Reviews of safaris to Namib-Naukluft National Park
1092 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Namib-Naukluft.
"Beautiful Namibia"
Namibia is different from all of the other African countries we have visited and is a stunningly beautiful country. The highlights were - the rhinos at Ongava and the amazing night sky." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip
"Feedback to Expert Africa"
However I do feel that you as a company could give more tips - i.e I asked about what shoes to wear and If i hadn't I would not have taken my walking shoes which I wore 90% of the time _ this is invaluable info. I also asked about hairdryers and washing - invaluable. It would also have been nice to have know how safe it is to pick up travellers or to know about areas to visit on the way. ON the way to MOwani there are loads of villargers on the side of the roads selling there wares, you could visit the Brandenberg mountains _ I feel that because you gave us the Brandt book you thought it was ok but we are such busy people we cannot read the whole book before we go.. a few tips would have been nice and would have made the difference.
I do not understand why we were put in Kulala Lodge as it really didn't fit our spec and we were really disappointed with Swakopmund, we did not feel safe and it was pretty awful really!
Whenever I asked for help and advice Tracy and Sabina in Tracy's absence was great but you could have just made all the difference by adding those bits to your notes for travellers - also bits like how much to tips your guides, how much to tip petrol attendants when they wash your windows or car park attendants etc.
WE did have a wonderful wonderful holiday though so great great thanks to Tracey for organising it all so well." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip
"Brilliant"
We would recommend this trip to other people.
However, don't let your credit card out of your sight as ours was cloned and money withdrawn. We are not sure where this happened but definitely not any of the places we stayed." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip
"Namibia - fantastic trip"
Some of the long drives between places are a bit boring, in particular the one from Sossusvlei to Swakopmund.
If we ever went to Namibia again, the only things we would do differently are:
- stay in Windhoek on arrival, so that we don't have a long drive on the first day
- hire a 4-wheel drive vehicle, instead of a saloon car. The car was fine on most of the roads, but some roads are very rutted and bumpy, particularly the private roads to some of the lodges
- take a bird book." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip
"Namibia Trip Summary"
A fascinating country with so much of interest, coupled with good service and great places to stay." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip
""
We were unable to take any cultural tours as kids were not allowed on the options we were interested in and I did feel that our overall content lacked more indigenous cultural content and we were left with questions without a venue to ask them." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip
"General feedback"
One blot on the copy book was our NWR bookings had all been cancelled. Sossus Dune Lodge: the manager managed to sort things out for us without any hassle on our part. Okaukuejo: we spent over an hour checking in and had to ring the Wilderness Safaris out-of-hours contact no. to sort things out. Eventually we were given a standard double room instead of the Water-hole Chalet which we'd paid for. Namutoni: we had asked Wilderness Safaris to sort this out before we got there, and check-in was fine." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 18 on a Namibia trip
"Namibia Sep 08"
Suggestions for improvement:
Just one - the travel notes say that an adaptor for South Africa and Namibia is hard to find, and it may be better to take a UK power lead and re-wire it to a local plug. This isn't very helpful, because most power leads for battery chargers and shavers have sealed plugs, so you can't disconnect them without damaging them. However, I think the adaptors are becoming more widely available - I found them at Nomad Travel shops, at Selfridges, on Amazon, at Heathrow and at Johannesburg Airport, and if I'd kept looking no doubt I would have found them in lots of other places." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 18 on a Namibia trip
"We would love to return"
With hindsight it would perhaps be better not to try and cover such a large area but on the whole it was fantastic to do what we did, we felt we had had a real adventure and met some wonderful, charming people. All Sabina's arrangements for us went perfectly and we would like to thank her very much for her care and attention." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip
"Best holiday we have ever been on."
Suggestions for improvement:
I would suggest that the drive from Zebra River to Swokopmund was one of the most boring parts of the holiday. The main road could have been avoided if we had a permit to drive fhrough the national park. In reterospect we should have picked one of these up in Windhoek so we could do this.
An excellent geological fieldguide about Namibia is "The Roadside Geology of Namibia, 2nd Revised Edition" by Gabi Schneider (2008, ISBN 978-3-443-15084-6). It is far superior than "A fascination of geology" recommended by the Brant guide.
Detour to the Hobra meteroite was well worth it.
If going again we would spend less time in Swokopmund, and more time in the bush.
Purchased goods are entitled to a VAT refund at Windhoek airport if you have the invoice handy, although you have to give them your bank details.
Camera tripod was the best thing we took with us, for timer photos of us and night shots of the game," Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 18 on a Namibia trip
Where to stay in Namib-Naukluft
Our suggestions for safari camps in Namib-Naukluft National Park
Kulala Desert Lodge
The comfortable Kulala Desert Lodge offers fantastic views of the Namib and a private gate to the Namib-Naukluft Park - a bonus on guided excursions.
Hoodia Desert Lodge
The owner-run Hoodia Desert Lodge offers a high standard of accommodation, delicious food and excellent service in a stunning, peaceful setting just 22km from Sesriem.
BullsPort Lodge & Farm
A traditional Namibian farm, BullsPort offers warm hospitality and a genuine rural experience, with excellent hiking and horseriding.
Sossus Dune Lodge
One of only two properties inside the Namib Naukluft Park, Sossus Dune Lodge has a superb location, for visiting the dunes.
Desert Homestead
With great-value accommodation in a lovely setting, Desert Homestead is a great base for exploring Sossusvlei.
Zebra River Lodge
Zebra River Lodge offers a range of hikes around the Tsaris Mountains from a comfortable and homely base.
Little Kulala
A high-end lodge with spectacular views, Little Kulala, makes a great base for visits to Sossusvlei or a balloon ride over the Desert.
Rostock Ritz
The igloo-style chalets at Rostock Ritz offer exceptional desert views and make a convenient stopover between Swakopmund & Sossusvlei.
Barkhan Dune Retreat
Barkhan Dune Retreat is a welcoming lodge close to the impressive Spreetshoogte Pass, majors on hiking and relaxation.
Sossusvlei Lodge
Sossusvlei Lodge is one of the larger options in this area. However, it occupies a convenient location next to the Sesriem gate into the Namib-Naukluft Park.
Namib Outpost
About 30km from the gate to Sossusveli, Namib Outpost is a great base for exploring the dunes and surrounding attractions.
Dead Valley Lodge
Dead Valley Lodge is inside the Namib-Naukluft National Park, affording guests almost unprecedented access to the dunes.
Desert Camp
Desert Camp is an economical option for independent travellers who want to self-cater, and is well situated for access to Sossusvlei.
Desert Quiver Camp
Desert Quiver Camp is an economical option self-catering, well located for access to Sossusvlei.
Elegant Desert Lodge
Elegant Desert Lodge can be used as a base to visit Sossusvlei. It offers comfortable accommodation and facilities in the desert.
Corona Guest Farm
In central Namibia, north-east of the Namib-Naukluft, Corona Guest Farm offers a traditional farm stay and rugged hiking.
Namib Desert Lodge
Namib Desert Lodge is a good budget option in the Namib-Naukluft although, it is further from Sossusvlei than we'd typically suggest.
Sonop
Away from the hustle and bustle of the area immediately surrounding Sossussvlei, Sonop offers a luxurious stay in a remote part of the Namib Desert.
Camp Sossus
Camp Sossus is a offers top notch guiding in a remote wilderness area of the Naukluft Mountains with easy access to the famous dunes of Sossusvlei.
Desert Hills Camp
Conveniently located for the renowned dunes of Sossusvlei Desert Hills Glamping Camp offers a simple but comfortable tents in picturesque surroundings.
Le Mirage Lodge
Le Mirage Resort and Spa offers accommodation and a range of massage and beauty treatments in a Moroccan-style building in the desert.
Desert Grace
A stylish offering giving access to the famous dunes in the Namib-Naukluft National Park as well as to activities on a private nature reserve.
The Nest
Designed to emulate the appearance of a sociable weaver nest the opulent Nest at Sossus is arguably the most exclusive private property in the Sossuvlei area.
