Reviews of trips to Swakopmund & Walvis Bay
935 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Swakop' & Walvis Bay.
"Memories of Namibia"
Wildlife was a key reason for going and we were not disappointed. There are some things I think we should have done differently in hindsight; firstly we should have gone for a bigger car - the guides state that the roads are excellent and the tarred roads are exactly that. The gravel roads where we mostly drove though are rutted and in part quite dangerous and our mid-sized car had problems. Some days we drove 6+ hours with big 4x4s fyling past, we should have gone for a bigger car.
Secondly - we should have taken advice and stayed at somewhere other than Waterberg which was no where near as good as we expected.
Finally - we underestimated the time it would take to travel between locations, down to the roads again." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip
"Feedback to Expert Africa"
However I do feel that you as a company could give more tips - i.e I asked about what shoes to wear and If i hadn't I would not have taken my walking shoes which I wore 90% of the time _ this is invaluable info. I also asked about hairdryers and washing - invaluable. It would also have been nice to have know how safe it is to pick up travellers or to know about areas to visit on the way. ON the way to MOwani there are loads of villargers on the side of the roads selling there wares, you could visit the Brandenberg mountains _ I feel that because you gave us the Brandt book you thought it was ok but we are such busy people we cannot read the whole book before we go.. a few tips would have been nice and would have made the difference.
I do not understand why we were put in Kulala Lodge as it really didn't fit our spec and we were really disappointed with Swakopmund, we did not feel safe and it was pretty awful really!
Whenever I asked for help and advice Tracy and Sabina in Tracy's absence was great but you could have just made all the difference by adding those bits to your notes for travellers - also bits like how much to tips your guides, how much to tip petrol attendants when they wash your windows or car park attendants etc.
WE did have a wonderful wonderful holiday though so great great thanks to Tracey for organising it all so well." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip
""
We were impressed by the high standard of accommodation and the care taken to made them fit into the landscape and the privacy afforded to each cabin.
We can't stop without a word about the singing and drumming. What a sound and enthusiasm from all the staff ( we wondered if we were going to get fed one night as no one seemed to want to stop.)
A magical holiday.
Suggestions for improvement:
We were very happy with the service you provided. Your company seems to have a good reputation in Namibia both with people we met and with accommodations we stayed in.
PS. Best wishes from Florencia to Sabina." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip
"Brilliant"
We would recommend this trip to other people.
However, don't let your credit card out of your sight as ours was cloned and money withdrawn. We are not sure where this happened but definitely not any of the places we stayed." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip
"Namibia - fantastic trip"
Some of the long drives between places are a bit boring, in particular the one from Sossusvlei to Swakopmund.
If we ever went to Namibia again, the only things we would do differently are:
- stay in Windhoek on arrival, so that we don't have a long drive on the first day
- hire a 4-wheel drive vehicle, instead of a saloon car. The car was fine on most of the roads, but some roads are very rutted and bumpy, particularly the private roads to some of the lodges
- take a bird book." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip
"General feedback"
One blot on the copy book was our NWR bookings had all been cancelled. Sossus Dune Lodge: the manager managed to sort things out for us without any hassle on our part. Okaukuejo: we spent over an hour checking in and had to ring the Wilderness Safaris out-of-hours contact no. to sort things out. Eventually we were given a standard double room instead of the Water-hole Chalet which we'd paid for. Namutoni: we had asked Wilderness Safaris to sort this out before we got there, and check-in was fine." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 18 on a Namibia trip
"Namibia Trip Summary"
A fascinating country with so much of interest, coupled with good service and great places to stay." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip
""
We were unable to take any cultural tours as kids were not allowed on the options we were interested in and I did feel that our overall content lacked more indigenous cultural content and we were left with questions without a venue to ask them." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip
"Namibia Sep 08"
Suggestions for improvement:
Just one - the travel notes say that an adaptor for South Africa and Namibia is hard to find, and it may be better to take a UK power lead and re-wire it to a local plug. This isn't very helpful, because most power leads for battery chargers and shavers have sealed plugs, so you can't disconnect them without damaging them. However, I think the adaptors are becoming more widely available - I found them at Nomad Travel shops, at Selfridges, on Amazon, at Heathrow and at Johannesburg Airport, and if I'd kept looking no doubt I would have found them in lots of other places." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 18 on a Namibia trip
"Best holiday we have ever been on."
