Travel reviews by Ms B & Ms M from DC

"Hoodia Desert Lodge was the first stop on our Namibian adventure, and what a way to begin! From the moment of our arrival, when we were greeted with cool towels and drinks, through the moment of our departure, everything about Hoodia was superb. The accommodations are refined. The staff is professional and very service oriented. And the food was incredible--by far the best we had in Namibia and on par with what you would expect from a luxury resort anywhere in the world.

We had a spectacular time on our private Sossusvlei excursion, where our guide Pietros enlightened us on the history and geography of the region, while we climbed dunes, explored canyons, and dined al fresco. (Only one word of caution to visitors: Make sure you ask for directions when departing the lodge. The route isn't signposted and we ended up accidentally exiting through the back of the property, adding an hour's drive time that day.)"

"The accommodations at Cornerstone are simple and clean; it's not luxurious, but certainly a lovely base for exploring the region. The owners were kind and attentive, making us dinner reservations and confirming our excursions. We were pleased with our stay overall.

On suggestion: We ate at a local pub at the owner's recommendation. While the food was good, the restaurant was smoke-filled, which irritate one of our allergies. As many foreigners come from places where indoor smoking has been banned, it might be worth mentioning when an establishment still permits this practice.


Whilst in Swakopmund these guests took a day excursion to the coast south of Swakopmund. This is what they said about it:

Our Sandwich Harbour excursion with Turnstone Tours was one of the highlights of our trip. What an incredible experience! We enjoyed the undivided attention of owner Bruno and his wonderful son Kai (who was along to learn the family business). The scenery was spectacular (massive dunes, stunning coastline), but what really made the trip was talking to and learning from these two. Even changing a flat tire became a fund adventure. We would highly recommend this excursion to others.


They also opted for a kayaking excursion on Walvis Bay Lagoon upon which they commented:

We enjoyed a fun morning excursion kayaking in Walvis Bay Lagoon. Because we had to hit the road early, we were not able to venture out to see the Pelican Point seals, but it was pleasant to be amongst the greater and lesser flamingos and Jeanne's infectious enthusiasm. That she took pictures of us on the water (and promptly emailed them to us) was an added bonus!"

"The accommodations at Mowani Mountain Camp are simply stunning. We stayed in numerous beautiful places during our time in Namibia, but Mowani was in a league of its own. There are few places in the world more beautiful for a sundowner.

We also enjoyed a fun excursion tracking rare desert adapted elephants, which ended with us watching a herd feast near a dry riverbed.

That said, service in the restaurant was a bit lacking (we waited 20 minutes at dinner before being given the menu, and when, at their instruction, we showed up at 6 am for a pre-excursion breakfast, no food was out)."

"We had an incredible experience at Ongava Tented Camp.

Accomodations were well-appointed tents--simple safair luxury right in the bush. And the service here was unsurpassed. We dined each night with the charismatic manager Festus and spent our days with our knowledgable and attentive guide Bono. One night we even had the entire camp to ourselves--a rare treat!

If you want to be close to game, stay at Ongava! The first animal we saw was an alpha male lion no more than 10 feet from our vehicle. And we went on to see more than 20 lions at close range, white rhinos, and a plethora of other animals.

Travelers should beware that the tented camp is not fenced. You are escorted to your tent each night by a guide with a rifle, and two of our three nights we were awoken by lions roaring right outside of our tent! That said, we never felt unsafe. To the contrary, we knew we were in expert hands and our experience was all the more memorable for being that close to the animals."

"We spent the last night of our trip at Erongo Wilderness Lodge, and what a way to end things. The camp is beautiful, nestled as it is amongst the rocky hills, and the sundowner hike was a beautiful way to toast the end of our journey. The owners were present during our stay and could not have been more lovely. And it was an easy 4 hour drive to the airport, almost all on tarred roads. We would definitely recommend Erongo as alternative to ending the trip with a night in Windhoek.

One comment: The Lodge could use better sign-posting and maps for its self-guided walks. We missed the trailhead for our hike on the first attempt (although we had a lovely walk nonetheless)."