Reviews of safaris to Damaraland
1126 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Damaraland.
Mr & Mrs M
Kent
""
I visited Namibia and 1 other country between 16 Nov 2009 and 11 Dec 2009
"excellent. the best organised and thought through trip we can remember anywhere in the world and we trvel alot to the far east and australasia. see me original e mail to tracy.
Further comments sent by email
In addition to their feedback above, these travellers made further comments about their trip, by email:
"We had a wonderful trip and enjoyed ourselves enormously.I wanted to tell you how impressed we have been with quality of service we have had from Expert Africa and you in particular.We travel extensively and we can honestly say that you are the best organised and professional tour operator that we have dealt with. The information and response to our questions before we left proved to be entirely accurate on the trip. It also became evident as time progressed that there was a well thought out reason for each of the stages and accomodation that had been booked.
Namibia was stunning and we also enjoyed our time in S Africa although I would avoid Plettenberg for the first 2 weeks of December as it is student rage time and there are lots of drunken and extremely loud school and college leavers there. It is difficult to select the best hotels as they were all good to excellent. However I would mention the Vineyard in Cape Town which is beautiful place and faultlessly managed with great staff.We also liked Oulap and Klippie River which I understand is up for sale.
In Namibia the best were Bullsport which was great introduction, Little Kulala and Dora Nawas both of which were stunning settings and a great experience. Okanijima,Onguma and Okaukuejo wre all excellent and we loved Etosha.
We will certainly highly recommend Expert Africa and when next we are going to Africa which I trust we will be soon we will definately be in contact. Thanks once again. I know it requires alot of effert on your behalf to provide this level of professional service"
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
no. I think you have got it right.keep it up" Read full review: 25 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip
Further comments sent by email
In addition to their feedback above, these travellers made further comments about their trip, by email:
"We had a wonderful trip and enjoyed ourselves enormously.I wanted to tell you how impressed we have been with quality of service we have had from Expert Africa and you in particular.We travel extensively and we can honestly say that you are the best organised and professional tour operator that we have dealt with. The information and response to our questions before we left proved to be entirely accurate on the trip. It also became evident as time progressed that there was a well thought out reason for each of the stages and accomodation that had been booked.
Namibia was stunning and we also enjoyed our time in S Africa although I would avoid Plettenberg for the first 2 weeks of December as it is student rage time and there are lots of drunken and extremely loud school and college leavers there. It is difficult to select the best hotels as they were all good to excellent. However I would mention the Vineyard in Cape Town which is beautiful place and faultlessly managed with great staff.We also liked Oulap and Klippie River which I understand is up for sale.
In Namibia the best were Bullsport which was great introduction, Little Kulala and Dora Nawas both of which were stunning settings and a great experience. Okanijima,Onguma and Okaukuejo wre all excellent and we loved Etosha.
We will certainly highly recommend Expert Africa and when next we are going to Africa which I trust we will be soon we will definately be in contact. Thanks once again. I know it requires alot of effert on your behalf to provide this level of professional service"
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
no. I think you have got it right.keep it up" Read full review: 25 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr G & Mrs S
Somerset
"So good we might have to go back!"
I visited Namibia between 25 Oct 2009 and 13 Nov 2009
"An amazing trip, certainly unforgettable. We thought it would be the trip of a lifetime, but now we are not sure. We may need to go back!
Next time I'd like to see some options so I get to choose what I am payng for. (type of vehicle, accommodation options, activities etc.) On this occasion we booked quite late so the options would have been limited, but having visited we know there are different camps
We were impressed with the itinerary that Sabina sorted for us, particularly booking the accommodations she did at such short notice. It was a pleasure to meet Chris at Ongava.
Thank you Sabina" Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip
Next time I'd like to see some options so I get to choose what I am payng for. (type of vehicle, accommodation options, activities etc.) On this occasion we booked quite late so the options would have been limited, but having visited we know there are different camps
We were impressed with the itinerary that Sabina sorted for us, particularly booking the accommodations she did at such short notice. It was a pleasure to meet Chris at Ongava.
Thank you Sabina" Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr B & Mr K
Kent
"So many wonderful memories"
I visited Namibia between 16 Oct 2009 and 1 Nov 2009
"No preparation could have prepared us for the sheer beauty of the desert, the dunes and the wide open African scenery. I had long wanted to go to Namibia and it far outshone our expectation and would return if i could.
We shared the wilderness cairport shuttle with another E.A. costomer and she said we'd find it addictive ----it sure is. Weve been far and wide over the years and this holiday is right up there amongst the top places.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Got the impression you are experts in Namibia and Tracy went out of her way to help us ----thank you" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip
We shared the wilderness cairport shuttle with another E.A. costomer and she said we'd find it addictive ----it sure is. Weve been far and wide over the years and this holiday is right up there amongst the top places.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Got the impression you are experts in Namibia and Tracy went out of her way to help us ----thank you" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr D&P& Mrs J&J
Essex
"A land of diversity and contrasts"
I visited Namibia between 14 Oct 2009 and 30 Oct 2009
"We were recommended to visit Namibia by some people we met in Botswana last year. It was a good piece of advice. We chose Expert Africa because they seemed to have the expertise to organise bespoke travel arrangements. During the planning stages nothing was overlooked by our consultant Sabina, and this gave us great confidence.
We would certainly advise like minded travellers to visit Namibia, and to trust Expert Africa as we did." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip
We would certainly advise like minded travellers to visit Namibia, and to trust Expert Africa as we did." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs A
Notts
""
I visited Namibia between 6 Oct 2009 and 27 Oct 2009
"We had a wonderful trip despite a few blips, none of which were down to Expert Africa and we have recommended your services very highly to fellow travellers of all nationalities. In most of the camps visited it was lovely that they had taken note of your having informed all camps of the celebratory nature of our trip.
Bearing in mind the importance of transport to travellers in Namibia notice should be taken of our comments re Budget as one of the greatest worries on a trip of this nature is the comfort and reliability of your vehicle.
Namibia remains one of favourite destinations and we shall visit again. This is a wonderful country, totally different to all the others we have visited both in scale and emphasis and the people are wonderfully friendly and genuinely hospitable. We were met with true kindness and enthusiasm including when we travelled a scenic D route ( D2319 on our way to Uis), very much off the beaten track and were met by a steep bank and water filled river. On getting out of the vehicle to determine the water depth and whether we should proceed we were suddenly surrounded by a group of young boys herding cattle upstream who encouraged us to proceed, promising that they would push us out if needs be. It cost us all our biscuits, a little bit of money and lots of laughs. This was typical of our welcome everywhere we travelled.
This was our second trip, but was even more enjoyable as we had decided to take more time to enjoy this wonderful country. The scenery, the scale and the people make this an unparalled destination.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Thank you as always. You make planning the holidays a pleasure and think of absolutely everything even before we do. We know we can follow your recommendations with complete confidence and recommend you to others withour reservation." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip
Bearing in mind the importance of transport to travellers in Namibia notice should be taken of our comments re Budget as one of the greatest worries on a trip of this nature is the comfort and reliability of your vehicle.
Namibia remains one of favourite destinations and we shall visit again. This is a wonderful country, totally different to all the others we have visited both in scale and emphasis and the people are wonderfully friendly and genuinely hospitable. We were met with true kindness and enthusiasm including when we travelled a scenic D route ( D2319 on our way to Uis), very much off the beaten track and were met by a steep bank and water filled river. On getting out of the vehicle to determine the water depth and whether we should proceed we were suddenly surrounded by a group of young boys herding cattle upstream who encouraged us to proceed, promising that they would push us out if needs be. It cost us all our biscuits, a little bit of money and lots of laughs. This was typical of our welcome everywhere we travelled.
This was our second trip, but was even more enjoyable as we had decided to take more time to enjoy this wonderful country. The scenery, the scale and the people make this an unparalled destination.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Thank you as always. You make planning the holidays a pleasure and think of absolutely everything even before we do. We know we can follow your recommendations with complete confidence and recommend you to others withour reservation." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip
Overall trip
Excellent
Ms H & Mr D
Oldham
"Great trip - even better than expected."
I visited Namibia between 6 Oct 2009 and 22 Oct 2009
"We had a wonderful time, we loved the isolation, the landscapes, the peace and quiet, the wildlife and the great lodges. We found the driving easy and enjoyable and the people were very friendly and welcoming. Namibia was a perfect destination for us and one that we will return to.
Gwynneth was very helpful making suggestions for accommodation when my preferred, researched ones, were unavailable. I had not realized in my inital dealings with Gwynneth that she was from Namibia though her knowledge and personal experiences should maybe have gven me a clue!! What I was impressed with was Gwynneths 'connection' to my trip - I didn't need to remind her of were we wanted to go or wanted to stay and felt she got a good measure of us and our needs/wants in making the recommendations she did. She also dealt with any query, no matter how minor, with ease and enthusiasm (even though I'm sure I asked some pretty basic and cautionary questions). Gwynneth also dealt with the unfortunate cancellation of Air Namibia flights from London very efficiently and calmly - which helped me not get too worked up about it either.
We would recommend Expert Africa to our friends and hope to travel with you again. One of the great pluses of your service is that you confirm the whole trip prior to any comittment being made by the customer - don't change it!! Loved the travel document wallet too (the little things count)." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip
Gwynneth was very helpful making suggestions for accommodation when my preferred, researched ones, were unavailable. I had not realized in my inital dealings with Gwynneth that she was from Namibia though her knowledge and personal experiences should maybe have gven me a clue!! What I was impressed with was Gwynneths 'connection' to my trip - I didn't need to remind her of were we wanted to go or wanted to stay and felt she got a good measure of us and our needs/wants in making the recommendations she did. She also dealt with any query, no matter how minor, with ease and enthusiasm (even though I'm sure I asked some pretty basic and cautionary questions). Gwynneth also dealt with the unfortunate cancellation of Air Namibia flights from London very efficiently and calmly - which helped me not get too worked up about it either.
We would recommend Expert Africa to our friends and hope to travel with you again. One of the great pluses of your service is that you confirm the whole trip prior to any comittment being made by the customer - don't change it!! Loved the travel document wallet too (the little things count)." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip
Overall trip
Excellent
Ms J & Dr S
London
"A & a in Namibia"
I visited Namibia between 3 Oct 2009 and 17 Oct 2009
"We had sought to cover more than most in a 16 day trip, and the combination of road & flights worked really well, so thank you Maruska for putting together such a workable itinerary. It helped that A loves driving and so was more than happy to cover 450km in a day when needed - and the roads were quite okay. Worst bit was a patch on the C12 to Fish River canyon (very bumpy) but other than that we had some fantastic drives, particularly the C13 from Fish River canyon up to Aus - stunning!
Our route was Windhoek-Bagatelle-Fish River Canyon-Aus-Luderitz-Wolwedans-Little Kulala (by car) and then Doro Nawas-Ongava Lodge-Windhoek by plane. It was a throughly enjoyable mixture of hikes, wildlife, dunes, scenic drives and flights. We consider ourselves immensely privileged to have seen Namibia's nature when it wished to reveal itself - be it lion cub, hyena, scorpion, desert elephant, rainbow, lightening... fabulous!
Suggestions for improvements:
Only thing I would have appreciated was a simple guide to birds & wildlife - just a basic booklet of the most likely suspects. I picked up a check-list (no pictures) at Little Kulala, and bought the Etosha guide booklet - but that was our last stop so it was tricky remembering what we'd seen. Couldn't find anything suitable in any of the lodge shops en route and didn't want or need individual books on birds, mammals, reptiles etc" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip
Our route was Windhoek-Bagatelle-Fish River Canyon-Aus-Luderitz-Wolwedans-Little Kulala (by car) and then Doro Nawas-Ongava Lodge-Windhoek by plane. It was a throughly enjoyable mixture of hikes, wildlife, dunes, scenic drives and flights. We consider ourselves immensely privileged to have seen Namibia's nature when it wished to reveal itself - be it lion cub, hyena, scorpion, desert elephant, rainbow, lightening... fabulous!
Suggestions for improvements:
Only thing I would have appreciated was a simple guide to birds & wildlife - just a basic booklet of the most likely suspects. I picked up a check-list (no pictures) at Little Kulala, and bought the Etosha guide booklet - but that was our last stop so it was tricky remembering what we'd seen. Couldn't find anything suitable in any of the lodge shops en route and didn't want or need individual books on birds, mammals, reptiles etc" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs W
Kensington
""
I visited Namibia between 3 Oct 2009 and 19 Oct 2009
"Great holiday overall and we were awe struck by the landscape. There are a few things we would do differently such as:
Skip Windhoek
Stay closer to Etosha
Do Twyfelfontein from a different lodge
Do half day tour at Swakopmund
But these are details; it was a great great holiday and we hope to do Fish River Canyon and The Caprivi Strip on our next visit." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip
Skip Windhoek
Stay closer to Etosha
Do Twyfelfontein from a different lodge
Do half day tour at Swakopmund
But these are details; it was a great great holiday and we hope to do Fish River Canyon and The Caprivi Strip on our next visit." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip
Overall trip
Excellent
Miss G
Thetford
"Awesome- everything I could wish for and more"
I visited Namibia between 3 Oct 2009 and 15 Oct 2009
"Having been born in Africa and not visited it for over 14 years this trip has been a truly wonderful opportunity to rekindle my passion for this continent and has left me very homesick for the place where my heart with forever truly lie.
One Africa is in your blood or gets under your skin you will never cease to hanker for the open space, simplicity and true honest friendly welcome of the local people. The terrain and landscape is breathtaking, so variable and truely magical.
Suggestions for improvement:
Keep up the amazing work- it has been terrific to deal with a company that truely understands and is willing to advise and put together an itinerary hat is so perfectly suited to a clients requirements and desires. Thanks so much for making this trip everything | had hoped for and more!" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 4 on a Namibia trip
One Africa is in your blood or gets under your skin you will never cease to hanker for the open space, simplicity and true honest friendly welcome of the local people. The terrain and landscape is breathtaking, so variable and truely magical.
Suggestions for improvement:
Keep up the amazing work- it has been terrific to deal with a company that truely understands and is willing to advise and put together an itinerary hat is so perfectly suited to a clients requirements and desires. Thanks so much for making this trip everything | had hoped for and more!" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 4 on a Namibia trip
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs W
Warwick
"A wonderful holiday"
I visited Namibia between 2 Oct 2009 and 17 Oct 2009
"The animals at Etosha were inevitably he highlight of our trip but this doe not take away anything from the rst of our holiday. We stayed at some exceptional places and had some wonderful experiences. Namibia is a stunning country and we enjoyed every aspect to it.
This is the second time we have used Expert Africa and the Bradt guide and are sure to use them both again. Sabina was always helpful and responded well to all my quirky requests.
Suggestions for improvement:
This not an improvement but is something I would like EXpert to consider taking up.
This is that I think that the quality of the experience offered by NWR at, especially, Etosha is deteriorating. Although the individual staff are generally courteous and helpful I think they need to improve their service as they no longer offer a value for money experience compared with that offered by the lodges with which they are in competition. This is an issue for them but my main concern lies with their management of the Park.
Firstly, I was extrememly concerned by their seeming lack of an effective response to a fire in the Park when I was there at the beginning of October. I first noticed the fire in the morning as a very small column of smoke which by the end of the day had extended on at least a 5km front from the western edge of the park right up to the Pan. I was told this was not the first big fire recently and would like to be assured that the NWR was learning from its recent experiences in this regard.
Secondly, the absence of rangers on patrol within the Park meant that there was little policing going on. It suggested to me that the aminals of secondary importance and this might be symptomatic of a neglect of the environmental conservation aspect of managing the park and that sadly it is increasingly looked upon by government as solely a cash cow." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip
This is the second time we have used Expert Africa and the Bradt guide and are sure to use them both again. Sabina was always helpful and responded well to all my quirky requests.
Suggestions for improvement:
This not an improvement but is something I would like EXpert to consider taking up.
This is that I think that the quality of the experience offered by NWR at, especially, Etosha is deteriorating. Although the individual staff are generally courteous and helpful I think they need to improve their service as they no longer offer a value for money experience compared with that offered by the lodges with which they are in competition. This is an issue for them but my main concern lies with their management of the Park.
Firstly, I was extrememly concerned by their seeming lack of an effective response to a fire in the Park when I was there at the beginning of October. I first noticed the fire in the morning as a very small column of smoke which by the end of the day had extended on at least a 5km front from the western edge of the park right up to the Pan. I was told this was not the first big fire recently and would like to be assured that the NWR was learning from its recent experiences in this regard.
Secondly, the absence of rangers on patrol within the Park meant that there was little policing going on. It suggested to me that the aminals of secondary importance and this might be symptomatic of a neglect of the environmental conservation aspect of managing the park and that sadly it is increasingly looked upon by government as solely a cash cow." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip
Overall trip
Excellent
1126
reviews of Damaraland by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
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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.
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.
Etendeka Walking 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.
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.
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
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.
