Travel reviews by Ms R from N. Yorkshire
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
10
Excursions taken
0
My Jan 2024 trip
Namibia between 13 Jan 2024 and 26 Jan 2024
"Fantastic trip. Well-organised and we really appreciated the level of information and detail sent by Expert Africa, and the local knowledge.
Sabina made good suggestions and we enjoyed staying in a variety of places, and the mixture of self-guided and organised activities. Helpful to have the airport lounge when we arrived after an overnight flight - cold drinks and somewhere comfortable to sit and watch the safety video, but also useful info and they helped us to get a SIM card sorted out etc.
I've never done a trip which was organised by a company before, and I'm a convert!
We have recommended Expert Africa to others already, and are thinking/ dreaming about the next trip...
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Would be good to strongly encourage people to know how to change a wheel before they travel (the Europcar rep told us 50-60% of travellers have tyre trouble). Also to make sure before people leave the airport that they have some idea of how to change a wheel on that specific vehicle - we came across a young family who were struggling, in 38C heat, to find the notch to put the jack into.
Also to make people aware that, while they may be able to check-in for their return flight online, Windhoek Airport doesn't have QR code readers for digital boarding passes. If the attendant in the Wilderness lounge hadn't made us aware of this when we arrived for our return flight we would have got a bit stuck, but if people are short on time or don't go into the lounge they may not discover this until too late.
In hindsight, we would probably have fewer one-night stops - it was wonderful, but I think we were trying to cover too much ground, really. Not Sabina's fault - we were over-ambitious!
A note for some of the lodges - often we were given a lot of verbal info upon arrival, including the different activities available. Sometimes we were and sometimes we weren't told prices. It's a lot to take in, and would be very helpful to have the activities written down and definitely with info on prices (some lodges did provide this either in the room or at reception)."
Sabina made good suggestions and we enjoyed staying in a variety of places, and the mixture of self-guided and organised activities. Helpful to have the airport lounge when we arrived after an overnight flight - cold drinks and somewhere comfortable to sit and watch the safety video, but also useful info and they helped us to get a SIM card sorted out etc.
I've never done a trip which was organised by a company before, and I'm a convert!
We have recommended Expert Africa to others already, and are thinking/ dreaming about the next trip...
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Would be good to strongly encourage people to know how to change a wheel before they travel (the Europcar rep told us 50-60% of travellers have tyre trouble). Also to make sure before people leave the airport that they have some idea of how to change a wheel on that specific vehicle - we came across a young family who were struggling, in 38C heat, to find the notch to put the jack into.
Also to make people aware that, while they may be able to check-in for their return flight online, Windhoek Airport doesn't have QR code readers for digital boarding passes. If the attendant in the Wilderness lounge hadn't made us aware of this when we arrived for our return flight we would have got a bit stuck, but if people are short on time or don't go into the lounge they may not discover this until too late.
In hindsight, we would probably have fewer one-night stops - it was wonderful, but I think we were trying to cover too much ground, really. Not Sabina's fault - we were over-ambitious!
A note for some of the lodges - often we were given a lot of verbal info upon arrival, including the different activities available. Sometimes we were and sometimes we weren't told prices. It's a lot to take in, and would be very helpful to have the activities written down and definitely with info on prices (some lodges did provide this either in the room or at reception)."
Arranged By Sabina Hekandjo
Galton House
"Galton House review"
1 night
Arrived
13 Jan 2024
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Ai Aiba Lodge
"Ai Aiba Lodge review"
1 night
Arrived
14 Jan 2024
"Guided evening walk was very informative, with beautiful views.
We also enjoyed the self-guided walk to see some of the rock art - fascinating. Characterful chalet and friendly staff. Nice to have the fire outside at night to watch the waterhole.
It's a lovely place, but we were only there for one night and were glad we didn't have a second night as there were limited things to do - if we re-did the trip we probably wouldn't include it (it wasn't on our original itinerary and I specifically asked to go there, so this is not Expert Africa's fault!)."
We also enjoyed the self-guided walk to see some of the rock art - fascinating. Characterful chalet and friendly staff. Nice to have the fire outside at night to watch the waterhole.
It's a lovely place, but we were only there for one night and were glad we didn't have a second night as there were limited things to do - if we re-did the trip we probably wouldn't include it (it wasn't on our original itinerary and I specifically asked to go there, so this is not Expert Africa's fault!)."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Good
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Giraffe
5 sightings
Oryx
1 sighting
Okonjima Plains Camp
"Okonjima Plains Camp review"
1 night
Arrived
15 Jan 2024
"Four leopards, including a cub! Plus so much other game on the drive in/ out.
Great staff and so lovely to have warthogs, jackals etc wandering in front of our (enormous) room. We went on a leopard tracking drive, and were grateful that our well-informed guide was happy to sit for over an hour watching one leopard rather than moving on.
Later he went out of his way to find other leopards.
Really nice to have several options for self-guided walks as well. Would happily have stayed longer."
Great staff and so lovely to have warthogs, jackals etc wandering in front of our (enormous) room. We went on a leopard tracking drive, and were grateful that our well-informed guide was happy to sit for over an hour watching one leopard rather than moving on.
Later he went out of his way to find other leopards.
Really nice to have several options for self-guided walks as well. Would happily have stayed longer."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Brown Hyena
1 sighting
Giraffe
10+ sightings
Leopard
4 sightings
Oryx
10+ sightings
Sable antelope
10+ sightings
Wildebeest
10+ sightings
Zebra
8 sightings
Mushara Bush Camp
"Mushara Bush Camp review"
2 nights
Arrived
16 Jan 2024
"Great location - near enough to the park gate without being one of the large park camps.
Nice pool and lovely to watch weavers darting back and forth above.
No sign/ board at all after the gates, so we did wonder if we were in the right place! In some ways this was nice, but slightly confusing.
Food and room were great. Nice to hear lion and hyena at night."
Nice pool and lovely to watch weavers darting back and forth above.
No sign/ board at all after the gates, so we did wonder if we were in the right place! In some ways this was nice, but slightly confusing.
Food and room were great. Nice to hear lion and hyena at night."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Sightings report
Elephant
7 sightings
Giraffe
10+ sightings
Oryx
10+ sightings
Wildebeest
10+ sightings
Zebra
10+ sightings
Okaukuejo Camp
"Okaukuejo Camp review"
1 night
Arrived
18 Jan 2024
"Illuminated waterhole is outstanding - great to be able to sit for hours morning and evening just watching wildlife come and go - especially the 6 adult and 3 young rhino.
Definitely felt like the camp itself relies on the waterhole and knows people will come for that regardless of facilities! Room was clean-ish with rusty, broken fly-screens, but large and nice to have the fridge and seating area.
Pool was quite murky/ milky - heard several people commenting on this. Food was average. Definitely nice to be there when it was low-season as it would have seemed very busy with more people.
Amazing to see how different the area is coming across from the east, and how it varies within a few kms."
Definitely felt like the camp itself relies on the waterhole and knows people will come for that regardless of facilities! Room was clean-ish with rusty, broken fly-screens, but large and nice to have the fridge and seating area.
Pool was quite murky/ milky - heard several people commenting on this. Food was average. Definitely nice to be there when it was low-season as it would have seemed very busy with more people.
Amazing to see how different the area is coming across from the east, and how it varies within a few kms."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Average
Facilities
Average
Rooms
Average
Food
Average
Sightings report
Brown Hyena
1 sighting
Giraffe
5 sightings
Oryx
Many sightings
White Rhino
9 sightings
Wildebeest
10+ sightings
Zebra
10+ sightings
Doro Nawas
"Doro Nawas review"
2 nights
Arrived
19 Jan 2024
"AMAZING. The best place we stayed - utterly wonderful in every aspect.
An amazing drive in, a warm greeting, all the staff were extremely friendly and attentive - over and above. We had an exceptionally knowledgeable guide, Stephanos, whose gentle manner and patient answering of all our endless questions - from elephants' feet to Namibia's government and education system - was much appreciated.
Exceptional food cooked by Francisca (every part of every meal was outstanding - from green beans to scrambled eggs), lovely pool with a view, and we loved being able to sleep and shower outside, although our room - and the lodge itself - was stunning. The information book Wilderness puts in the rooms is really helpful.
We can't say enough good things about Doro Nawas and its staff."
An amazing drive in, a warm greeting, all the staff were extremely friendly and attentive - over and above. We had an exceptionally knowledgeable guide, Stephanos, whose gentle manner and patient answering of all our endless questions - from elephants' feet to Namibia's government and education system - was much appreciated.
Exceptional food cooked by Francisca (every part of every meal was outstanding - from green beans to scrambled eggs), lovely pool with a view, and we loved being able to sleep and shower outside, although our room - and the lodge itself - was stunning. The information book Wilderness puts in the rooms is really helpful.
We can't say enough good things about Doro Nawas and its staff."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Elephant
10+ sightings
Giraffe
7 sightings
Cornerstone Guesthouse
"Cornerstone Guesthouse review"
1 night
Arrived
21 Jan 2024
"Nice place for a stopover, with friendly, helpful owners and staff."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Kulala Desert Lodge
"Kulala Desert Lodge review"
2 nights
Arrived
22 Jan 2024
"Beautiful place, and lovely to be able to sleep on the roof.
Excellent food and beautiful main lodge. Appreciated the wildlife and plant info boards.
We did the early morning drive in to the dunes/ Dead Vlei, which was amazing - we would happily have gone earlier to take more advantage of arriving before the crowds, as Kulala has its own gate (although they may have found that other guests don't want such an early start?).
Our guide was friendly but not particularly informative, so we decided not to do a guided afternoon activity."
Excellent food and beautiful main lodge. Appreciated the wildlife and plant info boards.
We did the early morning drive in to the dunes/ Dead Vlei, which was amazing - we would happily have gone earlier to take more advantage of arriving before the crowds, as Kulala has its own gate (although they may have found that other guests don't want such an early start?).
Our guide was friendly but not particularly informative, so we decided not to do a guided afternoon activity."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Oryx
10+ sightings
BullsPort Lodge and Farm
"BullsPort Lodge and Farm review"
1 night
Arrived
24 Jan 2024
"Really interesting to be able to chat to the owners about farming and the pressures they face.
Appreciated the number of self-guided walks available. Beautiful area in the mountains.
Excellent home cooking - including all the homemade butter, cheese etc."
Appreciated the number of self-guided walks available. Beautiful area in the mountains.
Excellent home cooking - including all the homemade butter, cheese etc."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Good
Service
Good
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
Sightings report
Oryx
Many sightings
Wildebeest
Many sightings
River Crossing
"River Crossing review"
1 night
Arrived
25 Jan 2024
"Current roadworks made it a little hard to find (and we definitely appreciated Expert Africa's written directions off the main road, and the lone road worker who pointed us in the right direction!).
Nice pool and outdoor area, convenient place for a stopover."
Nice pool and outdoor area, convenient place for a stopover."
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Average
Facilities
Good
Rooms
Good
Food
Good
We opted to eat dinner there as we were too tired to go out - so glad we did. Staff were helpful.
Nice to have the self-service/ honesty box fridge."