Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs M from Cambridge

"Palm River was a really good choice for the first night of our holiday. We flew into Vic Falls and it was an easy transfer from the airport. Palm River is definitely a hotel and not a lodge, which is what we wanted since we had plenty of lodges coming up. It was nice to have a solid base to start our trip from, and very comfortable beds after a night on the plane. We could charge up our devices and get our packing straight before we headed off on a 3 week trip.

We had a ground floor room which overlooked the immaculate lawned garden and pool. There is a very nice terrace for dining with pretty lighting. The grounds of the hotel run right down to the river so you really are right on the Zambezi and feel you have arrived right from the first minute.

We had very good and helpful activities manager who ran through the activities on offer. Our airport transfer was with Wild Horizons whose office is in Vic Falls town and our driver had tried quite hard to book us a boat trip on our first evening. Palm River ran similar boat trips and they were very happy for us to go with Wild Horizons if we preferred. All the boat trips were more expensive than we had expected, but given that a self-guided walk along the Falls now costs US$50 per person, it soon became clear that everything in and around Vic Falls has gone up dramatically for overseas visitors.

The food was good and so was the service. Would highly recommend if you are looking for something out of town but still close enough to get down to the falls in 10 minutes."

"Shinde is an absolute gem of a place, hidden in the trees.

Our bedroom was spacious and comfortable with an enormous bathroom and polished teak floors. Incredible charging points, hairdryer, long mirror and very hot water, all things that we weren't expecting out on the delta and far from the nearest town. Really impressive facilities but with a very relaxed feel. Shared dining inside (breakfast & lunch) and outside (dinner). For March (end of rainy season) surrounded by lagoons & channels, we were expecting a lot of mosquitoes but didn't see any. Not one bite.

The staff were excellent, not overly attentive (which we appreciated) and there were lots of activities on offer - we did them all: game drives, night drive, boat cruise, morning walk & mokoro trip. Our guide Chilli was relaxed but informative and we had a lot of fun out in the reserve with him and Alex who was soon to qualify as a guide.

Everywhere the camphor scent of wild sage, the fresh sweet air of the morning and night game drives, the clear skies and incredible stars. A really special place."

"The view at Muchenje takes your breath away when you first see it. Standing in the main reception area, you are high up on the escarpment above Chobe river and the floodplain and can look down on a huge expanse of what (for us) was a sea of green after all the rain. The main room is huge, with lots of comfy sofas (to pick up the WiFi which is not available in the bedrooms) and a great curved bar in the middle of the room. We had a lovely welcome from Evelyn and her team who are wonderful. We arrived later than planned and missed lunch and she very kindly put together a plate of food for me before we headed out on a game drive.

Eating in the evening is communal at a long table, and once the menu has been announced by the staff, guests help themselves to a buffet and the food was good.

Our bedroom had a large very comfy bed with walk-in mosquito net. There were a lot of insects around and our net did have quite a few holes in it. It wasn't my favourite bedroom: the A/C was quite smelly (but we were grateful for it) and the dark furniture and deep shag-pile rug made it difficult to see where the insects were hiding. But it was comfortable with a great shower and a wonderful view from the front deck.

We did a game drive into the national park on our first afternoon which was our first experience of the vast flood plain and animals were very easy to see despite the vegetation. And masses of birds. On our second day we did an excellent full day with another couple - up at 5am and out at 5:30am for an early game drive stopping for great breakfast at Serondela (it was once a campsite where I had camped decades before), followed by a boat trip on the Chobe at 11am. This was a great idea because there were no other boats out at that time, and we had the river to ourselves. We had an excellent lunch on the boat and saw plenty of game on the bank and in the water - including elephants swimming across from the bank to the island. Sure enough when we came in at 2.30pm there were many more boats just setting off.

One thing to note in the Directions to the lodge: the sign to Muchenje Safari Lodge is actually quite difficult to see if you are coming from Kasane and we drove past it. After leaving the national park, turn immediately left onto the A334. After 5km, Muchenje shares a lay-by with Chobe Elephant Camp and their sign is easier to see just because of the way it's positioned. Turn right into the lay-by and Muchenje's entrance is just before Chobe Elephant Camp on your right."

