Namibia: reviews from our travellers

"There is a considerable upsurge in tourism in Namibia which appears to be be very good for the country . One comment we heard from a Namibian working in the industry was their concern about all the emphasis being put on conservation, which they supported , but less attention being paid to wages and conditions of staff. Hopefully welfatre of staff in this rapidly expanding industry is something of concern to Expert AFrica.

We thought the country was stunning and easy to to get around in . Clearly there is a 'tourist trail' as we met other guests on more than one occasion. Having 'hosts' avaliable gave us an opportuntiy to have a wider picture of the country through discussion with them. We found people helpful and friendly . Because of its size, small population and recent history it is a very unthreatening place.

I would like Lodges/ camps to offer visits to local projects in order to gain more information about the local conditions and give opportunties to to have more experience of local people . I appreciate this would very superficial because of the constraints of time , but interesting. I understand this is something Waterberg offer.but which we could not experience.

Suggestions for improvement:

I have mentioned one in overall comments. If some Lodges/camps could offer more activities it would be worth staying for a longer period . Two weeks we appreciate is very llittle time to see so much, and the organisation of our a trip proved very efficient." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip

"We had an excellent time and can't wait to go back - Caprivi strip next? The service we had was excellent and the advice was knowledgeable, I do not think we could have done better." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip

"We have to give ExpertAfrica full marks for helping us get the trip together. Initially Maruska, and this year Gwynneth and Sabina, were great organisers and first rate communicators who understood our wants and did a grand job. Thank you all very much.

All that went well was all down to you and the few things that left something to be desired were other peoples' responsibility entirely.

We had a superb time overall, the good things heavily outweighed the not-so-good and the total impression was really positive. Like Zambia and Botswana 2 years ago, we did things we had never done before - dune climbing, kayaking, tracking animals on foot, dining on a Tug - and would really like to do them another time.

We look forward to another visit to Namibia in the future, it would be fascinating to see how the tourism business develops and how the country makes the most of its tremendous resources to delight its visitors.

Thanks again to all the team.

We can hardly wait for our next adventure with you" Read full review: 23 nights in Africa; 20 on a Namibia trip

"Fantastic, amazing.

Nearly all UK travellers we met had arranged their trips via Expert Africa - what more needs to be said? We've travelled with you 3 times now and we wouldn't even contemplate looking elsewhere." Read full review: 22 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip

"Everywhere we went our expectations were surpassed. The people of all colours and backgrounds were so kind and gentle. We never felt unsafe. We enjoyed driving ourselves around - the landscape of Namibia is so unspoilt and pristine and so open. The space is amazing.

Our Expert Africa team _ Maruska and latterly Gwyneth - were wonderful. Maruska - you organised it all with such thought. It was wonderful to be back in Africa and in a part I didn't know at all. Our three sons, 11, 13 and 15, will never forget this holiday. They proved such keen bird and animal watchers that they put me to shame. Their enthusiasm never faded. They, like my husband and I, were enchanted by talking to the locals. I wanted the boys to meet local people where possible. We talked to waiters and guides and cleaners wherever we could as well as to owners. Each has his tale to tell. OUr guides were so well spoken in English and so keen to get tourism going in the right direction. I pray that it will not become a spoilt country - it has so much to offer. How meals of such delicacy were prepared in such remote locations I will never know - topclass food in back of beyond locatiions with views to die for.

Once back in Windhoek, I would strongly recommend a visit to the Craft Centre. We had our final lunch there and bought things there before driving to the airport. Safe parking there too. The art and crafts are just wonderful - better than anywhere else and all under one roof - you need at least two hours there.

Re Tipping - we found it hard to know how much to give at each lodge intot the Tip Box. Could be that we were overgenerous! Also, it is often hard as one doesn't have any small notes to hand to porters etc. Need to advise travellers to try and change big notes in towns prior to driving out to the back of beyond as we sometimes ended up giving far too much to people as we had nothing small to offer and we didn't want to leave them empty handed. Car guards - good to warn people of them and the need to hand them something each time. Extra advice on the phone would be helfpul prior to departure re this.

Good walking shoes essential!No need to take swimming towels as every lodge had them and just bulks up luggage. Would not take a child younger than our youngest as a lot of driving and he was fine but anyone younger no good. Binoculars essential for each member of the family - we had enough and it made such a difference as there is so much to see at the side of road eg ostriches, oryx, springbok, baboons all seen from normal driving.

It was the most wonderful trip and the selection of lodges were fantastic and we wish we could go back there. Thank-you so much. Expert Africa went beyond all our expectations. We have given our three sons an introduction to Africa, one part of it: Namibia, and we all succumbed to its beauty and we were lucky to travel with Expert Africa." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip

"As a whole my trip was great. I particuarly enjoyed the contrasting nature of the physical environment.

I think you are doing a great job!

Suggestions for improvement:

I think you are doing a great job!" Read full review: 25 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"We had a fantastic time in this beautiful country. Would definately think of returning in the future." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"Our holiday was fabulous! It all went very smoothly, and exceeded all our expectations.

It was all tremendous fun - we saw amazing things and met lovely people.

We have lots of wonderful memories and enough stories to last us years!

Suggestions for improvement:

No - you did a fantastic job for us!" Read full review: 29 nights in Africa; 19 on a Namibia trip

"This was a fantastic holiday.The adjectives that come to mind are not sufficient. The variety of landscapes, sights, activities and experiences were wonderful. It was a really good family holiday also. There was something for all our children to do and they got something out of every place we went to. However, the highlight of the trip for our 6 year and 3 year old was the car being pulled out of sand in road works on a minor gravel road in the Caprivi Strip by a huge six-wheeled grader - and particularly the bit where the driver forgot to put the grader's handbrake on and had to chase it down the hill and jump into the cab! Our 10 year old cannot say what the best part of the holiday was. It was all great. We agree.

Namibia is a great country and should be on everyone's list of places to see. The people are friendly. It feels safe and there is none of the lurking tension that you feel at times in South Africa. We'd say it was like South Africa, but better. There is such a variety of things to do and places to see. The desert is stunning. The dunes at Sossusvlei should be on your list of 50 things to do before you die. Swakopmund was so relaxing and it was just nice to potter about there. The food was delicious - seafood near the coast, game inland - and cheap. The smell and sound of the seals at Cape Cross will stay with us forever! Etosha is (insert your own superlative here - words escape us)! The numbers and variety of animals is mind-blowing - and all from your own car window. You do safari at your pace and go where you want to go without 20 other camera toting tourists in the vehicle with you. While there are lots of other people in the park with you, it never seems busy. The roads are largely empty and you could be the only vehicle at a waterhole on many occasions. We had the fortunate experience of a leopard cub ambling about in the road in front of us without a care in the world and eventually leading us to its mother, with no other cars in sight. Try doing that in Kenya! The Caprivi Strip is an undiscovered gem. The river camps and lodges are all perfectly sited and the opportunities to see riverine wildlife are fantastic. Again, there are few other tourists around (for the present), but once word gets out this is sure to change. There is none of the mass safari tourism of East Africa in Namibia. See it while it stays like this.

We also enjoyed finishing the holiday off at Victoria Falls while relaxing at the Zambezi Sun. Victoria Falls is another 'must see' and again adjectives do not sufficiently describe the experience. Our only regret was not seeing more of Botswana, but time did not allow. People we met who had been to the Kalahari and Okavango Delta were impressed.

It was very helpful and consderate of Sabina to contact us in Swakopmund to inform us that the garage in Kongola had closed and so fuel was not available there.

This was probably our best holiday ever with memories to last a lifetime." Read full review: 22 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"We really enjoyed our holiday and the positives completely outweigh the negatives and I have the photos to prove it.

We would go back to Botswana tomorrow - The Lagoon lodge was a fantastic experience.

Despite my reservations about the car it did not let us down after the puncture episode and was quiet and comfortable to ride in

To view my photos here http://picasaweb.google.com/perces/Namibia2008" Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip