Travel reviews by T&M from Queensland

"Excellent accommodation but rating "Good" because wildlife was a little disappointing.

The accommodation, food and service really was terrific by Nambian standards and to have two living spaces, one of which operated much like our own private photography hide would bring us back to Okinjima. June 2022 was early post-covid days so the only downside were some staff being more focused on tipping. We found this to be the case in most places we stayed throughout the 3 countries we visited, and is entirely understandable given people had very little or no economic support for 2 years.

Okinjima has conceded it can't sustain Cheetah conservation as the area is not natural cheetah habitat and reintroduction is not effective.....disppointing but understandable. That said, we applaud every effort to preserve wildlife in Nambia, and Okinjima is doing an excellent job with other species. Our guide there went above and beyond to ensure we saw brown hyena which was our only sighting in the six weeks we spent in Nambia.

We stayed at Okinjima for 2 nights/1 full day so while our only chance for a game drive was not as fruitful as we hoped, another couple staying there had terrific leopard, aardvark and pangolin sightings."

"The executive room at the Olive Grove is huge, has a beautiful view and is extremely comfortable. The staff are friendly and the restaurant food very good. I've also stayed in their standard room on a separate occasion and for short stays those rooms are also very comfortable, albeit a little smaller and less of a view.

Wifi is very reliable and the secure internal parking a must for Windhoek."

"Great staff at Hoodia and the full day Sossusvlei excursion is a must if you are staying here. Our guide Ennis was very knowledgeable about desert wildlife and with great skill found us spiders, shovel snouted lizards and an owl.

The guide will take you to a beautiful spot for lunch near a large weaver bird nest that will keep you thoroughly entertained during a fantastic lunch. This tour also includes an easy hike through the canyon at the end of the day that is worth doing.

The chalets at Hoodia are very private and have an outdoor shower option. We enjoyed its location on the banks of the Tsauchab and spent some time walking the river bed. Sunsets from the chalet were spectacular."

"Cornerstone is a fine short stay option. Convenient to the beach and downtown Swakopmund. Breakfast was good. Off street parking provided which is a must for this area.

We were located furthest from the main house so wifi was a little unreliable. It may be more reliable closer to reception.

The room was lovely, however the bathroom could've used a power point for a hair dryer."

"I can't rate the staff of Safarihoek highly enough. Titus, Teek and our 2 chefs couldn't have done more to make this our most memorable experience in Namibia. The food at Safarihoek was outstanding and easily the best we had while in Namibia. The manager, Queen, deserves a lot of credit as the whole team was by far the happiest, service oriented group we encountered.

The chalets all have views over one of the waterholes, they have private decks, a kitchenette and an outdoor shower. Everything was well laid out and very comfortable. The lodge itself is a beautiful, relaxed space to have a drink or a swim and view the waterhole.

We loved Safarihoek in June but suspect it will really shine in the drier months when more animals from Etosha are looking for water away from the Etosha crowds. The manmade waterholes here are very picturesque particularly compared to neighboring Etosha NP and it has an outstanding photography hide near one of them. It was interesting that given 7 years ago this was a hunting lodge, we saw so many of the elusive species here such as Eland and Rhino. We also expected the animals to be more skittish but they seem to be relaxing. As photographers we fully intend to return here."

"Everything you'd expect from an airport hotel. Early and late checkout and breakfast from 4am.

Quite a hike from international arrivals and not easy to find."

"Wildlife, food and service was excellent. Vicki and Wayne are really delightful hosts and the staff absolutely terrific.

The honeymoon suite was outstanding. Our only regret was that there was so much else to do here that we didn't have time to sleep in the alternative outdoor bedroom, under the stars in this suite. This chalet is located far from the lodge area with unobstructed views over the lagoon from 2 angles.

The three game drives per day (morning, afternoon/night) with Donald exceeded our expectations. We chose on 2 occasions to substitute the morning drive for walking safaris. The walks provide an alternative perspective focusing on smaller species and tracking knowledge, while your senses are heightened to the potential for encountering the larger animals. We came across a leopard and cubs on our first walk with our walking guide Meyam and elephants with our second walking guide, Innocent. Large animals are viewed from a safe distance. Both walking guides were excellent.

Lion Camp also has a very nice photography hide at lagoon level. Good in June but we can't comment on photography ops from the hide when the lagoon is dry."

"The location and photography facilities are outstanding and we will definitely stay here again.

Being located right on the river and the surrounding wildlife density, gave us a feeling of being in nature 24/7, rather than simply observing it at drive times. To this point, Kaingo accommodation is extremely comfortable and is also right in the nature experience, so don't expect boardwalks or TV and tea facilities in the room etc, as being so close to nature is exactly what makes this a magical place.

The 2 photography hides are very well located and having an additional private viewing deck of the Luangwa River attached to each suite provided maximum photography opportunities.

Our guide team Elias, Benson and Peter were exceptional. Mary, Ben, Catherine and Simon took great care of all our creature comforts.

Located quite close to Lion Camp, so safari drives will cover similar areas."

"Fine hotel for a short stay. Room is very small but food is good."

"If the focus is seeing the gorillas it's a good solution. I have stayed here twice, the last time was 6 years ago.

Nothing much has changed since then. The chalets are very large and the staff work hard to keep them looking good. It is very reasonable as a launch point to get to the park each day.

The fireplace in the chalet is really cosy, and the water always hot. Food is basic and buffet style. You can hire gators and gloves for the trek. Check credit card facilities with Expert Africa as Reception told us we could we pay with a credit card but on check out they said it wasn't possible."