"Lianshulu scores really highly for me despite it being very dated now compared to other lodges we have stayed in. It has the most incredible position right on the Kwando river with hippo sounds and calls being the soundtrack of our stay. The large open plan main area has a huge deck over the river and there is always something going on - hippos, crocs or birds to watch most of the time.

I don't think the bedrooms have changed in over 30 years (when a friend of mine worked at Lianshulu as a student volunteer). Ours was huge with lots of useful storage and an open plan bathroom at one end. The shower looked like something from the 80s and turned out to be the best shower you could wish for. The room had no sockets to charge anything (electricity in the bedrooms is strictly for lights only), no A/C and rather amazingly not even a fan. So it was extremely hot in March in the late afternoon and early evenings but by the dead of night was just about bearable. WiFi has to be purchased at extra cost per 24 hour period (we didn't bother) and there is a rather wonderful "charging room" next to the office where you can take your phone/torch/device and plug it in. So you could say it's a bit out of date.

We were the only guests staying for our first night and the staff were wonderful. We arrived at 4pm to discover that activities go out at 3.30pm but were very happy to sit on the deck and chat. The food was delicious and impeccably served by Stanley. We had lots of fun chatter and information from manager Ralph, and super guiding from Victor. We didn't see a lot of game with the grasses so high and the water so plentiful but Victor made our activities interesting with a lot of information about birds & trees.

On our second night we heard lions just outside the camp, and saw tracks as we left in the morning. We certainly didn't feel we had missed out, and it remains my favourite lodge in Namibia. By 2026 Lianshulu will have been refurbished by Naankuse who have just bought it, with the promise of AC and other modernities. I hope they manage to retain some of its traditional rustic feel because it's a very special place."

"Kongola to Divundu is a really easy drive, the B8 is a very straight tar road with very few pot holes, and thick bush either side. Kongola has a fuel station and a tiny post office where I bought a SIM card which I was told "would be activated in 2-3 days" (would have been more sensible to buy it in Katima but unfortunately we were there on a Sunday) The biggest thing in Kongola is the vast Metro cash & carry which has huge aisles stacked high with maize meal. You can buy all manner of hardware and long-life food but fresh food is hard to come by and you can forget trying to buy ingredients for a ham sandwich.

Ndhovu is located right on the Kavango river and getting to it was quite interesting. There were roadworks on the C48 which meant that there were 4 lanes of sand to drive on but no indication of which lane to use. So traffic was in all 4 lanes and in both directions. Once on the track to Ndhovu the last stretch of road was not actually flooded (although the water was high) but there are 15 small bridges to cross, so it takes a bit of time.

The lodge feels a bit like a campsite on arrival and is run more like a guest farm than a lodge. Everyone eats dinner together at a long table in the main area which is lived-in and comfortable rather than sophisticated. We stayed 2 nights and food was unappetising on the first night and delicious on the second. Breakfast is on the lovely large deck which overlooks the river. On the opposite bank is the Buffalo Core Area where you can see game from the deck.

The tents are in the process of being refurbished and we were in a new one which was beautifully clean, well equipped and comfortable: a walk-in tent but with proper wooden doors, lots of charging points, a large fan (definitely needed, it was very hot in March), a lovely large bathroom behind the bedroom which was open to the outdoors above the back wall. Twin beds and mosquito nets were very comfortable (but with too much bedding given the temperature at night).

We did a boat trip on our first afternoon and saw lots of birds as well as hippos and crocs in the river and red lechwe, bush buck and elephants on the bank. The following day we did a self-drive into the Buffalo Core Area (part of Bwabwata national park) which involves driving back to Divundu towards Popa Falls. We collected an indecipherable map from the park office and spent 3 happy hours driving in the park, close to the river, and saw plenty of game - large herds of impala, a warthog family, 2 sable antelope, kudu & a small herd of elephants. Well worth it."

"Mushara Lodge was almost empty when we visited in March, with 6 guests out of 45 so we had it almost to ourselves. Whilst we may have missed out on the buzz of high season, it is a beautifully designed lodge and we thoroughly enjoyed our peaceful & luxurious stay.

The main areas are big open spaces, with lots of neutral colours and glass, which make for a striking entrance. The swimming pool is gorgeous with lots of lawn around it and is a very nice place to spend an hour or two in the afternoon.

Our bedroom was similarly gorgeous with very comfortable bed, generous space, lovely shower and luxurious touches. It felt more like a hotel than a lodge. The rooms are scattered throughout the grounds so you feel you have a very private space of your own, away from the main reception and dining areas. WiFi doesn't stretch as far as the bedrooms and is only available in the main areas. And our AC unit kept switching itself off in the night (was possibly on a timer which we couldn't work out) and in March you certainly need it. These are minor criticisms and overall we had a lovely stay.

We didn't book any activities at the lodge and instead did 2 self-drives into Etosha. Despite lush vegetation and meadow-like flowers carpeting the ground (wonderful to see Etosha in the green season), we saw plenty of plains game in huge numbers, especially young and breeding herds and March was a great time of year for birds."

"We absolutely loved Ai Aiba.

The main area is huge and has a lovely room where meals are served, on individual tables. The food was fabulous and we were really impressed by all the meals we had, more like what you might expect from a hotel kitchen than a lodge such a long way from the nearest town. The whole place felt slick and sophisticated.

There is a nice small pool and it's a peaceful spot to spend an hour. The view of the kopjes and distant mountains is wonderful.

Our chalet was comfortable and peaceful with a lovely view. There was AC, charging points and a fridge. We did have a power cut for about 15 hours but while they were working the facilities were impressive.

By this stage in our trip we had done a lot of safari and decided that we would use Ai Aiba for some relaxation. So we didn't do any activities during our 2 night stay apart from a self guided walk. This is signposted and was quite a steep climb up the boulders, without a path as such, and was quite challenging for someone in their late 70s. But the second half of the walk is either downhill or at ground level where there are some rock paintings. It takes about 1.5 hours.

The rooms are in a row of about 20 chalets and ours was the last one (19) despite our request to be as near to the main area as possible! The walk back to the main area is about 10 minutes on a gentle uphill slope. This is significantly easier than trying to move your car, which is parked directly outside your chalet. The road up/down is very narrow in places and once you've parked your car on arrival you really don't want to have to move it again until you leave."

"Spitzkoppen is an extraordinary place and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say you leave it a slightly different person. There is something magical about the mountains there, and just experiencing them first thing in the morning or in the dead of night, knowing how few people are out there with you, is a bit life-changing.

The road to the lodge is terrible, or it was when we visited in March after a fair bit of rain - apart from a few drops, it was the first they'd had in 9 years. The huge gravel plain with vast granite boulders was green as far as the eye could see. The road was slow but the scenery was fantastic.

The lodge is really impressively run. The management are a charming couple and were very helpful to us. We were in the furthest chalet from the main area (despite asking to be the closest!) which meant a long walk (15-20 mins) which was too far for my husband. They picked us up in a golf cart whenever we wanted, and it was never too much trouble. The chalets are very comfortable with wonderful bed sheets & towels and all amenities you could wish for including a powerful shower, plenty of charging points and a super cold fridge with a small bottle of milk for your morning tea. There is no AC but the fan was sufficient, as even in March the temperature drops quite significantly at night. WiFi is at the main area.

The whole place has been built to leave minimum footprint on the landscape but manages to be very striking in its design, with a bridge over the boulders taking you down to the chalets. Even the bathroom at the main area is a design masterpiece, perched on stilts at the foot of the boulders. There is a small pool cut into the rock which was great for cooling off in the very hot afternoons.

