Discover Namibia - Lodges

Most Inspirational Moment

The vastness and beauty of the Namib desert sand dunes, both seen from the ground and the air. I took a pleasure flight from Swakopmund over the desert and coast. At the lodge in Etosha I wandered down to the viewing area beside the waterhole to the sight of twenty elephants of all sizes and age that just called in for a drink, a couple of Giraffes in the background waiting their turn. You don’t experience that in front of the television.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Shane was our guide and host for the trip and he looked after us so well. Very knowledgeable and proud of his country, and knowledgeable of the wild life that he keenly shared with us. Nothing was too much trouble for him, professional and a joy to be with.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t be put off by joining a group of strangers, they are there for the same reason that you are, to explore, experience and enjoy, so will be like minded. Desert roads and passing vehicles kick up a lot of dust , With the windows and roof open it can get a bit dusty , take a snood or a scarf to pop over the face. Although there is not so much traffic so not a big deal. Most places took cards but a few didn’t so have a few $$ in cash Some early starts and long days, so go to bed early with a book and relax for the next days adventure. If you get a chance take the pleasure flight from Swakopmund, may be a bit expensive but worth it.

Most Inspirational Moment

It's too difficult to name just one inspirational moment. Being so close to the wild game, sitting near a water hole in Etosha ; seeing the scorched tree skeletons ; climbing a huge sand dune;sitting next to a seal and pelicans on a boat trip. Hearing about the history and peoples of Namibia and meeting an inspirational Herero business woman.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We couldn't have asked for a better one. Shane has a lovely way of being with people and he has an extensive knowledge of his country - it's geography, animals, birds and plants . Shane worked tirelessly to ensure our safety & comfort and was always available to answer questions or help in any way. Not just helping us - once whilst driving we came across a car on fire; Shane's quick actions helped to quell the fire & save the people & horses before the fire service arrived.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip notes are accurate & the advice helpful. A face mask was useful on dusty roads

Suggestions

Thank you Shane, and the rest of the group, for making this trip so special.

Most Inspirational Moment

Really enjoyed driving through the Namib desert, beautiful rich red sand dunes bathed with shadows that seemed to go on for ever. The scale of this was highlighted when I took a pleasure flight from Swakopmund, that covered both the desert and the Skelton coast, expensive but worth it! The wonderful Etosha natural park. Two nights at Okaukuejo Resort; to wander down to the waterhole and be greeted by a family of twenty elephants having a drink, couple of Giraffes in the background waiting their turn, a sight embedded in my memory. You cant experience that in front of your Television.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Shane , was our host and guide for the week and provided a first class service. Great knowledge of the country and wild life that he shared with us. Nothing was too much trouble for Shane, he also has a great sense of humour. Shane joined us at all meal times and continued shared his knowledge, he is great company. You could see he was always keeping an eye on his "family"

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go for it! Don't be put of by joining a group of strangers. They are there for the same reason as you, to enjoy and explore so will be like minded. Some long days early starts, so got to bed early, read and relax. I would recommend the pleasure flight over the desert

Suggestions

Our trip was in July , as per the guide it gets a bit chilly at night, so layer up. You don't need heavy coats, just a an extra layer/ fleece. Most places took payment by card, but a few didn't so have a few $$ cash to hand. On the game drive with the roof open it can get a wee bit dusty, have a snood or similar so you can pull over mouth and nose if your a bit sensitive to dust. Most roads are gravel or sand so passing vehicles kicks up a lot dust.

Most Inspirational Moment

To visit Deadvlei and the sandy dunes. Also, the skeleton coast, where the desert dives into the ocean. Lastly, the number of animals in Etosha

Thoughts on Group Leader

Shane was simply amazing. Caring, calm, kind and funny. Also, very, very knowledgeable! 10/10

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would suggest doing the optional small plane flight to explore the desert and skeleton coast: truly memorable

Most Inspirational Moment

The main reason I went to Namibia was to see the Namib desert and the petrified trees in Dead Vlei and it did not disappoint. We had plenty of time to see and experience the desert environment. I did a 2 hour flight over the area we had driven through the previous day and it brought home to me how huge and empty this desert is. Seeing an elephant at the water hole in Etosha is a close second, followed by the roaring lion.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Shane was an excellent group leader. He has a good knowledge of the country, it's natural environment and he animals we saw in Etosha. His communication and organisational skills were very good and he made the whole trip run smoothly. He was also a good driver, making me feel save in the vehicle.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There are some long driving days, but the scenery is beautiful and there are frequent breaks.

Suggestions

I would recommend this trip to anyone who is interested in different environments and nature. The game drives in Etosha were very good. We were lucky enough to have good sightings of animals and could spend time observing their behaviour.

Most Inspirational Moment

Etosha national park was amazing. I didn't expect to see much widllife in etosha NP compared to other African countries but our joyrney from one end of etosha on a 5 hour drive was just incredible. We saw incredible wildlife .

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ronnie was amazing. I have already recommended him to some friends. He's friendly, efficient and nothing was too much trouble. There was a lady on our trip with limited mobility and both Ronnie and Reuben went out of their way to make her comfortable throughout the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for some long drive days and early rises. Dont pack too much like i did. You are literally living out of a suitcase for the whole trip. Less is more...and defintely easier to carry.

Suggestions

The food is incredible. I ate some of the best Oryx and Kadu steak ever !!! Yummy!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Sand dunes and wildlife at the watering holes in Etosha

Thoughts on Group Leader

Shane was fairly good, but I think Exodus should make more use of local specialists, rather than have the tour leader act as guide the whole time. He needs to give more details to the group about timings, any kit needed for the day, etc

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take audio books for the long bus journeys

Suggestions

The back up guide who did the cooking was very good. His food was much better than that in some places we stopped at in the day. We were served Oryx as main course 3 nights in a row. Better planning needed with the various lodges

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a large number of elephants at the watering hole at our lodge in Etosha. Having just finished dinner and thinking 'we'll just see if there are any animals at the watering hole' only to find around 25 elephants of various sizes and ages all drinking water alongside some zebra, springbok and oryx was truly magical. Also, seeing a pride of 12 lions on a game drive. Although not too close to our truck, it was still fascinating to watch them interact with each other.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ronney was an absolute superstar! Nothing, literally nothing, was too much trouble. He had a fantastic sense of humour and laugh, and went out of his was to ensure each and every person on the trip enjoyed themselves. I never saw Ronney without anything but a smile on his face; he really is a man who loves his job. With a group of 12 with a range of dietary requirements, Ronney made sure that everyone was catered for and happy. Ruben, his assistant was also fantastic, creating amazing and huge lunch selections at the side of the road or BBQs of an evening. They are a great team and anyone getting the Ronney and Ruben combo on a trip will have struck it lucky!

Advice for Potential Travellers

During the end of July and beginning of August the evenings and mornings get quite chilly - I underestimated how cold it could get - so bring lots of layers to cope with this. Swimming pools are not heated so unless very brave do not count on swimming. Money- Bring SA Rand as this is pegged 1:1 with Namibian Dollars and is easier to change back to Pounds Sterling if needed. Be aware of the cost of the flight over the dunes - many companies quote for this trip but often they outsource your business to another company and then the price goes up. Ensure you decide on optional excursions early so that you get to go on the ones you want. On this note - the quadbiking was excellent! The drives are long and sometimes on unmade roads. The truck does get very bouncy! Similarly on the game drive in the Waterberg Plateau. Female travellers may wish to pack a sports bra for comfort! It also gets quite dusty - a Buff or similar is useful to help keep the dust out of your lungs. When purchasing things from markets etc, listen to the starting price and then begin your offer very low, they trader will eventually meet you at a price that they judge fair, often 25% or the starting price. Don't be afraid to haggle hard.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting a bit too close to an elephant !

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both the leader and his assistant were very good.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1. Pack in anticipation of your luggage being delayed. Ours was. 2. If it is delayed, retrieve the delivery note. 3. Read The Sheltering Desert by Henno Martin.

