Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs H from Cambridge

"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)"