South Africa.
Umhlanga: La Loggia B+B. A bit quirky but nice garden and nice staff. 45 min wallk from shops, restaurants etc.
Umhlanga: Rostalyn B+B. Clean, spacious and airy. Lovely staff.
Bazley Beach: MacNicol's Holiday Resort/Camping. Very friendly and has everything you could possibly want including tranquility and African Fish Eagles! Highly recommended by us.
Anerley, near Port Shepstone: Marlon Holiday Resort/Camping. Hugely friendly, really lovely and very tranquil. Highly recommended!!
Port St Johns: Cremorne Estates Resort/Camping: Lovely again. Good restaurant. Recommended.
Coffee Bay: White Clay. Fabulous location on the edge of the sea. Camping and cabins. Bar/restaurant. Dolphins/whales. Highly recommended.
Gonubie: Gonubie Caravan Park. Municipal. Great showers. Shady. Right on the lagoon, so nice location. No fence.
Port Albert: Green Fountain Farm Resort. Private ablutions. Brilliant facilities. Not on the beach. Recommended as a jumping-off point or family stop.
Addo Elephant Park - Main Camp. Great outside of weekends (and, we imagine, holidays) when families come to Braai, play and generally make noise. The camping facilities in the National Parks have to be seen to be believed. Highly recommended.
Storms River Mouth Campground (Tsitsikamma National Park) - right on the seafront with waves crashing on rocks. Good walking, birding. Brilliant facilities (again). Highly recommended.
Buffalo Bay campsite near Knysna - again right on the seafront (in fact with sea practically on 3 sides) - no washing machines, don't take credit cards and somewhat exposed to the marine environment. However, the setting made it worthwhile.
Oudtshoorn - Kleinplaas campsite/resort (www.kleinplaas.co.za) - very shady under trees almost like being in an orchard - swimming pool, laundry & another very helpful owner.
Warmwaterberg Spa: lovely hot pools, bar/restaurant, slightly crowded camping, rustic facilities. Seems popular, but it depends what you like and it is a bit overpriced.
De Hoop Nature Reserve - the campsite feels quite wild with no lights around at all, animal trails and spoors all over and a view down onto the "Vlei" (sort of the river mouth/lagoon) with all the bird life. The facilities are (again) surprisingly good, the staff very welcoming and charming.
Onrus River campsite - Hermanus - on the coast in the middle of the "village" of Onrus - a bit like an oasis of green, good facilities - almost deserted when we were there - a pity that the gate to the beach/coast path was padlocked. No laundry or shop on-site even though advertised as such, but available within a short walk.
Palmiet campsite - we found this almost by chance - a beautiful spot on a sandy beach with plenty of pitches - facilities showing signs of age, but made up for by the setting. Freindly manager.
De Hollandische Molen - nr Franschhoek - the only campsite we could find in the area - the campsite itself doesn't have much character being a pretty bleak and open lawn with an enormous a,mount of braii-spots for day-visitors - this place obviously gets VERY busy in the summer months. New facilities - very flash - but why no soap or loo rol Beware that the site also operates as a venue for weddings, parties etc - we were subjected to the music from someones event being held in the hall. Just up the road (3 miles) is the "Freedom Hill" winery and restaurant - definitely worth a visit and a meal.
Kommetjie - Imhoff camping - we thought it would be close to Cape Town, but in fact is "over a mountain" - very quiet, very cheap but a bit run down.
Simons Town - Oatlands Holiday Village - even cheaper than Imhoff, closer to Cape Town, almost directly in front of Boulders Beach (penguins), but only really good for a couple of nights max - run down with most things broken and/or bodged.
On the road in Pinetown chez Natalie & Noel. Pinetown has the air of Letchworth - lots of greenery and open spaces.
Melkbosstrand - Ou Skip - very cheap for the quality - massive swimming pool, very clean - recommended.
Yzerfontain - Municipal camping - expensive for the area but clean, quiet and good pitches.
Darling - with Nina & JC - many thanks!
Lamberts Bay - Malkoppan campsite opposite the Muisbosskerm open air restaurant. Seems to be a brand new campsite - very luxurious facilities (read new, high quality, spacious). The restaurant experience is well worth the money too. Highly recommended.
Kamieskroon - south of Sprigbok - camping at the hotel - the campsite area seems to be planted with desert flowering plants (we were a little too early to see them in their glory, but they were just pushing through the ground). Quite close to the N7 so some road noise, but quite good.
Vioolsdrif - Acquacade campsite just west of the border crossing - tranquil spot, has a bar and serves food. Beware that the water is pumped directly from the river (no treatment). Good birding spot.
Namibia
Ai-Ais - a lovely spot, just too many people for our liking - many young hikers leaving mess in the ablutions and noise on the campsite. Bar and restaurant with drinking games going on till late - good if you like that sort of thing.
Seeheim - we hadn't expected to stay here, but it turned out to be excellent - just in front of the old railway station hotel with a bar and restaurant, friendly service and real tranquility. No power ( but then the hotel isn't on the grid itself!). Rescued Oryx in the garden. Recommended.
Keetmanshoop - Keetmans Caravan Park - in town so useful for getting things sorted, seeing people etc, but otherwise grim. Ablutions a bit of a mess, site itself just dust/sand, lots of Friday night noise from the town.
Keetmanshoop - Lafenis game lodge - just south of town on the B1 - much nicer than the above, swimming pool (cold), restaurant, bar. Very expensive laundry service though!
Helmeringhausen - Helmeringhausen hotel - a real surprise in an otherwise arid, rural area, the campsite is right next to the hotel, the facilities are great and the restaurant is good value (and the beer cold). No power.
Betta - another unexpected stop, this time due to locked fuel filters - the campsite was a really good find, we were the only campers, but the facilities run to individual sunset viewing platforms along with braiis, shade and washing facilities. Shame that the staff weren't a bit more freindly though. (the coffee shop and store are good). Solar power only, but enough for battery charging. Hot water by donkey - must ask for it, otherwise it won't be done....(?)
Sesriem/Sossusvlei - we didn't have a booking, but were "squeezed in" on the "overflow" area (no power, no water, no facilities, but same high price) - staff unhelpful. Possibly cheaper and better to stay outsde the park area (ie Little Sossus Lodge just across the road where the fuel station staff are very freindly and helpful).
Solitaire - a convenient spot on the way from Sossusvlei to Swakop, but the hotel was overrun by a group of tourists on a coach when we were there, along with loud music into the night ....shame as it could have been a pleasant spot. Again, staff not very welcoming (is this going to be a recurrent theme in Nam?)
Swakopmund - Die Alte Brucke - a good find - individual sites with private ablutions - very clean, very high class, very re-assuring after a few hard days. Shame about the laundry service though (see blog)
Henties Bay - the only campsite in town - a strange place - basically a compound with lines of individual ablutions. Sounds awful but in fact it's quite good, especially when considering where it is!
Khorixas - NWR camp ground to the west of town - quite nice, friendly bar staff, beware of any information provided by NWR staff though (particularly concerning road conditions!). Next to a dry river bed - worth a short walk.
Twyfelfontein - Aba Huab campsite - on a dry river bed - lots of elephant tracks, but we didn't see any there. Very peaceful place, quirky ablutions but very good.
Palmwag - Palmwag Lodge - appears luxurious on entering, but slightly deceptive. good for a stopover. Good value game drives.
Warmquelle - Khoirib Lodge campsite - beautiful campground, all done in harmony with the local environment, a nice small swimming pool surrounded by grass, freindly bar staff, very quiet and dark at night. Highly recommended. www.khowarib.com/
Opuwo - Opuwo Country Lodge - beware of the road up to the lodge - at best described as steep, sandy and rough! Also beware of their booking system - you may think that you've booked a spot - but you may find out that it's already been taken... apart from this (and the occasional lack of water in the ablutions), the lodge camping is great - the infinity pool is worth a dip.
Epupa - Epupa Falls campsite - this is a campsite & bar - right on the falls, under palm(?) trees. A good spot, but avoid European holiday season if you can!
Epupa - Omurhunga (sp?) Lodge - much better than Epupa Falls campsite (but hot water is only solar - so when its gone, its gone). The restaurant is very good, and there is a pool. Marginally more expensive than the competion, but worth it.
Kamanjab - Oppi Koppi - see the blog post about this campsite - a must for any overlanders coming through this way! Free wifi. Free camping for overlanders. Bar, restaurant, swimming pool, great people, what more can I say? www.oppi-koppi-kamanjab.com/
Etosha - Anderson Gate - Eldorado campsite - a few km south of the gate - a brilliant recommendation - quiet, friendly and affordable. Free firewood & cheetah feeding! http://www.etosha-camping.com/
Etosha - Okaukuejo campsite - as a campsite I'd say avoid it - but for the waterhole it's a must unfortunately. Best stay outside the park (see above), then come in and stay for the minimum time possible. The campsite is a sandy parking lot, overcrowded, noisy etc etc.
Etosha - Halali - better than Okaukuejo, but still not great. Good waterhole, so the same applies.
Etosha - Namutoni - smaller and quieter than the other 2 above, waterhole definitely not as good, ablutions disgusting. There is a campsite just outside the eastern park gate - Onguma - much better to stay there (wish we had!)
Grootfontein - Bush Baby Camp - about 9km before Grootfontein on the Tsumeb-Grootfontein road (on the right) - brilliant recommendation - very quiet (except the multitude of animals) - white rhino - the lodge has a restaurant and bar overlooking their own floodlit waterhole - we viewed 3 white rhino while sipping ice cold beers. Very affordable, very clean, run by a Danish gentleman with the help of his very friendly and helpful staff (particularly Michael). Bush babies in the trees, meerkats on the ground, antelope all around. Free wifi. Along with Oppi Koppi our favourite campsite in Namibia so far. www.bush-babycamping.com/
Rundu - Sarasungu Lodge and Camping - ghastly. Staff not interested, campsite disorganised, lots of flies (due to the lodge using the campsite as a rubbish dump), ablutions horrible, had to ask twice for power to the site to be put on. One of the worst.
Rundu - Kaisosi Lodge and Camping - lovely. The staff were kind, helpful and efficient. The campsite was well-organised, with private ablutions. The bar and restaurant were cool and shady with a nice pool. It's right on the river so you can take a little cruise if you like, and there are interesting birds to see. We liked this place a lot. Highly recommended. www.kaisosiriverlodge.com
Outjo - Ombinda Lodge and Camping. The lodge, bar and swimming pool area look well cared for, but the small campsite is a bit odd: a cramped jumble of picnic tables, trees and power points that make it difficult for a larger vehicle. Ablutions a bit tired. Somehow the campsite doesn't feel very secure or very cared about. However, it looks as though they are clearing ground to expand and make improvements, so may be better in future.
Outjo - Sassa Safari Camp. This was a great find! The lodge and campsite are in the lee of the Ugab Terrace - a cliff face formed by strangely shaped boulders, including some mushroom-shaped ones dehind the lodge. The campsite itself was quite small, but as we were the only people staying it wasn't a problem at all. The walk along the top of the terrace was well worth it. www.sasasafaricamp.com/
Nunda Lodge near Divundu. This was recommended to us by André and Claudia - a good place to stay by the river just south of Popa Falls. The campsites next to the river have signs warning you of the dangers of hippos and crocs, there are definitely hippos around! The bar/deck over the river is a great place to relax and watch the sunset and the owners and staff are very helpful - thanks for the recommendation for Kubu Cabins. www.sasasafaricamp.com/
Protea Hotel, Katima Mulilo. The setting on the banks of the Zambezi couldn't be any better - great views of the river, birds and hippos. It's a pity that the restaurant doesn't live up to the image though!
Otavi - Khorab Lodge. A very nice garden and lovely pool, super staff and a well-thought-out camping spot. The drinks are cheap too.
Okahandja - Okahandja Country Hotel. After looking at the campsite attached to the hotel, we decided to stay at the hotel itself! Good, clean and pretty comfortable - but we discovered we prefer sleeping in the truck!!! Good food.
Windhoek - Gastefarm Elisenheim - this seems to be a place where almost everyone is either just starting or just finishing their trip (lots of people store their vehicles here). The facilities are a bit limited, but this is made up for by Andreas' relaxed and helpful manner.
Windhoek - Eden Chalets - on the road from Windhoek to the airport, right next to where we've kept the truck so extrememly useful. Each chalet is fully equipped and very comfortable. The owners are lovely. www.edenchalets.com
Trans Kalahari Inn - just up the road from Eden Chalets - a good campsite with a great bar/restaurant and a very helpful owner/operator (Wil) who also runs Bobo campers from here.
Gobabis - Xain quaz campsite - the first thing you see are sign warning you that snakes and scorpions live here - this is the edge of the Kalahari, so no surprise..... The lodge has a very large dining area plus a swimming pool, there are only about 5 campsites here, so each one is well spaced from any neighbours. The rates are the lowest I've seen in Namibia - and as a bonus free coffee and toast were served in the morning!
Buitepos - East Gate Rest Camp - s slightly strange place, but borders always are - clean and well organised.
Botswana
Okavango Polers Trust - Mbiroba camp, Seronga. The best advice we could give is to avoid this place - it was deserted, there was no service, the place was run-down - but incredidibly expensive for a Mokoro trip.
Drotskys Cabins, Shakawe - Wow! What a welcome we got from Eilein Drotsky herself along with her husband Jan - we have never seen such hospitality before! The boat trips are well worth taking from here - go see the Pels Fishing Owl!
Ghanzi - Thakadu Bush Camp - a few km off the road up a roughish track (high clearance would be needed in a 2wd) - great secluded camping spots, a walking trail and a good restaurant and bar with a waterhole. Only downside is that the ablutions could do with a refresh.
Maun - Thamalakane River Lodge - a few km north of town on the way towards Moremi - very clean and well organised, friendly staff and a good bar. Advertise wifi but this only works from a VERY restricted position in the bar/restaurant. Beware that they seem to use river water for making ice...and who knows what else.... Quite expensive
Maun - Island Safari Lodge - we paid to stay, but after only a few minutes decided that something "wasn't quite right" and left (part of our policy since Rundu is that if something doesn't feel right then it's time to go). Very cheap though (luckily). Needs renovating.
Okavango - Pom Pom Camp - EXCELLENT - difficult to say more - expensive as all luxury lodges in the delta are, but this is in the "affordable range" if booked "last minute" in town. Morning and afternoon activities (game drives, mokoro etc), friendly people, scenic flight in, good food etc.
Gwetta - Planet Baobab - a quirky place with campsites and chalets surrounded by baobabs. There is a separate "overlanders" part for trucks etc - we were the only people in this part, so nice and quiet! Good bar, slightly odd service at times. There's a waterhole next door, but they don't seem to advertise it - elephants can be heard there at night (but not seen).
Nata - Elephant Sands - a campsite (again with chalets) with bar/restaurant based around a waterhole that attracts herds of elephants from the surrounding area. Here you can get "up close" with wild ellies if you really want - they can be less than 10m away with nothing but a very low wall between you (at your risk)! Good affordable set-menu evening meals. Only downside - they accept "overland buses" along with their sometimes noisy customers......
Kasane - Senyati Safari Camp - up a sand track a few km long - could be possible in a high clearance 2wd if you're experienced in sand. Has a waterhole, ellies are regular visitors (a more natural setting than Elephant sands) - quite pricey. No restaurant, but good wifi and a bar.
Zambia
Kubu Cabins near Livingstone. On the Zambezi, just across from a Zimbabwean national park - so possibilities of game viewing? A nice place and apparently they're about to open a new site next door. Especially like the "almost infinity pool" with views across the river! www.kubucabins.com/
Bushfront Lodge, Livingstone. It would be really nice if it wasn't right next door to a swamp - the air is literally filled with insects as soon as the sun goes down. Expect to be bitten! Sue was quite taken by the ablutions - they were pretty special (loads of room), but take a mosquito coil at any time of the day!
Choma - Gwembe Safari Lodge - there doesn't seem to be much business here nowadays - but the facilities are still all there and in good order. Basically it's camping on a farm Zambian style - good short walk across the dam with lots of bird viewing. Worthwhile if you like getting away from other people.
Sinazongwe - Lake View Lodge - the campsite doesn't really exist anymore due to a problem with access - a
shame as it is in a fabulous setting. We camped outside the lodge using one of
the chalets for facilities - no power but water was available from a standpipe.
good fish in the restaurant but avoid the steak (worst ever?!).
Monze - The Moorings - fabulous campsite under huge mature trees - excellent facilities, very friendly - everything functioned in spite of the managers being away - this is a credit to the place. There are walks available, meals can be ordered at the bar and there's a Womens Community Project to visit (opportunity to buy sewn products)
Lochinvar NP - "under the acacias at Chungu" - no facilities, no animals, few birds, even not many mozzies! Worth a visit if you want to be depressed by what Zambia had to offer and has lost.
Lusaka - Eureka campsite (South of Lusaka). Absolutely awful if you're unlucky enough to be there when groups of locals pay to have a party there. The management and security do nothing about the noise and the situation can get out of control - best avoided.
Lusaka - Pioneer campsite (East of Lusaka). Pioneer and Eureka are like chalk and cheese - this place is quiet, well run and very fiendly. The only downside is the condition of the road in. Highly recommended.
Luangwa Bridge - Bridge Campsite. The campsite is very cramped and dusty. The owners whilst friendly are keen to sell and leave..... The bar is very expensive by Zambian standards. No power.
Chipata - Mama Rulas. Nice and shady campsite with a good bar/restaurant. The only power point is right next to the bar, so unless you've got a very long cable you've got the choice of electricity or noise. Otherwise very good.
Mfuwe (South Luangwa) - Wildlife Campsite - we visited all of the campsites around Mfuwe and decided that Wildlife was the best for us - the others are more cramped and/or don't have shade and/or seem to cater for the "party go-ers". The campsite is under trees next to the river (if you can get a riverside spot), there is power and it's generally quite clean. They do unfortunately accept tour buses but the staff are good at telling them to switch music etc off. A family of mongooses (or is that mongeese?) comes to eat at the bar(!), elephants and giraffe pass through and there's good birdlife.
Zimbabwe
Hwange NP - Robins Camp - Although quite run down, the staff obviously take great pride in keeping this place spotless and being friendly. The environment is one of the calmest we've found in a long time and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
Hwange NP - Sinamatella - Very similar to Robins Camp but on a hill with a view to die for! If Godfrey is there then make sure you have a chat with him - he knows a huge amount, is very interesting and very helpful! Highly recommended!
Hwange NP - Kapula Private Camp - Another great find - recommended to us by the owner of Elephant Sands in Botswana - this place is an exclusive tented camp (no real camping) with 2 sites - North & South camps which in reality are right next to each other. North camp is twice the price of South - you get larger tents etc, but South Camp is (in 2013) brand new and when we were there not fully booked (in fact we were the only guests one night which was fabulous). The camps are protected from elephants by a fence - but all other animals can just walk straight through. Highly recommended.
Hwange NP - Miombo - A really nice campsite set amongst the Miombo trees - very good evening meals served communally - very good place to meet people.
Vic Falls - Vic Falls Restcamp - just about the only place in town to camp when we were there - very convenient for both the Falls & the town, but quite crowded with lots of tour buses using it.
Malawi
Lilongwe - Sanctuary Lodge which is situated in a reserve in the middle of town! We heard a lion roaring at night – we later learnt that there is an “animal orphanage” within the reserve – and they have a lion! The campground was good – no power but decent ablutions and lots of trees (not really suitable for any vehicle much larger than a Mog though). This is where we met "The Aussies" (Liza & Jason) for the first time.
Senga Bay - "Steps" campsite. Oh dear - another campsite that seems to favour parties - we refused to pay the next day after having had a group of Chinese partying all night long - we even decided to move the truck to the other end of the campsite at some crazy time of night to try to get away from the noise and commotion. The setting is stunning, but not worth it.....
Fish Eagle Bay - we never got there - there's a small wooden bridge on the road in - far too weak for a Mog.
Bua River camp in the Nkhotakota National Park - stunning, free camping for us as we culdn't get the truck into the campsite, so John the owner (from the Wirral in England) let us camp near to "reception" (you've got to see the reception to believe it). Fabulous setting, great staff and food and great walks.
Chinteche -Sunga Moyo Lodge - down a narrow lane with overhanging trees, but possible (just) in a Mog with a panga! Lovely spot right on the beach, good bar, freindly owners, but quite a lot of "local traffic" walking through the campsite.
Chinteche - Makuzi Beach. Very difficult to find anything bad to say about this place - it was so good we stayed for about 10 days "holiday". Lovely clean white sand beach for swimming, free canoes, good campsite (gets busy at weekends), good bar/restaurant, freindly owners and staff......
Mzuzu - Pinetree Lodge - run by Paul from England with his lovely wife Charity. We parked outside in the carpark and ate in the restaurant every night - they have a very good menu with some surprising English dishes such as meat pie - all very good!
Chitimba - Chitimba Camp - we had been led to believe that a 4x4 up to Livingstonia could be arranged from here (the road up is too small for a MoG - it seemed almost impossible to get anything organised so gave up that idea. This camp seems mainly aimed at the "tour buses", so although it was quite quiet when we were there, it has the potential to be noisy.
Karonga - Mikoma Beach Lodge - a surreal experience - from the outside this place looks fabulous - a shiny-new lodge with gleaming reception etc. Look just a litttle deeper and you suddenly realise that nothing has actually been finished and at the back of many of the rooms are chicken coops, construction machinery and general evidence of "life"! There's no access for vehicles into the "camp ground", so we parked outside a room and used it's facilities. Not cheap though.The restaurant/bar is excellent.
Misuku Hills - Mwalingo Guesthouse at the Mzuzu coffee co-operative. A fabulous must-go place - right off the beaten track - quite a strenous road over the hills to get there, but good views on the way and worth it for the welcome. We camped outside the guesthouse paying for a room (very cheap) - as much hot water as we wanted (until one of the staff managed to drain the entire water supply for the locality!). Fabulous walks up into the forest.
Tanzania
Tukuyu - Bongo Camping - down a short but narrow track - this is a community project that has camping facilities. A useful stopover, they can do food and have cold beer.
Kisolanza - Old Farmhouse - between Mafinga and Ifunda - a really well run, campsite with a brilliant restaurant. Fresh bread can be ordered. A hairdresser comes in from Dar once a month(!)
Ruaha - Chogela campsite - in Tugumalenga village close to the park entrance - ok but nothing special - good birding, small gift shop run by volunteers and the local community
Ruaha - Public campsite #1 - on the Ruaha river, so some game viewing is almost certain. Very dusty and facilities not great, particularly not for the cost.
Iringa - Rivervalley - a couple of km east of Iringa - a very pleasant spot, popular with locals at the weekend, and missionaries come here to learn Swahili before going to their posts elsewhere. Good restaurant. Limited water availability.
Mikumi - Tan-Swiss - very good campsite (even have power and good water). Very good restaurant. Can organise safaris into Mikumi NP - but these aren't particularly good.
Morogoro - Kola Hill Hotel - it may look closed, but it's probably open! There IS a campsite here - a green lawn with a slight slope. Gave keys to a room so could use the facilities. Slightly odd but it's the only place in town we found!
Dodoma - African Dreams Hotel - A surprising find - it's not on T4A (in fact there is no mapping of the area in which it is to be found). Very modern, very clean, very good value - were even willing to let us camp for free in their carpark, but the rooms were so good value (and with AC) that we took one. Rubbish restaurant though! http://www.dodoma-guide.com/africandreamshotel.html
Singida - Stanley Motel Annex - by the lake, so a good position. Rooms looked ok at first - until the mozzies invaded - no mosquito protection at all - zero - and right next to lake! We slept in the truck instead of the (cheap) room. Music from the bar till late.
Tarangire - Zion Camp - we came, we saw, we left.....
Tarangire - Roika Tarangire Camp - very nice - in fact we coined the phrase "Almost Good Enough" here - nice tents, shame that some of the furniture was literally falling down! Very good restaurant and service. Masai guards all over the place - maybe just a bit too polite and too often!
Arusha - Masai Camp. It would have been good if they hadn't decided to have a disco till 4am! In our opinion to be avoided.
Tarakea (Kilimanjaro/Kenya border/Loitoktok) - Snowcap Cottages - at the start of the northern route up Kili starting from Nalemuru village. Excellent campsite with great cheap food, good bar, very friendly welcome. No power. We have and will return here.
Pangani - Peponi Lodge. Drive into the campsite and try not to be impressed! It's right on the beach on the Indian Ocean with shady trees and palms all round. A good swimming pool, restaurant and bar. Take the dhow trip out to the sand island for snorkelling and lunch - definitely worth it! Next door there's a pizza restaurant at Capricorn if you want a change. One of our top 3 campsites in Africa! Oh, and there is lots of security here, the place is spotless, there's power, the owners/managers are very friendly and it's good value.
Lushoto - Irente Farm Lodge - secluded farm set in the Usambara highlands - fabulous setting, good walking, great meals, friendly managers, good shop (good cheese made on-site).....
Lushoto - Rock Campsite - we tried to get to it, the approach is blocked by a very weak bridge and once you manage to get across thta, the locals have blocked the road so they can have a football pitch!
Kenya
Namanga - (new) fuel staion about 5km from the border on the right headed towards Nairobi. An emergency night stop here as diversions took us past the campsite. Tipped the askari and bought fuel as payment for parking/security.
Nairobi - Jungle Junction - it's got everything an overlander wants, but the food isn't brilliant and the security is lacking (for Nairobi).
Nairobi - Wildebeest Ecocamp - smaller vehicles can camp on a lawn, trucks end up in the carpark. However the security is excellent (full time askaris, proper security service, electric fence, cameras, owners live on-site etc). Very good food - particularly the eveneing buffet. Friendly staff and owners. We've been back several times now!
Naivasha - Carnelley's Camp - a beautiful, relaxing spot right on Lake Naivasha. Great birding, good restaurant/bar, very helpful owners (thanks for getting a doctor out to Sue at night). another place that we've been back to more than once!
Nakuru National Park - Makalia Falls Campsite - a great setting, close to the Makalia waterfall (walk to it from the campsite). Very peaceful - until tour buses arrive - which they do!
Loita Plains - Loita Plains Hotel - in the middle of nowhere, a very useful stopover on teh way to the Mara. Camped in their carpark, so no facilities. Surprisingly good meal rustled up by the chef!
Masai Mara - Talek Gate - Aruba Campsite - Not bad, campsite and ablutions a bit cramped and in need of a refresh. The bar/restaurant looks good, but expensive.
Masai Mara - Talek Gate - Riverside Campsite - just down from Aruba - very spacious and open green lawned campsites, better ablutions than next door. No bar/restaurant service when we were there (in the low season) - but we were the only guests!
Masai Mara - Mara Conservancy - Eluai Campsite - difficult to find without a GPS - the track to it crosses a bog with buffalo wallows, warthog holes and other traps, but it's worth it - the view down onto the river valley is stunning and if you're lucky you'll have the place to yourselves!!!! No facilities whatsoever, so bring everything you will need! Guards are supposed to be hired, but if you sign an indemnity at the HQ at Serena then they will let you off.
Masai Mara - Mara Conservancy - Iseiya Campsite - we didn't stay here as it doesn't look appealing - a track leads down from the main road - and that appears to be that. Eluai is within a couple of km and is excellent, so why bother?
Kisii - Nyakoe Hotel - on the Kisii - Kisumu road about 5km out of Kisii. A modern hotel with large car park in the annex area. Good restaurant. Looks infinitely preferable to anything we saw in Kisii itself. They will wash your car for you in the morning if you take a room! http://www.hotelnyakoe.com/
Kericho - Tea Hotel - was once a magnificent colonial building constructed by the Brooke Bond family for their tea estates around Kericho. Once is the operative word - it's now in a state of disrepair. The campsite was littered with cow dung and used nappies when we arrived, the toilets, showers and cooking area have all collapsed - but they did give us a key to a room to use - but I wouldn't pay for such a room. Yuk!
Tsavo West Park - Chiyulu Gate Public Campsite - fabulous location just outside Chiyulu Gate.
Voi - Tsavo Tsau Campsite - just outside the entrance to Tsavo East NP - a great, small campsite. Only cold water though.
Diani Beach - Diani Campsite & Cottages - the campsite is slightly separate from the rest of the establishment and is surrounded by buildings and trees, so no air. The ablutions were not the cleanest we've seen, but the restaurant was very good value/quality (even if the service was a tad slow). Everytime you leave the campsite the touts attack - impossible to avoid them - in fact they even try to "invade" the restaurant at night to get at you! That's why we only stayed one night - shame because the beach is beautiful white sand here.
