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Holiday to South Africa & Namibia
Randy Kiessel, 16th January 2024The trip was fantastic. The pace was just right, with 5 days in Cape Town and then about two weeks traveling in Namibia. Starting in Windhoek and circling to Swakopmund, up to Damaraland, then over to Eastern Etosha, and back down to Windhoek. Steve did a great job putting this journey in place. He truly spent time understanding what we were looking for. I would and have recommended/shared this itinerary with others.
Accommodation Visited
Four Rosmead Boutique Guesthouse
“A great place to stay especially if you self drive. The staff was very friendly, the breakfast was awesome and everyone went out of their way to be sure we were enjoying our stay.”
Olive Grove Guesthouse
“A perfect one-night stop over in Windhoek. We did enjoy the entertainment and dinner at Joe’s Beer House. Thanks for the recommendation Steve. Breakfast was the perfect send-off for a long drive to Kulala Desert Lodge.”
Kulala Desert Lodge
“January is a slow time for tourists in Namibia, so the staff was highly attentive (but not bothersome) which made this place so special. Our Guide was awesome on our tours and the all-inclusive meals were amazing. The sundowners were some of the best, with the setting sun and red sky holding on forever.”
Strand Hotel Swakopmund
“A great place to stay in Swakopmund; it's nice to have a high-end hotel with three great restaurants and ocean views. The cooling temperatures were also welcome after the desert heat.
I would recommend eating at the hotel's restaurants as the meals were well-prepared. We did eat at the Tug Restaurant and I must say I was disappointed, as this was my fourth time there and the place looked tired, and the food was just okay for the price. The Butcher Block and The Ocean at the Strand were much better.
We also did the catamaran trip out of Walvis Bay that Steve set up for us. It was fantastic, and I highly recommend it. We then went directly into a dune ride in Sandwich Harbor. This was fantastic, and I would suggest it for adventurous people. The catamaran and dune ride made for a full-day adventure and can be arranged to piggyback off each other.”
Doro Nawas Camp
“It was a long drive to Doro Nawas from Swakopmund, mostly due to road repairs. We knew this, yet still enjoyed the journey. When we approached the camp, it felt like entering a Star Wars scene. Again, with the slow season, we were spoiled. The food was awesome, and with temperatures nearing 40°C, the staff was very aware of the timeline to do things. Again, the guide was great and provided a true Damaraland experience with desert wildlife. The food was excellent, along with sleeping out at night. It was a very nice stay.”
Andersson's at Ongava
“This was a first-class place to stay. Andersson’s had been recently renovated with some new lodges. Our accommodation was first class, with some of the best food a chef could provide. Our guide for the game drives was very knowledgeable and also provided a fantastic journey in the Etosha drive. He understood that we were self-driving across Etosha and adjusted his tour accordingly. Between Etosha and the Ongava Camp property, we saw 12 different lions, 14 different black and white rhinos, in addition to many elephants, along with plenty of other wildlife. An excellent place, and I would highly recommend it.”
Mushara Lodge
“A very nice place just outside of the Eastern gate of Etosha. It was the slow season, so Mushara was lightly staffed, yet the staff and meals were wonderful. We had a female guide for our game drives into Etosha. She was awesome and actually tried to show us wildlife we wanted to see and worked very hard to find a bull Eland.
As we were leaving Etosha, a rainstorm was working its way in, and the grazing animals were highly energized. Zebras, wildebeest, and a group of up to 21 giraffes were running toward the rain. It was fantastic as a rainbow occurred while we were watching the wildlife.”
Okonjima Plains Camp
“This place was awesome to visit, truly great staff and food. A little more traditional as it is also a cat sanctuary. Our game drives were excellent with very nice sundowners. Watching a leopard stalk a steenbok and then seeing 2 others just enjoying life was enjoyable. Again, a few rhinos and other wildlife, plenty of birds also. The wildlife highlight other than the leopards was seeing 3 bat-eared foxes sitting (one for a quick moment) by their termite mound den for a fantastic photo opportunity. Again, I would highly recommend this camp, a place to start to slow one down as the journey was about to end. Very nice accommodations.”
GocheGanas
“A nice place to end one’s journey and prepare for the trip home. I did take advantage of the Wellness Center and enjoyed it. The food was great, along with the accommodations. This camp does need a little updating, especially with its internet service, which was not available in our lodges and poor at the Main Lodge.”
Staff Review
“Steve is fantastic to work with and I have recommended him to other travelers to Africa. He is very knowledgeable and understands the timing of one's journey in each place of stay. We will be using Steve’s services again. The whole team at Mahlatini is great at keeping one updated before, during and after the adventure.”
