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Traveller reviews

Travel reviews by Professor & Mrs M from UK

Review Distribution

Excellent
Good
Average
Poor
Terrible

Total number of trips

2

Countries visited

2

Lodges stayed in

16

Excursions taken

0

Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, Feb 2017

South Africa between 16 Feb 2017 and 6 Mar 2017

Trip rating: Excellent
"Our trip was very enjoyable, the weather was superb. February is cleary a good time to go. It's worth looking at the lodge's seasonal pricing, as we found our most expensive lodge (Kwandwe Great Fish River) had reduced prices from 1 March.

We found when we arrived that it wasn't possible to book a winery lunch with only a few days notice - most were booked a month or so in advance.

Our peronal highlights were Game watching at Kwandwe and the Addo Elephant park, together with the coastal scenery at places like the Cape of Good Hope, Robberg Peninsula, Nature's Valley and Storm River Mouth."

Arranged By Tracy Lederer


Vineyard Hotel

Vineyard Hotel

"Vineyard Hotel review"

4 nights Arrived 16 Feb 2017
"The Vineyard was a larger hotel than we normally prefer. However it was comfortable, in a good position and set in lovely grounds. There was plenty of choice for reasonably priced meals.

The only downside was arrival. we arrived at 9:30 from the overnight flight, and it was 1:30 pm before our room was ready. On several visits to reception it seemed that 'the room would be ready when it was ready, no apparent effort to prioritise."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Angala Boutique Hotel

Angala Boutique Hotel

"Angala Boutique Hotel & Guest House review"

3 nights Arrived 20 Feb 2017
"The hotel and grounds were beautiful and immaculately maintained, staff freindly and helpful, owner much in evidence.

Room was very comfortable. Limited choice of meals in the hotel, but good places to eat in the vicinity. Breakfast was excellent. The minibar was free, and there was a proper coffee maker in the room.

The semi natural 'swimming pond' was a nice and unusual addition, the conventional pools were good also."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Schoone Oordt Country House

Schoone Oordt Country House

"Schoone Oordt Country House review"

2 nights Arrived 23 Feb 2017
"Schoone Ordt was exactly what we expected, a comfortable place for a short stay to break the journey.

The staff were friendly and helpful."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Good
Service
Good
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Hog Hollow Country Lodge

Hog Hollow Country Lodge

"Hog Hollow Country Lodge review"

4 nights Arrived 25 Feb 2017
"Hog Hollow was disappointing. The 'poor' rating reflects the fact that it isn't a cheap place to stay - similar in cost to Angala but not comparable in standard and not anywhere near as well looked after. The setting is stunning, but the lodge is let down by an apparent lack of maintenance and continual investment.

The chairs on the breakfast balcony were of the plastic garden variety, replaced during our stay by new Ikea - type plastic chairs, Our room was good internally and had a big balcony deck, which was spoilt as the trees in front were overgrown and obstructed the view. The only furniture on the very large deck was a small, worn and uncomforatble two seat garden 'sofa' (again rather like IKEA furniture). There was rubbish under the deck and a plastic bag caught in the tree in front of our balcony, possibly as a result of monkey mischief, but none of it was removed even after we told staff.

Some other people staying said it was 'lovely', others, like us, weren't impressed.

Four nights was too long for a stay here unless you wanted to visit rather artificial attractions such as monkey sanctuaries and 'elephant contact experiences' (we didn't)."
Poor
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Poor

Location
Good
Service
Average
Facilities
Poor
Rooms
Average
Food
Poor
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge

Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge

"Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge review"

3 nights Arrived 1 Mar 2017
"Kwandwe was wonderful, justifying the high cost of staying there. The main lodge and rooms were superb and the staff could not be more helpful. The food was excellent, requiring restraint to avoid eating too much! The restaurant staff were very attentive and dealt well with our food allergies.

The game drives were well guided and we had excellent viewing on each of our six drives.

We'd advise other travellers not to try to go direct from Kwandwe to the airport, as the drive back to Port Elizabeth was slow due to many roadworks - and it wouldn't be possible to take the last morning's game drive, which didn't return until well after 9 am.

We would go here again."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Hacklewood Hill Country House

Hacklewood Hill Country House

"Hacklewood Hill Country House review"

2 nights Arrived 4 Mar 2017
"Hacklewood Hill was what we expected, a good base for a short stay prior to flying home. The hotel had a lot of character albeit that some of the decor was a bit tired. The staff were friendly and helpful.

We were glad we chose to stay two nights here as that gave us a long day in the Addo Elephant park, which was a nice finish to the holiday."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Good
Service
Good
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Average
Food
Average

A really greast trip - highly recommended.

Namibia between 21 Jul 2009 and 7 Aug 2009

Trip rating: Excellent
"We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience."

Arranged By Sabina Hekandjo


Image alt

Terra Africa, Namibia (this camp has since closed)

"Terra Africa review"

1 night Arrived 22 Jul 2009
"Lots of character, welcoming and a great palce to start the trip"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Ondudu Safari Lodge

Ondudu Safari Lodge

"Erongo Wilderness Lodge review"

1 night Arrived 23 Jul 2009
"Lots of character again, and very striking location"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Okonjima Plains Camp

Okonjima Plains Camp

"Okonjima Main Camp review"

1 night Arrived 24 Jul 2009
"Perhaps slightly less 'character' than our first two camps, but we enjoyed the view room with outlook over the veld"
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Good
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Halali Camp

Halali Camp

"Halali Camp review"

2 nights Arrived 25 Jul 2009
"Rom OK, but camp as a whole lacked character. We were supposed to be in 'the honeymoon lodge' but were placed in a 'superior bush lodge' - Elephant I think - is this the same thing? Room was fine, but for 'honeymoon lodge' were expecting something special.

Dodn't take part in any activities"
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average

Location
Good
Service
Average
Rooms
Average
Food
Average
Okaukuejo Camp

Okaukuejo Camp

"Okaukuejo Camp review"

2 nights Arrived 27 Jul 2009
"Much better camp than Halali. Camp waterhole was brilliant. Would suggest 3 nights in Okakuejo better as a visit to Etosha than 2 in Halali and 2 in Okakuejo.

Didn't take any activities - driving around Etosha ourselves was fine"
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Good
Service
Average
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Average
Doro Nawas

Doro Nawas

"Doro Nawas review"

2 nights Arrived 29 Jul 2009
"The best of the camps we visited. Staff very welcoming, stunning location and great rooms.

Sleeping outside is highly recommended!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sam's Giardino

Sam's Giardino

"Sam's Giardino review"

1 night Arrived 31 Jul 2009
"A little more ordinary than some of our overnights, but Sam was a very good host.

Only drawback was distance from other Swakopmund restaraunts - not really OK to walk back at night. Suspect the food was very good but we'd pre-booked dinner at the Tug restaurant, which Id been to before."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Good
Service
Good
Rooms
Good
Kulala Desert Lodge

Kulala Desert Lodge

"Kulala Desert Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 1 Aug 2009
"Another very atmospheric camp in a stunning location. We didn't take any of the paid trips as we thought they were over-priced; £100 a head for a trip to the dunes was too much, especially when with a little more trouble you can drive yourself (and experience the dunes in more solitude!).

A general point is that Expert Africa could perhaps give a little more guidance on self guided trips from some of the lodges, as an alternative to those provided (at quite a high cost) by the camps themselves. The Namibia guidebook provided is good, but some personal hints and tips from Expert Africa would be very helpful.

I did raise one safety point in my feedback to the camp - the ladders to the roofs on the lodges (on which you can sleep otdoors) were not secured at the top and an accident is likely to happen eventually."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Average
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Zebra River Lodge

Zebra River Lodge

"Zebra River Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 3 Aug 2009
"A beautiful place - a surpising oasis in a stunning, rather arid, plateau and valley landscape. Marianne was a great host and we liked the way guests ate together in the evening, with a relaxed and informal atmosphere being helped along by the host.

The ownership was in the process of changing while we were there, hope the new owners don't change things too much."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Image alt

Hilltop House, Namibia (this camp has since closed)

"Hilltop House review"

1 night Arrived 5 Aug 2009
"I've marked this 'poor' because it was a disappointment compared to all the other palces we stayed. I think we were probably in one of the poorer rooms, but nonetheless the welcome was lukewarm (the only place where we weren't met personally by the managwer or owner).

No proper restaurant, we ordred a 'light meal' from room service which was tough grilled lamb chops and very plain bioled vegetables. Good meals in the hotel or lodge are important in Namibia - you couldn't entertain walking back from Windhoek restaurant at night, so someone would need to drive and therefore not drink. You don't really feel like getting the car out again after a few hundred kilometres on dirt roads!

(I compalined about the meal and we weren't charged for it, and gave the essence of this feedback diredt to the owner on check-out)"
Poor
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Poor

Location
Average
Service
Poor
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Poor
Food
Terrible

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