Travel reviews by Ms K from Alberta
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
3
Lodges stayed in
15
Excursions taken
1
My May 2015 trip
Namibia and 2 other countries between 15 May 2015 and 15 Jun 2015
"This was really the trip of a lifetime! We saw and did so much. For people who like to watch birds and animals, this provided opportunities galore!
It was also a very nice itinerary, suited to our particular interests and preferences. We would have liked to be more active since we aren't used to spending so much time in vehicles, but recognize that the nature of the trip made this very difficult. Game drives made it possible to see much more, from a closer distance, with less hazard.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Overall, the trip was very well organized. We stayed in some spectacular places.
Having the customized map and letter really helped in terms of self-drive navigation. (Two small points: The location for Okonjima was too far north for the actual turn off. Also, there were a couple of inconsistencies between the letter and the actual itinerary that looked like they were 'left overs' from a previous version of the letter.)
In terms of the overall itinerary, the trip was very well organized. If we were to do it again, we would make very few changes. We might skip BullsPort (but then wouldn't have walked at all!). We could also have skipped Mushara Bush Camp, except that we did need somewhere to overnight in about that location. Maybe we could have stayed inside the park? We loved having a waterhole chalet in Etosha and that was really a highlight. Footsteps was an interesting experience and might have been more important to us if we hadn't spent the previous 4 days kayaking and walking in the delta with a different outfitter."
It was also a very nice itinerary, suited to our particular interests and preferences. We would have liked to be more active since we aren't used to spending so much time in vehicles, but recognize that the nature of the trip made this very difficult. Game drives made it possible to see much more, from a closer distance, with less hazard.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Overall, the trip was very well organized. We stayed in some spectacular places.
Having the customized map and letter really helped in terms of self-drive navigation. (Two small points: The location for Okonjima was too far north for the actual turn off. Also, there were a couple of inconsistencies between the letter and the actual itinerary that looked like they were 'left overs' from a previous version of the letter.)
In terms of the overall itinerary, the trip was very well organized. If we were to do it again, we would make very few changes. We might skip BullsPort (but then wouldn't have walked at all!). We could also have skipped Mushara Bush Camp, except that we did need somewhere to overnight in about that location. Maybe we could have stayed inside the park? We loved having a waterhole chalet in Etosha and that was really a highlight. Footsteps was an interesting experience and might have been more important to us if we hadn't spent the previous 4 days kayaking and walking in the delta with a different outfitter."
Arranged By Tracy Lederer
Olive Grove
"A peaceful oasis"
2 nights
Arrived
15 May 2015
"This was a nice place to stay in Windhoek. Very quiet and less 'urban' than many hotels. Their dinners were great."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch
"Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch - Great views"
1 night
Arrived
17 May 2015
"Our rooms were spectacular - set on top of the dunes looking out onto the Kalahari. Lots of game around.
These rooms are suited only for good walkers since they required a fairly long walk through deep sand and up a small hill to get from the rooms to the main buildings."
These rooms are suited only for good walkers since they required a fairly long walk through deep sand and up a small hill to get from the rooms to the main buildings."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
BullsPort Lodge and Farm
"Bullsport Guest Farm review"
2 nights
Arrived
18 May 2015
"This was a working farm and somewhat less 'posh' than many of our other bookings. The owners were very available and easy to talk to.
The highlight was a hike down the Quiver Tree gorge. It was the only place we could really hike in all of our travels. Other places had guided walks instead."
The highlight was a hike down the Quiver Tree gorge. It was the only place we could really hike in all of our travels. Other places had guided walks instead."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Average
Facilities
Good
Kulala Desert Lodge
"Kulala Desert Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
20 May 2015
"This was a magical place with great facilities. It was wonderful to be able to go through the 'back door' to see the dunes."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Cornerstone Guesthouse
"Cornerstone Guesthouse review"
2 nights
Arrived
22 May 2015
"This is a nice guest house quite close to the centre of town. It is quiet, with good facilities.
We were less enthused about Swakopmund, maybe because it was cold and foggy while we were there.
Pelican Point kayaking
Excellent
This was an incredible experience. I have paddled with sea lion pups before, but never in these numbers. The water was boiling with all the pups swimming and jumping beside us. I had a wide grin for the entire 2 hours of paddling!"
We were less enthused about Swakopmund, maybe because it was cold and foggy while we were there.
Pelican Point kayaking
Excellent
This was an incredible experience. I have paddled with sea lion pups before, but never in these numbers. The water was boiling with all the pups swimming and jumping beside us. I had a wide grin for the entire 2 hours of paddling!"
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Average
Kayaking with seals
"Pelican Point Kayaking"
23 May 2015 • Morning excursion
This was an incredible experience. I have paddled with sea lion pups before, but never in these numbers. The water was boiling with all the pups swimming and jumping beside us. I had a wide grin for the entire 2 hours of paddling!
Mowani Mountain Camp
"Mowani Mountain Camp review"
2 nights
Arrived
24 May 2015
"This is a lovely place, with tent-chalets built into the rocky hillside.
We really enjoyed the small water hole beside the main building which attracted birds and small animals. Also the sun-downer hill with a great view of the sunset over the nearby plain.
Our morning drive to find desert elephants was successful and we had ample opportunity to watch the herd. There was one elephant 'toddler' who was particularly fun to watch as he tried to race ahead."
We really enjoyed the small water hole beside the main building which attracted birds and small animals. Also the sun-downer hill with a great view of the sunset over the nearby plain.
Our morning drive to find desert elephants was successful and we had ample opportunity to watch the herd. There was one elephant 'toddler' who was particularly fun to watch as he tried to race ahead."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Average
Facilities
Excellent
Desert Rhino Camp
"Desert Rhino Camp review"
2 nights
Arrived
26 May 2015
"This is a very special place. We really liked the fact that the lodge had partnered so effectively with the Rhino Trust to use tourism to help support rhino conservation and research.
The staff was delightful. We were greeted with a song and there was more singing and dancing one night at dinner. It was also the site of the longest game drive - ever! So much enthusiasm and a small number of guests resulted in a delightful stay."
The staff was delightful. We were greeted with a song and there was more singing and dancing one night at dinner. It was also the site of the longest game drive - ever! So much enthusiasm and a small number of guests resulted in a delightful stay."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Ongava Tented Camp
"Ongava Tented Camp review"
1 night
Arrived
28 May 2015
"The highlight at Ongava was the large amount of game within their fenced lands.
We did two game drives and saw a huge number of animals, including a group of 7 rhinos and a pride of lions with cubs playing.
The night noises were also very intriguing."
We did two game drives and saw a huge number of animals, including a group of 7 rhinos and a pride of lions with cubs playing.
The night noises were also very intriguing."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Average
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Okaukuejo Camp
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
2 nights
Arrived
29 May 2015
"Our chalet by the water hole was amazing! We had easy access to watch the animals at any time of the day or night.
The food provided was not up to the high standard that we had experienced at the other lodges. They were serving many more people and the food was adequate but not exciting."
The food provided was not up to the high standard that we had experienced at the other lodges. They were serving many more people and the food was adequate but not exciting."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Average
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Average
Mushara Bush Camp
"Mushara Bush Camp review"
1 night
Arrived
31 May 2015
"Of all the places we stayed, this was probably the least inspiring. The facilities were getting to be old, with taps handles that came off and visible rust. The staff seemed like they were trying, but needed more training.
On the other hand, the food was excellent. And we really needed a place to sleep in that location after a long day driving in Etosha.
There were also some great birds in the garden."
On the other hand, the food was excellent. And we really needed a place to sleep in that location after a long day driving in Etosha.
There were also some great birds in the garden."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Good
Service
Average
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Poor
Food
Good
Feedback response
Marc Pampe, the owner of Mushara Bush Camp, always takes feedback very seriously and responded with the following comments:
The Mushara Bush Camp was build in 2009 and I can say from my side that our maintenance and upkeep of infrastructure is of a very high standard. We are continuously busy with upkeep and maintenance. We are sorry that the handle of the tap came loose in these guests tent - unfortunately these things do sometimes happen and we get them fixed as soon as possible. The visible rust was done on purpose - to give our door handles and other metal works a different look, we let them rust and then they get a clear layer of varnish - we are in an environment where no metal will rust of natural cause - it is to dry where we are situated - the rust is not a cause of lack of maintenance, but rather a way to create a certain look.
The Mushara Bush Camp was build in 2009 and I can say from my side that our maintenance and upkeep of infrastructure is of a very high standard. We are continuously busy with upkeep and maintenance. We are sorry that the handle of the tap came loose in these guests tent - unfortunately these things do sometimes happen and we get them fixed as soon as possible. The visible rust was done on purpose - to give our door handles and other metal works a different look, we let them rust and then they get a clear layer of varnish - we are in an environment where no metal will rust of natural cause - it is to dry where we are situated - the rust is not a cause of lack of maintenance, but rather a way to create a certain look.
Southern Africa Manager
Okonjima Plains Camp
"Okonjima Plains Camp review"
1 night
Arrived
1 Jun 2015
"We had one night at Okonjima and could easily have stayed longer to fully explore the rehabilitation facility.
The rooms were huge and brand new. Very nice! In fact, we wondered whether donations to the cheetah rehabilitation program were being used to fund the new camp. They might get more donations to their foundations if they clarified the relationship.
We did two game drives and both times had the opportunity to get very close to the collared cats.
One note - the map provided gave the wrong location for the camp. If we hadn't had a GPS location as well, we would have been very worried about having missed the turn. It was much farther south than its mark on the map."
The rooms were huge and brand new. Very nice! In fact, we wondered whether donations to the cheetah rehabilitation program were being used to fund the new camp. They might get more donations to their foundations if they clarified the relationship.
We did two game drives and both times had the opportunity to get very close to the collared cats.
One note - the map provided gave the wrong location for the camp. If we hadn't had a GPS location as well, we would have been very worried about having missed the turn. It was much farther south than its mark on the map."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Olive Grove
"Olive Grove review"
1 night
Arrived
2 Jun 2015
"This was reviewed previously. [Ed: see below!]"
Good
Shinde Footsteps
"Footsteps Across the Delta review"
2 nights
Arrived
8 Jun 2015
"After doing so many game drives, it was very nice to have the opportunity to do walking safaris instead. We used the opportunity to learn a lot more about the environment as a whole. They were very conscious about safety and we felt safe, even with so many animals around. One morning, they opted to do some of the outing as a drive because they were uncertain about the location of the lions that we could hear.
We really enjoyed waking up with an elephant munching close to our tent!
We were somewhat taken aback to discover that we were the only guests there, and that they usually only take one group at a time. It sometimes made it a bit awkward at meals, finding topics to discuss with the guide and manager who ate with us. It also made tipping a more major issue because we were the only people contributing to a fairly large staff. On the plus side, they could tailor things specifically for us and our tastes. And the staff and guides were excellent!"
We really enjoyed waking up with an elephant munching close to our tent!
We were somewhat taken aback to discover that we were the only guests there, and that they usually only take one group at a time. It sometimes made it a bit awkward at meals, finding topics to discuss with the guide and manager who ate with us. It also made tipping a more major issue because we were the only people contributing to a fairly large staff. On the plus side, they could tailor things specifically for us and our tastes. And the staff and guides were excellent!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Little Kwara (Not currently featured by Expert Africa)
"Little Kwara review"
2 nights
Arrived
10 Jun 2015
"Little Kwara was quite different than Footsteps, with more people and a less personal feel. We wondered about two lodges so close together, but they had quite different terrains and feels to them. (Note that we ended up doing a land transfer rather than a flight because the high water meant that Footsteps had to drive around the long way to get from their runway to the camp, passing very close to Little Kwara. So rather than driving by, then flying for a very short hop, the staff arranged a meeting point to get us to the next lodge by vehicle.)
We enjoyed the game drives here, and saw a lot of different animals. The focus of the staff was really on the wild cats and dogs, so if we hadn't already had lots of encounters with the other game, we would have missed stopping to look at more 'mundane' wildlife.
It was nice to have other guests to talk to, but the down side was that drives were shared with people with somewhat different interests. In our travels in Namibia, we were travelling with friends, so it was generally just the 4 of us on drives, which meant that the guides could tailor things to our interests."
We enjoyed the game drives here, and saw a lot of different animals. The focus of the staff was really on the wild cats and dogs, so if we hadn't already had lots of encounters with the other game, we would have missed stopping to look at more 'mundane' wildlife.
It was nice to have other guests to talk to, but the down side was that drives were shared with people with somewhat different interests. In our travels in Namibia, we were travelling with friends, so it was generally just the 4 of us on drives, which meant that the guides could tailor things to our interests."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Ilala Lodge
"Ilala Lodge review"
3 nights
Arrived
12 Jun 2015
"Ilala Lodge was in a great location, within walking distance of the falls and the town facilities. Our room was very nice - but more of a normal hotel after we had been so pampered in the lodges we visited.
However, we were ready for some less structured time and activities, so the 'anonymity' of the Lodge suited us very well."
However, we were ready for some less structured time and activities, so the 'anonymity' of the Lodge suited us very well."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Average