Namibia: reviews from our travellers

"Excellent in many ways. In retrospect we made two errors. Firstly we should have driven eastwards through Etosha and gone to Mundulea from the north, even if we had arrived a little later than 3.00pm. This would have enabled us to see more of the National Park and avoided going both ways along the B1 to Otjiwaranga. Secondly we should have seen Twyfelfontein in the evening, as we passed the turning, and saved the morning for a game drive at Doro Nawas. This was our mistake.

The dreadful car made driving on rough roads no pleasure." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip

"It was a good trip, well organised and we enjoyed it. And as people who have lived in Kenya and travelled pretty extensively I accept that we were 'difficult' clients to please.

The over riding thing that went wrong was the weather. I knew it was the rainy season and had hoped that March would see something of a wind down. On the contrary, according to every single local that we met, we were at the very height of it. The outcomes varied from the inconvenient (cold showers and damp towels) to an inability to get off main roads/tracks, getting wet and cold, being sent off to Etosha at the peak of the rainy season so nothing was there, and looking at clouds instead of the sun.

I had expected Kenyan style clouds building in the afternoon, rain and then a clear sky again but everywhere north of Swakop and indeed at Windhoek as we left there was considerable and persistent cloud (but not all the time by any means), together with heavy rain.

I would have liked a MUCH clearer warning of this.

The second problem was the car which was not fit for purpose, in terms of suspension at least. A car is just a car until it doesn't work in which case it drags everything down.

With those two caveats we had a good time. The bookings that (for me) didn't cut the cake were the Strand Hotel (but I don't like hotels), Doro Nawas and Ongava. The other side of the coin was excellent visits to Hoodia, Etendeka, Mundelea and Okonjiwa." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip

"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

"Our departure from Windhoek was not as smooth as it should have been. A very good car and driver (Sam) were provided by Wilderness to take us to River Crossing. Sam had not been told what time to collect us to go to the airport on the following morning. He and I agreed that 10.30 would be a good time and that he would get Wilderness to confirm by phone later, that didn't happen. At 8 am on the Saturday morning still nothing had been heard from Wilderness. At 9 the hotel manageress phoned Wilderness only to told that they'd have to look it up and phone back, Just after 10 am they phoned to say the car would come at 10.50. Surely something as simple as fixing a time should have been handled far better and we should have known the departure time on the Friday evening. The second trouble was at the airport. Sam had been instructed that we had to go the Wilderness office so that they could assist our check in. The office was deserted and Sam went in search of any Wilderness employees. This was wasting our time and we didn't need assistance anyway. Eventually someone from Wilderness did turn up. "Good morning, you are checking in for the KLM". He looked surprised to be told we were Qatar passengers and didn't need assistance. This performance didn't give us any confidence in Wilderness's management, perhaps it was just their weekend shift. Despite this poor finish the trip had been a great success. The itinerary worked and we saw virtually all the animals and birds we were after. With the full advantage of hindsight I think we should have stayed one more night at Bullsport. But it was great to see Namibia again after 26 years and the huge changes that have happened in that time." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 19 on a Namibia trip

"It was everything we hoped for. There were no glitches and no disappointments.

Kwandwe was even better than expected.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

You can't change a winning formula - you know exactly what you are doing. Trustworthy comes to mind. As soon as we decided to return to Namibia and S. Africa we contacted Tracy who had helped us the first time.

I hope we will do it again in the not too distant future.

Thank you for a wonderful trip." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 8 on a South Africa trip

"Interesting and varied- the combination of flying and self-driving was the perfect choice for us. However, one does need to be prepared to drive long distances - often hours in endlessly flat, unchanging country.( A good, detailed map is essential - the Tracks Africa map is excellent)

Rather disappointing that Hoanib was the only camp that provided any educational/informative element- a very good film on the desert lions and a lecture by a visiting bat researcher!

More of that sort of thing would have much appreciated- especially where we stayed three nights in one place, (Most camps seem to be geared to two-night stays) Would have very much liked to know more about the different tribes etc- which we finally did on our last day at the National Museum in Windoek , which has seen better days, but is still very interesting.

We loved the ability to get away into some unspoilt and spectacular county -and avoid crowds of tourists. The exception to that was Sossusvlie, where there were far too many people and traffic .... a bit of a shock after the tranquility of Etendenka!

We worry that Namibia is about to OD on tourism and lose its unique appeal....." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 19 on a Namibia trip

"The organisation and choices of places by expert Africa were outstanding. Everything went like clockwork. Because we spent time talking with Tom and because he listened, we got everything that we wanted from the trip. Expert Africa must be the best in their field. When we go again (and we will,), we will go for longer. Most sites could do with longer stays as there is so much to see.
I would definitely take a 4x4 with lockable cabinets in it.
The drives between sites was just about tha perfect distance and gave you a chance to appreciate the magnificent landscapes.
All the driving was very easy except for the sand road between Kipwe and Swapokmund which needed concentration
Never unlock your car doors in Windhoek.
I would unreservedly recommend Expert Africa to anyone wanting to see the stunning beauties of Namibia." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 11 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

"A truly memorable trip, filled with astonishing beauty, strange and wonderful sights, and warm hospitality. I wish I could do it all over again!" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip

"Overall, the trip was great.

With a fairly short planning schedule, the selection of lodges/guest houses was excellent." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip