Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs M from Suffolk

"We booked here as it was close to some friends we wished to visit in Kleinmond. We were made very welcome and our room which had once been the town cell was small but comfortable and equipped with everything you would want.

Breakfasts were amazing with loads of fresh fruit, cooked breakfast with eggs any way you want and even one morning ice cream with crumble. If you are ever in the area and want a place to stay then we can highly recommend the Elephant Rock."

"The jacarandas were in full bloom as we arrived at The Olive Grove after the short drive from the airport. Our large fully equipped room was very comfortable though the colour scheme, olive, took a little getting used you.

We were made very welcome here with nothing too much trouble. We decided to eat in and sitting in the courtyard in the warmth of the evening after the cold of the English autumn was a delight. The menu was not large but had sufficient choice. I opted for the kudu steak which though tasty was not the tenderest piece of meat I had eaten, kudu can be a bit like that, but full of flavour.

Breakfast as in nearly all the places we stayed in really set us up for the day with loads of fresh fruit, breads, rolls, cold meats, cheeses as well as a variety of cooked items.

We returned to The Olive Grove at the end of our Namibian tour and this time we were given a room with a bath, the first we had had for three weeks so we both had a very welcome soak!!!!!

A ten minute walk took us into the centre of Windhoek where we were able to do some last minute shopping for gifts though it is not a very touristy town and one can do far better in the craft markets in Okahandja if you don't mind the hassling.
We can certainly recommend The Olive Grove as an ideal location to start and finish a Namibian holiday."

"We arrived as a group were leaving for an evening tour of Sesriem and although we were asked if we wanted to go, after the seven hour drive from Windhoek we just wanted to unwind. We had chosen to drive the C26 partly so that could see the view at the top of the Spreetshoogte Pass. Frequent stops to look at the views and the wealth of bird life along the route meant that it took longer than planned. The view was a little disappointing as the famous Namibia fog / mist had rolled in though we did get a good impression of the vastness of the Namibia desert.

The accommodation at Kulala is in individual chalets which are large tents overlooking the river bed and the distant dunes with a more permanent section housing the bathroom. The evening meal was a buffet with a wide choice of meats and vegetables including an excellent ratatouille. The lodge was not full and we were a little worried as they wanted us to go out the next morning with a family who wanted to be out all day. We could not do that as we had to leave by about mid day for our next destination. However they quickly found another guide so we were able to set off at day brake with just the very knowledgeable guide and ourselves.

Although we had seen many photographs of the dunes the actual sight of them up close in the early morning takes one's breath away. This is a must see experience on any Namibian visit. Kulala's location with its own entrance means that you can get to Sossusvlei in advance of most other groups though we were a little delayed as we stopped to look at birds en route. Do not stay here though if you want to explore with your own vehicle. It is along way back to the entrance and then it is 60 km from the entrance to Sossusvlei itself. You won't be at the dunes at the best time of day. Better still to go with the tour from the lodge.

The only minus point is that we were booked in for only one night. With hindsight we should have stayed two days so that we could have spent more time exploring the area, as our morning was a bit rushed.
All in all a lovely spot to stay, with friendly staff and excellent food."

"The best introduction to the Namibia desert that you could ever want. Our guide Sebastien was extremely knowledgeable on the plants, birds, animals and all desert adapted creatures that we came across - as well as a wicked sense of humour. We were lucky in that there were just four if us on our three day track, ourselves and a similar aged German couple with whom we quickly gelled. The nights were cold but wrapped up in our warm duvet /sleeping bag off the ground on camp beds we were very warm. The second night was one of the coldest October nights the staff could remember; out came the hot water bottles and we were grateful for the ponchos provided at dinner.

The walking is gentle even during the heat of the day though walking on sand can get a little tiring. Part of the second day is up in the hills so the ground is a bit more solid. The food provided by our flirty cook Jocasta was excellent and to hear her telling us what we were to eat in her local click language was an education. Waking just before dawn with a hot cup of tea and fresh hot water was very welcome as watched the sun rise on the distant hills.

Sleeping under the stars with no light pollution is something very rare in our crowded world. Sebastien was a mine of information about the sky above our heads.

The tracks in the sand showed that there is an abundance of wildlife in the harshest of conditions and we were privileged to witness four types of beetles (Tok Tokkie) a number of birds including the very rare Dune Lark, though disappointed not to see a Golden Mole. A visit to the Nadeet centre showed us what can be achieved in a sustainable way; we have a lot to learn in the more industrial part of the world.

Tok Tokkie is a must for anyone wanting a real understanding of the desert. I have marked excellent for all the items though you must remember that accommodation is under the stars with no walls or ceiling for privacy.

One word of warning though! If you drive south on the C27 you can't miss the big sign pointing west and saying that Tok Tokkie is 14 km further on. Well the gate under the sign was full of private no entry signs with no indication that it was the start of the track up to the Tok Tokie farmhouse. So we carried on down the C27! When we got to the junction with the D 826 we realised our mistake and retraced our steps. Yes you go through the gate under the sign which is at the junction with the D 827. Make sure though that you fill your tank at Solitaire as there is no fuel at the junction of the C27 and the D827 any more."

"Rostock Ritz was an enforced stop as we could not drive from Tok Tokkie to Swakopmund in daylight hours. The rooms here are individual igloos designed to be cool in the hottest weather. The owner was very welcoming and nothing could be faulted with an excellent menu choice for the evening meal; ostrich steak for me and hake for my wife.

The delight here though are the Meerkats and if you were not lucky enough to see them in the wild then you can see them here. They run a rehabilitation unit rescuing Meerkats that have outgrown their owners since the locals like to keep them as pets. There were four here on our visit and equally as charming as we have seen on our television screens. Perhaps all the others are selling insurance in the UK!

A brisk morning walk just after sun rise brought us to a herd of very timid Hartmann's mountain zebra. All in all a grate stop over."

"We don't really understand why Swakopmund exists! More of that later.

After a bright but slightly chilly day exploring the lagoon at Walvis Bay we did not expect to drive into fog on the short drive up to Swakopmund. At Sam's we received a rather brusk reception followed by being shown a very cold room. Heating was a plate radiator which took a long time to warm up and as we were not prepared for such cold conditions, we were in the tropics after all, we were not in the best of humour. We decided to eat in and take Sam's five course dinner which was a mistake as the food was not the gourmet experience we expected but a rather ordinary affair. Sam himself warmed once we started asking questions about the town and its people, frequently putting his coffee cup down at our table and sitting down to converse with us. The second night we decided to eat out which we did at the end of the pier with some wonderful fish - kingclip - but there was no heat there either so we did not linger.

However the bread provided at breakfast was to die for. Perhaps one good thing to come out of the fog is that the moisture conditions makes for better quality bread. Lovely German rye bread along with a wide selection of meats, fruit, etc, and eggs cooked as you like them.

As to Swakopmund it seems to have very little going for it. It sits in the middle of the desert shrouded in fog for most of the year with very few on land attractions. If you want to see the wildlife of which the area has plenty than staying in Walvis Bay would be a far better bet. We wanted to see the Welwitscia plants and duly paid for a permit to go there but no one wanted to see it so rather a waste of time finding the location of the place to pay. The plants themselves for non botanists are not very exciting but for myself they were one of the reason why I wanted to go to Namibia.

All in all, apart from the Welwitscias we could easily have given Swakopmind a miss."

"Camp Kipwe was another stopover because the distance between places we wished to go to we're too far to be driven in a day. However It was worth the stop as Camp Kipwe was the nicest place we stayed at. Having experienced showering and toilet in the open air at Tok Tokkie we were not worried that the wash basin, shower and toilet were all outside covered by just a few sticks. How you went to the loo in a rain storm, should that event ever happen, is anyone's guess. No need to worry about privacy though as rock and vegetative screens block the view from outside your quarters.

The camp is set amongst boulders so blends into the environment as is the small plunge pool where I was able to cool off after another long drive. We watched the sun go down from a spot high above the camp with drinks and canapés brought to us by the attentive staff in the company of two honeymoon couples.

Dinner was on an open terrace where we both had delicious Oryx steak.

Again we were sorry we only spent one night here as we could have spent a whole day exploring the area instead of making do with a short visit to the Twyfelfontein rock engravings on he way to our next destination."

"We waited for more than an hour and a half after the designated meeting time for a couple who never arrived which was a little frustrating but it meant that we traveled the 14 km to the camp as the sun was setting so in better light conditions.

That was the only minus point in an excellent three days. We were taken out by Denis Liebenberg himself as he had given his normal guide a few days off. And as entertaining and informative a guide as you could ever wish for. His knowledge of the area is encyclopaedic but even he was surprised to see a group of Eland; an animal had had never seen there in all his twenty years of holding the concession.

The day is organised with a trek in the morning and a drive in the afternoon. One day' stay would be too short, two days just right but if you were there for three days then I think you would probably be repeating the terrain you covered on day one. The area is full of animals and birds including the rare long beaked lark and a walk up the mountain with the ground covered in semi precious minerals and crystals was an eye opener.

Dining is at a long able with other guests including during our time there Denis, his wife and son. It was a time to discuss the day's activities and to learn more about the country and its people. Denis claims that his he only has four day's worth of menus so was a little worried as an English couple,father and daughter, had booked in to spend a week there so he was looking for three more recipes! When you think that his nearest shop is 140 km away he has to make sure that nothing is forgotten on his weekly shopping trip.

Accommodation is extremely comfortable in safari tents with an outside bucket shower and one goes to sleep with the sound of zebra chomping outside or the mournful cry of a distant hyena. On first morning we woke to find that a there had been a leopard kill a few yards from the complex so the second night Denis set a camera trap and the following morning we were treated to images of a large female leopard devouring the hind quartets of a springbok.

