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
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.