Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs B from Bucks.

"The information provided by Expert Africa did a superb job of preparing us for this Lodge.

It was a comfortable drive from the airport and the welcome was both warm and informative. The lodge manager was away but the relief managers Kubus and his wife Martha were excellent and could not do enough to make us comfortable, especially in helping me get medical help when I needed it.

Some of the tents, including the one allocated to us have been upgraded and there were some problems such as the door blowing open in high wind due to a poor fit. The problems will be sorted out very soon. The location is stunning and the guides Johnny and Culis did an excllent job in helping us get the most from our stay. Food was of a high standard and eating out under the stars a delight. Timo and Baliria in the resturant were attentive and friendly.

The nature drive is just that, but this understates the beauty of the area and the photographic opportunities it presents. We could easily have spent more time here and would return without hesitation.

All tents have good views but No 10 is the one to go for!"

"Having been here before we knew what to expect. The setting is absolutely stunning and the rooms generously proportioned. The main building is an example of what might be called stark architecture and not to everyone's taste but since you don't spend a lot of time in it, not a problem.

The staff were helpful and friendly and always responsive to our needs. The main reason for visiting was to see the Desert Elephants which we did with guide Wilhelm and fortunately had the vehicle to ourselves. Wilhelm found the Oscar group for us some way from the lodge in a beautiful area where he obligingly took us pretty much where we wanted to go. On the return he took us to see some of the beautiful landscapes of the area which merit a visit on their own.

The restaurant operates operates a buffet for the main meal and the the food was adequate rather than exciting but perfectly acceptable. The cost of the morning game drive is higher than other lodges we used but since we had exclusive use of the vehicle was acceptable. Overall the return visit was well justified but attention to some small details could easily raise the bar to place it in the excellent category."

"Though we have been to Etosha before we were looking forward to visiting this new camp. The reviews from other guests raised our expectations of this camp but in reality were only partially met. The first impression is that the camp is set in a beautiful location. This is both an asset and a draw back. The setting is stunning, though as other guests have pointed out the amount of walking and the gradient of the paths make it difficult if not impossible for some visitors to use. We were allocated to the room we requested, room 14 which did indeed have a distant view of the waterhole from the balcony but it is also at the extreme end of the camp.

In theory there is a golf cart available to take you up and down to the restaurant and car park but this was not always available. Carrying several kilos of camera equipment in temperatures up to 33 was challenging and made a quick visit back to room from the restaurant, unrealistic. At the time of our stay one cart was out of action and with all tents occupied there was much competition for the transport.

In our view the pathways were badly designed being only just wide enough for the golf cart. There was insufficient room for guests and cart to pass each other. To compound the situation the cart driver a gentleman called Natalwie was often surly and on one occasion plain rude. If I had been able to establish who exactly was in charge I would have made a formal complaint.

That said the other staff we met, Maria in the restaurant, the barman and Moo were superb and seemed to take responsibility for things that rightly belonged at higher level. Whilst we had a formal welcome we never established who was actually in charge. The camp seemed lacking in leadership.

Given the amount of space available we found the rooms surprisingly small. Most of the space was taken up with a double bed with just enough room for us to walk round it. The balcony was nice and the views of the bush superb.

The facility of having access to the private part of the park should not be understated. There are several waterholes near by that provide superb viewing opportunities. We had to learn the hard way what they could offer as there was no information available nor anyone to ask about how to get the best out of the area and the wildlife sightings.

Whilst many of our comments are negative this should be balanced with the potential this camp offers, which is huge. There could be many reasons why we encountered some problems but I hope the comments might help to ensure they are addressed for the future."

"A return visit for us to the main camp and one with which we were not disappointed. The accommodation had just been upgraded on our last visit in 2007 and it has stood up well. The bush chalet was literally just across the road from the waterhole which is still the centerpiece of the camp.

Facilities are good and the restaurant, given that it is geared to catering for a large number of people, was good. The flat fee for a three course meal is not outrageous but is not flexible to cater for those of us who only want two courses. The buffet is self service but the staff on duty were always helpful especially in getting us settled to their way of working.

The waterhole is a never ending source of pleasure especially at night where we got good sightings of Elephant, Rhino and Lions as well as plains game. It can still be noisy at night but improved as the night wore on."

