Travel reviews by Prof B & Mr K from Delhi

"A quiet and restful place to recover from our long flight."

"The Lodge has a beautiful location but I wish our spacious room had better ventilation (it was very warm; we couldn't draw the curtains to keep put the sun enough; no fan or air-conditioning).

We went for a walk with Jobi, who was enthusiastic but couldn't answer many of our questions about geology and plant life. The lodge didn't have guide books to aid us either."

"From the moment we arrived and were greeted by John Mwaendanawa, we were delighted.

The lodge is beautifully designed and the rooms are well-appointed. Excellent service.

John was a very well-informed and engaged guide who made sure that we got the most out of our trip to Sossusvlei and Sesriem. (Only one suggestion: please make sure that the Lodge has reference books for birds, plants and geology.)"

"A quirky, out-of-the-ordinary place to stay amidst breath-taking scenery. We loved walking on the ridge behind the lodge, looking at the rocks and the staggeringly beautiful landscape.

The room was a bit cramped and we would have appreciated a coffee/tea maker since the main dining area was a short walk away.

The father-son team managing the place (sorry! can't remember their names) were friendly and supplied us some useful reference books (which we'd been keen to consult) so we could look things up."

"Excellent on all counts: beautiful room, friendly and helpful owner, terrific breakfast!

Whilst here, we organised two day-trips for these travellers:
One to Sandwich Harbour, about which they commented:

One of the best days of my life!

Burger took us to see the salt pans with flamingos, pelicans and other birds and then the lagoons between the ocean and the dunes. Sandwich Harbour is fabulous and we had the place to ourselves, soaking in the sun and the wind and sea, enjoying the strange plants up close and glorying in that vast serene expanse.

... and another into the Namib Desert, about which they commented:

An extraordinary glimpse into the desert!

I can't recommend this trip highly enough. Through the dunes, the dolerite dykes and the dry riverbed, Bruno was a brilliant guide.

He opened up the desert for us: exciting and unusual sights followed one another in quick succession as we saw rare plants and animals, looked at strange rocks, learned about the geology and current threats to the environment.

The picnic lunch was delicious and we came away feeling that we'd had our fill of memorable experiences."

"What a delight to arrive after a long day's drive to be greeted by a group of people singing you a welcome song!

Doro Nawas was full of such sweet touches. The warmth and competence of the staff was truly remarkable. Our guide Markuz was fantastic too and seeing desert-adapted elephants with him was a special treat.

Doro Nawas also stood out for its beautiful design, especially its gorgeous rooms that harmonised with the severe beauty of the landscape.

So much to see in the surrounding area, I wish we'd stayed an extra day at least."

"This was the only let-down in our trip.

While the Park staff did their best when approached, it was hard to justify the horrible food at dinner (cold slop, hardly anything for a vegetarian) and, worse, the incompetence of the guide (he wasn't forthcoming with information -- we saw a pair of blue cranes and discovered quite by chance later that there were only 35 of them in the world; he hadn't been provided with binoculars so he had to borrow ours to identify birds; he forgot to hand out warm ponchos until mid-way on a very chilly ride in an open vehicle).

There was a lot to enjoy on the drives we took on our own but the experience would have been much more enhanced if we'd had the kind of superb guiding that we had with Turnstone Tours."

"After Etosha, Okonjima Plains camp felt like we'd gone to heaven!

A gorgeous design, great meals and superb wildlife drives with Rohan van Wyck. The high point was getting up close to a cheetah as she ate from a springbok she'd killed.

I only wish we could have stayed longer and explored the place a bit more."

"A superb location with a great view.

The staff stood out for their warmth and humour and helpfulness."