Travel reviews by Mr A, Ms S& family from UK

"A great start to the holiday, the map was very clear and we found the property very easily from the airport. It is on the outskirts of town so if you wanted a short walk to the centre of town this is not the place for you. The rooms were spacious with a lovely wet room which gave a luxurious feel to the room.

The reception was very friendly and we quickly relaxed for our overnight stay.

The food was very good and effort was made to suit a number of our party who do not eat meat.

Nice reception room with plenty of space, Galton House has a modern feel but has enough traditional décor to make it feel more than a newly decorated hotel.
I will mention that the staff were really helpful when I managed to cut open my hand on the car lock which had jammed. The first aid kit was brought out with minimum fuss, my pride was a little more hurt than my hand."

"A fantastic lodge set in the Namib desert. We made a mistake in spending too much time in Windhoek and only just arrived in time before sunset which during August is around 5.30pm - 6pm. If we had to do it again we would have left much earlier. The lodges are set against the mountains and look fantastic as the sun sets.

The chalets were based next to each other which is better, even if the children are a old enough now to be a little more independent. The interior is clearly designed in an eco friendly way, it was one of my favourite places of the holiday. One of the larger places with around 60 rooms. The food was very good, a set menu gave enough choice for the non meat eaters.

Guidance at reception on how long it would take to drive to Soussusvlei was very optimistic, we were told by two different receptionists it was hour journey, but it took comfortably over two hours. We found this typical of the trip and learned to ask a question a number of ways to confirm details and always give yourself more time than you think you will need.

A trip to Soussusvlei is recommended although you need a good 6-8 hours to not rush the experience from the Namib Lodge. We walked up Dune 45 which provided a stunning view of the area then drive to the point where a bus shuttle takes you to the Vlei's. They say that a 4x4 can drive right up to the parking area next to the Vlei but I am glad we took the shuttle (Nam$100 pp) and left the 4x4 at the 5km point as a number of inexperienced drivers still managed to get their 4x4's stuck in the sand."

"An excellent guesthouse with very friendly staff who took time to make sure we had a great experience, we have no hesitation in recommending this as a place to stay. We had a two bedroom apartment which also had self catering facilities. Based within 5 minutes walk of the sea front Swakopmund Guest house is ideally placed to explore the town. We stayed on a B&B basis and the breakfast was excellent.

Angela at Expert Africa had recommended the kayaking activity next to the seal colony so we had booked it as part of the holiday itinary. We met Jeanne and Bernard from Eco Marine Kayak Tours in Walvis Bay and initially we were taken on a fascinating 45 minute drive to the starting point, Bernard is extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife and the area, he kept all of us captivated during the drive, taking time to answer any questions.

The kayaking was one of the highlights of the holiday, surrounded by inquisitive sea lions (Bernard mentioned sea lions have ears, seals do not) we were actively encouraged to interact with the sea lions who come up to the kayake and play with the paddles. Jeanne took videos of the experience and emailed them without any additional charge, this has meant that we have some great videos to keep. The tour is thoroughly recommended."

"Okaukuejo camp was the start of our time at Etosha, the rooms look stunning from the outside, they are a little more basic inside and there were signs that a bit of repair work was overdue. Two window locks were missing and the mosquito window nets had a number of rips in it.

However, the reason for staying here is not for the chalet, the waterhole inside the camp was amazing and within a short 3-5 minute walk away from the furthest chalet. The waterhole is floodlit in the evening and we saw, 3 Giraffes, 3 Rhino's and an elephant all together on one of the two evenings we stayed. The waterhole on it's own is why it is worth staying here.

The food is average compared to anywhere else we stayed, it is buffet style and if you do not get there early in the evening, you may find your choice restricted. In our case we had a number of vegetarians within the group and on one night they had a very small choice to select from as a lot of items had run out. If something had run out and you asked for replenishments, the staff were very polite and went away immediately, but then it took a long time to arrive.

The waterhole in the evening can only be seen by people staying at the camp due to the park gates being shut and no driving after sunset, for that reason alone, it is worth staying at the camp."

"We have no hesitation in recommending Mushara Bush camp. Based a short distance from the eastern gate of the Etosha Park it is well located.

The permanent tents can only be described as luxurious with fantastic large double beds and a lovely shower room at the back. They have the feel of a lodge rather than a tent although it can get a bit cold at night and first thing in the morning. Set in a secluded wood with wildlife close by, Springboks coming right up to the entrance, it was one of the favourite places of our holiday.

The food and service was amazing. The food was the best of the holiday, the vegetarians had a wide choice (it is recommended that you remind them of any dietary requests when arriving as they cook to order). The staff made a real effort, we had a barbeque outside surrounding by a big open fire on the first night and all the staff joined in when singing traditional Namibian songs on the other night.

Our one small criticism is that we although had lodges 8 and 9, they were a long way apart compared to other lodges which were opposite each other. Our children are reasonably hardy and old enough (13 and 15) to stay in their own tent but felt uncomfortable on the first night so we had an adult and child in each tent. It maybe worth emphasising at the booking that you would like to be as close together as possible."

"We thoroughly recommend Erongo Wilderness Lodge. The drive up to the camp was part of the adventure as the 4x4 took on the steep climb to the foot of the lodges. Other guests without a 4x4 can leave their car parked safely at the bottom and are taken by the staff to the lodges.

This is a truly amazing place to stay with a swimming pool and restaurant built into the mountain. The lodges are a permanent tent each built into a mountain recess, each has it's own private space, an outside shower as well as a bathroom that is built from rock. The food was of an exceptionally high standard and offered choice for the vegetarians amongst us.

We went on the free sundown walk which was a highlight of our stay. You do need to be reasonably flexible as there is a little bit of scrambling to get to the top but it is well worth the effort. At the top you can drink your pre ordered drink (G&T seemed appropriate) as the sun set over the mountain range in the distance."