Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs D from E Sussex

"Shinde is a delightful camp with an excellent balance between a traditional style of tented room and comfort. All the staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful.

Our Guide (Noah) was outstanding - among the very best we have been fortunate to have on over a dozen safari trips. The food was wholesome rather than special. A choice of main course at dinner would be desirable. We mostly did game drives but also took a boat ride through the lagoon and channels from the camp one afternoon.

We were fortunate to witness a Wild dog hunt on our first game drive (a pack of 16 dogs) and had several sightings of lions and elephants as well as numerous antelope and other game species. Another highlight was watching lions attempting to feed on a hippo carcass, but being being repeatedly chased off it by one of the other hippos."

"Our superb Guide from Shinde (Noah) continued to guide us at Footsteps (where he is based). The transfer to this separate area of the Shinde Concession necessitated a short mokoro ride across an area of swamp, which was entertaining. We were the only guests at Footsteps so had a very exclusive experience there. The camp is very traditional in style, with no frills. But we did think that it was in need of some modest upgrades, particularly as regards the washing facilities in the tent.

The camp staff were all delightful and friendly. The food was excellent, particularly considering the remoteness of the location.

Our arrival at the camp was memorable for having a large bull elephant walk a few yards in front of our tent as we unpacked.

We mostly did walking from the camp, but also did a game drive to take us to a walk further from the camp. We saw a wide variety of game, some at surprisingly close quarters even when on foot - including elephants, lions, hyenas and a leopard.

Bird species were very numerous and included a sighting of a Pel's Fishing-Owl."

"We had stayed at Kwara / Little Kwara on three previous safaris but not for over ten years. The camp has been completely rebuilt since our last visit and is now exceptionally well-appointed. Our room was vast and very comfortable, with a large deck overlooking the lagoon. We had very close encounters while outside our room with various animals including a family of warthogs, a troop of baboons and a herd of red lechwe.

The staff were friendly and efficient, but perhaps a little too prescriptive about keeping to a strict timetable for game drives and meal times. The food was excellent.

We had several remarkable wildlife experiences at Kwara, including Wild dog hunts (by a very large pack of 29 dogs) on two successive days, around and even through the camp. We also had an extended sighting of a leopard near the camp, and witnessed the migration of an elephant herd (or herds) several hundred strong, which was an awesome spectacle.

We mostly did game drives but did go on a boat trip through the channels to the Gcodikwe heronry, which was another remarkable experience."

"An ideal Lodge at which to overnight after our safari.

A lovely location overlooking the river.

Friendly and helpful staff."

"We were glad to have only a short drive to the Lodge after the overnight flight from UK.

The room had a slightly "tired" feel to it and the air conditioning unit somewhat inadequate for the very high temperature prevailing.
But the Lodge is ideal for an overnight stop to or from the airport."

"A beautiful Lodge set in stunning scenery. Our guide (Darius) was outstanding.

The early morning excursion to the dunes at Sossusvle / Dead Vlei was an unforgettable experience.

We also saw plenty of Oryx, springbok, zebra and ostriches on a couple of drives around the area."

"Cornerstone is conveniently located on the south end of Swakopmund, within easy walking distance of two of the better restaurants in the town (The Tug and Jetty).

Very friendly owners and comfortable room."

"Camp Kipwe provides a stunning setting among the granite boulders of a kopje with far reaching views, particularly from the sundowner bar above the Camp.

The rooms, however, in need of an upgrade - the air conditioning inadequate for the heat of the day; an overhead fan would help; as would a small fridge; and the outside bathroom a bit too rustic.

Surprisingly, given the remoteness of the location, we saw no wildlife at all during our stay, other than birds visiting the small pond beside the main building.

The provision of only two shade umbrellas next to the small rock pool needs addressing."

"We found ourselves as the only guests at this Lodge / Hotel. It is set in it's own wildlife reserve adjoining Etosha, which is very well stocked with a large variety of game, including oryx, kudu, springbok, wildebeest, waterbuck and giraffe.

