The Wild Dog Safaris team
Wild Dog Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 1997)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, NTB & TASA
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $110 to $1,105 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
NL
Email Monique from The Netherlands | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience, proffesional & dedicated staff
First the booking-period was very pleasant and comfortable. Every question I asked Memory was quickly and satisfiable answered.
I spend 19 day's with Wild Dog Safari's and it was an experience I will never forget. I did a combination tour with three different guides and assistants. The guides were extremely dedicated to me as a guest. Nothing was to much to explain and both the guide and the camp assistant worked their butt of to cook, help with the tents and with everything they could to make our travel comfortable.
During the game drive they gave me every opportunity i needed to switch my lenses. I have a 600mm telelens and it takes some time to switch it but that was no problem. The guides went the long mile to provide opportunities to see game or other beautiful things.
We encountered two set backs. Two car breakdowns due to the bad roads in Namibie. The second costs me the visit to the minevillage and the afternoon in Swakopmund. It was compensated by paying the tours I booked the next day in Swakopmund but I lost the opportunity to by gemstones which I was really looking forward to.
During the 9 days tour to Zimbabwe the tents were packed in the bus in stead of the roof of the bus. And some guest took way more luggage with them then according to the guidelines. As a result the sleeping bags had to travel in the cabin which way decreased our space in the bus. Wich such small space in the bus the long drives are not comfortable.
But overall a very pleasant and professional organization. Trips fantastic organized and if I had to choose again I would go for Wild Dog Safaries in a second.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
One WOW after another
I traveled on the 15 day Delta and Dunes Safari with my seventy-three year old mother. There was another older couple from Australia, and our guide and a camp assistant. We chose this safari because it was designed to spend several days immersed in two of the areas we were most interested in - the Okavango and Etosha. I chose this company and to base our travels out of Namibia because of concerns that hours on an overland safari jouncing in a truck would wear my mother down. Namibia has decent roads, and Wild Dog had a good reputation for being a budget safari that providing more comfortable vehicles and for reliable quality. And from the start we had a terrific experience. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, and was very good in setting an atmosphere that was comfortable and easy - even at the end of a 15 day trip when everyone was exhausted. He even altered our schedule when we agreed we wanted to go check out the rock paintings at Brandenburg rather than stop where scheduled, accommodating our group and being flexible - in part due to the fact we all got along so well and all agreed on the change. Our camp assistant was equally wonderful - an excellent cook who spoiled us with delicacies like Kudu stew, and had the skills to prepare the food in a way that nobody got sick ... which is often a problem on big group trips when lots of germs get passed around with poor hygiene practices handling food. The campgrounds we stayed in were all comfortable - some were incredibly beautiful. And, while I was focused on Etosha and the Okavango, the other experiences along the way were for the most part interesting and worthwhile - and some were extraordinary and unexpected. The thing to realize about any overland safari is there is a lot of driving. A LOT. We spent hours in the vehicle, and even through the vehicle was good quality and we stopped for breaks, it was still tiring. Another is that we were in a small group that got along very well. Wild Dog will do a max of 14 on a trip ... and I suspect a big group might be a different (though not necessarily bad) experience. I was told that the longer trips tended to be smaller in group size. I could nit-pick: The tent needed some repair of the netting around the zipper, for example, though generally the equipment was all in functional shape. But overall Wild Dog and the Delta and Dunes safari exceeded my expectations. And this experience in Namibia was the hi-light of my six weeks in Southern Africa. I did some blog posts on the trip - here is one of the posts about an experience on this safari. http://leighpate.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-bushman-tale-lion-and-jackal.html
US
Email PAULA M | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
worth every penny
we are very happy we chose wild dogs Safari for our tour. they are very well organized our reservations were made online communication was excellent and everything was easy as can be as far as booking goes.they picked us up for our tour exactly at the time they said they would be there. Our guide was excellent. Elias is very knowledgeable and he's very excited about his job. he just could not share enough of his knowledge with us. they allowed us enough time at each sighting to view the animals we never felt rushed. The meals were absolutely excellent very tasty and a great variety. I can't say enough about this company they are a class act. my only suggestion would be for them to offer bottled water during the trip. It stated drinks were supplied but that's only with your meal. we drove for hours and its very hot. the brochure should make it more clear that you're only provided water with your meals.
ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, personal and pleasurable experience
Our tour with Wild Dog Safaris lived up to our expectations; in fact it exceeded them. This was due, in part to our guides, Milton and Steven. They were always professional (even with difficult customers), organized, efficient, personable, fun and with their presence, changed the character of the group and the adventure from special to extra-special.
HK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Solid
Everything went well, we were well looked after. All costs and fees were upfront, all queries answered. Pretty good value for what it is and will consider going with them again next time.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Adventure of a lifetime in Sossusvlei!
We had a wonderful time with Wild Dog Safaris on our recent trip to see the dunes in Sossusvlei! The tour guides were great and very informative. They were also kind and accommodating. We throughly enjoyed our group adventure into the desert. I would say the only thing I would suggest for Wild Dog is that they purchase new plates, cups, drying racks and silverware. The plates were often cracked and had stains on them which hampers the dining experience. Other than that we had a great adventure with Wild Dog.
Reply from Wild Dog Safaris
Posted on May 26, 2015Dear Tina
Its great to have your review and thanks for taking the time to post this, we really appreciate your feedback. I just wanted to follow up on the guides equipment because you are right, some of the cutlery and crockery needs replacing. We do this every year and the year is up! So all guides are having a complete review of their kit and in about 2 weeks time the new kit should be up and running. Thanks Tina and we are happy you had a good trip with us.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great Value for Money
I booked my tour at quite late notice and wild dogs were great with the booking and always available for answering questions. I did the 7 day south and 7 day northern tour. Camping was great fun, there was lots of excursions and sites included in both trips. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and made the trip run smoothly. One of the groups was a size of 8 and the other a size of 14. 8 was a perfect size, but 14 felt too large. I would definitely recommend them to independent travellers, who want to explore Namibia.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Maximum miles in minimum time from Windhoek to Vic Falls
In May I joined the 9 Days Delta and Vic Falls Tour. The itinerary turned out to be well planned, the campsites were better than expected, we usually stayed on the campsite of a lodge with all the benefits like swimmingpool or sundowner bar. That was excellent. There were plentiful activities on the road, like folk performances in the San camp or nature walks in the Okavango.
I would recommend this trip to anyone who wants a good first overview in order to plan later trips. A comfortable trip - though with long, long bus rides - with very good catering. Our guides Willem and Abiud were extremely helpful and anticipated every individual need. Thanks again for being like fathers!!!
I hope Wild Dog will invest in the equipment. The overall impression was that many items were neglected or downright grubby (sorry, but that's a fact).
Wonderful Experience
This tour incorporated 3 days in Etosha National Park and 3 days in Sossusvlei (the desert region). From start to finish the entire tour was exquisitely organised.
We were collected from our hotel (which they helped us book) and introduced to our tour guides ( Milner and Ruben - two of the nicest guys you will ever meet)
Our tour group's demographic varied greatly but we all got on like a house on fire.
The Etosha part of our tour consisted of game drives and camping - we got to see loads of animals including a pride of 20 lion, fighting Rhinos and pronking Springbok.
The campsites were very well equipped and comfortable - the guides had us erecting the tents in under 5 minutes! The standard of the cooking blew us away especially since Ruben was working off a campfire.Milner's spirited commentary kept us amused and interested throughout even the long drives.
For the Sossusvlei leg we opted for the lodge accommodation (Dune Lodge) and it was one of the most beautiful places we have ever stayed although if we are honest, Ruben's cooking was superior! The dunes have to be seen to be believed - some of the most exhilarating sights you will ever see. Running down Dune 45 at sunrise will make you feel like a kid and leave you smiling from ear to ear for the rest of the day.
A word of warning, the desert gets really cold at night and the early mornings so do pack a jumper.
If you are planning a trip in Namibia, I would highly recommend "running with the Wild Dogs!!" Brilliant tour operator and fantastic team.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
7 Day Northern Namibia Tour
The whole trip was very well planned out and organized - we stopped at all the hot spots and had a decent amount of time to enjoy each place. All the supplies and campsites were amazing and the guides were knowledgeable, personable and fun! They were also excellent cooks! I felt that all the guests had their own personal interests acknowledged and accommodated. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience of Namibia via Wilddog Safaris!