Reviews of Lagoon Camp

"Coming from Lebala which was a just ok this place was a revelation. Set on the river with hippos the rooms were bigger than some places I have lived. The view from the comfy double bed was to die for and I wished I had spent the days at Lebala here. Indeed add a kitchen and interweb and I would not have left.

Game was great and despite having a change of guides both were great and we saw the wild dogs twice in two days. A mock charge from a tuskless female elephant was fantastic as was the zebra with the skin missing from its front right leg, our guide suspected the wild dogs were just not strong enough for this almost fully grown zebra but nothing more down to earth than how slender life is in the wild.

Overall a great camp and would love to go back. The flight back to Maun with just me and the pilot was an experience I loved as well, just be sure to tell the pilot you love flying and you get an amazing flight." See all these reviews: 13n in Botswana

"We arrived a few hours before the first summer storm, and lost a few hours game viewing but we had expected that. Game viewiing slightly disappointing, but that's the luck of the draw.

This must now be the Kwando flagship with outstanding accommodation and an extremely high level of hospitality under the highly effecient and personable Thuso'

Sugar was a cheerful and competent guide, and P.D an excellent tracker" See all these reviews: 13n in Botswana; 3n in Namibia

"All the Kwando staff were extremely friendly and welcoming. It was a joy to be stopping with them.

The guide (Bali) and tracker (Julius) were excellent, being very knowledgeable and going out of their way to ensure we saw the wild dogs . We also saw leopards and lions. The guide was always happy to stop and point out bird-life.

Safari vehicles were comfortable even with six on board, spread over three tiers. The guide was happy to remove the roof cover to give better viewing opportunities.

The camp is in a lovely setting and the rooms were excellent and very spacious. The food was plentiful and good quality.

It would have been useful if the company provided or the shop sold small field guides on the animals/birds found in Botswana." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana

"Nice to meet Tuso again (Lebala 2008). Good staff, who sang and danced beautifully on the Friday night.. Best room of the trip, although again it was a long way to the furthest room. Lovely, brand-new, Landcruiser, with very good guide and spotter (Bale and PD).

Wonderful wildlife, with the same pack of wild dogs that we saw 4 years ago. We even saw a sable (in the distance at the airstrip).

Lighting in the dining room better than in previous 2 camps - we could see what we were having for dinner." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana

"Of the 3 camps that we stayed at (Lebala, Lagoon, and Kwara), Lagoon was the nicest camp in terms of amenities.

However, of the 3 camps, Lagoon's game drives were the least exciting." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 1n in Zimbabwe

"The guide and trecker we had were excellent. On the first morning's drive the guide's intention was to find the pack of wild dogs which were known to be some distance away. On the way we encountered a pride of lions, went on to find the wild dogs and on the way back to the lodge the guide found us a leopard up a tree - all in the first morning. The guide was also perfectly happy to delay the return to the lodge if there was something worth seeing. In fact I found that this was the same at all the lodges I stayed at. They were not restricted by time constraints - if it was there you saw it however long it took.

In the afternoon we saw probably the same leopard on the ground trying to drag a dead baby elephant up a tree. After it gave up and went for a rest in a tree we left her in peace. Within 5 minutes we found another leopard. The next day the guide found yet another leopard in a different part of the reserve. Fantastic game viewing although he failed to find any Cheetahs." See all these reviews: 13n in Botswana

"After a rather smooth car transfer from Victoria Falls through the Zimbabwe-Botswana border, we boarded an 8-seater Moremi Air Cessna at Kasane airport. The flight to Lagoon Camp was far from being uneventful as I got sick despite the anti-motion- sickness pill I took preemptively. I managed to peruse the astounding landscape between the numerous bouts of nausea. The excruciating ordeal took 55 minutes and I was relieved when the old crate finally touched ground. We were welcomed by Paul (guide) and Julius (tracker) who briefed us succinctly prior to making it to the lodge.

The grounds of the camp are amazing and located on the banks of the Kwando River. Elephants and hippos could be seen from our deck overlooking the river. The tents were renovated in 2011. Although they are equipped with a huge bathroom and an even bigger bedroom, we found them too spacious and less comfy than the tents at Little Kwara. The food was always very tasty. I particularly liked the porridge served in the wee hours of the morning and cooked over the fireplace. All meals are taken at a communal table with the management and guides. This kind of interaction might not be to the liking of everyone but we enjoyed sharing our daily adventures with the other guests.

Each party is assigned to the same guide and tracker for the whole duration of the stay. Ours were efficient and keen on sharing their knowledge with us. It is my understanding that in order to work as a guide/tracker, they have to undergo a 6-12 month long training and attain a 75% success rate at the final examination. All of the camp's trackers were going to great lengths to spot lions, wild dogs, leopards or hyenas. They are in constant radio contact with each other and inform each other of their respective sightings. I appreciated the fact that the four cars being used in our part of the concession (the largest one in Botswana) were taking turns to get close to the animals. The most captivating of them, i.e. felids, wild dogs and hyenas, seemed indifferent to our presence and we were therefore able to get as close as it could get.

We got to see them all ... sometimes after considerable effort and time though. For instance, we drove for no less than 2 hours to track down the wild dogs pack. It also took us two hours to drive back to the camp ... but it was well worth it. Needless to say, the driving was bumpy and the guides did not hesitate a single second to enter the thick mopane. Brandnew cars were delivered to the lodge on the day of our arrival. We had the privilege of using them throughout our stay at Camp Lagoon. All cars were stripped of their canopy, something which Kwando takes pride in as it rightfully so enables keen photographers and birders to take pictures of optimal quality.

The day at Lagoon Camp is typically divided as follows: you get woken up at 5:00 a.m., join the other guests at the communal fireplace for breakfast at 5:30 a.m., head out for the first safari activity at 6:00 a.m., have a light snack consisting of cookies/tea/coffee around 8:30 a.m., proceed with the safari until brunch time at 10:30-11:00 a.m., relax in your tent until high tea at 4:00 p.m., leave the camp at 4:30 p.m. for the second safari activity only interrupted by the sundowner around 6:30 p.m., head back to the camp for dinner at 8:00 p.m. It should be noted that the length of the "siesta" is necessary due to the extreme heat at that time of the year, which forces animals to take refuge in the shade. This type of army-like regiment is well-functioning and you quickly get used to it. We also had the possibility of doing a boat safari on the Kwando River but chose to do it at Little Kwara instead. We liked the fact that guests could freely access the fridges behind the bar desk and help themselves to cold beverages, be it soda, beer or booze. While on safari, each car had a cooler with water and cans of soda. All possible contingencies were provided for. Also, laundry was included in the rate and all of our clothes were promptly returned to our tent the following morning or at the end of the very same day.

All in all, a flawless stay during which we met personable people, saw a considerable amount of various animals and enjoyed the camp's facilities, services and approach to safari." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe

"Again, a lovely camp in a beautiful location overlooking the lagoon.

All the staff were delightful and capable. Our guide, Spencer, was very knowledgeable and the tracker, Arron, was a delight. We did mention that we'd like a walk but this didn't happen, probably because we were sharing our activities with others. We had some wonderful animal moments, the outstanding one being a close encounter with the wild dogs - very special.

Nothing else to add about this one, really." See all these reviews: 7n in Namibia; 6n in Botswana

"We loved Lagoon Camp. We had the family room, which was huge, much bigger than we expected. Everything about this camp was perfect. The rooms are really beautiful and high quality with outdoor and indoor showers, lovely furnishings and incredible views over the lagoon - you can see to Namibia and elephants and hippos were frequently seen. The level of service really was outstanding, the staff come across as really genuinely friendly and keen to ensure we had the best time possible. Nothing was too much trouble and they could not have been nicer to Kirsty (12).

This was our first safari so it it difficult to compare, however in my view the wildlife viewing was exceptional. We saw an enormous variety of animals, and one of the best days of my life was when we saw a leopard with 2 cubs first thing in the morning, then wild dogs resting. Paul, our guide, then offered to change our plans to see if we could find the wild dogs hunting which we really wanted to do, and that was incredible. We followed them chasing 2 wart hogs and an impala, none of which they caught, which I was not too sorry about!

Then, on the way back, we saw the leopard and cubs again, up a tree (with a dead impala). The whole day was magical (although the dead impala was a bit gross!) and for me personally a dream come true. The boat trip was also a lovely change from the jeep safaris and by this time the guides were almost friends and we had such a laugh with them. It really did make it even more special for us.

The booklet given to guests to record the animals spotted is an excellent idea, and Paul, our guide, spent a considerable time with Kirsty on our last day going through the book to make sure she had recorded every animal we had seen, we really appreciated this.

All the staff were fantastic but Paul and James (guide and tracker) and Thuso (manager) were really outstanding and helped to make this a fabulous 2 days. The guide and tracker do an incredible job of tracking animals, their knowledge and experience are very evident and this added to the experience for us. We were really sorry to leave.

The only negative I would have about Lagoon is that there was some chemical in the pool that Kirsty turned out to be allergic to and gave her a rash on her face (we did narrow it down to the pool)." See all these reviews: 5n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia

"A luxurious camp in a beautiful setting. Tents are very luxurious. Good sighting of 2 herds of 30 -40 elephants.

Service a little less personal than little Kwara." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 3n in Zambia