The staff could not have been more welcoming and helpful. A beautiful main building with an excellent swimming pool and far reaching views towards Etosha with a large and busy waterhole in the distance. The room exceptionally well appointed and comfortable. We went for a short walk with the very interesting guide to a viewpoint above the Lodge for a sundowner before an excellent dinner on the terrace.

We were very sorry that we had only booked an overnight stay here en route to Etosha, and would have been happy to have stayed two or more nights."

"Tree Top Camp is set in it's own wildlife reserve adjoining Etosha, which would be a more than adequate safari destination in its own right. We had frequent sightings of game right in front of the Camp at the waterhole, and had an excellent game drive with a guide (Victor) who managed to provide an extended sighting of a cheetah with two cubs, and a (more distant) sighting of a lioness with a cub, along with many more commonly seen game species.

The Camp is very well located close to the eastern gate of Etosha where we did self-drive game viewing. Chudob waterhole, in particular, provided numerous spectacular game viewing experiences - a kind of Garden of Eden location ! Etosha (like everywhere else we visited) had very few visitors.

We also had exclusive occupation of Tree Top Camp for two of our three nights there. Under the circumstances the staff could have been a bit more flexible and proactive. The open-fronted room was adequate other than for the absence of hot water."

"We again had exclusive occupation of this Lodge for two of our three nights. It is set in a remote location among the rocks of a large kopje with fabulous scenery.

The large tented room was very comfortable. Walks around the area provided some challenges both in terms of the steepness of some of the climbs but also the extreme heat after about 10am. The staff unobtrusive but helpful when needed

We saw very little game, but there was a considerable number and variety of birds around the Lodge.

Altogether a beautiful place for relaxation at the end of our travels round Namibia."

"We had stayed at Ras Kutani two years before. It was even more delightful than we had remembered it. Very relaxing environment, with welcoming and friendly staff and well managed by Simon. Also excellent food. We only stayed for two nights but wished we had stayed longer."

"We spent four nights at Siwandu. It is an excellent camp, very well managed by Conrad and his team. Very comfortable tented rooms well spread out from each other and overlooking the large lake. We enjoyed the variety of game viewing activities - drives, boating and walking.

It had been unseasonally wet for two weeks before we arrived, so there were areas of Selous that were inaccessible. Consequently we were unable to find most of the predator species during our stay, although we did see a pack of wild dogs. However, there were remarkable densities of several other animals, notably giraffe and zebra as well as impala, along with sightings of less common species such as kudu, waterbuck and eland. Being the green season, the bird life was prolific. Flocks of carmine bee-eaters around the safari vehicle were particularly spectacular.

Our guide, Mohamed, was very knowledgeable and competent, as was Allen, who led our game walk."

"Ikuka is situated in a spectacular location on the escarpment overlooking the Mwagusi plain. It is a remote camp, with quite a long drive to it up a steep track. But the views from the camp are stunning, as are the tented rooms and the camp's main building.

Tanya is a lively and entertaining manager of the camp. Our guide, Ernest, was also excellent, very knowledgeable and with a pleasant sense of humour.

We particularly enjoyed a long and interesting game walk led by Mark, the co-owner of Ikuka, which ended with a fabulous bush breakfast next to the Mwagusi river.

We stayed five nights at Ikuka and it was one of the very best safari camps we have ever stayed at. Although it was the rainy season in Ruaha, we had excellent game viewing, particularly of predators. In one memorable afternoon we saw a pair of cheetahs, followed by a leopard in a baobab tree with an impala kill, followed by several lions round a giraffe kill watched by hyenas and numerous vultures. Also frequent sightings of most of the main game species; particularly good to see numerous herds of elephant. Spectacular bird-life, which included numerous eagles and other raptors and five different species of stork etc."

"We spent four days at Selous Impala. The weather was very hot, with only light showers one morning. Andrew (along with his driver, Rajabu) was an outstandingly good guide with a remarkable knowledge of every aspect of the role. It was particularly good that Andrew was our guide throughout and we did not have to share a vehicle or boat with others. We had good game sightings throughout our stay. The open acacia landscape which predominates is both attractive and good for game viewing.

