Meet Katja & Carien, allow us to plan your trip!
Desert Africa Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Member Of:
- NTB & TASA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $222 to $1,689 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
US
Email Chris and Amy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Without a doubt, the best tour operator we've ever utilized worldwide.
We've very frequent travelers, and have been to 94 countries, and multiple trips to Africa. I had originally contacted Desert Air Safaris to arrange for private charter flights. I was contacted by Carien Rall Swanepoel, and she offered to make all our arrangements. Carien and the staff of Desert Air Safaris were without a doubt the most professional travel consultants we have ever utilized. Carien arranged our trip with military precision, and made great suggestions that we would surely have missed without her advice. She literally met us at the airport upon our arrival in Namibia. That alone is a testament to her dedications to customer service.
If you love Africa (and we do) I can't recommend enough the many advantages of a private air charter for your travels. First and foremost, you're not limited on luggage. Secondly, there is no time wasted on commercial flights. We were able to visit four countries (Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe) with only 15 days in Africa. This would have been impossible using commercial flights. Upon arrival at each airport we were quickly escorted through security and customs. Carien arranged for seamless transfers to our lodges. Even crossing the border at Victoria Falls was arranged in advance, and our guides (Zambia side) literally handed us off to their counterpart in Zimbabwe.
Flying with Desert Air Safaris is a treat upon itself. The pilots were wonderful, and getting to know them was part of the fun of our trip. We started our tour at the &Beyond Desert Lodge, then to Fish River Canyon, Moremi Mountain Camp, Shipwreck Lodge, then on to Little Ongava at Etosha. From there to Chobe Lodge in Botswana, and then to the Royal Livingstone Hotel adjoining Victoria Falls. Our pilots accompanied us along the entire trip.
We're already talking about our next adventure in Africa, and we will surely be using Carien Rall Swanepoel for all travel arrangements and those wonderful pilots of Desert Air Safaris.
Email Karen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A professional and highly competent operator with a thorough knowledge of Namibia
This was an exceptionally well organised trip for the two of us that saved us so much time and allowed us to experience the unique and beautiful sights of Namibia in 11 days.
We had a private charter from Windhoek to the Namib Desert for 3 days with our amazing pilot, Gerard, who went out of his way to ensure we had the best possible experience. Our accommodation throughout the trip was so luxurious and after our 3 day private charter, we travelled between places by shuttle flights which saved hours of road travel. Definitely worth doing this because the distances are huge.
Carien, who managed our itinerary and clearly knows Namibia well, gave us a very thoughtful mix of experiences. We walked the desert dunes, saw the desert elephants and wildlife, drove quad bikes, sailed off the coast and saw humpback whales, had some downtime in the town of Swakopmund to relax by ourselves, went out on game drives through Etosha. All transfers to and from lodges and airstrips were meticulously coordinated and we didn't have to worry about a thing.
The whole experience was fabulous. We were so beautifully looked after and I have no hesitation in recommending Desert Africa Safaris to anyone who wants to visit this amazing country.
Email Louise and Colin | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The trip of a lifetime organised by Katja
Namibia has been on our bucket list for some time. I can highly recommend Desert Africa Safaris to tailor a trip to your specific requirements. Katja took care of all the details including my request for horse riding. We stayed at the Namib Outpost, The Strand in Swakopmund and Mushara Outpost in Etosha. We found the lodges amazing. Boutique in terms of size and top class guides and chefs. We found the right balance of excursions and downtime by choosing to stay three nights in each location and by travelling the entire trip by light aircraft. Not only maximising time but getting the most amazing perspective of Namibia from the air. Vast and diverse! We watched people come and go for one night only and do an activity then rush off to drive. Not for us! I loved climbing Big Daddy dune in the desert as well as my horse riding at Desert Homestead. Just me and the guide cantering through the desert. Then the catamaran tour on the coast as well as being able to eat out as local seafood restaurants. The riding there with Okagambe stables was brilliant. Three hours of vast open space and fast paced horse. Then finally the safari trips from Mushara. We did two evening and one morning drive. It’s hot and dry and long trip but the guide Petrus from the lodge was amazing. I’m sure we saw so much more than those on self drive. I would
Highly recommend using a guide. Overall this was a fantastic holiday of a lifetime and we have travelled to over 90 countries and stayed in many fantastic places. This ranks up there in the top 10.
Reply from Desert Africa Safaris
Posted on Oct 28, 2024Many thanks to you for booking this wonderful trip with us and afterwards making us feel proud to have hosted you on this luxury fly-in safari.
Yours in travel,
Desert Africa Safaris Team
Email Claudia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Desert Africa Safaris – EPIC!
A five star rating is just not enough to decribe the utmost dedication, impeccable professionalism with a 24/7 service Katja and Carien provided us with.
We booked a 9 day high end air safari trip which we had to postpone on very short notice. Katja executed this huge challenge in a manner far from our expectations. We were even surprised by 2 unforgettable events that left us overwhelmed.
Our pilot/guide Hellmut was exceptional. Very caring in every way with many interesting conversations.
A perfect vacation, we felt like super stars and a BIG heartful thank you to all involved!
Reply from Desert Africa Safaris
Posted on Oct 24, 2024Thank you so much for trusting Desert Africa Safaris to host you in our beautiful country and writing this exceptionally brilliant review. We feel very humbled and are looking forward to hosting you again in future.
Best regards,
Desert Africa Safaris Team
DE
Email Peter | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
11 out of 10
I find it extremely difficult to write reviews. This is mainly due to the fact that you never know who is writing them and what their standards are. That's why I never write one and I don't read much.
This time, however, I am making a conscious exception because I have never had such a perfect vacation as with Desert Africa Safaris.
We traveled as a family with two adult children, which has the advantage that you have the plane to yourself.
Katja Schneider organized what was possible within the framework of our given budget. She monitored everything in the background and our pilot Brandon from Desert Air not only got us from A to B perfectly and on time, he was also the organizer on site, anchor of stability, advisor and narrator. And all this at the age of 23. We didn't have to worry about anything, absolutely nothing. The lodges and hotels, which I don't want to go into here, were very well chosen for our needs - and that's what makes a trip individual. The most important excursions were booked in advance. If I could give Katja Schneider and Desert Air an 11 on a scale of 0 - 10, I would.
However, Namibia also makes it easy to feel at home there. Great landscapes, lovely people, fantastic wildlife and a vastness that is indescribable.
But you also have to do something yourself to make it perfect. You have to get involved, absorb the silence, appreciate the vastness and not always look for mistakes. Because they are part of it. Sometimes the meal takes a while, sometimes children make noise and the towels are not so fluffy. Sometimes you have to carry your bag yourself and spontaneously book further excursions on site. If that bothers you, you should stay at home. For me, perfect means going home with the feeling that you have to come back tomorrow.
Of course, I was worried the first time. So I had a queasy feeling when I paid the deposit because Desert Africa Safaris is far away in Namibia. But my trust was not disappointed. I also worried about malaria and snakes and scorpions. We didn't see any of those, in fact in August we didn't even see any mosquitoes - not even at the waterholes in Etosha. I can only advise anyone travelling in the Namibian winter to pack a down jacket and ski underwear.
(automatic translation from German)
US
Email Stephen M | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Everything went smoothly.
From the moment we landed in Windhoek and were greeted by our friendly driver, our entire trip was comfortable and convenient. We are so glad we went for the flight safari instead of driving ourselves. The flights were so smooth, the pilot so friendly and informative, that the logistics part of our trip became a joy. Add in the scenic flights, the personalized service upon landing in each location, the amazing accommodations along the way, and the land tours, all made our overall experience highly satisfying. We would recommend them to anyone.
US
Email Bulent | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional services
The staff at Desert Africa Safaris were patient and respectful. They listened to our wishes and created us a custom itinerary. The actual trip was well executed and we were very satisfied with the services provided. Highly recommended.
AT
Email Roland&Gerlinde | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great!!!
Katja S. did a very great job, everything was perfectly organized, she didn’t forget any detail, she was always helpful and friendly! thanks a lot, we highly recommend her!! The tour guides were also very friendly and nice, and gave us detailed information about the country! Our Pilot Aron was simply perfect 😊 thanks to all of you we had a very good time and a wonderful trip😊
FR
Email Celia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best trip ever
Thanks to Carien, I had the most amazing time in Namibia.
She organized everything, from pick up at the airport to car transfers, wonderful hotels and excursions.
Before our trip, she created a unique itinerary, on the basis of what we wanted to do and see.
Everything was just perfect, I warmly recommend for any trip in Africa, Carien will make it unforgivable.
Thank you Carien!
Can’t wait to come back to Africa !
Email Alexandra Leite | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very professional, organized and caring
Excellent value for money. We made a fly in safari in Namibia and had the opportunity to really experience a lot of what the country has to offer, from the desert to the atlantic coast, from wild life safaris to cities, seeing it all by airplain, by boat, by car. Land, sky and seas, all very well organized, staying in excellent lodges and hotels and wiith time to spare for relaxing, shopping and enjoying a spa and a good restaurant. A great experience and one that we highly recommend.