Guestbook

Self drive Tour “Ondili Natura” August / September 2025

Hello Albert,

We are now (unfortunately) back home, the suitcases are unpacked, and we want to share some feedback about our trip with you.

It was an amazing journey — perfectly planned — and we were able to enjoy Namibia to the fullest, also because we knew we had you as our backup.

Our adventure started right away with the cancellation of our flight from Stuttgart to Frankfurt. Fortunately, we were able to rebook and got a direct flight from Munich to Windhoek, arriving as early as 7:00 a.m. Luckily, we were still able to reach you and the pickup worked out perfectly. Unfortunately, we had to wait two and a half hours at immigration 🙁 Our first impression of Namibia: total chaos. Luckily, that impression quickly changed over the course of the trip 🙂

The car and the briefing at the rental agency were very good and thorough. We really appreciated the equipment — the tools and the cool box with water were great. Later in the trip, a compressor in the vehicle would have been helpful.

Your care package with the water bottles, buff, maps, and itinerary was fantastic — we used everything.

(Note on the bottles: the nice black coating rubbed off due to the bumpy Namibian roads, leaving marks on our hands and clothes. Once we padded the bottle holders in the car, the problem was solved.)

The GPS worked well overall, although it did have a bit of a mind of its own at times. Without the map, we probably wouldn’t have reached a few of our destinations.

Starting the trip in the south was a great idea. We felt that every single day was an increase in beauty — in landscapes, wildlife, and lodges. Etosha was the perfect grand finale.

Windhoek: Okay as a start. We had a nice meal at Joe’s Beerhouse — a cool place. But Windhoek is something one can skip; next time we’d just drive straight on.

Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge: A wonderful place! The two game drives were great, especially with the sundowner. We really enjoyed the hikes around the lodge — being able to walk and experience the silence and nature up close was wonderful. Unfortunately, the color-marked trails didn’t match the provided map, but we found our way back 😉

Namib Outpost: A lodge with a stunning location and an exceptionally good team — probably the best of all. Everyone was dedicated, professional, and happy to help. You can really tell they love working there.

We were given a lodge with four beds, which surprised us a little — are they all like that or did we pay extra?

Your tip to visit “Big Daddy” first and Sossusvlei later was spot-on. We got there before the crowds, and the return through Deadvlei was much quieter. We couldn’t quite find the start of Big Daddy, so we first climbed a smaller dune and then continued on — still an incredible experience. Sliding down the dune was pure joy, like skiing through powder snow!

Sesriem Canyon: Beautiful, definitely worth a visit. We would have liked a bit more information though — how far to go, if it’s a round trip, etc. Luckily, a guide told us to also walk left to find the water.

The bad weather was already approaching here, and we were actually relieved that the balloon flight was canceled — with the clouds, it wouldn’t have been worth it. Instead, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast at the lodge.

Solitaire: A must-stop! Such a charming place, full of character. Uwe was absolutely thrilled — we could hardly leave 😉 I especially loved the sign showing the rainfall over the years.

Rostock Ritz Desert Lodge: Simple but good, with a very friendly team. We added a sundowner drive — great guide, though the view was partly hidden by the weather.

Drive to Swakopmund: The GPS constantly tried to send us to Zimbabwe! Luckily, we had a map. Unfortunately, we missed Henno Martin’s cave — would have loved to see it.

The waterholes at Ganab and Hotsas were empty, but — surprise — it rained on that route! We really didn’t expect that in Namibia.

Walvis Bay and Moon Landscape: The Welwitschias were fascinating — the ones outside the fenced area were even nicer. But the road from the plants to the Moon Landscape was the worst we drove on. The Moon Landscape itself, however, was spectacular.

Swakopmund: Great location, excellent breakfast. The room itself was nice but a bit dated — mold in the shower, peeling paint, a few cosmetic issues. (Uwe took pictures if you’re interested.)

The Little Five tour was fun — we saw everything except a scorpion, even two chameleons! The guide was great, though the industrial surroundings of Swakopmund took away a bit of the atmosphere.

Jetty 1905 was fantastic despite the bad weather. Also, the café at the pier — “Doughnut1877” — is a must! Amazing cakes.

I enjoyed my shopping afternoon… and Uwe was relieved there was only one 😉

Spitzkoppe: Breathtaking area! After entering the park, we felt a bit lost — the map and the briefing weren’t clear. We thought the guide would take us through the area, but he only showed us the rock paintings (very well explained, though). He vaguely pointed us toward the Rock Arch, and eventually we found it. Quite a few people there, unfortunately.

