The Old House

The beautiful setting couldn't make up for how messy the service was. We left feeling really unpleasant after several arguments over the bill, including a cheeseburger we'd never ordered. On the first day, the menu listed fries and salad, but the waitress said it meant fries or salad, and we were charged extra for the salad. The next day, our salad was meant to have mozzarella and basil. The mozzarella was barra, a different cheese from what I expected as a European, and the basil was missing. We sent the plates back because it wasn't what we expected, but still got charged. The fish described as grilled came wrapped in foil, so it was steamed rather than grilled. At breakfast, they suddenly removed the plate of pancakes and croissants because there were ants on the counter. I understand why, but we were still eating and it didn't feel hospitable. On our last day, one medium-rare steak came well done, and the onion rings were missing. The bar and kitchen staff really affected our stay.

The river setting is beautiful, the beds were made up fine each day, and our boat trip was good thanks to a friendly, knowledgeable guide. Those were the positives. The place felt poor value, and it was the worst accommodation we'd had while travelling in Namibia. We heard mice or other animals crawling in the ceiling every evening, found a cockroach in the room, and the water was brown in the shower as well as the river. The beds were very short, though they had mosquito nets. The restaurant smelled of drains, so we skipped dinner. Breakfast was okay, but they also served toast that was completely black. The staff didn't seem interested, and there was no hospitality.

The rooms are tiny, and the breakfast and dinner weren't very good. We booked a boat trip meant to last three hours, but it came back early even though there were so many animals to see. It was the first safari trip cut short on our three-week holiday. We also missed our safari because the hotel gave us the wrong transfer time. Our voucher said a private transfer at 10, but the hotel told us 07:00/07:30 am. We were at reception at 7 in the morning, but nobody was there. When it opened at 7:30 am, they said the transfer was at 10. It was their mistake, and they made no effort to sort it out. Reception is closed from 5pm until 07:30am, which seems impossible for a hotel. I definitely wouldn't recommend this place.

The river cruises were a real highlight. We saw amazing animals, and our guide was friendly and knew a lot. Having a private jetty was very convenient, and the room was large and mostly comfortable. Service was lacking, with several requests going unfulfilled. Smoking was allowed throughout the property, which made it uncomfortable at times. The wifi was basically nonexistent, the food ranged from average to bad, and service was very slow. Street noise was also a problem at night.