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
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Namibia and Thinus Blaauw constantly amazed us
We spent 3 weeks traveling the length of Namibia with Thinus Blaauw in May just after the "rainy" season in a 6 person 4WD van. Every day was a new adventure and Namibia had a new surprise for us from beautiful desert dunes and open skies to canyons and moonscape to unique quiver trees and fossils to minerals and ghost towns to waterfalls and animals. The mix of cultures and peoples was wonderful too. Thinus put together an ambitious itinerary at our request and made it all happen. European dining and lodging in a remote setting. What's not to like? The best part may have been Thinus himself, a native and veteran of the many changes that have occurred in Namibia; he is a wealth of information, not to mention kindness, realism and optimism for the future of his country. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would gladly travel again with CrissCross Namibia.
DK
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The ostriches liked to race with our car !!!
I choosed Crisscross Safari to organize our second tur to Namibia (19 days), from Windhoek to Victoria Falls and back. We experienced a wonderful journey ! mr. Blaauw, Thinus, understood perfectly our wishes : a blend of nature, culture, and a bit of wilderness...To se games, breathtaking landscapes, to meet people as Damara, Himba, Herero, and Bushmen was the purpose of the trip. This has been absolutly fulfilled !
We enjoyed very much the mixture of comfortable lodges, well located and a bit primitive camps choosen by CrissCross during our sojourn. it's nice to feel being in Africa far from the nearest "Intercontinental Hotel !"
We had the privilege to be accompanied by Mr. Blaauw, Thinus, it is a priceless treasure to travel with someone with so much local knowledge. Thinus was a mine of informations and anecdotes, this mixed with great humor.
Namibia is a wonderful country to visit and I highly recommend CrissCross Safari.
PS : From June (Winter) it's very nice to be in Namibia.
The food was excellent...We enjoy the wines too !
US
Email Barry Wulff | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Two tours with CrissCross Safaris
Thinus has organized and led two very successful sixteen-day group tours for me and a dozen of my friends, all from Oregon. Our first visit, in 2009, stretched from the Fish River Canyon near the Orange River to Etosha National Park. We returned in 2011 to travel from Windhoek to Victoria Falls. We have nothing but wonderful memories of the places we visited and the things we saw. Thinus, with his personable manner and varied background, was able to make our trip a comfortable adventure with a mix of learning about the various cultures in the area and the viewing of plenty of wildlife. It would be hard to find another tour guide with such breadth of knowledge of and contacts in Namibia. Our first trip involved some camping along with staying in small communities and guest lodges. Each day brought a different environment – a different world! For our second trip, across the Caprivi Strip, we opted for staying in comfortable lodges and out-of-the-way places. My thirteen-year-old granddaughter will never forget the many wonderful experiences she had on our tour, especially the visit to the school in Rundu, interacting with the San people in Tsumkwe, or riding the elephants in Livingstone.
We have many choices in the places we want to travel to and a large selection of tour operators to choose from. We could have done any better than travelling with Thinus of CrissCross Safaris in Namibia. No doubt we’ll return again in the near future.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
CrissCross cares for clients as if they were part of the family.
After traveling throughout southern Africa with Crisscross for the past 5 years, and planning to do so again this year, I believe I can speak very highly of the care they provide for their clients and their well being. Itineraries were well planned and changed or added to upon request. Provisions during travel were more than adequate, as were accommodations, which ranged from luxury lodges to tents in the National Parks. Wildlife viewing and cultural experiences were magnificent. Best of all, our guide, Thinus, with his sense of humor and attention to detail, as well as really caring for his clients, made the six weeks more than just enjoyable. My son and I experienced such a variety of activities that it would be difficult to choose just one on which to elaborate. In our five summers in Africa with Thinus we have travelled through and experienced Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi! It has all been so wonderful that we're returning in August for more exciting adventures! I wholeheartedly recommend CrissCross Safaris for everyone's African experience!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Service and Great Value!
We traveled all over the country with Thinus Blaauw/Criss Cross Namibia Safaris during our one month visit in Namibia. The destination cannot be beat for sheer diversity in landscape - from the lush north to the desolate Skeleton Coast to the dry and arid Kalahari. Excellent game viewing at Etosha National Park and lots of opportunities to meet with locals - the Himba in the northwest and Bushman in the east (among others!) - makes it possible to learn a lot in a short period of time. Thinus did an excellent job customizing an itinerary to fit our interests and budget. He is very knowledgeable about the country and its history having grown up and worked in the Namibian government. We recommend him highly and look forward to touring with him again in Botswana this summer.
DK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Thinus is a 5 star operator!
We have travelled with Thinus and CrissCross the last three times we have been in Africa, and we're returning again this December. Once again we and our friends have a tailor-made trip ahead of us, that we have designed from scratch with Thinus: This time we're starting in Namibia, then we cross into Botswana and then end up in Zambia. 3 weeks of wilderness and wildlife. Cannot wait to return!
Apart from being the best tour operator we've ever travelled with in Africa, CrissCross is 100% locally owned - meaning that all your money spend on any trip (apart from the flight tickets, of course) will end up in the hands of people actually living in Africa, which we find is very important. Mind you, most tour operators offering trips to Africal these days are in fact based out-side of the continent, hence only part of the investment you make, when you book a trip to this fantastic continent, will in fact benefit people living on it. Worth a consideration - and one other reason why Thinus and CrissCross come very highly recommended from us and all friends we have travelled with to date.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent quality for a reasonable price + family friendly!
