Travel reviews by Mr F & Ms F from London
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
2
Lodges stayed in
7
Excursions taken
0
Namibia + Botswana
Namibia and 1 other country between 13 Sep 2011 and 30 Sep 2011
"5*.
A few special mentions for individual excursions:
Turnstone tours - did a trip down to Sandwich Bay with Wayne. This was excellent.
Francois - we had booked the kayaking trip to see the seals. Rather than the lady who normally does it (she was on holiday) we were taken out by Francois, who runs a competing tour (though they seem to share bookings). He was excellent and gave us an incredible day's kayaking. Highly recommended.
Georg Erb (Swakop Tour Company) - recommended by our guest house, this was the best tour we did all trip. Georg is superb and knows everything. He has an excellent afternoon tour itinerary and is absolutely essential if you're in Swakopmund. Please promote him - such an interesting afternoon.
Ballooning - Can't remember the name of the company but we did a balloon trip from Kulala Desert Lodge with John. He was outstanding. Definitely worth the money...loved every minute of it and an excellent breakfast too.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Push people to book things to do in Swakopmund up front. It's a dull place just to hang around...but there are excellent excursions around the town. We met some people who hated the place...but they didn't do anything. Don't let people stay there for 3 nights without booking some things to do..."
A few special mentions for individual excursions:
Turnstone tours - did a trip down to Sandwich Bay with Wayne. This was excellent.
Francois - we had booked the kayaking trip to see the seals. Rather than the lady who normally does it (she was on holiday) we were taken out by Francois, who runs a competing tour (though they seem to share bookings). He was excellent and gave us an incredible day's kayaking. Highly recommended.
Georg Erb (Swakop Tour Company) - recommended by our guest house, this was the best tour we did all trip. Georg is superb and knows everything. He has an excellent afternoon tour itinerary and is absolutely essential if you're in Swakopmund. Please promote him - such an interesting afternoon.
Ballooning - Can't remember the name of the company but we did a balloon trip from Kulala Desert Lodge with John. He was outstanding. Definitely worth the money...loved every minute of it and an excellent breakfast too.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Push people to book things to do in Swakopmund up front. It's a dull place just to hang around...but there are excellent excursions around the town. We met some people who hated the place...but they didn't do anything. Don't let people stay there for 3 nights without booking some things to do..."
Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch
"Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch review"
1 night
Arrived
14 Sep 2011
"Good food and super friendly staff... If you're looking for the meerkats, you have to get up early - be sure to ask the night before!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Wolwedans Dune Camp
"Wolwedans Dune Camp review"
2 nights
Arrived
15 Sep 2011
"Quite simply, the best place to stay in Namibia.
The food really is something special and the staff were excellent.
They promised me to start doing proper hikes up the mountain in front of the camp...when they do - we'll be back immediately."
The food really is something special and the staff were excellent.
They promised me to start doing proper hikes up the mountain in front of the camp...when they do - we'll be back immediately."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Kulala Desert Lodge
"Kulala Desert Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
17 Sep 2011
"A great spot for exploring Sossussvlei, the canyon and ballooning."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Central Guest House, Namibia (this camp has since closed)
"Central Guest House review"
3 nights
Arrived
19 Sep 2011
"Very helpful staff...put us on to some excellent local activities and organised replacement of our broken hire car with Budget.
Good breakfasts, good location."
Good breakfasts, good location."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Olive Grove
"The Olive - (Exclusive)"
1 night
Arrived
22 Sep 2011
"We were upgraded and put in the new premium Olive hotel. I have no idea how much this cost (originally and if we had not been upgraded), but whatever it was - it was worth it. The room was stupendous...
We ate dinner in the hotel as well and the food was exceptional. Highly, highly recommended.
Very good location for getting to the airport in the morning...wish we'd stayed longer."
We ate dinner in the hotel as well and the food was exceptional. Highly, highly recommended.
Very good location for getting to the airport in the morning...wish we'd stayed longer."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Lagoon Camp
"Lagoon Camp review"
3 nights
Arrived
23 Sep 2011
"Recently refurbished...the rooms are enormous. Beautiful communal areas including library, bar etc. Staff were excellent and super friendly.
Good range of trips out including the jeep, big boat, on foot... And Wild Dogs!
Moses - our guide - was 5*."
Good range of trips out including the jeep, big boat, on foot... And Wild Dogs!
Moses - our guide - was 5*."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Kwara Camp
"Kwara Camp review"
3 nights
Arrived
26 Sep 2011
"Perhaps unfair since we'd just come from the refurbished Lagoon Camp, but Kwara felt a tiny bit shabbier with smaller rooms.
In general, though, it has an excellent area for game drives and a lagoon for mokoros.
There was one thing that left a sour taste, however. On the first day, one of the lodge's cars located a male lion. We got very excited and went straight over. The lion, however, was incredibly old and sick and could barely move. He was covered in flies and looked ready to die. I would guess your average safari goer is an animal lover and this may not something they want to witness, so I would have thought the guide might have mentioned, before we drove there, that the animal was sick.
He didn't, and found the state of the lion hilarious. He couldn't stop laughing at this wretched creature's state. Even after I mentioned that some people found the whole thing moderately distressing, he kept bringing up the story of the sick lion at dinner and bursting into fits of giggles. While he was a good guide - this was not an attitude we expected or liked."
In general, though, it has an excellent area for game drives and a lagoon for mokoros.
There was one thing that left a sour taste, however. On the first day, one of the lodge's cars located a male lion. We got very excited and went straight over. The lion, however, was incredibly old and sick and could barely move. He was covered in flies and looked ready to die. I would guess your average safari goer is an animal lover and this may not something they want to witness, so I would have thought the guide might have mentioned, before we drove there, that the animal was sick.
He didn't, and found the state of the lion hilarious. He couldn't stop laughing at this wretched creature's state. Even after I mentioned that some people found the whole thing moderately distressing, he kept bringing up the story of the sick lion at dinner and bursting into fits of giggles. While he was a good guide - this was not an attitude we expected or liked."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
