Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs H from Lincs

"We were impressed with Galton House. After a 24 flight delay they were able to accommodate us the following day at no extra charge. We were too tired to venture further afield for dinner but the meal we had at Galton House was excellent as was the breakfast. The staff were really welcoming."

"Because of our flight delay we were only able to stay at Bullsport for one night, but actually that proved to be enough. It is a useful stop off on what otherwise would have been a long drive to our next destination. Because our visit was curtailed we were very kindly offered an afternoon trip to the Quiver Tree Gorge for just the 2 of us. We were driven there and escorted by our excellent guide David, and felt we learnt so much more than if we had done the hike on our own, which is what usually happens. He pointed out so many interesting features regarding plant life, geology, animals and birds.

The accommodation at Bullsport is quite simple, but spacious and comfortable. The meals were fine but they have a system of allotting you tables which wasn't explained and we kept getting moved around."

"Kulala is a lovely lodge and we really enjoyed our time here. The staff were most friendly and helpful. Our guide on all our trips was Richard who was excellent. The morning trips at the Wilderness Lodges include lunch which makes them good value. We did the early morning trip to the dunes and we arrived before it became too crowded. We managed a walk across Dead Vlei without another soul in sight. it was stunning. We also took 2 afternoon drives with sundowners and Richard ably imparted his knowledge of the area.

Our room was excellent and the food superb, especially when you consider how far it has to be transported."

"Rostock Ritz provided a welcome break on a long drive to our next destination. The scenery all around is stunning and although the rooms are smaller than all the other places we visited, the view from our terrace was beautiful. We loved the swimming pool; again with wonderful views. Our meals were excellent and the meerkats were entertaining. We took a self guided walk, of which there are several to choose from and maps are provided. It was really good to take a hike and absorb our surroundings after sitting in a car for hours."

"It was a very different experience staying at Organic Square compared to all the lodges we stayed at. Much more obviously just a B&B with a courtyard outdoor sitting area. However, we had a large room which was well equipped and with an excellent shower. Breakfasts were good and in the evenings we dined out at The Jetty ( a bit overpriced and not that special.... I think you pay for the view), Kucki's Pub (where we had excellent fish and good service) and The Tug. We booked The Tug in the UK before we left, and I would recommend this as it is very popular and hard to get a table. The food here was superb as was the service and we were lucky to have a table with a sea view.

The restaurants and shops are all within easy walking distance of Organic Square.

Whilst here, these travellers took a Day trip to Sandwich Harbour. They commented:

We were lucky enough to be on our own on our trip to Sandwich Harbour. Berger was an excellent guide with a huge amount of knowledge and driving expertise. He managed to drive us to Sandwich Harbour along the beach just before the tide made it impossible so we were the only people there. We were left to do some exploring on our own while he prepared an excellent lunch. Although Swakopmund is renowned for its foggy mornings, we had clear skies and sunshine all the time we were there. We had many sightings of lazy jackals, and also pelicans and flamingos. The hectic dune driving was good fun.

These travellers also took park in a kayaking with seals excursion and they commented:

Another clear, sunny day for our day kayaking with the seals. Jeanne is a brilliant guide and very reassuring. We were not disappointed. It was a wonderful experience being so close to the seal pups and they are very familiar with tourists. Jeanne made sure we kept a respectful distance from those on the shore. All the equipment needed is provided and in addition we had a lovely sandwich, cake and coffee break. By that evening, we had already received the photographs and short videos Jeanne had taken of us."

"Don't be put off by the somewhat bleak appearance of this place, it is lovely when you get inside. Be prepared for the singing welcome and farewell. It is a lovely gesture. The singing and dancing from all the staff in the evenings is great and they all really seem to enjoy it. Our room was excellent and well equipped with the opportunity to wheel the bed outside to view the stars at night. Even after such hot days, it was too chilly at night. We all went out for a short walk into the bush on our first night there for a communal barbecue which was good fun and so pretty with all the lanterns set amongst the rocks. All our meals were excellent here.

Our guide was Nesley and we were fortunate to be his only guests when we took the morning drive to see the desert elephants. We spent a long time viewing them with nobody else around. He made it clear that he loved his job and felt privileged to be doing it. He knew so much about the birds and plant life too and took us to see a farm which had successfully produced a wonderful vegetable crop. He was also very proficient when explaining what Doro Nawas was putting back into the community. He really was very generous in talking about his family and the challenges facing farmers in Namibia.

We also took a trip to see the rock art at Twyfelfontein. It was fascinating, but perhaps a little rushed as they were anxious to close promptly. The Organ Pipes were worth seeing on the way back. The geology of the area is a real plus."

"Ongava Lodge is a wonderful place in a beautiful setting. it was a long and bumpy drive from Doro Nawas but all the drives have taken us through amazing changes in scenery. Our room was excellent and near the hide for game viewing. There is also a fantastic view of the waterhole from the dining area and always something to see. Our guide here was Kapona and he was excellent. We took 2 afternoon trips with him around the Ongava reserve and were rewarded with sightings of lions, black rhino, many varieties of antelopes and plenty more. On our second trip Kapona found white rhino which we then tracked on foot. It was an amazing experience. We also took a morning trip into Etosha itself and again we were well rewarded by what we saw, but I think we would also have been lucky if we had driven ourselves around.

The trips at Ongava are wonderful, but more expensive than at the Wilderness Lodges, and we realised to our cost that the lunch after the morning trek wasn't included here. The price was inconsequential, but we were led to believe it was included. Having said that, the meals were very good here."

"Mushara Outpost is very conveniently placed for Etosha and we had a brilliant drive through the park from the Andersson Gate to get here. It is a lovely lodge in a garden setting with mongooses and Damara Dikdiks roaming about. The tents are beautiful, the staff friendly and welcoming and there was also a nice swimming pool to cool off in. The food here is wonderful.

We self drove around Etosha while we were here and saw an incredible amount of bird and wild game life; lots of elephants, lions, spotted hyenas eating their prey, magnificent elands and much more. I would recommend self driving around the park. I thought we would be in a queue to catch sight of the game, but frequently we were watching for ages on our own. Some of the roads are bumpy but not impossible and the drive round the Fischer Pan was incredible."

"We loved our stay at OKonjima. The standard rooms are vast and well equipped. The main reception and dining area is known as "the barn" and it is quite barn-like and echoey and there seemed to be problems assigning guests food and drink orders to their rooms on our first night, but it didn't happen again. It was the biggest placed we stayed at, but the staff were efficient serving meals and the food was good.

We had brilliant guide in Daniel. We went on the cheetah tracking with him just as a thunderstorm started to develop, but we still managed to see them and were able to walk up close to them. The next morning we went on the leopard tracking trip where we were not guaranteed success. However, Daniel was really tenacious and we were rewarded with a good sighting, waiting for the leopard to make her move on a young kudu. She missed her opportunity! We also went on a tour of the Africat Centre which was really interesting, to see the work they do and this was followed by an drive to see the collared cheetahs ready for release sleeping in the sunshine."

"Our last night was at Erongo and we wished it could have been for another night. The scenery here is quite different and stunning with the huge rocky outcrops. Our tent was lovely and really airy. We took a self guided walk in the afternoon; there are several to choose from at different levels of difficulty and they are well marked. It was great to do some walking after a lot of sitting. In the evening we took the trip to Paula's Cave to see the rock painting and also to drive around some of the rock scenery. The food was very good here and there is a relaxed atmosphere, so it would have been lovely to stay a bit longer."