Reviews of safaris to Southern Namibia

"We have already recommended expert Africa and Maruska many times during and after out trip. We had already done one trip through expert Africa 6 years ago and so we knew we were going to get a great service and Maruska had such a great handle on our needs and what would suit us we trusted her recommendations and knew it would work for us.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service: There was only one area where I think it could have been helpful to understand a little more which was crossing the border from Botswana back into Namibia. This seemed to be far more officious and complex than going from Namibia to Botswana. For example - we ended up at the board queued behind a long line of lorries ( about 20) - but we luckily decided to chance it and drive past them to the front and it turned out that was the right thing to do but had we not taken the risk we probably would have been in the queue for 2 hours. Also we did take a bit of time to work out the tipping position as we were reading the book the information on our documents and then the local information. We worked it out in the end but real clarity on tipping guides directly and specifically and then tip box with an average daily tip probably would be helpful ( but maybe we were being to sensitive about this)." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"The trip had to be postponed three times due to personal circumstances and covid so it wasn't the easiest to arrange. However, when it finally happened it was superb. We were originally looking to organise it ourselves but so glad we used Expert Africa for a number of reasons:

1. Their recommendations on hotels and advice on an itinerary. All the hotels were fantastic and without the advice, we'd have ended up driving in the dark which is not recommended

2. The price they charged for the hotels was no more expensive than booking direct and occasionally cheaper

3. When one of the hotels on the trip closed for refurbishment, they recommended and booked a replacement for us immediately, in line with the itenary.

4. For the first two trips we booked the Fish River Canyon ourselves which was a real hassle, sometime there were spaces available on a certain date, sometime not. Once we realised Expert Africa could do it for us, it was so much easier. They booked and changed it in-line with the itinarey.

5. The small things - being met at Windhoek airport by a representative who took us to the office in the airport so we could get organised, help us with car pick-up. The map we were given with our route marked on it along with the location of the hotels and time to drive between them (not obvious) plus the Namibia book, nice wallet to store all our paper work made it all feel very professional

6. Flexibility in changing our trip each year, rebooking the hotels plus advice given when we asked" Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 9 on a Namibia trip

"We had the trip of a lifetime and thoroughly enjoyed the whole itinerary and all the lodges….

I had a set itinerary including certainly lodges that were a “must do” Sabina of Expert Africa was the only person and company of the four I tried that was able to accommodate our wishes and make it all fit together seamlessly. Thank you Sabina it couldn’t have worked out better !!" Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 17 on a Namibia trip

"This is one of those trips that will stay with me forever.

Expert Africa supplied everything we asked for. The weather at this time of year is perfect for ‘oldies’ like us, who want more than sunbathing. The skies were clear, the sun shone. The nights were very special. The stars and moon are too beautiful to describe. One of our guides told us that his father told him when he was a child that if he looked closely at the Southern Cross he might see the head of a giraffe looking down protectively on Namibia! Keeping guard. What a lovely story.

The lodges we stayed in were clean and well designed, set in lovely places and full of delightful staff.
I just need to say a big, big thank you to you all. You deserve to flourish. I will certainly be telling everyone to go to Namibia for their holidays!,

Just as a post script. After our holiday with you, we met our daughter and family in Windhoek, rented 4x4 s and stayed a further two weeks camping. We went up to Etosha National Park and had a wonderful time. We returned to Europe, encountering a strike by ground staff in Germany! We got rerouted to Manchester instead of Birmingham, where we managed to catch the train back to Ludlow. We didn’t manage to contact our taxi driver so we had to pay for a fare we didn’t use. Our baggage didn’t make it on to the plane and as of today (18th August) we still can’t find it! Lufthansa have not been at all helpful. I won’t be recommending them to anyone! So, my guidebooks my diary my little gifts are lost. That is one reason I have been slow to fill in you questionnaire. I don’t have any written records.

Still all of that will not spoil my memories of an amazing country. I have been humming the Paul Simon song ever since I stood under that African sky! “Joseph’s face was as black as the night and the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes”" Read full review: 23 nights in Africa; 6 on a Namibia trip

"Amazing trip. Fantastic scenery. Great locations and accommodations.

Be prepared for driving time as dirt roads limit speed able to drive. However minimal traffic.

Excellent trip." Read full review: 24 nights in Africa; 15 on a Namibia trip

"The trip was great. I really enjoyed the logistic and how the trip like this is arranged with a sort of self drive but also guided excursions.
Thank you to Tom tips we enjoyed a lot exploring this Country.

The only remark I have it’s maybe preparing people a bit more because the streets are really bad" Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 13 on a Namibia trip

"The entire trip was incredible, none of us wanted to go home. The planning was excellent and everything went flawlessly. The guides inNamibia and Botswana were excellent. It was wonderful being in these countries and meeting the people who are very happy to have tourists returning.

Maruska designed a trip for us that matched all of our goals. She was outstanding during the pandemic in rescheduling a couple of times and kept us informed of everything she was working on and changes. She is the best travel consultant we have ever worked with. She is timely and precise in her dealings with suppliers and companies in Africa. She was very responsive throughout the 3 years of planning. We highly recommend her. Thank you Maruska!" Read full review: 32 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip

"Ultimately Expert Africa was helpful with two rebookings over the pandemic but they really made the first one troublesome, first telling me to pay balance and I would get a refund if I couldn't make it and then refusing to give me the refund!!!

Inevitably, when reviewing so many different things, one is bound to make some comparisons resulting in not everyone getting an “excellent” review. Plus, I completely lost track of any individual lodge’s pricing since I bought a package to start and then we had several years of adjustments. So, I wasn’t really rating based on “value”. For example, Otjimbondona really impressed us but it might have been crazy expensive!!

Overall, it was an excellent trip and I appreciated the variety of experience. The self drive portion was much easier than anticipated and it was great having that independence after the very prescribed Botswana portion. It was absolutely beautiful reaching the coast at Luderitz (and seafood!) after so much desert time." Read full review: 37 nights in Africa; 12 on a Namibia trip

"We are so happy we took the punt and booked a trip during Covid and at the last minute. It was superb, and Sabina was very patient with the last-minute planning. The trip was also very good value for money.

We couldn't recommend Expert Africa enough and will be booking again.

If you are reading this thinking either: should I go to Namibia, or should I travel during the final throes of Covid then without a doubt do it! We had hotels and experiences to ourselves, which money literally can't buy during normal times. This felt like an old, untraveled Africa, with 21st century luxury and conveniences." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 10 on a Namibia trip

"The trip was going really well until I discovered at Fish River that Namibia had been put on the red list and all flights had been cancelled.

My other abiding memory will be how unbelievably windy it was and how the wind did not drop overnight. Swakopmund was probably the only place where it was not blowing a gale the whole time.

It was so bad that one or two of the lodges provided ear plugs so that you were not kept awake by the sound of your tent trying to fly off to the Kalahari." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Namibia trip