Reviews of safaris to Central Highlands

"The trip was great.

3 nights Sossusvlei area, 2 nights Swakopmund, 2 nights Spitzkoppen, 3 nights Doro Nawas & Twyfelfontein area, 2 nights Okonjima, 4 nights Andersson's at Ongava & Etosha NP, 4 nights at the Mundulea Nature Reserve and one night at Windhoek at the end. Moving from the desert & the coast, the stunning mountain & dune landscapes to more & more wildlife sceneries.

The choice to tour Namibia clockwise self-driving was a good decision in retrospect. Starting at Windhoek and driving off immediately after landing early morning to the Sossusvlei area was a long exhausting drive, but the right choice to save a day, made easier from the start with the kind support of Expert Africa's partner in country Wilderness Safaris (nice relaxing lounge & office in the airport building, support for picking up the car, support for money exchange).

Redoing the trip, we would perhaps plan for 4 full weeks instead of 3 weeks, adding a night in Windhoek at the start of the trip, 3 nights at Okonjima in lieu of 2 nights, and take a flight back & forth from Doro Nawas (leaving the car there) to spend 2 or 3 nights at the Skeleton Coast NP in addition.

A fantastic trip & memories for the whole family." Read full review: 23 nights in Africa; 21 on a Namibia trip

"We had a wonderful 24-day road trip to Namibia in May / June 2024, followed by 5 days in Cape Town.

We really felt that we were listened too very carefully in the planning process.

I even got to see a pangolin which was top of my wish list.

We would highly recommend Expert Africa. Thank you Maruska!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
In the wildlife list leave a space to add wildlife which is not on the list." Read full review: 32 nights in Africa; 25 on a Namibia trip

"We thoroughly enjoyed the trip. The variety of scenery was fabulous and the standard of accommodation and food exceeded our expectations.

The itinerary and route worked out perfectly for 14 nights in the country. Everyone we met was very friendly and welcoming.

We weren’t expecting to see wildlife in such great numbers and to see so many baby animals was a great bonus.

Some of the road surfaces were quite challenging on the C and D roads, as were the roads to the waterholes in Etosha, but we did feel secure in our 4x4 and drove fairly cautiously, fortunately avoiding a puncture!

Chris McIntyre’s book was invaluable, particularly about the waterholes in Etosha, as well as the detailed travel documents and map. So much information on the website too, though some things need updating. For example, in Okaukuejo they no longer do a room inventory. Also, park entrance is now N$ 350 per 24hours for 2 persons plus vehicle." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"Fantastic experience or series of experiences. Lots of highlights. Country is very clean. The people are so proud of their country and are very friendly and hospitable.

Many different animals from penguins , seals and flamingoes on the coast to lions, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, leopards and cheetahs in the parks. Too many species of antelope to list and the same goes for birds. At least six types of eagle, alone.

In addition to the wildlife, the geology is astonishing. So many different styles of desert – not just the famous dunes – and so many different mountains with rocks of all sorts of shapes and sizes and minerals.

Three nights wild camping with a guide in Damaraland was an unforgettable experience.

We didn’t find the driving as difficult as we had thought – although a 4 x 4 is essential and we left the really difficult bits (e.g. sand dunes and canyons) to experienced guides.

Can’t wait to go back. Still plenty more to explore." Read full review: 33 nights in Africa; 26 on a Namibia trip

"We really enjoyed our Namibia self-drive holiday. The scenery was epic, the accommodation excellent and the experiences memorable. We feel privileged to have had this opportunity." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"The trip we chose meant that we were on gravel roads for possibly 75% of the almost 3000 kilometres that we travelled. Journeys, with stops, sometimes took 6 or 7 hours. We were happy with this but decided it is not for the feint hearted as much of the gravel roads were bone rattling!

Our Toyota Fortuna was fantastic and perfect for the journey.

The advice we received that it would be cold at night, turned out not to be accurate for our visit during the first 2 weeks of May. We packed too many thick clothes for the expected cold evenings which actually we only require d in Swakopmund.

Nearly all accommodation supplied Peaceful Sleep in the rooms which was appreciated.

The information given on all of the accommodations was completely accurate and well described.

The map supplied was good and detailed. We did use Google maps on occasions to lead us to the actual accommodation." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip

"This was an amazing trip and we are so grateful to Maruska for planning this in such an excellent way. We really liked the order of the journey, it felt like we were progressing through an African adventure, gaining experience and knowledge with each new location. The driving part of the trip was well planned and we were glad that we didn't try to go too far on any one day. There were a few spots where the roads really need grading, so our driving times were a bit longer (especially to Malansrus), but we really appreciated all the detail on how to get to each place. The lodges selected were outstanding. The Botswana portion of the trip was excellent and we were again happy with the order of where we stayed, saving Rra Dinare for last. With morning and afternoon game activities we got to see so many animals, enjoy sundowner drinks in locations we only dreamed of, and return with memories and photos that were beyond our expectations.

Overall, this trip was amazing and the experience and knowledge of Expert Africa (and Maruska) to arrange this made it so! We would recommend Expert Africa to to everyone we know that want a genuine trip to Africa.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Some of the times were a bit tight and travelling over lunchtime was a bit awkward to coordinate eating and newly arriving at a lodge with their planned itinerary." Read full review: 25 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip

"A fantastic trip, which exceeded our high expectations. We did a lot of driving of course, which is part of the adventure, roads were good.

Its had to think what we would have done even slightly different.

We came back full plans for next time." Read full review: 30 nights in Africa; 24 on a Namibia trip

"The walking safari format worked very well for us. In both cases, our guides were excellent (Boas at Etendeka and Bruno at Mundulea). We were able to see so much wildlife that we would have missed, but for the guides. We also liked being able to support projects like the Mundulea Reserve and Etendeka that are working to protect and restore habitat and wildlife in Namibia. The folks that we met (I am adding Harry Waterberg here) are doing such important work in protecting and restoring habitat.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
The trip logistics were great (accommodations, directions, choice of guides, locations, food, etc). One suggestion: This was our first time in Africa. We found it very helpful to have Grace's assistance when we arrived at the Windhoek Airport. We took your advice to check in at the Wilderness Safaris office there, and Grace took us under her wing and walked us through the process of using the cash machine to get local currency and picking up the rental car. She made that process so much smoother for us." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 8 on a Namibia trip

"I have recommended Expert Africa and Tracy Lederer several times to travellers I met on this trip. The first part in Namibia at the Namib-Naukluft Park was even more rewarding than I expected. It was very hot, however, I had 6 clear nights and took advantage of them to do my astrophotography with some excellent results. Being allowed to enter the main park early at 4.30am was a huge bonus. After that I was a little sleep deprived, but it was worth it Both Sossus Dune Lodge and Sossusvlei Desert Lodge were excellent.

The two "cat" related lodges Okonjima Bush Camp and Cheetah View Lodge were interesting and worth visiting. I spent 6 days at Cheetah View Lodge, 3 days at both lodges would have been sufficient.

Olive Grove Guesthouse and Ilala Lodge were repeat visits and I enjoyed both.

The disappointment of the tour was the Pangolin Photo Tour. It should have been excellent but the combination of an inexperienced Photo Host and poor drivers at the Ker and Downey camps was not effective. I would recommend the Chobe River as a wildlife photography site, however, I would be less enthusiastic about Pangolin Tour Company unless you were assured of an experienced photo host. The two Ker and Downey camps were OK, however, I've stayed in better camps in the Moremi and Kalahari areas." Read full review: 33 nights in Africa; 19 on a Namibia trip