Reviews of safaris to Damaraland
1116 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Damaraland.
"Fantastic country for kids to see some Africa"
Even in early spring, our kids found the temperaturte difficult in the middle of the day, but the mornings and evenings were fine - so think carefully about when to go and when to travel. Five is a difficult number to travel with - but everywhere we stayed, the accommodation worked well. We could have travelled less, avoided Damaraland, or stuck more to the tar - but that would have detracted from the overall experience.
Overall, excellent.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Couldn't really fault it.
Thank you." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip
"August 2017 trip"
It is a stunning, dramatic, beautiful and haunting country. Mountains, canyons, deserts, seascape and fantastic wildlife, all coupled with welcoming friendly, warm and engaging people.
We'd encourage anyone to go - and probably go now before development changes Namibia irrevocably.
A major part in our trip being such a success was the guidance, planning, support and recommendations provide by Expert Africa and especially Josh Flatman. To put is in some context Josh arranged a fantastic agenda for two of us, which was then changed to be the whole family - he approached this difficult task with relish and was able to find fabulous accommodation for us all with the minimal of fuss. I cannot praise him highly enough.
It is clearly the collective experience at Expert Africa, research trips undertaken by the staff to Namibia and the connections that they have in country which enable them to provide a first class tailored service. Thank you all, and Josh especially, so much.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Only two suggestions; one minor, one more important:
- Minor. Please mark exactly where Bullsport is on the map. We had a in impression is was north of the junction of the D1206/C14, coming from Reheboth, and took the wrong turn. It's some 300 m south of that junction!
- More material. The B1 road south between Okahandja and Windhoek is currently undergoing major works to turn it into a highway rather than a regular road. This causes long delays for blasting etc. and the works do mean that there is some dangerous driving from locals when overtaking. Do leave plenty of time when returning to Windhoek for the airport etc.
We were warned to expect this by the staff at Erongo Wilderness Lodge so left plenty of time but don't be tempted to think it will be quick based on the road being tarmac." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip
"August 2017 trip to Namibia"
"Trip to Namibia August 2017"
We had chosen to fly throughout the trip as time was limited to 11 days, glad we did but Wilderness air did their best to turn easy trips into long slogs on occasions...4 hours to get from Desert Rhino to Hoanib? Some poor organisation from them but the pilots and planes were great.
Thanks!" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 10 on a Namibia trip
"Great August 2017 family trip around Namibia"
The highlights were Etosha and Okonjima, along with the desert scenery in the south. Our reactions to Twyfelfontein were mixed: The rock carvings were great, but the hotel was so-so, and we all would have preferred an additional night at Erongo (vice one there and two in Twyfelfontein). One of us would have skipped it altogether in favor of a day in Swakop. Windhoek was a real disappointment -- not at all quaint and not an inviting place to walk around in -- though we all loved dinner at Joe's Beer House.
EA also gave excellent advice on dividing our Etosha stay between the central and eastern ends. Two nights in each was just right. Driving and navigating went fine. A couple of recommendations: the Main Street Cafe in Omaruru is a great place to stop for lunch. And the Neurias Winery served us a superb lunch (and gave a great tour) on our way from Bullsport to Kulala.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
The map EA provided was the best of the 3 we had in terms of accuracy. But the route someone at EA highlighted for our drive was not always the best route. We suggest that EA encourage travelers to check with each lodge about the best route for their onward travel to take advantage of local knowledge about road conditions. That said, we were advised by the Kulala lodge to skip the shortcut indicated on our map (on a D road) and drive all the way to Swakop to pick up a paved road on our long drive to Omaruru, but the drive was brutal because the road conditions most of the way to Walvis Bay were the worst we encountered, and we barely made it to Erongo by sunset (even though we ate lunch in the car). It may be useful to tell travelers that whether a road is designated a C or a D isn't really material -- its all about how recently it was graded.
We also appreciated the steps EA took to address a booking mishap. The upgrade at Mushara was lovely and Kulala was almost certainly a better option than the govt. lodge we had initially favored. Many thanks Tom and we look forward to traveling with EA again on a future trip." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip
"10 out of 10"
All of Maruska's suggestions were brilliant.
Thanks, Maruska, for making our special requests regarding location of rooms close to reception a success. We got all the best rooms." Read full review: 27 nights in Africa; 24 on a Namibia trip
"Namibia Adventure"
The animals at Etosha would also overshadow the animals at the other lodges - eg tracking desert elephants at Doro Nawas was great - but if we had already seen the herd of 20 at the waterhole each night in Etosha - it would have lost some of the attraction and adventure. Each place was unique - so thank you - it was not like we were comparing one 5* place to another one...
Animals were sort of unque at each to a point eg loads of deer types at Bagatelle, Ostriches at Hoodia & the desert, desert elephants and Doro, all various things at Etendeka, everything at Etosha, chill out - dik diks, warhogs and snakes( !!) at Mushara and the cats at Okonjima.
Suggestions:
*Car - ours was not happy on the gravel roads and did not cope with the D road - better to have a larger, more suitable car. warn all re the dust - you could not see what colour the car was when we returned it.......or our clothes!!!
*Laundry : good to have every 5 days included in package. So dusty there - we collected loads and ended up hand washing through some things by day 11. But we were also in Jo'berg for 4 days before Namibia and cape Town 4 days after Namibia.
*If in one place for the night - maybe let us know their activity list so we can get to the place in time and not miss activities?
But - cannot fault you - truly brilliant holiday which we all loved!!
Marusha - hope you have a healthy baby girl now and many thanks for pulling this together for us,
thanks,
Lynne, Rob, Sam & Matt" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip
"Another wonderful trip"
As usual, we mainly used Wilderness Safaris camps and, as usual, were particularly impressed with the high quality of the guiding in all locations. Transfers between camps were organised seamlessly.We were also very impressed with their care and consideration with regard to Ken's problems with balance in the dark, and in all locations they went out of their way to ensure that he had good lighting to escort us back to our tent at night.
We were also impressed by the way information was passed from camp to camp, so that when we arrived in a new location they already knew, for example, what drinks we liked for sundowners and other details of things we liked, which made us feel at home.
The Wilderness lounge at Windhoek was a good addition as somewhere to escape while waiting for the next connection and to use a computer to check in for flights.
Our only regret is that some camps now have separate tables for meals, as one of the things we have always enjoyed about these holidays has been the opportunity to meet and talk to people from so many different countries." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 10 on a Botswana safari
"My Jul 2017 trip"
Breathtaking from beginning to end, especially in terms of nature and wildlife but also very nice places to stay (mostly). The only 'down' side I can think of is the cost, as this was indeed by far the most expensive holiday we've ever booked... but no regrets! Next time I would however do the trip in the opposite direction (as was the plan originally -I know-, but couldn't be achieved because of booking restraints) and leave the highlights (etosha and okonjima) 'til the end.
Thanks for the good planning and organization and the help throughout!" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip
"Best Africa experience"
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Inspire meWhere to stay in Damaraland
Our suggestions for safari camps in Damaraland
Doro Nawas
Comfortable rooms and a convenient location make the community run Doro Nawas a great base for exploring Damaraland.
Mowani Mountain Camp
Mowani is a beautiful and stylish mountain retreat in southern Damaraland; it makes a great base for visits toTwyfelfontein.
Damaraland Camp
Setting the standard for community partnerships, Damaraland Camp offers a beautiful location, a range of activities – and a genuine welcome.
Camp Kipwe
With unusual, igloo-like rooms, open-air bathrooms and beautiful scenery, Camp Kipwe is well placed for nature and cultural excursions.
Desert Rhino Camp
Desert Rhino Camp offers a rare opportunity to track black rhino on foot in one of the last true wilderness areas – an amazing experience.
Etendeka Camp
Etendeka is an owner-run camp in the remote and less visited north of Damaraland. The camp is renowned for it's spectacular guided walking trails.
Grootberg Lodge
On the edge of an ancient plateau Grootberg Lodge has a stunning location and arguably the best views of any lodge in Namibia.
Twyfelfontein C'try Lod.
A large lodge set among the rocks, Twyfelfontein Country Lodge is a convenient base for visiting the rock engravings, which are only 4km away.
Spitzkoppen Lodge
Spitzkoppen Lodge provides stylish accommodation in an area of scenic grandeur with guided access to sites of ancient Bushman rock art.
Palmwag Lodge
Palmwag Lodge has a great location by a spring in the Uniab River and offers access to an area where you can see a variety of desert-dwelling animals.
Huab Lodge
Huab is a classic little Namibian Lodge which is slightly off the beaten track in a lesser visited part of Damaraland.
Brandberg White Lady
Brandberg White Lady Lodge, nestled at the foot of its namesake, makes a good base from which to visit bushman rock paintings including the 'White Lady'.
Vingerklip Lodge
Vingerklip Lodge occupies a lovely location, but is a little too far east for guests to visit Damaraland's main attractions.
Khowarib Lodge
Khowarib Lodge has a great location overlooking the Hoanib River. This is one of the few places to offer authentic Himba village visits.
Etendeka Walking Trail
The Etendeka Walking Trail promises to offer a back-to-basics walking and camping experience in one of Namibia's most remote and untouched wilderness areas.
Malansrus Camp
Within easy reach of Twyfelfontein, Malansrus offers a simple but comfortable base for visits to the rock engravings or seek out desert-adapted elephants.
Onduli Ridge
Onduli Ridge is a luxurious, low-impact luxury camp offering top-notch guiding in a remote wilderness area of Damaraland.
Ugab Terrace Lodge
Ugab Terrace Lodge is a comfortable stopover between Damaraland and Etosha National Park or Namibia’s Central Highlands.
Palmwag Sleep-out
Palmwag Sleep-out is a simple camping experience and a great way to enjoy the remote beauty of the vast Palmwag Concession
Damara Mopane Lodge
Damara Mopane Lodge is a large 60 room lodge surrounded by beautiful gardens. It can be used as a comfortable stopover between Etosha and the Skeleton Coast
Ozondjou Trails
The simple Ozondjou Trails gives a unique perspective on living with Damaraland’s desert-adapted elephants and how tourism is key to protecting them and the livelihood of the people.
Camp Doros
Small, intimate and with excellent eco-credentials, Camp Doros is set above an ephemeral river within a remote community concession of Damaraland.
Sorris Sorris Lodge
Overlooking the Brandberg Massif, Sorris Sorris is probably the most luxurious lodge in southern Damaraland.
