Travel reviews by Jane U from London
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
2
Lodges stayed in
8
Excursions taken
1
My Nov 2023 trip
Namibia and 1 other country between 11 Nov 2023 and 16 Dec 2023
"I loved my trip. It really was the journey of a lifetime. It helped me a great deal to have the advice and support of Tom at Expert Africa in planning my trip, which was a fairly complex process as I was combining work and leisure for some of the time. Everything went smoothly and to schedule and I had no problems, which was amazing considering that I was away five weeks (everything except a cancelled flight home, but the airline dealt with that).
The places I stayed were well chosen and I enjoyed them all in different ways. I especially loved Fish River Lodge and the canyon there. I was lucky enough to meet the owners and to talk with them about their interesting plans to extend their conservation work in the area.
The only aspect of my journey that was different to what I expected and a bit more challenging was the driving. I did not have any problems, although I covered about 1,500 miles driving solo, but it is not easy driving on dirt roads (they are described as gravel roads but this is not really accurate). The car hire company and the Bradt guide recommend not driving above 70kph on dirt roads but that is not practicable over long distances and I think this advice should be revised. Nobody else was travelling at those speeds. If I had driven that slowly on certain days a 5-hour journey would have turned into an 8-hour journey, which presents a different kind of risk. I would recommend driving at the national speed limit, which is what I did, meaning that I was driving safely at 80-90 kph on those dirt roads. I think a frank discussion of what driving in Namibia realistically entails would have been useful, but this is a minor point!
Namibia is a beautiful country, for me part of its attraction is its remoteness and the opportunity to be alone in open spaces, but I also had encounters with Namibians of many different backgrounds, all of which were positive and interesting. I have brought home many happy memories and would love to return one day. Thank you, Tom, for making it happen."
The places I stayed were well chosen and I enjoyed them all in different ways. I especially loved Fish River Lodge and the canyon there. I was lucky enough to meet the owners and to talk with them about their interesting plans to extend their conservation work in the area.
The only aspect of my journey that was different to what I expected and a bit more challenging was the driving. I did not have any problems, although I covered about 1,500 miles driving solo, but it is not easy driving on dirt roads (they are described as gravel roads but this is not really accurate). The car hire company and the Bradt guide recommend not driving above 70kph on dirt roads but that is not practicable over long distances and I think this advice should be revised. Nobody else was travelling at those speeds. If I had driven that slowly on certain days a 5-hour journey would have turned into an 8-hour journey, which presents a different kind of risk. I would recommend driving at the national speed limit, which is what I did, meaning that I was driving safely at 80-90 kph on those dirt roads. I think a frank discussion of what driving in Namibia realistically entails would have been useful, but this is a minor point!
Namibia is a beautiful country, for me part of its attraction is its remoteness and the opportunity to be alone in open spaces, but I also had encounters with Namibians of many different backgrounds, all of which were positive and interesting. I have brought home many happy memories and would love to return one day. Thank you, Tom, for making it happen."
Arranged By Tom Morris
City Lodge OR Tambo
"City Lodge OR Tambo review"
1 night
Arrived
25 Nov 2023
"This was a really comfortable and convenient place to stay during my one-night stopover in Johannesburg and far superior to other airport hotels I have stayed in (in Johannesburg and elsewhere)."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
River Crossing
"River Crossing review"
5 nights
Arrived
26 Nov 2023
"I was here for several days finishing up a business assignment before starting my holiday. It was a comfortable and pleasant base for my work, spacious chalets and good food. I enjoyed the pool also. The location is very convenient for Winhoek city as well as the airport. Only minor drawback was services - had to ask several times to get laundry done and when it was returned it was (although ironed) in a black bin liner!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Average
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge
"Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge review"
3 nights
Arrived
1 Dec 2023
"This is a beautiful lodge, rooms spacious and luxuriously appointed, and very comfortable. Air conditioning was not powerful enough, though, and that was a problem in the December heat. The staff at the lodge were friendly and helpful, but not particularly knowledgeable or, I felt, very well trained. As an example, although the lodge was virtually empty in early December I was asked to move all my things out of my room, and to move my car, while I went off for a 24-hour guided hike (run by the lodge), only to move back into the same room a day later. A different person on front-of-house told me later that I should not have bothered packing my things - but I had been asked to. Some aspects of the design of the accommodation were a little odd, such as the fact that the bathroom window was directly opposite reception and, I was told, visible from reception... which made me wonder why it had been built like that. I felt that this lodge needed to be managed."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Food
Excellent
Rooms
Good
Activities
Excellent
Sightings report
Eland
Many sightings
Oryx
Many sightings
Wildebeest
Many sightings
Zebra
Many sightings
Fish River Lodge
"Fish River Lodge review"
3 nights
Arrived
4 Dec 2023
"Fish River Lodge is a magical place to stay and was by far my favourite place during my two weeks touring Namibia, and well worth the long drive off the main road. The chalets are beautiful, designed in a simple, even austere way which to my mind is far more in tune with the breathtaking canyon/desert setting than some of the opulent lodges designed in standard South African fashion. The reception/dining/bar area of the hotel is also most beautifully decorated and very comfortable. The food was delicious and the walks along the canyon rim wonderful in both morning and evening. They are well signposted. The day trip down into the canyon is amazing. As it was December the only option here was the drive down as it is too hot to hike. It is a most beautiful and unique opportunity."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Desert Horse Inn
"Desert Horse Inn review"
2 nights
Arrived
7 Dec 2023
"This was a very comfortable base for my visit to Kolmanskop and Luderitz. The food is excellent, I think the best I had in Namibia. The lodge itself is comfortable and feels quite homely and friendly. The rooms are nothing special but they are comfortable and quiet and a good temperature, as well as spacious."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Excellent
Dead Valley Lodge
"Dead Valley Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
9 Dec 2023
"I enjoyed Dead Valley Lodge. The location is excellent, convenient for the national park. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and helpful and the atmosphere in the hotel always very good. The room was comfortable and beautifully furnished. The food was very good. I think this is an excellent mid-range lodge."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Sightings report
Oryx
Many sightings
Swakopmund Guesthouse
"Swakopmund Guesthouse review"
3 nights
Arrived
11 Dec 2023
"The location of the guest house was excellent. The room was spacious and comfortable and the staff friendly and helpful if I needed to ask anything. It was a rather odd experience staying here, however, as I was the only guest other than a group of young people who were members of the owner's family. The room was a bit tired and needed a facelift. I just didn't really get the feeling that there was much interest in running the place as a hotel, if that makes sense."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Average
Rooms
Average
Food
Average
Coast and Sandwich Harbour
"Coast and Sandwich Harbour review"
12 Dec 2023 • All-day excursion
This is a wonderful tour, which introduced me to places (and people) I would not have encountered otherwise. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and very good company for the day, as were my travel companions. I learned a lot about the history, geology, flora and fauna of the areas we visited. It was fascinating and I would recommend it to anyone visiting this part of the Namibian coast.
Excellent
Weinberg Hotel
"Weinberg Hotel review"
1 night
Arrived
14 Dec 2023
"This was a great place to stay on my last night in Namibia. The hotel is extremely comfortable, beautifully furnished and very well run. There is a range of places to eat in site that are part of the same complex but I chose the courtyard that is part of the hotel which was a welcome change from the more formal dining arrangements of many places in Namibia. I would definitely stay here again."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent