Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs N from Portsmouth
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
11
Excursions taken
3
Namibia Sep 2022 trip
Namibia between 3 Sep 2022 and 26 Sep 2022
"This was a demanding trip, much delayed by Covid. We wasted not a minute and got a good sense of Namibia in a relatively short period. The journey times, even those on paved roads took 10-20% longer than we had initially planned, but we soon got into the rhythm of very early starts and arriving at our destination by nlt than mid afternoon. The occasional 3 night stops were invaluable in letting us recharge and properly enjoy our location and the lodge facilities.
None of our accommodation was disappointing and to produce such high quality food in some very remote locations was testament to the skill of the staff. The wildlife and geological features are the obvious draw to the country yet our most vivid memories are of the people who we met. Such open friendliness throughout the country vindicated the choice of Namibia as our first holiday in Africa.
Tom and Expert Africa did us proud - thank you."
None of our accommodation was disappointing and to produce such high quality food in some very remote locations was testament to the skill of the staff. The wildlife and geological features are the obvious draw to the country yet our most vivid memories are of the people who we met. Such open friendliness throughout the country vindicated the choice of Namibia as our first holiday in Africa.
Tom and Expert Africa did us proud - thank you."
Arranged By Tom Morris
Weinberg Hotel
"Am Weinberg Hotel review"
1 night
Arrived
4 Sep 2022
"Despite inbound flights arriving around midday the hotel's check in timings of mid afternoon can mean some hours' wait before getting the room. Frustrating when we only stayed a night and our itinerary meant that we were faced with an early start the following day. Plenty of dining options - we enjoyed the Sky Lounge. Comfortable, quiet room"
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Average
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Kalahari Anib Lodge
"Kalahari Anib Lodge review"
1 night
Arrived
5 Sep 2022
"Nicely placed for an overnight stop on the way to Fish River. Quiet and pleasant rooms. Nice dinner and breakfast. Swimming pool looked dirty and the pump wasn't working."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Fish River Lodge
"Fish River Lodge review"
3 nights
Arrived
6 Sep 2022
"3 days is the optimum stay. Only downside of the Lodge is the regular night wind generates sufficient noise for ear plugs to be provided - not conducive to a good night's rest! Canyon day trip well worth while. Food top notch. View from the room was stunning - ours had two trees in front of the veranda and small birds regularly sat on the branches and sang. The room was very large and the bathroom had 2 sinks and there was an indoor and outdoor shower.
Note: there is a canyon rim walk from the lodge which you can go on without a guide. It is not clearly signposted at which point you should turn back. It is too easy to continue walking, thinking that it is a circular tour. In the heat of the day this can be a trifle gruelling!"
Note: there is a canyon rim walk from the lodge which you can go on without a guide. It is not clearly signposted at which point you should turn back. It is too easy to continue walking, thinking that it is a circular tour. In the heat of the day this can be a trifle gruelling!"
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Fish River Canyon day trip
"Fish River Canyon day trip review"
8 Sep 2022 • All-day excursion
We were fortunate to have the most experienced guide who gave us a super day. Others were not so lucky and complaints were made about an incommunicative and inexperienced driver. Quality of tour should not be a lottery. Note that there is a bit of climbing of rocks to get down to the bottom of the canyon for the picnic lunch.
Desert Horse Inn
"Desert Horse Inn review"
2 nights
Arrived
9 Sep 2022
"Well appointed rooms which are not overlooked. The Inn appeared pretty full when we stayed and staff struggled to seat everyone for dinner, compounded by a strong wind which restricted the outside options. Meal relatively expensive and av to good quality. Very good base for a day trip to Luderitz.
If travelling via Aus stop at Bahnhof Hotel for a very good lunch including the best (and perhaps only) deep fried ice cream outside Glasgow. A rare treat.
Great base for Halifax Island tour and to visit Kolmanskop. You can do the island tour first and get to Kolmanskop in time for the 11am tour. Detoured en route back to visit the desert horses."
If travelling via Aus stop at Bahnhof Hotel for a very good lunch including the best (and perhaps only) deep fried ice cream outside Glasgow. A rare treat.
Great base for Halifax Island tour and to visit Kolmanskop. You can do the island tour first and get to Kolmanskop in time for the 11am tour. Detoured en route back to visit the desert horses."
Average
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location
Excellent
Service
Average
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Average
Halifax Island boat trip
"Halifax Island boat trip review"
10 Sep 2022 • Morning excursion
A really good half day with a very experienced coxswain and guide (Hico?). Do not be put off by the aged boat. We were insufficiently prepared for the dramatic difference in temperature; 30+ degrees at the Desert Horse Inn, and barely 10 degrees at the coast. Then add in wind chill....
Allow plenty of time to find the departure point which is not well signposted.
We noted that a smarter competitor catamaran newly on scene spent less time at Halifax Island and did not get as close to the penguins and flamingos. Please do not be tempted to switch provider. Luderitz on a cloudy cold day had little to keep us in town.
Lovely to see penguins and flamingoes on the island, plus seals and dolphins who swam along, playfully, with the boat.
Allow plenty of time to find the departure point which is not well signposted.
We noted that a smarter competitor catamaran newly on scene spent less time at Halifax Island and did not get as close to the penguins and flamingos. Please do not be tempted to switch provider. Luderitz on a cloudy cold day had little to keep us in town.
Lovely to see penguins and flamingoes on the island, plus seals and dolphins who swam along, playfully, with the boat.
Desert Homestead
"Desert Homestead review"
2 nights
Arrived
11 Sep 2022
"A very pleasant stay in a well appointed, clean and stylish room. Air con a bonus. Had a fun sundowner trip with TK as guide. Lovely evening meal.
Good base for trip to Sossuvlei/Deadvlei. Be prepared for it to be very windy - sandy wind, quite unpleasant at times.
We decided to pay and go with the lodge's guide (TK again). Our 'champagne breakfast' turned into lunch - small but lovely group of people. this trip included a stop for a walk down into a canyon - not too arduous."
Good base for trip to Sossuvlei/Deadvlei. Be prepared for it to be very windy - sandy wind, quite unpleasant at times.
We decided to pay and go with the lodge's guide (TK again). Our 'champagne breakfast' turned into lunch - small but lovely group of people. this trip included a stop for a walk down into a canyon - not too arduous."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Sightings report
Oryx
3 sightings
Wildebeest
10+ sightings
Cornerstone Guesthouse
"Cornerstone Guesthouse review"
3 nights
Arrived
13 Sep 2022
"Nice large room and very helpful owner and receptionist who are keen to help with any issue connected with a stay in Swakopmund. Only downside is the poor inter room sound proofing. Fridge in the room. Lovely breakfast served in a cosy dining room.
Can easily buy a permit in town for the Welwitschia Drive if doing that."
Can easily buy a permit in town for the Welwitschia Drive if doing that."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Average
Rooms
Average
Food
Good
Coast and Sandwich Harbour
"Coast and Sandwich Harbour review"
14 Sep 2022 • All-day excursion
Rudi the guide from Turnstone Tours gave us a superb day; so much more can be seen on the full day tour. Hair raising dune expedition was a highlight! Wonderful to see so many flamingos. Fantastic lunch provided by Rudi.
Excellent
Ozondjou Trails
"Ozondjou Trails review"
2 nights
Arrived
16 Sep 2022
"Our 2 nights here was the highlight of our trip. The location is stunning, the opportunity to see the work of EHRA worthwhile and the tenacity with which Mateus the guide sought out his herd of elephants was inspiring.
Enjoyed going to the school and our sundowner trip with Jackson.
The icing on the cake though is the way Jackson and his family welcome and look after their guests. Very personal without being obtrusive and oh so friendly. Fantastic food. We were sad to leave."
Enjoyed going to the school and our sundowner trip with Jackson.
The icing on the cake though is the way Jackson and his family welcome and look after their guests. Very personal without being obtrusive and oh so friendly. Fantastic food. We were sad to leave."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Sightings report
Elephant
10+ sightings
Mountain Lodge
"Mountain Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
18 Sep 2022
"Sundowner and early morning trips guided by Leon were very good indeed. His experienced eyes ensured we saw many more animals and birds while his knowledge of the local vegetation was fascinating. The Lodge has a fantastic location with wonderful rooms.
A sung welcome from the staff did not make up for uninspiring food and lack lustre service. We were but 2 couples sat at opposite ends of a large dining room. A tad bleak."
A sung welcome from the staff did not make up for uninspiring food and lack lustre service. We were but 2 couples sat at opposite ends of a large dining room. A tad bleak."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Food
Average
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Good
Activities
Good
Sightings report
Black Rhino
2 sightings
Elephant
1 sighting
Giraffe
5 sightings
Lion
1 sighting
Oryx
1 sighting
Sable antelope
1 sighting
Wildebeest
10+ sightings
Zebra
6 sightings
Onguma Tented Camp
"Onguma Tented Camp review"
2 nights
Arrived
20 Sep 2022
"Very luxurious glamping with air con and a bath, indoor and outdoor shower. Very comfortable bed and pillows. Room has a small fridge. Food is very good. Strong winds and tents do not go together!
The camp is well located for Etosha and we enjoyed our stay.
Fantastic view from the tent, and the main building, over a water hole. Saw a family wart hogs bathing and playing"
The camp is well located for Etosha and we enjoyed our stay.
Fantastic view from the tent, and the main building, over a water hole. Saw a family wart hogs bathing and playing"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Sightings report
Elephant
3 sightings
Giraffe
2 sightings
Oryx
4 sightings
Wildebeest
10+ sightings
Zebra
10+ sightings
Ai Aiba Lodge
"Ai Aiba Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
22 Sep 2022
"Very nice welcome from a friendly staff team who looked after us well. The rooms are good and the food first rate. The highlight was a half day tour guided by Immanuel who more than held his own against a fellow passenger who was an emeritus professor of Zoology. Their gentle sparring revealed just how experienced and knowledgeable is Immanuel and we lay passengers learned a lot as a result.
The local signposted rock art walk from the lodge is for the nimble and not for the faint hearted."
The local signposted rock art walk from the lodge is for the nimble and not for the faint hearted."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Facilities
Good
Sightings report
Zebra
6 sightings
Weinberg Hotel
"Weinberg Hotel review"
1 night
Arrived
24 Sep 2022
"A good hotel pre departure for UK."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good