Travel reviews by Family P from Spain

"We arrived at Galton House directly from the airport after an overnight flight with our kids, and were very grateful for the warm welcome we received and the chance to rest up for 24hrs in such a quiet and pleasant environment.

Our rooms were everything we needed: spotlessly clean, thoughtfully equipped and with interconnecting doors between our 2 rooms. The food was delicious, and staff were friendly and very kind to the children.

We would definitely return."

"Okonjima gave us a perfectly situated first stop on our 3 week self drive: an easy few hours drive from Windhoek and yet moments after we'd entered the main gate the kids had already spotted their first antelope, giraffe and zebra.

Just as Expert Africa had advised, to begin with the size of the Barn and the style of the check-in felt a little impersonal, but as soon as we got to our rooms and found a family of warthogs sunbathing on our terrace we started to love the place. Our interconnecting View rooms were enormous, with those fabulous huge windows providing cinematic access to the wonderful open vistas around the lodge, and the ever changing wildlife grazing just outside. With winter temperatures colder than usual we found the rooms very chilly at night and in the morning, but the thick blankets and hot water bottles meant we were never cold in bed.

The food at Okonjima was as delicious as we'd been told it can be, with extra efforts being made to provide simpler meals for the younger kids when requested. But as others have said it was the opportunity to get close to the wildlife which stood out, plus the chance for the kids to visit and learn about the work of the Africat Foundation. We found this an invaluable introduction to the issues of conservation, community and tourism which were a constant during our trip.

Thanks to the time taken by our guides here to educate and explain, our kids started the trip in just the way we wanted: engaged and learning as well as enjoying. Our game drive guide Felix deserves a special mention: awesome off-roading skills and total dedication meant an unforgettable afternoon spent with 2 leopards, plus a very special drive home under the stars. Okonjima was voted by our 12 year old as the place he would most like to return to in Namibia."

"There was absolutely nothing wrong with our stay at Mushara Lodge, and yet somehow none of us would choose to return. The location was pretty good for our first visit to Etosha...we stayed for 2 nights before moving on to Okaukuejo, and were able to go out for an afternoon game drive just after we arrived. Our guide Johannes was great once he'd got warmed up, and was both knowledgable and patient, although one game drive in Etosha was all we needed to get the hang of things before self-driving for the remainder of our time in the park.

The lodge felt strangely impersonal, although the staff we had the chance to chat with were always friendly. The decor is certainly beautiful, and the rooms were amongst the loveliest of anywhere we stayed during our trip but we were really chilly in the dining area, despite the blankets they provided. The food was consistently good, despite the lack of flexibility around timing and choice and we really appreciated the singing we were treated to one evening.

A couple of small notes: the wifi available in the main area here was so slow as to be unworkable and we made the mistake of using the laundry service without checking the pricing carefully enough...ouch!"

"We arrived at Okaukuejo with low expectations and have to say we were so blown away by just how incredible the location of our chalet was that nothing else mattered very much! We were lucky enough to have had Sabina's help with reserving a premium waterside chalet and to our delight Chalet 34 gave us a perfect view over the waterhole.

We had spent the previous 3 days experiencing Etosha from the car with our kids, and us adults had had to sacrifice our own enjoyment on more than a few occasions when the kids had seen more than enough of a particular waterhole. Okaukuejo gave us the chance to gaze to our heart's content while the kids played, and the first floor balcony felt like the royal box at the theatre, with a seemingly nonstop stellar cast below us. We spent a blissful afternoon with between 50 and 60 elephants bathing and causing a fabulously dusty noisy ruckus, and an evening with so many rhino, elephants and giraffe sharing the stage that even the kids were left speechless.

The camp itself was crowded and in need of repair, with numerous small defects in the chalet which ought to have mattered considering the price we were paying. Food in the strip-lit noisy restaurant was better than we expected, although we were glad to only be there for 2 evening meals, and we were also pleasantly surprised by a couple of lovely staff members we met in the restaurant (especially Ruth...what a star!).

I can well imagine all the reasons people might choose not to stay at Okaukwejo, and from time to time the noise and behaviour of some other guests around the waterhole was difficult to ignore. However for our family at least, the camp gave us a different way to access the joy that is Etosha and we'd go back in a heartbeat."

"During our 3 week trip around Namibia, this is the place which most captured our hearts and which we would most like to return to. There was a magic to our stay here, created by the peace and the beauty of the landscape and the staff themselves, and we can't recommend it highly enough.

We were lucky enough to mostly have the lodge to ourselves during our 3 night stay, which meant there was plenty of time to chat with the team and learn more about the area, and the staff themselves. Conversations with one of the managers Fritz were particularly interesting and helpful to my understanding of local issues and the challenges experienced during these last few years of Covid. Our guide Stephanos was the best we met in Namibia, and our afternoon spent with him and a large herd of desert adapted elephant is a treasured memory for all of us.

Our family chalet was perfect: 2 huge beautiful rooms joined by a walkway at one end of the camp, with doors which we never bothered locking despite the lack of fences. Indeed for a family stay Doro Nawas really excels. Wilderness Safaris have trained some of their staff as "Bush Babies" which meant that at quiet moments staff would actively seek out my younger children to play. There were games and colouring available in the sitting room, and a "Bush Baby Pack" filled with child friendly items to borrow. These provided some of the happiest memories of our trip for our 8 year old and we would like to say a huge heartfelt thanks to Irene, Theodora and Agelencia for their kindness and fun.

Food here was outstanding, especially considering the remote location, and we loved the extra effort staff went to to serve dinner in different locations (the rooftop bbq was particularly memorable). The team also gave us such a treat with their singing and dancing....the best we heard in Namibia and delivered with such enthusiasm and joy that even our teenage son loved every minute.

We drove ourselves to the site of the rock art at Twyfelfontein and also to the Living Museum of Damara, which we loved. Both excursions were a big success with the whole family but at the Living Museum we had a really special experience which the kids are still raving about now.

I should add that we really appreciated Wilderness Safari's philosophy and commitment to doing things the right way, which gave us a rare feeling as tourists: that we could be part of the solution, rather than the problem. Their involvement with the Pack for a Purpose scheme meant we could support the local school, and in doing so my own children could feel a connection and sense of contribution.

All in all, we can't say how grateful we feel to have stayed here or how much we would like to return one day.

Thank you Doro Nawas!"

"We stayed here for 2 nights which we felt was perfect for our family. The location is just incredible and it's well worth staying for that alone: watching the light and shadows at sunrise and sunset was magical.

When we arrived, the lodge itself appeared as strange and otherworldly as the landscape it sits within, and on first sight I found it a weirdly unnatural imposition, with its raised metal walkway, beach-hut style tents and the noisy buggies used to deliver baggage and guests around the camp. However after reading the information provided about the design and construction of the lodge I completely changed my point of view. The lodge has clearly been designed with a great deal of thought and care for its environment, and its position "on top" of its surroundings means the whole thing could be dismantled and removed without leaving any permanent trace or damage.

The lodge is equally admirable in terms of community involvement, with local staff coming from the small village of Spitzkoppe, which benefits from 50% of lodge profits and a shared water treatment system.

We didn't feel the need to join any of the activities and appreciated that no-one tried to encourage us to book... instead we were given a local hand drawn map and some recommendations and left to explore by ourselves which was super easy. The short climb up to Bushman's Paradise was a real surprise thanks to a very passionate and well educated local guide from the nearby village, and we all enjoyed clambering around the boulders near the famous rock arch.

Food was consistently good and we enjoyed some great chats with the lovely Anna in the restaurant, who is a real credit to the place and is hopefully on her way to great things.

Our connecting family rooms had been thoughtfully kitted out and felt very luxurious, even if the tent roofs can get very noisy on windy nights. We didn't sleep well on one night here because of the noise, and were woken early on both mornings by the buggies collecting departing guests. Other than that we really enjoyed our stay here."

"Our family booked a four night stay at Atlantic Sicht apartment mid trip, to give us a chance to rest, explore Swakopmund and do the laundry! With hindsight it was a night too long in my opinion, although we did leave rested and with clean clothes ;-)

The apartment is in a fantastic location, with stunning views over the ocean especially as the sun sets. The middle of town is a short walk away but the apartment was mostly quiet, with private parking, great wifi and all you need for a comfortable stay. However it could definitely do with some updating, and wasn't as clean as we would have liked.