My family (2 adults + 2 kids age 7 and 9) went on a two-week desert-safari in Namibia with CrissCross Namibia in Jan 2013, with a stop-over in Livingstone to see Vic Falls. We have been planning to go on a trip like this for a while and since we live in Ethiopia and had already done safaris in Tanzania and South Africa we wanted to focus exclusively on deserts in Namibia. We searched the web for tour operators that would provide us with the best fit and the best deal. By far, out of close to 10 companies we contacted, the most responsive and accommodating was Thinus, the owners of CrissCross. Not only was he listening to what we wanted (!), but he also gave us very good ideas where to go and stay (so that it was good quality but not overpriced), was flexible (and there were many changes in flight schedules), accommodating (we changed the order of activities many times on the road depending on the weather and kids’ wellbeing) and never “pushy”. Therefore we went with him, which turned out to be an excellent choice. The trip was what we have expected and much more. We would not change a single thing about it if we were to do it again (well maybe just add a few more days if we could :) It was perfect - the places to visit, lodges, hiking trails, the pace, activities, etc. Staring with Sosussvlei gave us all, urban creatures, an unforgettable feel of the desert starting early in the morning (at 5:30am!!!), in the middle of the day when the sand must be about 50C to sundown at the dunes. Few days in Swakopmund filled with activities in the morning (e.g., quad biking, sandboarding, catamaran, 4x4 desert tour, living desert tour) and lazying around the beach in the afternoons were great. Cross Cape Lodge is a beautiful place and I wish we could stay there longer. Finally Damaraland with so many places to hike, explore, learn was a real treat for avid hikers like us. Having said all this, I do want to emphasize that without Thinus the trip would not have been the same – his knowledge of the country, sense of humor, kindness - were essential ingredients to make our trip unforgettable. I would recommend CrissCross to anybody who wants excellent quality for a reasonable price. Thank you very much Thinus!
CA
Email DTeoh | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A review of the Lodges and Company
My husband and I went on a 21d overland Safari with Crisscross. We were accompanied by Thinus himself. Rather than going into details about where to go, I would like to review CrissCross as well as some of the lodges we stayed at rather than Namibia itself which is a must do location for Safari.
Communication with this company and their response time is superb, especially when you consider that when Thinus is on the road, wifi is sketchy and that he may be limited in how often he could see to business. I found this company to be highly responsive and excellent in providing several options and listing suggestions. I am an avid researcher and all their suggestions were what we were looking for after. Kudos to the support staff as well as the organization that they maintain. Please understand that in Namibia, as well developed in infrastructure for an African nation it is, there are still small barriers that would make it difficult towards organization but this company overcomes this well.
A criticism I would have of the company is that during the organization part there isn't a clear idea of the amount of driving and time required in a vehicle. Distances that are covered at highway speed in developed nations take much, much longer. As such, much of my distress during our safari was the amount of time spent cooped up in a vehicle. I would have appreciated knowing in advance the approximate time it would take to journey from one destination to another. I find being stationary in a car exhausting (more so than a very active day) so would have really appreciated either a few extra days to recoup. The car is a comfortable 4x4 and was very reliable for our long journey. However, now knowing the distances that need to be covered and the very straight, unfortunately repetitious scenery (not many villages or natural sights) I think I would have changed my safari and included some flights instead.
The Lodges presented as choice were amazing. Paying more to stay at certain locations are definitely recommended. In my opinion places to "splash out" include (in order of importance): 1. Mowani camp in Dmamaraland (this is a must! I would never think of staying anywhere else and when I sleep I wish to dream of the scenery here), 2. the Premier Waterhole room in Okaukejo (too bad there wasn't room service! food here was terrible but the Waterhole is superb!), 3. Hoodia Lodge in Sossusliev (unless staying in the park which is also a nice option).
Other highly recommended lodges or trips for interest and for uniqueness: 1. Senyati (very hot rooms but a real introduction to Elephant herd behavior...did you know they line up for water? so polite); 2. Ndhovu (Hippos outside your tent...need I say more? Yes because they have a resident Hippo named Chomp who is adorable); 3. Tenting in the Okavango.
CrissCross managed to find us an outfitter (maun_backpackers.com) that did camping in the Okavango Delta (Botswana side). This was by far my favourite part of this entire safari. We're talking about real camping here, not a lodge and I loved it. I would highly recommend this over any other tour if you love to camp. Elephants, hyenas, the possibility of wild dogs, tracking a black rhino, swimming in the Okavango... all experiences that I wouldn't have thought possible unless you camp.
Finally, I would like to recommend Thinus as a guide. He is an excellent source of information for history as well as provides a unique view and opinion on the Apartheid movement that I had not considered before. I did initially have an issue with Thinus smoking while we were on game drives, but after letting him know of this, he desisted. It would have been nice if he opted first not to smoke around us nonsmokers rather than needing me to bring this to his attention. In addition, please be aware that your guide is with you the entire time, even for meals. If you're looking for a romantic holiday or special time with your significant other to reconnect, you may want to tell your guide. We asked to have several dinners by ourselves just to give us time to spend together as a couple. A suggestion I have for the company is to clarify expectations with your guests regarding smoking and meals at the start of the tour. It would have made some uncomfortable situations less of an issue.
The strengths of this company lies in its organization as well as ability to provide guests with a variety of tour options at various price points. I would recommend CrissCross Namibia.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best tout I have ever made
I thanks Thinus for his wonderful job with us. He menaged everythink in a perfect way, patience and helpful in every situation.