Travel reviews by Mr G & Ms L from Scotland

"We stayed in room 8 for one night when we first arrived in Namibia. The staff were friendly and the proprietor contacted the airline for us as we were waiting on our delayed baggage (which safely arrived later that day). There was a nice outside eating area with reasonable food (a late lunch).

The room was quite rustic in style (but smart) with an extremely comfortable bed and nice sheets etc. We were left fizzy wine (we were on honeymoon) and later arrived back to find complimentary port and chocolates along with hot water bottles in the bed! Very good breakfast. Reasonably good location."

"We stayed in room 1 for two nights. A beautiful little chalet with terrace, surrounded by the mountains. Lovely sunsets and only a 25 minute drive to Sesriem gate. Inside and outside bathrooms.

Excellent food and extremely good wine (complimentary on our first night but so tasty we ordered again the next night). We were served by very attentive staff (perhaps slightly too attentive, but there weren't many guests staying!).

There was a nice communal area to relax in, both inside the main building and outside by the pool.
They were happy to serve breakfast at 6am to allow for a sunrise arrival at Sesriem gate.
The stars were amazing. We saw some mountain zebra on our drive out to Sesriem."

"Stunning but isolated location with exceptional views down the valley and no other houses in sight. The owners were pretty welcoming. There were actually no other guests staying at Barchan Dunes for the two nights that we were at KuanguKuangu. We had dinner in the farmhouse on the first night - very tasty Springbok steaks and nice to talk to the hosts.

KuanguKuangu itself is about 800m up a track from the farmhouse. It is charming but the bathroom was infested with wasps during the day which was a bit of a shame. On the second evening, one of the neighbouring farmers was shining a strong searchlight up the valley straight at the room which was a bit disconcerting to say the least. Apparently he is hunting jackals, but we pointed out to the hosts perhaps they should have a word with him not to disturb their guests!

Water is heated by a wood-burner but this doesn't take long.
The hosts brought us a braai-pack the second evening which was absolutely delicious.
The bed was very comfortable. Great view of the stars and we saw lots of mountain zebra not far from the door."

"We stayed in room 3 for two nights. The staff were very welcoming and the room was small but had everything we needed but a slightly acrid smell of air freshener in the bathroom. The fridge was noisy overnight.

It was in a good location for walking into town in the evening.
Breakfast was good. There was a useful laundry service and a good size safe. There was a friendly cat.

Rather randomly, we were given a mobile phone for emergencies overnight (I think none of the staff stay on site)."

"We stayed in room 2 for two nights. It was a beautiful domed/circular room which was an excellent size and had stunning views. The whole place was incredibly peaceful, private, laid-back and a wonderful place to relax.

There was a nice outdoor bathroom, a large outside terrace with chairs and a good size safe but no fridge.
The food was excellent - some of the best we had.
The staff were incredibly helpful and genuine (not over-officious).
We walked up to a lovely sundowner spot on the second evening.

We went on the nature drive - our guide was outstanding (one of the best ever guided trips either of us has experienced in Africa). We saw lots of desert-adapted elephants, including a three-day old calf. It was definitely a worthwhile experience even with the cold/foggy early morning start!
We would love to stay there again."

"We stayed in room 3 for two nights. This NWR camp was functional in comparison to other places we stayed (outside Etosha). It was a nice clean canvas-sided room with balcony overlooking the plain. The bed was soft but comfortable. There was a good shower. There weren't many electrical sockets and no safe. The infinity pool was pretty cold but had a great view!

The food was okay - it was a bit cold sitting in the dinner tents.

The buggy system for ferrying guests back and forth to their rooms (to avoid them being eaten by lions) could easily become irritating - it was very noisy but luckily didn't go on too late at night.

The location is excellent for exploring the quieter western side of Etosha - there were hardly any cars and we saw great wildlife (rhino and lots of lions), much better than over on the eastern/central part. There appear to be few other options for places to stay in the western part of Etosha within the park gates."

"We stayed for one night in room 89 and wouldn't have stayed any longer. It was another functional NWR camp, but more like a mini-resort, very busy. The little house was concrete and warm compared to Dolomite but spartan and rather soul-less. There was a bedroom with small sitting/kitchen area and bathroom.
The waterside chalets with upstairs balconies looked much nicer (from the outside anyway!).

There was a good shower but no screen meant the floor flooded. There was no safe.
Lunch was poor but the buffet supper was surprisingly good. The swimming pools looked nice.

The waterhole is the only reason to stay here - we saw giraffe, elephants and six rhino after dark. However, it feels rather staged (there are about 100 people watching at any one time) and unreal and we preferred wildlife-watching in the (in comparison deserted) western part of Etosha. Not many visitors to Etosha appear to realise that the western part of Etosha is now open to tourists (not just guided tours).

We took the early morning guided game drive which was a complete waste of time and money. We think we would have seen more driving ourselves and the guide was uninspiring."

"This was the best place we stayed in Namibia and we could happily have stayed for a few weeks! We were put in the 'honeymoon' chalet (? number 6). Each chalet has a lovely room plus semi-outdoor bathroom, plus we noticed there was an outdoor bath and bed for the summer! The chalets were very well spaced and felt extremely private. Ours had a lovely outdoor terrace and views in all directions - beautiful sunset and amazing star-gazing opportunities.

The staff were all extremely welcoming and attentive. The food was absolutely excellent. What a wonderful location, the birdlife was fabulous and we saw several animals from the main dining area, including a porcupine only a few yards away while we sat eating our dinner. The main dining area was lovely - with a big central fireplace and open windows. Good swimming pool and sun-deck area.

We went on a guided walk which was very good, and also for a sundowner on the kopje opposite.

An incredible end to a wonderful honeymoon in Namibia."