I don't think that one could get a better understanding of the geology and wildlife of Northern Damaraland anywhere else."

"Dolomite camp is perched high on a hill so the perfect vantage point to survey the plains below.

Tea relaxing in the warm afternoon sunshine on the chalet balcony was accompanied by the sight of a rhino making its way through the thorn bush below. There is a water hole here but I doubt of any chalet or the public areas can see it so why was it not dug in a more prominent position?

We had read that game was sparse on the western side of the park - well if seeing a black rhino at a watering hole in broad daylight along with a few elephant plus the usual springbok, zebra, oryx, etc is sparse then whoever wrote that must have had their eyes shut. Yes perhaps not so prolific as the Eastern end but well worth a days' detour. Also staying at least a night at Dolomite enables you to spend time visiting all the park's waterholes without having to rush back to base before nightfall.

Check out with a credit card posed no problems although we had been told it is better to pay cash it can take some time. The staff were friendly and the food up to a very high standard.

In general a lovely place to stay. They insist that you use the golf cart after dark as it is leopard country but there is no point in doing so during the day. After sitting in a car all day the exercise is a relief."

"We were looking forward to the waterhole but not looking forward to the camp. Okaukuejo was the biggest camp we stayed at and we were worried by the reports of noise and rowdiness that we had read on the Internet. Yes it is big but the accommodation is well spaced with many trees and open space so it does not give the impression that there are too many people. Do not waste money on the bungalows near the water hole; there are probably only three two storey ones that can actually see the water hole and even those are probably obscured by trees. Our bungalow was just across the road and well fitted out with a kitchen, living room, bedroom etc and with an outside BBQ area.

Reserving a table for dinner on arrival is a must and the food itself, buffet style has choice for all tastes.

The water hole is the main attraction here and we made a bee line for it on arrival and were able to witness a herd of about 40 elephants wallowing at will. Advice is too eat early and then go to the floodlit waterhole and on our two nights there we saw eight black rhinos each night. The ones on the second night were not the same as on the first for they were younger and we watched as they played amongst themselves just like children.

Whatever your reservations may be about the camp if you go to Etosha then you must spend one night at least at Okaukuejo."

"The Bradt guide says that Onguma is somewhat utilitarian and the budget option. It may not have the luxury of the tented camp but utilitarian it is not! The central dining and sitting area could not be more comfortable with wonderful views over the new water hole and the bush. The staff are excellent and sitting out on the wooden terrace as darkness drew in, eating top quality food was another experience not to be missed.

You never know what you may find on a night drive and although fairly quiet we had our first sight of a bush baby and a close up of two lions who did not want to get out of the way of the jeep and when they did just lay sleepily at the side of the road. Magical.

The water hole is new so we were warned that or did not attract much game. True but some interesting birds, dik dik, impala and giraffe came and on our last morning an elephant came crashing through the fence from Etosha and much to the surprise of he staff, who all got their cameras out, stopped for a drink!

However if the public areas were so good the same cannot be said of the sleeping quarters. There was a group there when we arrived so we may have been given the one of the last rooms available but my feeling was that like some hotels they give out the worst rooms first and if the guest doesn't complain at least they have got rid of them. There are four roundels close to the police areas that have really seen better days. They are dingy and not very clean and if there had been more people staying may have been a bit noisy. Perhaps we should have complained but by the time I realised that there was better and newer accommodation available we had unpacked and it was too late. We were not there to spend time in our room so made the best of it. I hope though that the management of Onguma do soon close these rooms as they do not do their reputation any good.

Having said that it is a place we can highly recommend and would gladly return some day."

"I still can't make my mind up about Okonjima. On the one hand you get a close up experience of leopards and cheetahs but on the other you can't help but think it is a bit of a zoo.

The accommodation was excellent, we had a view room which was spacious had everything you required with a fabulous panoramic window out onto the bush where impala, oryx, warthog and Guinea fowl roamed.

We arrived in time to visit the Africat project and had close ups of cheetah and caracal along with a very rare pangolin that had been rescued by a lady from the near bye cap vulture centres. The guides back at camp were very jealous as none of them had ever seen a pangolin!

Our guide, Angela, was very knowledgeable about the cats but was poor on anything else. Okonjima prides itself on the number of birds there but we did not stop to study them. Also the activities were very one tracked. If we were looking for leopards we did not stop for cheetahs. On our leopard drove past two cheetahs without stopping as they were not on the morning's itinerary.

Okonjima was our insurance policy if we had not seen many cats elsewhere and so it proved though we had been lucky enough to see a leopard up a tree in Etosha. To make it a near certainly that you will see the cats some truly wild leopards and cheetahs have radio collars so you are virtually guaranteed close encounters with both. From that point of view a stop on either to or from Etosha is very worthwhile."