Hohenstein Lodge: We wondered if there could still be an improvement — and there was! Fantastic location! However, we felt the staff were still learning. No one knew much about the hiking routes, and the service at dinner was sweet but insecure. The wine and food menu was extensive, but most items were unavailable. Still, we had a lovely meal in the end.

The highlight: housekeeping set up a bed on the roof so we could sleep under the Milky Way — absolutely unforgettable.

Upon departure, we noticed a slow puncture. The staff eventually brought a compressor and inflated the tire — it kept losing air slightly afterward but not enough to cause trouble.

Twyfelfontein Country Lodge: On arrival, we were shocked — three tour buses! Beautiful lodge, but too many people.

We asked for a walking option to escape the crowds and got a kind of treasure hunt with 18 stops — each with interesting info about flora, fauna, and rock art. Very well done, and we were alone.

The elephant drive the next morning was good — only six guests. We saw elephants quickly and I was overjoyed! About ten other vehicles, all behaved respectfully. However, the tour was shorter than expected (2.5h instead of 4h, no drive through the riverbed), so we were a bit disappointed.

The second activity, the local Twyfelfontein tour, was not worth it — we could have easily done it ourselves. For 1350 N$, it was poor value.

Petrified Forest (Blaauwkranz): We arrived early, no one around. After a short hike, we reached the petrified trees, then a young local guide came running up in flip-flops, breathless but full of enthusiasm. He gave a great tour and told us about his training as a guide. At the exit, we paid 200 N$ per person — at first, we thought we’d been overcharged, but it was worth it.

When leaving, he asked if we could give him a lift to Khorixas to pay his school fees. We hesitated briefly but agreed — and got his whole life story during the drive 😉 A lovely, memorable encounter.

Etosha Oberland Lodge: Another level up! Absolutely fantastic — the waterhole with so many animals, rhinos up close — unforgettable. Nothing to complain about!

The full-day game drive was good — great guide, small group, lots of animals including lions — but we wouldn’t do it again. Too many vehicles crowding for the best spot, no “nature feeling.”

The next day, driving ourselves was much more rewarding — so peaceful and full of wildlife. We stayed over ten hours in the park, completely absorbed.

Small note: there’s no fuel station in the park, even though the map says there is! We almost miscalculated.

Also, the only unfriendly Namibians we met were the ladies at the park gate — fiercer than the lions 😉

Onguma “The Fort”: Beyond words — just perfect. Could there be a better place to celebrate a wedding anniversary? Dinner with that stunning view felt like you had planned it that way. The evening hot tub under the stars with champagne — pure magic!

The game drive was fine, but we would have preferred another self-drive (if we’d had fuel). Few animals that day — maybe due to the fires.

About the fires: From Oberland Lodge we could see the flames at night — quite worrying. Inside the park, much of the grass was burnt, though trees were still green. We even had to turn back once as the smoke came too close. Thankfully, it didn’t affect our journey, but we can only imagine what it means for nature.

We skipped the meteorite visit and went straight to Okonjima Plains Camp. At the gate, we were pleasantly surprised with a free upgrade! Another wonderful lodge, with a great birdwatching lounge. Sadly, not much time to enjoy it since we had to pack.

Leopard tracking: Fantastic guide with lots of knowledge. We found a leopard quickly — he was sleeping at first, but later stretched and posed like a model, giving us perfect photo opportunities. Then we met his female companion, also strikingly beautiful. A wonderful farewell experience.

We wondered later what happens to the cheetahs in the smaller enclosure — are they released or relocated to other reserves? Our guide said they are kept there to reduce human–wildlife conflict, but space must be limited eventually. Do you know more about that?

The next morning, we left at 6 a.m. The lodge provided an excellent packed breakfast.

Returning the vehicle in Windhoek was a bit rough — even though we’d arranged 9 a.m., the office was closed and we had to wait 30 minutes. Not a big deal, just a bit annoying.

Summary:

Albert, you and your team did a fantastic job. This trip was a dream come true — perfectly organized, and you were always there when we had questions, yet we had total freedom to travel independently.

The accommodations often exceeded our expectations.

We’ve already recommended Leaflove to friends from Graz and can definitely imagine another trip with you.

Next time: the Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls — but first, we’ll have to save up a bit 😉

Many greetings from cold and rainy Swabia,

Melanie & Uwe