Kwessi Dunes

Kwessi Dines was our last stop on a three-week, four-country trip in Africa, and the place we'd most looked forward to. We were blown away when we arrived. The location and property were spectacular, and our guide Filip was fantastic. He really saved the stay, working 13-14 hour days with a smile and doing everything he could to make the experience memorable. In my opinion, he should be promoted to manager. The rest of the service was poor. At prime meal times, we'd enter a dining room with only half the tables set and nobody around. Some days we waited 15 minutes for an employee to come in. By day two we were getting our own water and drinks from the fridges and setting our own tables. The food was very disappointing, with a couple of inedible meals during our four days. Other guests agreed. There seemed to be no clear management, and the lack of attention carried over to the pool. On the first day, our family and another family had to go inside to get drinks because nobody came to check on guests. The next morning, our towels, empty bottles and glasses were still lying around. The following day after breakfast we found a dead bird in the pool. The father from the family we spent time with asked for a skimmer. Staff handed him one and went back to looking at a phone instead of removing the bird themselves. We were shocked. The guides seemed to be the only people doing much during the day. This place has the potential to be a five-star, bucket-list stay, but right now it falls well short.

The setting is stunning, and it's hard to imagine a more beautiful location. We loved the views, the quiet of the natural surroundings, and how peacefully the lodge fits into them. The staff were friendly and helpful, the food was delicious, and the guides went out of their way to make the experience great. The activities were so much fun, especially quad biking through the dunes. A truly magical stay.

The desert is a different kind of amazing. If you're coming from the north, you may see less wildlife here, but on our evening drive we saw lots of Oryx. We also did ATV riding, which was fun, and an instructive morning walk. We arranged a hot air balloon trip too, which was a wonder, though I've reviewed that separately. The rooms were nicely furnished, with great landscape views and comfortable beds. The food was good, the guides were helpful, and the staff were kind. A magical stay with lovely facilities.

A truly extraordinary place, and a must-see for me. I loved the beautiful nature and the very nice people.