Namibia: reviews from our travellers

"We had an amazing adventure through SA, Namibia and Botswana. Being independent Kiwis, we were keen on arranging our own itinerary and travelling under our own steam, preferably off the beaten tourist track. Namibia appealed, and once I found your amazing website I was hooked. In a former life I was a travel agent here in NZ, but most trips were packaged and rigid, and that was not what we wanted. Having worked out roughly where we wanted to go, I emailed your office, who then referred me to your Namibian expert who (unbelievably!) actually lived in NZ.

Maruska's in depth knowledge of Namibia and her recommendations really made the trip work. Travelling distances were good, and although we travelled over 7,500 km in 5 weeks, it was very do-able. Maruska listened to our preferences and we were delighted with her choice of accom. We enjoyed having the freedom of travelling in the 4WDs to suit ourselves. I fully expected the odd hiccup when we finished with the vehicles and then were reliant on a complicated series of transfers, boats, small planes with no set schedule, more transfers etc, but it all went according to plan and worked like clockwork.

Full marks to Maruska and your agents in Namibia and Botswana for attention to detail and for putting it all together.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Just keep doing what you do so well. Your website is just fantastic, great to read other peoples reviews, which is why I've spent all day putting up all this feedback (Sorry it took so long!).

The Brandt guides to Namibia and Botswana are actually in our local library, and it was from there I picked up the website in the first place. Our copies are well worn from the trip, and there was a bit of a bun fight over who kept them. Maybe one per couple would be good, or at least one per vehicle? The Namibia maps were great and Maruska had highlighted each of our stops which was also great attention to detail. We were very happy with the service we received from Maruska - she's a gem - look after her!" Read full review: 33 nights in Africa; 19 on a Namibia trip

"We enjoyed this trip thoroughly, Namibia is an amazing country.

Overall, we were also very happy with the itinerary, which was largely advised by Tracy: it gave us a good view of the diversity but kept distances reasonable so that it would suit a 2-year old.

We were unlucky that our flight out was cancelled so we arrived late and exhausted at Intu Afrika, meaning we missed out on the game drive where we would have seen lions.
Highlights of the trip:
- the overall experience at Wolwedans
- climbing Dune 45 and Dead Vlei, and climbing Dune 45 again the following day, with no one else around
- Sandfields and generally our time in Swakopmund, relaxing and eating at the Jetty" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 6 on a Namibia trip

"I am so pleased to have chanced upon Expert Africa in organising this trip.

Namibia proved to be an absolute delight with its ever changing landscape and genuinely friendly people. We were not too much affected by the incredibly wet weather Namibia has experienced, although we soon came to realise that whereas our particular landscape might have been basking in glorious sunshine a sudden river crossing would present turbulent waters from heavy rains which might have fallen many miles away. This added to the sense of excitement experienced along the way & made us realise how wise we had been to hire a 4WD with a trusty diff. lock!!

Thank you Expert Africa until the next time to Fish River Canyon, Kolmanscop & Luderitz et al !!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Just carry on the great work!" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"Directions good
Bullsport say all arrivals should phone for up to date road conditions and arrive by 4pm to avoid storms
This was essential at Sesriem as the R. Tsondab was running.

Good lodges
Good advice regarding the need for a 4x4 not a small car
Some advice on the best way to deal with roadside hawkers at roadside in towns and at crossroads. Uis is common haunt.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Guidance literature repetitive

No breakdown of costs in quotation

Choice of lodges in each area (as you did for us in Swapokmund) comparing prices and facilities" Read full review: 30 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"Namibia is a wonderful country. Friendly people, organised, great places to stay with a few exceptions. We went initially to work for a conservation project P.A.W.S. affiliated to Africat - which was a wonderful experience of trying to turn the land back for the cheetah and leopard, which has been desimated by cattle grazing. A well run and brilliant conservation project with lots of chance to be up close and personal to large game and birds. We then used Expert Africa to organise the rest of our trip to see wildlife and birds.

It was off season as lots of rain and water, so the wildlife were scattered, but we found it to be a good time of year as few people and vehicles and lots of flowers and great green spaces to see. Windhoek was a disappointment, but Sossuavlei and Swakopmund both well worth spending time. We took a private flight over the dunes - the only way to get a real feel of how spectacular they are. Apparently there is little left on the Skeleton Coast as many bones and ship wrecks removed - so miles and miles of nothing.

The roads are good, but met several people who did not have a guide, so not good in the rainy season as they did not know where to look for game and often saw little or nothing.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Our itinerary was changed a few times because of accommodation changes. Expert Africa's team in Namibia gave us an out of date itinerary when we arrived. They supplied us with just the very best guide - Orlando Haraseb who really made our trip. He and his colleagues were most helpful when we decided we did not wish to stay 2 nights in Okaukuejo as we thought it very poor and immediately had us transferred to Halali Lodge for an extra night.

We all thought that there was much waste of time on our itinerary in Windhoek as per my email. Swakopmund has lots more to offer, is cleaner, lovely shops, great restaurants, great views and lots of opportunities for extra activities and we had a wonderful and very informative sea kayak trip with Craig in Walvis Bay, who taught us much about the birdlife, seals and local salt mines etc. He also provided lunch which we had paid for in our itinerary also. It is necessary to point out that Jan/Feb whales will not be seen as it is not the season for them to be there or for dolphins (we saw one). Can recommend The Tug for dinner - great food.

I have covered more points in my detailed email of today which I would like responses too, particularly as we were overcharged/incorrectly charged at River Crossing." Read full review: 28 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip

"As a whole the trip was excellent. We had the most wonderful and at times exciting trip. The trip was in many ways better than we had expected.

Our main intent for taking the trip at that time was for birds with any animal sightings (which we had been advised could be difficult due to high grass and many water holes away from the lodges) being regarded as bonus. In the event we saw most of the possible animals and in close proximity. We missed cats and rhino. Getting around in our not 4X4 was mostly possible though not without some mud and water problems. These could mostly be overcome with a litle thought and careful manoevering of the car.

The lodgings were all great and all very different. People in the lodges and outside were all very friendly and helpful. Grateful too when we gave them lifts.
As is indicated below we were very pleased with the way Sabina dealt with all aspect of setting up the trip for us and especially the way the problem of the delayed outward flight was overcome.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

I'm mostly using this box to feed back other findings from the trip for information which may be useful to others. In our information we were told that we needed documentation and to take the car into Botswana that this would be taken from us at the border and that we'd have to purchase another to take the car back into Namibia. None of this happened. Other than the driver filling in details of the car in a book at each of the four posts (out and into Namibia, into and out of Botswana) they weren't particularly interested in the car as such. However, we did have to purchase documents to enter Botswana. These were - 1 year's road tax and 1 month entry permission (for the car) costing together 160 Rand (we had no Pula). I think our information only mentioned the entry permission. The tax thing may be new.

We were able to use debit and credit cards in petrol (Shell) stations in Bowsana though one insisted (at the junction onto the Trans-Kalahari Highway) in taking an amount from the card before pumping gas.

Information on the difficulties relation to the electrical sockets and lack of adapters may be useful." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip

"Wonderful a great adventure and a beautiful country.
Sorry about the comments on some of the stopovers, but you did ask for opinions!!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Just to say if you gave the kms or miles from each camp and Guest houses and very approx. time is should take.

Try to insist to the client a second spare wheel is part of the hire deal, to get a punture and know you still have 200Kms to cover on gravel roads is a little daunting." Read full review: 45 nights in Africa; 19 on a Namibia trip

"As seasoned Africa travellers our remit was "to have christmas where it didn't feel like Christmas". On that score the trip was first class. We enjoyed a mix of game watching and education and were fortunate that the rains only arrived 1 or 2 days before we came back.

On the negative side, it would have been useful to have a rough idea of the time journeys migt take rather than the distance - which means very little in Africa. We did find the trip and Namibia quite expensive, perhaps a reflection both on the weak pound but also how Africa is increasing in popularity." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"Absolutely fantastic - one of the best holidays we have been on! Namibia was a beautiful country with spectacular scenery and wildlife and lovely people. We will definitely go back.

Gwynneth couldn't have been more helpful with advice. Ellie was also helpful when our flight was delayed in giving us advice and booking us another hotel in Windhoek. Many thanks!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

It may have been good to have more info on camping in Namibia. We met a few people doing that and this would be useful as a cheaper option as this is quite an expensive holiday!" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip

"With only 4 days available I feel that with the help of Sabina Hekandjo I have had a perfect, albeit short, taste of Namibia.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Not a one.

However having, it seems, run out of space to comment [Ed: earlier in this 'form' for our traveller's feedback], I would like to add that my trip to Namibia was a last minute thing and all I knew I wanted was 'Dunes', Kayaking and a lodge somewhere convenient. This lack of purpose could have been a recipe for disaster.

Thanks to Sabina, who literally planned every minute of my schedule and got me to Cape Town when I needed to be there, I have literally had the trip lf a lifetime." Read full review: 4 nights in Africa; 2 on a Namibia trip