Most Inspirational Moment

On our free day in Swakopmund some of us decided to do the Dolphin Cruise with Ocean Cruises. We were picked up and dropped back at the hotel. We had a small group of about 16 on our boat, Ocean Lady, skippered by a very knowledgeable, funny guy who shared a lot of information about the animals we saw en route. Dolphins, Cape Fur seals, Pelicans, the latter two joining us on board! Before we returned to shore we had some snacks including oysters washed down with some fizz. Can’t say I was a convert to future Oyster eating but others in the group certainly were. Etosha National Park was magical. We were extremely lucky to see the variety and amount of animals we did. It is fascinating watching giraffe at a watering hole, followed by 14 Eland and a vulture landing in the back ground. Suddenly out the corner of our eyes 20 Elephants come in from the left to drink, including very young ones. On another occasion on our way back to the lodge we come across a family of Lions, about 11, all playing in the fading sun. The younger ones play fighting with each other and Mum looking on. These memories will stay with us forever, the photos just reminding us of the amazing time we had on this holiday.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Arriving in Windhoek 19 hours after leaving London Heathrow on the group flight with Qatar Airways, we were tired but quietly excited about the adventure we had install over the subsequent 2 weeks. Shane our tour leader welcomed us all and introduced us to Jonas who was to be the cook for our trip. They were a great team, making sure we all had a great holiday. Jonas’s cooking was of a high standard especially the butternut squash soup! Shane had the most contagious laugh and showed us round their beautiful country over 2 weeks.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We took South African Rand in both cash and on a Post Office Travel Money card. The Travel Money Card worked everywhere we needed it to, Supermarket, lodges, cash points without any issues. If you go during their Winter, make sure you take jumpers as the early mornings can be very cold. We used the blankets some nights as it really was cold. During the day however it is extremely hot.

Suggestions

All the lodges we stayed in were clean, had comfy beds, hot water and most had amazing views. Towels, soap, toiletries were provided. Weltevrede Guest Farm is a little part of paradise. With an honesty bar, lovely food, WIFI in case you want to send gloating photos back home! And clear skies for amazing star gazing, it was a lovely place to stay. Other lodges worth a mention from our trip are Ugab Terrace lodge with breath taking views, friendly staff, swimming pool and bar. All rooms had views of either the sun rise or sun set depending on which side of the hill you are on plus the rooms are larger than most we had during our trip. Due to its location there is no WIFI at this lodge which would not normally be a problem but with it being the weekend of sport back home Shane kindly used his phone to share the Wimbledon Men’s final, Cricket world cup final and Formula One results over dinner. Both lodges within Etosha we stayed in were great although for different reasons. The watering hole at Okaukuejo is the highlight of the stay there. We saw an abundance of animals with the view changing all the time. The only downside to Okaukuejo was the buffet on the first night. Over priced for the standard of food but as guests are captive audiences we had no choice. Jonas’s meal on the second night far exceeded the night before. We suggested he gave the chefs some advice! Our third night in Etosha was at Namutoni which, while the watering hole was not a patch on Okaukuejo the food and rooms were a much better standard. WIFI in both lodges within Etosha require you to buy vouchers for access which we didn’t do. The 4 walks we did on this holiday were not strenuous. The sand dune took 25 minutes to walk up. Walking on sand isn’t easy but the way down was great fun and the views from the top made it worthwhile. The group decided to catch the optional extra transfer to Deadvlei. Again you walk over sand and it is hot but we completed the walk before the sun was at its hottest. The walk to the White lady paintings is only 5km (2.5km each way) and it is predominantly flat. We did it early in the morning so it was cool enough. We were advised to take at least 1 litre of water each with us. On the return from the paintings we saw a whole troop of Baboons. Not sure they liked us but it was great to see them interact with each other. Our local guide on this walk also tried to find us a Black Spitting Cobra; we said he didn’t have to try too hard! The Waterberg Plateau walk was done after arrival late afternoon as the side of the plateau we were due to walk up was in shade. While it is steep and over rocks you get a great view of the Kalahari from the top. I was more worried about the descent but we managed it without any injuries.