boxes; from the excellent and creative chef to the attentive staff and very competent guides in the stunning setting of a true picture perfect africa.

There were no drawbacks at all. Very highly recommended."

"Latitude is a comfortable hotel.

Staff is somewhat formal, but correct.

We stayed for just a single night, which suited us just fine."

"Mvuu lodge is a beautiful place, there's no way around it.

We did have the luxury of having the camp to ourselves for the first two nights, but having to share it the next two wasn't exactly a problem.

Even though we dind't see a lot of big game/predators, the scenery and birdlife is fantastic and having sundowners on the floodplains never gets boring.

Danger (what's in a name..) proved himself to be an excellent guide and a very nice person in general. Overall, the staff were attentive and very capable.

If there's one spot to visit in Malawi, this is the one."

"Mumbo Island was for us a bit of a difference from a regular safari trip.

The island is beautiful, as are the cottages. We were a bit unlucky with pretty strong winds preventing us from doing scuba diving and limiting the snorkelling and kayaking. Having said that, the weather was still nice enough and we were well taken care of bij the staff.

The fishermen around the island minded their own business and seemed to be a part of everyday life. A bit unusual in a national park perhaps, but it didn't appear to be a big problem.

On the return boat ride we got pretty soaked because of high waves, so have some dry spare clothes available if you have to travel on."

"Nice settings, spacious chalets and a friendly staff.

Not too far from Maun town centre and a comfortable start of the trip."

"Footsteps camp was definately one of the highlights.

It helps that we had the luxury of the camp to ourselves for two out of the three days we spent here.

Apart from this, the setting is fantastic, the staff incredibly friendly and professional and the guiding superb. Being there, having the concession to yourself and the professionals showing you how to make the most of your stay is more than we dared hope for.

Highly recommended!"

"Sable Alley was a bit of an adjustment for us.

As a last minute upgrade we didn't quite know what to expect. It's certainly a very luxurious camp with lots of amenities and comfortable chalets.

However, having spent a few days at the very intimate Footsteps across the delta, Sable Alley was all a bit too much for us. The guiding was definitely good, but the overall atmosphere was just not what we were looking for. Guests for a large part seemed more interested in their cellphones than anything else. The staff were correct, but somewhat impersonal.

The waterhole in front of the main building is productive, but our chalet was a bit of a walk and without a view. It's a resort kind of place and we missed the vibes of being in a real safari camp.

Overall, we don't think this is a bad place to stay and it doesn't have any true disadvantages. It's just not our kind of setting."

"We spent one night at Skybeds and loved every minute of it. Based on other comments we expected little from game drives in the area, but that proved wrong. Our guide was very enthusiastic, knowledgeable and knew exactly where to take us and what to show. We never saw so many lion cubs in a single day.

Yet again, this was a very intimate setting and yet again, we were the only ones there, ensuring all attention from the staff and a true feeling of being in the wilderness.

The skybeds themselves are very interesting and fun, but could do with new mosquito nets. The holes were big enough for larger insects and, being the only protection, should be a bit more reliable.

However, this was the only small downside. We loved the location and the very attentive staff. Having big game pass through camp without any reservation and falling asleep hearing lion and hyena is exactly what we were hoping for. Skybeds delivered!"

"We were very much looking forward to staying at Expeditions. It was this trip's last camp and came highly recommended. Being fans of African Bush Camps we had some expectations.

These were all met and surpassed. Max was probably the best guide we ever had. There seemed to be no limit to his knowledge and skills. It really was a privilege joining him on drives and a walk.

Again, we had the camp to ourselves for a few days and the host, chefs and other staff members ensured we had the best time. The one thing we both experienced was a feeling of authenticity, both in the people and the setting. What you see is what you get and it is wonderful. It's very much comparable to Footsteps across the Delta in its authenticity.

Expeditions is a gem of a camp in stunning setting with wonderful people running it.

The sentence we were greeted with ("welcome home") hit the mark. Nothing more to add."

"A very relaxed atmosphere overall.

Very spacious and well equipped rooms, good food and friendly personnel.

A nice place to land and start our trip."

"Beautiful location. The view from the deck is one of the best we had.

Service is hard to beat, especially with very generous wine top ups at lunch and dinner. The pool proved to be invaluable.

Our guide Boykey knew his business and gave us great tours of the surrounding area, even with complicating strong winds, which probably limited our wildlife viewing.

Nonetheless a fantastic and very relaxing stay."

"A very homely place to stay and a very good base for a couple of days on the Swakopmund coast."

"Doro Nawas is a beautiful place to stay. The villas are spacious, luxurious and offer great views.

The pool is a very welcome place to be in midday heat. We very much enjoyed the braai on top of the roof of the main building.

Our guide Bernard proved to be a real asset and managed to lead us to the desert adapted elephants and giraffes despite the very strong winds, which turned out to be sandstorm-like after a while. Because of this the wildlife sightings in general were low, however the surroundings remained spectacular and we enjoyed ever minute. Not in the least because Bernard shared his extensive knowledge.

It also helped that there were just a few other guests, so we were never short of attention. No complaints at all."

"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."

"We stayed 4 nights at Onguma tented camp with very high expectations which were not entirely met.

The location is undisputed with a productive waterhole, a small but attractive pool and luxurious tents. Staff is a little reserved and perhaps formal, though Cacious managed to give us the best of both worlds. Food was excellent and overall service fine.

It's the activities we expected a little more from. Twice we were told that a prebooked activity couldn't take place because of (for us) unclear reasons. The walking safari was a lot shorter than mentioned and of limited interest. The Onguma private reserve itself didn't provide more value than Etosha (e.g. no night drives or tracking safaris) with exception of the dream cruiser. Nothing short of spectacular and highly recommended, though perhaps a little expensive.

The Etosha drives were nice, but even in this covid-period pretty busy. No less than 14 cars around two lions is a bit much for our taste. On the other hand, we did see leopard (hunting!) and a leopard tortoise among lots of other game.

Onguma is a nice place to stay and it's no punishment spending a day hanging around camp. However, if you're looking for a more intense safari experience, Etosha Heights seems the better option. It was for us."

"Okonjima gave us slightly mixed feelings. The camp itself is wonderful and spacious with a very attentive staff, good food and a nice pool area.

The chalets with their separate 'observation units' are equally impressive and very comfortable. It's the electric-fenced part of the reserve that makes the experience as a whole a bit odd. Entering "Jurassic Park" as it was called felt in a way like visiting a zoo and tracking collard wildlife a bit fabricated.

On the other hand, unlike Botswana or Zimbabwe Namibias parks are fenced and collaring animals is an important part of protecting them. It also gave us a chance to see mating leopards, the elusive pangolin and bat eared foxes. We also got up close and personal with two white rhinos and a few brown hyenas. All pretty impressive. So, while tracking animals may not seem authentic safari-like, for us it was actually fun and a memorable experience. Surprisingly, birding was not on the activities list, but luckily our guide was easily persuaded to try this and decided on the spot to do it more often.

In all, the two nights we spent at Okonjima were well worth it."

"The perfect end to our trip. Rooms are nice, the main areas have relaxing music and the overall vibe is very homey and relaxed.

Colin is a character and a lot of fun to have a conversation with. Both he and his staff were able to make us feel right at home and provide a welcoming atmosphere.

Being able to stay until the very last minute before leaving for the airport and use the rooms and pool without any fuss was a gift!

Next time we'll start there as well."

"We stayed in this hotel for just one night and had the place virtually for ourselves. Friendly and helpful staff, spacious, comfortable rooms and a nice swimmingpool. Good place to start or finish a trip."

"From the moment we arrived, everyone made us feel welcome in a non-fabricated way. Staff and guides all gave the impression of genuinly enjoying their work and their enthousiasm was contagious. Very high level of professionalsm without being formal. The emphasis on guiding is obvious, but other members of staff were just as good, which made the camp a complete picture. Location right on the riverbank is fantastic. The park itself is packed with wildlife and at the same time relatively quiet when it comes to tourists. Even with the wild dogs sightings we never saw more than 6 vehicles at the same time. Incredible encounters with elephants, hyenas and all kinds of antilope right in front of the tents. African Bush Camps keep a very good balance between a true safari experience on one side and environmental care, safety and sustainability on the other side. We were impressed by the level of knowledge the guides showed, ranging from the latin names of plants to mixing the perfect G&T.
In all; very highly recommended and a shame we had to leave."

"We regarded Somalisa Expeditions as a slightly more luxurious version of Zambezi Expeditions. Very skilled professionals on all levels of staff and guiding as well as just nice people. We had the camp to ourselves for a day and a half and enjoyed the full attention of everyone, without feeling crowded. The pool and sundeck in front of it make for a spectacular encounter with elephants. This part of Hwange was not as packed with animals as Mana Pools, but has a very nice variety of scenery and made us appreciate other things than just big game. Having said that; there's certainly no shortage of animals. It's a relatively small camp, located beautifully and with very comfortable permanent tents. Again, we were impressed by the high standard of guiding and the nice balance between professionalism and social skills, which lead, among other things, to very interesting conversations with different members of staff. The atmosphere is completely relaxed and made us feel that way. The same attitude of African Bush Camp towards animals, people and environment I described with regard to Zambezi Expeditions applies here. In every way it's a feel good experience and we were sad to leave it."