Travel reviews by Mrs J from Somerset

"Great place to start a safari trip, fabulous location with a view of the water vapour from the falls from the gardens. As expected, this is a grand old colonial style hotel, really interesting, great food and service but maybe a little tired around the edges.
We really enjoyed staying here , ate at both the Jungle Junction ( excellent) and did the full Livingstone room dinner ( had to get dispensation not to wear jackets and ties) but it was a super evening. Well worth dragging a pair of heels across Africa for!
Loved the warthogs on the lawns, less enamoured by the baboons …."

"Somalisa is a very attractive and extremely well run camp, loved our “tent” with the copper bath and outside shower. We had a brilliant view of the camps waterhole from our deck ( number 4?)
We were travelling with friends, one of whom had asked to see elephants… well I should think it is the place for that. Herds are constantly approaching the camp to drink, along with other animals. It’s a very special experience.
Lions were very close throughout our time there, there was a kill nearby and 2 lionesses walked through camp one morning.
Food was excellent, we enjoyed the communal dining experience and chatting to other guests.
Guiding was excellent and responsive,
Thought the staff here were exceptional, and it has a very joyful feeling."

"Great experience to stay here, just an extraordinary place. I loved the first approach when you end up driving up a rock face, we couldn’t believe there was a lodge up there!
We had a massive beautifully appointed room, food and catering was brilliant.
Really enjoyed drinks by the pool and exploring the grounds. We even saw the legendary zonkey…
It isn’t really a game lodge in the traditional sense, the Matopos felt to us to be more about history, culture and a good break between 2 game heavy areas with one caveat. We tracked white rhino on foot with the help of our guide Paul and the local game rangers and that was wonderful. They found an adult female with a male calf and adolescent daughter, such a privilege to get so close."

"Nyamatusi is a beautiful camp, gorgeous tents, breathtaking setting. This was our last stop and I’m glad we left it till the last as it was so special.
The camp is on the edge of the Zambezi so no shortage of hippos and elephants in the camp itself, ( you do need to be constantly on alert about this and keep in touch with the staff)
Had great guiding with Micheal who is more than happy to get everyone out on foot in the bush, had some very close encounters with elephants which will stay with us all forever!
Loved the canoeing experience, it had been a baking hot day so,it was wonderful to be on the river. The canoe guides made us feel very safe.
Sadly missed the leopard and no recent sightings of the painted dogs, good reason to go back though.
Met some lovely other guests, as with all African Bush Camps we were encouraged to eat as a group and that suited all of us.
Lovely, sincere and motivated staff.
Great food and drink, and I really enjoyed the cool of the wine cellar and choosing a special wine for our last night."

"Elegant Guesthouse was ideal for us as an overnight stopover. I have stayed in the Olive Exclusive which is smarter and has larger rooms but as we were not staying in Windhoek for long we were happy with this guesthouse."

"We had a fantastic experience at Mundulea. Bruno is a wonderful guide and knowledgeable about many subjects. No-one should be bored spending time with him! Tommy looked after us in camp and cooked delicious meals. This is a different experience to most other lodges I have stayed at. For us it was a highlight of our trip but it is not for everyone. It helps to be reasonably fit because all activities are based around walking. I understand that Bruno will adjust activities to suit his guests but if you can't walk at least 10km (I suggest) I think you would not get the most from this experience. Also, being on foot brings you into contact with fewer animals but the landscape, tracking and stories more than make up for any deficit on that score. Personally I loved the wildness of it and the sink holes and cave systems. I hope I will return one day."

"We stayed here overnight before heading into Etosha. This elevated camp overlooks a water hole which attracted a lot of birdlife. The rooms are very nice although some people might feel a bit exposed using the showers. These work very well but the corrugated iron cubicle provides 2/3 - 3/4 screening. This allows you to view the waterhole while showering. I doubt whether the animals and birds are interested in looking back at you!"

"Safarihoek Lodge was another highlight. Our excellent guide was Michael who has an interesting life story. The lodge itself is situated in a fantastic elevated position overlooking the plain below which stretches to the horizon. There is a waterhole below the camp (best viewed through binoculars or a scope) which attracts a variety of animals including elephants and giraffe. There is a very superior viewing hide right next to the hole with a photography 'room' at ground level and a viewing platform above.

