Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs P from New Barnet

"What a wonderful hotel. Situated just behind the waterfront in a private cul de sac which kept noise to a minimum. The rooms are beautiful as are the foyer and dining area. All the staff were attentive and extremely helpful, cannot sing their praises any higher.
Would have no hesitation in staying here again. One thing which we did mention to the duty manager is that a sister hotel The Victoria & Alfred which is on the waterfront provides a more comprehensive breakfast but The Queen Victoria has an amazing restaurant, called The Dash, for evening dining which no one appears to know about ! a hidden gem. This truly is a 5 star hotel."

"A good hotel with a great view of the Indian Ocean. This is perfect for walking along miles of beaches and dunes. Just along from the hotel is the fishermans cottages which you are encouraged to visit and leave a donation with the hotel if so inclined.These are typical thatched buildings of the area and provide an insight into their working lives.A lot of the cottages have dogs presumably for security and although they are tethered (mostly!) it can be a bit intimidating. We were only here for 2 nights so didn't avail ourselves of the spa etc but found our stay at the hotel to be enjoyable. Please visit when in area Bredasdorp Museum which is brilliant."

"We drove from Arniston to Knysna and stayed for a few days at The Knysna Belle (a guest house) on Leisure Island which was wonderful, being situated right on the lagoon. This lagoon is tidal so empties all but one channel by the featherbeds twice a day. It means you are able to walk on the sand bars when the tide is out and also around the margins which are full of marine and birdlife. Knysna is obviously a tourist destination but has a great feeling to it and somewhere we would love to come back to again. We then stayed with friends who had rented a house by the Heads in Knysna for the rest of our stay except for the Shamwari experience. The grades below are for the Knysna Belle Island guest house."

"Our 3 night stay should have been much much longer! We honestly believe that it couldn't have been any better what with the staff, accomodation,25000 hectares,animals and plants. The tent (really?) was amazing, so comfortable and luxurious, the outdoor shower under the stars, views from the outside decking, truely wonderful. All the staff were so helpful and friendly, any request was met with a smile and if we could name them we would. One person we can name who was our ranger is Richard Kelly. This man clearly loves what he does and his enthusiasm rubbed off on all of us. His knowledge of everything in the bush, be it fauna or flora, the stars, photography and deep love of this wonderful place is exceptional. We saw the big 5 which was magnificent but he showed us so much more, memories we shall keep for the rest of our lives. Thank you Shamwari and thank you Richard . We sincerely hope to return one day."

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