Reviews of trips to Windhoek
1100 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Windhoek.
"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
"Great trip overall"
Thank you Expert Africa!" Read full review: 24 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip
"The trip as a whole"
There were of course small snags, but no major problems. Among the snags:
- Waterberg seemed simply to ignore our presence; combined with the very Germanic tone of the place (and most of not all the other guests were German speaking), this made it the least friendly of the places we visited, and the only one we would not be willing to visit again.
- a pity we could not have the car we had booked (Nissan X-Trail) but th eventual substitute (Hyundai Tucson) was a goo, albeit slightly smaller, car.
- a pity that Europcar had n cool box for us - but we bought one without any difficulty
- we felt we could have been given more, and clearer, detail about exactly what was on offer at, particularly, Doro Nawas and Okonjima; the cost of staying at each of these is considerable, and that makes it more, not less, important to know what exactly are your options, and what you are (or are not) getting." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip
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Do not want to come back home!
Suggestions for improvement:
I can't think of any.
What I found the brochure is very informative and interesting. Useful way to broaden our horizons and to see on what to expect whilst planning our itinerary." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip
"A truly beautiful country"
It was good to be able to read other people's experiences on the website, I found that one of the most useful tools for selecting lodges, along with Gwynneth's good advice. I wouldn't change a single part of our holiday.
Namibia itself is a wonderful and varied country, the scenery is vast and ever-changing. The people we met were welcoming & seemed genuinely happy that we'd chosen Namibia to visit, their sense of humour, and good nature added to the whole enjoyment of the trip, not to mention the singing, even when doing the most mundane jobs. The birds, animals and night sky were a bonus.
Two of our party were vegetarian & we had no problems whatsoever with food, with notice it didn't seem to be a problem. My father was most impressed that you can buy Marmite in the supermarkets, and two lodges we stayed at even had it on the breakfast table!
I shall return one day, hopefully in the not too distant future & will happily use Expert Africa's services again.
Suggestions for improvement:
Keep doing what you're doing, it works very well." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip
"Memorable"
Fifteen days was not long enough to take it all in.
Suggestions for improvement:
We can't think of anything." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 10 on a Namibia trip
"A wonderful introduction to Namibia"
"Flying Chilli Peppers from Newcastle"
I enjoyed working out availiability with Susannah via email as we didn't book holiday until March and some camps were unavailable.
Our experience was that the vast majority of birds and animals were seen on the game drives and very little seen on the water. We realised how vital good guiding is to the whole experience.
Nambia and Botswana guideline booklets were very useful" Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 6 on a Botswana safari
"Almost the trip of a lifetime ......."
All that went well was all down to you and the few things that left something to be desired were other peoples' responsibility entirely.
We had a superb time overall, the good things heavily outweighed the not-so-good and the total impression was really positive. Like Zambia and Botswana 2 years ago, we did things we had never done before - dune climbing, kayaking, tracking animals on foot, dining on a Tug - and would really like to do them another time.
We look forward to another visit to Namibia in the future, it would be fascinating to see how the tourism business develops and how the country makes the most of its tremendous resources to delight its visitors.
Thanks again to all the team.
We can hardly wait for our next adventure with you" Read full review: 23 nights in Africa; 20 on a Namibia trip
Where to stay in Windhoek
Our suggestions for places to stay in Windhoek
Olive Grove
In a quiet Windhoek suburb, Olive Grove is one of our favourite guesthouses: stylish, with a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and excellent food.
Galton House
A cool stylish sanctuary in a quiet suburb of Windhoek, Galton House boasts a pool and a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Elegant Guesthouse
The Elegant Guesthouse is a friendly, comfortable establishment with a lovely, tranquil garden, and is a good choice for an overnight stay in Windhoek.
River Crossing
Secluded on a private game reserve between Windhoek and the international airport, River Crossing is a tranquil place to start or end a trip.
Villa Violet
Villa Violet is a friendly, owner-run guesthouse in a residential area of Windhoek, just a few minutes' drive from the city centre and numerous restaurants.
Haus Sonneneck
Haus Sonneneck was one of Windhoek's best pensions just a few minutes' drive away from the city centre, however it has now closed.
Weinberg Hotel
In a quiet upmarket suburb of Klein Windhoek, the stylish Weinberg has a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and luxury facilities.
Olive Exclusive
The Olive Exclusive is perhaps Windhoek's most luxurious boutique hotel but remains a friendly and unpretentious place to stay.
Heinitzburg Hotel
One of the oldest hotels in Windhoek, the Heinitzberg occupies a great hill-top location but can feel like a relic of a bygone era.
GocheGanas
For somewhere to really pamper yourself, Gocheganas Lodge & Spa offers wildlife combined with extensive wellness treatments.
Etango Ranch G. Farm
Etango offers simple, clean, comfortable accommodation and it’s the closest accommodation to Windhoek International Airport.
Immanuel Wilderness
Within easy reach of Windhoek, Immanuel Wilderness Lodge is a good overnight option for those who don't wish to stay in the city.
Sun Karros Daan Viljoen
Situated within the Daan Viljoen Nature reserve Sun Karros is a simple lodge with gentle game viewing and bird watching opportunities.
Omaanda
Omaanda offers luxury accommodation and wildlife viewing within easy reach of the international airport and Windhoek City.
Avani Windhoek Hotel
The Avani Windhoek Hotel and Casino lack the personal touch of Windhoeks smaller guesthouses but is well located in the heart of the city.
Hotel Thule
Windhoek’s Hotel Pension Thule offers stunning views across the city and a reputable in-house restaurant, within easy reach of the international airport.
Ti Melen
Overlooking Avis Dam, Ti Melen is on the outskirts of Windhoek, yet only 10-minutes from the city's amenities.
Desert Express
The Desert Express runs from Windhoek to Swakopmund on set departures. Recently this schedule has been somewhat erratic.
