Reviews of Skeleton Coast Safaris
Wildlife sightings and reviews
26 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Skeleton Coast Safaris and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

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"Schoeman's Skeleton Coast Safaris review"
Although our group of 4 people are all Namibians living in Namibia, and we have travelled in our country many times, mostly self-drive camping trips, this fly-in safari topped it. To see and experience these areas out of the plane and to reach these remote corners, just landing on sometimes hardly visible landing strips in "the middle of nowhere", was absolutely fascinating.
The three camps Kuidas, Leylandsdrif and Kunene are basic, but beautiful and comfortable. The super friendly staff spoiled us with good service and delicious meals. We extremely enjoyed the excursions in the open Landrover through parts of the Kaokoveld, over the dunes to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and through the Hoarusib river. Our host, tourguide and pilot Bertus with his passion and knowledge impressed us and perfectly looked after us at all times.
Definitely a highly recommendable trip for locals and visitors." See all these reviews: 3n in Namibia

Brown Hyena
1 sighting

Giraffe
1 sighting

Oryx
4 sightings

Zebra
1 sighting
"Schoeman's Skeleton Coast Safaris review"
I loved the whole trip so much that I almost want to keep it a secret! Will be back one day!" See all these reviews: 5n in Namibia
"Skeleton Coast safari"
"Amazing trip to skeleton coast"
He is a skilful pilot, his ability with a " Landie" has to be seen to be believed and he is an entertaining host.
This trip was pure adventure and would recommend it to anyone." See all these reviews: 17n in Namibia; 2n in Botswana
"Safari to savour!"
Sympathetic relations with local people and an understanding of the local game which included desert elephants, lion and Rhino's.
A life experience for anyone's bucket list.
Bravo Andre and team." See all these reviews: 20n in Namibia
"Schoeman's Skeleton Coast Safaris review"
Bertus was an excellent pilot, & driver when in the car. The lodges were all good and in excellent locations.
The scenery that we saw was amazing & so varied. So nice to be alone in all that space! Despite my misgivings, the various trips we did down perilous slopes and dunes with Bertus were exilerating.
I would recommend this trip over and over." See all these reviews: 8n in Namibia
"Schoeman's Skeleton Coast Safaris review"
Andre Schoeman was knowledgeable and fun to be with. After the first day we told him he couldn't possibly surpass it but each day was every bit as good. We can't praise it highly enough and wish that we'd done the longer safari. We would happily have spent two days at each camp.
I don't think comments on rooms or facilities in aspects form below have any relevance for this safari." See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia
"Marvellous adventure into the wilderness"
Accommodation is in individual tents, which have beds and linen (not sleeping bags on the floor!), and at bedtime you'll find a hot water bottle has been placed in your bed - nice touch, as it was chilly in the evenings. There are bucket showers outside each tent which are filled by staff with hot water evenings and mornings, and these are very effective. There are flush toilets on the sites. The accommodation at the Leylandsdrift camp is slightly more 'upmarket'. After showering, early evenings were spent having drinks around a fire (there's a 'help yourself' bar, which is nice!) followed by dinner - the group got on very well so these were enjoyable evenings. Food was good 'Southern African' style - Cape Malay curry, Oryx stew etc. Breakfast is about 7.30, after which the days adventures begin. This is a great way to experience the outdoor life, while being kept as comfortable as possible.
All-in-all this was a fantastic trip - only wish it could have been longer, and I'll be looking out for similar trips in future. While this is an expensive trip, I would urge anyone to go, and if you feel you're too faint hearted or prefer 5 star luxury - take the plunge and enjoy the adventure!" See all these reviews: 3n in Namibia
"Schoeman's Skeleton Coast Safaris review"
The trip began with a low flight over the red sand dunes we had been walking in the previous day and we were awed by the size and beauty of the dune sea, which you can't properly appreciate from the ground. Several times throughout the trip we flew low over the coast, seeing the shipwrecks and hearing their stories from Bertus; startling flocks of flamingoes into flight; and passing great colonies of seals. On the ground, we walked on the beach and climbed the hills to see ancient bushmen rock paintings; and drove up and down the dunes, seeing the sand whip upwards along their surfaces in the wind.
Bertus is a knowledgable and considerate host; his explanation of the unique geology we were seeing was extremely interesting. He is also an amazing pilot; I'm normally a bit scared of flying but he made me feel safe. We felt privileged to have had this unusual and very special experience." See all these reviews: 10n in Namibia
"Schoeman's Skeleton Coast safari"
Pros:
1. It was a small group, myself plus one other couple, all of whom spoke English, so no need for constant translations. Also, it was easy to ask a lot of questions and get answers without feeling you were monopolizing the guide's attention.
2. Our guide was Andre Schoeman, who is a native of these parts and is steeped in the lore of the coast. I thought he was fantastic. Even though he has been conducting these tours for decades, he made everything sound as if it were new, fresh and exciting to him as well as to us. He is very good at gauging the level of knowledge and expertise that will please his clients, and he talked geology, geography, history, botany, shipwrecks, airplane design, animal lore, local tribes and anything else he and we could think of in a way that we could all take in.
3.The combination of air and ground travel gave us the opportunity to see the amazing geological structures of the country from the air, which gave a very broad view, and then from the land, which is a difference perspective altogether. Mr. Schoeman flies the plane is if it were a part of him; I almost forgot I was in a plane much of the time. We were also able to travel across large distances in a short time.
4. We stayed at three camps. In each one, the service was impeccable - great ground staff. The food was amazing in its variety and quantity, and the selection of drinks left nothing to be desired. The tents were very comfortable and the bucket showers were sheer bliss after a long dusty day.
5. Each camp is built so that it has a view over the surrounding countryside and all three locations were spectacular. I appreciated the efforts that Schoeman's makes to keep rubbish and waste to a minimum, both in the camps and on the road, e.g. by having everyone re-use their water bottles.
5. We did not have to get up at the crack of dawn, so no bleary-eyed exhausted travellers unable to take anything in. Up at 7am, then breakfast and then out on the day's exploration - just right .
6. Each day was full and we did a lot, but the outings were not presented as "activities', which I appreciated very much in retrospect, when I was at places where "activities' abounded. I never felt either regimented or bored on this trip.
7. Andre (and his son) took all their meals with us, which made for some great conversations and the development of a more personal bond than might otherwise have happened, which added depth to the pleasure of the trip.
I can't think of any cons.
Personal comments
It has to be remembered that one is out in the wilderness for the duration of the trip. There is no internet or cell-phone connection (lovely!), and food and supplies have to be trucked into each camp at vast effort. Considering the circumstances and logistical restrictions, I think the Schoemans do a brilliant job of adding comfort and even luxurious touches to the whole experience. The trip brings you face to face with nature untamed, and it was awe-inspiring." See all these reviews: 12n in Namibia
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