Explore Namibia with us!
Lark Journeys Namibia
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- NTB & ETEA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $151 to $1,212 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email MJ | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Travel Company in Namibia!
I had the most wonderful trip in Namibia in December 2016 through Lark Journeys. Greg, the owner of the company, responded to my e-mails promptly and took care of me from start to end. I was a solo female traveler and Greg ensured that I had the safest and most comfortable trip. I arranged for airport pick-up and Greg was waiting for me at Arrivals as soon as I passed through Immigration. I had a tight schedule, but Greg ensured I got the most out of my vacation by planning everything meticulously, allowing me to relax and just absorb everything Namibia had to offer. From the airport, we stopped in Windhoek to pick up a few items we'd need on the road, then started the drive north to Agama River Camp, one of the few lodges closer to Sossusvlei. It was a 4-5 hour drive on both paved and dirt roads, and Greg did an excellent job maneuvering the van! We made a short pit stop at Solitaire, almost like a ghost town scene from a movie where I had the to take photos and stretch my legs. Once at Agama, we had sundowner drinks and dinner was served at 8pm.
We left our lodging the next day at 5am, bringing our boxed breakfasts with us to head to Sossusvlei National Park. It took about 45 minutes to get there, which is not too bad compared to the driving we did from the previous day. Sossusvlei is amazing! Greg took me to the famous sand dunes and climbed Big Daddy with me, choosing a route not many tourists know about. It was really hot and I don't think any physical training could have prepared me for it but Greg motivated me to finish the climb to the top. The views from the summit were amazing and I have never seen anything like it! From the summit of Big Daddy, we made our descent to the Deadvlei and walked some more to reach the famous dead trees we only see in pictures. Then we headed back to the park entrance to have lunch at the cafe. After lunch, we visited Sesriem Canyon, then headed back to the lodge for a much-needed rest. Dinner again was at 8pm and another opportunity for drinks and star-gazing.
The next day we headed back to Windhoek after breakfast at around 9am, choosing a scenice route quite different from the first day. We reached the city at around 1300 and had lunch, then he dropped me off at my hotel for the official end of the tour.
That was the official end. Greg and I had become great friends during my short trip, so I ended up hanging out with him and his friends during my last night in Windhoek. We went to trivia night at Chopsis and I was really impressed with the band playing fun, chill, African music. I also got to try some Namibian street food and had a great time getting to know some of Greg's accomplished friends.
You'd think only a crazy person would travel solo to Africa and get in a van with a guy you've only met through a travel website. But I took a risk on this one, because my fears were relieved after reading reviews of Lark Journeys and after hearing good things about Greg. I have travelled extensively around the world and have worked with dozens of tour guides. None has provided me with the remarkable level of service that Lark Journeys did. For this company, tourism is not just a business---it's their passion. They go above and beyond, and they truly make your travel memories last a lifetime!
Overall, the trip cost me around N$10,000 but that includes lodging, breakfast and dinner prepared by a German chef at the lodge. It also included the van, fuel, park entrance, water (a prized commodity in Namibia!) and of course, the privilege to get to know Greg, who is one of the best tour guides I've ever worked with so far. He's a very educated man and really sensitive to your needs. I'm glad I trusted my instinct and chose him to do the trip with me!
FI
Email Juhani | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great experience
I had heard of Namibia, its nature, views, culture and people, from several of my friends who had visited the country. When I got the opportunity to make a trip there, I wanted to plan it carefully. I was fortunate to meet with Gregory from Lark Joyrneys during a Travel Fair in Helsinki, and asked him to draft a plan which we together finalized so that it met all our expectations.
Greg was at the airport to meet with us (my wife and myself), and took us for a two-week trip with his car. All the accommodation was arranged in high quality lodges, all around the country. We did see the sand dunes, mountains and the ocean, and could make safari drives in different places to see the animals (incl white and black rhinos and desert elephants, lions and cheetachs). Greg was a good companion, always helpful and was able to enrich our trip with his vast knowledge.
I can strongly recommend Lark Journeys and Greg as an organizer of the trip in Namibia.
Excellent guide
Last year we went on an interesting 5-day trip to Namibia. I am a professor at a US university, and I brought a group of 3 students to Namibia for their capstone project. Our guide was Greg from Lark Journeys (http://www.larkjourneys.com/) -- he was great, and I'm writing to recommend him to others.
Our goal was to spend a couple of days in a village near Ondangwa, and then spend a day in Etosha. I wanted flexibility in the plans, so we could adjust to what we find interesting. As it turned out only 1 of the 4 nights was spent in the location initially planned. The flexibility of course made it harder on Greg, but he did an amazing job making all work out great.
We had a very packed 5 days. We arrived in Windhoek on the 7:30 AM flight from Frankfurt. After a brief stop in Windhoek for supplies, we drove up north -- we didn't have lodging set, as we wanted to see how far we'd get driving in one day. We ended up in Tsumeb, and Greg found a nice hotel for us there.
The next morning we got up early and drove to Ondangwa, where we met our contact in the nearby village. We camped out there the second night, which was our original plan.
The plan for the rest of the trip changed when I decided during the trip that we should go to Opuwa, to see the Himba and Herero people. This made things hard for Greg, as he did not have time to prepare, and had to improvise on the spot. But he managed to work things out great. We drove to Opuwa in the afternoon of the third day, and spent the night in a nice hotel in town that Greg found for us. Greg also arranged for a local guide to bring us to a Himba village. The visit to Opuwa was the highlight of the trip for me.
The Opuwa detour changed our Etosha plans ... initially we were going to stay in a lodge near the eastern entrance, but Greg came up with a new Etosha plan to make it work with the Opuwa visit. On our fourth day we drove to the western entrance of Etosha, and had a great game drive through Etosha to the Okaukuejo lodge, where we stayed for the fourth night. Greg drove us on another great game drive the next morning before bringing us to the airport in Windhoek for our evening flight.
We had a jam-packed 5 days, with lots of driving throughout the northern half of Namibia. Days began early in the morning and ended in the evening. I changed our plans throughout the trip. But all worked great, thanks to Greg!
Greg was also great to talk to, and we learned a lot about Namibia from him. He is very educated and knowledgeable (eg, he had a prestigious Young African Leaders Initiative fellowship in the US). We all enjoyed getting to know him.
I highly recommend Lark Journeys to others.