Travel reviews by Explorers from Oklahoma

"The lodge was an excellent introduction to Okavango Delta and just what we needed for a one night stay before catching a flight to an interior safari lodge. Superb setting and accommodations with great service."

"We liked the family seating for meals including guides, as it gave a sense of intimacy and friendliness. Lodge and rooms were excellent providing comfort and privacy. Lodge staff provided services that made a wonderful visit. Guide was well informed and personable. He made a huge effort to show the abundant wildlife and explain ecological relationships. Site was a great location for combining water activities (mokoro) and land activities. Wildlife was abundant and fascinating. Guide knowledge seemed limitless as he pointed out the evening and morning stars and planets, and explained the workings of the delta.

The daily schedule was important to making the most of the visit. I must admit to wanting to see as much as possible as opposed to relaxing in camp. We were woken up in full darkness in early morning by a person delivering coffee and cake to the table in our tent. Then we left in dim morning light to search for whatever was moving. The morning was magical and full of sounds, smells (wild sage) and animal movements. At midmorning it was time for breakfast on the vehicle's extended table, hot coffee or tea, cereal, boiled eggs etc. We finished the morning with more game drives and landed at camp for late lunch. Later in the afternoon we left again for a game drive or mokoro activities. Every afternoon had its own sundowner, as they called it, at the back of the Land Cruiser with any drink you desired and snacks of nuts and crackers. It was great fun and adventure. We were sad to move on after three nights."

"We were very happy with Sable alley in every way. It was a lot larger than the more intimate Mapula Lodge and the accommodations and services made one feel at home. Lovely setting where the hippos were always snorting, eating and playing in the waterhole. In addition to hippos, one can see red lechwe, baboons and abundant colorful birds from the lodge and tents. The guides were very knowledgeable and attentive. They explained many ecological phenomena and sitings from the smallest plant to the largest animals. The days were filled from before sunup to after sundown with activities, mainly game drives. They provided a hot breakfast before departure and we were still in the field before the sun was much above the horizon. My preference was for time in the field. We even had a sundowner every evening.

Wildlife sitings were spectacular. The first day we started with a leopard kill of an impala. She had to feed on the ground, as the prey was too large to move. Later in the morning we sighted lions and spent nearly an hour following a pair of cheetahs through the brush. Later in the afternoon we returned to the leopard kill to see first the leopard, then a pack of wild dogs that took over the impala and finally a spotted hyena interloper who would not give up until he got some despite dog attacks.

I would highly recommend Sable Alley."

"This is not the lodge of Laurens van de Post. It has been completely changed. It is a quite comfortable lodge with a wonderful garden overlooking the river. Riley's provided the opportunity to experience a little of the real Botswana by walking around Maun from the hotel. Everything about the hotel was correct including service, food and accommodations."

"The lodge was remote, small, intimate and luxury. We only spent two nights there, as our goal was to visit Tsodilo Hills. In fact, all the guests took the tour of the hills. The ride to the hills was exhilarating and cold in the winter month of May. Be sure to dress warm. Our guide was excellent and the tour of the hills employed a different local guide. A major component of our trip was seeing San people, their culture and their landscape. Tsodilo Hills was a highlight of the trip. The rock art is spectacular and the location beautiful.

Nxamaseri Lodge provide morkoro and boat trips that were very interesting. I wanted to see the main channel of the Okavango River and we had a very pleasant excursion there. The guide was excellent, very personable, professional and knowledgeable.

Although the activities of the lodge were more limited due to its being on a small island, it was certainly worth the visit. I wish we had planned a second day to visit Tsodilo Hills to see more rock art and summit Male Hill."

"We stayed one night to break up a long drive from Botswana to Namibia. The lodge was very comfortable and pleasant, right on the river with a great view. Tents were simple and private."

"Very pleasant lodge with unusual and pleasing decorations and architecture. The staff was very efficient, professional and pleasant. This was just an overnight stay on a long trip. It was definitely a great place to experience."

"We wanted to see the people and the land made famous by the books by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas and James Suzman and the movie “The Gods Must be Crazy.” A visit to Nhoma and the area around Tsumkwe offered direct experience to learn about Bushmen and hunter-gatherer society. We were very pleased with our three-night stay at Nhoma Safari Camp and attribute the high quality of the experience to the careful and thoughtful services and accommodations provided by owners Flora and Moritz.

The camp, at the crest of a low ridge, provided superb vistas to the south from the dining and social area and from individual tents. We looked eagerly for the Southern Cross and Scorpio as they rose in the evening sky and the straight line of Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn brightly shining in the morning sky before gradually fading before the rising sun. The experience was enhanced by the comfortable and discrete accommodations. All the activities involved Bushmen from the village that was a five-minute walk through woodland.

The owners have lived with the Bushmen for nearly a decade and know them well. They are strongly committed to incorporating them in the operation of the camp, so all of the staff come from the local village. The goals are to provide the Bushmen meaningful livelihoods and the visitors an authentic experience. The camp and accommodations are modest for a good reason. Anything more elaborate or luxurious would detract from the experience with the nearby Bushmen village by adding barriers to comfortable interactions.

The camp had an atmosphere of intimacy that enhanced the experience and put us at ease to relax and learn. The owners were very thoughtful to provide lunch for our late arrival and a long challenging excursion to Gautscha Pan that figures prominently in Marshall’s books. Because the village was only five minutes away, we walked there several times and each time found a different activity depending on time of day, healing dance in the evening, afternoon games at the end of the day. Although Bushmen have been changed by contact with outsiders, it was fascinating to see their lifestyle that still reflects and embodies their knowledge and experiences that are so different from ours.

I highly recommend Nhoma Safari Camp for an authentic and intimate experience of Bushmen and their land. I highly recommend researching Bushmen of Namibia before a visit and planning to stay as long as possible. A visit of several day offers opportunities to become involved in a wide variety of activities at a meaningful pace. I only wish we had stayed longer than three nights."

"We stayed two nights in this wonderful camp and visited Etosha each day. The bush camp is very luxurious with wonderful services and very comfortable and private tents. There was a fire each evening as the stars came out. The food and beverages were excellent. The staff was very professional and highly qualified. They seemed to accomplish their work effortlessly and with great pleasure. It was a camp I would return to without question."

"We really enjoyed our two nights at the camp. Our lodging was in a block of rooms not far from the waterhole. Each evening and morning animals came to the waterhole and it was our only sighting of a black rhino. The waterhole was a big plus, but it also attracts a large crowd of persons with cameras. Nonetheless it is a beautiful waterhole with a view of the forests and scrub behind. The accommodations were clearly comfortable. The service was sincere and helpful. You could tell it was a government run operation with lots of rules and excess staff but the staff was very pleasant and helpful. The easy access to many very attractive and active waterholes was a major plus for this camp."

"It was a lovely intimate lodge for two nights to see Windhoek before our departure by plane. The place was small, compact and well designed. The architect clearly mastered function with pleasing and attractive features. The staff was pleasant and very helpful with all our needs from finding the proper restaurant, advising where not to walk to getting a COVID test. The neighborhood was attractive and the walk to downtown was a treat."