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Traveller reviews

Travel reviews by John from Braintree

Review Distribution

Excellent
Good
Average
Poor
Terrible

Total number of trips

1

Countries visited

3

Lodges stayed in

11

Excursions taken

0

My May 2022 trip

Namibia and 2 other countries between 18 May 2022 and 9 Jun 2022

Trip rating: Excellent
"Excellent: it lived up to expectations, after the two year wait caused by Covid, we thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. Everything ran very smoothly, all of the lodges were good and we saw nearly all of what we hoped to see!

The food was generally very good but we did notice that when we went from one Wilderness Safaris Lodge to another the food options were rather similar because they seemed to work off the same menus!

In retrospect, we would have liked three nights somewhere. Perhaps at Ongava? If we were to have cut a destination it would probably have been one of Nxamaseri or Kazile Island Lodge where you are in both cases on the river, although we liked them both in their different ways.

The driving was generally OK but we did have three long days of driving early on almost wholly on untarred roads. Later on in Caprivi the roads were excellent. We got one puncture - caused by a screw and not the roads!

Whilst we were warned it would be cold at night it was more than that. In a lot of places it did not warm up until the afternoon, when it did become hot. We happened to encounter a lot of windy days which made it worse. On game drives you are perched up in an open sided vehicle and so the airspeed makes the cold seem much worse than the temperature would suggest. We took fleeces and gilets but a wind proof coat would have been better than a fleece. That said May still seemed a good time to go, however, because it was before the coldest time, and after the rainy season, and the lodges were not very busy and so there were no big crowds on the game drives.

Star attractions:
- Sesriem and the dunes
- Damaraland and the Daro Nawas lodge
- Ongava
- Muchenje"

Arranged By Tom Morris


Villa Violet

Villa Violet

"Villa Violet review"

1 night Arrived 19 May 2022
"Convenient location and very good rooms.

The owner was very helpful with advice."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Good
Service
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Kulala Desert Lodge

Kulala Desert Lodge

"Kulala Desert Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 20 May 2022
"Everything was good.

We particularly appreciated the log fire in the evenings.

Our guide was fantastic."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Villa Margherita

Villa Margherita

"Villa Margherita review"

2 nights Arrived 22 May 2022
"The staff were slightly less friendly than elsewhere and the location is not very convenient for the restaurants which are generally closer to the sea.

A lot of people only stay one night in Swapokmund, but whilst there is not too much to do there but we were happy to have a quiet day in the town after a full on few days with early starts and two long drives."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average

Location
Average
Service
Average
Rooms
Good
Food
Average
Doro Nawas

Doro Nawas

"Doro Nawas review"

2 nights Arrived 24 May 2022
"We loved the layout and design of the lodge and the staff were very good.

Dinner on the upstairs terrace was very atmospheric as was wheeling out the beds to sleep under the stars."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Ongava Tented Camp

Ongava Tented Camp

"Ongava Tented Camp review"

2 nights Arrived 26 May 2022
"The staff were very friendly and we very much enjoyed the surprise candle lit barbecue dinner under the stars in the bush.

The guide was excellent.

Could have stayed longer."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Onguma Tented Camp

Onguma Tented Camp

"Onguma Tented Camp review"

2 nights Arrived 28 May 2022
"More formal and less friendly than Ongava.

Guides less good."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Good
Service
Average
Activities
Average
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Taranga Safari Lodge

Taranga Safari Lodge

"Taranga Safari Lodge review"

1 night Arrived 30 May 2022
"Very convenient location.

Excellent staff and enjoyable sunset cruise."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Nxamaseri Lodge

Nxamaseri Lodge

"Nxamaseri Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 31 May 2022
"Very good friendly staff and excellent guide.

It was cold and windy in the tent and in the communal areas.

Better birds than the Caprivi."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Excellent
Kazile Island Lodge

Kazile Island Lodge

"Kazile Island Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 2 Jun 2022
"The communal areas were cold and windy.

Rooms good. Guide was good.

Wonderful evening drive with view of very large herd of elephant."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Muchenje Safari Lodge

Muchenje Safari Lodge

"Muchenje Safari Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 4 Jun 2022
"Very nice friendly place to stay.

Owners/Managers very much present and involved.

Fantastic guide and excellent game viewing."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Batonka Guest Lodge

Batonka Guest Lodge

"Batonka Guest Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 6 Jun 2022
"Quite a long way from town centre but otherwise excellent."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Average
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good

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