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Email Javier Elías Guzmán Téllez | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
As my first safari everything amazed me. I can say my dream to see african wildlife became true
Contrast feelings. In my opinion local people is plundered of their birthrights. The certitude of being in a totally wild territory flew away by the fact that allmost all the country is fenced and packaged and most of the wildlife intensely managed, although I do not deny this is, in some cases and for certain species, the best way to assure conservation.
Anyway, this is not true for the main place we visit (4 days, 3 nigths), etosha. Here the only artificial elements are the man made waterholes (some are natural) and the roads, but this is why you can see the animals here. As it was my first safari ever, everything was amazing. We even saw many rhinos (both) and lions in our self drives. After Etosha we went to Okonjima for leopards and cheetahs. The first are free born radiocallared animals and they guarantee you good observations, but the rescued cheetahs are semi-domesticated animals. Also here brown hyaena, ardwolf, mountain zebra, elephant shrew and white rhino. As birders we enjoyed tracking in this reserve. The guides were superb and the standard rooms were actually luxury: you could see a lot of life lying in the bed.
Etosha is vey good for raptors (martial eagle, bateleur and secretary, but we missed pygmy falcon) and steppe-land birds, but not so much for passerines, as you can not leave the car. For photographers: the most of the day the light is too bright and the sky leaden
The surrealistic vision of game, seemingly floating over the salt plan, seems a sweet alutination. The only night we spent camping at okaukuejo I will never forget: 7 black rhinos, including cubs playfully approaching elephant bulls (until a blast of water from his trunk made the cub run to mother's shelter), a genets and a hyaena (with a jackal as squire) in the waterhole. When I went to sleep the roar of lyons made my marrows shake.
The best place for lions where Nebrownii and Okondeka waterholes. We tried a lot with cheetah, but no luck in 4 days.
Etosha
Before there is any miscommunication caused by my title, I will simply say that my trip with Wild Cherry Safaris was outstanding. It was more than a dream come true; it was like a dream that was occurring in front of me.
Chad seemed to have the magic touch, because we managed to see all the animals we could have expected and some we didn't. He was patient, helpful and was a really good listener. He truly loves this country and this geography; as he said, Namibia makes sense to him, and that realization really enhanced the tour. He loved seeing these wonders unfold as much as we did.
Desmond was awesome. He remained in the camp, prepared the meals and the sleeping arrangements, and had wonderful localized advice. If there was a mysterious noise in the middle of the night, he would tell you exactly what it was in the morning. I really liked him, and was invaluable to our experience.
The park was both expansive and compact. I will explain. The permanent campground (Wild Cherry is the only tour company that offers this) is surrounded with everything one would need. A charging station for your camera batteries and electronics. A food vendor, bathroom facilities, a restaurant, and for the hotter afternoons a swimming pool. But for me what made the location incredible, were the vantage points at perimeter of the camp. Firstly, at the southwest corner of the camp is a hidden and unmarked observational gem. Basically you are standing in shaded bush, but you can watch very closely as all the animals pass only metres in front of you on their way to the water hole. If you are patient and quiet, they won't even notice you. Of course, the Water Hole is a sight too. At any given moment, 24 hours a day, you will see a parade of coexisting animals quenching their thirst. The elephants were the big showboats, and the rhinos seemed to be nocturnal.
So that is the element of the 'Etosha Dream' that is in your control. Once you get in the back of the truck, Chad had a pretty instinctual sense of where to go. A viewing platform above the truck sits nine people, and comes with comfortable seating and blankets for the cold mornings (we went in August). The roads wind endlessly through the massive park, and from your vantage point you can observe from higher up. This allows you to see giraffes poke their heads up curiously, and Gnus, Zebras, Impala, and Springboks weaving through the landscape.
With Wild Cherry's 3D/2N tour you get to have two morning and two evening game rides. We seemed to see more animals in the evening, but our rarer sightings (lions, hyenas, and leopards) were all in the morning. And in between, the water hole is always at your disposal in camp. Basically, if you really wanted to, you could be observing animals 24 hours a day. Just don't miss Desmond's meals. He has mastered hearty food on the barbeque.
Final Thoughts
My experience with Wild Cherry was wonderful. Things were done at a very comfortable pace and the itinerary was ideal. Etosha is a quiet and epic place, and the employees at this company embrace that spirit on the game rides. A little information is given, but there is a joy in the quiet wonder shared by everyone. Chad, Sydney, and Desmond really want you to enjoy your experience. And with Chad at the wheel you are going to find unbelievable moments.
TIPS
-Bring a tripod on the game rides. If you are using a phone or digital camera, bring a bean bag or a resting pad (a beanie works well too) to test your camera on for smoother shots
- To capture intimate moments of animals who are closer to the car, remember that you often have a better vantage point than Chad does at the wheel. Just knock on the roof and he will happily stop. Remember, it's your safari and it may be your only one.
