Travel reviews by Ms H & Family from Surrey

"Lindy and Roger were lovely hosts, and we really liked the quiet elegance of the Olive Grove with the Morooccan feel to the rooms and decking. We did not have dinner there but thoroughly enjoyed a meal at Joe's, which was recommended by Lindy.

I also thought it really sensible that the soaps and lotions came in big bottles rather than many hotels which give little amounts in small plastic bottles which clutter up washbags and are not environmentally sound at all. Having a his and her basin was a lovely luxury and a jar of cookies with the tea and coffee a nice touch!

Thanks for a really enjoyable start to our adventure in Namibia."

"Its hard to describe how much we enjoyed our stay at Okonjima! I loved our chalet and the bird bath outside provided hours of entertainment. The shower was so cleverly designed, it was wonderful to lift the canopy and feel surrounded by the bush and thank goodness for the blankets as we were there during a cold snap.

Albert, our guide, was superb, really professional, knowledgable but also with a great sense of humour, with his guidance we trekked two cheetahs and a leopard which was really exciting. Also the blankets on our vehicle were a treat, as was the expertly mixed G&T!

My main comment would be on the service, I have never had such good service before, everyone was really polite, courteous, friendly, charming, and seemed to enjoy their jobs and each others' company which made a big difference. I was also impressed with the attention to dietary requirements and how well the kitchen managed to meet these requests.

I would recommened a stay here to anyone who plans to visit Namibia"

"We were slightly anxious about this venue as we had been informed that it would be basic, but we were very pleasantly surprised. Our chalet was very clean and spacious, the food, in the school dining room atmosphere, was fine and we had a lovely few hours by the waterhole, which is set away from the rooms, watching elephant.

We only stayed one night and left early in the morning so did not really have a chance to use facilities etc."

"we had a fantastic chalet here, really close to the waterhole and were awoken at dawn by a lion's roar which was really exciting. it can be quite distracting as the chalets are very close to the waterhole so you can hear people talking, but on the whole the restcamp has good facilites, a lovely pool which was very refreshing from all day in a dusty car, the steak was really tender and delicious at the evening meal, a good choice of food at meal times, very clean rooms, and we like the fact that there was a book listing animal sightings from the day before which gave a guide of where to go."

"I really loved my stay here, the hosts and guides were all very friendly, cheerful, and professional, the food was really nice, and we loved eating in the boma one night. It was the first time that anyone had sung in the evening and we really enjoyed that, as well as the menu being read out in "clicky language".

The pool was a welcome refreshment after the drive on the dirt road and the mountain bike ride a good bit of exercise after several days of eating lots of good food. The view here is incredible and we had two nights here to enjoy some peace and quiet which was wonderful. Thanks for such an enjoyable stay!"

"What a surprise when you drive over the huge rock to see the rooms set smong the rocks. I was so impressed by the architecture here, attention to detail and having a mini bar in our room was extremely welcome! Unfortunately we only had one nights stay here and i would really recommend anyone to stay for two so that you can enjoy the walks.

The wooden walkways to the main lodge are really fun, the design is amazing, hosts very friendly and we were taken up for an amazing sundowner on a rock where you can see for miles, that has a chair atop it for great viewing of the surrounding area. Ostrich stir fry very enjoyable and watching love birds while we ate breakfast was a joy - i hope to get an opportunity to come back!"

"This was the only place where we have negative comments, we received a lacklustre welcome, which we may not have commented on had it not been that everywhere else we were greeted with a cooling drink, smiles and details of the lodge and activities. We were not told about the activites etc and had to go and find someone after dinner to find out details for our morning balloon ride, i had to go to the kitchen several times to ask for the hot water thermos to be filled up and the place seemed deserted most of the time. The morale there seemed low, staff disinterested and hard to track down.

It is a shame as the location is so close to the dunes and the morning drive with albert was fabulous (once we had tracked donw a guide to find out what was possible) - as was the breakfast as sossouvlei but i would not recommend staying here"

"WOW! Coming over the crest of the dune and seeing the stunning lodge was a treat. The architecture here is fantastic, really well designed, the canopy sides to the chalet were fantastic and i loved the walkways. Also was really impressed with the thought to the environment with shower water going straight to the acacia trees and cutting off if too much was used! The food was really well presented and delicious and i hope that the scheme to train young people here continues.

Again our guides were excellent, ben and john, and we learnt a lot about the flora and fauna with them. Finally i cant imagine a more stunning setting for a swimming pool! I would highly recommend this lodge to anyone who asked."

"We were really lucky to arrive at the eningu clayhouse during the first rains since march so everyone was in high spirits! Hard to beat drinking a glass of cold white wine while sitting in a jacuzzi surrounded by the desert, and followed by a really delicious dinner cooked by the chef named doctor!

The rooms are really comfortable and the use of clay is really clever. Its location is fabulous, so close to the airport, and so we wish kate, the lodge owner, all the best for the future."