Reviews of safaris to Damaraland
1127 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Damaraland.
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With a trip such as this there were 'highlights' just about everyday (which itself tells it's own story) but, that said there was, of course, still a personal 'pecking order' which for us would be this: spending 3 nights/2 full days with Bruno Nebe at Mundulea was, quite simply, a dellight and a real priviledge and was, by a long way, the best highlight for us.
Next would be Zebra River Lodge which was so relaxing and where the welcome and hospitality from our (stand-in hosts) Merle and Thom oozed genuinenss and care (something we found rather llacking at most of the 'up-market' lodges where it felt like everything was done to a standard format of 'one size fits all' mentality rather than looking at the requirements of the individual guest.
Joint 3rd would be our day spent with Allie and the trackers at Desert Rhino Camp and with Wayne, Alexandra and Heidi on the Sandwich Harbour trip. Finally our very sincere thanks to Maruska who organised every part of our trip from start to finish with both professionalism and great proficiency and, at at all times a really friendly disposition - even in the face of my multiple e-mail enquiries and on the occasion when I answered her call on my mobille with a greeting of "Hi babes!" (mistakenly thinking it was my wife Joy calling!!). She was even kind enough to say that it made her day!
On that note thanks once again to Maruska, Chris and all the staff at Expert Africa for masterminding such a wonderful holiday. We are now saving our pennies so that hopefully we can undertake another big trip in the not too distant future" Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip
"Namibia May 2009"
Suggestions for improvement:
No, we felt we were in very good hands and thanks to Tracy." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip
"Wonderful experience; will it last?"
The distances were OK but with not much to see from the road took up an undue proportion of the holiday time - maybe travelling between locations by light aircraft would be better. The lodges etc. were all very different, which was good, but on a lot of the game drives we tended to see the same animals. We were pleased not to have stayed at any of the camps inside Etosha as they lacked atmosphere but they did look very clean and Okaukuejo's water hole, not to be missed and with good viewing facilities, had an amazing number of wildlife visitors.
There had been a lot of rain this year so the grass was tall and hid e.g. cheetahs which might have been there. The reserves did not have the 'wildness' of e.g. the Masai Mara. We had no problems at all with our bookings and ExpertAfrica are to be congratluated on this and all other aspects." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip
"Marvellous"
Suggestions for improvements:
I honestly can't think of any suggestions. The service you offer has been excellent & we are also grateful for your ongoing help while we sort out our insurance claims" Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 10 on a Namibia trip
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Our itinerary as prepared by Expert Africa perfectly and the recommendations of our agent, Gwynneth, for Xigera in Botswana, and Erongo Wilderness Lodge and Olive Grove Guest House in Namibia, lived up to our expectations.
We like the flexibility of being able to combine our own travel arrangements with those made for us by Expert Africa." Read full review: 34 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip
"A holiday like no other"
It was really good to see that they are so passionate about their country and that recycling has really taken off here, everyone seems to take it so seriously.
The scenary and wildlife are incredable. A really memorable time was had by all of us." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 8 on a Namibia trip
"Expert Africa trip to Namibia/Mozambique"
Gwyneth was so helpful before and during our trip!!!! Thank you!! We found all of the information/maps/notes etc provided by the team to be invaluable for our trip and Chris's book was brilliant!!
The highlighted map was a must and we would have been lost (quite literally) without it!!!! We will definitely be recommending expert africa to our friends and family!!!!" Read full review: 22 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip
"Amazing Honeymoon"
We would not normally book through an agent but Expert Africa were excellent and veyr attentive to the details. The are extremely knowledgeable about the lodges and the area and this really is an excellent service that they provide. Normally we wouldn't trust someone to guide us so much with an itinerary or accommodation. We had a rough idea of where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do but Sabina was excellent at putting this all together and arranging everything. She was responsive and quick to follow up on any questions that we had. I would highly recommned Expert anytime for a trip to Africa!
One thing that we felt was that the private lodges were much more luxurious and attentive to their guests than the Wilderness camps. we liked the Wilderness camps but you could certainly feel the difference between the privately managed and owned ones compared to the larger Wilderness camps management and company.
As for the trip itself it was truly amazing and we would love to go back at some point as we fell in love with the country. we loved the fact that you have the freedom to drive around yourself through the parks and can stay in such luxurious lodges with a variety of activites.
We were blown away by the whole experience. We would like to thank Sabina for all of her help in making it such a great trip.
Suggestions for improvement:
I would just encourage you to invest in your people and the FAM trips to the various locations, particularly in these harder economic times, as i think this is really what makes your service stand out and go above and beyond. We really trusted your service and advice and this made it so much easier with all of the other wedding preparations and took away a lot of the stress. The whole customer experience was spot on. Well done to you all. This is something that i strive for, as a manager in the travel trade, with my staff .!" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip
"Superb - a once in a lifetime experience"
Namibia is so varied and we did so many different things that it felt like we'd been away for a lot longer than we had.
Thank you for helping make our honeymoon extra special!
Suggestions for improvements:
Both the trip and service were excellent.
The only thing I would have changed is to take more warm clothes for the evening - it got really quite cold which we expected in some places but not everywhere. One fleece wasn't enough.
A tip for contact lens wearers - get prescription sunglassers! it's obvious when you think about it but the dust means that lens really aren't good during the day. (Thankfully I bought some the day before our trip)" Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 19 on a Namibia trip
"trip of a lifetime!"
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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.
