Chameleon Safaris Namibia
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 1995)
- Member Of:
- NTB & TASA
- Tour Types:
- Budget tours with set start dates and a fixed itinerary
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $122 to $370 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CA
Email Simonne | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trip to remember!
My husband and I took the 4 day Windhoek - Swakopmund - Sossusvlei- Windhoek tour and it was excellent.The tour was as described, always on schedule,our guide Gabriel better than excellent,accommodation very charming, appropriate and better than expected .Meals were good. Sossusvlei Deadvlei are wonders of the world( climbing the dunes and then walking/ running down the leeward side,unforgettable, and we are seniors ! .)
Gabriel was outstanding...friendly,patient,helpful,organized ,knowledgeable,funny and always had a smile on his face ,even after very long days.
The following comment is for the owner/ manager.We feel the company's demands on the guides are exceedingly difficult.Yes,on a similar tour with a similar company,in a different country,the same demands were made of staff and we complained then.This is totally unreasonable to ask a guide to put in 16-17 hour days, and some days even more.They have to pack and unpack all of the food,set up for and prepare 3 meals most days,deal with guests enquiries and demands, do commentary along the way,lead hikes,and spend hours driving. One day we had breakfast at 5 am and it was 9:30 pm before the kitchen was cleaned up.Our guide was up at 4 a.m. that day to prepare breakfast and lunches for the day.Gabriel is a careful,excellent driver but regardless of how good a driver is , it is not wise nor safe to ask any staff to drive 8 hours on a few hours sleep.We would rather pay more and provide guides with less of a work load.They deserve it! I should mention,that this group of people did as much as we could to help, sometimes before and always after each meal.We washed all of the dishes,pots and pans etc...and were happy to help.
I want to make this very clear.In NO WAY was there a single complaint from Gabriel.Nor was there even mention from him of his long days.This is purely OUR observation and that of other members of the tour.We are all reasonable people who care about others,as we are sure you do as well.Please make the guides work somewhat easier!
We wish Chameleon Safaris well!
CZ
Email Michael & Lenka | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
7 day Namibian highlights - Exceeding all expectations
Hello,
I generally don't write reviews or very short ones but this tour was clearly worth an exception...
We did Chameleon's 7 days Namibian highlight in April 2014. We selected this tour for 2 main reasons - firstly, you get to see some of the North and the South without having to go back through Windhoek or staying too long in Swakpomund... Nice to see it but not that an interesting place - for us- so 1 night was just great.
Secondly, we weren't sure if we were up for a camping tour and this accommodated tour, being priced extremely competitively compared to most of the campings one, comforted us in our decision.
In all honesty due to the pricing we expected pretty basic facilities but we were wrong, very wrong.
First of all our guide, Morne, was extremely good - local, very knowledgeable, curious about his country and sharing his findings, also curious about his customers, friendly, smiling, helpful, funny and a great cook - quite important as about half the meals are prepared by the guide possibly with some of your help (optional).
The truck (up to 12 people, we were between 7 and 10 depending on the legs of the trip) offered good visibility to all - notably a great forward one (not common) and a lifting roof - great for game drive. Truck was clean, well maintained and handled well the gravels roads (most roads are gravel). On some days, the driving time is quite high but the comfort of the truck, the explanations from the guide and the unbelievable, dramatic and often changing sceneries make this longer drives ok.
As they say - a hungry tourist is an unhappy tourist. Chameleon and Morne made sure we were well fed. Food was good, well cooked and in quantity. When not cooking, provided meals (by accommodations) were also very good.
Finally, last but not least, the accommodation was great - this is were we had expected pretty basic facilities but not a all. All accommodations were clean and comfortable. The great surprise were the 2 permanent tents (part hard build, part canvas... Closer to a house than a tent)... The one near Etosha can be opened up onto the nature... And best of all the desert camp in the south. First class with breathtaking views of the surroundings mountains and desert. Just great.
We had some great game runs in Etosha - saw quite a lot of animals including Rhino, Hyena, Lions, Giraffes, Jackals, Baboons, and a whole bunch of grazers. We also got to see more predators but in captivity (not releasable) such as lions, leopards, cheetah, wild dogs, ...
Our guide was very knowledgeable on encountered animals, and detailed material was available.
The drive through Damaraland and the coastal desert from Etosha to the skeleton coast (Swakpomund) was quite long but you get to meet some local tribes and the scenery is impressive notably if you have never driven in a desert.
Swakopmund is a nice one night break to have some seafood and a good night sleep with a lie in (All other mornings are pretty/very early starts).
The drive from Swapokmund to the desert camp is great with astonishing and ever changing sceneries - this was a beautiful drive day.
The last step of the trip is the national park of Namib-Naukluft with Sossuvlei, Sesrien canyon and mostly Deadvlei. The famous "orange" Namib desert. We got to walk up the highest (big daddy) dune with was finally quite easy to climb as our guide ensured we were there early enough to handle the heat.
Much more info on the content of the trip is available on Chameleon website but what we really wanted to point out is the quality of the equipment, facilities and guide as well as the great value for money.
We were fully satisfied with our choice and it exceeded all expectations and would recommend this without hesitation. Some younger and older travelers were also on our tour and all seemed satisfied by provided facilities and rhythm of the tour.
Thank you Morne and Chamaleon,
Michael and Lenka (35-40 year old back/flash-packers)
We could not rate Chameleon Safaris highly enough
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our safari with them. Our guide Francois and driver Philip
were fantastic and really made the trip interesting as well preparing
delicious meals for us all, and it was a great group of people as well. And
of course the wild life was amazing. We were also very impressed with the
standard of the accommodation in the lodges.
In short we cannot rate this tour highly enough and will be sure to
recommend your company to anyone we know considering a safari in Africa.
Email Holz6996 | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 4 Day Adventure
Myself and 4 friends decided to do the Etosha and Swakupmund Adventure. It was brillint. The Safari tour was spectacular and the guide was brilliant. HE was able to answer all questions and made the tour fun throughout. The places in whch we stayed were luxury and we have come back very happy and would sugest everyone to experience this.
DE
Email Alex M. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Guide (Christoph) went above and beyond, flawless organisation
Everything was top-notch. The communication in the lead-up was absolutely friendly and thorough, Ingrid made sure we not only had everything we needed (info, confirmations, insurance etc.) but also excited us for the trip.
Throughout the tour the organisation was flawless (pick-up, time schedule, hotels).
And our guide(s) for the several days were very friendly, considerate and worked their a*** off to go above and beyond (driving, guiding, cooking, planning, and even entertaining along the way)
I can whole-heartedly recommend Chameleon Safaris!
Email Jean-Marc Knoll | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A fantastic tour from the first minute to the last
The Safari & Dunes tour was one of the very best I have ever been on. The quality of accommodation was superb, the food decent, the amount of different things seen and done was phenomenal. What kept the whole thing together was our incredible guide Christof: he was knowledgeable, patient, fun and cared for our wellbeing. Absolutely brilliant tour!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A memorable trip
My husband and I enjoyed everything about our highlights of Namibia trip, Abel, our efficient and knowledgeable tour guide, Philip, a skillful driver, friendly and interesting fellow travellers, diverse and fascinating local people and landscapes and of course, the fantastic array of animals in Etosha !.
Food and accommodation were great. Vivid memories and no hesitation in recommending this tour company.
US
Email Joanne | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A wonderful experience with a fantastic tour guide, Christof
The safari was excellent. We saw many animals, had great accommodations and learned a lot from Christof our tour guide. As a tour guide, he was the best. He taught us a lot & made fantastic meals for us. (Better than we could ever expect)
The prepatory communications were handled in a punctual & professional manner. I would gladly recommend "Detour Africa" & Chameleon Safaris to all.
Joanne Ksicinski
Email Paul | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic trip around Namibia
Just back from a superb safari with Chameleon guided by the truly outstanding Christof.
I went on the 6 Day Dune and Wildlife safari and it far exceeded my expectations.
The admin prior to the safari was very good and once on the safari the accommodation and food were wonderful.
I admire Chameleon's commitment to the local economy and people and would totally recommend joining them for a safari.
All the staff were friendly and helpful but special mention must go to our guide Christof. I have rarely met such a hard working person who was so dedicated to ensuring his guests enjoyed themselves. Give this man a pay rise!
Accomodated safari to Sossusvlei
This tour is highly recommendable. The office staff and guide were excellent, the food was good, and so was the transport and accomodation.