Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs P from Seattle

"We had a great one night stay in Windhoek after a very long trip to Namibia. Helen was an excellent host and made us reservations at Joe's Beerhouse along with a taxi to take us to and from. The rooms were clean and comfortable, with a straight-forward, yet tasty breakfast the next morning to start our trip."

"We had a truly memorable stay during our honeymoon at the Sossusvlei Desert Lodge. Having never stayed in such an extravagant lodge, we did not know what to expect, but from the moment we arrived, we felt like absolute royalty while there. We were greeted by several staff members, with friendly smiles, a cool drink, and cold towels. From there, we handed over our vehicle keys to the incredible Paolo and staff for car/luggage assistance while we were whisked away to go over our stay with our very friendly host, Prinella.

Our guide, George, was tremendous. His knowledge of the area combined with his sense of humor made each activity very unique and fun. The activities were all great: from the trip to the Sossusvlei sand dunes to the game drive in the reserve. We also visited the observatory with the astronomer, Petra. We got very lucky with a new moon night so the sky visibility was absolutely amazing. She showed us so much and explained it all very well. This was definitely another highlight of our time there.

The rooms were impeccable, particularly because of the work of the housekeeper Hanzina, who also left little, creative notes for us along with treats each time we left and returned from an activity. The bed was very comfortable and the skylight was a nice touch, but we did not use it that much as it was difficult to close/open and it was a little bit dirty on the outside, obscuring the view. It's the desert, though, so we're not knocking them for this!

Although we missed one dinner due to a bout of heat exhaustion (drink lots and lots of water during activities!), the food was quite delicious throughout our stay. Our "butler", Frans, was a pleasure and always seemed to know what we were doing that day and made sure to ask about it.

The only sense of a negative encounter came at the very end of our stay and afterward, as we had a difficult time interacting with a staff member called Annah. She did not seem very happy when she was assisting us with checking out, then we happened to leave a couple items behind and she was very abrupt on the phone, not being particularly helpful or sympathetic to our situation. The lodge was able to assist us in getting our items returned all the way back to Seattle. Paolo and the others were great in helping us resolve an issue that was ultimately our mistake, but I did feel that this particular guest service experience was out of line from the rest of the stay and thus, warrants mentioning.

If you stay here, I guarantee you will not be disappointed! Everything while we were there was first class: the views, the room, the guides and activities, the food, and the service. It was a truly incredible stay."

"We had a great, two night stay at Villa Margherita in Swakopmund. Located within walking distance of so many shops and restaurants, Villa Margherita was a comfortable, cozy launching pad for our time there. We were lucky enough to stay in the Romeo & Juliet room during our honeymoon, which was a nice room overlooking the center courtyard on the property.

The staff at Villa Margherita were very helpful with providing dinner recommendations. Muti in particular was a pleasure to work with as she assisted us in contacting one of our previous lodges about a lost item. Though we were initially unsuccessful, Muti went above and beyond expectations, tracking down the lodge and treating the issue as if it were her own.

When we notified the staff that we'd be leaving too early for breakfast on our first morning, they set us up with food to take with us on our trip down to Walvis Bay early in the morning. The sandwiches were excellent and truly appreciated. The next morning, we dined on their breakfast, which was standard for our time in Namibia, but that standard was above average.

Villa Margherita is a great place to rest your head while exploring Swakopmund and the surrounding area!"

"We stayed for two nights at Camp Kipwe, which is a beautiful property located in Damaraland. First things first, the food was deliciously innovative. The chef curated a menu for each meal that featured unique flavor combinations with local proteins using elements from the on-site garden. For two food-lovers from Seattle, Washington, this really scratched all of the itches we have when it comes to food.

The guide staff were top class, particularly Tafe, who took us on a drive tracking desert-adapted elephants. His knowledge and patience lead to wonderful, close encounters with the elephants. Despite being in the middle of a pack of other tourist groups, he seemed to know when and where to move that kept us away from the herd of tourists and at the forefront of the movement of the herd of elephants. We also went on an afternoon drive with Willy to the Organ Pipers, Burnt Mountain, and Twyfelfontein; he was a knowledgeable guide and was great in assisting our group with any questions or needs along the way.

The rooms were very appropriate for the setting and pretty simple in design. There was an air-conditioning unit in our room, which was essential as it is very hot and there's not much ventilation through the stone room. As hard as it tried, the A/C unit couldn't get the room too cool, making sleep a bit difficult. The outdoor bathrooms are a great touch! However, they didn't feel completely private and the amount of bugs/lizards around made any late night trips to the toilet mildly unsettling. An enclosed shower/toilet option would be a fine addition in the future.

Overall, we had an excellent stay at Camp Kipwe with friendly staff and a sundowner location that is spectacular. Make sure to go up for a tasty drink at the end of each day that you're there!"

"We spent two days at the Ongava Lodge during our honeymoon and they made us feel very special from start to finish. Our host, Angelo, was attentive, friendly, and very thoughtful, setting up a private dinner for us on our last night there with a complimentary bottle of wine while we overlooked the waterhole.

Our guide during our time there, Binius, was simply brilliant. Knowing that it was our first time visiting a game reserve in Africa, he immediately took us to the big game on our first game drive. Within a couple of hours, we saw giraffe, savanna elephants, a variety of antelope, and two prides of lions. It was the best game viewing we had all trip, including Etosha. Then, when we came back for another drive on our second day, he showed us completely different aspects of the reserve by introducing us to many of the different birds that inhabit the area. The contrast was excellent and his expertise during both drives was greatly appreciated.

Aside from these two wonderful individuals, our room was a comfortable, welcome respite from our activities. With a great view, indoor and outdoor shower options, air conditioning, and very comfortable beds, it was all you could want from lodging here.

The food did not disappoint either, as we enjoyed breakfast, lunch and dinner during our stay. It was all very tasty.

If you are looking for a safari experience at a first rate property, look no further than Ongava Lodge!"

"We had a wonderful one night stay at the Mushara Bush Camp. Upon entering the grounds, we finally saw our first warthogs of the trip! The cute little guys were grazing on the front lawn as we entered the well-designed and welcoming reception and dining area.

The food, particularly dinner, was quite good and we were very pleased with our room, that was a perfect blend of inside/outside space. We enjoyed that the bathroom area was enclosed and private, while the main living area had the option of being private and closed or open and well-ventilated. The fan in the room was also a useful addition.

We arrived around 2 PM and were able to squeeze in an afternoon game drive. Given the short notice, the camp was great in accommodating us and finding us a guide as they were already very busy that afternoon. The drive itself was not the best as the game during this time of year was sparse, except for giraffe and antelope. To fill the time, we attempted to ask our guide questions about the park itself as well as the bird life, but he did not provide a lot of information and his answers were brief. This was a little disappointing, but altogether, we were just happy to be out on a drive in Etosha.

The only other thing worth noting is that we did not get to experience the pool, but it looked lovely. It seemed to be a great attraction for those looking to spend part (or all) of the day relaxing with friends or family."

"We truly enjoyed our two night stay at the Erongo Wilderness Lodge. We were fortunate enough to get the "honeymoon suite", which is worth the longer walk from the reception area. The lodge as a whole is set up beautifully within the rocky wilderness. We had a 2WD SUV vehicle (Ford Everest) and were able to get up to the main area without that much difficulty.

The dining area provides a picturesque setting to go with the delicious food. The meals were up there with the best that we had on the trip, particularly the breakfasts. I'm still thinking about those savory and sweet pancakes!

The highlight of staying at the Erongo Wilderness Lodge for us was the guided activities. We loved our long walk in the morning with Kulis. He was very knowledgeable of the area and quite entertaining. His love of the area where he grew up is evident when you spend time with him on these walks. We also went on an afternoon drive to Paula's Cave, which was an enjoyable way to wrap up our day after a long walk in the morning. During both excursions, we saw different birds and wildlife, though no leopards this time around.

Overall, we highly recommend this lovely lodge and be sure to utilize the guided activities while there!"