Reviews of safaris to Damaraland
1068 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Damaraland.
"Namibian safari trip"
Suggestions for improvement:
The feedback on the web site is very helpful in choosing the right place to stay.
Gwynneth was great for suggesting Mushara outpost rather than staying in Namutoni rest Camp, 3 nights at Namutoni would be a lot less pleasant than 3 nights at Mushara! Mushara was a very comfortable lodge.
I would strongly suggest though that you reccommend 4 wheel drive cars for 4 guests travelling together in future. The cost is a lot more, but we would gladly have paid it for the peace of mind. As you know, areas in Damaraland etc are extremely remote, and I dreaded breaking down there, and it was a real concern for us. At Etendeka we met a couple, also with a Toyota yarris, who were also having a lot of trouble driving on the gravel roads." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip
"Namibia & Botswana 2008"
After that Botswana was a slight anti-climax and appeared very over-priced by comparison with what we had experienced in Namibia. With the benefit of hindsight we also felt that 9 days of game drives was too repetitive.
Our poor experience at Kwara we feel was entirely due to the poor manager and housekeeper and could not have been foreseen by Expert Africa." Read full review: 25 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip
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"A most memorable experience"
Each location was small enough to feel the isolation and give us the freedom. We were able to feel the vastness and stillness of it all. All the accommodation was of a very high standard and comfortable but still gave us the feeling of being out in the wild.
It is a wonderful country with wonderful people and we were encouraged by the amount of conservation taking place and the help given to orphaned and under priviledged children in the Wilderness Safari camps." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip
"A wonderful holiday"
Maruska was a great help when I was struggling to organise the trip on my own.
I will certainly use Expert Africa again
Suggestions for improvement:
I was very impressed with the guidebiook which became our bible. The only shortcoming was the comment on Swartfontein in the guidebook. The italians left four years ago and the new owners, although perfectly nice, are very much concentrating on hunting and those of a mild disposition may find it uncomfortable if there are hunters amongs their fellow guests.
Thanks Maruska for your care and attention." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip
"Memories of Namibia"
Wildlife was a key reason for going and we were not disappointed. There are some things I think we should have done differently in hindsight; firstly we should have gone for a bigger car - the guides state that the roads are excellent and the tarred roads are exactly that. The gravel roads where we mostly drove though are rutted and in part quite dangerous and our mid-sized car had problems. Some days we drove 6+ hours with big 4x4s fyling past, we should have gone for a bigger car.
Secondly - we should have taken advice and stayed at somewhere other than Waterberg which was no where near as good as we expected.
Finally - we underestimated the time it would take to travel between locations, down to the roads again." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip
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The highlight was definitely visiting the Bushmen and the Skeleton Coast, both very special places.
Would like to go back again and see somemore." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip
"Beautiful Namibia"
Namibia is different from all of the other African countries we have visited and is a stunningly beautiful country. The highlights were - the rhinos at Ongava and the amazing night sky." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip
"Feedback to Expert Africa"
However I do feel that you as a company could give more tips - i.e I asked about what shoes to wear and If i hadn't I would not have taken my walking shoes which I wore 90% of the time _ this is invaluable info. I also asked about hairdryers and washing - invaluable. It would also have been nice to have know how safe it is to pick up travellers or to know about areas to visit on the way. ON the way to MOwani there are loads of villargers on the side of the roads selling there wares, you could visit the Brandenberg mountains _ I feel that because you gave us the Brandt book you thought it was ok but we are such busy people we cannot read the whole book before we go.. a few tips would have been nice and would have made the difference.
I do not understand why we were put in Kulala Lodge as it really didn't fit our spec and we were really disappointed with Swakopmund, we did not feel safe and it was pretty awful really!
Whenever I asked for help and advice Tracy and Sabina in Tracy's absence was great but you could have just made all the difference by adding those bits to your notes for travellers - also bits like how much to tips your guides, how much to tip petrol attendants when they wash your windows or car park attendants etc.
WE did have a wonderful wonderful holiday though so great great thanks to Tracey for organising it all so well." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip
Where 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.
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.
Camp Kipwe
With unusual, igloo-like rooms, open-air bathrooms and beautiful scenery, Camp Kipwe is well placed for nature and cultural excursions.
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.
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.
White Lady B & B
White Lady B&B, a small, comfortable guesthouse, offers a stepping stone to the sites of southern Damaraland.
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.
Brandberg Restcamp
Brandberg Restcamp is a simple, no-frills place, close to many attractions, offering sundowner drives, guided hikes up the Brandberg and game drives .
Onduli Ridge
Onduli Ridge is a luxurious, low-impact luxury camp offering top-notch guiding in a remote wilderness area of Damaraland.
Ugab Terrace Lodge
Ugab Terrace Lodge is a comfortable stopover between Damaraland and Etosha National Park or Namibia’s Central Highlands.
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.
Damara Mopane Lodge
Damara Mopane Lodge is a large 60 room lodge surrounded by beautiful gardens. It can be used as a comfortable stopover between Etosha and the Skeleton Coast
Huab Under Canvas
Huab under Canvas is a no thrills bush camp offering top notch guiding in a remote wilderness area of Damaraland.
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.
