Our Office
Blue Crane Safaris Namibia
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- NTB & TOSCO
- Tour Types:
- Mid-range & luxury tours with set start dates and a fixed itinerary
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $83 to $1,103 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Anthony | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic tour of Namib desert and Swakopmund
This was our first visit to Namibia and we had a wonderful experience with Blue Crane Safaris. Communication with Derek was quite good and prompt as we planned the safari. He responded to all our queries and prepared any document we asked for.
The safari itself was a 5-day tour starting from pickup from our hotel in Windhoek. From there we were driven to and spent 2 nights at the luxurious Desert Hills lodge in the Namib desert. We explored Sossusvlei, Dead Vlei, Sesriem Canyon and all the surrounding areas. We went on Dune 45 and also had the option of going on Big Daddy. It was all amazing and beautifully arranged. From there, we drove to Walvis Bay, exploring the salt ponds and the flamingos lakes and then onto the beautiful coastal town of Swakopmund. The drive from Walvis Bay to Swakopmund was one of my highlights as we saw the desert merge into the sea. Fantastic views! At Swakopmund, we went to Cape Cross to see the huge collection of seals, and also explored the small town including the beautiful Crystal gallery which was just by our hotel. At the end of the tour we were dropped back to our hotel in Windhoek.
Everything about this tour was professionally arranged and faultless. We had a fantastic tour guide and driver in Marcus. He was knowledgeable, patient and fun to be with. Our vehicle was a comfortable 4x4 with air-condition. Every accommodation we stayed in was quite good and all our meals, outside of the desert hills lodge, were taken at top restaurants with freedom to pick anything in the menu!
I will surely recommend this tour and company to anyone, and I look forward to using them again in the future.
US
Email Charlene | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic
We were planning on being in Namibia for a family wedding, and we did not have time for the larger 11-day tour. We wanted a custom 3-night tour of the Sossussvlei area with drop off afterwards in Swakopmund. Derek was recommended to us , and what a stroke of luck that was! Derek seamlessly and quickly put together a fabulous itinerary, with excellent accommodations at the amazing and sustainably built and managed Gondwana Desert Grace. And not only did Derek plan a fabulous trip, he also assigned the most incredible guide to take us there, Frank! Not only was Frank very knowledgeable about the area’s culture, history, wildlife, geology, etc., but he was also a very good teacher and communicated his knowledge very well. In addition, Frank was always thinking “two steps ahead” of everyone else, and his resourcefulness and problem solving skills are first class! When I lost my phone at Dead Vlei just as we got to the dead trees (and it was Frank who noticed my phone was missing - he is super sharp and doesn’t miss much!), I thought for sure my phone was gone, but Frank made a beeline back to the starting area (in very HOT weather) and checked with all the other tour guides until it turned up. He turned a near-disaster into a near-miracle! Plus we were so impressed with how kind Frank was - not just to us, but to everyone we met. He treated everyone with kindness and respect, and didn’t even think twice about always stopping to lend a helping hand. And on top of everything else, he is an A+ driver! We felt we were in such good hands!
Blue Crane’s itinerary was very comprehensive. We had time to climb Dune 45 (and slide back down!), hike to theDead Vlei, hike in and around Sestriem Canyon while also seeing the other magnificent dunes, like Big Mama and Big Daddy. We also got to see many, many animals in their natural habitat, like oryx, ostrich, desert snake, springbok, the amazing social weaver bird, etc. And we even got to do desert e-biking in the open Gondwana lands, exploring and learning about the plants and wildlife. All of these experiences were made all the more enjoyable because of Frank’s capable guidance, knowledge, and expertise.
Just one more story about Frank’s knowledge and expertise- when we hiked Dune 45, Frank gently suggested that I might want to bring my hiking sticks. I didn’t think the sticks would do much good in sand, but I agreed to bring one stick because Frank seemed so sure they would help. Within 10 minutes of climbing the Dune, I realized that Frank had been 100% correct. TWO sticks would definitely have been a huge help. When I mentioned that, Frank immediately offered to go back to the car to retrieve the other one, and thank goodness he did because I don’t think I would have made it to the top any other way!
Thanks so much, Frank and Derek,for the Sossussvlei experience of a lifetime!
NL
Email Nico Brokking | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Planning, execution perfect. Trip in personal execution and service a 100%
If you look for a Safari with solid trip in a mix between view of the country side, see animals as they are and learn some of the country Blue Crane is your partner. Well planned and excellently executed. The trip would be with a max of 7 persons, hen no other takers came the trip was just done the same with the two of us. Chapeau. Derek plans/prepares and Markus executed both professionally and with a personal touch. Happy
Email Karen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Never let us down, put together a fabulous trip, thank you
From our first dealings with Blue Crane via e-mail to our farewells at the airport, Derek and his team were always "can do" and delivered! Guided us in putting together a fabulous holiday, great value for money, no hidden extra's, would thoroughly recommend Blue Crane Safari's. We will definitely use them again for our trip to Botswana.
Email Annika and David Ratcliffe | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastically helpful and responsive operator
A group of friends travelling around Namibia as a self-drive. We had a superb service from Blue Crane, with new vehicles, fully equipped with everything we needed including mobile internet, SatNav and a fridge. Derek and his team responded very promptly to every change and whim we came up with during our trip. He was very knowledgeable about all of the lodges we stayed in and was integral to determining our itinerary.
They were great value for money and looking back at the complicated logistics , we would have had difficulty coping with out their expert help.
We were so impressed with all the help we got we are already planning a new trip using Blue Crane Safaris again.
If you are planning to come to Namibia, you need Blue Crane Safaris!
PT
Email Tiago Fernandes | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect Weekend Break in Sussusvlei!
The 2-days programme organised by Blue Crane Safaris is a perfect option for those who come to Namibia for work and still wish to enjoy what this beautiful country has to offer. We particularly liked climbing to the sand dunes and the amazing views and changing colors of the desert, as well as the apolalyptic environment of the Dead Valley (Deadvlei).
US
Email Ester | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Blue Crane is an outstanding tour company that put together the perfect trip we just took to Namibia
We cannot say enough good things about Blue Crane - Derek Jacobs was totally responsive every step of the way and put together exactly the trip my husband and I were looking for to Namibia at a reasonable cost. The itinerary was excellent and, most importantly, we had an incredible guide/driver who took care of every little detail of the trip. Me-Gusto was a great driver, an expert guide, an amazing tracker, an incredible font of information about animals, flora and fauna, birds, geology and history, he knew what we were interested in and planned accordingly and helped make this one of the best trips we have ever taken (and we travel extensively). We did not have to worry about anything - he made sure we had reservations for meals at good tables wherever we went, breakfast packs were ready during early morning starts, he would check out every room before we settled in, our comfortable 4x4 was clean and filled with cold water every morning. I highly recommend Blue Crane if you are looking for an amazing trip to Namibia.
US
Email Steve | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic 3-day tour of Etosha
Highly recommend Blue Crane for a Namibia safari.
I booked a three-day/two-night private tour of Etosha (Namibia) with Blue Crane and had a fantastic experience. I think Etosha provides a typical "Safari experience" and am glad I chose it over seeing the Namibian coast and dunes (although I hear those are amazing too and would tour them if I visit again).
By way of background, I was in Namibia for work and booked this tour at the last minute (i.e., about 7 days before the tour). (Note: This was during the off-season and they may not be as accommodating during peak tour months.) I solicited proposals from 4 tour operators; Blue Crane may have been a little more expensive than the others, but I think it included more meals and the online reviews were strong.
The guide picked me up on time at my hotel in Windhoek (8 am). We then drove to Etosha, stopping for lunch at a nice spot. We arrived at Etosha in the afternoon and ended up seeing 50+ giraffes, 2 elephants, hundreds of zebras, and countless other animals. I spent one night at Mushara Bush Camp and the other night at Okaukuejo Resort lodge (which has an amazing watering hall that borders the property). Blue Crane took care of all the details - the meals were great (and included in the price) and the lodging reservations were in order. Some visitors may not want to stay at the bush camp because it's very hot (you are "glamping" in nice tents) and loud (with jungle noises) at night, but it's a great experience for those who can handle the heat. There were a lot of bugs in the Okaukuejo Resort room, but hey, it's Africa...
My guide was Markus, who was very friendly, easy to understand, and had 15 years of experience and a lot of training. He had an amazing eye for animals and could spot them from a great distance. For example, by the end of day 2, we had almost given up on seeing a lion during my visit when at dusk he spotted a silhouette on a distant ridgeline - sure enough, it was a lioness. On the morning of day 3, we did one last drive through the park and he spotted two white rhino deep in the bush. It was fun to see him get excited about seeing some of the lesser known animals (e.g., African wildcat). He was very focused on making sure I had a great experience and was able to answer a host of questions that I posed about different animals and Namibia generally.
We were in the cab of a 4-door truck with air conditioning. I previously thought it might be fun to be in a traditional safari jeep sitting outside of the cab, but I think the dust on the roads would be very unpleasant and it could get very hot and unpleasant.
I strongly recommend bringing binoculars. Some animals are quite close to the car/road, but for the full experience, you'll want to bring binoculars.
My only barely negative comment on Blue Crane is that it usually took a full day for us to exchange emails. I'm in the United States (eastern time) and, unlike some of the other tour operators that I was talking to, I don't think Blue Crane checked emails in the evening (i.e., during my business day). But it wasn't really a problem.
I would hire them again without hesitation.
Email Nicola | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Quite probably our best holiday ever
We had an amazing 11 day tour of Namibia that totally exceeded our expectations.
We loved the tour itinerary and everywhere we stopped. Namibia is a beautiful country with such varied landscape. The abundance of wildlife was fantastic. The quality of the lodges was top notch.
Markus was an exceptional guide, very knowledgeable and easy to get along with. He had so much enthusiasm and nothing was ever a problem for him.
Derek was very easy to communicate with in order to plan the tour, and keen for feedback at the end.
We will be raving about Namibia and Blue Crane to all of our friends when we get back to Australia.
DE
Email Timo | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
v ery good organized and operated
Blue Crane Safaris organized me a private tailored tour about for two weeks and managed to give me a very good total image of Namibia and its people. Everything worked as I had expected. The tour was value of the money I paid. My guide/driver had a very wide knowledge of history of the country, as well as of all animals, plants etc, even over the look of night sky and stars. At the same time he was always ready to assist me if I needed any help and ready to answer all my questions. I had very enjoyable days on the tour of about 4500 km. The car was in a goog condition and his drive skills were excellent. If I am ever going to make a new tour in Namibia, I'll surely contact again Blue Crane Safaris.