Travel reviews by Amigos from Spain
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
2
Lodges stayed in
12
Excursions taken
0
A Great 3 weeks all round Namibia
Namibia and 1 other country between 24 Mar 2013 and 14 Apr 2013
"Apart from Budgets 4*4 which was rubbish (I have detailed it separately) it was a smooth, easy and enjoyable trip. We drove ourselves from Windhoek to Fish River, then back up through all the places one needs to see to Etosha, then along the Caprivi Strip, dropping car off at Kasene in Botswana, crossing the border by boat into Zambia and flying back from Zambia
My rating of "fairly satisfactory" reflects our problems with Budget - but Expert Africa did recommend Budet, rather than me asking for it. The rest of the trip wa better than "very satisfactory" and I was impressed by Expert Africa's knowledge and help, nudging me to avoid driving to far if we were likely to have to drive after dark, and offering help when hotels were wanted were book (remember you are dealing with hotels of 10 to 20 rooms on most of our trip)
In short I can recommend this sort of trip to anyone, it is doable, safe, instructive and enjoyable."
My rating of "fairly satisfactory" reflects our problems with Budget - but Expert Africa did recommend Budet, rather than me asking for it. The rest of the trip wa better than "very satisfactory" and I was impressed by Expert Africa's knowledge and help, nudging me to avoid driving to far if we were likely to have to drive after dark, and offering help when hotels were wanted were book (remember you are dealing with hotels of 10 to 20 rooms on most of our trip)
In short I can recommend this sort of trip to anyone, it is doable, safe, instructive and enjoyable."
Arranged By Tracy Lederer
Galton House
"Galton House review"
1 night
Arrived
24 Mar 2013
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Average
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Good
Food
Average
Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch
"Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch review"
1 night
Arrived
25 Mar 2013
".
[ Ed: In their general feedback, these travellers commented:
"I dislike response forms here I have to spoof the system by putting in a full stop if I do not wish to write something on a particular page." ]"
[ Ed: In their general feedback, these travellers commented:
"I dislike response forms here I have to spoof the system by putting in a full stop if I do not wish to write something on a particular page." ]"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Fish River Lodge
"Fish River Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
26 Mar 2013
"It is difficult to get to as the road is 103 km of bad dirt, the service is problematic.
I think if I was going to Fish River with what I know now, I would go to the other side of the canyon and drive in to the National Park"
I think if I was going to Fish River with what I know now, I would go to the other side of the canyon and drive in to the National Park"
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Poor
Activities
Average
Rooms
Good
Food
Poor
Facilities
Average
Eagle's Nest
"Eagle's Nest review"
2 nights
Arrived
28 Mar 2013
"The cabin we stayed in about 8km from the hotel was magical"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Average
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Average
Facilities
Good
Kulala Desert Lodge
"Kulala Desert Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
30 Mar 2013
".
[ Ed: In their general feedback, these travellers commented:
"I dislike response forms here I have to spoof the system by putting in a full stop if I do not wish to write something on a particular page." ]"
[ Ed: In their general feedback, these travellers commented:
"I dislike response forms here I have to spoof the system by putting in a full stop if I do not wish to write something on a particular page." ]"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Central Guest House, Namibia (this camp has since closed)
"Central Guest House review"
2 nights
Arrived
1 Apr 2013
"The room we stayed in was excruciatingly small - From one side of the bed one could touch the wall, there was only 1 foot clearance at the bottom of the bed, and acrobatics were needed to get into the bathroom as the door filled most of the bathroom
The service was very good from the receptionist and the position is good
My rating is based on the room. You really have to be fussy about what room you get. It is a converted private house, so all the rooms vary"
The service was very good from the receptionist and the position is good
My rating is based on the room. You really have to be fussy about what room you get. It is a converted private house, so all the rooms vary"
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Terrible
Food
Average
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Doro Nawas
"Doro Nawas review"
2 nights
Arrived
3 Apr 2013
"The guide tracked and found the desert elephants, and that was excellent"
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Average
Facilities
Good
Mushara Bush Camp
"Mushara Bush Camp review"
2 nights
Arrived
5 Apr 2013
"A really well designed camp, in a good position for seeing Etosha, but the staff were truly abysmal. You really do not want to read how bad they were, but in years of travelling I seldom encounter such indifference from the whole staff.
The main building is really outstanding with attention to detail. For example even the toilets are worthy of seeing for their design"
The main building is really outstanding with attention to detail. For example even the toilets are worthy of seeing for their design"
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Excellent
Service
Terrible
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Average
Ndhovu Safari Lodge
"Ndhovu Safari Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
7 Apr 2013
"We enjoyed this Lodge. But I can see that not everyone might. It is "old fashioned" in a "Out of Africa " sort of way. For us it was really memorable. The lodge is cut of for months by the rising river, and you are poled out to it in a punt. You then are really cut off from the world, but can sit on the verandah with access to wifi
You eat at one big table, with the manager and his wife as hosts. With the small numbers they deal with, this worked well
And..a hippo came in after dark each night and drank from their swimming pool. Both game trips were good"
You eat at one big table, with the manager and his wife as hosts. With the small numbers they deal with, this worked well
And..a hippo came in after dark each night and drank from their swimming pool. Both game trips were good"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Lianshulu Lodge
"Lianshulu Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
9 Apr 2013
"A Modern lodge. The only problem we had was the sort of "Africa" problem one gets when there is no obvious manager. Expert Africa had booked for us 2 night - one day on full board (which includes excursions) and one day with dinner only.
We arrived at 4pm, and they said we had to have full board on day one, which meant we had paid for, but were not getting lunch and a morning game drive. I got upset (rad really upset) and we sat arguing in the reception area with a dozen staff looking on for 40 minutes, until they backed down and agreed that we could have the full board day the next day. It was an unnecessary hassle."
We arrived at 4pm, and they said we had to have full board on day one, which meant we had paid for, but were not getting lunch and a morning game drive. I got upset (rad really upset) and we sat arguing in the reception area with a dozen staff looking on for 40 minutes, until they backed down and agreed that we could have the full board day the next day. It was an unnecessary hassle."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Poor
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Chobe Princesses
"Ichobezi Houseboats review"
2 nights
Arrived
11 Apr 2013
"I really recommend this - a great end to 3 weeks in Namibia. The staff were brilliant, and the houseboat means your trips to Kasene National Park are along the river - elephants by the hundreds, hippos by the score, and a couple of leopards thrown in for good measure"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Royal Livingstone Hotel
"Royal Livingstone Hotel review"
1 night
Arrived
13 Apr 2013
"I must say I enjoyed this hotel. It is on the river and a few minutes walk from Vic Falls themselves
The whole thing in sort of "an Americans idea of a British colonial hotel in the 1890s" but with modern bedrooms. There is an incredible reconstruction of a colonial bar, and someone (I assume with a sense of humour has kitted the staff out with outlandish uniform - the porters in pith helmets and Bermuda shorts, the man who greets you is in a multicoloured robe with a matching flat hat, the "butler" is in a white uniform with a red sash, and topped with a red fez
We took their steam train excursion for dinner, which is expensive, but we enjoyed, particularly as we got a ride on the footplate when the engine changed ends to return to Livingstone.
And its only a 20 minute ride to the airport"
The whole thing in sort of "an Americans idea of a British colonial hotel in the 1890s" but with modern bedrooms. There is an incredible reconstruction of a colonial bar, and someone (I assume with a sense of humour has kitted the staff out with outlandish uniform - the porters in pith helmets and Bermuda shorts, the man who greets you is in a multicoloured robe with a matching flat hat, the "butler" is in a white uniform with a red sash, and topped with a red fez
We took their steam train excursion for dinner, which is expensive, but we enjoyed, particularly as we got a ride on the footplate when the engine changed ends to return to Livingstone.
And its only a 20 minute ride to the airport"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
[ Ed: In their general feedback, these travellers commented:
"I dislike response forms here I have to spoof the system by putting in a full stop if I do not wish to write something on a particular page." ]"