Reviews: Hoodia Sossusvlei excursion

"Daniel was a tremendous guide. There were just 5 of us and he made sure we were comfortable before we set off.

He showed us small desert animals as well as Oryx, Wildebeest, Springbok, lizards, spiders, vultures, stag beetles and Ruppells Korhaans and other birds, and so much more.

Daniel was very knowledgeable about Namibian history and geology too. It was fascinating to see the iron deposits in the red sand dunes, and climb to the top of one. He accompanied us pointing out flora too including the petrified trees.

The lunch picnic was delicious; beautifully set out on a carpet with tables, chairs, tablecloths and cutlery.

Sitting under an acacia tree in the desert with Oryx grazing nearby was an unforgettable experience" Read more about this whole safari

"Great experience with a good guide.

The scenery was mind-blowing." Read more about this whole safari

"Absolutely incredible day, the climb up half of Big Daddy, the guide was one of the best, and the lunch spot totally amazing!" Read more about this whole safari

"Due to flight delays, we arrived late but they accommodated us by taking us on the full tour in the afternoon/evening (it's usually early morning).

The whole experience was excellent and we enjoyed sundowners before returning to the lodge.

Fantastic guide." Read more about this whole safari

"The day after arriving at Hoodia, we did the full day excursion to Sossusvlei. It is about 30 minutes to the park entrance gate. You travel in a closed vehicle, but the windows do open. It is nice to have the A/C, but pretty impossible to take good pictures from inside, unlike an open air safari vehicle.

I was sitting in the back row and it was impossible to hear the guide. One gets tired of asking "What did he say?" I might suggest investing in a radio speaker system. Our guides to the Cape and to the winelands in South Africa both had these, and they worked very well.

The negative was our guide on that excursion. It was pretty clear he had five stops to make, then pick up his mail, then back to Hoodia. Several times we asked to stop to take pictures of the dunes, and I don't know if he didn't hear us, or stopping was just not on his timetable.

We had made it very clear throughout the day that we were interested in seeing animals, if possible. As we were leaving the park there were tons of oryx, and I just wanted some pictures with the oryx in the desert setting. But, he refused to stop. My husband even took him aside when he made a stop for his mail, and told him if we saw more animals to stop. Even after that we had to scream at him to stop so we could watch three oryx jumping the fences and running across the road before the turn into Hoodia. Having a quality guide is just so important for these types of excursions. The only animal he pointed out all day was a black back jackal that ran across the road in front of us.

I don't feel we learned anything about the people and animals who lived there, who still live there.

With that said, it was still a nice day with friends. A beautiful day. Wonderful pictures of Deadvlei. Fun to watch (with binoculars) the people coming down the face of Big Daddy. The scenery is really quite amazing." Read more about this whole safari

"This felt "other worldly" as we walked up and then down a dune to a smaller area of dead trees - where we were completely alone with just our guide - before walking to the busier Deadvlei area.

So his local knowledge and being able to do this was very valuable and gave us a greater sense of the place than we would have got if we had walked the to Deadvlei the same way as the crowds.

The lunch - served on a tablecloth covered table under a beautiful tree, away from the crowds - was excellent and there was plenty to eat and drink.

Definitely worth doing and good value." Read more about this whole safari

"Wonderful day out with first class lunch under a tree in the desert.

Having a guide really brought things to life." Read more about this whole safari

"Lucas was a very informative guide." Read more about this whole safari

"Ineos was our guide to Sossusvlei, he was informative about the desert and its place in the surrounding area. We climbed "Big Daddy" which was amazing.

Lunch was set up outside the park, under a shady tree with Oryx looking on!" Read more about this whole safari

"The full day excursion to the massive sand dunes surrounding Sossusvlei from Hoodia Desert Lodge turned out to be the ideal way to visit Sossusvlei and sourroundings, for many THE most famous Namibian tourist attraction. The huge pans (or vleis) receive water from Tauchab River at rare occasions (not every year), from where it evaporates, creating a surreal landscape in the desert only surpassed by Salvador Dali! We left Hoodia Desert Lodge at 05.30 am to be ready at the Sesriem Gate at 06.00. Our guide D. was very talkative along the whole tour but also very skilled and a remarkable source of information.

1. stop: A small bushman walk in the dunes on the way to Sussosvlei. The main attraction was to see a White Lady spider. In the distance, the balloons hovered along the red sand dunes – impressive sight
2. stop: Dune 40 + 45 at distance. We did not climb, but it seems you can avoid the crowds by choosing dune 40 which opened recently. Go early before it gets too hot!
3. stop: Daniel explained the history and geology of South Western Africa drawing on a sand dune. Very interesting and informative.
4. stop: We climbed red sand dunes and reached Dead Vlei via a less known vlei to the right of Dead Vlei. This turned out to be the perfect way to avoid the crowds using the main track for Dead Vlei
5. stop Lunch at Elin Dune. An “Out of Africa” experience. Tablecloths and cool white wine in the middle of the desert under an acacia tree!

Conclusion, this full day excursion from Hoodia Desert Lodge was the perfect way to explore the area." Read more about this whole safari