Andre
CrissCross Namibia Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2003)
- Member Of:
- NTB & TASA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $350 to $800 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
Email Tony and Juliet | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Patient, with a well thought out itinerary
Three years after we booked we finally made it to Namibia. Our itinerary was structured to focus on the things we wanted to do and the places we wanted to see. While structured for us it had clearly been built on considerable experience and detailed local knowledge. Thinus was very patient, reorganising our itinerary several times to accommodate changes and delays enforced by the pandemic. It was good to finally meet him in Namibia after so long in the planning stage.
We had an excellent tour around much of Namibia over a period of 20 days covering 5,500 km. A lasting impression is of vast open spaces with dramatic and engaging scenery, which seemed to get better almost every day. The quality of the lodges was high, much higher than we expected. The wildlife was of course often plentiful and beautiful.
We had a good guide/driver and met many other people who shared their knowledge and passion with us. Namibia must be one of the politest and friendliest countries we have visited.
Some highlights included: a drive along the Angolan border to Epupa, the scenery was incredible, the road rougher than most but passable and the small Himba villages showing us another side of Namibia. A balloon trip at Sesreim was exciting. At the other end of the country Luderitz and Fish River Canyon gave us a completely different view of the country.
Our accommodation was of a high standard. Everywhere the staff were very helpful, friendly and polite – remarkably so. Of special mention Erindi, Canyon Lodge, Sossusvlei Lodge and Epupa are particularly memorable, as much for their location as the quality of service.
CA
Email Harvey Brooks | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Well planned itinerary with professional and thoughtful personnel throughout the entire experience
From the outset and my first enquiry, Thinus was very helpful and prompt in organizing my tour, paying close attention to my timing and for the kind of experience that I was seeking. Emails from the company were informative, laying everything out in a clear and complete manner, and when I arrived in Windhoek to start the tour, I was met by both Thinus (the company owner and operator) and my guide, Markus, who was to be with me for the duration of the tour - some 14 days of exploring the heart of Namibia. For the entire time, everything went smoothly - Markus made sure that there were no issues with accommodations, and his knowledge of several languages made a great difference every day. We drove some 3500 kilometers over the two weeks, through both private and national game parks, and he found both big game and plains game for me, enabling some amazing photographic opportunities. We also explored the Skeleton Coast, and the Sesriem/Sossusvlei area - all stunningly beautiful. In short, I had a first-class experience, in good company, and am happy to recommend Criss Cross Safaris to other travelers looking for a unique experience.
EG
Email Maya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very well organized and wonderful people
We had a 10-day customized safari across Namibia and the experience was excellent. Thinus, our guide, really helped us in organizing and crafting the perfect tour for our family for a very good price. We visited the most beautiful places across Namibia: Etosha, Skeleton Coast, Swakopmund, Sossusvlei and Windhoek. All accommodation, leisure & restaurants were perfect for our taste.
It was an overall amazing experience!
US
Email Kim and Mark Drucker | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They were organized thoughtful people with in depth knowledge of wildlife, backroads and Namibia.
We just spent 3 weeks on a safari with CrissCross. We traveled over 3000 miles and went from north to south and back with our guides. We saw it all; Etosha, Kaokoland, Domaraland, the Skeleton Coast, the Namib and Kalahari Deserts, dunes, Fish Canyon, Walvis Bay and every kind of wildlife you can imagine. Thinus, our first guide and the owner of CrissCross was born to white settlers and lived on a farm in the heart of Namibia. He has experienced Namibian history, first hand. His knowledge of the roads and "shortcuts" is encyclopedic. FYI Most Namibian roads are gravel and many times they turn into rocks-small and large. Riding in a 4X4 was exciting, noisy and bumpy. He knows wildlife and where to find them. Every day was an adventure. Our 3rd week's guide was Marcus. He too has lived in Namibia his whole life. His point of view is from the "colored"(his word) man's perspective. Both men have lived through apartheid, social unrest, war and the reorganization of Namibian society. Traveling with these men deepened our understanding of the human condition in this very complex country. Both points of view were necessary to truly understand. With Marcus we experienced Fish Canyon, quiver trees, the Giants playground, the Namib dunes and the Kalahari Desert. The trip was well planned and customized to our wishes with different lodges almost nightly. We never worried about the arrangements and payments because we were well cared for. On our last day before our flight out, Marcus took us to the National museum which explained the wars, sacrifices and torment leading to Namibian independence from South Africa in 1990....very eye opening and important to think about. All in all the trip was brilliant and we owe our thanks to Thinus and Marcus for their constant care, knowledge and conscientiousness. Our 2 favorite lodges: 1.the Cape Cross Lodge with its crashing waves 100 yards from our room, seals and further down the coast: flamingos, dolphins, and grey whales. 2.Okapuka Private Game Reserve with game drives where rhinos, sabel antelopes, warthogs etc run up to the land rover to get food pellet treats.. it was so amazing and fun.
Email Sharyn | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Had a great trip with CrissCross Namibia Safaris
Spent 2 weeks in Namibia with my sister and our guide Maddi , what fun we had ,tough environment ,harsh driving conditions at times but we enjoyed every minute, maybe not all the dust , oh well still great time was had by all .
CA
Email Russ, Pat and Mike, British Columbia | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our Exciting CrissCross Namibia Adventure
Three of us plus a driver/guide in a 4x4 were privileged to go on a month long/6600km holiday primarily in Namibia and fortunate to have chosen CrissCross Namibia Safaris as our tour company. We based our choice of company on previous online reviews and the flexibility allowed in planning our itinerary. They organized the tour and route we requested. We were also impressed with the prompt responses to any inquiries that we gave them.
Our trip started in Capetown where we spent four enjoyable days, before proceeding north. We spent a few days travelling through western South Africa up to the border of Namibia. This was carried out by another company organized by CrissCross.
At the border we were met by CrissCross owner, Thinus, who escorted us through the border, and from that point on we decided we were in good hands!! We had a very enjoyable 8 days with Thinus.
First to the Orange River and the Aussenkehr Nature Park with amazing rock formations, next Fish River Canyon which rivals the Grand Canyon in size, then onto Luderitz and Kolmanskop, a diamond mining ghost town which has been encroached on by dunes and so interesting to see, especially for photographers. Next was on to Soussevlei and the amazing dunes, fun to climb, even part way up to the top.
Some of the drives were long but the scenery so different from Western Canada that it was still interesting. Thinus always seemed to find great points of interest, along with interesting stories. We went on to Swakopmund and had a very enjoyable dune ride out of Walvis Bay where we also enjoyed seeing the large number of flamingos. In Swakopmund we were met by Markus, our guide for the rest of our trip. He was also a very capable and knowledgeable driver. First stop was Twyfelfontein where we saw the rock engravings of the Bushmen. Next we travelled to Grootberg with beautiful scenic views and then proceeded to visit a Himba village. An experience in itself! From there we continued on to Etosha Park NP, where we saw lots of wildlife including four rhino sightings which was a thrill for us!!
Driving through the Zambezi region (Caprivi Strip) we saw many local villages and this gave us a glimpse of how the local people carry out their daily lives.
Next we had a stop in Bwabwata NP where we had very up close encounters with elephants!! We then went into Chobe NP in Botswana where we were surrounded with hundreds of elephants. Finally we visited Victoria Falls, although less water than usual due to the drought, was a fantastic experience seeing the strength of mother nature.
All our accommodations were very nice, comfortable, had interesting views and great food, often with an opportunity to try game meat.
Although it was the driest spring on record, it was a welcome contrast to home where we get too much rain!!
Thanks to Thinus, Helena and Markus for a wonderful trip, so much variety in a short time, landforms, scenery, wildlife, some quirkiness, a meteorite, a castle, desert elephants, wild horses, always something unique in this special country. Not much traffic either!!
We were glad to have been shown the country by two gentlemen who know their country well and could share so much with us.
CN
Email Peter Willemsen | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Namibia experience for the whole family - Guided by a true insider
We had overall a wonderful experience - as first comers to the country traveling with a 10 year old daughter we were a bit anxious but found traveling and arrangements were a breeze from start to end.
We picked Criss Cross from Safari booking based on mixture of reviews, proposed itinerary and feedback received by mail (we contacted 3-4 operators).
Communication was fast and efficient - downpayment via credit card not a problem and further payments via money order.
Two weeks prior to the trip we clarified last details about pick up (and got very patient answers to our probably very naive questions)
Thinus (owner and manager of Cross Cross who was our guide for the trip) picked us up at the airport in Windhoek and brought us to the hotel for the first night.
We had booked a proposed 12 day guided tour (our family only) itinerary through Namibia only and then adjusted that with 2 additional days (which fit our flight schedule). Planning and proposals was very convenient. Cross cross asked us about our preferences regarding what we would like to see, accommodation style etc and made proposals based on that. We got a detailed travel plan with daily schedule and links to the respective lodges.
Traveling was done in a comfortable car (4 people traveling including Thinus who was driving us).
The most amazing thing was the many stories and backgrounds he could share about his country, it’s people and it’s flora and fauna.
There was a lot of traveling involved (more than 4000km (!)) but with a talking guidebook next to us it never got boring - we felt like traveling with a friend that knows every corner and every stone in his country.
Namibia is a fantastic country to travel for families. It offers all the adventures of genuine safari experience while being safe and comfortable to travel. It is incredibly faceted. We saw all the “Big 5” animals (on our first day), the fantastic wildlife in Etosha (though it is VERY dry this year), dramatic landscapes (Waterberg, damaraland, soussevlei, fish river canyon) different types of desert (incl kalahari) and coast aren (Swakopmund where we did an amazing Boat/Dune Combo Tour).
As they say - once you have Namibian dust on your shoes (and you will have lots of dust if traveling during winter as it is one of the driest countries in the world) you will always return... we are already planning our next trip to the region ....
Heartfelt thanks again to Criss Cross team and especially to Thinus for making this the best vacation ever !
Any questions please feel free to contact under pwillemsen@me.com
BR,
Peter
Email Karen | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
We did a 3 week tour from Victoria Falls to Botswana then Namibia with Thinus as our wonderful guide.
it was an amazing trip. Chobe in Botswana was fantastic for wildlife, especially elephants. Moremi game reserve in the Okavango was beautiful for bird life and a resident hippo at our lodge was a bit of a thrill!
Namibia was beautiful also. Damaraland was spectacular and unexpected! Soussovlei was incredible too. Was great to incorporate beautiful landscapes into the trip instead of just focusing on game viewing
In terms of travel, accommodation and food the trip exceeded our expectations. The lodges (3-5star) were fantastic- interesting locations and unique styles.
Everything went perfectly smoothly thanks to the superb organization and attention to detail of our guide Thinus. Thinus was more than a “guide” - he was a born and bred Namibian with an interesting history and unique perspective and knowledge of the country.
We highly recommend Crisscross!!
Email Judith Crawford | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unbelievably brilliant holiday which surpassed our expectations by being full of variety.
We booked a 14 day self- drive safari from UK and all communication with Thinus and his team were excellent.
We celebrated our 30th Wedding Anniversary during our trip and stayed at the amazing, Erindi Private Game Reserve for a couple of days. The safari organised by the lodge was superb and we saw lots of game on our early morning and sundowner drives.
Everything went like clockwork; we stayed at different lodges but all had character and were excellent.
The route Thinus planned was just what we wanted and took us on a great tour of Namibia, incorporating Damaraland, The Skeleton Coast and the Namib Nauluft Park.
We didn’t have time to seeFish River Canyon or Luderitz but are hoping to return at some point to visit this area.
In summary I could not recommend Cross Cross Tours highly enough and would most certainly use them again!
BE
Email Gino and Carine Verdonck-Ragolle | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic !
Dear Thinus ,
Thanks a lot for the great time we shared together during our recent trip in Namibia.
We were extremely impressed by learning that you and your family are part of the history of this lovely country and this puts you in a position to explain better than anyone else the evolution of the last decades. You are better than any “travelguide” since you can explain things you really experienced yourself and therefore listening to your stories give a real image of the history which is very important to know backgrounds and present situation of a country.
Because of your background you also know the most lovely and interesting places to visit and each time you came up with a nice surprise.
We booked a 19 days roundtrip arriving from Cape town and starting in Windhoek. After a short “recuperation” we started our trip exploring the Kalahari desert . After that we went to Fish river canyon (amazing views) and Luderitz ( a must visit here is Kolmankop , a town conquered by the sand).
More sand in the Namib desert but special experience when going to Sossusvlei and the huge dunes .
Quite an experience for belgian people, knowing that the sand dunes in Belgium are only +/- 30 meter high !
Next stop : Swakopmund , a lovely town . Must do here: Marine Dune Day starting from Walvisbay (Marine Cruise + 4X4 dune excusrsion) .
Damaraland ( Twyfelfontein ) : Thinus explained the complete history of past and present of this region– most interesting . Thank you once again Thinus for organising the champagne , cake and live performance for Gino's birthday which we celebrated at the Twyfelfontein lodge!
Etosha National Park : Amazing the variety of wildlife and how close you can get. Try to stay in the park instead of looking for a lodge outside the park. Much more to see/experience because of the waterholes.
Erindi Private Game reserve : A MUST !!!!!!! Great lodge , food and game drive !
We ended this fantastic tour with a nice dinner and drink at Joe’s beerhouse , a very interesting and cosy please ,
a must visit when in Windhoek !!!
19 days seem an eternity but when you are having a good time – and good company – time flies. We have seen a great part of this lovely country but there is still a lot to discover. We rely on Thinus to prepare a next vist for next year.
Warm regards also to our friend Barney !!!
Gino and Carine
