Travel reviews by Mrs & Prof R from UK

"Easy to find. Relaxing; attractive design; pleasant service. Excellent breakfast.

Taxi £5 each way to Joe's Bar, which had good food."

"Superb; loved the scenery and the wildlife and this was one of the nicest places we stayed in Namibia. We went on one evening guided walk and a 4 hour morning walk, all included. Guides very knowledgeable and considerate in seeking out what we were interested in, and helping less one of us who had knee problems.

Also went on a N$440 evening drive which was rather steep, though we did see rock art, owlets and an aardwolf. Self-guided walks generally well-marked, but the markers did give out sometimes amongst the rocks and more are needed - take GPS or compass.

Good bird and mammal viewing from the restaurant, including an elephant shrew. Food excellent, but wine expensive. Cold at night, but duvets and hot water bottles meant that this was not a problem."

"Close to Etosha and good location for an overnight stay before visiting the park. The hotel grounds were pleasant but limited in where one could walk around the grounds, although we did see some wildlife there such as warthog and steenbok. We didn't use a guide for any trips but we spoke at length to one guide who seemed very ignorant.

Food reasonable and wine fairly priced. Rooms very comfortable (hot water bottles!); attentive staff."

"We were upgraded to a larger 4 bed bungalow and had fun cooking on the braai for ourselves, having brought the meat etc from outside the Park. (The shop had a very poor selection and almost no meat.) The bungalow had crockery and cutlery for the braai. Ate dinner in the restaurant one night which was was extremely expensive and mediocre, not recommended.

Domestic and tourist information staff very helpful.

The floodlit waterhole proved disappointing for animals, though we did see a few. The seats were uncomfortable and rather cramped and noisy when lots of guests arrived."

"We used the braai twice but our 1 bedroom chalet did not have cutlery or crockery for the braai, only for making tea - luckily we had brought picnic plates etc with us. Basic equipment would be useful. The shop is fairly well stocked. Nice rooms, but rubbish not emptied from previous occupants though this was dealt with promptly when we complained.

Floodlit waterhole has comfortable seats and excellent views - we saw lions with cubs, black rhinos, jackels, giraffes, elephants etc and large flocks of roosting sand grouse."

"Beautiful location amongst the rocks with lovely views from the cabins. We went for a walk by ourselves when we arrived - you will never get the grass seeds out of your socks! - and then went for the morning elephant drive next day which was expensive but well worthwhile. The excellent guide found us two herds of desert elephants up on the rocky hills and we had superb views of the animals.

Close to Twyfelfontainand the (disappointing) Organ Pipes rocks and easy to drive yourself there."

"An ideal place to stay in Swakopmund (we had 4 nights there).

Very quiet, pleasant room and gardens, lovely breakfasts and a proprietor - Peter - who could not have been more friendly and helpful. The wi-fi and TV were a bonus. Very convenient location to walk to shops, museums and restaurants.

Highly recommended.

Whilst staying here, Expert Africa organised a Pelican Point kayaking trip for these travellers, who commented:

"A magical, well- organised kayaking trip in amongst the seals and then beyond the point into the open sea to see dolphins. The excellent guide took photos which she gave us on a disc before we left Swakopmund. Highly recommended."

We also organised a day trip to Sandwich Harbour, about which they commented:

"Excellent very knowlegable and experienced guide - Axel. A lovely day, though it was a very expensive trip.""

"Friendly staff, particularly the knowledgable and helpful guide with whom we chatted in the evenings. However, an early breakfast ordered the night before on the guide's advice only arrived much later, delaying us in getting away to Sossussvlei. Food at dinner was terrible, and other guests were complaining as well. One dish of "lamb stew" was so tough it was inedible, and we are not normally fussy. The dining area is the furthest possible distance from the kitchen, so food is tepid when it arrives.

The cabins have nice views across the plains, but paths to the restaurant are poorly lit in places and it would be easy to trip over steps. Lighting is a major issue - by 7.30, dinner was over and the cavernous, gloomy, freezing dining room/lounge was deserted except for a few staff, but the poor lighting made in impossible to read there or in the cabins. The cabin doors and windows need better fastenings (they rattled and banged all night in the wind and kept us awake), and hot water bottles would be nice!

Horse riding is on offer, but we were unable to try it because of the weather."

"We spent a lovely 4 nights here and would highly recommend Bullsport. Ernst and Johanna are very good hosts and there is a wide range of activities on offer. Very nice accommodation (we were upgraded to a spacious cabin with a separate living room). Gas heaters for the bedrooms. Swimming pool and outdoor barbecue area are available, though obviously not in use mid-winter! Excellent meals around a communal table with the hosts and other guests. Comfortable sitting room with lots of books, and you could borrow hiking poles.

We walked some of the self-guided trails, which are generally well signed although the recent rains had washed some marks away and more signs are needed in some locations. The full day hike towards and through the Quiver Tree Gorge is fantastic, for scenery, variety and interesting vegetation, birds and geology. Although there are some steep climbs, you can bypass the difficult scramble which some books mention and I managed it, even though I am in my sixties and have a minor knee problem. We were given a short-wave radio to call the farm if there was an emergency, which seemed a good idea.

We went horse riding for three half-day rides, which were well organised and a great experience - including riding near the rare Mountain Zebras.
There seems to be a good choice of horses for different abilities."

"Convenient for the airport, but nothing much to do unless you pay for a very expensive game drive. Pleasant views of the city and arid hills.

The road up to the lodge is fairly rough compared with many other dirt tracks we went on in Namibia - perfectly do-able in a 2WD but take it very slowly to avoid grounding in places."