Suggestions for improvement:
I would suggest that the drive from Zebra River to Swokopmund was one of the most boring parts of the holiday. The main road could have been avoided if we had a permit to drive fhrough the national park. In reterospect we should have picked one of these up in Windhoek so we could do this.
An excellent geological fieldguide about Namibia is "The Roadside Geology of Namibia, 2nd Revised Edition" by Gabi Schneider (2008, ISBN 978-3-443-15084-6). It is far superior than "A fascination of geology" recommended by the Brant guide.
Detour to the Hobra meteroite was well worth it.
If going again we would spend less time in Swokopmund, and more time in the bush.
Purchased goods are entitled to a VAT refund at Windhoek airport if you have the invoice handy, although you have to give them your bank details.
Camera tripod was the best thing we took with us, for timer photos of us and night shots of the game," Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 18 on a Namibia trip
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Inspire meWhere to stay in Swakop' & Walvis Bay
Our suggestions for places to stay in Swakopmund & Walvis Bay
Cornerstone Guesthouse
Cornerstone Guesthouse is a small friendly B&B in a peaceful residential area. It's just a short walk from Swkopmund's waterfront & amenities.
Sam's Giardino
Welcoming, professionally run, and mildly eccentric, Sam’s Giardino lifts the level of hospitality in Swakopmund to unusual heights.
Strand Hotel
One of the larger hotels in Swakopmund, the Strand is well-placed on the seafront with good access to restaurants and the centre of town.
The Stiltz
Not your typical guesthouse, The Stiltz occupies a glorious location over the Swakop River on the edge of Swakopmund.
Villa Margherita
Villa Margherita is a beautifully renovated B&B in the heart of Swakopmund, with comfortable, well-appointed rooms, and friendly and attentive staff.
Beach Lodge
Right on the sea front, Beach Lodge offers good standard accommodation and its own restaurant, 15 minutes’ drive from Swakopmund.
Lagoon Lodge
Lagoon Lodge is a quirky little guesthouse located right on the edge of Walvis Bay Lagoon, a good spot for watching the flamingoes that frequent the area.
The Delight
Colourful and contemporary in style, The Delight is a relatively large hotel within a short walk of Swakopmund's waterfront, restaurants and main attractions.
Swakopmund Guesthouse
Swakopmund Guesthouse is a family-run B&B, boasting comfortable and high-quality rooms with a maritime touch.
Brigadoon
In a quiet residential location, Brigadoon is conveniently located for the Swakopmund waterfront and amenities.
Hansa Hotel
With a very central location in Swakopmund, the traditional Hansa Hotel is reliably good, though it is quite formal.
Secret Garden
Secret Garden Guesthouse is well located in the centre of Swakopmund not far from the sea. With a seaside feel, it has its own small restaurant and bar.
Sea Breeze
Just north of Swakopmund, the delightful Sea Breeze Guesthouse is bright and well-looked after with welcoming and helpful owners.
Organic Square
Organic Square is a modern guesthouse across two properties in the centre of Swakopmund.
Cornerstone Apartments
Cornerstone Guesthouse’s three self-catering apartments, each in its own unique location, work well for families or groups of travellers seeking space & privacy within a comfortable, contemporary setting.
Desert Breeze
Not your typical Swakopmund guesthouse, Desert Breeze occupies a glorious location overlooking the Swakop River and the desert beyond.
Pelican Point Lodge
Pelican Point Lodge sits on a remote peninsula offering panoramic views of the ocean and is only accessible by 4WD or boat.
Namib Guesthouse
The Namib Guesthouse is a small, modern B&B, set in Swakopmund's peaceful Kramersdorf area. It's just a short walk from the coast and many amenities.
Oyster Box Guesthouse
Oyster Box Guesthouse is a small, modern and comfortable B&B, overlooking Walvis Bay Lagoon.
Pearls Beach Pods
With a beachfront location, superb sea views and easy access to the amenities of Swakopmund, The Pearls Beach Pods combine privacy with a high standard of luxury.