- Don't try and take selfies with the animals behind you. You will be shaded and they will be in bright light and the image will be awkward and disjointed. Take the best photo possible of the animals in their habitat. That's what your friends and family will want to see.
- Start some conversations with strangers at the water hole. Too often, these camps become really independent; many of the people around you have rather amazing stories and backgrounds. Yet, you happen to be in the same spot at the same time. That is neat.
- I recommend bringing about 800-1000 Namibian currency.
- You have to pay for WiFi. But really, just put it away. It was so enjoyable to be away from it all, watching and hearing animals; also the sunrise, sunset, and night time sky is far more impressive than anything on your phone.
I had an unforgettable experience. I will be sure to recommend Wild Cherry if any friends or family end up in Namibia.
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Email Rik | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
a trip through the desert country
i booked our trip with a company, through the safaribookings website, there is a wide range of tours available on the website, so it was easy to find a tour which suited us perfectly. Unfortunately a lot of the accomodation had already been taken because we booked fairly late, but the travelagent managed to get us adequate and similar accomodations. We found the overall standard to be very good, all accomodation was in excellent condition, well cared for.The dining was also very good in general, although we found a few places where the menu we were given was not really up to standard. The tour was very well organized, and the guide very knowledgeable. The roads are well mantained and easy to drive on. We managed to see a lot of wildlife- very often just alongside the road, and the scenery was impressive: wide open spaces, few people or traffic.The semi desert and desert views were awesome especially.
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Email Lina Eva Fedirko | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded expectations!
I loved everything about Namibia, everything from wildlife, scenery to accommodations, food! My operator was exceptionally knowledgeable and thoughtful. I enjoyed it so much that I will definitely be visiting again.
An amazing adventure
Our trip was excellent , the wildlife was wonderful, from the Elephants of Etosha to the very smelly Seals at Cape Cross , we saw various animals everywhere throughout our tour and 120 species of birds without having to look very hard. the scenery is spectacular and ever changing from mountain passes to the changing colours of the desert.
We booked a bespoke tour with Safpol Safari's and they sub contracted out locally based Fire Lily Tours, Wilfried our guide , and owner was excellent with wonderful local knowledge of Namibia , and always ready to stop for us to take pictures, our vehicle was a large 4 wheel drive with plenty of boot space. All the local people we met on route were very friendly helpful.
The weather for us was very good, as we live in the middle east, the generally warm days and cool sometimes cold evenings were perfect.
Accommodation was generally very good as was the food, but as we rarely got to stay more than one night because of our itinerary and lack of more time, we didn't get the chance to look around most of the venues - arriving late afternoon and departing at 08.00, because of the travelling distances involved.
The experience was wonderful, the people and whole country are a highlight, just beware when planning the distances involved, we averaged over 300 km a day on top of our site seeing.
The safari was easily customised, very well organised & the guide made it flow so smoothly.
Wildlife was excellent - the guide knew the best locations to be. Scenery - spectacular. Weather - perfect- cool in the mornings & evenings, pleasant during the day. Accomodation first rate without the cost - well chosen & central to our touring. Food very good, transport excellent. Our guide was outstanding, informative, very knowledgeable about Namibia. Outstanding safari. Go soon before it gets overrun with tourists.
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Email Giulio Ranucci | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience full of nature and well organized
Very well organzied safari in an amazing country, full of nature and beauties. We got very good wather in particular in the desert that was a truly unique experience. Our guide was well prepared and kind expecially beacuse we were in our honeymoon and he took care of us every hour of the day.
Email Claire Ryan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our safari in to Namibia was superb
Right from the start our guide George made our trip to Etosha National Park informative and enjoyable. His knowledge of the country and of Etosha was great. The wildlife was wonderful to see and George had obviously spent quite some time in that area, as he knew just where to go for animal spotting. He was a very pleasant man who was attentive to our needs. The accommodation was as advertised, clean and comfortable. We could not fault the meals also. Dealing with Martha at Wild Wind Tours was excellent right from our first enquiry. We would thoroughly recommend this tour company.
Email Jenni Romaniuk | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The Magical Desert
It was an amazing trip. The diversity and beauty of Namibia was even more than I had expected. Our guide Daniel was great, took care of us all fabulously. The tour was nicely planned with some time on the road but not too much. Also plenty of time to enjoy the sites such as the wildlife in Etosha and the dunes of the desert.
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Email Nina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful trip!
We really enjoied our self drive trip in Namibia. We had a very diversified route. Wildlife with a lot of animals, mountains, ocean and desert. Food in Namibia is absolutely delicious and you don‘t have to worry about hygiene at all. We experienced Namibia as a very safe country where you can walk through towns after sunset as well. Even the restrooms at the fuel stations were very clean which was quite a surprise for me. The roads are in a very good condition - even better than in Southern Europe!! We wouldn’t book a gps for a furure trip, it’s not necessary at all. We stayed in beatiful lodges with incredible friendly and helpful staff.
