Reviews of safaris to Caprivi Strip
Caprivi Strip verified traveller reviews of the camps and lodges we've hand picked in the Caprivi.
"Twenty-one lovely days in Namibia & Botswana!"
The one contact we had with Wilderness Safaris was good too - through the delay at the airport with the car hire, and the fact that we took one wrong turning on the motorway, we were on course to arrive too late in Waterberg. Wilderness had an emergency phone no and she arranged for the Waterberg gate to stay open, so that problem was solved.
We were also very satisfied with the whole procedure between our first enquiry and the actual trip. Maruska was extremely helpful and efficient, patiently giving us detailed answers to any question we had." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip
"Namibia honeymoon"
What is always difficult is the estimation of a good itinerary - there were some days that we were more in the car than we planned or expected to be, but it's difficult to avoid unless you go again to a place you already know a little bit." Read full review: 26 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip
"We are recommending Expert Africa to all"
We have already recommended Expert Africa to several of our friends who are looking to travel to southern Africa and we will always use yoru services in future trips there. Thank you so much for all your work setting this up, knowing the best places to go, it was really the trip of a lifetime!
Two suggestions: we traveled by car from Gaboronne to Kasane (which we suggested and wanted to do) but wouldn't again because the road from Francistown to Kasane is the most horrendous road we have ever been on...I can't believe they even let cars attempt it...huge craters in the road big enough to swallow a VW mini-bus, we ended up driving way over on the shoulder to avoid wrecking the car. It doesn't look like this road is going to get fixed any time soon, either so please insist that people need to hire a 4x4 vehicle if they are going to drive on it.
Likewise with the road to the Rhino Camp (it wasn't as bad as the road in Botswana). It would have been wiser for us to hire a 4x4. While we managed to travel fine on these roads, the stress of not wanting to damage the undercarriage (which was not covered in the insurance) and the rush to get to the Rhino camp pick up location on time--made us with we had a vehicle with more clearance.
Overall it was a wonderful trip. Again thank you Maruska for all your hard work getting this together. We will look forward to using Expert Africa again on our next visit to southern Africa.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service
I think I've put these into the regular comments. Hard to say how it could have been improved at all. Expert Africa ROCKS!" Read full review: 28 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip
"Better than we'd hoped or expected."
We completed 3850km (mostly on good tar roads at 120kph) in my brother's 8 year/150,000km-old Toyota Corrolla, without a hitch. Only disappointment: we didn't get a chance to sample the rescue & recovery services. Reports from fellow travellers were however encouraging and there was enough traffic on all roads to give us confidence. Border crossings were troulble free and relatively quick. We used Tom-Tom SatNav with the Southern Africa maps from UK, it was a good supplement to the paper maps and Brandt guidebooks, giving us accurate road mileages and ETAs.
In Bulawayo we stayed at the Banff Lodge: highly recommended. Travel in Zimbabwe was a pleasent surprise: recent changes to make USD & ZAR official have made it much easier for foreigners. There is an air of quiet optimism about, but filling stations, electricity and phone connections are not constantly available, and the neglect of infrastucture & public facility maintenance is quite evident. No problems with immigration/emigration (we did both twice), and people generally very friendly, welcomong and helpful.
The lodges we chose were most satisfactory and exceeded our expectations in many cases, particularly Chitabe Lebida, Etosha Aoba & Camp Kwando. Due to the distances travelled, we did not spend long enough at some ot the locations, but I don't see any way around this as we wanted to drive to get a good feel of the countries visited, maybe next time we'll stay an extra week or two! We would spend more time in the Delta: Chitabe is largely dry and we would liked to have sampled a wetter location too. Similarly, Etosha merits more than just 3 days in the Eastern sector." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 7 on a Namibia trip
"Windhoek to Victoria Falls"
When we reached Victoria Falls we felt very satisfied that we (or rather my husband) had driven all the way up from Cape Town over the course of 3 holidays (thanks for the idea Chris).
