Travel reviews by Mr&Mrs D + kids from Herts

"Not applicable. Unfortunately, we did not make it to Okonjima due to flight cancellations and a 3 day delay."

"A simple but really very nice, relaxing and peaceful place with a lot of space. The staff were welcoming but all very unassuming. The accommodation plays to its history rather than to tourism, with plain whitewashed walls and a few black and white photos of its previous days as a mission station and farm. The pool is relatively large and stone-lined - looking natural rather than reflecting blue.

The evening meal was really homely with a fire pit outside and a fire lit in the dining area. Food was a fairly simple set menu but well cooked, tasty and served very much as if to guests at someone's home.

We were too late to do an evening activity but went for a very pleasant walk. We went to the caves in the morning, which was excellent and a bit of an adventure. As noted elsewhere, it is slippery, dark, quite warm and a bit of a scramble in places but a great experience with a good guide. It was great for older children but is definitely not for the less agile or confident.

There was no connectivity to pay by card when leaving so we had to pay in cash, which pretty much cleaned us out owing to our arrival troubles so unfortunately we could not leave a well deserved tip.

Overall, very much recommended and disappointing not to be able to stay in such a pleasant place to relax for a second night as originally scheduled, owing to our extremely extended travel experience in getting to Namibia!"

"From experience, we always find it best to be realistic about what to expect at a NWR camp, although typically expectations are usually met and often exceeded. Namutoni was definitely substantially better than hoped.

The drive from Galton Gate is not long - only about 12km, but this is not the most exciting stretch of road in Etosha and some of the waterholes around Namutoni are excellent, making it definitely worth considering staying here if wondering whether to instead stay at one of the lodges outside the park.

Staff at reception were really very welcoming and efficient both on arrival and departure. The required NAD500 deposit had to be paid in cash but now appears to be for return of keys only - there was no inventory check.

The fort dominates first impressions of camp and there is a lot of open space and fairly green grass. The view from the fort across the veld is excellent and offers a good opportunity for game viewing in the mid-distance in some context. The waterhole was not particular popular with guests. Although large, it is half obscured from the camp side by a large reed bed. We saw a herd of about 30 elephants here, but from outside of camp rather than from within the fence.

Bush chalets were unexpectedly really of pretty high standard, well finished and equipped - for example even with UK 3-pin sockets. They were in good condition. Showers were a bit odd, being over a sunken bath.

Paths between chalets are very strange, being constructed of thin concrete, undermined my mongoose, and laid out so that vehicles have to drive across them. Inevitably, they are cracked, uneven and broken and we now understand historic comments about trip hazards on 'walkways'. That said, they are well lit - it would be much better if they weren't there at all as they are unnecessary and it is perfectly ok to walk on the sand and gravel.

The best surprise was the food. Dinner had to be booked but this was not a problem despite arriving quite late. The menu was a fairly undescriptive list of meat / game / fish but the cooking was excellent and the restaurant staff were really welcoming and engaging. Breakfast was more mundane with a rather less enthusiastic group of staff but the food was perfectly satisfactory.

Did not do any camp-run activities but evening and morning self-drive game drives were very productive."

"As at Namutoni, reception staff were very welcoming and efficient both on arrival and departure. Again, deposit had to be paid in cash, but again it appeared to be only for return of keys and there was no inventory.

Had previously passed through Okaukuejo but not stayed. Had high expectations of the location but no great expectations of the camp itself. Camp, its campsite and its more basic accommodation look a bit municipal. The large shop had very little food and even buying the ingredients for a sandwich was too much of a challenge. Other than that, the camp very definitely delivered.

Accommodation around the waterhole was set out in a much more spacious way. Stayed in Premier Waterhole Chalets which were of a very high standard. These are in the front row around the waterhole and the Waterhole Chalets are effectively in the row behind.

The waterhole itself was stunning and had a wide variety of game in almost constant attendance throughout our stay. Most guests with accommodation nearby spent their time at the waterhole itself rather than trying to view from chalets. The frontage to the waterhole is long and effectively extends around two sides so never felt busy. In the evenings and at night, people were very respectful and quiet. In the middle of the day, a few bus loads of day-trippers visited for a few minutes and were a bit noisy but not too disruptive. Animals included a lot of plains game, several visits of herds of elephants of between 20 and 40, brown hyena, serval and in the evenings numerous black rhino with up to eight present at once and a lot of fascinating 'bluff and bluster' behaviour over several hours.

