Reviews of safaris to NamibRand Nature Reserve

"We have travelled all over this world but this holiday is up there with the best few. It was a real adventure from start to finish.

We saw so many amazing sights and stayed at some amazing places.The service we received for management and staff alike was wonderful. If it hadn't have been for two things - not being able to see the Fish River Canyon, and the stay at the Ongava Lodge, we would say it was a perfect holiday but unfortunately this spoilt it somewhat.

Thanks to expert Africa for all arrangement which were perfect." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"Great trip with a great variety of lodges. Twenty one stops in total .

Very enjoyable and effortless driving between lodges. We covered 5,000 km in the rainy season with no problems. The twin cab Ford Ranger was perfect.

The following will be especially remembered
Dabis for the interest and the enthusiasm of the owner
Wolverdans for the situation and for the charm of Thelma
Vreugde for the friendliness of the family
Mundulea for everything about it
Nhoma for the humour of the bushmen
Ngoma for the lodge its situation and management" Read full review: 39 nights in Africa; 27 on a Namibia trip

"Perfect ! Thanks for the good service !" Read full review: 6 nights in Africa; 6 on a Namibia trip

"A superb holiday and an extremely well organised one, by an expert agent. Thank you Tracey" Read full review: 27 nights in Africa; 20 on a Namibia trip

"This was our first trip to Africa. We chose Namibia on the basis of its reputation for wildlife, fantastic terrain and 'emptiness' but also because it gave us the 'self drive experience' in a safe environment. It met or exceeded all our expectations, particularly the wildlife in Etosha.

Truly the trip of a lifetime that we will never forget - it has definitely made us want to visit Afica again in the future. We never felt uncomfortable in any way whist we were travelling and luckily did not experience any problems with the car - I wasn't looking forward to having to change a wheel by the side of the road in those temperatures!

Expert Africa arranged a great itinerary for us which we wouldn't have changed at all in retrospect, Also many thanks for the detailed replies to all our questions and queries before we left." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"Thanks to Maruska who organised a great trip for us at very short notice. We had previously visitied Namibia 9 years earlier so chose to visits areas we hadn't been to before, going down to the Fish River Canyon and up to Bushmanland.

The whole range and variety of scenery across the country continues to be massively impressive, with many places to relax in remote areas looking across vast expanses of land.

Self driving is very easy (provided you don't forget your driving licence as I did, needing to courier it out!). We took a 4x4 this time which realistically we only needed (but then certainly did) in 3 or 4 locations.

Tourism has clearly grown a lot in the last few years - we saw many more tourists driving on the roads compared to 9 years ago. The country still feels very safe (albeit there are now warnings in some major towns with regard to petty theft).

The Namibian people continue to be warm and friendly but we did notice a significant reduction in the interest of guides to ensure we had a great experience - many seemed to have lost some interest in the job. This may have been because we were in less visited areas or a dfference between the South and North of the country.

Still a fabulous country to visit.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

No improvements - Maruska was fabulous (again)" Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 18 on a Namibia trip

"A fantastic trip to a stunningly beautiful country, whose people are very warm and welcoming and funny!

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Both Chris and Tom put our trip to Namibia together at very short notice. They did an incredible job and our trip to Namibia has been our best family holiday so far.

Their knowledge of the country, and advice re where to stay (and ability to book amazing accommodation at short notice!) and what to do was invaluable. My husband and I are generally independent travellers, but in this case, the guidance and service we received from Chris and Tom was invaluable and our trip was all the better for it.

I cannot recommend Expert Africa highly enough.

Thank you both very much." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip

"Apart from the middle 4 days, what made our holiday memorable was the quality and variety of the hotels you chose for us and the people we met there. We left each place absolutely sure it couldn't be matched but every time, it was. Our 2 boys were welcomed by everyone and treated as adults. They will never forget it.

Each of the 4 lodges we liked were totally unique and SO special.

If we did it again, we would probably do a flight or two to cut down the length of time we spent in the car. The boys found the length of the journeys a bit onerous. If it wasn't for the seals we would miss out Swakopmund. We would also miss out Dune 7 where we went quadbiking and sand-boarding too. A tourist trap, if ever there was one.

All in all it was an incredible holiday and I can't wait to return to Africa. When I do, I will definitely use Expert Africa. Liz Chapman was absolutely wonderful. I will also recommend them to anyone planning a trip." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip

"In short, we felt like we had died and gone to heaven (and one of us almost pulled it off and went!). Maruska's expert advice, planning, and execution fulfilled our dreams and concepts of the perfect African safari. This unforgettable holiday started with us being whisked through the diplomatic lanes (by the delightful Wilderness Safari representative) in the Windhoek airport, and every experience that followed caused us to continually pinch ourselves ( I, 54 years old, even did cartwheels after sliding down the roaring dunes on the way to the skeleton coast).

Although we never imagined we would need to contact Maruska or Expert African on our trip, a surprise, unfortunate medical emergency caused Maruska to be contacted by our private guide Andrew Harkness. She immediately emailed me, expressing her sincere concerns and willingness to help in any way possible. She expediently helped me with the documentation of the cancelled portion of our trip, and all of her follow up communication has demonstrated her exceptional professionalism and her personal touch. We highly recommend her services and would use her again in a heartbeat!

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We think you have a sterling operation, which we will recommend to everyone we know who is considering a trip to Africa. Thank you Chris McIntyre for your guide books and for heading this superlative travel service!" Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip

"We enjoyed working with Liz and Expert Africa. We have not met in person, but she managed to understand perfectly what we were looking for. I would definitely contact her again if we return to Africa

The Wilderness staff at the airport, both on arrival and departure were very welcoming and helpful,

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

We really enjoyed the trip. Thank you." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip