Reviews of safaris to Damaraland
1126 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Damaraland.
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One more note for your book, Chris: the R200 note is now in common use in Namibia!
One final thought: We do think things are getting rather expensive in Southern Africa. I spent about £2000 while in Namibia in addition to the base cost of the trip (more than I had anticipated) - and I could have spent much more. Apparently there are people willing to pay £600 for a bottle of wine (see the Mushara wine list.) If people are not careful, they will price themselves out of the market!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Just do what you can to impress on the operators out there that they have a wonderful product, and it would be a real mistake to get greedy. Geese and golden eggs come to mind!!!" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip
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Etosha, one of our planned highlights was especially disappoiting due to the fact we only had a car (see earlier comments).
We saw almost no other 2WD vehicles throughout the trip and everyone we spoke to, either locals or in the tourism business could not believe we had been advised that a car would be ok for the journey we were undertaking.
We advise that under no circumstances future guests are infomred that a 2WD vechilce is acceptable.
One final recommnendation....provide some advice on tipping and especailly advise on the car park security attendants. The first time we parked the car and saw someone coming towards us with a cosh we thought we were going to be attacked and not that he was coming to offer to look after the car.!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
see comments throughout questionnaire.
I reiterate again DO NOT recommend 2WD vehicles... the stress, discomfort, seeemingly endless punctures/tyre problems overroad any real enjoyment of the holiday." Read full review: 23 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip
"A dream trip"
It was only once we got there that we realised the extent to which that knowledge and experience had been used to shape our trip into something that worked well for us and gave us a much better experience than we could have put together for ourselves. The advice and guidance, with some small exceptions, covered everything we needed to know to make life easy.
The exceptions - for me they were the lack of any obvious guidance on driving on sand roads (it's in the guidebook but I didn't see that until we were stuck), the detailed instructions for finding the wrong Erongo Lodge and something on the ubiquitous car guards would have been useful. My husband would have liked advice on going faster on the gravel roads when they're in poor condition - that was the local advice we were given and it certainly made the bumpier stretches less painful.
I can see however that there are inherent dangers in that and that it is important that less skillful drivers recognise that anything over 60-80kph could have unfortunate effects.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Any omissions were very minor. I'd be happy yo use you again and have certainly been recommending you to friends." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip
"Namibia and Botswana"
Selinda Camp was by far the best experience of the holiday, for us it was the perfect safari destination. Maybe because it is privately owned, it had that extra something? It was not nearly as expensive as Little Mombo, but it definitely had a 'magic ingredient'.
Last year we went to Lion Camp in Zambia, which is also on our favourite camp list, this is also privately owned, but again not on the silly cost list - so next time we book we will go for privately owned smaller camps.
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We would definitely use Expert Africa again." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 8 on a Botswana safari
"Namibia for the first time"
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Can't think of anything other than already mentioned." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip
"A Trip to Remember"
We found the Namibians very friendly and wishing to please. We were surprised there were so many gravel roads and driving on these does need concentration and so it would be our recommendation that at least two drivers are necessary and going as a four is ideal. It is a great country and amazing for its different scenery and areas of desert, bush and wildlife.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
We think you do a great job and are a very efficient organisation! Thank you for all your help and guidance." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip
"A great holiday"
Desert Rhino was our favourite place, followed by Ongava, Serra Cafema and then last would be Doro Nawas. We wouldn't stay at the Heinitzburg again.
The driving around was easy. You provided us with excellent information and all your arrangements were very well organised so we always knew where we were meant to be. If we did a trip again to Namibia, I think we would self-drive more or sort out a tented safari.
A negative we found with Namibia is that because of limited accommodation and because there are well-known sights, there is a sort of circuit that everyone appears to be doing, which made it feel a bit touristy.
On the positive side, the people are lovely and very helpful, and the country felt very safe to move around in.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Not really, we felt that Expert Africa did a very good job and were very helpful. however, having spent many holidays and lived in Africa, we did feel that Namibia is a very expensive destination." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip
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It is a fantastic country with so much to offer - we liked the emphasis on eco friendly and sustainable tourism.
We have returned home really relaxed and envigorated from all the experiences with nature.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
We would like to thank you for organising such an excellent trip for us. The accomodation you chose was very good and mostly excellent. The maps and directions were very helpful and meant we never got lost! Any queries we had were handled promptly and efficiently. We would highly recommend Expert Africa to friends and family - the service you gave us was most professional and while we were travelling independently we always felt that your professional advice was only a phone call away if we needed it - which is a great back-up and support when you are holidaying in a country very remote from your own home.
The information you gave us on the 200 rand notes was extremely helpful as the bank here in Ireland tried to give us 200 rand notes and had not been aware of any problem with them - and we read in a newspaper in Namibia that they were not acceptable and even newly printed 200 rand notes were not being accepted by some buisnesses." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip
"Trip of a life time"
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
A little more information on the weather. Did not expect it to be so consistently cold every evening except for our first evening in Windhoek or to be so windy." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip
"Trip of a life time"
Never to be forgotton but will loose all our friends raving about it!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Hard to think how you could have improved it. I think it was a shame we did not listen to the advice regarding our last camp in Botswana and feel she should have told us how little wild life ther was at Selinda. She did inform us the wild life was not as good here but there was very little." Read full review: 33 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip
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Inspire meWhere to stay in Damaraland
Our suggestions for safari camps in Damaraland
Doro Nawas
Comfortable rooms and a convenient location make the community run Doro Nawas a great base for exploring Damaraland.
Mowani Mountain Camp
Mowani is a beautiful and stylish mountain retreat in southern Damaraland; it makes a great base for visits toTwyfelfontein.
Damaraland Camp
Setting the standard for community partnerships, Damaraland Camp offers a beautiful location, a range of activities – and a genuine welcome.
Camp Kipwe
With unusual, igloo-like rooms, open-air bathrooms and beautiful scenery, Camp Kipwe is well placed for nature and cultural excursions.
Desert Rhino Camp
Desert Rhino Camp offers a rare opportunity to track black rhino on foot in one of the last true wilderness areas – an amazing experience.
Etendeka Camp
Etendeka is an owner-run camp in the remote and less visited north of Damaraland. The camp is renowned for it's spectacular guided walking trails.
Grootberg Lodge
On the edge of an ancient plateau Grootberg Lodge has a stunning location and arguably the best views of any lodge in Namibia.
Twyfelfontein C'try Lod.
A large lodge set among the rocks, Twyfelfontein Country Lodge is a convenient base for visiting the rock engravings, which are only 4km away.
Spitzkoppen Lodge
Spitzkoppen Lodge provides stylish accommodation in an area of scenic grandeur with guided access to sites of ancient Bushman rock art.
Palmwag Lodge
Palmwag Lodge has a great location by a spring in the Uniab River and offers access to an area where you can see a variety of desert-dwelling animals.
Huab Lodge
Huab is a classic little Namibian Lodge which is slightly off the beaten track in a lesser visited part of Damaraland.
Brandberg White Lady
Brandberg White Lady Lodge, nestled at the foot of its namesake, makes a good base from which to visit bushman rock paintings including the 'White Lady'.
Vingerklip Lodge
Vingerklip Lodge occupies a lovely location, but is a little too far east for guests to visit Damaraland's main attractions.
Khowarib Lodge
Khowarib Lodge has a great location overlooking the Hoanib River. This is one of the few places to offer authentic Himba village visits.
Onduli Ridge
Onduli Ridge is a luxurious, low-impact luxury camp offering top-notch guiding in a remote wilderness area of Damaraland.
Etendeka Hiking Trail
The Etendeka Walking Trail promises to offer a back-to-basics walking and camping experience in one of Namibia's most remote and untouched wilderness areas.
Malansrus Camp
Within easy reach of Twyfelfontein, Malansrus offers a simple but comfortable base for visits to the rock engravings or seek out desert-adapted elephants.
Palmwag Sleep-out
Palmwag Sleep-out is a simple camping experience and a great way to enjoy the remote beauty of the vast Palmwag Concession
Ozondjou Trails
The simple Ozondjou Trails gives a unique perspective on living with Damaraland’s desert-adapted elephants and how tourism is key to protecting them and the livelihood of the people.
Camp Doros
Small, intimate and with excellent eco-credentials, Camp Doros is set above an ephemeral river within a remote community concession of Damaraland.
Sorris Sorris Lodge
Overlooking the Brandberg Massif, Sorris Sorris is probably the most luxurious lodge in southern Damaraland.