Restaurant had to be booked for dinner but reception had done this provisionally before our arrival. The dinner menu was the typically non-descriptive meat, fish, game list but food was again very good and waiting staff were very attentive. Breakfast staff were also very friendly.

On game drives around camp, game density was not great but we had good sightings of elephant, black rhino and lion - everything else was probably at Okaukuejo!

On both evenings, we were out on self-drive game drives returning close to sunset. It is worth being aware of vehicles branded with lodge names out of the park - often empty, presumably having dropped passengers further east, driving at ridiculous speeds to get past Okaukuejo to Andersson's Gate before closing time. A handful passed us, probably driving at around 100kph, one very nearly driving into the back of vehicles stopped viewing rhino."

"Had stayed previously and were well aware of the lodge's limitations. We stayed for practical reasons and to do the rhino tracking. Despite being in a good location to access Damaraland and having good facilities, it is a difficult place to love.

It is a fairly large lodge and has a bit of a motel feel - partly as it is visited by tour groups and is at a bit of a crossroads, but also in its layout as it is relatively close to the road. This creates no disturbance but it does create very much a 'front' and 'back'. There is no opportunity for self-guided walking so it all seems a bit constrained.

On the plus side, accommodation is good, there are a couple of relatively large pools, and a bar area by one is very pleasant. There are a number of activities available in quite spectacular scenery.

The real let-down is the staff, all of whom we found really unwelcoming and quite surly at reception and in the buffet, as on our previous visit. The exception were the staff at the pool bar and its kitchen who were very friendly and efficient and typically Namibian.

The food was not great. Buffet dinner offered the usual fish, meat, game options which varied from good to average to really quite poor. Breakfast was quite limited. The poolside bar at lunch though was actually pretty good.

We had 'booked' but not paid for rhino tracking in advance. No provision had been made for us before arrival. However, we were able to go as one of the other morning activities had no scheduled guests and there was therefore a vehicle available. Whilst it was great to see 'desert' rhino and the activity was close to our expectations having done some reasonable prior research, it is not really 'tracking'. We were in a group of approximately 20 in three vehicles. This number was really far too many but looking at the activities board for the week not untypical - with a couple of other days with similar numbers and a couple of days with just a single couple or family. The activity is on a different concession and involved an hour drive of over 50km each way and another approximately 30 minutes drive in the concession to reach rhino territory.

The tracker left the vehicle after locating recent dung and walked / ran a few km up nearby hills to spot rhino before directing the drivers to a suitable location where we disembarked and walked maybe 1.5km to intercept a male as it came down a gully. We got an excellent view and probably half an hour's viewing as it contoured across the hillside, getting to within about 200m. We would probably have got a little closer and been in view for longer if in a smaller group. When we saw the tracker again at morning coffees and snacks in the bush, he was very informative but struggled a little to communicate effectively with limited English due to the size of the group. Overall, we were pleased to do the activity and it was as we had expected other than for the group size, but it is worth making sure you understand what you will be paying for before committing to this in an itinerary."

"This was an excellent experience interrupted slightly by the weather. Boas was a very informative and engaging guide about the environment and about Namibia more generally. There is big game around and we were told about an uncomfortably close encounter with a lion about a month earlier.

The first evening was a walk of a couple of hours along the riverbed in great scenery to get to River Camp and a chef before a simple but tasty dinner around the fire. There was plenty of warm water for the bucket showers.

Overnight the wind really started to blow and even on the open decks it was very noisy. Under duvets deep inside the weatherproof sleeping bags though, it was fairly easy to sleep, fortunately not too soundly to hear and then see under the full moon a herd of seven elephants walking through camp right next to the platforms at 3am!

In the morning it was really blowing. Even by August standards, the camp staff at the end of the trail later said the wind was exceptional, and actually some guests at the main camp abandoned their stay that morning due to the weather. Boas decided to miss out the first stretch of the trail to avoid walking directly into the blowing dust along the riverbed, so we were driven maybe 4km onto the plateau. The rest of the walk was spectacular. The views were very hazy due to the dust but any disappointment in the middle of the day was compensated by spectacular sunsets and the sunrises for a couple of days.

Climbing the ridge we were reasonably well sheltered from the wind. However, at the top of the ridge it was probably blowing about force 8. It was wide so never dangerous but due to a lot of loose rock it was pretty difficult to maintain footing. A beer and lunch when we got to Mountain Camp was more than welcome. After a bit of an afternoon rest, the wind died down a bit and we had a good short walk of a couple of hours around the plateau, absolutely littered with crystals.

After a simple but tasty meal, it was another noisy night but we were well practiced by now at the benefits of being well and truly buried in the sleeping bags.

The final morning was a steep but easy walk downhill all the way to the main camp for about an hour and a half.

Overall, highly recommended. Great scenery, good guiding and walking in a spectacular area. Although it is definitely not roughing it and the camps are fixed, it is as described and closer to a camping experience with staff, than a more typical lodge. Think two nights is probably as good as the three night option and we were told is what most people do. The extra day is a day walk returning to the Mountain Camp. On the walk in, out and in the afternoon we had covered - at least in part - all the immediately available directions."

"Quite a large lodge with about 20 rooms, but with really welcoming, genuine and friendly staff throughout and a great setting making it feel quite special. The rooms are semi-detached bungalows set fairly close together. Strangely due to the screening and staggered layout, the adjacent bungalow tends to be a little more intrusive than the semi-detached room. Rooms themselves are of high quality.

There is quite a large pool, pool-side area and bar. The lodge definitely attracts families; this area was never noisy but children of all ages were more than welcome to enjoy themselves.

Food was excellent. Service at dinner was a bit more UK than Namibia - a bit of a pause between ordering and courses, and finished plates stayed on the table until others had finished - all fine by us.

The self-guided walk above the accommodation is short but interesting and can easily last 45 minutes. It has some well preserved rock art and good views through the rocks and across the plains. We did the morning guided walk and evening sundowner walk which were similarly interesting with great views. Both guides were excellent.

There is no other access for self-guided walking, apparently due to tourists collecting plants for medicines. The advertised other morning walk option has been replaced by a game drive.

Overall, a very nice relaxing place with plenty to do for a couple of nights. All the staff across management, reception, bar, restaurant, guides and room preparation deserve recognition for their attitude and welcome."

"Quite an upmarket lodge in a stunning location. There are a couple of mapped self-guided walks which include access to interesting rock features and there is access across the property to adjust the length of routes to suit. Accommodation is high quality.

Evening guided tour to Small Bushmans Paradise was a great way to explore further but very much a drive (or cycle) direct to places of interest. Guiding was enthusiastic but very much focused on interpretation of rock art. The natural environment was stunning, and the rock arch very impressive. Rock art itself was quite seriously damaged through a combination of vandalism and apparent accidental 'wear' from touching or from some efforts at preservation.

Morning sunrise guided tour to Bushmans Paradise was similarly impressive and a bit more of a drive then walk. Access is via chain up (and at the end, down) the first few hundred metres. Same comments about the environment and the condition of rock art.

Dinner was very high quality food. Breakfast was good. Lunch was slightly strange, with options seemingly faced on quantity (game lasagne, large sauce-laden very large wraps etc) rather than more typical and desirable salads or sandwich options."

"Very much a B&B; in a slightly surreal location - on the edge of the residential area from its road access / right on the edge of the dunes on the other side. It is maybe 2km from centre of town, easily walkable down the Swakop riverbed or edge of the dunes in the day, but, although probably fine, a bit isolated to recommend walking at night.

Accommodation again of a high standard and it was good to have the Villa, allowing us all to be together in three rooms and with a decent living area. Breakfast was fine, if a little functional.

