Hakusembe River Lodge, Gondwana Collection Namibia

What a fabulous lodge! We arrived 2 days earlier without any notice as we were getting very tired after 2 weeks travelling in a heatwave. The welcome we received were very warm and friendly, absolutely no hassle for us to check in before our due date. The staff are super friendly & helpful, the rooms were spectacular and let me not get started on their wide variety of buffet options. I loved it & I will definitely recommend Hakusembe to my fellow travellers. For birders, a fabulous introductory stop to the Caprivi and river birds. Got plenty of new ticks in my book. :)

I absolutely loved this place. It’s a pity that the river currents were low and we could experience the boat rides. The message was heavenly. I even fell asleep. The service is amazing and professional. The rooms are well equipped for the environment. The view is breathtaking and very beautiful. The sound of birds is interesting to listen to and the food is absolutely delicious.

We stayed here as part of our honeymoon trip and had such a lovely stay. The rooms are beautiful which stunning views of the river, a refreshing pool and a delicious buffet dinner and breakfast. Thank you to all the staff who went above and beyond to make our trip so memorable!

I give it 5 stars because with it being out in the middle of nowhere, it was great. Wonderful staff, very clean room and good buffet style food. Lodge is situated right on the Chobe River with Angola across the river. Separate shower and toilet area in each cassita. Coffee is left on your porch each morning at 5:30 so you can enjoy the view.

The location and the lodge/resort itself were very beautiful, from the swimming pool to the river view was utterly breathtaking. But apart from that, the service was truly horrible... We booked for a massage the previous day, for the morning at 11 a.m. ,, we arrived at 10:15 to confirm and pay , just to be told that they dont have available staff for that time , so we should come back at 2 p.m. We were a bit disappointed but agreed and decided to grab something to eat. No one was present in the bar/restaurant and had to ring the bell , after a while , a lady(visibly pregnant) came out and shouted at us across the restaurant even though we were the only ones there? And apon asking if we can order , we were told no because breakfast is done and the kitchen is closed. Reception then told me the kitchen opens at 12, but a moment later, another lady showed up and attempted to help us , and said the kitchen is open. "There are many chefs available ." We got a slight short-lived sense of relief as we asked for the menu, and we were presented with a pamphlet consisting of 6 items, of which 3 were salads.(only sauce they offer except for ketchup and mayo is mushroom)..We requested 2 portions of chips , which we literally waited for an hour and 15 minutes - for 2 portions chips? When we attempted to pay they said we could only swipe at reception , reception told us due to a lack of internet we can only pay cash , and if we dont have cash we should go into town , withdraw from an ATM and then come back and pay.. which would add another 30-40 km if im not mistaken.. In turn, we canceled the massage as it was almost N$590 per person for 30 mins if I understood the lady correctly. And to add apon the disappointment, the cleaner(s) were sweeping the tables in the restaurant with the same broom they used on the floor... nice... Disappointed might not be the correct word to use in this situation.

An ideal spot for a night to split up the journey between Etosha and the Caprivi Strip. We stayed there as a family of 4 including 2 teenage boys. The food was tasty and most of the staff were friendly and nice. We stayed in a large cabin overlooking the river and it slept 7 so we had ample space. I don’t think I’d stay there more than one night, but for that one night, it’s great.

Wow! This place is amazing! Set on the river with Angola just across, it’s a beautiful spot, especially after being in more arid areas. The lodge itself is lovely with space for both indoor and outdoor dining (a big deal if you’re there in their winter), the food is great with lots of options. The cabins are wonderful. Large and lovely. Totally recommend!

Below expectations, the lodge is very noisy from the chickens and cows from the local communities, also had dogs running around the campsite in the evening. ||Campsite had neat private ablutions with hot and cold water. Outside was also a washing up area available with a single plug box available.||Sunset cruise was enjoyable with drinks and a small platter included, after the cruise was met with staff singing and drums playing adding to the experience. ||Staff can be more helpful with buying wood. ||Wifi was supplied at the restaurant and reception but quality was not good.