Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs R from Chertsey

"Not as we were expecting"

"A very relaxing place. An attractive building with a very pleasant patio and a lawn which stretches right to the cliff top.

There is easy private access to the beach, where swimming is possible. The Lemon Grass was recommended as a place to eat and proved very good."

"We were welcomed on arrival by Sandy. Not welcomed back, even though it was our 4th stay here and even though we had emailed Sandy previously. Not impressive!

Food was of its normal very high standard and the breakfasts were the best anywhere. But again, service was an issue. We waited 50 minutes for lunchtime bar service, in spite of several 'reminders' to Sandy. A far, far too impersonal and 'hands off' style of management. Rooms are amazing and the location exquisite.

Be sure to wear long trousers if doing the forest walk, or a dose of African Tick Bite Fever could await......."

"Nothing is too much trouble for Belinda, who looked after us superbly.

The house is immaculate, exquisitely furnished, very homely, and in a great location directly overlooking the cliff walk and the Bay."

"We were welcomed back by Linda as old friends. The rooms are beautifully furniished.

The food in the Tasting Room was still exceptional; world class. A unique experience. The Common Room proved to be a very different culinary concept but very enjoyable.

It's worth noting that the Tasting Room is currently closed on Sunday and Monday evenings."

"Very difficult to summarise as so much happens here! There's the winery and vineyards, the really amazing formal kitchen garden, the farm animals and associated products to buy and eat in the restaurant; the fabulous scenery and great facilities.

Staff and Management were very helpful and friendly. The rooms were a mixture of traditional and very high tech and some of the gadgets definitely placed style over practicality. We never did work out the light switches or the taps in the kitchen!

The concept of a room overlooking the garden sounded idyllic. However in reality the two were separated by the main footpath from the car park to the tea rooms. Consequently there was little privacy and we were stared at, photographed, videoed, pointed at and even asked for directions by passers by. Definitely not what we were expecting and, as a result we went out during the day and enjoyed sitting out in the evenings, when the coachloads of visitors had gone. This is undoubtedly an extremely popular local attraction."

"The process of obtaining the pass to the Park was rather painful but will hopefully improve once the new information centre is fully open. Our room was good, At the last moment we decided not to use the restaurant but to make a braai. The shop was very well stocked for this. A theme throughout the camps was that the level of equipment provided was excellent. Nothing was missing! The shop here was far better stocked than those at Mata Mata and especially Nossob, so if you can stock up here, do.

The lodge is functional and there is no game watching apart from the organised evening drive. The journey here was a very easy 3 hours from Upington. Staying awake after the flight will be the main challenge! Stock up with all the essentials at Pick and Pay in the centre of Upington. You can't miss it!

Obviously you need to fuel up at Twee Rivieren. Also you need to reduce tyre pressures for the sandy roads in the Park. The petrol station staff were very helpful with this operation. Our Nissan double cab had a spare petrol tank fitted. Very useful but the design means that putting 50 litres in takes a full half hour, due to continual air-locks."

"A real oasis in the Kalahari! A beautifully designed lodge where it is impossible not to relax. Rooms were excellent, as was service from the friendly staff.

Lots of activities should you want them and some wildlife around the lodge also, including barn owls which nest in boxes under the roof of the chalets. Nothing seems to be too much trouble here. The plunge pool looked very inviting and in summer no doubt would have been!

The track to the lodge seems to go on for ever and 4wd is necessary due to the steep, sandy inclines."

"Beautifully designed and equipped rooms with a separate kitchen and a superb barbeque area, all private.

Great views across the dry river bed though better for birds than for animals, even though there is a floodlit waterhole.

This was the best birding location due to mature trees. There is an inviting swimming pool here."

"A very small camp with just 4 elevated chalets. As with all the others it was simply but very effectively furnished, with its own kitchen and braai area overlooking a floodlit waterhole. Disappointingly, no game was seen, though fresh lion tracks were seen just outside the lodge the next morning.

Beware the drive to the camp from the main track! It really is a long one and demanding in places due to steep sandy inclines. If you are planning the drive to Upington (which is very possible in a day) it would be better to stay at Grootkolk, which is much nearer the main track, for the last night."

"Nicely located but looking its age compared with the other camps. They have a problem with bees, which are attracted to water so in this respect the outside food preparation area is not ideal. The camp attendant was not sympathetic to this.

There is a waterhole but it wasn't floodlit, which was disappointing, especially as there was game around. It has the advantage of being very close to the main park road, so is very accessible compared with Gharagab."

