BGray
  • (Member) (Topic Starter)
(Member) (Topic Starter)
Hi all, the second load of washing is now on so it's time to write a review!  This was another excellent tour from JY and I enjoyed it from start to finish.  The itinerary was very good, but Yvette Barnett, our superb tour manager, tweaked it a number of times so that we got the very best from our time in Namibia (more about Yvette later!).  

For me the highlights of the tour were in Sossusvlei, Swakopmund and Etosha.  Everything about our stay in Sossusvlei was wonderful - the lodge and its location next to the petrified dunes, the sundowner jeep ride with fantastic views and especially the tour the next day to the largest dunes in the world.  We arrived at sunrise and got marvellous photos of light and shade which are not possible at other times of day.  Next Yvette had a surprise for us, which was not part of the scheduled itinerary - a walk over the dunes to Deadvlei, with its unique and iconic landscape (the photo in the brochure wrongly identified as the "petrified forest" is actually Deadvlei).  I was so glad we were taken there and I got some great photos.  Yvette is going to recommend to JY that it be included in all future departures and it was certainly a massive highlight for me - thank you Yvette!

In Swakopmund I did both the optional excursions and am very glad I did - to be honest, I wasn't expecting that much from the boat trip except that it would probably be an enjoyable experience and it certainly surpassed all my expectations!  We saw many pelicans, some of which landed on our boat, as did a seal.  We also saw dolphins, flamingoes and an incredible amount of cormorants circling the boat, as well as a huge seal colony.  An unexpected occurance happened when one of the group unfortunately was sprayed with an abundance of pelican poo as it flew overhead!!  Poor Michelle, she took this encounter with great good humour and we all descended into hysterical laughter for a considerable period of time - in my defence, I must say that I was splattered too but nowhere near to the same extent!  That afternoon I did the township tour which was interesting and it ended with a choir singing very movingly to us - an unforgettable experience.  Again Yvette tweaked the timings so that all of us had time to wander around Swakopmund (even those doing the two excursions) and I was able to take photos of the lovely colonial buildings.

Etosha was always going to be a highlight for me as I love wildlife.  The first game drive was somewhat disappointing but it ended on a high when we saw a huge herd of elephants at the waterhole at sunset.  The next two days we saw an abundance of wildlife - huge numbers of elephants, giraffes, various species of antelope including kudu, springbok and oryx, we saw zebra, warthogs and more - and we saw two lions and a lioness!

The Namibian landscape varies between sandy desert, barren rocky landscapes, scrubby bush and mountain ranges.  It certainly was a haven for photography and we saw many fascinating landscapes throughout the tour.  I really enjoyed the comfort stop in Solitaire, with its artistic displays of old wrecked cars and machinery - and I got some photos of a lone meerkat as well!  On our final day, Yvette arranged for us to leave the hotel at 9.30am, so instead of waiting aimlessly at the hotel for our departure to the airport, we had an hour and a half to wander around Windhoek and I was delighted to have this opportunity - the new national museum is spectacular and tells the story of Namibia's colonial past and struggle for independence.  Don't miss visiting, if you get the opportunity.

The hotels and lodges ranged from acceptable to very good - with the accommodation in Windhoek being the most basic.  We all enjoyed the lodges and a number of people asked me to mention that we all really liked the second lodge in Etosha!  The best lodge was at Sossusvlei, just a wonderful experience.  The ladies in the group asked me to mention that hairdryers were not available, so if you like to dry your hair, bring one with you!  I think all had tea/coffee making facilities.  All the lodges/hotels had international sockets bar one - so if you need to charge cameras/phones every night bring a South African adapter with you.  Otherwise you should be fine using the sockets in the rooms.

The food throughout was very good and meat lovers will be thrilled with the chance to try springbok, oryx, kudu and more!  I enjoyed all the meals and put on half a stone while I was away, which I think speaks for itself!  At lunchtimes, we often had toasted sandwiches, which were very tasty.  Service could be slow, but you just accept this as the African way of doing things!  No one had any serious stomach problems during the tour.

Regarding health matters and other things to look out for - most of the group had been advised to take Malarone because of the higher risk of malaria in Etosha.  I saw a couple of mosquitoes in Windhoek and just one while in Etosha.  I don't think anyone got a mossie bite, although a couple of people got smaller insect bites.  So May is a good time to go, from this perspective.  Some of us broke out in a mild rash, which coincided with the time we started taking the Malarone.  I took it in South Africa and didn't have any side effects at all - but I think this time it was probably a combination of the Malarone and very hard water in Namibia.  A good number of the group reported that their skin had become very dry, so you might like to take skin lotion with you and a fast acting anti-histamine like Piriton in case you do get a mild rash.

The weather was dry throughout, but much colder in the mornings and late evenings than we had been expecting!  The weather was unseasonably cooler than usual, so if you go at this time of year another year, your experience could be different to ours.  However, I would advise bringing a light jumper and a fleece with you just in case.  Blankets are provided on the game drives and we were very glad of them for the early morning starts!

There were 22 on our tour and a friendly bunch they were too; everyone mixed well together and there were no cliques.  As mentioned above, Yvette our tour manger was fantastic and is up there with the very best I've ever had.  She knew the country well, despite last being there ten years ago!  She was clear in everything she told us and was full of useful hints and advice.  It was fantastic that she took a flexible approach to the itinerary - we saw everything we were supposed to, but she adapted the timings to ensure we got the very best out of every experience.  Yvette is one of JY's most experienced tour mangers - she reckons she's done just about the whole brochure several times over, so if you get her as your TM you are very fortunate and in very safe hands.  Our local guide/driver Leonard was also excellent and a very safe driver, particularly along the bumpy roads!  The coach was comfortable and had a toilet for emergencies.  We had regular comfort stops along the way, so it was never used!

I think I've said quite enough at this stage and hopefully the others from the trip who use the forum will fill in any bits I've left out.  This is a really great tour and I'm glad I went at this time of year, as we avoided high temperatures and were not bothered with the dreaded mossies!  Any questions, I'd be glad to answer them.  And if you are in any doubt about doing this holiday - go for it, I am positive you won't be disappointed!!

Best wishes,

Bob

Julia
  • (Member)
(Member)
Welcome home Bob,

I'm delighted to hear that you enjoyed your Namibia trip. I have, as always, forwarded your comments on to the wider Just You team who I'm sure will take your feedback on board.

Kindest regards,

Julia

SarahS
(Member)
Thanks for a comprehensive review Bob. Namibia is now moving up my list of must dos. Lucky you having Yvette as tour manager, she really does go above and beyond what is expected.
Bosuncat
(Member)
Wonderful Bob! Thank you! :thumbup:
nixon
  • (Member)
(Member)
Bob

great review sounds like a fantastic tour, I must go and visit animals again in the land where they belong. Whereas you put on weight re the lovely food choices I on the other hand being vegetarian wouldn't eat well..glad you didn't get eaten by the mossies! Sound like a full on tour, Thanks for the comprehensive review.

Cindy

AELB
  • (Member)
(Member)
Welcome back, Mr. Gray, I'm glad to hear that Nuneaton lived up to your expectations!

Sorry to hear about the pelican poop but, then again, buy a lotto ticket because getting splattered is supposed to be lucky!

All the best

Mandy

Hils
  • (Member)
(Member)
Hi Bob,

Superb review, as always! I've been waiting patiently for you to come home so I could read it!!

A hip question - walking the dunes - did you go up to the top and would it be do-able for me with my new hip? I'm obviously not looking to do this trip until next year.

Delighted it was such a good trip - this was one of the ones that I had been pushing JY to put back on. I look forward to it!

Cheers,

Hils

sallyc
(Member)
Spot on review as always Mr Gray. I have nothing to add!
mikethesaint
(Member)
Hi Bob,

An excellent review of our holiday and I totally agree with all that you said.

A special mention has to be for Yvette who was as you say fantastic. Using her past knowledge of Namibia proved to be very useful and was certainly to our advantage. I hope the suggested changes she was going to make will indeed be taken on by JY for future tours.

I also agree May is a good month to visit however I was certainly caught out like most of the group were about the temperatures. I only took a thin jumper and a light jacket but I ended up buying a fleece from one the lodges we stayed at in Etosha because it was so cold at times. I only managed to wear my shorts for 3 days at the beginning of the holiday and then gave up!! My poor jumper ended up being the most worn item of clothing both during the day and evenings and I certainly wish I had taken more.

For me personally, I have now tried eating an oyster, walked up a sand dune and got hooked on Gin and Tonic or Sun downers as they are called!! I also learnt so much about the history and difficult past of a country that only got it's independence in 1990.

Yes, a great holiday shared with very friendly fellow traveller's in a wonderful country.

Highly recommended.

Mike

Julie White
(Member)
Hi Bob,

What a fantastic review and very informative.

It is on my list to do next year so I am really grateful that you took the time to write such a detailed review.

Many thanks

Julie

BGray
  • (Member) (Topic Starter)
(Member) (Topic Starter)
Hi all, many thanks for your replies! Hils - that's one thing I meant to stress in my review and it slipped my mind. This tour is not suited for anyone with limited mobility. Some of the lodges are very spread out and there was quite a slope up to the reception/restaurant area at one of them. More than this, the walk over the dunes could be a bit tricky (depending on what route is taken) and there was a lot of climbing involved over rocks to see the rock carvings at Twyfelfontein. Finally, it was difficult for all of us climbing in and out of the jeeps - they had three steps which did not overlap, so they had to be negotiated with great care. Thankfully no one had any mishaps but you would have to be in fairly good order to be able to manage. So from your post hip op perspective I'd say you would have to be pretty much back to normal to be able to manage, otherwise you could risk missing out or having some difficulty with some of the activities.

Something else worth mentioning is that it says in the brochure that the tour requires long travelling days - it doesn't really. On the days we transferred from one area to another we were usually there by lunchtime or early afternoon and there were regular comfort stops and photo opportunities as well. Even on the long journey from Etosha to Windhoek, we arrived by 3pm. Many of the roads in Namibia are untarred/gravel so we had some very bumpy journeys but it wasn't arduous and the coach was comfortable and well able to withstand all the vibrations!

Hope this helps!

Best wishes,

Bob

jonah
  • (Member)
(Member)
Welcome back Bob and I am glad you had a brilliant time. Superb review - I almost felt I was there and might be one day if I can overcome my aversion to living out of a suitcase.
AbbaDave
(Member)
many thanks for your wonderful in depth review as always Bob, glad you had a great time, this tour is in the mix for me for possibly next year

all the best

Dave

1981Kedi
(Member)
Great review Bob - hope to catch up with you one day! This does seem a super trip and one I am considering. Can you let me know please what sort of vehicles were used for the game drives - how many travellers in each - did you travel 'in convoy' - were the drivers also knowledgeable guides? In Kenya we had an upturned bottle crate to help us negotiate the steps up into the 'jeep' - the effort required brought back memories of hitch hiking on lorries when much younger - so much easier then! 🙂

Did you take any special equipment for photography? I would love to see some photos but I don't do Facebook and so I only appear to be able to access those on an open site?

This seems to be a holiday which attracts ex Polar Bear holiday makers! Hello to all who did this trip (Oh Michelle 😕 hope it did bring you luck!) and to those thinking of 2016!

BGray
  • (Member) (Topic Starter)
(Member) (Topic Starter)
Hi Kedi,

Many thanks for your comments! The vehicles used on the game drives were typical safari jeeps - there were three rows of three seats and seats for the driver and one for a passenger (not used). We all had good views and were accommodating of each other in helping to get the various shots we wanted. If I was on the "better" side, I often took photos for other members of the group. On the final day, we used the coach for the game drive as we were journeying to our second lodge. Despite the limitations of the coach, we managed to get decent photos.

You definitely need a camera with a decent zoom - some people only had 3x, 5x or 10x zooms on their compact cameras and it wasn't nearly enough as the animals were often far away! The jeeps did travel in convoy (more or less) as they followed the same routes, albeit with a bit of a gap between them at times. The guides were quite knowledgeable but didn't talk that much. I brought my DSLR with a 18-200mm lens for general photography and my new bridge camera with a massive 65x zoom for the game drives and catamaran cruise - it came in very handy and I was very pleased with the results!

Hope this helps!

Best wishes,

Bob

Jaya
  • (Member)
(Member)
A great comprehensive review Bob. Not much else to add from my side apart from the fact that this was really a wonderful holiday and a great experience. Despite having a small camera, most of my photos have come out okay - thanks for taking some of the shots for me. Jonah, living out of the suitcase was not really bad if you use the packing cubes. I had packed, using packing cubes, according to the itinerary and had no problems at all. Don't let living out of a suitcase put you off going on this wonderful holiday. A big thank you to Yvette - she was a great tour manager and made the holiday even more memorable. I see that that Just You is not using the Namutoni Camp next year. This is a pity as most of us liked the camp - I loved it. It was so different from anywhere else I have stayed in. The lodges were all good with their own characteristics.

Jaya

Grecos
(Member)
Dear Bob,

Thank you so much for your detailed & informative review of Namibia. I was on hols with Roger in CR in March & he later said you might post a review. CR & Nicaragua were fantastic ( I will happily write a review now I've joined the forum if anyone is interested)... but you have encouraged me to save up for Namibia October 2016. I had been slightly put off about long hours of driving etc but you have dispelled that. I wish I could understand even half of what you say about cameras & lenses (!), but I tend to carry very vivid simple memory pictures home with me. So I'm going for the last date in October before European winter sets in. Anyone else for it?

Sheila

BGray
  • (Member) (Topic Starter)
(Member) (Topic Starter)
Hi Jaya and Sheila, thanks for your replies. Jaya, it was lovely to meet you at long last and I agree with your comments regarding Namutoni - it was different but not in a bad way! Sheila, I'm delighted that you enjoyed CR and Nicaragua so much and you're now planning on Namibia! I hope you have a brilliant time. Some of the journeys were on gravel roads but you soon get used to the vibrations! We usually left at 8am or 8.30am on the travelling days and we were either at our destination by lunchtime or early afternoon, so not too long at all!

Best wishes,

Bob

BGray
  • (Member) (Topic Starter)
(Member) (Topic Starter)
Hi to anyone thinking of doing this tour, just one other piece of advice I should have passed on - regarding money! Namibia is a cheap country by international standards, with drinks costing the equivalent of £1 - £1.50 each (alcoholic and soft) and lunches £5 or less. I brought the equivalent of around £350 in South African Rand - ZAR 7,500 and spent less than half of it. Just one thing - when you get the Rand, be sure to check it is the most recent issue - all of the current notes have Mandela's face on them. The previous issue, featuring animals, are no longer accepted. Namibian currency is not available outside the country. Rand is universally accepted and you may get your change in either Rand or Namibian dollars. 1 Rand = 1 Namibian Dollar. Be sure to spend any Namibian currency you have before you leave!!

Best wishes,

Bob

1981Kedi
(Member)
Hi Bob

Thanks for your reply - I love all aspects of a touring holiday but seeing wild animals in their natural surroundings is always the high spot! If I am doing this "sandy" holiday I guess I had better get a filter for my camera to protect the lens - my Canon bridge with x50 zoom was the max at the time I bought it.

Thanks to you and others for 'hints and tips' - having this kind of information from people who have been on a particular trip really helps with decisions and packing!