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Email David | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Kaledoscope of Scenery, Wildlife and People
Namibia has so much to it. We travelled about 4.000 kms in 18 days in our Toyota Fortuner. Highlights: a giraffe standing next to our roundel in the Kalahari; the incredible sight of the Fish River Canyon which doesn't get the same publicity as The Grand Canyon but is every bit as spectacular; our cottage perched between the boulders in Aus; the austere beauty of the dunes at Sossuvlei; apple pie at Solitaire(!); the dramatic ocean at Swakopmund; spotting our first (desert) elephants in Twyfelfontein with a local villager as our guide; the drama and the privilege of watching wildlife at the waterholes in Etosha including giraffe and lions drinking from the same waterhole while keeping an eye on each other; our last view of the savannah watching the sun set and sipping our sundowners.
But not only this, the country is so much more than the usual tourist routes. It was great to top up with diesel fuel and stock up on supplies in towns such as Keetmanshoop, Aus, Outjo, Tsumeb, Otjiwaarongo and Okahandja, have a bite to eat and soak up the atmosphere of these, I think, typical African towns.
One or two things to note: arriving in Windhoek after long flights you may well feel a little weary and even sluggish and the effect can be exacerbated by the capital being at 1,600m altitude; the accommodation inside Etosha may not be at the same level as even immediately outside the Park; the quality of the C and D roads can be bad due to the 'washboard' surface but even so driving up the D707 on our way to Sesriem was a marvellous experience.
We hope to be back soon because, as with all the best destinations, we feel we've only scratched the surface - there's so much more to discover.
JP
Email Akira Kanamori | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Totally quiet holidays
Windhoek is nice city with somewhat Europeanized buildings. So sunny and dry. We spent 3 nights at the desert lodge watching quiet desert and strange looking trees. This is probably a bit different destination in Africa for tourists with distinct tastes.
SG
Email Eileen | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Sossusvlei tour is nice!
Sossusvlei tour and Namib Naukluft lodge stay are nice! The tour guide is friendly and knowledgeable.
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Email Paolo Malavasi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
What a place!
If you are looking for something called "breathtaking", that's the place! Every day something new and exciting, wild animals everywhere, beatiful landscape and good beer! This holiday was "WOW"
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Email Jan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It has been a really amazing trip.
Everything has been amazing! The country is un-contaminated and beautiful. People are very friendly. We, me and my 3 daugthers have been driving 3300 km from which 2100 on unpaved roads in 15 days. If you are an experienced driver and you do not have any rpoblem to drive 4 or 5 hours at the time, it is recommended to drive on your own. We did Kalahari, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Brandberg, Etosha South, Etosha East, Cheetah view logde Waterberg region, Okonjima nature reserve, Windhoek. We stayed for 14 nights in Namibia and this is the minimum you need. The best lodges we stayed at were Sossusvlei logdes, Mokuti (amazing) Okonjima plains camp. Food is excellent if you are not a vegetarian.
Our trip was organised by Five Stars Tours and Safaris, by Mandy. You do no have to look any further!!! Everthing was perfect and there were many positive surprises, like kayaking witht the seals Furthermore Mandy will prepare you a very competive offfer without making any compromise on the best locations and lodges available. My opinion is that in four people we have safed at least € 3.000 to € 4.000, compared with other big travel organisations, from which I received quotations. The car rental company was Namib's Roos Car Rental. We had the best possible car Toyota 4x4 Hilux DC 2.4 TD. (do not safe money on the car and insurances!) Also the guys were amazing and should be definitly recommended. Full explanation about the car, gas stations, tyre pressure change etc. One last remark. Namibia is very poor. You can drive tens of km without meeting anybody, just some men or kids with goats. When you stop to ask them if they need something, they just ask for water!!! (not for water) Please bring a lot of bottles of water and distribute them when you meet these poor people in the desert!!
EE
Email Marit | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
Namibia felt very safe. Driving was easy (despite being on the wrong side of the road for us). Internet coverage is poor outside of population centres or lodges; make sure you have downloaded offline maps beforehand. People were very friendly, and the staff everywhere spoke excellent English and were helpful and knowledgeable about local attractions. Do take your time in Etosha NP. We spent two full days there, and that definitely wasn't enough. Still, throughout Namibia, we saw more wildlife every day than normally in a year in Estonia.
CA
Email John Cosco | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Namibia is a country of natural beauty and beautiful, friendly people
I loved my trip to Namibia, from the ease of my arrival at the airport to getting my 4x4 car rental and then driving on the other side of the road, everything went well for me. I felt very safe. I planned a 4-day self-drive trip to Sossusvlei. It was magical with wonderful sunny days and cool nights with big starry skies. I stayed the first night at Little Sossus Lodge and the next two at Sossus Dune Lodge because it was located inside the park gates; this way I could access the park before sunrise and an hour after sunset providing me with enough time for some great photo opportunities at Deadvlei or climbing dunes. The staff at the lodges, the park staff, and the locals I met along the way were all very nice and made me feel welcome. I liked the independence of driving on my own. There were plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities along the road as well. Next, I booked a 4-day safari to Etosha leaving from Windhoek with a pickup and drop off at my hotel. What a great trip. I had a personal driver to take me to Etosha and look after everything while I was there. Etosha was a mix of sitting by a water hole and game driving. The amount and diversity of wildlife around the waterhole were incredible, I particularly liked it when a herd of elephants or rhinos would visit. That was it, short but sweet.
I look forward to my next trip to explore more of Namibia with my friends.
GR
Email Tzino Bentai | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable memories
Our company chose Safari Bookings with Lark Journeys to organize our 16-day self-drive safari. I highly recommend Namibia as a travel destination. The overall experience, natural beauty, wildlife, local culture, and accommodations were all exceptional.
I captured remarkable photographs and encountered extraordinary desert-adapted animals.
Claire and Gregory from Lark Journeys provided invaluable assistance and expertise throughout the planning and execution of our safari.
Email Roger | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A country of beautiful diversity
A ten day trip by scheduled light aircraft visiting Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Damaraland and Etosha (south). To see the landscape from the air was awesome each leg taking about an hour. The accommodation, food and service were excellent throughout. It was the combination of wildlife viewing, scenery, people (both indigenous and other visitors) and culture which made the holiday so memorable. Visited in June : cloudless skies, pleasant temperatures, lack of crowds. Good value as well.
Email Denise Driemeyer | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kilometers of nothing and yet it's own beauty and surprises waiting for you.
We had an awesome trip. We can't say it happened just around the next corner because the roads are so straight. Yet everything was there to see. Traveling up from Windhoek to Etosha and staying in star rated lodges with excellent food and scenery, was worth the long drives. As everything was pre-booked by Secret Namibia we didn't have the hassle of finding accommodation or searching on a map for the destination as it was all set out in the itinerary. Even though it was incredibly dry there was still a beauty about the country. We'll definitely be back to see the southern areas. We'll definitely pre-book and pre pay as well. Make a booking at Joe's Beer Garden in Windhoek!