We did a 3-stop tour in the late afternoon on our 2nd day, taking in the bushman art at Small Bushman Paradise and the obligatory photo opp at The Arch. Pietrus our guide was friendly and helpful, and we had a great afternoon with him. There is no game at the camp except some impala and zebra which were brought in to shoot a Hollywood film! They are fed by the staff and other game is not sustainable. But there are lots of dassies and the birdlife is plentiful including some large birds of prey."

"Otjimbondona is unlike any other lodge we have been to and has a very exclusive feel to it. It's been newly built from an original farmhouse on a huge private farm. We arrived just before a storm and very heavy rain and we sat on the terrace and watched the lightning across the huge expanse of sky.

Despite the neighbouring farms, we didn't see a single car on the 75km gravel road which leads to Otjimbondona, and you do feel very remote despite being only 1.5 hours from Windhoek airport. We stayed for our last night of a 3 week trip.

The 4 rooms at the lodge are more like giant apartments, with huge living/kitchen area, bedroom, open plan bathroom, plunge pool and wonderful view over the bush and red Kalahari sand - which for us in March was lush with vegetation, and with water in the nearby pan. You could easily accommodate a family with children for a good few days, with plenty of space both indoors and out, and a beautiful infinity pool at the main area.

Dining is formal with the dinner menu introduced by the chef. The food was lovely with a huge selection of wine and other drinks on offer.

We did a game drive with Lazarus and saw much more than we were expecting including our first meerkat.

The staff were lovely and friendly, but for us it felt a bit too high-end. It's very discreet and remote and if you're looking for discreet and remote, it's perfect."

"Upsides:
Lovely room, very spacious. Lovely staff. Good food. Wonderful breakfast.

Downsides:
On arrival we went to the guest house next-door by mistake!
We could easily have driven to Kalahari Red Dunes on Day 1 and missed Windhoek altogether.

It was helpful to get cash & get acclimatised but not really necessary"

"On the road: Amazing new(?) shopping mall outside Rehoboth with supermarket, bottle store and clothes shops

Upsides:
Lovely room, very spacious. We were put in a standard room and then moved shortly afterwards to a Superior Suite (their mistake I think, rather than an upgrade!)

Downsides: not really a downside but the staff do like to spend a long time going through the registration/orientation process. The more lodges we stayed at the more we realised this is standard practice (and often for your safety) so you have to be patient as a Westerner in a hurry, and just go with it and not expect to be in your room within 5 minutes of arrival like you would be in a European hotel

Lots of funky lighting in the bedroom but all very dim. Again we realised that this was standard practice and bright lighting is not desirable for lots of reasons. However, one bright reading light next to an armchair would be really appreciated. Often the one bright light was by the bed - not helpful for reading the map!"

"Upsides: beautiful grounds, lovely staff, fabulous swimming pool, excellent sundowner hike (30 mins), very comfy beds, lovely sheets

Downsides: not much space in the bedroom, dinner buffet not very appetising

On the road: Beyond the Canyon’s main viewpoint, we drove to what we thought was Sulphur Springs viewpoint. We weren’t sure where we were because there are no signs (there was a low brick wall at the viewpoint with a single permanent “parasol”) but it was breathtaking. Almost sunset and didn’t see another car."

"On the road:
Canyon Lodge to Ai-Ais
We were delayed at Canyon Lodge for one afternoon waiting for the replacement tyre and couldn’t drive to Ai-Ais as planned. So instead, on our day of departure we took a longer route to Klein Aus via Ai-Ais and Rosh Pinah.

Lovely drive through the mountains, with beautiful rows of stones next to the road. 70kms to
Ai-Ais Hot Springs Spa where the water from the spring is genuinely hot (65 degrees). We were expecting a pool of spring water to swim in but in fact the spring is just a trickle of water in a covered pool about the size of a fish pond. There is an excellent petrol station. The Spa resort was almost deserted although there are bungalows and a lot of space for campers which probably fill up in high season. It reminded me of one of those government run lodges in Zimbabwe, lots of concrete and endless empty depressing adjoining rooms. A classic camping lodge shop with lots of empty shelves but out of support we bought some lemon cream biscuits and the most expensive mug ever seen - costing N$160!!

Ai-Ais to Klein Aus
C37 & D278 to Aussenkehr - huge flat plain with mountains in the distance, felt like a wasteland with almost no vegetation at all. Saw 2 cars in 3 hours. An unexpected and brief bit of tar road by the vineyard (also unexpected) outside Aussenkehr.
C13 to Rosh Pinah - along Fish River (which has water in it) suddenly very lush and green. Small areas of mining, herds of goats. Absolutely beautiful.
Rosh Pinah - Skorpion zinc mining. Lots of smart new housing, lovely shopping mall with a supermarket and ice cream shop. We wondered where Skorpion’s employees lived and then came across Tutungeni township, so it very much feels like a town of two halves.

Klein Aus Vista, Eagles View
Upsides: stunning remote location; beautifully equipped simple chalet; nice family run establishment; very friendly staff; Hansa on tap; excellent food; did our own day trip to Luderitz (Essenzeit restaurant at the waterfront recommended for having a drink and watching the boats); wild horses at a watering hole just west of Klein Aus.

Downsides: a 10km drive along a bumpy track to your chalet, fine as long as that is what you are expecting.
Ceiling fan not really adequate for keeping cool during the day. You are instructed to keep windows closed because of the baboons which means you return to a very hot chalet. However with everything open all night, it does cool down and is bearable. The bed was made up with a duvet and blanket, neither of which were required!"

"On the road:
Helmeringshausen - possibly the tidiest and most perfect little stopping place with the best equipped shop which we visited plus hotel, petrol station & museum
Approach to Sesriem on C27 - terrible gravel road in really poor condition.

Little Kulala
Upsides: Wilderness camps are just another level, from the stunning design and interiors of the main areas to the impeccable service and welcome. Singing to welcome you, cold towels and drinks every time you return, and singing to say farewell, you can’t help but feel like the royal family. The food was incredible, unexpectedly so, beautifully presented and wonderful flavours. My personal upside was the outdoor bed on our deck which they make up for you every night whether you sleep in it or not. Absolutely wonderful sleeping outside, with the jackals and hyenas, the stars and the delicious fresh air.

Activities: Marcus wasn’t our favourite guide because he was difficult to hear (for Hugh) and spoke very fast so Hugh missed a lot of the information. But we had good trips to Sossusvlei & Dead vlei and Sessriem Canyon, and fun quad biking round the camp

Downsides:
Having been so self sufficient we weren’t used to handing over the car and someone else being in charge. On a fully inclusive basis you are very much on their schedule and this took a bit of getting used to (eg very early starts for activities, long game drives when we had just been in the car for hours already). However, once you start we found you get hooked. And even seeing the same animals or the same landscape, there is always something new to learn about behaviours, environment & conservation. Having thought we might duck out of some of the activities due to Hugh’s convalescence, I don't think we missed a single activity.
No comfortable chairs on the deck outside our room. Chairs in the main area also needed an extra cushion to make them comfortable (this may have been Hugh's discomfort following an operation)"

"On the road:
Little Kulala to Swakopmund C27-C19-C14
C14 was undoubtedly the worst road of the trip. Dust blowing over the car even without other cars on the road. Visibility very poor and the gravel road is in terrible condition. Very dangerous overtaking when you can’t see what’s ahead or behind. Forced to approach the brow of the hill on the left which is always the patch of road in the worst condition. Anyway survived it!

Kuiseb Pass - scene of the accident on 24th April in which 2 people died
Gaub Pass to Walvis Bay - very flat, desolate expanse, very bleak
Walvis Bay - a low point, not much to recommend it. Drove through the wrong end of town and felt quite hustled. All a bit aggressive and nasty. Missing the lovely desert.

Strand Hotel, Swakopmund
Upsides:
V pleasant staff at the hotel.
Ate at the hotel’s Farmhouse Deli where they serve really good giant pizzas (one is enough for 2)
Breakfast at the Strand is superb.
2nd night ate at The Tug - it had been recommended by friends but we found it a bit of a tourist trap with prices to match. But it was very convenient and we walked to/from the hotel.

Downsides: Being in a town (!)
Sudden plummet in temperature, had to wear every item of clothing we had"

"On the road:
We were picked up by Namibia Tracks & Trails and dropped at Swakop airstrip. Excellent service.

Upsides:
again the impeccable Wilderness camp design; the gorgeous staff; the trip to the Skeleton Coast; the food (still very good but not quite as exquisite as Kulala)
Lovely guide Geraldo, again quite difficult to understand but lovely manner and very understanding of Hugh’s recent operation. He tried very hard to minimise the bumps on an extremely bumpy track across the flood plain.

Lovely morning drive in the river bed to see the collared lions and very good simple evening walk around the camp.
Excellent day trip to the coast, lots of highlights (saw a caracal and baby in the river bed; Mowe Bay office & museum was extraordinary and v interesting; seal colony very smelly but wonderful to see; Marianna’s fabulous paella cooked on a gas stove on the beach plus her delicious starters) My personal high point was flying with Gavin back over the coast and over the flood plain - sudden oasis of life in the desert, flocks of birds rising up off the water, the elephants we’d been looking for seen from the air, incredible scenes, have never seen anything like it.

Downside: sounds pathetic but no bright reading light in the bedroom"

"Upsides:
Binnius, lovely and very informative guide; proximity of waterhole to camp, we had elephants drinking out of the swimming pool first thing in the morning; beautiful reserve where you can see the animals very close up; beautiful recently refurbished tented chalet, very comfortable bed; visit to research centre at Andersson’s - masses of information, incredible building, lovely shop; brunch at Andersson’s and a tour of their camp (beautifully redesigned main area & bar, wonderful spacious chalets built into the bush with added bonus of A/C- did ask to move there for our 4th night but they were full. Definitely staying there on next trip!)

Downsides:
our tented chalet was very hot in the afternoons (freestanding floor fan only) and there was no escape from the heat. But cooled right down at night so you did actually need the duvet. Orlando, acting manager and overly attentive and effusive (just quite annoying). Trip to Etosha not really needed except to see the pan. There was a long queue at Anderson Gate first thing in the morning, and then lots of vehicles crowded round some of the waterholes. Terrible gravel roads within the park. I enjoyed seeing Okaukeujo 30 years after my last visit, but with such a wonderful reserve at Ongava, a trip to Etosha was a bit unnecessary.

Brunch menu was the same at OTC and Andersson's at Ongava - but was much better presented at Andersson's. Their lodge just felt a bit superior in every way - it could be a Wilderness camp, just a bit more slick and sophisticated than OTC.

Pool was a bit dirty but not surprising if elephants come to drink in it! Not a complaint"

"On the road:
Drove to Okonjima via Outjo and Otjiwarongo. Amazing Outjo Backerei, good unfancy food, lovely staff and incredible value. No cash in 3 ATMs in Outjo, found some at one of the petrol stations at Otjiwarongo. We didn't find any petrol station out of fuel anywhere on our trip.

Upsides: the perfect place to finish your trip. By now we had seen and learned about animals and were not fazed to see them up close which you do from the minute you pass through Okonjima's gate. They are much more used to human contact and whilst they still run away, animals are regularly very close to or crossing the road. We did 2 of the unguided walking trails which we never would have dared to do at the beginning of our trip.

Excellent spacious functional bedroom with huge bathroom. Lovely view of the plain through glass window the whole width of the room. Not a fancy "Wilderness" bedroom but no worse for it, I actually really liked our room. However, the huge "Barn" main area where reception/dining room is located is a very cool space.
Excellent food, beautifully presented.

Lovely staff, every one we came across
Nice pool area and round swimming pool, although the water didn't look very clean. Still went in several times, very refreshing
Very good leopard game drive using telemetry to locate some of the collared leopards. Didn't give it an Excellent only because our vehicle was full and we had become very used to either small groups or being on our own on activities. I think we were lucky!

Downsides:
Many more people here. When the game drive goes out at 4pm, there are 8 full vehicles setting out (admittedly not all to the same area)"