The check in process from Cornerstone guesthouse was friendly and helpful, and on the 2 occasions we ate breakfast there, the food was good and the service friendly, if distant. We definitely felt that we had made the right choice to stay at the apartment, rather than the guesthouse, which didn't feel was appropriate for a family with youngish children.

Swakopmund was the only place I visited in Namibia which I personally didn't particularly like, but the rest of the family thoroughly enjoyed a few days in town, especially their dinner at The Tug and a visit to the local snake park."

"We booked a one night stay here to save our kids from spending a very long day in the car, and also for the chance to spend the night in the desert. And we are so glad we did!

Although for us there wasn't enough to do to justify a longer stay, we had a lovely short hike in the afternoon after we arrived, and we thoroughly enjoyed the peace and clear night skies, plus the freezing cold pool and funky hanging chairs!

The food wasn't great, and the kids room was really cramped, but our larger luxury room was huge, with fabulous views over the surrounding countryside. A comfortable stopover which we remember affectionately."

"We were very happy to return to a lodge run by Wilderness Safaris after a fabulous stay at Doro Nawas. Kulala is a much larger, busier operation and so wasn't quite as magical or personal an experience, but we still loved it. I think that one of the outstanding differences offered by Wilderness seems to be their staff, who despite working really hard, manage to be so generous of spirit and so welcoming. We were told by several employees that Wilderness is in their opinion the best employer in Namibian tourism, and it shows!

Once again staff here made a huge effort to connect and play with our children. A special mention to the amazing, multi-talented Stephen who seemed never to stop working, yet always had a smile and time for our 8 year old daughter. The Wilderness lodge info supplied in the room mentions a special 'Children's Programme", but when we asked for more info, it seems that consisted merely of staff like Stephen being trained to play with the kids, which he did brilliantly. Perhaps Wilderness could give this a little more thought and add some other activities, as the attention they give to children already differentiates them from everywhere else we stayed, but could be improved upon.

The private entrance onto the main Sossusvlei road is a real bonus, giving a head start into the dunes in the morning. Although pricey, paying for a guide and therefore access was well worth it in our opinion. Less worthwhile in our opinion would be the guided tour to Sesriem Canyon which was easy to visit and explore under our own steam.

Food was outstandingly good at Kulala, especially considering the location, and the main area is really beautiful with a very relaxed, chilled out vibe. Rooms were also comfortable, and despite the cold nights we loved the opportunity to stargaze on the roof, snuggled up together in one giant bed.

Sadly, and ironically given the name, we didn't sleep well at Kulala. The position of our room and the dawn starts for trips to the dunes meant that we were woken very early each day by vehicle noise, and by the sound of the generator starting up. Although the latter is vital to the function of the camp, maybe something could be done to dampen the noise it makes.

Otherwise we loved our stay and are very glad we chose Kulala."

"We finished our 3 week trip with 2 nights at GocheGanas, hoping to rest up after the drive from Sesriem and prior to a long flight home with our kids. Sadly we felt that although the lodge was perfectly located, with fabulous views over the surrounding countryside, it was a bit of a disappointment.

It certainly suffers from over-promising and presenting itself as a luxury lodge, although the manageress was full of good intentions and very friendly. Check in however was awkward and unfriendly, with incorrect information given, and although our reservation had been made several years ago, they were unable to give us the standard of rooms we had booked unless we were prepared to sleep in a room some distance from our children.

The rooms we were given were clean but tired and dated, with limited hot water and wifi only available at the main restaurant. There was a fixed menu with little choice available but fresh and tasty food, and the kitchen was kind enough to make our kids toasted sandwiches for lunch when asked.

Activities were limited to the spa and a game drive around the reserve, which staff admitted wouldn't be very productive in terms of wildlife. Sadly their rhino population have suffered at the hands of poachers. The mountain bikes we were looking forward to renting are no longer available but we did have a nice walk. My husband enjoyed a good massage at the spa, which was small but clean.

On our way out of GocheGanas enroute to the airport we were lucky enough to see a large group of giraffe close to the road, which made for a nice end to the trip. As other guests have done, we also took the back road to the airport which was great, and we fully enjoyed our last bit of gravel driving after travelling 3000km around beautiful Namibia."