Travel reviews by Mr F & Mrs B from Preston

"We were only there a few hours on the first night but the room was good and they organised a packed breakfast box for us as we had to leave early.

Great convenient location."

"We arrived at Porini Amboseli on schedule and from the first minute the service was excellent. We were made to feel very welcome.

Our tent was comfortable and the location was unbelievable , right in the middle of everything and all the wildlife. The game drives were absolutely first class and we saw such a lot. Our 22 year old grandson was with us and this was his first safari and indeed long haul flight. He was totally amazed with everything.

The food we had was first class as was the service. Our grandson, Toby has to eat gluten free and is vegetarian. The camp coped with this very well indeed and were very careful . We were really impressed. The concept of these Conservancies is excellent and the fact that on the drives you can go off road is ideal and very exciting."

"What a fantastic location with great views from the tent and mess tent. The food was restaurant quality and we all loved every meal. Our grandson Toby is gluten free and vegetarian and they coped easily with this and made the food really tasty for him. We visited back of house and saw the kitchens etc and we could see the care they were taking with any eating allergies etc. Very impressive.

The quality of the game drives and knowledge of the guide was absolutely first class.

What a holiday and a wonderful camp with impeccable service. We wholeheartedly recommend Kicheche Valley"

"We spent just a half day there as day guests in readiness for our overnight BA flight home. Originally we intended to visit the giraffe sanctuary but found this would take a long time and it was better for all of us to chill out after a very busy week of game drives etc.

The food was excellent and it was in a great location. However the drive there had some of the worst roads we had seen ! Very bumpy !

Overall a nice ending to a perfect trip but maybe the Emakoko is looking a little bit tired now ?"

"Our stay at Acorn House exceeded our expectations and although we expected a small room ( the literature says this ) we were given a bungalow with extra space and a lounge area. It was really comfortable and quite luxurious.

We only had a few days in Cape Town so we had to limit our trips but two we wanted to do were visiting Cape Point and going up Table Mountain. Stewart at Acorn House helped us with a trip to Cape Point at really short notice because the weather seemed good down there and it proved to be a superb trip. We managed to go up Table Mountain when the "tablecloth" cleared and dashed up there immediately after breakfast . Acorn House tried to get us on line tickets but they were sold out however we made it up there early and the queue was only 35 minutes ! Great. You should have seen the queue on our way back down at least 3 hours waiting time for the cable car. We walked back from the cable car station to Acorn House and this was a really pleasant walk. The coffee shop/café ( Carlucci`s ) at the end of the road almost opposite Acorn House is really good by the way.
Nelson`s Eye restaurant is within walking distance and excellent for steaks but we found the service a bit lacking. Still a good meal however.

I had arranged with Acorn House to meet us at the airport and this worked like clockwork.

All told we absolutely loved Acorn House and would not hesitate in recommending this to other travellers and if we ever return to Cape Town would certainly stay there again."

"We were surprised by this accommodation as it was classed as budget but we found it really good. Clean, compact with good facilities and an excellent WiFi connection. Certainly very good for a quick one night stay at the end or beginning of a trip.

Breakfast was basic but quite adequate and the staff were very helpful all the time. We had a slight problem with contacting Budget for our car and the receptionist there was very helpful and did this for us .Well done Elegant Guesthouse."

"We loved Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch and the accommodation was idyllic. Nice sundowners and views. In the evening we had a very spectacular storm with lightning. Not too much rain but some. We did the Bushmans Walk and this is highly recommended. A very interesting activity but the morning was cool and so were the bushmen !!!! Their story of the Love Bow and the dual purpose tree for constipation and diarrhoea.... is well worth seeing as the miming is great !!

Visit was one night only but unfortunately marred by the fact my wife lost her mobile smartphone. This only discovered at the next lodge and we immediately contacted Bagatelle as the only place it could have been lost was in the jeep transfer from dune house to our car. Unfortunately they could not find it so this was a bit of a black mark. Someone has it I am afraid."

"Canon Lodge was an oasis with very good accommodation and facilities. The pool area was really nice. Needed as the temperature was 40 degrees.

Food was good and it was an excellent base to tour Fish River Canyon. A visit to its sister Canon Roadhouse is well worth a stop either for coffee, a meal or just to see the quirky interior based on old cars !"

"The drive from Canon Lodge to Helmeringhausen was long and tedious and the c14 was badly rutted so slow going in our 2WD. Some rain had also made the road a little treacherous in places. So when we reached the hotel it was a great relief ! Petrol station there and a store plus post office.

The hotel was ideal for a one night stay en route to the Sesriem area and the room was comfortable and the food good. We did find the room too hot and the fan did not help much however. Try the apple cake it is delicious. A nice touch by Wilderness Safaris as they had put a printed welcome on the room door with our names on."

"We really liked this accommodation and the views were marvellous. Food and service were first class and in particular we had a really nice evening meal on 24th December which was quite special. We were up early for a trip to the Dunes ( 5.00 am ) as it gets too hot later on and the hotel had made us a packed breakfast which was a nice touch.

The trip to Sossusvlei was well worth it and the scenery spectacular. Many photos were taken ! We took the shuttle jeep from the car park and climbed a dune and entered Dead Vlei ! The temperature was above 40 degrees. Very exhillerating climb/slide down the dune side to get into Dead Vlei. Nice sundowners back at the hotel !"

"Everything here was excellent from its position, overall accommodation, breakfasts and service. The owners and staff could not have been more welcoming and helpful. Many thanks to the gardener for washing our car !! Swakopmund was very busy of course and most of Windhoek were there ! The breakfasts were really good.

The drive from Helmeringhausen down the C14 was long and slow in a 2WD as the road was badly rutted so this was probably our longest day driving at 8 hours ! We were very pleased when Walvis Bay came into view.

Cornerstone Guesthouse was a pleasure to stay at and we have no hesitation in recommending this to other travellers. Would we stay there again ? Yes of course !"

"Really worth visiting and we had one of the best tents for views. Good food and a very enjoyable stay, although short.

You really feel close to nature but in a 2WD drive car you have to leave this in the car park away from the lodge and there is no means of contacting them to collect you and your luggage !"

"We were surprised by the Main Camp here as we did not expect it to be as good as it was. The room was certainly satisfactory. Food was OK but nothing special however this did not detract from the stay there.

Plenty of water in Etosha so the animals were not visiting the known waterholes as much."

"We had New Year`s Eve here at Main Camp in Okonjima and they really went to town and tried hard. Excellent service and food. The activities were excellent and our guide was superb. It was very rewarding to visit the Africat Foundation. We got some superb sunset photos here.

We cannot praise all the staff there enough. No one should miss staying there."

"As before [Ed: see their earlier review, below] it was a very good place to stay before leaving Windhoek.

We were able to eat at Joes Beergarden which was a short safe walk from the guesthouse. This is worth a visit and an institution ! You need a large appetite !"