Travel reviews by Mr and Mrs W. from Ilkley

"Because our initial flight was cancelled this was the first place we stayed and it was a lovely introduction to Namibia. The staff were welcoming and helpful. Our room was comfortable with a nice outdoor veranda overlooking the pool.

We were disappointed that renting e-bikes was no longer an option but we hiked the self guided Ostrich Trail. We saw oryx and ostriches and many other birds and enjoyed the Kalahari environment.

The buffet dinner was excellent as was the breakfast buffet - tasty with plenty of choice. The dining area was stylish and all the public areas were well maintained.

This was an excellent choice as a stopover to the Namib desert."

"This was a highlight of our our trip. It was an amazing immersive experience.

The 3 day trail was well thought out and run by a professional and friendly team. Sebastiaan, our guide, was the best guide we have ever had. He was knowledgeable, friendly, calm and funny. We learnt about the animals, plants and environment as we hiked over sand dunes, across plains and over a rocky pass in the mountains.

We loved our 'room' amongst the dunes - sleeping under the stars was very special (though, unfortunately, there was a full moon so some stars and the milky way weren't visible). We enjoyed the back to basics bucket showers, long drop toilets and hand basins filled with warm water in the morning.

The meals prepared by Teresa were delicious and there was plenty of it. Filemon set up our comfortable sleeping space, transferred our luggage and made sure everything ran smoothly.

We were fortunate to have lovely fellow hikers in our group and enjoyed sharing a sundowner with them and Sebastiaan at the end of the day.

We saw many oryx and springbok and giraffe and zebra in the distance. Cape fox were around the camps. Of course, we saw many tok tokkie beetles. We came across a tiny chameleon and many tracks including a leopard's.

The walking was very manageable, even in the heat, and a long rest in the shade for lunch on the second day was very welcome. We also enjoyed visiting NaDEET (which runs a residential camp for children to learn about sustainable living and the desert environment).

Thank you to Sebastiaan and all the team for giving us such a memorable experience."

"We had a friendly and enthusiatic welcome at Hoodia Desert Lodge. The lodge's communal areas and dining room are stylish.

We enjoyed relaxing by the pool in the afternoons.

The room is well designed and appointed. We liked the outside shower.

Our only small niggle was that our car in the parking space spoiled our view.

Evening meals and breakfast were delicious.

This was a peaceful place to stay not too far from the Sossusvlei."

"We arrived at Cornerstone Guesthouse after a long drive through the desert and were greeted with a warm reception. It was lovely to see so many birds in the well tended garden. Our room was quite simple but comfortable.

The owners and staff could not have been more accommodating. Although we were only staying one night they agreed to do some washing for us. They had already booked for us to eat at The Tug (a fun, lively fish restaurant).

We enjoyed wandering around Swakopmund. There were interesting shops, buildings and views of the ocean. We felt safe walking around in the daytime and at night (back to the guesthouse from the restaurant).

The kindness of the staff was most keenly felt after we'd left. I left my pillow at the guesthouse and they most kindly sent it to our agent in Windhoek so we could collect it at the airport before flying home.

I wholeheartedly recommend this guesthouse."

"Camp Kipwe is in an absolutely stunning location.

The camp sits harmoniously in a rocky outcrop. We loved our outdoor bathroom built around boulders. It was lovely to relax in the rockpool and in the sunbathing area in the afternoon. There was an amazing view from the top of the camp where we enjoyed sundowners and snacks as we watched the sunset.

Breakfast and dinner were good though the staff sometimes gave us too much attention. At other times service was lacking and the management seemed disorganised. They billed for both of us going on the desert elephant excursion though only one of us went.

Unfortunately, my husband was ill while we were here so he was not able to go on the excursion. I enjoyed the trip and had five sightings of elephants and also saw giraffes. The guide was friendly but not very forthcoming with information unless questions were asked. The snacks and drinks were good.

Despite a few niggles I would recommend this camp for it's setting and stylish buildings and decore."

"We were well aware that Okaukuejo Camp was going to be quite basic. It was, but our room was clean and the facilties were good.

Breakfast was functional but good. The service for our first dinner was slow and poor, but the next evening was a lot better. The menu choice is limited and the food rather bland but probably did us good after the excesses of the other camps.

We really wanted to stay within the park to have an early start on game drives and to experience the waterhole at night. For these reasons Okaukuejo was an excellent choice. We went on afternoon and morning game drives organised by the resort. These were excellent: we saw lions and huge herds of elephant, wildebeest and zebra. We would never have seen so much on our own.

The waterhole at the camp is astounding. We sat by it for hours during the day and at night and saw thousands of animals come down to drink, including many black rhinos. It was a sight we shall never forget. It never got too busy and everyone was quiet and respectful of the wildlife and fellow visitors.

We do rather like a classic restcamp and Okaukuejo didn't disappoint. Give up the silver service for a couple of nights and have amazing wildlife experiences!"

"Onguma Tented Camp was excellent. From our arrival, tired after a long drive through Etosha and being welcomed by Thomas our 'butler' with cold flannels, to our sad departure we were treated royally.

The camp had recently been upgraded and it was stunning. The communal areas were stylish and relaxing. A small infinity pool was a lovely place to relax. And the 'tent' was amazing. Everything was well thought out and it was well appointed. The bed was huge and comfortable and in the morning we could lie in bed and watch animals come down to the waterhole to drink and bathe. We particularly loved the outdoor shower, the snacks and drinks station and the hot tub.

Breakfasts were varied and delicious. The smoothies were a highlight. We enjoyed watching hornbills in a nearby tree as we ate. Dinners were taken in front of the floodlit waterhole and were delicious. While we ate, Thomas prepared the wood-fired hot tub so that, on our return to our tent, we could relax in it and look at the stars.

We did a sundowner drive on the Onguma Reserve. We didn't see anything we hadn't already seen except a crocodile! But we'd spent the day driving through Etosha and had already seen huge herds of animals and had a lion sighting so we'd had our wildlife fix. The sundowner drinks and snacks were good.

The next morning we visited the Onkolo Hide. This was a highlight of our trip. My husband is a keen photographer and loved being able to photograph the animals at such close range. I enjoyed seeing the animals at eye level and watching the birds (the waxwings were delightful). We observed a variety of wildlife drinking and bathing in comfort. Our guide was friendly and and knowledgeable and there were plenty of snacks and hot and cold drinks available.

That afternoon we went on an Etosha game drive hoping to see lions that had been in the area in the morning. Unfortunately they were elusive, but we saw many animals around Fischer's Pan. We returned to the Onguma Reserve and were fortunate to see two female cheetahs under a tree and a black rhino.

We would say that wildlife viewing was better for us in western Etosha, but Onguma Tented Camp was a very special place and the Hide was an amazing experience. It is a beautiful, intimate camp with attentive but not intrusive staff. It was lovely to have the waterhole always in sight."

"On arrival at the gate we were told we'd been upgraded to Bush Camp and their junior suite (we had booked Plains Camp).

The suite was in a peaceful spot with a lovely terrace where we saw many birds. Springbok and a jackal walked passed! The room had a sitting area and interesting artefacts. There was a huge bathroom and an outdoor shower.

We went on a walk from the camp following signs (but not very well - signage could be improved for the walks and finding the rooms by car). We saw warthogs, springboks, zebras, eagle owls and leopard tracks!!

The lodge with sitting areas, a dining area and, outside, a pool were traditional, comfortable and well appointed. At dinner we were given our own private spot with a firepit which was lovely. Sadly, my husband was not well and had to return to our room after the soup. His illness had nothing to do with the food and I enjoyed a delicious dinner.

The next morning we did a leopard game drive. The leopards are collared and are tracked. We found a young male feeding on bait and then a mother and daughter in the bush. The tracking and the bait (in particular) made it feel less authentic. We're sure Okonjima does important conservation work but it did feel more zoo like. Our guide was informative.

All the staff at the camp were friendly and attentive. When my husband was ill they were kind and let us rest at the lodge on checking out before we needed to drive back to Windhoek Airport. There was also an excellent curio shop."