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Traveller reviews

Travel reviews by Mr&Mrs L. from Paris

Review Distribution

Excellent
Good
Average
Poor
Terrible

Total number of trips

1

Countries visited

1

Lodges stayed in

11

Excursions taken

1

My May 2023 trip

Namibia between 21 May 2023 and 13 Jun 2023

Trip rating: Excellent
"It has been a stunning trip. Perfect weather ( winter time ). Very few visitors at this time of year and most outings we did, organised by the accommodations with private guides to track the animals, were for the two of us! Brilliant!

Being an independent traveller for many decades, I have always planned and organized myself my trips all over the world. I must say I do not regret a second having asked for Expert Africa's help in finding and booking all the different accommodations for so many nights,i.e. 21 nights, because it would have been very difficult in coordinating the schedule of the trip...I do not want to imagine the implementation of the international transfers after the problem I met with the bank of Expert Africa, located in London!

Tom Morris has been from beginning to end a highly knowledgeable and professional advisor. His choice of accommodation was excellent and in congruence with my budget. The standard of accommodation in Namibia ( even in "modest" places like Okaukuejo ) is excellent, beyond expectation. Of course I would not have minded putting up at luxurious lodges every night !!!
Through Expert Africa, we rented a car for our self drive trip. When we met with a problem with Europcar ( picking up a car with a small damage on a door at the airport ), Tom answered me on the spot and got in touch with the general manager of Europcar in Windhoek to make sure we would not be charged for. I did appreciate his rapidness and help .
Expert Africa website is absolutely excellent. And the information leather pack, along with the guidebook, the map we got before the trip is very good.

Now I have to talk about the BIG problem I met with the transfer of money. from my bank to Expert Africa's bank.
My bank followed all the instructions given by Expert Africa SCRUPULOUSLY.
The two payments prior to the trip should have remained in euros for the whole transaction, between my bank and their bank. For an unknown reason, the payments were AUTOMATICALLY converted into UK currency before being converted into euros, no matter how hard they tried!
It was a real hassle, completely stressful, time consuming AND financially infuriating! I was charged an amount of 194€ for fees!

I have recommended Expert Africa very highly to several French travellers. But I wouldn't like them to experience the same predicament. I would not like them to reproach me with that.

As said before, carry on with transmitting your expertise and passion for Africa ."

Feedback response

We are very sorry that the payment process for this booking was not as straightforward as we would have expected. We work hard to try and limit payment problems for our travellers but sadly on rare occasions, they persist. We continually review our accepted payment methods and instructions to further reduce such issues.

Arranged By Tom Morris


Villa Violet

Villa Violet

"Villa Violet review"

2 nights Arrived 22 May 2023
"As we arrived quite late because of the hassle with Europcar and as we had no GPS yet, we got lost in the dark,but a lovely local driver was kind enough to show us the way to Villa Violet.

Lovely guest house, very well equipped, lovely staff who suggested we could be delivered our dinner directly at our place.

A place to be highly recommended ."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch

Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch

"Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch review"

1 night Arrived 24 May 2023
"One of the best accomodations during those three weeks.

Wish we would have spent another night so that we would have done an outing with their guides in their private park..

Their dinner was one of the best we have had.Excellent food and atmosphere.

Their shop was oustanding. A wide range of beautiful items, reasonably priced. I did not find the equivalent anywhere else.

Highly recommended."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Desert Camp

Desert Camp

"The desert for ourselves in Desert Camp"

3 nights Arrived 25 May 2023
"Desert camp is excellent, Sossuvlei Lodge restaurant is terrible.

Desert Camp itself is great for sleeping , enjoying the stunning view from our bungalow , feeding the dozens of birdies living in the huge nest in the tree next door. Nothing luxurious but super clean and comfortable. Happy to be there and not at Sossusvlei Lodge !Actually, although there is a compact lock up kitchen outside the room and a BBQ, you don't feel like buying your food and cooking.

So for breakfast and dinner, you have no other choice than patronizing the only place around ,that is Sossusvlei Lodge , a rather ugly, pretentious building by the way.They do not deserve the name of "Lodge".And this is the problem.We are captives as there is nowhere else to eat! !

Nowhere else in Namibia, for three whole weeks, have we eaten so badly.Maybe groups are happy with the grub but I doubt independent travellers are !The managers do not care...They cater for SO MANY "guests" that they cannot not care less about the quality of the food : tough, sinewy BBQ meat the three dinners, potatoes not enough cooked , nearly raw one night...Their cocktails ( Mojito) were a shame (merely fizzy water )."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Terrible
Ballooning in the Namib Desert

Ballooning in the Namib Desert

"Exhilarating"

26 May 2023 • Morning excursion

Absolutely fabulous !Run by a most professional company , the flight is from beginning to end a magic experience out of the world.

I insist on the competence and professionalism of the crew ( safety advice, very few people in the basket...).A world of a difference with a prior ballooning experience in Lao with a Chinese company !!!

The breakfast set in the middle of the desert with champagne and gorgeous homemade food was outstanding.

Only "negative" point: Namib Sky Balloon Safaris have stopped operating a shuttle between Sossusvlei Desert Lodge and their place.
Excellent
Cornerstone Guesthouse

Cornerstone Guesthouse

"Cornerstone Guesthouse review"

3 nights Arrived 28 May 2023
"Lovely,quietand comfy guesthouse set very conveniently at walking distance from restaurants and shopping.

Beautiful garden with birds . We found out they had taken the initiative of washing our car in the early morning, which we were grateful for !

Delicious breakfast.

They booked for the outing in the desert "The little five" through a company they know and as there was no other people, we had the guide ( so knowledgeable and competent in tracing the reptiles and lizards...) for ourselves ."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Terrace Bay

Terrace Bay

"Terrace Bay review"

1 night Arrived 31 May 2023
"We absolutely loved the atmosphere and the setting of that northern ,far away , isolated Camp.There were only the two of us that night in the entire place and it felt surrealistic.

Spacious chalet set very conveniently near the restaurant where we had a very good dinner .Nice staff."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Twyfelfontein Country Lodge

Twyfelfontein Country Lodge

"Twyfelfontein Country Lodge review"

3 nights Arrived 1 Jun 2023
"Excellent impression of Twyfelfontein Country Lodge.

(Sossusvlei Lodge should take a lesson on how to run a place and provide excellent services , good food even when having numerous guests ).
Lovely, comfy, spacious room facing the savannah,with hungry lovely birds, colourful lizards and desert mice.

A real boutique with beautiful artifacts would be a bonus !.

The 2000-year old rock engravings close to the lodge and along the walking trail are in MUCH better condition than the official ones and FREE !

Numerous beautiful welwitschia plants also for free .It saves you the 350 Namibian dollars of the "famous" but so far away Welwitschia drive near Swakopmund.
Here, you just walk a few hundred meters !

The outing to trace the desert elephants and giraffes is not to be missed."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Okaukuejo Camp

Okaukuejo Camp

"Okaukuejo Camp review"

2 nights Arrived 4 Jun 2023
"Very good experience of the Camp.I had low expectations and thus was pleasantly surprised.Not luxurious but conveniently located near the pan.( 2mns'walk from our chalet).It was quite big, and beds as usual very comfortable.

Good food.

Very quiet at this period of year."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Good
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Mushara Lodge

Mushara Lodge

"Super stay at Mushara"

2 nights Arrived 6 Jun 2023
"We loved every bit of our stay in Mushara, and its stylish decor.Nice proper swimming pool with real deck chairs. Extremely nice staff.Nice shop.Delicious food and comfortable and spacious thatched bungalow.

The outing to Etosha with the guide was great as he was able to spot cheetahs and lions !"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Okonjima Plains Camp

"Okonjima Plains Camp review"

2 nights Arrived 8 Jun 2023
"Okonjima Plains camp is a great place to be highly recommmended.

We were delighted by the huge glass windows of our Standard Room. From our bed, we could see animals roaming in the bush.

Very good food, excellent service.

Stunning successful trackings of leopards and the day after of the white rhinos with one of their competent guides.Among the best experiences we have ever had ."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Waterberg Wilderness Lodge

Waterberg Wilderness Lodge

"Waterberg Wilderness Lodge review"

1 night Arrived 10 Jun 2023
"Wish we would have stopped at this place first on our way to Okonjima Plains Camp and then proceed directly from there to Windhoek.That would have saved us some driving .The Lodge is miles away and the 20 kms track not good .

Does not deserve the name of "Lodge". Haven't experienced "the warmth and humour of the managers".Did not come up to our expectations.

We were only four guests that night .Food is more than average, breakfast is reduced to a strict minimum ( the only place in 21 nights with no toaster which would have been nice for the bread they serve !).

The surroundings are nice and the walk around pleasant to see baboons, kudus ...
All in all , not worth the detour !"
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average

Location
Average
Service
Average
Activities
Poor
Rooms
Average
Food
Average
Etango Ranch Guest Farm

Etango Ranch Guest Farm

"Etango Ranch Guest Farm review"

1 night Arrived 11 Jun 2023
"Ideally situated next to the airport when you have an early flight ."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Average

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