$5,370 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateThis Tour Is Offered By
A few of the Viatu team members!
Viatu
- Office In:
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Switzerland
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2020)
- Member Of:
- Regenerative Travel, Future of Tourism, UN Global Compact, 1% For the Planet & B-Corp
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
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At Viatu, we don't just plan memorable trips, we craft meaningful journeys that are good for people and the planet. With 10+ years exploring Africa, we've found the best hidden-gems for an impactful adventure! Whether solo, a duo, a group, or with family, our multilingual team (EN, DE, FR, ES, & PT!) is set to make your travel dreams real. So, get packing and let Viatu turn your wanderlust into reality!
Reviews168
Want a flawless travel experience? Viatu is the ONLY choice for your African itinerary.
Viatu offers a top-notch travel planning service that truly stands out. Present their team with your preferred travel dates, destination, and budget, and they will craft an itinerary that exceeds expectations. Through video consultations, their travel coordinators take the time to understand your preferences for experiences, transportation, food, and accommodations, and before long you’ll have a fully developed itinerary complete with thoughtfully curated activities and dining recommendations.
As your trip approaches, Viatu not only reconfirms all accommodations and activities, but also monitors changes in the region along with updated reviews for lodgings and excursions to help ensure a premium experience from start to finish. Their planning process includes ongoing video consultations and even a comprehensive pre-travel review within the final 30 days before departure.
During the trip itself, Viatu provides access to a 24/7 concierge service that can assist with any issues or needs that arise along the way. The level of service, attention to detail, and overall professionalism is exceptional. It’s difficult to imagine a better travel planning experience.
Reply from Viatu
Posted on May 21, 2026Hi Adam,
Thank you so much for your incredibly thoughtful and detailed feedback. We are absolutely delighted to hear that your experience with Viatu lived up to expectations and that you felt supported throughout every stage of your journey.
Our team is passionate about creating seamless, personalised travel experiences, so it truly means a great deal to know that the itinerary planning process, ongoing communication, and concierge support made such a positive impression on you.
Thank you as well for taking the time to highlight the effort our coordinators and concierge teams put into ensuring every detail is taken care of. Feedback like yours is deeply appreciated and will certainly be shared with the wider team.
It was a pleasure being part of your African adventure, and we sincerely hope to welcome you back for another journey in the future.
Warm regards,
The Viatu Team
Good overall experience, responsive and timeous to questions raised.
Namibia2Go impressed us from the outset. Service was smooth and efficient throughout, and the Toyota Fortuner proved both comfortable and reliable. One small frustration was the Garmin device repeatedly detaching on the bumpy roads. We appreciate the challenge of securing these units in such conditions, but perhaps a more robust solution could be considered.
Due to scheduling constraints, we completed the self-drive route in reverse order to the standard itinerary. Unfortunately, the travel directions had not been adjusted accordingly and still followed the sequence intended for travellers starting at Sossusvlei and ending at Etosha, whereas our route began at Okapuka, continued to Etosha, and concluded with Sossusvlei and Windhoek. While we were able to navigate successfully using our cellphone GPS, it would have been helpful had the route notes been reversed and tailored to our itinerary.
Our first overnight stay was at Okapuka, which made for an excellent introduction to Namibia. However, the GPS coordinates supplied for the lodge are incorrect, directing travellers past the correct turn-off, onto an incorrect road, and eventually towards a non-existent slip road. The coordinates appear to be off by approximately 10km. Staff at Okapuka confirmed that this is an ongoing issue caused by outdated mapping information. We would recommend either notifying Google so the correction can be made, or at the very least flagging the issue clearly within the Viato travel directions.
Okapuka itself was a wonderful first stop - lush, comfortable, and welcoming, with friendly staff, a quirky resident ostrich, a lovely pool area, and excellent food and service.
Safarihoek was our second destination and delivered an experience of truly epic proportions. It was easy to find, and we received a warm welcome from the moment we arrived, including from the friendly gate guard. Check-in was seamless, complete with welcome drinks and refreshing towels. Our room was quiet, beautifully appointed, and featured a spacious ensuite bathroom, outdoor shower, and spectacular views over the watering hole.
Our safari guide, Richard, was excellent, and the game viewing exceeded all expectations. We also had the privilege of meeting co-owner Yörckel and his wife Monica, and joining them on a game drive. During that drive we encountered a herd of 36 elephants moving through the reserve so closely that it felt almost surreal. We also enjoyed multiple close lion sightings and even witnessed an attempted hunt at the watering hole. The only disappointment during our stay was the breakfast eggs, which were unfortunately consistently overcooked and poorly fried.
Ondjamba Hills was our next stop. We thoroughly enjoyed the accommodation, which was comfortable and offered beautiful views. We stayed close to the dining area, making access to coffee convenient. Given the remote nature of the property, we understand the limitations around in-room refrigeration and coffee facilities. Service throughout was attentive and friendly.
Our guide, Unity, went to great lengths to track down elephant sightings for us, despite the challenge posed by the lush post-rain vegetation. The riverbed lunch experience was superb, and we particularly enjoyed the pool and the stunning sunrises. Overall, it was a memorable stay with very good food.
Spitzkoppen was another highlight of the journey. The accommodation was excellent, the breakfast offering the best of our entire trip, and the sundowner views were exceptional. The quirky pool added to the charm. Staff made a special effort to accommodate my breakfast-for-dinner request, and we once again had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with the owner, Elsa/Elsabe. Poolside service (for drinks) is something they could include.
Our only disappointment was the experience at the famous Spitzkoppen rock arch. By late afternoon it became overcrowded with busloads of tourists competing for photographs, which detracted greatly from the experience. Some form of managed access or timed system would greatly improve this attraction.
In Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, our stay at Fancy Fritz was top-class. The guesthouse is beautifully curated, with warm and attentive personal service. David and the hostess went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed. Our suite and en-suite bathroom were beautifully appointed.
Swakopmund itself was delightful, and we would strongly recommend that Viato include Guden Fang in Walvis Bay, Gabrielle’s Pizza Restaurant, and Slowtown Coffee as recommended dining/coffee stops. In contrast, we found The Tug rather overrated. The seafood was underwhelming, with overcooked fish, and the restaurant appeared to accommodate too many seatings per evening, resulting in a rushed and overcrowded atmosphere compounded by slow service. We did, however, appreciate the effort made with a birthday-themed dessert.
Our Sandwich Harbour excursion with Mola Mola Tours was superb.
The accommodation highlight of our trip was undoubtedly Hoodia Lodge near Sossusvlei. This is an exceptional property - beautifully curated, highly personal, and warm in its hospitality. The sunset picnic was unforgettable and provided the perfect setting for Gavin to propose. We suspect this may become a milestone anniversary destination for us in years to come.
Owner Thomas Becker is a true visionary who personally ensured every guest felt valued and welcome. The balloon flight over Sossusvlei and Deadvlei was impeccably organised, expertly piloted, and genuinely once-in-a-lifetime. The experience concluded with an outstanding al fresco breakfast that catered thoughtfully to vegans and guests with dietary requirements.
One broader recommendation for lodges and operators would be to consider the increasing number of travellers who either cannot or choose not to consume alcohol, and to expand the availability of quality non-alcoholic alternatives. Overall, however, the experience was exceptional.
Little Forest Garden Retreat was unfortunately the only accommodation during our Namibian adventure that disappointed us outright from the beginning. While Maria, the onsite hostess, was friendly and helpful throughout our stay, we would personally recommend either removing this property from the Viato portfolio or strongly encouraging the owners to significantly improve and elevate the offering. Perhaps a ‘mystery guest’ visit is required by yourselves in order to obtain an objective first-hand evaluation from a guest’s perspective?
Although the house itself has potential, it currently feels more like a large family home that has either been hastily vacated, gradually stripped back over time, or only half-heartedly converted into guest accommodation. At every other property on our journey, one could sense the care, oversight, and involvement of the owners or management. Here, unfortunately, the opposite was true.
First impressions are poor. Broken slate steps lead guests past a children’s play area with garish, brightly coloured plastic slides set against a barren patch of sand. Near the entrance, a persistent pool of water created by a leaking geyser overflow further detracts from the arrival experience.
The décor is sparse, and the absence of adequate carpeting means sound carries throughout the house, amplifying even normal staff activity and conversation. For a guesthouse located in an urban area, a small in-room fridge should be considered essential, particularly for self-drive travellers, rather than relying on a communal refrigerator.
There were positives: the in-room coffee machine was excellent, and the bed and bedding were among the best we experienced during the trip, resulting in a wonderfully restful night’s sleep. Introducing a similar quality coffee offering in the dining area (as found in the room) would immediately elevate the breakfast experience.
Overall, however, the property falls far short of what its brochure and online profile suggest. The experience feels misleading. While we understand that dinners and spa treatments may need to be pre-arranged, there is certainly no functioning “à la carte restaurant” on site, and the spa or massage offering appears to be outsourced or in different location. The rooms also bear little resemblance to the images used in promotional material, lacking the styling, décor, and curation presented in the photography. In addition, stacked furniture and pool loungers remain visible in front of what appeared to be a non-operational bar and pool entertainment area, further diminishing the overall impression.
Reply from Viatu
Posted on May 21, 2026Dear Loudina & Gavin,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such detailed feedback about your landmark journey with Viatu. We are absolutely thrilled to hear that the vast majority of your trip was nothing short of epic!
It means the world to us that you experienced those surreal elephant sightings with Richard at Safarihoek, enjoyed the warm hospitality at Ondjamba Hills, and appreciated David’s top-class curation at Fancy Fritz. Hearing that the balloon flight over Sossusvlei was a true once-in-a-lifetime memory, and that Thomas Becker at Hoodia Lodge made you feel so valued, is exactly what we strive for. We also love your dining recommendations for Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, and we are already adding those spots to our travel guides!
With so many incredible highlights, we want to ensure that every single detail of our service matches that high standard. We deeply appreciate you bringing your constructive feedback to our attention, and we have already taken action on the points you raised:
Our Route Navigation: You are entirely right that when an itinerary is reversed, our route notes must match perfectly. Relying on cellphone GPS because of a paperwork mismatch is not our standard. We are already updating our document customization process for reversed routes. We have also flagged the 10km Okapuka mapping glitch and are contacting Namibia2Go regarding sturdier GPS mounts for bumpy roads.
Partner Lodge Standards: We have taken your notes regarding the breakfast service at Safarihoek and the poolside service at Spitzkoppen straight to their management teams. We also think your recommendation for better non-alcoholic drink alternatives across the board is excellent, and we are actively advocating for this with our partners.
Little Forest Garden Retreat: What you described is deeply concerning. A property we recommend should never feel misleading or mismatched with its promotional material. We take quality control very seriously and are currently arranging a firsthand evaluation of this property to review its place in our collection.
Thank you again, Gavin, for your invaluable insights, your kind words about our responsive team, and for trusting Viatu with your travels. We wish you both the very best in your next chapter, and we hope to welcome you back for an anniversary trip in the future!
Warmest regards,
The Viatu Team
FR
We can't do better!
Clément de Viatu assisted me from start to finish to find a vehicle, a hotel, with an à la carte service on top! Everything was perfectly well organized, well chosen. I wouldn't have imagined so many.
The performances were of great quality and everything went smoothly.
Reply from Viatu
Posted on May 21, 2026Hi Fabienne,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and kind words.
We are delighted to hear that Clément was able to assist you throughout your journey and create a personalised experience that met your expectations. It means a great deal to know that every aspect of your trip — from the vehicle and accommodation selection to the overall organisation — felt seamless and thoughtfully curated.
We are especially pleased that the quality of the services and experiences stood out and that everything went smoothly during your travels.
Your feedback will certainly be shared with Clément and the wider team. Thank you again for choosing Viatu, and we hope to help you plan another memorable adventure in the future.
Warm regards,
The Viatu Team
Excellent support throughout including for the unexpected!
I love holiday planning; I never use an agency, but spend hours finding accommodation, things to do, etc. For Namibia, we wanted to do it differently as it IS just so remote and we wanted to have a company to fall back on in case anything would go wrong.
From first dealing with Viatu to the absolute end, it has been a pleasure. Using their initial templates was great, but even better - for the avid planner in me - was how everything was customisable. Simone helped us plan our dream trip, was available for the small and big questions, and gave us faith in Viatu from the start.
And then they really got tested; we got hit by airline strikes on the way out, ending up on a much longer journey but arriving a day earlier; this is where a good agency really shines. A room was sorted for us in Windhoek without any issues, pick-up was arranged and transfer to pick up our booked car the next day without any issues. As luck would have it, we then had our flight delayed by a day to go back home, and again Viatu jumped in and booked us an extra accommodation etc. This really was such a relief as with dodgy internet and the long distances, we would have struggled to sort this out ourselves.
Every aspect of dealing with Viatu has been pleasant including them sharing our honeymoon news to the different lodges, resulting in some lovely extra touches when we were in the various locations.
Would 10/10 recommend and would not hesitate to book them again for any future trips to Africa.
PS: Namibia is INSANE. Nothing like it. Dream.
Reply from Viatu
Posted on May 5, 2026Hi Nickee,
Thank you so much for the kind words! It’s always a bit of a leap for a dedicated DIY planner to trust an agency, so we’re thrilled we could help you design your dream trip while giving you that extra bit of backup.
We’re honestly just glad we could be there when the airline strikes and delays kicked in. Namibia is stunning, but it’s definitely not the place where you want to be stuck solving logistics with spotty Wi-Fi! It was our pleasure to get those extra nights and transfers sorted so you could stay focused on the experience.
It’s also wonderful to hear the lodges looked after you for your honeymoon—those little extra touches really make the trip.
We totally agree, Namibia is absolute magic. Whenever you’re ready to head back to Africa, we’d love to help you out again!
Best,
The Viatu Team
Viatu is very responsive and responsible tour agency
My wife and I had a great experience with Viatu. One of the standout features is their 24/7 availability through WhatsApp, which made communication incredibly convenient and responsive at any time of day. It gave me peace of mind knowing I could reach out whenever I had questions or needed assistance.
We also worked closely with Mardi to adjust the itinerary to our liking, and the process was smooth and personalized. Mardi was attentive, flexible, and really took the time to understand our preferences, which made the entire experience even better. Mardi also suggested a few great activities to do outside of our tour at places we happened to be before and after the tour concluded, which added even more value to the overall experience.
We loved each and every safari lodge and operator they selected. Each one exceeded our expectations and added something special to the trip. They also went above and beyond by speaking on our behalf to resolve an issue with another agency, handling everything with minimal input required from us, which made the experience stress-free.
Overall, the reliability, accessibility, and personalized service really set them apart.
Reply from Viatu
Posted on May 5, 2026Hi Cory,
Thanks so much for the 5-star review! We’re so happy to hear that you and your wife had such a great experience with us.
It’s awesome that the WhatsApp support gave you that extra peace of mind—we know how important it is to feel connected when you're out on your first safari. I’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to Mardi as well; she’ll be thrilled to hear that the itinerary tweaks and activity suggestions helped make the trip feel personalized and stress-free for you both.
We’re also really glad we could step in and handle that situation with the other agency for you. Our goal is always to keep the "work" on our end so you can just enjoy the lodges and the wildlife!
Thank you for choosing Viatu for your first safari. We’d love to help you plan the next one whenever you're ready!
Best,
The Viatu Team
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![5-Day Botswana Luxury Tour (Okavango Delta & Chobe NP)]()
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