Umhlanga: Rostalyn B+B. Clean, spacious and airy. Lovely staff.
Bazley Beach: MacNicol's Holiday Resort/Camping. Very friendly and has everything you could possibly want including tranquility and African Fish Eagles! Highly recommended by us.
Anerley, near Port Shepstone: Marlon Holiday Resort/Camping. Hugely friendly, really lovely and very tranquil. Highly recommended!!
Port St Johns: Cremorne Estates Resort/Camping: Lovely again. Good restaurant. Recommended.
Coffee Bay: White Clay. Fabulous location on the edge of the sea. Camping and cabins. Bar/restaurant. Dolphins/whales. Highly recommended.
Gonubie: Gonubie Caravan Park. Municipal. Great showers. Shady. Right on the lagoon, so nice location. No fence.
Port Albert: Green Fountain Farm Resort. Private ablutions. Brilliant facilities. Not on the beach. Recommended as a jumping-off point or family stop.
Addo Elephant Park - Main Camp. Great outside of weekends (and, we imagine, holidays) when families come to Braai, play and generally make noise. The camping facilities in the National Parks have to be seen to be believed. Highly recommended.
Storms River Mouth Campground (Tsitsikamma National Park) - right on the seafront with waves crashing on rocks. Good walking, birding. Brilliant facilities (again). Highly recommended.
Buffalo Bay campsite near Knysna - again right on the seafront (in fact with sea practically on 3 sides) - no washing machines, don't take credit cards and somewhat exposed to the marine environment. However, the setting made it worthwhile.
Oudtshoorn - Kleinplaas campsite/resort (www.kleinplaas.co.za) - very shady under trees almost like being in an orchard - swimming pool, laundry & another very helpful owner.
Warmwaterberg Spa: lovely hot pools, bar/restaurant, slightly crowded camping, rustic facilities. Seems popular, but it depends what you like and it is a bit overpriced.
De Hoop Nature Reserve - the campsite feels quite wild with no lights around at all, animal trails and spoors all over and a view down onto the "Vlei" (sort of the river mouth/lagoon) with all the bird life. The facilities are (again) surprisingly good, the staff very welcoming and charming.
Onrus River campsite - Hermanus - on the coast in the middle of the "village" of Onrus - a bit like an oasis of green, good facilities - almost deserted when we were there - a pity that the gate to the beach/coast path was padlocked. No laundry or shop on-site even though advertised as such, but available within a short walk.
Palmiet campsite - we found this almost by chance - a beautiful spot on a sandy beach with plenty of pitches - facilities showing signs of age, but made up for by the setting. Freindly manager.
De Hollandische Molen - nr Franschhoek - the only campsite we could find in the area - the campsite itself doesn't have much character being a pretty bleak and open lawn with an enormous a,mount of braii-spots for day-visitors - this place obviously gets VERY busy in the summer months. New facilities - very flash - but why no soap or loo rol Beware that the site also operates as a venue for weddings, parties etc - we were subjected to the music from someones event being held in the hall. Just up the road (3 miles) is the "Freedom Hill" winery and restaurant - definitely worth a visit and a meal.
Kommetjie - Imhoff camping - we thought it would be close to Cape Town, but in fact is "over a mountain" - very quiet, very cheap but a bit run down.
Simons Town - Oatlands Holiday Village - even cheaper than Imhoff, closer to Cape Town, almost directly in front of Boulders Beach (penguins), but only really good for a couple of nights max - run down with most things broken and/or bodged.
On the road in Pinetown chez Natalie & Noel. Pinetown has the air of Letchworth - lots of greenery and open spaces.
Melkbosstrand - Ou Skip - very cheap for the quality - massive swimming pool, very clean - recommended.
Yzerfontain - Municipal camping - expensive for the area but clean, quiet and good pitches.
Darling - with Nina & JC - many thanks!
Lamberts Bay - Malkoppan campsite opposite the Muisbosskerm open air restaurant. Seems to be a brand new campsite - very luxurious facilities (read new, high quality, spacious). The restaurant experience is well worth the money too. Highly recommended.
Kamieskroon - south of Sprigbok - camping at the hotel - the campsite area seems to be planted with desert flowering plants (we were a little too early to see them in their glory, but they were just pushing through the ground). Quite close to the N7 so some road noise, but quite good.
Vioolsdrif - Acquacade campsite just west of the border crossing - tranquil spot, has a bar and serves food. Beware that the water is pumped directly from the river (no treatment). Good birding spot.
Namibia
Ai-Ais - a lovely spot, just too many people for our liking - many young hikers leaving mess in the ablutions and noise on the campsite. Bar and restaurant with drinking games going on till late - good if you like that sort of thing.
Seeheim - we hadn't expected to stay here, but it turned out to be excellent - just in front of the old railway station hotel with a bar and restaurant, friendly service and real tranquility. No power ( but then the hotel isn't on the grid itself!). Rescued Oryx in the garden. Recommended.
Keetmanshoop - Keetmans Caravan Park - in town so useful for getting things sorted, seeing people etc, but otherwise grim. Ablutions a bit of a mess, site itself just dust/sand, lots of Friday night noise from the town.
Keetmanshoop - Lafenis game lodge - just south of town on the B1 - much nicer than the above, swimming pool (cold), restaurant, bar. Very expensive laundry service though!
Helmeringhausen - Helmeringhausen hotel - a real surprise in an otherwise arid, rural area, the campsite is right next to the hotel, the facilities are great and the restaurant is good value (and the beer cold). No power.
Betta - another unexpected stop, this time due to locked fuel filters - the campsite was a really good find, we were the only campers, but the facilities run to individual sunset viewing platforms along with braiis, shade and washing facilities. Shame that the staff weren't a bit more freindly though. (the coffee shop and store are good). Solar power only, but enough for battery charging. Hot water by donkey - must ask for it, otherwise it won't be done....(?)
Sesriem/Sossusvlei - we didn't have a booking, but were "squeezed in" on the "overflow" area (no power, no water, no facilities, but same high price) - staff unhelpful. Possibly cheaper and better to stay outsde the park area (ie Little Sossus Lodge just across the road where the fuel station staff are very freindly and helpful).
Solitaire - a convenient spot on the way from Sossusvlei to Swakop, but the hotel was overrun by a group of tourists on a coach when we were there, along with loud music into the night ....shame as it could have been a pleasant spot. Again, staff not very welcoming (is this going to be a recurrent theme in Nam?)
Swakopmund - Die Alte Brucke - a good find - individual sites with private ablutions - very clean, very high class, very re-assuring after a few hard days. Shame about the laundry service though (see blog)
Henties Bay - the only campsite in town - a strange place - basically a compound with lines of individual ablutions. Sounds awful but in fact it's quite good, especially when considering where it is!
Khorixas - NWR camp ground to the west of town - quite nice, friendly bar staff, beware of any information provided by NWR staff though (particularly concerning road conditions!). Next to a dry river bed - worth a short walk.
Twyfelfontein - Aba Huab campsite - on a dry river bed - lots of elephant tracks, but we didn't see any there. Very peaceful place, quirky ablutions but very good.
Palmwag - Palmwag Lodge - appears luxurious on entering, but slightly deceptive. good for a stopover. Good value game drives.
Warmquelle - Khoirib Lodge campsite - beautiful campground, all done in harmony with the local environment, a nice small swimming pool surrounded by grass, freindly bar staff, very quiet and dark at night. Highly recommended. www.khowarib.com/
Opuwo - Opuwo Country Lodge - beware of the road up to the lodge - at best described as steep, sandy and rough! Also beware of their booking system - you may think that you've booked a spot - but you may find out that it's already been taken... apart from this (and the occasional lack of water in the ablutions), the lodge camping is great - the infinity pool is worth a dip.
Epupa - Epupa Falls campsite - this is a campsite & bar - right on the falls, under palm(?) trees. A good spot, but avoid European holiday season if you can!
Epupa - Omurhunga (sp?) Lodge - much better than Epupa Falls campsite (but hot water is only solar - so when its gone, its gone). The restaurant is very good, and there is a pool. Marginally more expensive than the competion, but worth it.
Kamanjab - Oppi Koppi - see the blog post about this campsite - a must for any overlanders coming through this way! Free wifi. Free camping for overlanders. Bar, restaurant, swimming pool, great people, what more can I say? www.oppi-koppi-kamanjab.com/
Etosha - Anderson Gate - Eldorado campsite - a few km south of the gate - a brilliant recommendation - quiet, friendly and affordable. Free firewood & cheetah feeding! http://www.etosha-camping.com/
Etosha - Okaukuejo campsite - as a campsite I'd say avoid it - but for the waterhole it's a must unfortunately. Best stay outside the park (see above), then come in and stay for the minimum time possible. The campsite is a sandy parking lot, overcrowded, noisy etc etc.
Etosha - Halali - better than Okaukuejo, but still not great. Good waterhole, so the same applies.
Etosha - Namutoni - smaller and quieter than the other 2 above, waterhole definitely not as good, ablutions disgusting. There is a campsite just outside the eastern park gate - Onguma - much better to stay there (wish we had!)
Grootfontein - Bush Baby Camp - about 9km before Grootfontein on the Tsumeb-Grootfontein road (on the right) - brilliant recommendation - very quiet (except the multitude of animals) - white rhino - the lodge has a restaurant and bar overlooking their own floodlit waterhole - we viewed 3 white rhino while sipping ice cold beers. Very affordable, very clean, run by a Danish gentleman with the help of his very friendly and helpful staff (particularly Michael). Bush babies in the trees, meerkats on the ground, antelope all around. Free wifi. Along with Oppi Koppi our favourite campsite in Namibia so far. www.bush-babycamping.com/
Rundu - Sarasungu Lodge and Camping - ghastly. Staff not interested, campsite disorganised, lots of flies (due to the lodge using the campsite as a rubbish dump), ablutions horrible, had to ask twice for power to the site to be put on. One of the worst.
Rundu - Kaisosi Lodge and Camping - lovely. The staff were kind, helpful and efficient. The campsite was well-organised, with private ablutions. The bar and restaurant were cool and shady with a nice pool. It's right on the river so you can take a little cruise if you like, and there are interesting birds to see. We liked this place a lot. Highly recommended. www.kaisosiriverlodge.com
Outjo - Ombinda Lodge and Camping. The lodge, bar and swimming pool area look well cared for, but the small campsite is a bit odd: a cramped jumble of picnic tables, trees and power points that make it difficult for a larger vehicle. Ablutions a bit tired. Somehow the campsite doesn't feel very secure or very cared about. However, it looks as though they are clearing ground to expand and make improvements, so may be better in future.
Outjo - Sassa Safari Camp. This was a great find! The lodge and campsite are in the lee of the Ugab Terrace - a cliff face formed by strangely shaped boulders, including some mushroom-shaped ones dehind the lodge. The campsite itself was quite small, but as we were the only people staying it wasn't a problem at all. The walk along the top of the terrace was well worth it. www.sasasafaricamp.com/
Nunda Lodge near Divundu. This was recommended to us by André and Claudia - a good place to stay by the river just south of Popa Falls. The campsites next to the river have signs warning you of the dangers of hippos and crocs, there are definitely hippos around! The bar/deck over the river is a great place to relax and watch the sunset and the owners and staff are very helpful - thanks for the recommendation for Kubu Cabins. www.sasasafaricamp.com/
Protea Hotel, Katima Mulilo. The setting on the banks of the Zambezi couldn't be any better - great views of the river, birds and hippos. It's a pity that the restaurant doesn't live up to the image though!
Otavi - Khorab Lodge. A very nice garden and lovely pool, super staff and a well-thought-out camping spot. The drinks are cheap too.
Okahandja - Okahandja Country Hotel. After looking at the campsite attached to the hotel, we decided to stay at the hotel itself! Good, clean and pretty comfortable - but we discovered we prefer sleeping in the truck!!! Good food.
Windhoek - Gastefarm Elisenheim - this seems to be a place where almost everyone is either just starting or just finishing their trip (lots of people store their vehicles here). The facilities are a bit limited, but this is made up for by Andreas' relaxed and helpful manner.
Windhoek - Eden Chalets - on the road from Windhoek to the airport, right next to where we've kept the truck so extrememly useful. Each chalet is fully equipped and very comfortable. The owners are lovely. www.edenchalets.com
Trans Kalahari Inn - just up the road from Eden Chalets - a good campsite with a great bar/restaurant and a very helpful owner/operator (Wil) who also runs Bobo campers from here.
Gobabis - Xain quaz campsite - the first thing you see are sign warning you that snakes and scorpions live here - this is the edge of the Kalahari, so no surprise..... The lodge has a very large dining area plus a swimming pool, there are only about 5 campsites here, so each one is well spaced from any neighbours. The rates are the lowest I've seen in Namibia - and as a bonus free coffee and toast were served in the morning!
Buitepos - East Gate Rest Camp - s slightly strange place, but borders always are - clean and well organised.
Botswana
Okavango Polers Trust - Mbiroba camp, Seronga. The best advice we could give is to avoid this place - it was deserted, there was no service, the place was run-down - but incredidibly expensive for a Mokoro trip.
Drotskys Cabins, Shakawe - Wow! What a welcome we got from Eilein Drotsky herself along with her husband Jan - we have never seen such hospitality before! The boat trips are well worth taking from here - go see the Pels Fishing Owl!
Ghanzi - Thakadu Bush Camp - a few km off the road up a roughish track (high clearance would be needed in a 2wd) - great secluded camping spots, a walking trail and a good restaurant and bar with a waterhole. Only downside is that the ablutions could do with a refresh.
Maun - Thamalakane River Lodge - a few km north of town on the way towards Moremi - very clean and well organised, friendly staff and a good bar. Advertise wifi but this only works from a VERY restricted position in the bar/restaurant. Beware that they seem to use river water for making ice...and who knows what else.... Quite expensive
Maun - Island Safari Lodge - we paid to stay, but after only a few minutes decided that something "wasn't quite right" and left (part of our policy since Rundu is that if something doesn't feel right then it's time to go). Very cheap though (luckily). Needs renovating.
Okavango - Pom Pom Camp - EXCELLENT - difficult to say more - expensive as all luxury lodges in the delta are, but this is in the "affordable range" if booked "last minute" in town. Morning and afternoon activities (game drives, mokoro etc), friendly people, scenic flight in, good food etc.
Gwetta - Planet Baobab - a quirky place with campsites and chalets surrounded by baobabs. There is a separate "overlanders" part for trucks etc - we were the only people in this part, so nice and quiet! Good bar, slightly odd service at times. There's a waterhole next door, but they don't seem to advertise it - elephants can be heard there at night (but not seen).
Nata - Elephant Sands - a campsite (again with chalets) with bar/restaurant based around a waterhole that attracts herds of elephants from the surrounding area. Here you can get "up close" with wild ellies if you really want - they can be less than 10m away with nothing but a very low wall between you (at your risk)! Good affordable set-menu evening meals. Only downside - they accept "overland buses" along with their sometimes noisy customers......
Kasane - Senyati Safari Camp - up a sand track a few km long - could be possible in a high clearance 2wd if you're experienced in sand. Has a waterhole, ellies are regular visitors (a more natural setting than Elephant sands) - quite pricey. No restaurant, but good wifi and a bar.
Zambia
Kubu Cabins near Livingstone. On the Zambezi, just across from a Zimbabwean national park - so possibilities of game viewing? A nice place and apparently they're about to open a new site next door. Especially like the "almost infinity pool" with views across the river! www.kubucabins.com/
Bushfront Lodge, Livingstone. It would be really nice if it wasn't right next door to a swamp - the air is literally filled with insects as soon as the sun goes down. Expect to be bitten! Sue was quite taken by the ablutions - they were pretty special (loads of room), but take a mosquito coil at any time of the day!
Choma - Gwembe Safari Lodge - there doesn't seem to be much business here nowadays - but the facilities are still all there and in good order. Basically it's camping on a farm Zambian style - good short walk across the dam with lots of bird viewing. Worthwhile if you like getting away from other people.
Sinazongwe - Lake View Lodge - the campsite doesn't really exist anymore due to a problem with access - a
shame as it is in a fabulous setting. We camped outside the lodge using one of
the chalets for facilities - no power but water was available from a standpipe.
good fish in the restaurant but avoid the steak (worst ever?!).
Monze - The Moorings - fabulous campsite under huge mature trees - excellent facilities, very friendly - everything functioned in spite of the managers being away - this is a credit to the place. There are walks available, meals can be ordered at the bar and there's a Womens Community Project to visit (opportunity to buy sewn products)
Lochinvar NP - "under the acacias at Chungu" - no facilities, no animals, few birds, even not many mozzies! Worth a visit if you want to be depressed by what Zambia had to offer and has lost.
Lusaka - Eureka campsite (South of Lusaka). Absolutely awful if you're unlucky enough to be there when groups of locals pay to have a party there. The management and security do nothing about the noise and the situation can get out of control - best avoided.
Lusaka - Pioneer campsite (East of Lusaka). Pioneer and Eureka are like chalk and cheese - this place is quiet, well run and very fiendly. The only downside is the condition of the road in. Highly recommended.
Luangwa Bridge - Bridge Campsite. The campsite is very cramped and dusty. The owners whilst friendly are keen to sell and leave..... The bar is very expensive by Zambian standards. No power.
Chipata - Mama Rulas. Nice and shady campsite with a good bar/restaurant. The only power point is right next to the bar, so unless you've got a very long cable you've got the choice of electricity or noise. Otherwise very good.
Mfuwe (South Luangwa) - Wildlife Campsite - we visited all of the campsites around Mfuwe and decided that Wildlife was the best for us - the others are more cramped and/or don't have shade and/or seem to cater for the "party go-ers". The campsite is under trees next to the river (if you can get a riverside spot), there is power and it's generally quite clean. They do unfortunately accept tour buses but the staff are good at telling them to switch music etc off. A family of mongooses (or is that mongeese?) comes to eat at the bar(!), elephants and giraffe pass through and there's good birdlife.
Zimbabwe
Hwange NP - Robins Camp - Although quite run down, the staff obviously take great pride in keeping this place spotless and being friendly. The environment is one of the calmest we've found in a long time and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
Hwange NP - Sinamatella - Very similar to Robins Camp but on a hill with a view to die for! If Godfrey is there then make sure you have a chat with him - he knows a huge amount, is very interesting and very helpful! Highly recommended!
Hwange NP - Kapula Private Camp - Another great find - recommended to us by the owner of Elephant Sands in Botswana - this place is an exclusive tented camp (no real camping) with 2 sites - North & South camps which in reality are right next to each other. North camp is twice the price of South - you get larger tents etc, but South Camp is (in 2013) brand new and when we were there not fully booked (in fact we were the only guests one night which was fabulous). The camps are protected from elephants by a fence - but all other animals can just walk straight through. Highly recommended.
Hwange NP - Miombo - A really nice campsite set amongst the Miombo trees - very good evening meals served communally - very good place to meet people.
Vic Falls - Vic Falls Restcamp - just about the only place in town to camp when we were there - very convenient for both the Falls & the town, but quite crowded with lots of tour buses using it.
Malawi
Lilongwe - Sanctuary Lodge which is situated in a reserve in the middle of town! We heard a lion roaring at night – we later learnt that there is an “animal orphanage” within the reserve – and they have a lion! The campground was good – no power but decent ablutions and lots of trees (not really suitable for any vehicle much larger than a Mog though). This is where we met "The Aussies" (Liza & Jason) for the first time.
Senga Bay - "Steps" campsite. Oh dear - another campsite that seems to favour parties - we refused to pay the next day after having had a group of Chinese partying all night long - we even decided to move the truck to the other end of the campsite at some crazy time of night to try to get away from the noise and commotion. The setting is stunning, but not worth it.....
Fish Eagle Bay - we never got there - there's a small wooden bridge on the road in - far too weak for a Mog.
Bua River camp in the Nkhotakota National Park - stunning, free camping for us as we culdn't get the truck into the campsite, so John the owner (from the Wirral in England) let us camp near to "reception" (you've got to see the reception to believe it). Fabulous setting, great staff and food and great walks.
Chinteche -Sunga Moyo Lodge - down a narrow lane with overhanging trees, but possible (just) in a Mog with a panga! Lovely spot right on the beach, good bar, freindly owners, but quite a lot of "local traffic" walking through the campsite.
Chinteche - Makuzi Beach. Very difficult to find anything bad to say about this place - it was so good we stayed for about 10 days "holiday". Lovely clean white sand beach for swimming, free canoes, good campsite (gets busy at weekends), good bar/restaurant, freindly owners and staff......
Mzuzu - Pinetree Lodge - run by Paul from England with his lovely wife Charity. We parked outside in the carpark and ate in the restaurant every night - they have a very good menu with some surprising English dishes such as meat pie - all very good!
Chitimba - Chitimba Camp - we had been led to believe that a 4x4 up to Livingstonia could be arranged from here (the road up is too small for a MoG - it seemed almost impossible to get anything organised so gave up that idea. This camp seems mainly aimed at the "tour buses", so although it was quite quiet when we were there, it has the potential to be noisy.
Karonga - Mikoma Beach Lodge - a surreal experience - from the outside this place looks fabulous - a shiny-new lodge with gleaming reception etc. Look just a litttle deeper and you suddenly realise that nothing has actually been finished and at the back of many of the rooms are chicken coops, construction machinery and general evidence of "life"! There's no access for vehicles into the "camp ground", so we parked outside a room and used it's facilities. Not cheap though.The restaurant/bar is excellent.
