Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs E from Witney

"This was a wonderful experience and made a really relaxing start after 24 hours of travel. We had not expected luxury accommodation so were not disappointed that the bedroom was a little basic - this was made up for by the the evening fires in the bedroom.

Charlie and Jo were the most hospitable hosts one could wish for and did their utmost to make our stay really memorable. Jo in particular brought the history of the place to life and was spared no effort to give us all the information we could wish for. Charlie was a great guide taking us to all the places of interest as well as finding lots of game viewing.

To say they were ideal hosts is putting it milldly, they made us feel part of their family and the experience was like a country house party. The food was good homely cooking though not gourmet, but the drinks were excellent, both spirits and wine."

"Another great experience. wonderful game viewing and excellent guiding. Superb location on the banks of the river but this did mean the noise of hippos at night made sleeping difficult at times. Also the elephants who came and ate the tree outside our hut did cause us a little concern.

The furniture made from local materials was interesting and ingenious.

The game viewing was superb, particularly the birds which we were particularly interested in. All the guides were so knowledgeable particularly Bryan who seemed to know everything and was able to explain things so well. The walk with John was also especially interesting. Although we have rated the food as only good, it was really better than that but was eclipsed by our next camp.

Altogether a great camp which can be thoroughly recommended."

"This was the icing on the cake for us - pure luxury in the African bush - and a great way to end our superb visit to Zambia. The location on the banks of the Zambezi was incredible and the luxurious accommodation could not be faulted. Lying on our day beds on the deck outside our tent watching the elephants and antelopes wanderin past was awe inspiring. Food and service were also superb; this was the only camp which offered a choice of menu and wines.

Again the game viewing was excellent.. Our guide Prisley was amazing. His knowledge was far reaching and he worked so hard to give us the widest variety of animals and birds. This camp is at the eastern end of the lower Zambezi park and we rarely saw another vehicle on our game drives. We were able to experience walking safaris and boat trips too which added further interest to the activities."

"This was a wonderful start to our holiday celebrating our Golden Wedding Anniversary. The staff went out of their way to make the actual day a special event including providing a bottle of sparkling wine and a wonderful cake (shared with the other guests). They tried (and succeeded) to make themselves an extended family for us - really heart-warming. The cuisine was very good home cooking and the baking was outstanding, the anniversary cake was great and the morning muffins just heavenly.

The balloon trip which began the day was memorable and the pilot (Paul) made sure everyone toasted our anniversary.

Our guide, Christoff, was exceptionally knowledgeable and was very kind to us "oldies", choosing a relatively easy dune for us to climb (Dune 45) - great fun coming down!.."

"This lodge has the most spectacular setting in the hills with enormous boulders scattered around as though giants had been playing bowls/marbles/petanque!

The staff here were rather more formal than at Kulala Desert Lodge but nevertheless very friendly and efficient.

The food here was quite sophisticated and really delicious. The oryx was particularly good and cooked to perfection.

Our guide, Athan, was very informative on all aspects including not only the wild life but also on the rock art. He found the desert elephants for us - a group of 8 including two youngsters. Just stunning.

While the shower was a little temperamental this was just a minor point in an otherwise great visit."

"This was undoubtedly the high point of our holiday as far as accommodation is concerned. The suites are huge and beautifully appointed, really luxurious. Then there is the huge deck looking directly over the river. And they provide hot water bottles - very welcome, the nights (and early mornings) were really cold.

Food and service were great too, after the first evening we were the only guests there (such a pity, it deserves to have more visitors) so we had really individual attention.

The activities here are rather different from other places we visited - again making it a rather special place. The river trips (we had two) showed us the wildlife of the river - stunning birds and of course the crocodiles. Perhaps the most stunning was the goliath heron, seeing it fly majestically over the river, just skimming the surface, was magical.

Then the visit to the Himba village was fascinating, our only regret was not being able to talk to them directly, but our guide, Franco, was great at translating and very knowledgeable on their way of life. He was also very kind and patient when he took us on a quad bike excursion, very gentle for the "mature"."

"This lodge was a little disappointing; we felt that the management were not up to the standard we experienced elsewhere and this resulted in less than perfect service. It started when we were shown to the wrong lodge (one already occupied!) and then the one we did have had a broken glass pane in the door. A promise to fix it did not materialise and we had the impression they really had no intention of fixing it; we turned down an offer to move us as we had already unpacked and the lodge did have an excellent view of the waterhole. The accommodation was otherwise very good with lots of space and probably the best shower we experienced on our trip.

Food was good, only slightly below the excellent standards of other lodges. The service was not so good, especially in the dining room where the staff were much too interested in the football!

Our guide, Hennock, was excellent, well up to the superb standard we found everywhere - even if he did not find the lions! The trip into Etosha was great with lots of wildlife."

"Another great location just outside the Etosha park and really comfortable accommodation. Plenty of space and a great deck looking directly over the waterhole. Another location where hot water bottles were provided, not only in the beds but on the game drives too,very welcome.

Service was impeccable and the delicious food only marred by rather tough oryx on our last night.

The trip into Etosha was outstanding. The highlight was watching a herd of 70 elephants marching in stately and orderly fashion to a waterhole where they peacefully drank all together; we watched in amazement. Thank you to our guide Charles."

"We were quite surprised to find how big the Okonjima estate is and how hilly (especially after the very flat Etosha). The tents were very good but lacked a deck - something we had grown used to! Hot water bottles again, great!

Food fantastic though wine was a little pricey compared with other lodges. The service again was extremely good and friendly.

We came to see cheetahs and on our first afternoon met up with seven animals in a medium sized reserve where those almost ready for release into a huge reserve are kept. While we did not see any in this vast area we did track a spotted hyena going up to him on foot to within a few yards and finally found a leopard who, although clearly resting after a meal, posed for us and then got up and walked away disappearing in seconds into the bush.

Thanks again to our guide, Michael, who also told us about the efforts of the Afrikat foundation to rescue and rehabilitate wild cats and also try to educate farmers, and more especially young people, on how to live with these predators. He also educated us on the way cheetahs live, pointing out many things we were not aware of."

"Please note this is about OLIVE GROVE not Okonjima which is on previous page.
Location was in a pleasant leafy suburb but a trip into town required a ride in the hotel's shuttle at £9 return. Although an attractive house, the minimalist decor seemed rather bleak in the winter climate though they did provide a welcome hot water bottle. Food was mostly excellent apart from a disastrous so called chicken breast which was completely uncuttable and inedible. Service was friendly and efficient"