"The camp was just as good as we remembered it having been there in 2007. The accommodation was good though we were at the furthest point to the waterhole so at night some people may feel more comfortable in using the car than walking. It operates in much the same way as Okaukuejo and similarly the restaurant and other facilities are similar and much the same - a quite adequate standard.

The waterhole is good and best for photography in the morning or at night. The seating though is pretty poor being on a few hard benches or on very uneven rocks. It would not take too much investment to improve this situation and make it both safer and more comfortable for guests. It was still an enjoyable stay with good wildlife sightings and several waterholes in the vicinity."

"A new camp for us and was the completion of our west to east transit of Etosha. It is well located near the Von Linquist Gate and you can even drive to it on tarmac. The tents are very good and the camp facilities are excellent.

We were welcomed by the manager Erasmus and his wife and over the three nights we stayed met some excellent staff who were a pleasure to talk to and who did everything they could to make us comfortable. Eating under the stars was superb and the food the best we had on the whole trip. With hindsight it might have paid us to have had a game drive at the camp to get local knowledge of the animals and best waterholes but having sole use of the car was beneficial in giving us maximum flexibility over what and how much we did."

"The first impression when arriving at the gate is of a place of maximum security but of course there are good reasons for this. On our last trip we stayed at the Bush Camp but this time had a view room at Main Camp. It proved an excellent choice and was a large room with a beautiful picture window of the bush and mountains. The room facilities were excellent and given the amount of time we planned to spend in it was more than adequate for our needs.

We used the activities to the full and had a super guide, Jonas, who took good care of us but also went out of his way to secure good animal sightings especially when tracking Leopard. For us the the animal sighting of the trip was here when we found TJ and a beautiful 8 yr old male who ate his dinner of Kudu whilst we enjoyed our sundowner next to him. That day we had sightings of five Leopard which was just great.

Service in the boma was good and the food amongst the best if only it had been hot when we got it."

"This was an excellent start to our Safari. It is a camp in a stunning location and gave us a very warm welcome. The whole area is one of great variety and is beautiful.

Michele and Bryan could not have done more to make our stay a real pleasure and the drive with Derek Shenton was excellent as he understands what photographers/videographers need by way of light and positioning. The guides, ours were Mayam and Gondwe , were very good and did all they could to help get us the best shots and video film. We especially enjoyed the night safaris and had some great Leopard and Lion sightings including some 16 Lions drinking togther at a water hole.

The much advertised hides are superb. We used both the Hippo and Bird hides to great effect especilly when two male Hippos had an almighty fight right in front of us. A relatively new feature is for each room to have its own deck overlooking the river and this was a superb way of relaxing after the morning drive and having lunch privately.

The accommodation is not new but very comfortable. The only down side is washing in safe, but brown water. At first it felt that daily life was organised round the food of which there was plenty (too much?) and not the wildlife ,but Michele responded to this and made changes.However we could not help but wonder if a buffet style of meal would be helpful in that tourists could choose how much they wanted and it might also mean that Michele and Bryan would have an undisturbed meal occiasionally instead of waiting on us.

The main problem I had was with being placed in a truck with what I call maching gun photographers. Video which is my main choice and makes no impact on photographers, but photographers can and did ruin video soundtrack by the noise of their shutter in burst mode. There is no easy answer to thus unless you have your own truck. Even if the camp has enough vehilces the cost is often prohibitive. I discussed this with derek Shenton who undertood the problem and changes of seating were made where possible but this issue is something which other camps might think about when deciding who goes on which truck. Equally I should ahve been more explicit in the planning."

"We cannot speak highly enough of the care and attention that Babette and Phil put into running this camp and its activities.It has a real family feel and Babette goes to considerable lengths to make the stay special even on the sundowner stops. Babette makes meal times are a real event with plenty of conversation and of course outstanding food. The intimate nature of the camp means that you do actually feel part of the place. If you love Africa then you are always welcome here.

We were full of admiration for Babette and Phil with the way they coped with everyone's wishes even though we thought some guests were being totally unreasonable. We were also impressed by the number of tourists making repeat visits which speaks volumes for the quality and draw of the camp.

Phil as guide and driver carries a huge responsibility and does it with aplomb. His many years of guiding experience and his love of the Luangwa shines through. The bush walks were welcome as a way of getting some exercise but particularly for learning about the bush. In order to meet guest's desire to get close to the wildlife Phil has developed combined walks and drives to meet every need. Wildlife may not be as plentiful as in some other areas but the relative exclusivity of this part of the park means you are not competing with other camps to see it.

We leaft as friends and very much hope to return."

"What an absolutely delightful camp. Sarah's number one place scoring 10/10. [Ed: 'Sarah' is half of this couple, travelling together!]

The situation is wonderful right on the Zambezi. The room was very comfortable with great facilities. The staff were extremely attentive without invading personal privacy. We loved the boat trip combined with the night safari. The guide Morat, was superb and we had our best daylight sighting of leopard here.

Unlike some smaller camps this one has two vehicles which gave more flexibility. Liana and Etienne could not have done more to make us comfortable and the view from room 3 straight onto the river was superb.

The only one downside was that we wish we could have stayed longer!"

"There is no doubt that the accommodation we had in the Cassia suite was superb, way beyond luxury though given the price we thought that we might have been given more choice for example on the food. There was no choice of menu. This is not to say that what we had was poor, the opposite in fact, it was excellent but we had what we were given.

Whilst the inital welcome was warm it was not very informative for example about what choices we had on activities other than we knew we could not have a dedicated vehicle which we had not expected anyway.

Joseph our butler was such a lovely man who could not do enough to make our stay a happy one. Never having had a butler before we almost felt guilty in asking him to do things for us.

The view of the river was beautiful though when the Hippo start calling just after three in the morning you may wish for a room futher up the Chongwe river. In its brochure the camp prides itself on organising things round you not the needs of the camp. In fact we found the opposite. In part this was a factor of being in the self contained Cassia suite at the opposite end of the camp to the general dining area. This meant we did hear about what was going on. Communication, particularly about activities, was not good. The issues were raised with Florence (Flossie) and she did respond as best she could given the circumstances. This was meant to be the highlight of the holiday for us but apart from the accommodation, it fell short of the expectations.

We had some wonderful Lion sightings of three males but apart from this the volume of wildlife was low with several "very quiet" drives. The park itself is very varied and has some really beautiful habitat. Guest should be prepared though for a 20 min or so very bumpy ride up into the park as it is on the opposite side of the chongwe river to the camp."

"Having been to the falls previously we knew what to expect and the Hotel did not let us down. It is a step up from the Zambezi Sun and it was really nice to have the easy access to the falls.

Water levels are lower this year than when we were here previously. If you wished it was possible to walk across the river to the top of the falls. We took the river Safari organised by Wildernes Safaris which was very relaxing and enjoyable giving us sightings of lots of wildlife and of course those spectacular sunsets. I have read previous comments on the web site about the hotel and I would agree that wine is far too expensive but we overcame this by having a glass not a bottle.

The staff were excellent when we were there, attentive without being over bearing. I was dissappointed to see and hear some tourists, not Brits, being in my view very rude but to their credit staff ignored it and behaved superbly. Finally the question of rooms.

Yes they are perhaps a bit smaller than you might expect from a 5* hotel but overall the facilities are very good and the price is good value, especilly compared to what some lodges cost."

"We opted for this lodge on the basis of a very good recommendation. If anything that was possibly understated. The situation of the lodge on the top of an escarpment is superb overlooking the Chobe river and into Namibia. It has real wow factor.

The welcome from Rod and Kathy and JJ was as warm as toast and they together with the guides could not do enough to make our stay enjoyable. The park is full of wildlife and the river is a never ennding source of facination. We particularly liked the all day river trip, so much so that we did it agian the nest day. We were also lucky enough to meet the parents of the owner who were on a visit. You can see the passion that they have for Africa and it was really interesting to hear from them some of the obstacles they had to overcome to get the Lodge operational.

The evening drive bceame a bit of a chase as it is necessary to be out of the park by 6.30 but of course this is down to the tourist as the driver would continually be asked to stop. This was recognised whilst we were there and some changes to timing may ensue. Finally I unfortunatly left my moblie phone behind in the safe when we left. A message was give to the driver who took us to the airport and by the time we got to Duba Plains several days later I had a reply that it had been found and would be with the Wilderness representative when we got to Maun airport. It was . How is that for service? In summary this is a splendid place to get the maximum from the Chobe area. I cannot see how you could be anything less than delighted."

"A very different environment to our previous lodge. For more than 20 years the Linyanti area has been dry but this year it is full of water. Photographically the area is stunning.

The camp is smaller and more intimate than some and very well organised by Noreen and her team. Our guide, Tati, was a lovelly man. He was a real gentleman and tried to give us the best views of the game that he safely could. He was informative and for my money deserved a medal for patience with one tourist who would have tried the patience of a saint. One guest had a birthday whilist we were there and celebrations duly took place including singing by the staff and the cutting of a cake.

The wildlife highlight was the hunting by lions of a herd of buffalo. Whilst we did not see a kill we did track the lions for some time and got many photos and lots of video. For those that like it, the birdlife is superb. After dark a spotlight is used so that the action continues well after sundown. All the water this year meant that there are plenty of mosquitos but nets and repellant are provided to keep the worst at bay.

This is a place where you quickly feel as if you have been a resident for much longer than you actually have. That is a real compliment to the staff. At the time of our visit there was no qualified guide for walking safaris but that will be rectified soon."

"As a lover of big cats this was the place I hoped would be the highlight of the trip, and so it was. We had three nights here and during that time we watched lions mating as well as on another occaision hunting buffalo. On our second day we tracked lions all morning as the pride closed in on the buffalo.

By lunch time one lioness had taken down a calf and without much hesitation the other lionesses who were clearly not going to get much of the kill started another hunt all over again. Insetad of going back to the Lodge for lunch they brought it to us so that we did not miss a thing. The following day we spotted more lions from another pride with possibly the most beautfiul male I have ever seen.

The location of the lodge is great, very close to the airstrip so no long drive to get there. The staff here are, as at all the lodges, very friendly and welcoming, ready to do whatever makes you feel comfortable. It is a shame then that I have one big negative comment not about the Lodge but about Wildernes Safaris. The company allow (own?) the operation of a helicopter in the area both for conveying toursist and also for pleasure flights. We saw and heard it twice in our three night stay. My view is that in a wilderness area a noisy machine like this does not have a place in a Wilderness area. On the second occaision when giving a pleasure flight the helicopter circled the lion hunt and upset the buffalo until one of our guides waved it away.

All of the tourists on the three trucks that morning were very unhappy about what happened especially those that like me had their recordings ruined by the noise. Others like me will make a protest to Wilderness when I can find an email address to which I can send it. Whilst this incident should not in itself detract from what is a superb location and very good lodge, there is a real danger that the use of the helicopter will grow and that might destroy the very thing that tourists got here for peace and quiet as well as superb wildlife."

"A very different locatrion which tries to retain more of the feel of a typical bush camp. The location right on the waterway is beautiful often with the accompanyment of Hippo both by day and night. The game here is not so plentiful but is still very enjoyable such as on our last day when we found a leopard and her two cubs. This was a totally beautiful experience. She was very relaxed with us around and we were able to stay with her for a while she suckled her cubs; sights we have never seen before.

Mokoro trips are possible and enjoyable but here I can relate to a comment I have seen proviously about this camp. We did not find it over obsessed by avoiding danger as suggested but we did not get as much out of the mokoro trip as we would have liked because it is done in convoy. On this occasiion with some tourists who were more interested in having good personal (loud) time than enjoying the peace of the area. We did not see much wildlife I suspect becuse it had been scared off. Allowing boats to take different routes might overcome this.

Andre and Kim who run the Lodge were very helpful to us including rearranging our flight to avoid us waiting at Maun airport to several hours. Our guide was Seretse who was just superb. We got on right from the start and he made our stay very special. This is a great way to either start or end , as in our case, a journey in the Delta."

"We unfortunately managed to get stuck in the sand in the driveway of the ranch. A simple sign at the entrance to 'keep right' would solve this problem as we are aware that others suffered the same fate - we had to be pulled out by the manager!

However the accommodation was superb and we enjoyed our stay immensely. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful"

"Stunning location and accommodation. The setting and staff were the best of the holiday. The manager Francis ,was superb and our guide Stefan was very knowledgeable and a character. The food was of good quality but often only just warm when we got it.

The drive up to the lodge in a 2wd was quite hard in parts but got better further from the gate. The hot water bottle at night were a nice touch as it is cold. The mountains were dramatic and the dunes very photogenic.

Reading out the menu each night in english and in the native nama language was a very nice touch. I even managed to get some of the clicks right!"

"Very good accommodation and warm welcome from the manager. She offered all the help we needed to make activity arrangements including the balloon flight. The private gate to the dunes was a real bonus and our guide Simon was excellent.

There was a local choir one evening comprised from the staff who were really good and gave us a local flavour of traditional music.

The area is stunning and the ballon trip whilst not actually travelling that far was fantastic."

"Superb buildings and the location right on the river/sea was just what we had asked for. The rooms had not only heaters but also an electric blanket which was just what we needed as it was very cold at night.

Good receommendations were given for dinner and bookings made. The resturanats were very good and the staff at the stiltz were very friendly and helpful. No safe in the room but the office provided security for any personal items.

Swakopmund was a good stop over and we could easliy have stayed longer if time had allowed."

"Really magnificent setting setting and welcoming environment. Our guide Lister was really good at tracking the desert elephents which we saw on three occaisions.

Two nights was probably enough for what we wanted though you could easily stay longer, it was so comfortable."

"The location is stunning and the waterhole is just great. We spent two very happy hours in the hide watching the wildlife. The down side is that compared to other lodges the accommodation, whilst perfectly good, was dated.

From a video point of view whilst the hide was superb the noise from the water pump running continuously underneath it was not good.

We had some of the best food of the holiday here and our guide Martin was both very good but also a really nice person to go for a walk with. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. It is a shame that you cannot enter Etosha from here to save a long drive back but we were told that this may happen next year."

"These were the first real tents we stayed in and were excellent. The welcome from Cameron and Wendy was superb and they remianed fully engaged with us throughout. Nothing was too much trouble. We had hoped to stay longer here but it was fully booked so only one night.

The water hole right outside the main building was a never ending facination and plenty of scope for photographs. The description of the night sky by Cameron was real fun and I can now find the Southern Cross quite easliy, except of course we are now back in the northern hemisphere!"

"Apart from one officious member of staff in the reception office our overall experience was very good indded. The new accommodation was on a par with or better than the other lodges. The temporary restaurant was fine though I am not sure that the same buffet every night would be suitable if staying longer than we did.

The water hole is rightly regarded as the main attraction and provided and endless procesion of activity and interest. We were told at several places later in the holiday that a big price hike is planned for this November. If so whilst this may be justfied by the improved facilities it will be a barrier for many."

"Again the upgraded rooms were really excellent and we were told that the camping facilities were the same. The previous comments about food [Ed: at Okaukuejo] were true here as well though were Ok for us for two nights.

One of the flood lights at the water hole was not functioning properly but it still provided excellent entertainment both in the day and especially at night."

"The wilderness lodge is very good with excellent rooms. The new plateau lodge [Ed: six new rondavels positioned on the edge of the escarpment] is even better and has superb views and isl being developed further. The staff were really good but guests need to be prepared for Joachim who is clearly very dedicated and committed to what he is doing but is a man of strong opinions and is willing to share them!!

The wildlife is being added to gradually and the drive here is of a different order to other bigger lodges focussing on quality not quantity. This was an opportunity to relax after the rigours of safari and from that point of view was great.

The colours at sunrise in the plateau have to be seen to be believed and a walk up the valley is delightful. The walk up to the plateau is another matter if you have difficulty in walking taking about 4 hours of quite stiff clambering."

"The lodge and accommodation were superb. The location surrounded by mountains was stunning. The staff were of a very high standard not least our guide Sanel whomis the only female guide here and for that matter the on ly one we met all holiday. She could not do enough for us even arranging a special re visit to see the cheetah on our last morning. The cost also includeds a donation to Africat which was just fine by me.

We had not seen mnay cats on the trip so this was a really good way of getting some close up photographs to bring home. Despite some critics who say thsi is really a zoo great care was taken to expalain the objectives and show us how the cats and other animals are cared for. Another day or two could easliy have been filled but we did not have enough time.

The bonus from my point of view was that Sanel really understood the needs of the photographer in terms of light and placed the vehicle carefully to achieve best results. She was the only one to do this. I woudl highly recommend this lodge even though it si more expensive, you get more back

As a change for game drives there is a nice touch in eash room having its own bird water pool and seed with which to attract them down. We did this on both days and it is not only a good way to get photogarphs but also to just watch the wonderfully coloured birds."