Travel reviews by TansySue from UK

"We stayed at Galton House on our first night in Namibia - an ideal distance from Windhoek Airport. In a quiet residential area so we were at ease as soon as we arrived.

Our standard room was situated in a little courtyard, which was planted out with amazing architectural cacti. Apart from the glass in our door, the only other light coming into the room was from a larger window but this was too high up on the wall to see out - but it did at least give us privacy. Very modern bathroom with a great overhead shower. TV, safe, filtered water in a jug, kettle with tea and coffee, hairdryer and face flannels made our short stay very comfortable.

The only negative comment to make was the 2 glasses of house wine we ordered with our evening meal were minimal to say the least."

"We spent 2 nights at Mushara Bush Camp which is situated a short distance from one of the gates into Etosha National Park.

We stayed in a tented chalet which seemed to be right in the heart of the bush, in fact one evening we were delighted to find a common duiker just outside our door when we came back from dinner. (A big gate at the entrance to the camp keeps out all the carnivores)

Mosquito nets hung over the bed, it was quaint to have electrified Tilley lamps as reading lights either side of the beds. Tea and coffee making facilities and cookies in a jar were a nice welcome. The small safe was essential as there was no lock on the chalet's main door which I did find rather concerning as it meant my expensive camera gear was uninsured while in situ.

The first evening we ate dinner in the booma which was a delight with the chefs at their BBQ. Lunch and the next evening meal were taken in the dinning room - very good quality food on offer I particularly remember a wonderful chicken caesar salad.

Nice to find free WiFi available in the main building.

During our safaris into Etosha we were lucky enough to encounter an African wildcat and a cheetah with 3 young cubs of about 4 weeks old."

"Okaukuejo Camp is a government owned and run camp site - and very big resort compared to all the other places we stayed. It was an essential part of our safari as the waterhole chalets were very close to the floodlit waterhole which attracted many different animals. We saw zebra, impala, elephant, black-backed jackals and 8 Black rhino. In fact we also saw jackals wandering around inside the camp. Many people thronged around the waterhole at dusk and after dinner - these were all staying on site, many in tents. In fact there were far too many people for comfortable viewing and many were not there to watch the wildlife but to chat too loudly and drink.

Our single story waterhole chalet No. 13 was well set back from the waterhole, in fact there were really only 4 chalets near enough to be able to see the nightlife from their 1st floor room. Our room was O.K. - it had all the necessaries for a good night's sleep although the bed linen was very tired. A kettle inside the rustic wardrobe was a bonus but there was really insufficient space for our luggage.

Restaurant/Food - Very variable - rather like school diners, all buffet style. Catering for so very many people including those camping. I would give the food and dining experience only 2 stars at very best.

In summing up, just one night in this particular lodge for it's unique waterhole would have been enough for us although another night in the area as there is so much to see in this part of Etosha - we met a lion and a rhino on the road just outside the camp gates early morning and the most memorable was watching hundreds (literally) of zebra come in to drink from a fresh water spring on the edge of the pan at Okondka."

"To find such a unique place to stay in the raw wilderness of Damaraland was so unexpected.

Our spacious chalet afforded us the most wonderful views of the surrounding area and across to the mountains in the distance. Well appointed and with a very modern shower cubicle. Part canvas and part stone built we really felt we were camping, especially as there was a fair walk through the boulders to the main camp buildings.

One major issue we had during our 2 night stay was with the split level room. We both tripped over, in fact Mr L tripped over twice. In our view a warning reflective strip should be installed on both sides of the bed - we did in fact move the furniture to remind us there was a step up but the staff had re-positioned these on servicing the room. We made our guide aware and in fact also reported it to the front desk as Mr L had incurred very nasty bruising and also damaged his trousers.

We didn't have time to make use of the small swimming pool but we did enjoy sun downers and snacks on top of the boulders where seating was arranged to take advantage of the setting sun.

The restaurant was very well appointed and our first dinner was excellent. On the second evening, our guide had arranged for a surprise private dinner on our veranda by candle light. This was a lovely idea however the chicken dish we both chose was rather overcooked and very tough. Had we been dining in the restaurant we would have sent it back as it was inedible."

"To us, Cornerstone was more than a Guesthouse - our room was spotless and was fitted to a very high standard with a new bathroom and luxury bed linen. A welcoming snack with tea & coffee making facilities, TV and good Wi-Fi and our own outdoor shaded seating area.

The owners were a very pleasant couple who had time to talk. Breakfast was excellent - such a good array of foodstuff for such a small enterprise.

We were in a quiet residential part of town, set back from the seafront and just a short walk to the centre of Swakopmund. An ideal place to stay and one we can thoroughly recommend."

"Our standard room (No 23) was 3rd from the far end of the crescent which did entail quite long walks to the main building. However we did appear to have a slightly bigger room than those nearer; twin with a 3rd bed in the window. We had a couple of chairs on a terrace and looked out over the barren desert to the nearby mountain range but at our end of the crescent did not afford a view of the setting sun.

After dinner we enjoyed a private session to introduce us to the Southern skies by our knowledgeable guide and even managed to capture this on camera as the air was so clear and we were in a 'dark sky' area.

We showered in the evening as our hot water tank was heated by solar panels and as the capacity looked to be fairly small we doubted there would be enough hot water for the morning. The water supplying the hand basin was just one cold tap.

There were loads of power points, more than any other accommodation and a generous area for storing and repacking our luggage. The most enormous mirror assisted the use of the provided hairdryer. The lighting in the bedroom after dark was rather poor.

Wi-Fi was advertised but in fact we never did get a signal as they were waiting for an engineer to come and fix it although another couple appeared to have been given a code to a different signal and were able to catch up on their communications.

It was nice to have complimentary afternoon tea and cake provided. One evening we ate Oryx for dinner."

"Our room No 21 was a semi-detached chalet which could accommodate 3 people in single beds. It was one of the closest rooms to the main hotel facilities which included lounge, restaurant and swimming pool. There was a little terrace situated up a couple of steps with a table and seating to allow us to watch the sun go down. Nice to have fridge, kettle and tea/coffee making facilities.

A notice advised that water was scarce here in the desert. It was heated by solar power which would be hottest in the afternoon and evening and it would cool down overnight. If no sunshine, electricity would heat the geyser. Thus evening showers were appropriate during our stay.

The main course of the evening meal was buffet style with the starter and dessert served at the table. We were very upset regarding the wine; on tasting, we found our bottle of Merlot was corked and undrinkable. Initially the inexperienced waitress stated we would have to pay for the bottle as it had been opened! It was not until our Ultimate Safari guide intervened that 2 acceptable glasses of house Merlot were produced and for which we paid.

This hotel in Aus is well placed to see the wild horses which live in the spectacular desert landscape and for us, was over an hour's drive to Kolmanskop, the old diamond mining town which we particularly wanted to visit."

"Situated right on the edge of the canyon, the chalets and main building had the most incredible views of the canyon stretching out in front of us. Our chalet had a small terrace with chairs which enabled us to watch the light changing. In fact we did witness a tremendous thunderstorm which produced the most magnificent skies. Heavy rain overnight quickly soaked away into the sandy soil and didn't pose a problem when walking into breakfast next morning.

Facing the canyon did mean the wind came straight in at our chalet door which was not that close fitting (and was difficult to lock) - fortunately the heavy curtains did help. We had been given ear plugs to wear as the noise was certainly noticeable but we didn't feel the need to use them and did manage to get to sleep well in the very comfortable beds.

Our chalet had tea and coffee making facilities but no kettle, a thermos jug needed to be filled with hot water from the kitchen if one wanted refreshments. It would have been better to have a kettle so we could have enjoyed early morning cuppas.

The bathroom area was very large with an enormous mirror and great lighting, a safe and a small hanging space for clothes. Twin wash basins and separate WC but strangely no door on the WC. There was an outdoor shower but in May it was not warm enough to want to try it. The indoor shower worked well but one had to remember the hot water was solar heated and would cool off overnight. There was no running water between 11pm and 5am as the pumps were switched off for some reason. This could have been a big issue if one had needed to use the WC overnight with an upset stomach! We noticed on entering the bathroom the unpleasant smell of sewage - this seemed to disappear overnight - maybe because we had used the sinks and shower and flushed the system through or maybe because we had a lot of rain overnight.

In the evenings there was an open fire in the lounge/bar area and also in the restaurant - but we needed to wear jumpers to dinner as it was cold in the evenings. It was also cold in our chalet; there was no heating that we could see so this would not be an ideal place to stay in the middle of their winter. In our opinion the door and window fittings need to be replaced in both the chalet and main building. They looked like metal crittall windows and had not worn well - in fact a door handle broke off in Mr L's hand

It was not warm enough to use the pool which was beautifully located with views to the canyon.

We thoroughly enjoyed the drive into the Canyon which had been included in our holiday itinerary. The best off road driving we have ever experienced."

"Whilst our dune chalet was very nicely appointed with a modern bathroom and a great big bath tub, we were very disappointed to find the water in the evening barely warm and the flow was so very poor that a shower was not practical and a bath definitely impossible. Surprisingly we were asked to spare the scarce water but there was no plug in the wash basin!

We understood the dune chalets were the best accommodation at Bagatelle, but the long walk in the sand from the main building together with the difficult trek up over the deep sand dune, made the location not ideal for our very short stay. We noticed the next door chalet had proper steps built into the dune and how we would have loved to have swapped rooms!

We arrived at 4pm and immediately swapped vehicles and went straight out onto an organised sundowner game drive arriving back after dark and left at 8am next day. We therefore had no opportunity to enjoy other attractions such as watching the waterhole near our room nor the meerkats and cheetah we had seen advertised.

Our evening meal was taken outside and because of the cold, people had to dine in their coats with blankets - not very practical but it would appear the indoor dining room was not big enough to accommodate all the guests. Dinner was buffet and it was disappointing to find that early on, the variety of salad items had run out with only lettuce being available. The kitchen was not very geared up to accommodate Mr L's dietary requirements despite them being advised of it in advance.

Breakfast was taken early at 7am and was in the indoor dining room - a much nicer experience altogether."

"River Crossing was ideally situated for our last night near Windhoek (and in our view would have been a better starting point for our tour too). It was far less claustrophobic than Galton House. All the staff here were so very friendly and the lady manager even made herself known on our arrival and enquired about dietary requirements which were very well catered for - very impressed.

Our chalet had a small terrace with seating and great views looking out over the bush towards Windhoek in the distance. The room was spacious and comfortable with kettle and tea and coffee. However the bathroom was badly in need of a refurb and whilst the shower was very powerful, the cubicle was in need of a deep clean. It was great to be able to catch up on TV once again but a shame there was no mirror in the bedroom or spare electric sockets which meant hair drying couldn't be carried out adequately.

Food was excellent with Oryx beautifully cooked. At breakfast we ate the best scrambled eggs we had tasted during our time in Namibia. It was also welcoming to find that tea and great coffee was freely available in the restaurant area at any time of day.

With the addition of a mirror in the bedroom and a refurb bathroom I would class this experience as excellent"