Great trips around Swakopmund - sandboarding with Alter-action was excellent fun and really well done; Pelican Point Kayaking was a similarly good morning with a great guide and loads of flamingos and seals, and a couple of distant dolphins; self-drive to the Moonscape is well worth doing although the road condition beyond through the rest of Welwitschia Drive might make you think twice about going further; Cape Cross seal colony was impressive, even having been to Pelican Point - the cost is not unreasonable but does seem expensive when compared to other national parks - ie the same for an hour or so here as for a day in Etosha (effectively NAD150pp).

Restaurants in Swakopmund - it remains hard to beat the Wreck, although it is well out of town; the Tug and Jetty are also recommended and compare very favourably for food quality and cost when compared to eating at home."

"Really good start to the trip with plenty of opportunity for relaxing or activities. Ideal location on route south or on dogleg to Sossusvlei if wanting a couple fo nights downtime or avoiding a stay in Windhoek.

Check-in welcoming and efficient. Stayed in strawbale room which was plenty big enough for 5. Inferior setting to dune chalets but perfectly pleasant. Accommodation very comfortable and of a good standard.

Nice pool area, restaurant and bar. Kids particularly liked donkeys, goats and springbok around the tables!

Breakfast buffet was good and had a wide choice, Sandwiches and salad available for lunch. Dinner was a buffet with several options - all very good and with enough choice to keep children largely happy, but no specific kids menu.

Mongoose, ostrich and meerkats around lodge very approachable.

Easy self-guided short walks into the dunes.

Did sundowner drive which was very interesting and typical of Kalahari. Some low density game - oryx, springbok, eland, wildebeeste etc - good scenery, great sunset. Guide was good and informative if unspectacular. Owing to numbers on other activities, this was combined for us with cheetah feeding free of charge. Two cheetahs captive in 12ha enclosure not able to be re-released as orphaned as cubs - certainly not 'wild' and fed from a bowl, Might not be everyone's cup of tea, but nevertheless, kids very excited at being in with them and being able to touch them.

Bushman walk with three bushmen and interpetor very interesting, even for kids. Walking group was a little large at about 15-20 but they still managed to keep everyone engaged."

"Very warm welcome, and engaging staff throughout - taught children any number of ways of folding napkins into animals, and very enthusiastic when presented with an irish dancing display!

Stayed in family kulala - actually two separate units with single walkway so kids wanted an adult in each room, which was fine. Plenty of room for third bed in one unit. Slept out on roof one night which was spectacular, chilly but not too cold even in August. Setting quite spectacular but harsh, in site of dunes. A few oryx drinking at waterhole from time to time.

Morning trip into dunes was excellent - but although we had our own vehicle and guide who was good, the main benefits of the trip are really to have direct access into the park to avoid an otherwise even earlier drive round to Sesriem, and 4wd to get to Sossusvlei without using the shuttle. Passed several self-drive 4wd stuck in the sand. Getting pretty hot by mid-morning so kids quite happy to be heading back by lunchtime. Be prepared to do a bit of walking if you want some solitude.

Pool area, central accommodation and bar very pleasant. Food good. Kids menu available if ordered in advance.

Internet connection pretty poor so checkout was a bit slow - be aware if trying to make an early departure."

"Rather different type of accommodation to much of Namibia - a fairly clinical-style open plan apartment on the beach a few km outside central Swakopmund. 'Montrose' ideal for five - split over two floors (first and second floor) with large double upstairs, and two single and two bunks downstairs; both floors with a balcony.

Beachfront fairly wild - rather like the North Sea. Setting great; all you need on site, but really too remote from town if you want to go out in the evening.

Fairly motel-style welcome and check-in / check-out but very efficient.

'Wreck' restaurant on site. Breakfast fine, but not special. Dinners very good with wide-ranging menu and plenty of children's options. Dinner is two sittings at 6pm and 8pm, with no flexibility.

No activities run by the lodge but we did:

Pelican Point Kayaking - brilliant fun for all playing with the seals, but especially for the kids for whom it was one of the highlights of the whole trip. Supposedly fully booked, but two other groups did not show - so we were on our own. Even if you cannot book online, it is worth a call to check late availability.

Sandwich Harbour 4x4. Did this in the afternoon in August. Wind had got up to 35kts by the time we got to Sandwich, so it was very wild - great, but think about going in the morning if you want more chance of something less bracing. The trip was very good and included great dune and beach driving. Had no complaints but it was very definitely not as explicitly advertised in a number of aspects (time / vehicle / exclusivity (probably of more concern to the couple with us!) etc) as it was let out to another operator. If you want something very specific, you may want to question specifically.

Swakopmund Fat Bikes. Despite checking carefully when we booked this, there was no bike suitable for our 7 year old (he is not small) and one of the 11-yr old girls struggled. A really good trip but hard work. Probably 11 is about the minimum sensible age - depending on size and strength of kids."

"Recent wreck of the Zeila about 50km outside Swakopmund not in most guide books and quite an interesting diversion for a few minutes on the long drive north giving a bit of a flavour of the Skeleton Coast proper beyond. Very windy drive for over 100km inland even in early morning in August with dust spectacular bur severely hampering visibility at times. Last 80km (D2612) from Swakopmund very rough (Aug 2017) to the extent that lodges trying to regrade locally using 4wd + towed tyres etc. - don't arrive late in the day!

Great singing welcome and departure. Great setting.

Stayed in family accommodation - two separate units joined by wooden walkway. Kids wanted one adult in each unit, but this was fine. All slept outside on verandas under the stars.

Nice pool area.

Dinner was on a single table out in the bush (twice a week). Great atmosphere. Food introduced in local language with plenty of clicking and chicken impressions. Kids a bit reticent at first but then loved it. Food largely from the braai and very good. Kids menu available if chosen in advance and excellent. Breakfast fairly basic.

Should have stayed for 2 nights but had to balance where we wanted to go with time available. Didn't do any lodge activities.

Self-drove to Twyfelfontein. Road very poor (Aug 2017) and wouldn't want to do it in a hurry or in a low clearance vehicle. Children interested in rock art to a surprising degree."

"Only stayed one night - on sleep-out, for a bit of excitement for children.

Hardest part of the trip with kids due to time in car, roughness of roads, three single night stays in a row. Would have been better if we could have stayted somewhere longer. Even in hindsight though, given where we wanted to go, what we wanted to experience and time constraints, would do the same again. Definitely not a relaxing few days though!

Arrived at main camp by lunch - very pleasant pool area, bar etc. Basic sandwiches available. Camp a bit 'functional' rather than special. Staff did what they needed to, but little more. Camp very accessible to wildlife though - desert elephant walking through.

Sleep-out experience and associated game-drives not entirely as billed - left camp later (16:00) and returned earlier (09:30) but this was largely due to wind and lack of game as a consequence. Camp 3x 2-person tents with simple mattress and sleeping bags. Plenty of room to put 2 kids + 1 adult in one tent, which we did. Would not really recommend kids on own due to separation of tents open to dangerous game - although this is permitted.

Dinner cooked on fire + plenty of salad and cold drinks brought in cooler boxes. Could hear lion (a few km off) and hyena (nearby) as soon as sun went down. Hyenas in camp during night and again as we were getting up at 6am.

Great drive back to main camp - for scenery rather than game, although we did see giraffe, oryx, duiker etc.

Guide was brilliant at spotting game but english was a bit of a struggle at times. As a consequence, he was unable to really engage kids and it was a bit difficult throughout to understand what was going to happen next.

Overall, this was a good experience which eveyone enjoyed but it was more memorable for doing it, rather than what we saw or the engagement with the guide."

"This is a NWR-run camp, not a private lodge. If you go expecting the former, you will probably think it is fantastic. If you go expecting the latter, you will probably think it is rather rough around the edges.

The west side of Etosha is well worth a visit and this is the only real way of doing so other than camping or driving through. The setting is absolutely spectacular, perched on an outcrop high above the surrounding plains with views for miles of elephant, eland, zebra, giraffe, hartbeest and springbok.It is worth coming for the location alone.

The camp is unfenced. Parking is at the base of the outcrop. You can walk up to reception in a couple of minutes or a buggy will come and collect you and your luggage. This happened efficiently within 5 minutes.

Reception and communal facilities are all together, with chalets strung out along the top of the outcrop.The path is quite steep, sometimes uneven, and some units are several minutes' walk away. Wooden walkways are not in the greatest condition, with some trip hazards. Metal handrails are not earthed and frequently give a small electric shock - all part of Africa's charm but not to be recommended for small children or those not very mobile.

We had two chalets (one with an extra bed, which was a bit cramped but perfectly ok). Whilst they were next to each other, they were a good 2-3 minutes walk apart. Some adjacent chalets were closer. On booking, we were advised that an adult was required in each, but this was not confirmed at check-in - however, given the location, we split parents.

A fantastic small infinity pool was an unexpected surprise. There was a pleasant bar and seating area adjacent. Dinner was a choice of two meat options. There was no specific provision for children and they did struggle a bit. Breakfast was fairly basic. Service was pretty slow - but appeared to be largely reliant on cooking all meals pretty much simultaneaously. Staff were polite, but not welcoming.

Game drives were available but we self-drove.

Despite any average comments, would go back time and again just for the location."

"Quite a large national parks camp, rather than a private lodge. Its location in the heart of Etosha more than makes up for its fairly municipal feel.

Reception had quite a queue in late afternoon and was very bureaucratic. Checking-in was very functional. A deposit was required for all room equipment. Despite others' comments and advice, check-out for us was very rapid; the deposit was returned instantly and without any check of the inventory.

Family chalet had a small communal room and two bedrooms - one with a third bed, which was cramped as a result. but completely fine ffor children to sleep in.

All meals were buffet-style and rather mass-catered. Dinner had several choices - sufficient for kids to find something they would eat (no kids options). Waiting staff very over-run, but largely not required due to self-service nature of meals.

Large swimming pool, with plenty of space around. Decent shop for basics - including bread to avoid another buffet for lunch!

Fantastic waterhole with black rhino both nights as the sun set - male first night; female and calf second night. Despite 50+ people on each occasion, a lot of respect and almost total silence.

Whilst there was quite a lot of interesting small game and birdlife, there was not a great amount of large game to be sighted generally across a range of habitats around central Etosha. However, sightings at waterholes were absolutely phenominal and would rival anything we have seen previously in Africa - several thousand antelope and zebra simultaneously / 50+ elephants together / hyena / leopard / large herds drinking within 30m of sleeping lion three times......Spend your time waiting for the game to come to you, rather than giong looking for it!

Game drives available but we self-drove."

"A brilliant place to relax for a day or two and break up the endless action! Really warm welcome and great staff and guides throughout.

Stayed in a single family tent - effectively segregated into two 'rooms' by a drop-down canvas curtain. Spectacular setting amongst the rocks. Plenty of dassies and geckos around. A few baboon spiders to make the kids squeal!

Large flocks of birds around communal areas - including hundreds of lovebirds. Nice small pool.

Guided walks available each morning and at sunset. Very interesting in spectacular setting. Kids really enjoyed. Guides very knowledgable.

Very high quality food. Good kids menu if ordered in advance. It seems a shame to identify one of the kids' highlights of a country like Namibia as a meal - but breakfast was just that!"

"The welcome and check-in was really functional and miserable. After that, all the other staff were absolutely fantastic - and a special mention should bo to Rikki and our guide Immanuel.

Stayed in the family view room - two fully interconnecting large hotel-style rooms forming a single unit isolated from others and overlooking the bush. Very nice, and a welcome opportunity for children and adults to be fully separated.

Breakfast was a buffet - perfectly fine. Lunch was a bizarre set-menu - but could easily be avoided with a late breakfast, midday fruit and early afternoon cake! Dinner was fine and included a kids option if ordered in advance.

Visited Africat - which was interesting - including various animal parts and veterinary equipment which the kids could touch.

The highlight though was undoubtedly the game drives. The cats are tagged, so that may affect some people's appetite for the camp. However, with an exceptional guide who was brilliant with children and got the balance just right between finding leopard and cheetah, and observing everything else in the reserve, the kids found it exceptional. We saw lots of game and birdlife. We watched a leopard and two cubs very active and very close-by for over an hour. We saw porcupine and three brown hyenas together and many other great sights.

Very nice pool and surrounding area."