Travel reviews by Drs F & S from Oregon
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
9
Excursions taken
1
A very interesting trip/some glitches
Namibia between 7 Sep 2017 and 29 Sep 2017
"Considering this trip we saw a lot but I would do some things differently. I would have flown to Desert Rhino and maybe added one of the Skeleton Coast Camps like Hoanib or Serra Cafema which would also require a fly in. Or maybe I would have omitted Desert Rhino and just done another night at Ongava where we saw lots of Rhinos.
We would have missed the heritage petroglyphs but have already seen San rock art in Zimbabwe so maybe I think this would have been the superior choice. Then we could have driven to Etosha from either Swakopmund or Windhoek (Better option) and saved money on renting a less robust car.
Also Doro Nawas was totally not worth the money or effort.
Favorites were Soussesvlei Desert Lodge, Sandwich Bay Tour, and Ongava Lodge."
We would have missed the heritage petroglyphs but have already seen San rock art in Zimbabwe so maybe I think this would have been the superior choice. Then we could have driven to Etosha from either Swakopmund or Windhoek (Better option) and saved money on renting a less robust car.
Also Doro Nawas was totally not worth the money or effort.
Favorites were Soussesvlei Desert Lodge, Sandwich Bay Tour, and Ongava Lodge."
Arranged By Maruska AdyeRowe
Olive Grove
"Nice place but who let the dogs out!"
1 night
Arrived
7 Sep 2017
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Average
Service
Excellent
Sossusvlei Desert Lodge
"Sossusvlei Desert Lodge review"
3 nights
Arrived
8 Sep 2017
"Wonderful!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Villa Margherita
"Villa Margherita review"
2 nights
Arrived
11 Sep 2017
"Very nice and quiet...no barking dogs here!
A very helpful staff.
Day trip to Sandwich Harbour and coast south of Swakopmund Expert Africa organised this day trip for these travellers who commented...
Excellent - A great day trip!
Wow this trip was great and I was uncertain I wanted to add it.
This was the biggest surprise of the trip. So glad we went."
A very helpful staff.
Day trip to Sandwich Harbour and coast south of Swakopmund Expert Africa organised this day trip for these travellers who commented...
Excellent - A great day trip!
Wow this trip was great and I was uncertain I wanted to add it.
This was the biggest surprise of the trip. So glad we went."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Coast and Sandwich Harbour
"A great day trip!"
12 Sep 2017 • All-day excursion
Wow this trip was great and I was uncertain I wanted to add it.
This was the biggest surprise of the trip. So glad we went.
This was the biggest surprise of the trip. So glad we went.
Excellent
Doro Nawas
"Not up to Wilderness Standards!"
1 night
Arrived
13 Sep 2017
"Wow this was the most disappointing venue of our whole trip. We have stayed at many Wilderness Safari properties and this one was definitely not up to snuff. We were given the worst room with a parking lot view and no orientation...ie beds could be moved for star viewing.
The game drive was reliant on 5 or 6 desert elephants with not much else. The group dinner out in the coma featured skimpy food...literally my lamb chop had 2 bites of meat on it and the food was running out due to a large Spanish tour group. The breakfast buffet was skimpy and the offer of a hot breakfast was not made.
I really wish we had not paid the price for this place and just driven on to stay at Palmwag lodge where we could have seen elephants on a morning walk before awaiting our 3 pm transfer to Desert Rhino...would have been a much better value.
I really am very surprised this place was so bad."
The game drive was reliant on 5 or 6 desert elephants with not much else. The group dinner out in the coma featured skimpy food...literally my lamb chop had 2 bites of meat on it and the food was running out due to a large Spanish tour group. The breakfast buffet was skimpy and the offer of a hot breakfast was not made.
I really wish we had not paid the price for this place and just driven on to stay at Palmwag lodge where we could have seen elephants on a morning walk before awaiting our 3 pm transfer to Desert Rhino...would have been a much better value.
I really am very surprised this place was so bad."
Poor
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Poor
Location
Average
Food
Poor
Facilities
Average
Service
Poor
Activities
Average
Desert Rhino Camp
"Great experience"
2 nights
Arrived
14 Sep 2017
"Only wish perhaps that we had flown in and rearranged our driving arrangements"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Ongava Lodge
"A Glitch that ended well"
1 night
Arrived
16 Sep 2017
"Loved this lodge but when we arrived they had no record of our reservation so we were kept waiting and missed an afternoon game drive.
They offered us the Ongava Tented Camp which I refused because it was hot and we wanted to AC/ Finally an accommodation was reached where we stayed one night in Ongava Lodge and were upgraded to Little Ongava the second night which was heaven.
This is a great lodge and the drives and views were spectacular. Apparently our reservation was cancelled in their system...again was this a Wilderness Safari issue. I wish we had stayed here for 3 days and only one day at the Mushara Lodge because we saw so much game here."
They offered us the Ongava Tented Camp which I refused because it was hot and we wanted to AC/ Finally an accommodation was reached where we stayed one night in Ongava Lodge and were upgraded to Little Ongava the second night which was heaven.
This is a great lodge and the drives and views were spectacular. Apparently our reservation was cancelled in their system...again was this a Wilderness Safari issue. I wish we had stayed here for 3 days and only one day at the Mushara Lodge because we saw so much game here."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Feedback response
Ongava Lodge replied immediately, the day after these travellers arrival there, apologising for the confusion. Apparently their automated reservation system inadvertently cancelled this Ongava booking. They are truly sorry about this and are investigating fully to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. They gave these travellers a complimentary upgrade to Little Ongava for their second night by way of an apology.
Manager & Senior Africa Specialist
Little Ongava
"Heaven"
1 night
Arrived
17 Sep 2017
"We were upgraded to this room after the loss of our reservation incident."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Mushara Lodge
"A nice venue on the eastern edge"
2 nights
Arrived
18 Sep 2017
"This property was very nice but I think we could have just stayed one day."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Okonjima Bush Camp
"A great way to end the trip"
2 nights
Arrived
20 Sep 2017
"Enjoyed the conservation effort and seeing all the cats."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Property well aware and apparently have received other complaints.
Cant recommend a place if you cannot get a good nights sleep."