Reviews of safaris to North-west Kalahari & Panhandle

"This was our fourth trip to Namibia, first to Botswana, and we think it was the best trip of all. We have used Expert Africa for every trip, along routes that we have chosen and planned ourselves. We will definitely continue to do so. Their staff's professionalism, knowledge and understanding of the country and the visitor's needs are second to none; we would not contemplate looking at another company.

The route, which Claire advised us on, was excellent, taking in a variety of landscapes from these beautiful countries. She took our initial wish-list and turned it into an affordable and practical trip. Perhaps a couple of the drives between destinations were a little too long, but certainly they were achievable in a day.

We have not visited the north of Namibia before and this, along with Botswana, provided a very different, water-based experience. The lodges were all excellent; all very different, but provided amazing experiences. We are always stunned at the quality of food, service and accommodation that are produced in the middle of nowhere!

The Namibian peoples are so friendly and eager to please their visitors. The guides are always professional, knowledgeable and well-educated. They manage to provide a personal experience to each and every visitor.

It was a bonus to be greeted at Windhoek airport by a member of Wilderness safaris and helped through the car hire process. Also, the use of their lounge upon our return was good, as was the help to bypass a long queue for the baggage check.

The only trouble is - we want to go back again now!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

No, it's all just great." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip

"This was our first safari holiday and our first time in Africa and as such this was an excellent holiday with all expectations met or exceeded and with many surprises on the way. The holiday was very well organised and transfers between the lodges never caused a problem.

We saw all the animals we had hoped to see, and a few more, and despite the early morning starts, the immersion in the world of safaris was both restful and refreshing. Driving in Namibia was unproblematic and the border crossings in and out of Botswana were relatively quick.

My personal highlights: watching giraffes taking on cheetahs at Okonjima; walking to a group of Rhinos at Ongava; the beautiful Tree Top camp at Onguma; fishing in the Okavango at Nxamaresi; and the huge herds of elephants at Nambwa and Garden Lodge." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip

"We thoroughly enjoyed our trip.

the only part where we were disappointed was with the transfer arrangements between Muchenje Lodge and Victoria Falls but this feedback form does not provide the opportunity to comment." Read full review: 25 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip

"The entire trip was excellent and once again we really were so happy with the service and preparation provided by Sabina and her colleagues at Expert Africa.

We also ended the holiday with a self-organised further 3 days in Kruger in South Africa, spending time and seeing incredible animals there too, with our friends from Cape Town, so in its entirety our holiday was by far one of the best we have ever had in this part of the world.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Keep doing the good job.

And - although more on the joking side - perhaps advise in more detail customers who plan to drive in Botswana about the speed limits and how strictly they are checked (and penalised!) by the Botswana police. Also, worth advising that sometimes the speed limit will be reduced from 120 to 60 in a very short distance which almost can make it impossible to get under 60 - I was done for this although doing only 67, had my licence retained (in Gumari) while I drove to the cash machine to extract Pula to pay the fine. And the potholes on Botswana roads - this was something I have never seen before and so worth tipping off the drivers to pay really close attention to them, as they can be really dangerous if you are not careful!" Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 6 on a Namibia trip

"We had a fantastic trip. We had a fairly good idea of what we wanted to do from the outset, having travelled reasonably widely in the region before.

Expert Africa listened well, came up with a good itinerary first up and put us in the type of camps that we really like. You can't ask for more than that." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zambia safari

"What made this trip so special was its diverse nature.

Our itinerary was a balance between adventure (self-drive in Botswana and the Caprivi Strip); land- and water-based game and bird viewing; history and culture. All of this using accommodation ranging from the rustic to the luxurious. We always felt comfortable, even in Zimbabwe which was really the wild card.

We would have no hesitation in returning there (though not driving) or recommending it to others. It is a country with great tourism potential which one day will be allowed to flourish." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zimbabwe safari

"We thoroughly enjoyed our journey through northern Namibia and the Caprivi and our two sorties into Botswana.

Our entry to Namibia at Windhoek was very disappointing and time consuming. Immigration there had recently introduced new systems to photograph and fingerprint all arrivals. Perhaps teething problems with the new technology and certainly the small number of officers on duty meant it took us two and a half hours from exiting the plane to enter the country, all while standing in a small hot room.

This delay meant we could not arrive at our next destination in time for it's afternoon game drive. Those that had prepaid would have lost our financially as well as in terms of enjoyment." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip

"Wonderful trip!" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip

"Wonderful trip

No hiccups with bookings thanks very much Maruska" Read full review: 32 nights in Africa; 23 on a Namibia trip

"We had a fabulous holiday full of fun and adventures. The trip was made so perfect by the people looking after us.

When we lost documents Expert Africa and the staff at Lianshula showed amazingly professionalism.

A true test of a good business is how they deal with their clients in a crisis. From our experience any one travelling with Expert Africa can be assured of a great holiday and if any incident / accident occurs they have the knowledge and contacts to turn a crisis into a great story. The perfect company with which to have " safe adventures " 🤗" Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip