Travel reviews by Mr M & Ms E from France
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
8
Excursions taken
0
The most magical honeymoon!
Namibia between 6 Sep 2018 and 17 Sep 2018
"We truly could not have dreamed of a more special place to spend our honeymoon! Every aspect of the trip was so exciting - from our driving to all of the different lodges to getting to see such different terrains of the country. The whole trip - from A to Z - was so perfectly organized by Expert Africa (and Wilderness Safari). It was such a pleasure to work and plan the trip with Sabina, who was very responsive and conscientious of what we envisioned for our honeymoon.
My only negative comment would be relating to the disappointing choice of stays at the Okaukeujo Camp, as well as the Hotel Thule. Not that these hotels were truly awful, but coming from each of the different other amazing lodges, it really felt like a dip in our trip, as they were average, if not poor hotels. Given that it was our honeymoon, it would have been nice to have stayed at consistently nice accommodations so that there would have not been any regressing point during our trip.
This being said - the Voigtland Guesthouse - which I personally asked Sabina to book for us as it was not originally on the Expert Africa list of recommended hotels, was absolutely wonderful. We stayed there our final night and the owner's Stephan and Gaby could not have shown us a warmer stay. It is also only a twenty minute drive from the International airport, making it the perfect hotel to stay at the final night's stay in Windhoek before heading home. My hope is that Expert Africa familiarizes themselves with more hotels around Windhoek, as the few options that were offered to us were not of the same ranking in terms of quality as the other lodges/hotels around Namibia.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Again, we were so impressed with how organized everything was for our trip! There wasn't a single time where we felt lost regarding any of the planned details. From renting the car to making sure we had all the necessary material for each of the hotel checkins, Expert Africa made sure we were more than prepared for each part of our trip.
Besides the two hotels where we felt a bit underwhelmed by (the Okaukuejo Camp and the Hotel Thule), every single lodge we stayed at was absolutely amazing. One other small suggestion would be to recommend to clients to download the 'map.me' navigation app. Although Expert Africa provided us with a physical map, this app provided us offline driving routes all throughout Namibia that really helped us navigate our route to each lodge. It worked really well and gave us extra confidence driving in a country we were both unfamiliar with."
My only negative comment would be relating to the disappointing choice of stays at the Okaukeujo Camp, as well as the Hotel Thule. Not that these hotels were truly awful, but coming from each of the different other amazing lodges, it really felt like a dip in our trip, as they were average, if not poor hotels. Given that it was our honeymoon, it would have been nice to have stayed at consistently nice accommodations so that there would have not been any regressing point during our trip.
This being said - the Voigtland Guesthouse - which I personally asked Sabina to book for us as it was not originally on the Expert Africa list of recommended hotels, was absolutely wonderful. We stayed there our final night and the owner's Stephan and Gaby could not have shown us a warmer stay. It is also only a twenty minute drive from the International airport, making it the perfect hotel to stay at the final night's stay in Windhoek before heading home. My hope is that Expert Africa familiarizes themselves with more hotels around Windhoek, as the few options that were offered to us were not of the same ranking in terms of quality as the other lodges/hotels around Namibia.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Again, we were so impressed with how organized everything was for our trip! There wasn't a single time where we felt lost regarding any of the planned details. From renting the car to making sure we had all the necessary material for each of the hotel checkins, Expert Africa made sure we were more than prepared for each part of our trip.
Besides the two hotels where we felt a bit underwhelmed by (the Okaukuejo Camp and the Hotel Thule), every single lodge we stayed at was absolutely amazing. One other small suggestion would be to recommend to clients to download the 'map.me' navigation app. Although Expert Africa provided us with a physical map, this app provided us offline driving routes all throughout Namibia that really helped us navigate our route to each lodge. It worked really well and gave us extra confidence driving in a country we were both unfamiliar with."
Arranged By Sabina Hekandjo
Okonjima Bush Camp
"Okonjima Bush Camp review"
1 night
Arrived
6 Sep 2018
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Brown Hyena
1 sighting
Leopard
2 sightings
Pangolin
1 sighting
Doro Nawas
"Doro Nawas review"
2 nights
Arrived
7 Sep 2018
"We loved our stay here at Doro Nawas - the vast, surrounding landscape was so beautiful and we were very comfortable in our room.
We particularly enjoyed wheeling our bed out onto the room's terrace to relax in the afternoon sun.
The staff here was very nice and we also very much loved our elephant drive, where we saw many packs of elephants."
We particularly enjoyed wheeling our bed out onto the room's terrace to relax in the afternoon sun.
The staff here was very nice and we also very much loved our elephant drive, where we saw many packs of elephants."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Elephant
4 sightings
Giraffe
1 sighting
Oryx
1 sighting
Grootberg Lodge
"Grootberg Lodge review"
1 night
Arrived
9 Sep 2018
"The view at the Grootberg lodge will be one of the most impressive outlooks we will ever see in our lives.
The staff here were very kind and the rooms were very comfortable.
The staff were also very kind in providing us complimentary champagne for our honeymoon"
The staff here were very kind and the rooms were very comfortable.
The staff were also very kind in providing us complimentary champagne for our honeymoon"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Okaukuejo Camp
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
1 night
Arrived
10 Sep 2018
"After coming to enjoy the other lodges we had just stayed in so much, staying at the Okaukuejo Camp was a real dip in our trip. It could not have been less personalized, it felt like the appointed pit stop where cruise ships would dump their masses of tourists. The restaurant felt like a retirement home cafeteria and the food gave both my husband and I stomach problems for the next few days.
The rooms were also sterile and the staff were rude.
We also paid the expensive price to go on one of their safari rides and again, there was nothing special about this. During all of our other rides at different lodges, the guides were go off road a bit to try to see the animals, but at Okaukuejo we stayed on road the entire 3 hours. If we had known we would have just done this ride in our own car.
The watering hole at Okaukeujo was its saving grace where we did see some exciting animals at night - lions, rhinos, and giraffes."
The rooms were also sterile and the staff were rude.
We also paid the expensive price to go on one of their safari rides and again, there was nothing special about this. During all of our other rides at different lodges, the guides were go off road a bit to try to see the animals, but at Okaukuejo we stayed on road the entire 3 hours. If we had known we would have just done this ride in our own car.
The watering hole at Okaukeujo was its saving grace where we did see some exciting animals at night - lions, rhinos, and giraffes."
Poor
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Poor
Location
Good
Service
Poor
Activities
Average
Rooms
Poor
Food
Average
Facilities
Poor
Sightings report
Giraffe
1 sighting
Oryx
1 sighting
Zebra
1 sighting
Safarihoek Lodge
"Safarihoek Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
11 Sep 2018
"This lodge was definitely our favorite - it was the newest, most luxury, and the staff were so kind and friendly.
The facilities were incredibly beautiful and the surrounding landscape was stunning. We also loved the night ride we went on with Mike (the guide) who was so knowledgeable and really went off road for us to see all of the animals - rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and elephants.
The last night we were there, the Safarihoek staff prepared us a special private room for us to enjoy our dinner, which was so thoughtful of them."
The facilities were incredibly beautiful and the surrounding landscape was stunning. We also loved the night ride we went on with Mike (the guide) who was so knowledgeable and really went off road for us to see all of the animals - rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and elephants.
The last night we were there, the Safarihoek staff prepared us a special private room for us to enjoy our dinner, which was so thoughtful of them."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Elephant
3 sightings
Giraffe
2 sightings
White Rhino
2 sightings
Zebra
2 sightings
Hotel Thule
"Hotel Thule review"
1 night
Arrived
13 Sep 2018
"This hotel felt like more of a motel - again coming from all of the amazing lodges we had just stayed in, it felt underwhelming.
The room was clean and comfortable."
The room was clean and comfortable."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Good
Service
Good
Activities
Average
Rooms
Good
Food
Average
Facilities
Good
Kulala Desert Lodge
"Kulala Desert Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
14 Sep 2018
"This hotel was amazing - the facilities were modern, with beautiful decor. The staff were also so welcoming and hospitable.
We went on afternoon rides both evenings we were there and really enjoyed all of the guides (especially Richel). It was my husband's birthday while we were there and they set up our bed on the room of our lodge so we could fall asleep under the stars. They also prepared him a big birthday cake and made a big celebration for him with all of the staff members, dancing and singing in the local language.
It was very nice that it was all inclusive and we really enjoyed our final ride visiting the dunes our last morning."
We went on afternoon rides both evenings we were there and really enjoyed all of the guides (especially Richel). It was my husband's birthday while we were there and they set up our bed on the room of our lodge so we could fall asleep under the stars. They also prepared him a big birthday cake and made a big celebration for him with all of the staff members, dancing and singing in the local language.
It was very nice that it was all inclusive and we really enjoyed our final ride visiting the dunes our last morning."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Oryx
4 sightings
Voigtland Guest House (Not currently featured by Expert Africa)
"Voigtland Guest House review"
1 night
Arrived
16 Sep 2018
"Right when I thought that our final hotel in Windhoek would be as underwhelming as Hotel Thule, my husband and I were immediately proven wrong. In fact, staying at the Voigtland guesthouse our final night in Namibia turned out to be a major highlight of our entire honeymoon. Voigtland Guesthouse owner’s Gaby and Stephan could not have been more hospital and warm welcoming us into their home; they truly made us feel like we were old friends returning for a visit. It also made it nice that it was located closer to the international airport, making flying out the next morning less of a hassle.
The property itself was so beautiful, secluded, and peaceful. We enjoyed very much taking in our last sunset in Namibia over an aperol spritz, accompanied by the giraffes peering over the pool. Our rooms was very cosy, eclectically decorated and immaculately clean. The hotel staff even surprised us with a complementary bottle of champagne to celebrate our honeymoon.
All of the food prepared at the guesthouse could not be more farm-to-table, with most of the ingredients taken straight from the surrounding farm animals. While our dinner there was delicious (perfectly grilled oryx), we particularly enjoyed the extensive breakfast menu, which included homemade coconut yogurt, boiled eggs, freshly baked carrot cake muffins, and open tartine sandwiches over hearty German bread. I couldn't sing the praises of the Voigtland Guesthouse any louder.
I’d also like to add that the The Voightland Guesthouse was not on Expert Africa’s list of recommended hotels in the Windhoek area - my hope is that more travel agencies really become more familiar with them, as they could not have provided a more positive experience our last night in Namibia before flying out."
The property itself was so beautiful, secluded, and peaceful. We enjoyed very much taking in our last sunset in Namibia over an aperol spritz, accompanied by the giraffes peering over the pool. Our rooms was very cosy, eclectically decorated and immaculately clean. The hotel staff even surprised us with a complementary bottle of champagne to celebrate our honeymoon.
All of the food prepared at the guesthouse could not be more farm-to-table, with most of the ingredients taken straight from the surrounding farm animals. While our dinner there was delicious (perfectly grilled oryx), we particularly enjoyed the extensive breakfast menu, which included homemade coconut yogurt, boiled eggs, freshly baked carrot cake muffins, and open tartine sandwiches over hearty German bread. I couldn't sing the praises of the Voigtland Guesthouse any louder.
I’d also like to add that the The Voightland Guesthouse was not on Expert Africa’s list of recommended hotels in the Windhoek area - my hope is that more travel agencies really become more familiar with them, as they could not have provided a more positive experience our last night in Namibia before flying out."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Not currently featured by Expert Africa
Upon arrival in the afternoon, we immediately went for the leopard drive and were surprised to see many animals.
The staff here were so lovely and the room was very cosy, eclectically decorated, and immaculately clean."