Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs B from NZ

"We arrived at Nata lodge just as it was getting dark, dog-tired after a long drive on potholed roads. It felt like arriving at an oasis! it was so much more than the basic overnight lodge I was expecting. The room was pretty, the bed comfortable, the outside shower a treat, and the freestanding bath felt like such a luxury after the long day on the road. We had a delicious meal at the restaurant, plus one of the nicest Chardonnays (Hill and Dale) on the entire trip.
All in all a very pleasant surprise."

"This was one of the most expensive lodges we had ever stayed at, so expectations were high. Upon arrival we were shown around the communal area, and served delicious sandwiches while the program of the next few days were explained to us. Our first issue was that there was no flexibility with the activities, we were told that we were going on a game drive that afternoon, walking with San People in the morning and Meerkats in the afternoon, leaving no time for the quad bike trip to the pans, which Martin wanted to do. Eventually, when we stood our ground, we squeezed in the quad biking after the morning walk. We just felt that they could at least make it feel as if you were part of the decision making about your activities. I know some of the other guests were "treated" to surprises that we were more than happy to have missed out on. I, for one, would much rather be consulted on what we are to do and when.

We were in the tent furthest away from the main area. It is a very long walk, especially in the heat of the day, and in the dark. It was fine for us, but I think for elderly people or with mobility issues, it might be an issue - you don't want to go back to get something that was forgotten. The tent was as beautiful as the photo's, but proved to be impractical. The bed is extremely high, requiring steps to access it, and without a light next to the bed (only one light at the entrance to the tent and one in the bathroom) it was a bit daunting to have to negotiate your way in the dark. Perhaps a torch next to the bed might help. Also, the bed standing in the middle of the tent, and there being no headboard, meant the pillows fell off the end of the bed, requiring another trip in the dark to retrieve them.

It took us a while to recognize and appreciate what this place is about - the remoteness, the quiet, the desolate beauty - grows on you. I think they are trying too hard to be fancy, or different, making the experience feel contrived. Everybody does not want to have to take off their shoes to lounge around on cushions with strangers having afternoon tea. I think perhaps we would have enjoyed the Makgadigadi pans more in more relaxed, comfortable surroundings."

"Splash camp is a brand new safari camp. It has a very smart, modern safari feel, which was very much to our liking. The rooms were very beautiful and comfortable, as were the communal areas.

We enjoyed some excellent game viewing safaris. Special sightings included a cheetah, Mr Special, that we followed as obliged us by posing for photo's, a pack of Wild Dogs, and three separate lion sightings."

"Sable Alley is by far our favourite lodge - ever! We received a very warm welcome from Hector, the manager, who runs a very tight ship. He can always be seen in the background, keeping an eye on the little details that make this lodge so special, be it the food that is served, tidying up after guests, and taking the time to chat to all the guests. The communal area has a very luxurious, yet comfortable look and the rooms/tents continue this. We enjoyed that dining was not the communal affair that most lodges offer, but individual tables. There was still time to mingle with other guests after dinner, sitting around the campfire while sipping a glass of Amarula.

We very much enjoyed our excellent guide, Zambu. He was a mine of knowledge about the African bush, and managed to make every game drive interesting with his snippets of information. The game viewing lived up to expectations. We had beautiful sightings of leopard, hyena and elephant."

"Staying at Skybeds was an adventure! It started with our pickup by Russell, our guide. En route to Skybeds, he took us to their Elephant hide/bunker where we had the most amazing experience viewing the Elephants up close. They were literally within touching distance, just going about their business at the waterhole, not bothered at all by our presence just a meter or two away.
Upon arrival at Skybeds, we met our (Kiwi) chef, Tony, who prepared a delicious dinner for us in his camp kitchen, served under the stars. We were then escorted to our sleeping platforms, and spent the night in a nice warm bed with just the mosquito net between us and the stars (and a very bright almost-full moon).

There were elephants at the waterhole by the platforms. Apart from that, there does not seem to be a lot of game around that area.

Although the reality of the experience was not quite as romantic as anticipated, it was definitely an adventure."