Africa: Reviews from our travellers

"Tom from Expert Africa did a really good job of guiding us through the process of planning our holiday, where to go and where to stay in Namibia. He was certainly very knowledgable and helpful. Although he made a few carless mistakes these were all easily corrected (before anything was finalized) and we had a flawless trip and are very grateful for his knowledge and assistance." Read full review: 7 nights in Africa; 7 on a Namibia trip

"This was our second trip to Southern Africa and was very different from our previous organized group (36) excursion as we were only 6 and planned the trip ourselves with huge help from Expert Africa.

[Ed: this 'previous organised group of 36 was not organised by Expert Africa.]

The desert scenery that covers about 2/3 of Namibia proved to be beautiful and diverse. We always felt comfortable wherever we went and we were constantly impressed by the friendly and helpful people.Getting around was no problem at all and communication was easy as English is spoken everywhere.

We highly recommend visiting this country as it is different from rest of Africa, very unique.

One word of caution regarding the roads which are asphalt on the main arteries but gravel elsewhere. The gravel roads are generally wide and well laid out but the washboard effect of the roads results in loud and somewhat rough ride, of course very dependent on the vehicle used. So if renting a vehicle, consider that it will spend a lot of its time on gravel if you want to see the best scenery on the "roads less travelled".

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We were very pleased with the arrangements suggested and made by Expert Africa and Sabina's knowledge of Namibia proved invaluable.

The pros and (if any) cons of the resorts, hotels, safaris and itinirary were clearly communicated to us to allow us to makeour decisions for our final itinerary.

We give full credit to Sabina's patience with our many "twists and turns" in our itinerary and we wound up wth a terrific self drive trip in a beautiful country." Read full review: 28 nights in Africa; 22 on a Namibia trip

"Expert Africa was amazing. From our first telephone call, they really understood what we wanted, and arranged everything perfectly.

Even the timing of the stay at each place and the set up of the order of the itinerary showed great sensitivity to our wishes for the trip.

We have never used a service such as this, and were so pleased.

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Our only comment is that the suggested travel times between places were almost always to short, we always needed more time to travel than estimated." Read full review: 23 nights in Africa; 21 on a Namibia trip

"It was truly a trip of a lifetime for us (though hopefully one of many). From the moment I called Expert Africa to the moment we departed Windhoek to go back to the US, the trip was seamless, enjoyable, and extremely memorable. Tom at Expert Africa did a tremendous job of interpreting who we are as travelers, what we were looking for in the trip, and then finding the right accommodations for each stage of the trip. It was expertly crafted.

Namibia is a magical place with wonderful scenery, friendly people, and surprisingly delicious food (Oryx!). We hope to return soon to continue exploring this incredible country." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip

"We had long wanted to visit Namibia, and it exceeded all our expectations. The tourism offer is really strong and the people we met at all our destinations were friendly and charming, as well as the people we encountered in the wider community. It rivals Costa Rica as one of the friendliest countries we have ever visited. The wildlife (we are close to safari novices) was all that we hoped for, and our three children (aged 13, 9 and 3) really enjoyed their encounters too, and exploring the camps we stayed at. Our children are well travelled and survived the long drives largely - but not always - in good humour. We met other families with younger children who also seemed to be coping, and frankly Namibia is only going to attract those families who have already travelled fairly widely anyway.
Expert Africa organised a great itinerary for us in the time available (we booked with only 2 months to go and should have booked earlier), and we met a safari travel industry consultant whilst in Namibia who only had words of praise for the company, and in particular its commercial independence compared with many operators, who are often incentivised to recommend some destinations over others. This was very good to hear, as the travel industry is opaque and it is often impossible for clients to tell which agency has incentives with which locations, and therefore may be making recommendations more in their own interest than in those of the client. The level of detailed information provided on the Expert Africa website is also extremely helpful in terms of making choices.
We would recommend Namibia to anyone who will listen. For those who are widely travelled, this is a destination that will surprise and delight, especially if you love wide open, remote and stunning deserts and mountains, and don't mind driving 4-6 hours each time you relocate. (If you don't have time for such journeys you better fly but you will miss out on the sense of vastness that driving provides.)
Next time we would want to explore up into the far north west to see the Skeleton Coast sand dunes in all their glory.
Finally, we mislaid a couple of items during the trip and the London team were helpful in contacting camps to see if our possessions could be relocated. In the end the camps themselves located them and we hope our missing items will arrive shortly!" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip

"." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 2 on a South Africa trip

"We have travelled a lot but this trip is one of our most memorable.

Not only is Namibia a fascinating place but Expert Africa made the trip easy.

We enjoyed the Self Drive and the itinerary which was planned.

The standard of accommodation and level of service and food were beyond our expectations." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"This was the first of this type of trip we have been on. We usually either do it all ourselves (hire a car and take pot luck) or else just fly to one destination and stop there (with or without a car).

The joy of climbing into a hired car and driving off to a destination where everything is booked for us could be habit-forming. It all worked perfectly except for the last night and that only went wrong because we hadn't realised that the clocks were due to change. We were afraid of the dark!

The one place that could do better was the Twyfelfontein Sauna and Spa: we only got to sleep there by wetting towels, ringing them out, and laying them on the bed. In the morning they were bone dry.

Namibia is a country with a wealth of "things to do" so it was a win-win deal. We couldn't fail to have a good time.

One extra note; we flew to Windhoek from Durban via Gaberone in a 40-seater jet with Air Namibia. A really great start to the trip. Unfortunately it only flies on alternate days so we had to use SAA Boeing 777 via Joburg for the return." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip

"This was the experience of a lifetime. Far exceeded our expectations.

The game drives, including the vehicle, were wonderful.

Stanford was a great guide--knowledgeable and well-suited for our family.

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I was amazed by how easy and efficient everything was, especially since we were traveling through multiple time zones while planning the trip and often did not have access to the internet." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 6 on a Tanzania safari

"We were looking for a change from bashing around in off road vehicles while laced with Malarone. In Galenia we found exactly what we wanted and will return. Samara will need a replacement but we are sure that can be done. If not, we would be happy to spend the whole holiday in Galenia.

As ever, Expert Africa and Lucy provided the friendly, slick, efficient and professional help we have come to expect. It all worked wonderfully well and a real bonus was to be able to meet Lucy for a drink in Cape Town. We probably have a few more African holidays in the bag and this one set a great pattern." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 11 on a South Africa trip