Reviews: Coast and Sandwich Harbour

"As the usual road to Sandwich harbour is flooded at the moment, we had a long detour round the salt works in both directions which detracted slightly from the day, although there is nothing that can be done about this. The morning was spent going to the harbour, having a walk, including getting within a few feet of a jackal which was totally relaxed, and then getting out as the tide rose. We had the place to ourselves except at the very end. We then had lunch on top of a dune overlooking the Atlantic with pelicans flying past. The afternoon was a fascinating mix of driving through the dunes and looking at some of the amazing plants, reptiles and beetles which inhabit the area, finishing with flamingoes on a lagoon. One of us thought the morning was a bit flat and not up to expectations, but perhaps we had seen too many photos of Sandwich Harbour in advance.

Lunch and the afternoon were superb and certainly demonstrated what a landrover can really tackle - David Attenborough and a fairground ride rolled into one. Ernst, our guide, was excellent and extremely knowledgable. Perhaps not quite as good as the kayaking with seals, but certainly not a day to miss. We would rather have liked an extra day out in the desert with Ernst and would suggest this for anyone who really wants to learn about this fascinating area and its plants and animals." Read more about this whole safari

"Probably the best day of the whole trip, which is saying a lot. Ernest from Turnstone Tours was enthusiastic, extremely knowledgeable, skillful and seemed genuinely pleased by the group's enjoyment. Part of the wonderful experience was walking along the Skeleton Coast (seeing a jackal on the way), climbing up into the dunes and enjoying the solitude while Ernest went back for the Landrover (and our boots). He picked us up, drove on a bit more and then stopped for an impressive lunch before taking us back to see the flamingos and the pink salt pans. Great experience. Enjoyed these dunes even more than those at Sossusvlei because we were alone, they seemed more remote because of the dramatic way the dunes met the sea" Read more about this whole safari

"Great trip - one of our highlights. Highly recommended." Read more about this whole safari

"Informative, interesting trip. Unfortunately the flamingos and pelicans and most of the other birdlife expected did not materialise due to the unusual rain conditions this year but there was still so much to see.

Lunch was very nice as well." Read more about this whole safari

"Although we enjoyed it, we were under the impression that there would have been more walking.

Driving time a bit too long, but scenery beautiful." Read more about this whole safari

"An excellent trip, timed just right so that we got to Sandwich Harbour before everyone else turned up, so the beach we were driving on was pristine and great for photos. Our guide was first class and pitched the day just right so that we all got what we wanted out of it, saw lots of interesting birds and animals, climbed dunes and had great fun too. The buffet lunch on the beach was good, if a little sandy." Read more about this whole safari

"We had great expectations and were not disappointed. Our driver and guide Ernst, was very knowledgeable and easy-going.We passes the guano islands and salt mines, saw masses of flamingoes and pelicans and decided to have lunch amid the dunes, as it seemed too windy at the ocean. The picknick lunch privided by Ernst was delicious and the location superb. We then waited for low tide in order to continue our trip to sandwich harbour, left the car and continued barefoot on top of a dune in order to enjoy the view over the mounth of the Swakop river and enjoyed hearing the dunes "sing" as we run down again. On our return the fogs moved in, we could hardly see a thing, but enormous flocks of cormorans overtaking us. The day was one of our highlights and I would highly recommend it to anyone!" Read more about this whole safari

"Excellent very knowlegable and experienced guide - Axel. A lovely day, though it was a very expensive trip." Read more about this whole safari

"Ernest seemed a bit disorganised at the start but the day was great. We had a lovely lunch with home made lasagne and pate. It was a fascinating day and to be recommended." Read more about this whole safari

"We had a great day out, just the 2 of us and guide, but we didn't make it to Sandwich. Tides wait for no man and it was too dangerous. However the experience of driving and getting stuck in the dunes was worth the trip and for my birdwatching husband a final glimpse of a dune lark was the icing on the cake. I thought it was rather small and brown myself.
We booked the private trip so as not to inhibit other tourists in the walking sections as my husband is a wheelchair user. I am not sure that there would have been any other tourists if we had just gone for the normal one but we enjoyed the undivided attention and got to know a lot of things in a very short time." Read more about this whole safari