DISCOVER NAMIBIA

Our Clients’ Reviews

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  Kathy Wilken

  DISCOVER NAMIBIA

  

  Written December 2011

  This was one of the best holidays I've ever had - Namibia should be on everyone's bucket list.  The breathtaking variety of scenery, the excellent roads and facilities, the lovely friendly welcomes and of course the excellent company of my fellow travellers all combined to make this an unforgettable experience. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  There is no one favourite bit - so much of it was so memorable.  Delicious fat creamy oysters, the lionesses and 2 cubs plus the white rhinos on a night drive at Etosha, the Etosha pan itself, a herd of 30 elephants at a water hole, the dunes, the scenic flight over Sossusvlei and the coast (even if the first hour was spent desparately trying not to throw up), the beautiful embroidery, the stars (we had a new moon in the middle of the trip), the birds, the banter, the joy of hot cleansing showers almost every day.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Sam was great - very experienced, patient and knowledgeable.  Jonas is an excellent cook and we had a good variety of food cooked on open fires - even a birthday cake, not to mention his almost encyclopedic knowledge of birds.  And finally, Ya, who made up the triumverate, allowing tents to be erected and lunch ready within an hour.  All unfailingly good humoured and helpful.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  For anyone considering taking this trip - do it - you won't be disappointed.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  The only thing I would change is, in addition to a single room/tent supplement, a supplement for an extra mattress - I'm not as bendy as I used to be!!!!

   
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  Mark Sargeant

  DISCOVER NAMIBIA

  

  Written August 2011

  An excellent two weeks visiting the spectacular and varied landscapes of Namibia. A high number of fascinating and immensely enjoyable experiences in a country deserving of more visitors 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Every day had some terrific highlights but the most inspiring include

  1. The sight of NINE lion cubs playing together just metres away from us at Etosha with three very imposing female adults in the background. I have been very lucky with wildlife sightings on previous trips but this topped most of them as we spent a great time photographing them.

  2. The terrific waterholes at Etosha, watching the great herds of herbivores nervously come to drink during the day, and the sight of three rhinos and their calves at night.

  3. Skydive at Swakopmund. As exhilirating a ten minutes as you could wish for as you fly for 20 minutes over the Skeleton Coast before hurtling down to earth in the hands of a very friendly and professional crew.

  4. Climbing Dune 45 to observe a spectacular sunrise and have wonderful views of the colours of the dunes changing.

  5. Cape Cross seal colony - a mesmirising experience watching 1000s of seals frolic in the sea and behave on land just inches away from you.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Samora was terrific. A really nice guy who was expert on all things Namibian from flora and fauna, culture, history etc. He also gave two excellent recommendations for dinner in Swakopmund and had this magical ability to identify a variety of raptor from 400 metres away (whilst driving!).

  Jonas and Jackson were superb cooks, creating really tasty and filling dinners. Very friendly guys, they worked extremely hard to put up her tents quickly and so the group could enjoy the time before sunset. Both came out of their beds in the freezing cold at 2am during to make sure all of our tents were pegged down after hurricane type winds threatened to blow us away at a campsite in Solitaire!! We all owed them a big debt.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  If travelling in the Namibian winter make sure you pack gloves, thick fleeces and hats as past sunset it is freezing cold!

  Stack up on snacks during the regular stops as there is understandably quite a bit of driving time. 

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  An excellent holiday and itinery covering most of this vast country's highlights.

  It was also great to see our guide Samora (and all the other tour guides in Etosha) being very responsible and not driving off-road to get closer to the wildlife. Operators in Kenya do not abide by the regulations a lot of the time and must disturb the animals.

   
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  David Shelton

  NAMIBIA LODGE ADVENTURE

  

  Written August 2011

  This trip was excellent value for money. We saw a lot of Namibia, the game park was brilliant and our guides were first class. If you want a trip to get a good snapshot of Namibia this will easily meet your needs. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  We saw 30 lions in one day at Etosha - and some were very close to our vehicle! Also, the ancient rock art and petrified forest were pretty amazing.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Ronnie and Joseph were excellent - very professional, good cooks, very good at spotting animals and great fun to be with. They worked very hard and looked after our party of 11 extremely well.  

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Depending when you travel to Namibia be prepared for cold nights - the trip notes are very accurate in this respect. Also, Swakopmund is probably the best place for gifts - there is plenty at the craft market on the last day, but if you want to use gift shops Swakopmund is best.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  The food is excellent and there is plenty of it - also, for the meals not covered in the trip cost there is a lot  of choice and food is not expensive. Be prepared for some bumpy roads - but that is a small price to pay for the sites and animals you will see. The lodges at Etosha are very good (as the upgrade suggests) otherwise our best lodge was at Solitaire with its many "pet" animals. If you go in July/August the days will be clear, sunny and warm (you may get sea-mist at Swakopmund) and there is no rain. As it is winter you have a great chance to see the animals and there are no unpleasant bugs to distract you!

   
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  Sarah Lawrence

  DISCOVER NAMIBIA

  

  Written August 2011

  It wasn't a particularly relaxing holiday but it was well worth all of the early starts and hours spent travelling as we had a wonderful time. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Some of our highlights included seeing the massive seal colony at Cape Cross, walking to Deadvlei (hard going but beautiful), arriving at Etosha and spending hours and hours sitting at a waterhole watching many animals come and go.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Our guide was fantastic. He was friendly, helpful, informative and well-organised and really couldn't have done anything more for us.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  My advice for potential travellers would be to expect to spend a lot of time covered in sand and to bring warm clothes, a very warm sleeping bag (if travelling in Winter) and a (head) torch.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  There really was a lot packed into this trip and we were glad that we were able to see so much of this fascinating country. Obviously the accommodation was quite basic as it was mostly in tents and we didn't have a lot of sleep as it got very cold and on a couple of nights it was also really windy. However, the campsites were generally quite well-equipped and the food was much better than I expected. The dinners, in particular, were excellent - especially given what the assistants had to work with. I would definitely recommend this holiday for those who want something a bit different.

   
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  Georgina Chandler

  DISCOVER NAMIBIA

  

  Written August 2011

  An excellent adventure. We had a exceptional guide and 2 fantastic cooks. The scenery was out of this world and even the long journeys were interesting and full of wildlife spotting. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  I had especially wanted to visit the sand dunes and was not disappointed. The colourful hues of the sand as the dawn broke was magical. The randomness of these giant dunes in the middle of nowhere and flat land all around was fantastic. Te most fun was seeing if we could get the jeeps through the sand on the way to Dead Vlei another MUST.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  He was funny, entertaining and very informative. He was friendly and helped to ge the group to gel at the beginning of the trip.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  None. Go on the trip! Oh actually do remember to take thermal wear for the chilly nights under canvas.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  We organised a trip for the free day befoe we left the UK. We went on a kayaking trip wth Jeanne at eco-marine tours and also added in a 4x4 trip around Sandwich harbour. This was really worthwhile and a nice opportunity to have a day to yourself as well!!!

   
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  Susan Hardy

  DISCOVER NAMIBIA

  

  Written August 2011

  A wonderful holiday with fantastic varied scenery with so much to see.   A vast country with inevitably a lot of road travel but the roads are good and we were well looked after throughout.   We were surprised at the excellent camp sites with power points, and generally good modern shower/toilet facilities. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  The amazing sunrises and sunsets, Death Valley and the sand dunes, seal and dolphin watching, the sight of 21 elephants of all ages coming to the waterhole at night (just when I didn't have my camera! and lion cubs playing by the side of a waterhole.   Breakfast at Solitaire Guest Ranch with an oryx ever so gently putting her nose over my shoulder to sniff my cereal, first one side and then the other!

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Sam was knowledgeable, always ready to answer our questions and looked after us well.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  We went the last week in August/first week in September and the nights really are very, very cold so take warm clothing.   Also very cold for early morning game drives when the canvas roof was rolled back on the truck!

   Not a cheap destination but where we did eat out the meals were excellent - and do try the local fish - delicious!

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I can thoroughly recommend this holiday.   Travel arrangements all went smoothly and nearly all of our stops were excellent.   Camp sites were good and our cook produced some very tasty meals for us over the camp fire!

   
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  Anne Wynn

  DISCOVER NAMIBIA

  

  Written May 2011

  Great trip, wonderful group and marvelous guides. Be prepared for early mornings and long drives but the pace of the trip is about right with plenty to see and do with "down time" when you need it. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Has to be seal colony, smelly, noisy but utterly brilliant could have stayed there all day!

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Tour leader was great, he came across as quiet at first but worked tirelessly to help us all get the most out of our trip and was always helpful and knowledgeable. First rate.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Early mornings and long drives in the vehicle but the trip is well balanced to prevent boredom setting in and also to prevent you being on the go all the time. Access to charge points for cameras never a problem neither was mobile phone coverage for those that wanted it. Namibia is a well organised country with a good infrastructure, I've been in parts of Europe that felt more remote so if this is your first to Africa it is a great introduction with stunning scenary and wildlife. Loved it.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Would have preferred an extra night at the Wartberg plateau campsite even if it meant a longer drive the day before and missing the previous nights campsite. It would have given us a bit more time to rest up and relax before a long drive home and flights the next day.

   

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