Reviews
Unforgettable!
We have just returned from a trip with Pieter Mostert of Blue Sky Namibia. I can recommend him without reserve! Uncomplicated and full of fun where every aspect of your tour has been thought out!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
For the neophyte or experienced traveler, Blue Sky Namibia Tours offers a suberb experience.
I have toured twice with Pieter Mostert, owner/guide. The tours are handcrafted to fit your requests. Every detail is taken care of before you arrive. All of your travel, lodging, meals, and in most cases, gratuities and fees are included in the quotation. You will receive an itinerary that includes your requests, as well as, suggestions from Pieter. Adjustments are easily made. I was able to do all of my pre-planning through email before I ever left my home, and with confidence that Pieter would be waiting for me at the airport.
Namibia is large enough that you need to plan for travel time. My longest drives were a full day; many others were a half day. Pieter plans enough time for stops along the way and for a thorough enjoyment of your destinations. He schedules activities at the destinations with your approval. I found that the mood is casual and that events are adjustable as a day progresses. Lodging requires a fair amount of lead time, so book early and give Pieter a chance to put you in the nicest places.
My first trip was seven years ago. My request was to see animals. He took me to Etosha National Park and a mountain tent camp called Etendeka in northwestern Namibia. This spring, I requested Sossusvlei and Walvis Bay/Swakopmund to see respectively, the famous giant sand dunes and flamingoes/seaside resort/seaport. Near Sossusvlei, I enjoyed a sunset drive through petrified dunes capped off with a gin and tonic at the top. At the coast, Pieter arranged a tour of the local sand dunes' flora and fauna with a biologist.
Other worthwhile tourist places abound in Namibia, and Pieter is well-qualified from a lifetime of working in a variety of locations. I was told ahead of my first trip, that "Pieter is a walking encyclopedia of Namibia." I found this to be true. If you are an experience traveler or this is your first time, you cannot go wrong booking a trip with Pieter.
Email Kay and Julian | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A wonderful introduction to an amazing country
Julian and I first met Pieter and his wife, Tessa, at a travel show in London in 2009. Their friendly and personal approach immediately appealed to us, so when the time came to plan our visit to Namibia, we turned to Pieter. He provided initial ideas for an itinerary, but was very patient in working with us to put together a tour to suit our interests, timetable and budget. As an example, at our request Pieter incorporated kayaking among seals in Walvis Bay – a unique experience that was as new to Pieter as it was to us. That flexibility extended to the tour itself. Pieter made sure that we covered everything we'd planned, but he was also happy to deviate where he thought our experience would be enhanced. One instance of this was when he added hours to his driving day in order to show us the Orange River.
Pieter's sturdy people carrier is designed to carry six people, but there were just the two of us on this trip. Fortunately, Pieter is an excellent travelling companion and very good company. He is extremely knowledgeable about the history, geography, politics and social aspects of Namibia and shares what he knows with enthusiasm. Where he really comes into his own though, is with his encyclopaedic knowledge of the flora and fauna of his adopted country. This ranged from being able to tell me the name of more or less any bird I spotted to turning the car round to go and take a closer look when I thought we had run over a cobra in the road (we had, but fortunately it survived the experience and we got an unexpected close-up view!). In a country as photogenic as Namibia, Pieter's interest in photography was a bonus. It meant that he was just as happy as we were to stop and take that special shot.
We stayed in a wide variety of accommodation, which was, without exception, clean and comfortable. Particularly memorable was Terrace Bay, a government run lodge in what was an old diamond mining community right on the Skeleton Coast. In a country, which, while generally safe, does not have the infrastructure that we are used to, it was also good to be with someone like Pieter, who knows the country well and is always prepared and resourceful when the unexpected occurs.
All in all, our trip was one of the most memorable we have ever had, due in no small part to Pieter. Apart from all our wonderful experiences, we came away feeling that we had made a friend, and indeed, we have since met him in London and remain in touch.
Times to remember
Pieter Mostert of Blue Sky Namibia and I met more than 30 years ago. We met the first time in 1981 when I hitchhiked around Namibia. I returned to Namibia in 2003 with my family and did a safari with him. Namibian wildlife and scenery is incredibly beautiful, and the country is a very safe place to travel in. The family loved it.
Pieter has an extraordinary knowledge of the fauna and flora of Namibia. It is so interesting to listen to him, that it is difficult to leave him and Namibia. The fact that he does personalized safaris means that Pieter adjusts to the traveler and his curiosity. In his WW combi he stops whenever needed and explains the location and its fauna and flora. This is not "industrial" tourism so often practiced nowadays.
Pieter is also a very pleasant person to be with, always ready to help, and always with a smile. This makes any safari with him a human experience difficult to forget. He is a great guide and travel companion to those who want to explore Namibia.
Email Maurice Marshall | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Blue skies, Red sand, amazing scenery and wildlife,fantastic experiences and lifetime memories.
Planning a holiday is much of the pleasure and with Blue Sky Namibia that was certainly true. From the start it was clear that much care was taken to tailor the tour to the travellers to achieve a happy result and an individual experience.
Four of us, all experienced travellers, journeyed to Namibia and from the time we were met at Windhoek by Pieter Mostert, tour operator,guide,driver and friend it was clear that we were in for an exceptional holiday.
Transport was in a very comfortable, purpose modified Volkswagon Transporter which reliably took us from the Orange river in the South to the Kunene river in the North and from The Shipwreck Coast to the Namib Desert and Etosha.
Accommodation was chosen to give different experiences from a floating cabin on the Orange river, tents in the desert with stars to see, stone lodges in a desert winery, rooms built round a huge boulder in the desert with magnificent views and a variety of accommodation to view wildlife, prehistoric artifacts and the history of Namibia.
Pieter who had a lifetime in conservancy before becoming a tour operator was a constant companion, source of information and a magnificent friend. It was obvious everywhere we went that he was much liked and respected.
As a result we had a truly unforgetable experience which has set a standard which will be hard to repeat.
We can highly recommend Blue Sky Namibia tours and Pieter to anybody seeking an exception and unforgetable journey in a wonderful country
CH
Email Dobmeier family | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A big chance to travel with a guide who knows his country very well:Informative,fascinating,amacing.
We traveled in a comfortable, climatisatet bus as a private family-group. Half an year bevore, the guide gave suggestions for the journey (from Windhoek to Viktoriafalls). We discussed his suggestions and after a while we had a really varied programm for the journey. We lived in some small hotels and very compfortable lodges. The top was a boatride and overnight stay in a tentcamp by kawangoriver, where we nearly were in touch with the elephants. A magnificent adventure by a fair price, merci Pieter !
Dobmeier family from Switzerland
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Six Star Safari
Four of us arrived in Windhoek feeling a little apprehensive about spending the next four weeks in a vehicle with an unknown person having only spoken on the phone with Pieter. It did not take long for those feelings to disappear.
Pieter had organised our tour around Namibia, arranging stunning accommodation of all sorts from basic overnight camping to resort luxury and everything in between.
Namibia is a large and diverse country so there were some long days on the road. However, as a guide Pieter is quite extraordinary - his knowledge of flora and fauna,geography,politics and economics is awesome. He seems to know everyone in Namibia at all levels. We were never bored.
Pieter would always go the extra mile to show you something of interest or to find the best places for spotting animals.
Our time in Namibia is at the top of our best experiences.
We were privileged to have toured with Pieter and still send and receive emails from him and Tessa.
We cannot speak too highly of Blue Sky, Pieter and Tessa.