Classic Namibia Safari

Scenery was more stunning that expected - and we had high expectations to start. Felt very welcome everywhere as tourists. Excellent service in all lodges except Twyfelfontein (mediocre). We were surprised by the lack of tourists in many areas we stayed (Cape Cross, Halali, Etosha Aoba). We really enjoyed the Sandwich Harbour / Walvis Bay tour from PhotoVenture (Herman), and I got my sandboarding trip in the following morning too. SO exhausting... We had Cape Cross lodge all to ourselves, which was nice, but weird, although the beach and lodge is beautiful. Skeleton Coast drive was gorgeous, although the road was quite bumpy around Torra Bay (I think we averaged 30km/h for a good 2 hours), but the trip inland was worth the sacrifice! (Turns out we were the only car in the park all day according to the rangers).

We cannot thank Danie and the NTS team enough for the excellent service and personal touches. You made everything very easy and recommendations were spot on.

It was a fantastic trip and our guide, Charles Rhyn, was excellent – very knowledgeable on all subjects and “unstinting” in his care of us, sorting out minor problems etc.

It was interesting to see so many different areas and drive through the dramatic mountains in Damaraland. It is a hard life for some of the farmers. It was also good to see the animals in the lovely setting of the game area at Palmwag Lodge Palmwag Lodge
Palmwag Lodge combines comfortable accommodation with a sublime location in the middle of nowhere. Thatched chalets, luxury tents and several camp sites focus their attention on the fabulous pool-bar-restaurant area.
More... and be there without any other vehicles. Etosha was amazing – all we could have hoped for, especially the waterhole at Okaukuejo Okaukuejo
Okaukuejo is one of five lodges inside Etosha Park. They are all in front of floodlit waterholes, and this one is regarded as the best of the lot.
More... . The food there was variable and at one lunch time very little choice. Jackals scavenged round the bins by the swimming pool area while we were eating and the debris was not cleared. Lovely rooms and pool.

Loved the restaurant at Twyfelfontein and the entertaining guide for the engravings. Such an interesting drive down the river bed to find the desert elephants with new born baby.

The dunes were astonishing – certainly not to be missed.

The vehicle was comfortable but no a/c. The windows were unsatisfactory as there was no way to adjust the air flow – open or shut. It would have been good to have sliding windows to have clear view while seated for cameras. Good view when roof was open but it rattled very badly when driving along.

Charly was amazing! A great bird expert, enthusiastic, energetic, kind, thoughtful, responsible driver and really good company. He was upset that we did not find a leopard! He was especially kind to me as the oldest member. After I had my bag looted at Johannesburg he helped me put in a claim. He obtained the form, photocopied documents and faxed them all off in the timescale demanded. Through hearing his personal story we learned a great deal about life in Namibia.

Dear Alison,

I am writing to provide you with our feedback from and with a big THANK you for organizing our self drive safari trip in Namibia so excellently.

We had an amazing time and enjoyed the landscapes, the animals and the excellent lodge selections very much! Documentation and organization were outstanding and we can only recommend ATS/ NTS to any other traveller. Most of the lodges were really nice placed in special locations, food very tasty and staff more than welcoming and friendly!

We were also very happy with the car (a 4x4 is a must), .... had some bad luck with a total of 5 flat tires. But at the time we had 3 flat tires within 4 hours, all 4 tires have been exchanged during our stay in Etendeka Mountain Camp Etendeka Mountain Camp
Deep in the Grootberg Mountains, Etendeka Camp is the definitive unabridged version of a nature experience. We're hesitant to spoil it with words.
More... without any doing from our side but 2 phonecalls and some sms's. Very good client service indeed!

The only thing we would probably suggest to skip is Opuwo (if you are not heading further up to the falls). It is a lot of driving in the two days and we were not that excited about the town. We were also not able to visit the Himbas due to our tire problems and no vehicle available from the lodge.

But overall a big compliment and a thank you!

Kind regards, Edith

Wilmari, I wanted to thank you again for an amazing organisation of our Namibian trip.... We had a sensational time. Truly unforgettable. The kids were incredible and enjoyed every minute of it. You did such a good job and I want to thank you again for your professionalism and for taking my call on a Sunday!!!!!

[Edit: a big THANK YOU to the beautiful Pelka family for sharing their holiday pictures with us. What an incredible holiday they had.]

Thanks for your kind message and for organizing such a wonderful honey moon. It was all perfectly organized, and sorry for not replying earlier.

The only place where we were a bit disappointed is the last night back in Windhoek, I forgot the name of the place... It was run down, not such friendly people, the room was disappointing versus all the other accommodations! Other than that, it was 100%

Olive Groove is really such a perfect place: staff, room, food, service, etc!!!! We loved !

Since over a month we are back to reality and work, but the HM was unforgettable. What a great country you have. The highlight was Etosha where we saw lions, cheetahs and leopard! Amazing.

Again, thanks for your flexibility, support and all the best to all of you.

We'd like to say thank you for all. Everything worked out great and we were very pleased. Namibia is a very beautiful country and has much to offer.

I loved to see so much of this beautiful country. I thought the itinerary was a wonderful introduction to Namibia. Ideally I would have preferred staying in more places longer than one night but I don’t see how that can be avoided while still seeing so much.

Vincent Brehany made this trip. From the moment we met him I knew we were in excellent hands. His knowledge and demeanour are simply outstanding – he was the ideal guide and I can’t imagine doing this trip without him. He is wonderful and I’m so grateful to know him.

Superb guide with great breadth and depth knowledge that couldn’t be beaten.

I was really impressed with the way Vincent guided us in a relaxed and organised structure and he seems to be an endless source of information. Also Paulus and Jeremiah were lovely! Vincent’s cooking was very good, sometimes better than the lodges.

Vince was fantastic and took extra care of peoples special requirements. Extremely knowledgeable about wildlife, landscapes and local cultures.

More time in Etosha! My favourite part of the trip was going on game drives through Etosha - would have preferred more time here. Vince was amazing – made the trip exponentially more enjoyable. Can’t stress enough what a great job he does.

We were so blessed to have such in informative and amazing guide. Vince was the most amazing host, guide, chef, astrologist, botanist, and friend who not only takes pride in his profession but also his country and its history and the importance of preserving; respecting it.

We liked the smaller lodges better than the big ones partly because service and cuisine was better. We marvelled at geological/geographical diversity. Enjoyed visit to Bushman Foundation and interaction with Namibians was fun and interesting. We would recommend this safari and Namibia Tours & Safaris.

Was a very nice trip. Augustinus and Pauls are great persons. We had a very good overview of Namibia which is a beautiful country. Thanks a lot.

We enjoyed all visited sites. We appreciated all details and informations given by our tour guide about landscapes, people and animals. Augustinus' knowledge about birds was impressive. It was also great to see all the "highlights" of Namibia during 2 weeks in this order.

Itinerary was well planned and organized. Driving was good including changing flat tyres! Enjoyed variety of places, native culture, geological varieties in addition to the wildlife.

Sue and I just returned from a 3 week trip to South Africa. Our time was packed with nostalgic and memorable events. ( We are from South Africa but have lived in Canada for last 30 years ). The highlight of the trip ( thanks to you ) was the 6 day self drive tour of part of Namibia. When I first planned this trip, I started out dealing with another organization but met with unbelievable apathy, slow response and complete inefficiency. That is when I decided to contact you. The contrast was phenomenal. You delivered 110% and we are blown away by your professional efficiency and expertise. The final touch was when you lent us your vehicle. Our first experience of Namibia has left us with a tantalizing, mouth watering desire to return, but this time for much longer as 6 days just doesn't do it justice.