Misuku Hills - Mwalingo Guesthouse at the Mzuzu coffee co-operative. A fabulous must-go place - right off the beaten track - quite a strenous road over the hills to get there, but good views on the way and worth it for the welcome. We camped outside the guesthouse paying for a room (very cheap) - as much hot water as we wanted (until one of the staff managed to drain the entire water supply for the locality!). Fabulous walks up into the forest.
Tanzania
Tukuyu - Bongo Camping - down a short but narrow track - this is a community project that has camping facilities. A useful stopover, they can do food and have cold beer.
Kisolanza - Old Farmhouse - between Mafinga and Ifunda - a really well run, campsite with a brilliant restaurant. Fresh bread can be ordered. A hairdresser comes in from Dar once a month(!)
Ruaha - Chogela campsite - in Tugumalenga village close to the park entrance - ok but nothing special - good birding, small gift shop run by volunteers and the local community
Ruaha - Public campsite #1 - on the Ruaha river, so some game viewing is almost certain. Very dusty and facilities not great, particularly not for the cost.
Iringa - Rivervalley - a couple of km east of Iringa - a very pleasant spot, popular with locals at the weekend, and missionaries come here to learn Swahili before going to their posts elsewhere. Good restaurant. Limited water availability.
Mikumi - Tan-Swiss - very good campsite (even have power and good water). Very good restaurant. Can organise safaris into Mikumi NP - but these aren't particularly good.
Morogoro - Kola Hill Hotel - it may look closed, but it's probably open! There IS a campsite here - a green lawn with a slight slope. Gave keys to a room so could use the facilities. Slightly odd but it's the only place in town we found!
Dodoma - African Dreams Hotel - A surprising find - it's not on T4A (in fact there is no mapping of the area in which it is to be found). Very modern, very clean, very good value - were even willing to let us camp for free in their carpark, but the rooms were so good value (and with AC) that we took one. Rubbish restaurant though! http://www.dodoma-guide.com/africandreamshotel.html
Singida - Stanley Motel Annex - by the lake, so a good position. Rooms looked ok at first - until the mozzies invaded - no mosquito protection at all - zero - and right next to lake! We slept in the truck instead of the (cheap) room. Music from the bar till late.
Tarangire - Zion Camp - we came, we saw, we left.....
Tarangire - Roika Tarangire Camp - very nice - in fact we coined the phrase "Almost Good Enough" here - nice tents, shame that some of the furniture was literally falling down! Very good restaurant and service. Masai guards all over the place - maybe just a bit too polite and too often!
Arusha - Masai Camp. It would have been good if they hadn't decided to have a disco till 4am! In our opinion to be avoided.
Tarakea (Kilimanjaro/Kenya border/Loitoktok) - Snowcap Cottages - at the start of the northern route up Kili starting from Nalemuru village. Excellent campsite with great cheap food, good bar, very friendly welcome. No power. We have and will return here.
Pangani - Peponi Lodge. Drive into the campsite and try not to be impressed! It's right on the beach on the Indian Ocean with shady trees and palms all round. A good swimming pool, restaurant and bar. Take the dhow trip out to the sand island for snorkelling and lunch - definitely worth it! Next door there's a pizza restaurant at Capricorn if you want a change. One of our top 3 campsites in Africa! Oh, and there is lots of security here, the place is spotless, there's power, the owners/managers are very friendly and it's good value.
Lushoto - Irente Farm Lodge - secluded farm set in the Usambara highlands - fabulous setting, good walking, great meals, friendly managers, good shop (good cheese made on-site).....
Lushoto - Rock Campsite - we tried to get to it, the approach is blocked by a very weak bridge and once you manage to get across thta, the locals have blocked the road so they can have a football pitch!
Kenya
Namanga - (new) fuel staion about 5km from the border on the right headed towards Nairobi. An emergency night stop here as diversions took us past the campsite. Tipped the askari and bought fuel as payment for parking/security.
Nairobi - Jungle Junction - it's got everything an overlander wants, but the food isn't brilliant and the security is lacking (for Nairobi).
Nairobi - Wildebeest Ecocamp - smaller vehicles can camp on a lawn, trucks end up in the carpark. However the security is excellent (full time askaris, proper security service, electric fence, cameras, owners live on-site etc). Very good food - particularly the eveneing buffet. Friendly staff and owners. We've been back several times now!
Naivasha - Carnelley's Camp - a beautiful, relaxing spot right on Lake Naivasha. Great birding, good restaurant/bar, very helpful owners (thanks for getting a doctor out to Sue at night). another place that we've been back to more than once!
Nakuru National Park - Makalia Falls Campsite - a great setting, close to the Makalia waterfall (walk to it from the campsite). Very peaceful - until tour buses arrive - which they do!
Loita Plains - Loita Plains Hotel - in the middle of nowhere, a very useful stopover on teh way to the Mara. Camped in their carpark, so no facilities. Surprisingly good meal rustled up by the chef!
Masai Mara - Talek Gate - Aruba Campsite - Not bad, campsite and ablutions a bit cramped and in need of a refresh. The bar/restaurant looks good, but expensive.
Masai Mara - Talek Gate - Riverside Campsite - just down from Aruba - very spacious and open green lawned campsites, better ablutions than next door. No bar/restaurant service when we were there (in the low season) - but we were the only guests!
Masai Mara - Mara Conservancy - Eluai Campsite - difficult to find without a GPS - the track to it crosses a bog with buffalo wallows, warthog holes and other traps, but it's worth it - the view down onto the river valley is stunning and if you're lucky you'll have the place to yourselves!!!! No facilities whatsoever, so bring everything you will need! Guards are supposed to be hired, but if you sign an indemnity at the HQ at Serena then they will let you off.
Masai Mara - Mara Conservancy - Iseiya Campsite - we didn't stay here as it doesn't look appealing - a track leads down from the main road - and that appears to be that. Eluai is within a couple of km and is excellent, so why bother?
Kisii - Nyakoe Hotel - on the Kisii - Kisumu road about 5km out of Kisii. A modern hotel with large car park in the annex area. Good restaurant. Looks infinitely preferable to anything we saw in Kisii itself. They will wash your car for you in the morning if you take a room! http://www.hotelnyakoe.com/
Kericho - Tea Hotel - was once a magnificent colonial building constructed by the Brooke Bond family for their tea estates around Kericho. Once is the operative word - it's now in a state of disrepair. The campsite was littered with cow dung and used nappies when we arrived, the toilets, showers and cooking area have all collapsed - but they did give us a key to a room to use - but I wouldn't pay for such a room. Yuk!
Tsavo West Park - Chiyulu Gate Public Campsite - fabulous location just outside Chiyulu Gate.
Voi - Tsavo Tsau Campsite - just outside the entrance to Tsavo East NP - a great, small campsite. Only cold water though.
Diani Beach - Diani Campsite & Cottages - the campsite is slightly separate from the rest of the establishment and is surrounded by buildings and trees, so no air. The ablutions were not the cleanest we've seen, but the restaurant was very good value/quality (even if the service was a tad slow). Everytime you leave the campsite the touts attack - impossible to avoid them - in fact they even try to "invade" the restaurant at night to get at you! That's why we only stayed one night - shame because the beach is beautiful white sand here.