Reviews of safaris to Damaraland

"We thoroughly enjoyed the trip. The variety of scenery was fabulous and the standard of accommodation and food exceeded our expectations.

The itinerary and route worked out perfectly for 14 nights in the country. Everyone we met was very friendly and welcoming.

We weren’t expecting to see wildlife in such great numbers and to see so many baby animals was a great bonus.

Some of the road surfaces were quite challenging on the C and D roads, as were the roads to the waterholes in Etosha, but we did feel secure in our 4x4 and drove fairly cautiously, fortunately avoiding a puncture!

Chris McIntyre’s book was invaluable, particularly about the waterholes in Etosha, as well as the detailed travel documents and map. So much information on the website too, though some things need updating. For example, in Okaukuejo they no longer do a room inventory. Also, park entrance is now N$ 350 per 24hours for 2 persons plus vehicle." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"This was a unique, exciting and enjoyable holiday.

Everyone we met also made sure it was a stress free experience." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip

"We thoroughly enjoyed our trip which was 3 weeks in Namibia with a few days each in Botswana and Victoria Falls at the end.

Namibia was really surprising. We knew the landscapes would be impressive but needed to experience them to fully understand just how impressive they are plus we hadn't expected the wildlife to amount to much but saw a lot more wildlife than we could have imagined.

We started out a little worried about the idea of a self-drive but our concerns were largely unfounded. Europcar were very helpful, helping with buying a local SIM card then how to connect the phone to the car and so be able to use Googles SatNav. The 4WD vehicle was rugged and had plenty of space. There was no problem obtaining petrol, with plenty of petrol stations at important stages of the drive. Most petrol stations had good toilet facilities but charged a few Namibian dollars to use them. Diesel was invariably dispensed by one employee while another employee cleaned the windscreen and we found ourselves tipping little and often.

We had taken a lot of cash in SA Rand and some Namibian dollars as we had read that credit cards were not widely used. However, we found that very few shops, restaurants etc did not accept credit cards and in fact they were preferred to cash.

The roads during the first half our trip were a bit rougher than expected but we stuck to the speed limits recommended by the vehicle hire company for gravel roads and had no problems with the vehicle and not one puncture. This did mean allowing longer for the drives than the Sat Nav said but we built that into our time-lines on travel days. The second half of our trip, ie once past Etosha and up to the north, was mostly on long, straight, tarmac roads and there were regular, sign-posted stopping places with picnic benches and shade along all the main roads where we could stretch our legs and have a drink and a snack which we had brought with us.

Navigation also proved to be easier than expected thanks to a combination of the SatNav (Google maps using a phone connnected to the vehicle) and the directions supplied by Expert Africa.

Highlights for us were the general scenery around Sossusvlei and particularly the balloon trip over the dunes, the coastal area around Swakopmund, sleeping under the stars in Damaraland, the wildlife in the Etosha area and particularly the waterhole at Okaukeujo and the wetlands in Bwabwata National Park. However, the quality of the various lodges, their staff, guides and food in 12 out of the 13 places we stayed are what really made our holiday special.

We will remember this trip for a long time and took so many great photographs that making the photobook of this holiday is proving daunting - there won't be space for everything we want to include.

Thanks so much to Chris McIntyre who insisted we needed to visit Okaukeujo and to Sabina who suggested the balloon trip over the dunes, for all the other recommendations and for putting the whole trip together.

This was our second Expert Africa trip and we are already looking forward to contacting them about our next African adventure in a couple of years." Read full review: 24 nights in Africa; 19 on a Namibia trip

"Fantastic experience or series of experiences. Lots of highlights. Country is very clean. The people are so proud of their country and are very friendly and hospitable.

Many different animals from penguins , seals and flamingoes on the coast to lions, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, leopards and cheetahs in the parks. Too many species of antelope to list and the same goes for birds. At least six types of eagle, alone.

In addition to the wildlife, the geology is astonishing. So many different styles of desert – not just the famous dunes – and so many different mountains with rocks of all sorts of shapes and sizes and minerals.

Three nights wild camping with a guide in Damaraland was an unforgettable experience.

We didn’t find the driving as difficult as we had thought – although a 4 x 4 is essential and we left the really difficult bits (e.g. sand dunes and canyons) to experienced guides.

Can’t wait to go back. Still plenty more to explore." Read full review: 33 nights in Africa; 26 on a Namibia trip

"We really enjoyed our Namibia self-drive holiday. The scenery was epic, the accommodation excellent and the experiences memorable. We feel privileged to have had this opportunity." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"Truly memorable & excellent in so many ways.

Terrific camps, wonderful sights & scenery, welcoming people everywhere.

The game was sporadic until we got to Ongava, but it hardly mattered as we were in the thrall of this amazing country.

Big shout out to Sabina who organised what was a great trip that included all that we wanted & at the right price too." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"The trip we chose meant that we were on gravel roads for possibly 75% of the almost 3000 kilometres that we travelled. Journeys, with stops, sometimes took 6 or 7 hours. We were happy with this but decided it is not for the feint hearted as much of the gravel roads were bone rattling!

Our Toyota Fortuna was fantastic and perfect for the journey.

The advice we received that it would be cold at night, turned out not to be accurate for our visit during the first 2 weeks of May. We packed too many thick clothes for the expected cold evenings which actually we only require d in Swakopmund.

Nearly all accommodation supplied Peaceful Sleep in the rooms which was appreciated.

The information given on all of the accommodations was completely accurate and well described.

The map supplied was good and detailed. We did use Google maps on occasions to lead us to the actual accommodation." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip

"This was an amazing trip and we are so grateful to Maruska for planning this in such an excellent way. We really liked the order of the journey, it felt like we were progressing through an African adventure, gaining experience and knowledge with each new location. The driving part of the trip was well planned and we were glad that we didn't try to go too far on any one day. There were a few spots where the roads really need grading, so our driving times were a bit longer (especially to Malansrus), but we really appreciated all the detail on how to get to each place. The lodges selected were outstanding. The Botswana portion of the trip was excellent and we were again happy with the order of where we stayed, saving Rra Dinare for last. With morning and afternoon game activities we got to see so many animals, enjoy sundowner drinks in locations we only dreamed of, and return with memories and photos that were beyond our expectations.

Overall, this trip was amazing and the experience and knowledge of Expert Africa (and Maruska) to arrange this made it so! We would recommend Expert Africa to to everyone we know that want a genuine trip to Africa.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Some of the times were a bit tight and travelling over lunchtime was a bit awkward to coordinate eating and newly arriving at a lodge with their planned itinerary." Read full review: 25 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip

"We had a magical trip to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe side), Okavango delta in Botswana and self-drive in Namibia.

We usually self-organise our trips around the globe, but having Expert Africa extensive, efficient and reliable support was a massive plus for our multi-country trip. It was extremely pleasant to feel really on holiday, with almost everything taken care of.

Locations and all accomodations but one were magical: beautifully set, very kind and helpful staff very often going an extra mile, extremely comfortable, quiet and relaxing, with amazing landscapes and/or wildlife to discover and admire.

A massive thank you to ExpertAfrica team and all partners involved!" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 5 on a Namibia trip

"A fantastic trip, which exceeded our high expectations. We did a lot of driving of course, which is part of the adventure, roads were good.

Its had to think what we would have done even slightly different.

We came back full plans for next time." Read full review: 30 nights in Africa; 24 on a Namibia trip