Reviews of safaris to Okonjima Nature Reserve

"We have had many family holidays but this was one of the best.
Tom at Africa Expert was brilliant at helping me put together our itinerary - and making suggesting on things to do and see and at finding the best lodges for our budget - and they were all great.
There is such a variety of things to do and see in Namibia - and self driving gives you so much flexibility. (Tom had even given us a map which had the route highlighted in felt pen so we couldn't get lost!)
Our highlights were: the sand dunes at Sossusvlei, the rock engravings at Twyfelfontein, Ongava Lodge and Etosha National Park.
If you are going at peak season it is worth thinking of booking certain activities in advance. We wanted to go kayaking with seals in Swakopmund but we tried 5 different companies and all were fully booked.
We will definitely return to Namibia!" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"Overall our trip was amazing. I had a good idea of the route that we wanted to follow and Sabina did a great job of juggling the lodge bookings, getting the car organised etc.

A couple of comments that hopefully help future guests:

- The distances are far and we felt that 2 nights max at any particular spot was not really enough. We wish we had stayed 3 nights at Hoodia and Onguma, both of which were fantastic.

- Bullsport was awful - see my review. We should have gone straight to Hoodia.

- Didn't like Etosha Safari Camp. I had really wanted to stay at Okakeujo but was told it was full. Was all accomodation really full there? Could more have been done to get a spot there?" Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"A great overall introduction and experience in Namibia.

Hospitality was wonderful, many warm people, animals and landscapes amazing.

Roads may be tough to take for some people. We have travelled to over 50 countries and our glad we did not miss Namibia!

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Incredibly accommodating in helping us schedule this last minute trip within our parameters. Would definitely recommend Maruska and the company in the future.

We have been traveling nearly full time the past four years and this process was one of our top experiences!" Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip

"Utterly vast and alternately dotted with German cakes and rhino. That's Namibia. The people are lovely. The scenery staggering.

We went thinking we were going on holiday and returned realising we'd experienced the trip of a lifetime. A cliche I know but it's warranted in this case.

Make sure you've got a good set of wheels if you are travelling around (the investment in a Toyota Hilux/Ford Ranger or similar is worth it) and pray that the drought breaks soon. It's a tough and beautiful land." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 11 on a Namibia trip

"We loved our trip.

At times we found the impact of the drought challenging - particularly in Etosha. Namibia is a stunning place and a wonderful place to travel in. The standards of accommodation, food and service were far higher than we expected. At times we felt a little uncomfortable with the luxury ( in some places we had wonderful days with out with our guides but at dinner it was the white members of staff we had not really met who sat down and ate with us, for example ).

The driving was perhaps more time consuming that we had imagined and it would have helped to have an idea of the lengths of the drives at the outset with the itinerary. However, the roads were good and we had no problems. We would recommend people take lots of music and podcasts to pass the time." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"With the exception of Mieke's and Okanjima, I felt the accommodations were overpriced (the Thule Hotel was a bargain, however, I did not make that reservation through EA).

The vehicle was great. I enjoyed the freedom of this self-drive vacation. Saw lots of wildlife and had some good interaction with Namibians apart from in the places we stayed.

We put 2323 km on our vehicle--probably 80% on gravel roads of varying condition. The highlights of the trip were the Cape Cross Seal Colony, the Skeleton Coast, Twyfelfontein pictographs, the Ongava hide, Etosha, and pangolin tracking at Okonjima.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

I am a satisfied EA customer. You do an excellent job of educating your clients.

The attention to detail from first contact through follow up is exceptional.

You can be proud of your organization." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 7 on a Namibia trip

"Amazing trip which exceeded our expectations.

All the locations were great but each had their own distinctive feel and character. The landscapes were more impressive than we had expected and it was a real thrill to get to see so many animals and birds up close.

The people throughout Namibia were very friendly and the staff in the lodges were all very welcoming and made us feel at home. Even things like car hire went very smoothly, with great service from the Bidvest staff.

We highly recommend Namibia as a fantastic destination and will definitely be using Expert Africa for any other African adventures which we may have.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

The only thing I would change would be to hire a Toyota 4x4 or double cab next time.

The Nissan X Trail wasn't really robust enough for some of the rougher gravel roads." Read full review: 23 nights in Africa; 21 on a Namibia trip

"We have absolutely no negative comments. The whole trip was perfectly planned and executed. There is nothing that in retrospect we would do differently. My wishes and tastes were perfectly interpreted by your organisation.

It was a real joy to drive on those empty gravel roads for hundreds of kilometers and gave a bit of a sense of adventure. We would recommend to anyone!

Our trip was not organised by Sabine but by Josh, who has left, so my comments apply to him." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 10 on a Namibia trip

"I finally made the trip to Namibia and am full of praise of it.

The arrangements by ExpertAfrica were made with knowledge and experience which made a solo trip rather easy and worry free. Despite the serious drought Namibia is a beautiful country with much to offer. Wildlife, varied scenery, ancient cultures and friendly people everywhere were the main highlights.

I wished I had allowed more time for the trip. I am thus thinking of coming back as soon as I can and visit other places not included in this trip." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip

"We loved our trip and really loved the places we stayed. The only thing I might change is that every other day we had long drives. This was mostly unavoidable because we wanted to cover a lot of ground but the long drive from the middle camp n Etosha to the camp outside could have been avoided but then again we did like that private camp. Maruska did a great job overall and we appreciated her guidance." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 14 on a Namibia trip