Nature Travel Namibia
Nature Travel Namibia
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2005)
- Member Of:
- TASA & Namibia Tourism Board
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $83 to $662 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
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for a custom tour
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Reviews
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A wonderful trip to three fascinating countries
We found Nick Buys and his company through the internet, and he was the quickest to respond with the relevant information. We are experienced travellers, and felt from the start he would do a good job for us, and so it proved. He designed an itinerary to take in all the things we wanted to see, mainly in Namibia and then flying into and out of the Okavanga Delta in Botswana, and finally on to Livingstone, Zambia and the Victoria Falls. We were a private party of four, travelling with my brother and his wife, and journeyed well over 2000 miles together with Nick - so it was particularly good that we soon discovered that he was excellent company and had a great sense of humour! It all went really smoothly, we stayed in some nice places, none disappointing and some of them exceptional, and went on various fascinating side-trips that Nick recommended. He was also flexible if we wanted to make any minor unscheduled detours or stops. The wildlife we saw exceeded our expectations. Nick is knowledgeable and able to spot game and birds (his special interest) when we would certainly have missed them. We felt lucky to have had his personal services, and had a memorable and enjoyable time. We would not hesitate to recommend anyone to put their trust in Nick to arrange for them an equally memorable experience.
Email Karen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A fantastic safari that will long last in the memory
A very different holiday for us, usually we hire a car and travel on a DIY basis, with my husband's brother and wife, but this year we had slightly differing plans, so we wanted a specific itinerary starting and ending in Windhoek, with my brother in law leaving us in Caprivi to go onto Botswana and Victoria falls.
We booked Namibian Nature Travels because Nick Buys responded to our enquiries promptly and efficiently, coming up with a plan and price that suited us all. We were happy that we were dealing with a Namibian based company, paying for the trip in local currency, and not USD etc.
We were not disappointed. Our guide Nick, is a passionate Namibian, proud of his country and an expert in animal and bird life. He expertly drove us around this vast country, we visited places we would never have found on our own, and stopped as and when he noticed something of interest. We stayed in luxury lodges, where the hospitality and food were second to none, and saw many fine vistas of this remarkable country.
This is a holiday that will long last in the memory, and we will not hesitate to recommend Nature Travel Namibia and Nick Buys.
Email Sue Mc | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fabulous adventure
Thanks to Nick for the most amazing adventure. Nick was fabulous, entertaining and a wonderful source of knowledge. He organised the most epic adventure that saw us travel over 3000 kms through Namibia, Botswana and Zambia. We climbed ‘Big Daddy’ the tallest dune in Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert, went on an amazing desert adventure with Tommy, safari’ed through Etosha & Chobe viewing the rich diversity of wildlife, in fact we saw over 46 mammals interacting in their natural environment not to mention the wonderful bird life, sipped cocktails on the banks of the magic Kwondo River, meandered through the Okavango Delta watching hippos, swam in the Devils Pools at Victoria Falls and so much more. We stayed in a variety of accommodation from glam camping to pole huts and a luxury lodge just outside Etosha National Park. The three weeks went so quickly it now seems a blur. Nick is a vet and a conservationist, plus a really nice person. We were two families with 8 in total. We learnt so much and saw so much because of his incredible knowledge and understanding of the wildlife.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Lots of Birds - and Animals, too
We had a great trip with Nature Travel Namibia over New Year 2015, seeing a huge number of birds as well as lots of antelope, cats, and other animals in only one week.
Three years ago, we took a group tour with a different company to the other, more famous leg of Namibia - the Namib Desert, the coast at Swakopmund, Damaraland and one day at Okakuejo in Etosha - and had such a good time we wanted to do the other leg which, as we hoped, is quite different.
We had only seven and a half days, and we wanted to fit a lot in. After discussion with Nick and Janeke, we worked out a stripped-down backwards version of the '10-Day Etosha, Caprivi, Chobe And Victoria Falls' trip which they offer. We flew in to Victoria Falls at noon and did a three-hour tour. This short visit was great as the falls are more spectacular than any photo can show, and it completely revived us after thirty hours of travel from our home. Then we went straight to Chobe in Botswana (2 nights), after which we crossed into Namibia and went along the Zambesi/Caprivi Strip via Camp Kwando (1 night), Mahangu (2). We stayed at Mushara (1) on the east of Etosha followed by a full day crossing Etosha to Okakuejo (1), then a final couple of hours in the park before driving down to Windhoek for the last night before flying out. This worked very well. Of course, the extra days of the full trip would have been even better, especially for some birds that we heard or saw briefly but didn't have the time to follow up on.
The accomodation was well-chosen and of high quality, and all the places had all the facilities you could want, and good food (and wine).
We arranged a private trip for just the two of us because we had been to East Africa four times, as well as our previous Namibia visit, and we had seen a lot of the basic birds and animals already - not that we didn't want to see them again, but we also wanted to spend time looking for some things, birds especially, that Africa beginners in a group might not be so interested in. It wasn't cheap, but in our opinion it was great value for money, everything went smoothly, and we were completely satisfied. (And, obviously, the price per person comes down if there are more of you.)
The trip had a great balance between land and river, birds and animals. We did three boat trips on the rivers (and all three were quite different). And we also saw lots of the spectacular Namibian skyscapes and sunsets. It was the rainy season in theory, but actually there was some cloud but little rain (nice for us, not so good for the local farmers).
Nick wasn't available, but we had another specialist bird guide who was very knowledgeable, and also great company. We saw over 220 species of bird in the week, of which 60 were new for us, and about 50 more were 'first decent photos'. Given our time constraint, we were very happy with this. Highlights for us on the river were great close-up views of Slaty Egret, Black Egret, Purple Heron amd Pygmy Duck. Our guide knew a spot where we got good sightings of Souza's Shrike and Tinkling Cisticola. He also had a spot for Little Jacana, which was a bird we especially wanted to see, and Sharp-tailed Starling. We saw Blue Crane in Etosha. On the trip we also got 23 accipiters and falcons, mostly with decent views.
We also wanted to find the local antelopes, and we got beautiful views of Sable, as well as Puku, Red Lechwe, Southern Reedbuck and Greater Kudu, as well as Common Duiker, which were all new for us. We saw seventeen antelope species in total, and I think we would have got Roan if we had an extra day at Mahangu.
We had seen Hippos before, of course, and Elephants, but we were surprised by how moved and impressed we were by the large groups of both that we saw. And the other regulars were there of course - Giraffe, Zebra, and so on. We also saw Lion and Cheetah, and our eagle-eyed guide found a well-hidden Leopard.
One special highlight was the huge Black Mamba that we saw clearly (and photographed) moving through the trees, and which our guide found because of the alarm calls of birds which had spotted it.
All in all, this was a great trip, organised and run by professionals, and which we happily recommend. And if you want to shorten or lengthen it, or do more in one place and less in another, or add a side-trip to somewhere not on the main plan, just ask!
And if you can time it to fit in with the great riverside New Year party with live music at Mahangu Safari Lodge, as we did, then go for it. Just avoid the Jägermeister!
FR
Email Sébastien | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A perfect trip with a perfect guide
We wanted a 15 days trip in Namibia focused on birds and nocturnal mammals. We are extremely satisfied to choose to do it with Nature Travel Namibia. Nick is not only an excellent guide with huge knowledge in nature, birds and animals, he is also a fantastic trip organizer with an excellent communication and great human qualities. Always attentive to our needs, he knew how to adapt the trip so that it correspond exactly to our needs. The lodgings, the itinerary and all the details were perfectly chosen in function of what we wanted. We travelled in a comfortable and spacious car.
Nick succeed to show us all the endemic birds, even the most difficult, and a great panel of animals and nocturnal mammals, very hard to see.
Everything was simply perfect and we strongly recommend Nature Travel Namibia to those who want an excellent personalized safari.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Superb Namibian introduction trip.
We enjoyed a short, 5-day trip with Nick from Nature Travel Namibia earlier this month. We were interested in an introductory tour of Namibia, to see some of the countryside, but moreover, to see the country's incredibly rich birdlife.
Nick organised everything from the trip itinerary, to accommodation and extra excursions. In our wildest dreams could we not have imagined that Namibia would creep into our hearts so quickly! The pleasant people, the multi-coloured countryside, the incredible desert vistas, the untamed animal life and of course the diverse bird species all impressed us immensely.
Nick was the star of the show, being friendly and professional at the same time. He quickly became a friend for life and we will definitely make use of his expertise in the future.
Email Steve & Deidre | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Best Of Botswana - Amazing!
What do you say when you return from a trip of a lifetime that exceeded both our expectations it would be remiss not to post something about it. We booked a 14 day ‘Best of Botswana” with Nature Travel Namibia. We took our time booked a year in advance and Nick spent time making fabulous suggestions we which we booked. We are so glad we did.
We made one mistake in that we insisted on staying in Chobe but when we got there it was so busy we did not enjoy the experience as much. We should have stayed longer in Moremi or Savuti.
We camped for half of our trip and stayed in lodges for the other half. On reflection we wish we had camped out more. We camped in Moremi and Savuti and stayed in a lodges in Kwai, Lynyanti, Chobe and Livingstone. Nick's choice of Chundawaka Lodge in Livingstone was a great choice.
We went to view animals only but as the trip developed we fell in love with the marvellous bird life. Nick’s love and knowledge of his feathered friends was infectious. It was the prefect safari with a marvellous host. Thanks Nature Travel Namibia and Nick who is the consummate guide. We are going back to travel with Nick and we are now looking forward to our Namibia experience. Book in advance and take Nick's advice and you will be assured of a great safari.
US
Email Barb | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Can't imagine a better trip!
It's a little nerve-wracking booking a trip online, but Nick was great to deal with. He planned a trip that took us where we wanted to go, within our budget and time frame. Our guide, Jakes, really made the trip one we will all treasure! He is very knowledgeable and passionate about Namibia..and a great sense of humor! Don't hesitate to book with Nature Travel..you will have a trip of a lifetime! Happy Days!
DK
Email Per Norby | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Personal & Perfect
I wanted the ultimate safari for our Family of 4 - not especially the most expensive but certainly the authentic experience, where wildlife is living for real. Namibia and Botswana chosen - Etosha & Okavangu as highlights.
I found Nature Travel on the internet and contacted Nick. From Day 1 a very fast and competent service with many proposals. We ended up on a tour going directly to Etosha then into the Caprivi, flying into the Delta via Kasane and ending up at Vic Falls. 2 weeks in total.
So finally we arrived in Windhoek and got picked up by Jakes - our driver and guide for the next 8 days. Jakes turned out to be a terrific guide and a nice guy as well. We had lots of fun and saw all animals possible. We chose to stay 2-4 days on each site, going out in the 4-5 hours in morning and relaxing after lunch - this worked fine. Apart from the wildlife - our long but concented drives gave us a fine impression of Namibia and Botswana. Driving felt good.
Do not miss Etosha where we spent 3 full days (Mokuti lodge recommended) and do not miss Okavangu. Lodges and flights into the Delta are expensive and we chose a relatively modest tented camp - Oddballs Camp. Worth every penny - we did Mokuro trips and walking safari´s with guides from the local village. We truely enjoyed 3 nights in the middle of nowhere with grazing hippos at night and huge elephants eating from trees 5 meter from our tents in the morning. May the Delta stay like it is forever..
Back to Nature Travel - everything worked incl all transfers and logistics. I am especially impressed about our transfer from Oddballs to Livingstone. The plane should arrive at 1115. It arrived 2 mins early. After the flight a transfer was waiting taking us to the Zambezi river, then a private boat and finally a new transfer waiting to take us to Livingstone. Not one minute of waiting and superb guiding all the way.
If going to Namibia and Botwsana - go only with Nature Travel Namibia...
US
Email Janeen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
18 day tour of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia
8 of us just returned from a excellent safari with Nature Travel Namibia. We had been planning this trip for over a year and the communication with the company was excellent. We had endless questions, all of which were answered in a timely manner to our satisfaction. The lodges were above our expectations with personal and excellent service. We celebrated 2 birthday's and 1 anniversary and Nick our guide made sure special celebrations took place for each event. The first three days were set up for us at Victoria Falls, and even though Nick did not join us for this part of the trip, everything went perfectly. The next 10 days we spent with Nick in Botswana and Namibia, his talents as a guide are incredible. We can name most of the animals and all of us have a better appreciations for the beautiful and diverse bird life. We saw the Big 5, and more animals than we had ever anticipated. The last four days we spent on our own with a self drive to the coast and desert in Namibia. Again everything went perfectly. I would highly recommend Nature Travel Namibia to anyone, and hope to use them again one day.