"A very unusual hotel/guest house! Certainly not the boutique hotel it purports to be. An unexpectedly businesslike welcome set the tone!

It was not clear to us beforehand that their associated restaurant is actually a car drive away in the centre of Upington. Like the hotel, it was enigmatic; good food unusually served.

Breakfast was very good. The garden is luxuriant, very shady and backs directly onto the Orange river."

"Tree house rooms are furnished to a very high standard. The best view is from the luxurious bathroom, looking out through the trees and across the estuary to Knysna.

Food was very good if not quite as outstanding as under the previous chef. However there is no doubt that everything was made with passion and the breakfasts were exceptional. The chef obviously had a great rapport with her local trainees and we are confident about their future! The set dinner menu is great value.

There should be a warning sign in the rooms regarding the vervet monkeys, which are ubiquitous and a nuisance. They enter the rooms at every opportunity, which could be disastrous."

"A very luxurious b & b situated very close to the sea and the coast path, with a fabulous view of Walker Bay from the first floor rooms, which are very well appointed.

Belinda the Manager was very attentive and could not do enough to help. Nice touches included the complimentary sherry in the lounge and the fact that, knowing the restaurants would be busy the evenings we were there, she had pre-booked a table for us at a local restaurant for each evening. The breakfast was really excellent.

Having no previous experience of the Auberge, we looked right through the visitors' book. Without exception the guests' comments echoed our own; not a single negative comment could be found."

"Our 4th stay here and it was reassuring to find a personal note from the Manager in our room to welcome us back.

Some rooms have recently been refurbished but we have never been disapponted with the accommodation, which is luxurious. This is a very personable hotel. The tasting room continues to be an incredible eating experience with cutting edge food, beautifully served.

Once again it was good to see the wines being so realistically priced."

"We were welcomed back with the traditional huge glass of wine, which as usual set the trend for the evening. The evening meal is matched with the wine and both are excellent. The chef here is very accomplished.

The rooms are very comfortable."

"The food was outstanding and the wines, which were included, were of excellent quality and very generously served. The owners, whom we have met before, were very friendly."

"The highlight of our trip and we spent our silver wedding anniversary there, which was suitably acknowledged. The gifts and special touches were greatly appreciated. Food was in a class of its own. We could not fault the experience."

"Staff were very friendly and attentive.

The bottle of bubbly in our room was a very welcome gesture. Food and service were of the highest standard.

This hotel is beautifully located overlooking Walker Bay, where Southern Right Whales can be seen for much of the year."

"A rather more 'commercial' establishment than the others we stayed at. The room was rather dark and dreary but the food was very good.

The location is ideal for visiting some of the best Stellenbosch wineries."

"This lodge is run by a very special couple, Marianne and Rob Field, who have become good friends over the years. They know the area intimately and pass on every bit of this knowledge to their guests.

The atmosphere is homely and very comfortable rather than luxurious. The location is stunning and is fantastic for walking. Rob is a very professional pilot and his flights over the area are special."

"A very comfortable hotel, slightly out of the centre of town, which can be walked to but more feasibly needs a car.

Rooms very comfortable and food good. The wine list is very extensive and is not overpriced.

Sam is a real character and loves to talk."

"Having been here twice before in 200 and 2002, I had fogotten just how awe-inspiring the scenery in Damaraland is. Since then the camp has been re-built to good effect. We are not the greatest fans of Wilderness's lodge management, having had poor experiences, but no complaints here. Everything was good, especially the food.

Everest was great as a guide and took us to a remote area for desert rhino, the Springbok river. A fantastic, if unsuccessful trip, it did throw up some problems. Only a single spare tyre was taken on the landrover. It was needed very soon and clearly had not been checked; it was very soft. Our 2nd puncture rendered us immobile and Everest had to climb the nearest mountain to get a phone signal to enable him to summon help. This came, complete with 3 spare wheels (!), 2 hours later. Had 2 properly checked spares been taken in the first place, the 2 hours saved could well have resulted in our 1st desert rhino sighting. Fantastic desert elephant, though and a bonus cheetah."

"Surprisingly good!

Very rustic but carried it off well. Rooms were very basic with absolutely nowhere to put any clothes. Insect proofing was also virtually non existant.

Staff were very friendly and the lodge situation was excellent; 4 lions spent much of our time there around the waterhole. Food also was excellent."

"We always look forward to returning to Mushara! Beautifully located just outside Etosha, it is very luxurious with excellent facilities.

Marc was his usual very helpful self and offered us the free services of one of his trainee guides in the park."