The lodge is very modern with lovely well-appointed rooms and communal areas. If I am completely honest, the dining area is a bit soulless but this shouldn't detract from the overall experience.

The guiding by Michael was excellent and brought us into contact with more animals than any other lodge. Black rhino was a particular highlight. We experienced 8 sightings (some were repeats), an uncomfortable stand off between two mature males which had been fighting and a more peaceful family group comprising a cow and two offspring of different ages.

Another highlight was lunch near a waterhole which was visited by a boisterous group of bachelor elephants."

"This was a different experience from our stay at other lodges. It was much less about animals and bird life although rock hyraxes were everywhere. The rock formations around the camp are amazing - more like massive boulders piled on top of each other. I understand that geologically they are very old. Our sundowner on the first evening took us up some rocks which reminded me of Picnic at Hanging Rock for those of you who remember that film. However, we all returned safely! We went on one of the suggested walks - the 5km walk. This was very worthwhile and I would recommend it to anyone. We also went on the trip to see the cave art which was very worthwhile.

Just one point to note is that the camp is built around the rocks/boulders so it is very up and down, so would prevent some challenges for the less able."

"We had an enormous suite at Olive Exclusive, not strictly necessary of course but nice after a long journey. The staff were great, quite feisty which we actually liked! They looked after some of our excess stuff while we went on safari which was really useful.
Dinner was ok, breakfast better.
Don't think anyone stays longer than one night which is probably a shame.
Couples only though, it's all open plan , and anyone with any mobility issues won't get up and down the steps.
Would def go back. After speaking to other people whilst travelling around clearly a big step up from the sister hotel next door."

"This is a lovely quite simple but very friendly camp. The little lodges are all private and nicely decorated in traditional safari style, good food , especially at the bush supper/BBQ. We enjoyed the communal meals.
Rhino trekking is the thing here, we may have had a good day but it was a doddle! Rhinos only 1 hours drive plus a 5 minute walk. Everyone has to walk in single file and behave, which nearly everyone managed. The work this camp and the associated trust are doing really deserves support.
Apart from the rhinos , we saw desert adapted elephants, giraffe, oryx, springbok, black backed jackets, amongst others.
The really special thing about this camp is the staff, they either love working there or are all talented actors. Singing was constant and seemed genuine! Just really lovely people."

"After a mad series of flights and an hour and a half at Doro! Naras air strip ( thanks Wilderness air.....) it was amazing to arrive at Hoanib. We flew low over the desert following the ephemeral river bed, landing in what really is the middle of nowhere.
We had a wonderful guide here who had just moved from Kulala desert camp, Joas, he was lovely guy to spend a few days with.
The camp still feels very new and pristine, I loved the decor and the spectacular tents, great shower rooms and decks to view the camp water hole.
The atmosphere at this camp is quieter than some, you are seated as couples unless you ask otherwise and don't eat with the guides.
The landscape is extraordinary. The trip to the Skeleton Coast itself is unforgettable, 5 hour drive through constantly changing habitats ( we saw a pair of honey badgers, elephant, giraffe, springbok, a lioness at a distance) and then lunch on what felt like the worlds most desolate beach. Wonderful 15 min flight back to camp.
We also loved walking in the Hoanib river bed for a couple of hours, learning about the desert plants, identifying tracks, observing giraffe and elephants.
Could easily have stayed longer here and would love to go back. They are also running an interesting international study on brown hyena, the professor in charge was visiting while we were there , and one of the female hyenas turned up for a drink at the water hole during breakfast one morning."

"Little Kulala was our last lodge on the trip and I think it was a good place to finish. We felt the lodge had a more hotel vibe than any other place we had stayed, far less game ( although we did see spotted and brown hyena, emus , oryx and springbok) but a truly spectacular landscape.
The lodge was very friendly with a great atmosphere in the evenings. We tried sleeping on the roof on one night, my husband lasted till 5a.m! We also completed an early morning balloon ride which was excellent. Climbing the dunes ( and running down) was an unforgettable experience.
The Lodge is very stylish, nicely designed although the individual accommodation lodges are a bit ugly from the outside.

Whilst staying here these travellers did an early morning ballooning trip, here are their comments:
We loved this! Only 10 min drive from our lodge to the launch site , we were in the last of 3 balloons. A very slick operation, beautiful views of the desert. We even landed exactly on the trailer at the breakfast site. Lovely breakfast too."

"See earlier review!"