Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs S from Yorkshire
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
2
Lodges stayed in
10
Excursions taken
0
My Sep 2014 trip
Namibia and 1 other country between 8 Sep 2014 and 29 Sep 2014
Sandstone trip from Swakopmund was a good trip. The driver had not long started working for the company. He was a good driver and was cautious driving along the beach. However he was a bit less good at the birds and all 4 of us knew more than him.
Swakopmund. We had two great evening meals. The first in the Jetty restaurant was superb and then at the Tug which wasn't quite as good but was enjoyable too. Great fish well presented, good service and a lively atmosphere. Highly recommend both. Neither very expensive by UK standards.
Driving. We had three long drives but set off early on all three and had arrived in time to do afternoon activities or just rest for a while. The drive from Swakopmund to Doro Nawas took about 6 hours. The coast salt road is a s good a tarmac with little traffic. The first 50-80 kms going in land on C35 were easy but the further we went the less good it became. There had been some recent grading work on some sections. We stopped in Uis. Petrol easy although one of the petrol stations was closed. Had coffee in the restaurant in town sorry forgotten its name. This was ok.
We didn't stop at Brandberg because of time really. The road was less good after Uis but ok. The D2612 was less good quality than before and needed a number of times to slow down. However it was in the process of being graded and the sections already done are in good condition. We got to Doro Nawas in time for the evening activity and this meant we had seen desert elephant really well that evening.
From Doro Nawas to Okaukuejo was a good trip. The gravel road was ok to Khorixas and then is tarmaced all the way. We stopped at the petrified forest which was good and worth seeing. We also stopped at the bakery in Outjo which was excellent as recommended.
The drive from Mushara to Windhoek was easy on the tarmac road with little traffic. We stopped at Otjiwarongo. The Kameldorn Garten had closed and we ended up in fast food restaurant.
Internal flights were excellent. All the pilots were helpful and friendly. The best flight was from Sossusvlei to Swakopmund. This went up the valley across Deadvlei and Sossusvlei, across the desert and then low up the coast past a couple of wrecks and many fur seals on the beach. Brilliant.
The internal flights in Botswana were all very good as well. All on time except when we had to wait for the other passengers to sort their luggage. We managed to find a bag which fitted the dimensions for the little planes. However it didn't seem to matter too much in Namibia but did in Botswana. We found a bag from Eagle Creek(American company on website but bought in Hathersage Derbyshire) a duffel bag which was the right size but quite expensive at £80. We also used some packing cubes for shirts, toiletries etc which made life very easy. the other passengers had a framed bag which was twice the recommended size and spent 40 mins arguing with the local airline and then having to put half their stuff in another bag provided by the airline.
We took a suitcase with us and it was easy to leave both at Windhoek and Maun airports with Wilderness. The only problem was we couldn't open it when we got back to Windhoek! Eventually opened at home.
Etosha. We really enjoyed Etosha. We could have done with more time. We in the end did not visit any waterholes to the west of Okaukuejo as we decided to do those east of there on our first day and then travel halfway on the second day before visiting waterholes. In the end we were very tired by the time we arrived at Mushara. The NWR map is useful. Waterholes:
Ombika Brilliant start. Many elephant, Oryx, Zebra, Springbok, Impala
Okaukuejo as stated elsewhere some great sightings. Worth visiting even if not staying. 8 rhino the highlight.
Aus Kudu, springbok, oryx, hartebeeste,
Nebrowni spotted hyena
Salvadora 3Lion with zebra kill, Jackal, lots of Wildebeest crossing Pan
Halali middle of day Giraffe, impala
Goas 53 elephant including many young in the middle of day. Really playing in water
Nuames more elephant
Near Springbokfontein Black rhino trying to mate
Dik dik drive many dik dik. Leopard seen by others
Klein Namutoni Elephant zebra giraffe kudu impala springbok
Most of the others were dry or had little game."
Arranged By Tracy Lederer

Wolwedans Dune Camp
"Wolwedans Dune Camp review"

Kulala Desert Lodge
"Kulala Desert Lodge review"
The trip to Sousselvlei and Deadvlei was great as early and we were there before many others. Climbed Big Daddy which was hard but great for the views. It was very busy when we came down with many tourists. Good trip. Went to Sesriem canyon in afternoon which was quite interesting.
Had a good evening trip out for sundowners seeing an Aardwolf among other game. Very bleak landscape."

Cornerstone Guesthouse
"Cornerstone Guesthouse review"
Breakfast was excellent and the staff very helpful.
Our booking here had been missed by Wilderness and we opted to upgrade rather than try a different guesthouse. This was to a 3 bedroom apartment on the ground floor of a block of flats with excellent sea views and a garage. It was extremely comfortable and although much more than we needed I would highly recommend it to anyone for a group of 6 people. Very close to the jetty and restaurants."

Doro Nawas
"Doro Nawas review"
We took ourselves to Twyelfontein on the second afternoon and enjoyed the trip around that with the local guide. It was interesting. We stopped at the petrified forest on our way north the following morning which was a pleasant and interesting stop too. Glad we did this in transit and not in the heat of the day.
This lodge was slightly disappointing in two respects. Firstly the staff (but not all) were not generally as welcoming and helpful as at most other places. We hadn't realised we were not full board before we arrived rather hot and bothered after the trip from Swapkomund, and thus there was a tricky conversation about the trips out. When we came to pay they really hadn't a clue about what we had had as extras and we could easily have got away with paying less than due. Having said that it was still a great place and would recommend it. As an aside it is an easy drive by 2x4 to the main lodge from the main road.
Secondly the food was very variable. Breakfast was excellent as was a barbecue one evening but some of the other meals were poor especially a spaghetti lunch. This was fed back there."

Okaukuejo Camp
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
Room was comfortable with a fridge which was good to cool water for the following day. It was close to the waterhole and we were able to go down there for 10 mins easily if wished.
The service at reception was not particularly friendly and it struck me that they were tired and bored.
The real asset of this camp is the waterhole. We saw lots of animals here elephant, zebra, springbok, impala, giraffe, guinea fowl, sand grouse. At night we saw 4 lions the first evening and two the second, 2 rhinos the first evening and eight together the second: 1 white and 7 black including a baby . One of the rhinos came right up to the fence. This was one of the highlights of our trip. Even if not stopping here to stay it is worth looking at any time of day."

Mushara Bush Camp
"Mushara Bush Camp review"
The service was friendly and helpful. The meals were eaten together but at separate tables i.e. not communal like many other camps. Have to watch out for the tree squirrels pinching food. Also had Warthog and Common Duiker and various birds really close on the lawn and heard Lions roaring at night although they are in another concession.
We didn't do any of the activities arranged by Mushara as we drove ourselves into the park on our full day there."

Olive Grove
"Olive Grove review"
The room was pleasant although it would have been nicer with a door to the toilet rather than a curtain. It was perfect for us in that it was close to the arrival spot from the north relatively easy to get out for the airport and extremely close to the restaurant which we went to."

Jacana Camp
"Jacana Camp review"
We had a great time here. The staff were very welcoming especially the managers who I am aware have moved on now but also the rest of the staff. The food was great and service was never any trouble.
The guide was very good and he spent a long time looking for Pel's Fishing Owl for me with great effort unfortunately to no avail. We spent all our activities on the water which was a complete change from Namibia and very pleasant although we were happy to be back in jeeps at the next place. The mokoro does get a bit uncomfortable after a couple of hours! The guides were good at explaining more detailed wildlife and the okavango basin extremely well.
I would highly recommend this camp."

Little Kwara (Not currently featured by Expert Africa)
"Little Kwara review"
The guide assigned to us didn't listen to what we wished to do at our arrival. We were the only arrival that day and the rest of the guests were leaving. We therefore seemed to get shooed into what he wanted us to do. We enjoyed parts of the water safari down to the heronry but the trip on the boat was too fast at times and coming back we just had flies hitting us in the face. It was too far in the time available.
One of the trips we had a different guide who was the manager of the camp. He took only the two of us out. We had a wonderfully interesting and good safari with a lioness and a lot of other game. The contrast was notable. The original guide did find some other game later and was pleasant enough but the first impression was not too good. Interestingly we met other people who went to both here and lagoon and they had similar concerns about the guiding feeling that it was the mangers fault."
Not currently featured by Expert Africa

Lagoon Camp
"Lagoon Camp review"
The camp and room were excellent and the food very good. The bedroom must be about the most luxurious "tent" it is possible to stay in with a huge room, large bathroom and shower an the external shower as well. A long communal table helped us chat with others and we had excellent company there. Heard many hippo around at night but none seen nearby.
The guides were very good and we had a great piece of tracking done by one of them looking for a leopard which they found for us. He also tracked a lion successfully. We had fabulous views of wild dog chasing warthog into a termite mound and biting a spotted hyena which got too close. On the final morning we were heading back to leave when they found another leopard 10 mins before we were due to leave and we were able to watch this one for another 30 mins before having to leave.
There was a very pleasant sundowner on the river where we able to watch elephant crossing the river from nearby and then see some birds and animals as we went slowly along. This was a much better trip than that at Little Kwara."
The guide was good showing us interesting tracks over the dunes and as there are few main animals making the most of every sighting and of the vegetation and scenery.
Our only concern was that the mosquito nets were for decoration and not function and it was the only place we got bitten!"