Reviews of safaris to Namib-Naukluft National Park

"The whole trip was excellent and that was down to your professional expertise and efficiency. I must say you have been one of the best companies I have ever dealt with and it has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience..

Top marks to Josh for his overall efficiency and very engaging personality. It was always a pleasure chatting to him and nothing was too much trouble.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

To be honest I'm finding it difficult to suggest anything and that is because everything was perfect. The service we received from yourselves was exceptional and I say this as someone (not trying to sound big headed) who has travelled a lot since I began in 1973 ! Just keep up the good work. I'll be back !

Just one small point. I don't know what is happening with the proposed newsletter which I signed up for but I would recommend that you get it up and running as a priority. I think this is an ideal way of keeping past customers informed and a very effective way of getting new ones." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"Initially was a little concerned about lack of wildlife sightings however dunes fantastic and despite the slapshod way okaukuejo camp appeared to be run the waterhole was a revelation. we saw rhino each night, 3 on the first night and 2 the second night plus a male lion then 4 females.

Highlight was the cheetah kill. Etosha fulfilled my expectations and more.

No one could foresee the torrential rain and subsequent flooding which lead us to being advised to travel the longer route to Doro Nawas which made it feel like an unnecessary out of the way stop. Given a good run up the skeleton coast this view would not be as jaded.

All the accommodation was good and the extra night at erongo was well worth it

Would recommend this trip to others" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"We found Namibia to be easily the best of all the dozen or so countries we have visited in Africa with such varied landscapes as well as the wildlife and friendly people.

Having made thorough research before booking, we were so pleased that we were able to include visits to the south of the country which is not always on the typical itinerary. We especially enjoyed the exciting journey down into Fish River Canyon and the ghost mining towns of Kolmanskop and Elizabeth Bay and were so grateful that advanced permits had been arranged for our visits.

Our driver/naturalist/guide Tim Smith was excellent and we are so appreciative that our request for a photographer was able to be met as he had such a good eye for photographic opportunities. We had a great time in his company, he was the perfect host with all the knowledge one could ever wish for and the same sense of humour as ourselves.

There was an issue with the scenic flight at Swakopmund and we have contacted you separately about this already.
We are hopeful that a resolution is shortly to be concluded." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip

"We had a wonderful, fantastic trip and experience.

Everything was pretty much perfect and went according to the itinerary.

Game viewing ad Kgalagadi was exceptional as was the unexpected green desert due to the late rain. It was really stunning and the location and views form the lodges were great.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Excellent and helpful as always.

Hope to reurn to Namibia with a trip to the Skeleton coat and stay with the Himba people!" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 10 on a Namibia trip

"Nothing was too much trouble for Sabina in researching and planning this itinerary for a party of 10 photographers. All the arrangements worked very smoothly throughout the trip.

The whole African Experience was greatly enhanced by the quality of the locations where we stayed and the stunning lodges and camps.

Thank you so much - your efforts and knowledge have been greatly appreciated." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip

"All the arrangements made by Expert Africa went very smoothly and without a single hitch. Most of the accommodation and the friendliness of the service proved to be of a very high standard indeed (most notably Bagatelle Kalahari, Nest Hotel, Wolwedans, Ongava and Mushara lodges). The only locations where the standard was less than satisfactory were Central Lodge and particularly Olive Grove in Klein Windhoek.

The maps and guide books provided prior to the trip were invaluable and very comprehensive.

Although not organised through you, the flights with South African Airlines proved to be very comfortable indeed with plenty of leg room." Read full review: 29 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip

"We have described it to others as 'a total experience' as distinct from purely a 'holiday'. We knew we were on a long distance trip and apart from thorough 'African massage' therapy on the roads, we were always alert to our surroundings, and often rewarded, on our drives. The choice of accommodations was varied and fitted well your conservation/ecology driven underlying principle.

Interestingly many we spoke to did the same tour only clockwise, but we felt the reverse suited us better. Also, when we questioned some of the directions we were given we found they worked well when reversed!

Whilst we missed out on elephants and did not take every activity going, we had a well-balanced tour on which we had choices as to how to spend our time, and enjoyed taking ourselves on one or two adventures. The guides we had were without exception professional, informative, knowledgeable and thoughtful.

Thank you" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip

"Overall a very enjoyable trip. Generally, the accommodation was good to excellent, with the possible exception of Mushara. The car performed well, no punctures! The directions given were easily followed, no need for a Satnav. Driving on gravel roads was not a problem, we generally drove at 60/80 kph.
We found the people of Namibia extremely friendly, we never felt threatened.
In conclusion, we felt the trip was well planned, two-night stays were just right and we would recommend the use of Expert Africa for future trips to that great country.

Thank you, Tom." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 18 on a Namibia trip

"We had an absolutely amazing trip: it was a truly unforgettable experience that we loved every minute of.

We saw and did so much within just two weeks: the desert, dunes and mountains of Namibia; the San; the Vic Falls; the Delta; Cape Town and Table Mountain; the flights over the desert and delta; brilliant game sightings including all the Big 5.

Namibia is an incredible country with amazing scenery, fascinating culture, superb wildlife and huge open spaces - the shortest drive we had from the gate to the main building in five lodges was about half an hour! It was a pleasure to drive in, with the straight, empty roads, and even better to fly over. Botswana complemented it perfectly: it was wonderful to go from the desert and mountains of Namibia to the Chobe river and Okavango Delta and see animals and go on game drives in a completely different environment.

Flying from Sossuvlei to Damaraland made this all possible: as well as being one of the highlights of the trip, it saved us 10 hours on the road and having to stop in Swakopmund. This meant we could fit more in within the time we had and massively reduced the total amount of time we spent driving. Our driver in Namibia, Shorty, drove very safely and was an integral part of our trip - our best sightings of giraffes were with him, driving out of Gocheganas and Okonjima!

What stood out most, though, was all the people we met and the wonderful welcome we received at all the lodges, which really made everything that much more special. We especially appreciated how great everyone was with our kids.

The service from both Expert Africa and Wilderness Safaris was outstanding and could not be faulted in any way. All the arrangements ran like clockwork. Given we had a total of 10 flights (from leaving Sri Lanka to returning), 9 lodges and 18 activities, this was quite an achievement and testament to exceptional efficiency and attention to detail. There was always someone waiting to collect us at the appointed time; all the lodges were expecting us and had our room ready; all the activities were booked.

I am so grateful to Maruska for her advice, assistance and organisation. I first contacted her about two years in advance and must have sent over a hundred emails in total. She always replied immediately with helpful and detailed answers that displayed her detailed knowledge of the area and determination to make sure we would be happy with every aspect of the trip. She simply could not have done any more.

If we are lucky enough to be able to go back to Africa , we should certainly use Expert Africa again and will recommend them to all our friends.

Thank you for organsing a simply brilliant adventure: we have brought back memories that will last a lifetime.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service: This was the first time I had ever booked a trip / holiday through an agent - which I imagine may be true for many of your clients. Although Maruska was ever-willing to give quotes for as many different options as I wanted and to suggest ways to cut costs if required, I would have appreciated at least a rough idea of what was costing what in the overall quote.

I wonder whether it might be possible to give an indication of the cost of different lodges on your website (even if this is just a code such as $$ or $$$ etc) so clients can see how expensive different lodges are and how costs in different countries compare. Some indication of how the costs of different modes of transport compare would also be useful." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 7 on a Namibia trip

"Brilliant - we will definitely be going back to Namibia at some time in the future!

We are really glad that Chris suggested that we do this as a self drive holiday......we would have hated being on a tour bus!!" Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip