65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A well planned tour with an operator who really listen to your needs
Our booking with Secret Namibia was very last minute - we were going to stay with friends in Angola and had an unexpected week free, so decided to visit Etosha. We had very little time to research all the different Safari tour organisers, and settled on Secret Namibia because they had some good reviews, but without knowing much more about them. Something that we liked straight away was being able to make a zoom call to discuss options before making a booking - it can be daunting organising a trip like this on the net from the other side of the world, when you don’t really know who you’re dealing with, so it was great to speak with Chrizell face to face to discuss what we wanted from the trip.
She came up with an initial itinerary for us, then several alternatives (because we weren’t completely sure what we wanted) without any fuss, and all in a very short time before we left.
When we arrived at Windhoek airport Peter was there to greet us with the vehicle, and after a short familiarisation we were on the road. It was our first visit to Namibia, so we didn’t know what to expect, but the roads are very good, well sign posted, and fairly empty, so driving around was easy. The vehicle provided was very comfortable and easy to drive, and with a very welcome fridge in the back. The only real drawback was the satnav - really hard to follow and giving contradictory instructions (not Secret Namibia’s fault - it’s the one that comes with the vehicle, and they’re waiting for an upgrade which may make it more useable). However, there’s a wifi access point included, which worked well whenever there was a 3g signal, which was most of the time. This meant we could use google maps on an iPad, even inside Etosha, so we’d strongly recommend having that with you for the meantime. Secret Namibia also provided a good paper road map in the welcome pack, which came in very useful in the parts of Etosha where there wasn’t a phone signal.
The accommodation was very impressive, and mostly more luxurious than we expected, with some excellent meals as well. We would have happily stayed longer in any of the lodges, but we only had 6 nights so we kept moving on…
One of our party had mobility issues, and uses a walking frame to get around. We’d mentioned this to Chrizell, and she really made sure this got through to the lodges - all the accommodation, including the bathrooms, and where possible the rooms we had were really close to the dining rooms, and had adapted bathrooms where possible. This information doesn’t always get through as you’d want, so hats off to Secret Namibia for making sure it did!
We were visiting in the rainy season, and had read that it can be more difficult to spot wildlife as the vegetation is thicker, and the animals don’t need to congregate around the water holes so much, but we still saw lot of different species, especially in the Eastern part of the park: zebras, giraffes, wildebeest & springbok became almost commonplace, and we also saw lions and a rhino, and a close encounter with herd of elephants, as well as many different bird species.
We really enjoyed ur first visit to Namibia, and hope we can come back one day: if we do, we’d certainly use Secret Namibia again!
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lion King Adventures has an incredible attention to detail.
Jambo, jambo! Just finished our 4 day safari with Lion King Adventures and our amazing guide Gama! Gama and the entire team were impecable to work with from the very start. Their attention to detail in everything is what made this experience top notch. Gama made sure we were always hydrated, well fed (the picnic lunches are a great touch) and shared very knowledgeable facts about each animal and creature we encountered. His humor and fun personality made our 4 day journey an unforgettable one. Anyone looking for a safari experience in Tanzania, choose Lion King Adventures and your expectations will be exceeded! Asante sana - I will be back.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A mind-blowing experience
I had such an amazing time and a mind-blowing experience during my safari.
The staff were very friendly, punctual and reliable.
Looking forward to having a similar experience in the near future.
Thank you Selvaggio.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Knowledgeable
Great tour. Saw a lot of great animals. No cats. Pietro was a great tour guide. Lunch was decent. I recommend taking this from Jozi.
HN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Memories In A Tanzanian Safari!
4D/3N Mid-Range Safari: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro (Late April 2024)
MAMBO VIPI! Five stars because I can't rate Gama, Gordon and Lion King Adventures with more stars! I never believed I would get "bored" of being at the right place and right time for animal sightings while staying at amazing accommodations across Tanzania. Lion King Adventures made sure that each detail was well thought through.
From the planning stage, Gordon made sure all my questions and requests for information were cleared up through email and a couple of calls. He remembered every comment I made and focused on those areas were I needed assistance. The amount of options and variables to consider are overwhelming and Gordon was able to structure an experience that made sense for my wishes and budget.
During the safari, Gama - our guide - showed thorough knowledge and experience in the safari world. Every day he brought a huge smile, great conversation and helped to build a once in a life time memory. I hope you get him as your future guide of choice. Most importantly, he makes the experience pleasant and manageable for every type of personality while making suggestions to enhance the safari. Listen to his tips because he knows how to make the magic happen. I hope you are able to sit down, lay back and have a poa poa experience like I lived! HAINA NOMA!
Lion King Adventures knows what they are doing. Reliable from start to finish. They have multiple teams/individuals that are focused on sales, planning, transfers, meals, certified guides, etc. I could see their level of expertise and capabilities in everything they did.
My accommodations were:
Escarpment Lodge (Eco Lodge)
Nyota Luxury Lodge (Tented Camp - FAV)
Ngorongoro Forest (Tented Camp)
P.S. Being flexible will go a very long way. Keep in mind you are going to an experience in nature. You don't need fancy camera's to get good pictures. Long rain season had great weather. Lots of sun, scattered showers and most important NOT A LOT OF CROWDS at a competitive price!
PT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience!
Amazing experience! Worth all the money. Cosiano is very knowledgeable and always available to help
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 6-day Safari with Meru Slopes - cannot recommend highly enough
My partner and I did a 6-day safari with Meru Slopes and it was an absolute delight. We were recommended the company by a friend who also had a fantastic 10-day experience with another guide. Our guide, Douglas, brought with him a wealth of experience, great humor and stories, answers to all questions and immense care for our safety, wellbeing and wishes throughout the trip. Meru Slopes as a company is very responsive and takes care of you from the first second. We were picked up from Kilimanjaro airport and had a night in their very cozy inn in central Arusha before the Safari started. The Safari itenary was perfect, and Meru Slopes’ guides know the parks extremely well, such that Douglas was able to get us to see all Big Five and more in the three parks we visited - Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro - even though we came during the low season (at the end of the rainy season in April). Meru Slopes is also highly flexible and adapts to the seasonal needs - we were scheduled for camping but ended up staying in very nice and centrally located lodges in camps for a few of the nights because of the rains. Throughout the safari, there is a cook who travels with you and cooks excellent food three times per day. Our cook, Rashidi, was an absolute star and provided varied and filling meals under any conditions. Meru Slopes’ vehicles have great amenities, power plugs in the front and back, a fridge, and even free WiFi in the car. The ability to join up with other people to form safari groups is another great component of what Meru Slopes offers - it allowed us to meet wonderful people for the trip and also makes the price extremely fair. I would go with Meru Slopes again anytime and cannot recommend them highly enough. Thanks for a wonderful trip!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mountain Warriors is TOP NOTCH!
We were VERY impressed with the level of customer service Rosemary from Mountain Warriors provided us. She did an incredible job of answering all of our questions and made sure that we felt comfortable with the travel arrangements for our Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti Safari. Godfrey was an OUTSTANDING guide!!! He has done this work for 12+ years and was born near Serengeti and Ngorongoro areas. Very careful to make sure we were both safe and had a great time. Would recommend Mountain Warriors to anyone!!!
FR
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent safari with Hamis!
Magnificent stay in Tanzania!
Everything was perfect ! And this is thanks to Hamis: a very friendly companion, an excellent spotter of felines and other animals and a very good driver!
Tanzania's national parks are a delight!
(automatic translation from French)
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Friendly, knowledgeable and professional travel/tour company based in Windhoek, Namibia.
From the first contact that I made I knew that this was the tour company which would provide the trip me and my friend had been looking for.
We wanted a bespoke eight day, seven night private guided tour to Damaraland over to Etosha region then eventually winding our way back to Windhoek. The accommodation on route was excellent and surpassed our expectations.
Claire and Greg organised everything including an English speaking guide in Willem, who completed his task with relish. His driving and guiding skills were supurb as was his knowledge of all things geographical, wildlife and flora.
I can only speak very highly of Lark Journeys and sincerely hope to use them again in the future.