Travel reviews by Mr K & Mrs S from NL

"Eningu Clayhouse has a wonderful quiet location one hour's drive from Windhoek airport that is very welcome after a long flight.

We liked the eccentric, artsy decoration of the place. Food was imaginative and tasteful. Staff was very friendly and helpful. It was no problem that we arrived already at 8 am.

There were not many activities here but we enjoyed the nature trail with explanatory panels."

"This lodge enjoys a wonderful location at the end of a valley at the bottom of a plateau. We liked the rather quaint, sixties (?) style of the place.

Our favorable impression was however certainly influenced by the size of our room and the fact that were few other visitors when we were there. We were given a huge family apartment (room 11) with three bedrooms and a large sitting area.

We highly enjoyed the guided plateau hike, not for the animals (we didn't see any major ones) but because of the unsurpassed views from the plateau.

The self-guided walk along the porcupine highway to the spring feeding the stream on which the lodge finds itself is also highly recommended."

"This lodge was fully occupied when we visited and this may have clouded our views.

The atmosphere did not seem authentic to us but reminded us somewhat of a Club Med settlement. Bungalows are nice, however, especially those located on the river. Dinner was a rather massive self service affair.

This lodge is fine for a stopover but not for a longer stay in our view."

"This was our favorite lodge. It has a truly idyllic location in the wilderness on the waterfront. Just getting there by boat is already an adventure. Wonderful huts in the middle of nature.

Highly enjoyable excursions by boat and on foot. First rate, highly knowledgeable guide "P". Great food including freshly baked bread every day. Staff was the most dedicated we encountered on this trip. We may have felt spoilt because we were the only guests though.

Our only gripe was that monklies raided our hut three times on one day and took our malaria tablets (!) amongst other things. There was nothing that could be done to prevent this because the monkeys had learned to squeeze themselves under the screens facing the porch. Certainly it is not asking too much to make the huts monkey proof?"

"We enjoyed the simple, natural set up of this lodge in the middle of nature but we found the tents on the small side.

It was not easy to store luggage. The mosquito net was too small to cover our entire double bed.

We encountered little wild life on the excursions we took. Because of the stilted position of the tents we enjoyed great sunrises and sunsets.

The owner was very friendly and informative but we found the food unremarkable."

"This lodge has a great location on the Okavango river bank. A highlight of our trip was the ability to watch and hear huge herds of elephants on the other side of the river. We also liked the hippo noises at night.

The state of repair of our bungalow was somewhat unsatisfactory. The bed was not as good as in other places and there were holes in the sheets. Food was tasty but service was not as smooth as elsewhere.

Horst, the owner, turned out to be an extremely entertaining table-partner who provided us with many insights on Namibia.

We also enjoyed a self-drive safari in the nearby Mahango reserve."

"This was our least favorite lodge, the only accommodation suffering slightly from traffic noise from the nearby road.

Our room was a bit shabby, not entirely clean, with holes in the sheets. The food was less tasty - tinned carrots with lots of sugar added come to mind.

At breakfast, squirrels were diving in the cornflakes. However, because of its strategic location on the highway it may be OK as a stopover for one night.

There were no activities as far as we noticed (but we did not mind)."

"This lodge offers stunning luxury in the middle of a private game reserve. It has a great location for exploring Etosha (opposite the main gate).

Maintenance, decoration, service and food and drink are all of the highest calibre. Some may even find the luxury a bit overwhelming.

Our sundowner guided drive through Onguma park was rather unproductive but our self-drive safari through Etosha the next day was highly enjoyable and revealed plenty of wildlife."

"This lodge occupies a stunning location in the Erongo Mountains. It offers several excellent walking trails over the rocky hills.

Unfortunately, one of the main trails was unaccessible due to overgrowth that had not yet been cleared. The chalets are spacious and very comfortable.

However, we were unlucky to be given a chalet (number 14?) close to the reception area with wooden walkways passing nearby. A noisy tour group and people rolling their suitcases then spoiled our peace and quiet.

Outlying chalets should be much more quiet and provide an experience that matches the remarkable landscape."