We particularly enjoyed the variety of game viewing activities, with a mix of drives and boat safaris, along with bush walks. A remarkable concentration of crocodiles and hippos in the Rufiji river and lakes, as well as large numbers and a wide range of bird species.

We had a room with a view over the river. The pool was a very welcome facility during the heat of the afternoon.

The food was wholesome and perfectly adequate, but not special - although the bush breakfasts were excellent.

All the camp staff were very welcoming and friendly.

Slightly odd that tables for lunch and dinner were set for individual rooms rather than communally as in all other safari camps we have stayed at. This meant that there was limited interaction with other guests. The policy of charging for all drinks (other than tea and coffee) was also different from all other camps we have stayed at."

"We spent six days at Kwihala. It was exceptionally hot throughout our stay with only one brief shower. One area of the Park had received enough rain to start to green it, but most areas were very dry. In particular, the Mwagusi and Mdonya rivers were more or less completely dry with only a few puddles remaining, and even the Ruaha river was virtually dry with only the area next to the Ruaha bridge retaining some deep pools.

The camp provides an authentic bush experience with tents and bucket showers etc. But it is nonetheless very comfortable.

Ruaha provides a wide variety of differing landscapes including a remarkable concentration of huge baobab trees.

Tam, the manager, was an outstandingly good hostess and made everyone feel very welcome. All the staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful.

Game was fewer and further between than we were expecting, but we did nonetheless have several remarkable game viewing experiences, especially with lions and leopards. Alex, our guide most of the time, was very experienced and a reassuring person to lead a game walk - particularly when we happened upon a lion!

The food was imaginative and very well prepared and presented, especially the buffet lunches.

Tsetse flies were an issue in some areas, notably along one stretch of the Mwagusi, but were not a problem in the camp itself. Although we expected to share game activities with other guests, in practice we only did so on a limited number of occasions, although we found that sharing with four others in the vehicle (which happened once) was not a good experience."

"We had hot and dry weather throughout the four days we spent at Ras Kutani. It is a beautiful place which feels very remote from the world, with a small freshwater lagoon and (in effect) a private and very large white sand beach overlooking the Indian Ocean. The sea water was remarkably warm, while the pool water was even warmer!

The lodge is very well managed by Leo and Frankie, who were very friendly and welcoming hosts. All the staff were also extremely friendly and helpful.

The food was excellent, particularly the buffet lunches.

Of the activities available, kayaking on the lagoon was fairly limited as was the snorkelling, but the swimming in the sea was very pleasurable, as was the pool. A visit to the local village was a particularly interesting experience, and the walk round the lagoon was informative and helped to work off a few calories!"

"The camp was made even more remote by virtue of the fact that the normal airstrip was being repaired, necessitating a three hour drive - effectively an extended game drive - to it when we arrived. This was not ideal following an overnight flight from UK and transfer to Maun, but was not a serious inconvenience.

The camp itself was excellent and the staff particularly welcoming. Isaac was as good a guide as we have been fortunate enough to encounter in many safari holidays. A game walk was memorable for getting fairly close to a large herd of buffalo making its way to the river, followed by a close encounter with a bull elephant. Isaac handled a potentiallly hazardous situation with considerable skill.
The only serious problem with the camp was the plague of insects after dark, which was quite an issue over dinner."

"This was our third visit to Kwara, although the previous two were to the main camp. The location of Little Kwara is arguably not as special as the main camp (inasmuch as most of the rooms do not overlook the lagoon), but the rooms themselves are considerably better.

As with previous visits to this consession, the game viewing was top class, and the range of activities is broader than is available at most camps. However, the guide on this occasion (Hobbs) was not as good as on previous visits - seemingly more interested in driving around (both in the safari vehicle and in the boat) at a speed inconsistent with watching game. After two less than satisfactory drives, we and our fellow travellers prevailed on him to slow down, which improved things. Nonetheless, he did not demonstrate the same enthusiasm for his role as we have experienced at Kwara."