Some of the scenery was superb - we've never seen such beautiful and unspoilt wetland areas. We considered ourselves fortunate to have seen it at a time of exceptionally high water although the recent flooding has not been great for local residents" Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 10 on a Namibia trip
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All the lodges surpassed our expectations
Suggestions for improvement:
For us you can't improve on perfection.." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip
"The B's from Biggin"
Suggestions for improvement:
we would certainly like to thank Sabina for her help. Having done three trips previously we knew what we wanted and some of Sabina's suggestions turned out to be great." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip
"excellent trip ,well done expert africa again"
Thank you Maruska,we highly recommend your firm having done a fly drive twice.
keep up the good work,2 trips were excellet thank you" Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip
"Namibia and Botswana in Novemer"
It was a lesson to me to research the weather pattern better,and not to be put off by difficulty wih accomodation to push the dates on to a less favourable season
This is not to say that we had a great well organised trip, in which all your arrangemets were well thought out, lodges well selected, and went like clockwork.
We would certainly travel with expert africa again." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip
"Our Safari"
Apart from the flies our only other grumble was having to pay £75 visa charge each for a 6 hour stay in Zambia while en-route to Namibia,and then being charged again when we returned 5 days later.
No, the service and trip lived up to our expectations." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 6 on a Zambia safari
Where to stay in Caprivi Strip
Our suggestions for safari camps in Caprivi Strip
Ndhovu Safari Lodge
Ndhovu is a simple riverside lodge, with tents that are reminiscent of safaris a decade or two ago.
Hakusembe Lodge
Hakusembe River Lodge is a substantial lodge with a superb location on the Kavango River.
Chobe Princesses
The Chobe Princess houseboats offer a memorable way to explore the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers in Namibia's Caprivi. Perfect for a couple or for a group of family or friends.
Lianshulu Lodge
Beside the Kwando River, within Mudumu National Park, Lianshulu is a small safari lodge offering 4WD safaris and river trips – with particularly good birdlife.
Nkasa Lupala
Peaceful Nkasa Lupala is a comfortable lodge in a remote and little-explored area close to Nkasa Rupara National Park.
Nunda River Lodge
NNunda River Lodge overlooks a pretty part of the Kavango River near Popa Falls and the productive Mahango National Park.
Camp Kwando
Near to Mudumu National Park, Camp Kwando is a comfortable and unfussy option with opportunities for game drives, boat safaris and fishing.
Ichingo Chobe Lodge
Safari holiday in Namibia's Caprivi Strip, staying at Ichingo Chobe River Lodge on Impalila Island.
Nambwa Tented Lodge
A beautiful safari lodge In the remote Bwabwata National Park, Nambwa Tented Lodge brings serious comfort to a relaxing safari.
River Dance
Build on stilts on the banks of the Kavango River, River Dance Lodge has great views, a relaxed ambience and excellent birdlife.
Taranga Lodge
Situated on the banks of the Kavango, Taranga Safari Lodge works as a convenient stopover before going onto explore the Caprivi.
Zambezi Queen
The Zambezi Queen offers luxurious two- and three-night cruises along the game-rich Chobe River, including game viewing by small boat and 4WD as well as catch-and-release fishing.
Divava Lodge & Spa
The substantial Divava Okavango Lodge & Spa offers plenty of pampering opportunities in an unspoilt riverside setting
Kaza Safari Lodge
Kaza Safari Lodge is situated on the great Zambezi River; come for relaxation, great birding and boat trips along the Chobe Riverfront.
Cascade Island Lodge
Cascade Island Lodge, near Kasane in the Caprivi Strip is a very luxurious, high end option for those seeking peace and privacy on the Zambezi River.
Namushasha Lodge
One of the larger lodges in the Bwabwata National Park, Namushasha is an economic option with an attractive river-side location.
Shametu Lodge
Shametu River Lodge has the best views of the Popa Rapids of any private lodge in the Divundu area.
Jackalberry Camp
Jackalberry Camp is uniquely situated in the Nkasa Rupara National Park affording unrivalled access to this little-visited corner of Namibia.
Kazile Island Lodge
On an island in the Kwando River within Bwabwata National Park, the remote Kazile lsland Lodge offers games drives, bush walks and boat cruises.
Serondela
Accessible only by river, Serondela combines the remoteness of Namibia’s Caprivi Strip with access to Botswana’s flagship Chobe National Park.
Chobe Savanna Lodge
Chobe Savanna Lodge stands opposite Chobe National Park, Botswana. Click here to learn more about the area and your options for a safari there.
Nambwa Lagoon Camp
Nambwa Lagoon Camp is a small, tented satellite camp near the Kwando River offering boat trips, birding and game drives.
Chobe Water Villas
Chobe Water Villas is a beautiful and thoughtfully designed lodge, in a great location on the Namibian banks of the Chobe River.
