Reviews of Skeleton Coast Safaris

"5 paws is not nearly enough to give when rating our experience with our guide Andre Schoeman. Probably 4 of the most astounding, informative and exhilarating days of our lives. At one point I commented "just that mountain there would be worth traveling to see". The thing is that it was just one of so many beautiful ridges and expanses of desert and dunes which we were so fortunate to see. Andre was an expert pilot, and very enthusiastic and informative about the geology, flora and human history of the Skeletom Coast. His "ground piloting" over the dunes was confident and somewhat fearless too. It was a thrill to be in Bushman camps which stretched back through the centuries and see their paintings. A tribe of human beings (in that area) who have become extinct in our life time. Humbling for sure. We did get to meet the Himba women and thoroughly enjoyed dancing with them. Wish we had brought more cash to support their craft offerings including some amazing rocks for sale.

The 3 camps were exceptional and comfortable with wonderful staff who we wish we had had more time to get to know. bucket showers a treat, all with a view! The food was excellent with fresh salad at each lunch and supper and solid home cooked dishes which we value above more "fancy" cooking.

Our experience was as a private tour as there just did not happen to be any others on the dates we traveled. This made the plane pretty spacious and comfy. Still we would highly recommend this life changing tour to anyone who would like to explore this wild, open desert of this area of Namibia. Worth Every Penny!!!! We felt truly privileged to be able to spend time with one of the Schoeman brothers." See all these reviews: 11n in Namibia

"We had the trip of our lifetime - 4 days Skeleton Coast Fly-in Safari.

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

"The trip was indeed a life changing experience!Everything was perfect, felt easy, safe, and full of nice surprises. We spent four days of adventure, amazing scenery and fun. Never felt tired or bored. This trip offers everything: if you're looking for thrill and adventure, total relaxation or solitude, magnificent landscapes, fun and laughter or simply a warm atmosphere around a fire with excellent food and wine, it has it all! The beauty of the places you see is out of this world, with combination of colors that I never thought existed. Through the fascinating stories we heard, we felt more and more interested in this place, its past, and the people who live there. Henk, our excellent guide and pilot, took us to exquisite sites, unaccessible otherwise, and known just to those who live there. The flights were breathtaking and so were the rides through the desert! In the evening, after a reinvigorating shower under the vivid changing colors of the sky or against the sunset, we gathered around a fire and ate locally prepared food and shared stories and laughed. I was impressed with how perfect everything was, despite being in such a remote locale. The camps offer a combination of quiet, simple luxury, every detail is carefully thought out so that you lack nothing in comfort, yet you feel totally part of the surrounding nature. Everything is spotlessly clean and the food and drinks are always fresh.They are prepared to deal with any situation (thank you Henk for the excellent remedy for my daughter's headache!) and overall we felt as safe as possible. There's much more to it, but it should be left unspoken , out there to be discovered.
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

"Extraordinary experience - ‘lucky’ to have stumbled across their offering. Beyond bucket list!" See all these reviews: 5n in Namibia

"Spending time flying with Andre Schoeman was the best time ever. This man is a walking encyclopaedia, his knowledge about the area and the people is fascinating.

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

"This family rightly deserve their reputation for these five star safaris. Three nights and four days of adventure and dramatic scenery, Challenging belief Andre flew us in and out of canyons and along the endless strand, landing at apparently any spot where he fancied. We always felt safe and his knowledge was encyclopedic. Great camps and excellent food prepared by long serving teams at each camp.

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

"Fantastic. Totally lived up to expectations (we did this trip on a recommendation from my parents who have done it twice).

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

"Mind blowing!

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

"I had been to Namibia previously and was keen to see more of this wonderful country, and it was great to view from the air as well as the ground - the scenery is absolutely stunning. There were 5 people on the tour and we were taken on 2 small aircraft. The tour was led by Andre Schoeman in one aircraft and assisted by the second pilot, Johann. Andre is a very friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable host, and is a mine of information. You are flown into areas which are otherwise inaccessible, landing in some unusual places and exploring fascinating environments. There is also touring in vehicles, including a couple of trips through dune fields while sitting (braced!) on top of a Landrover - a roller-coaster experience! (we only got stuck in the sand once, so had to help dig-out the vehicle). There were also some treks and also a boat trip. Other unusual experiences are sliding down the 'roaring' dunes, and visiting a Himba tribe settlement.

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

"I wish there was a category better than excellent for this! It was wonderful and definitely the highlight of our trip. We stayed in three gorgeous and very different locations, which we had all to ourselves as they only take one group at a time.

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