Beyond Namibia

Chrizell at Secret Namibia was fantastic to work with. We laid out basically where we were interested in going and what we liked/disliked and she created a complete plan and made all bookings for everything from a 4x4 to hotels, activities, and transfers. If we had any questions or issues she was right there for us (including getting us a Wi-Fi hot spot when it turned out our international data plans didn't include Namibia for some reason).

The places we stayed were all top-notch and we received excellent service everywhere we went including Windhoek, the deserts of Kalahari and Namib, Swakopmund, and Damaraland. We highly recommend Secret Namibia.

We gave Chrizell a tall task in planning our self drive Namibia trip. She was quick to connect with us and was thorough in understanding our travel requests, as well as lodging requirements. We were late in our request, but somehow, she was able to put together an amazing trip that had all the key places we wanted. The cost she gave us was very reasonable, and the payment process was very easy to complete (not always so easy with African vendors). We received an initial itinerary that we adjusted a couple of times (due to our requests), and Chrizell and Johan sent us updated agendas as the day approached. We were all set!

When we arrived in Windhoek, we were met in the airport by Secret Namibia, and given a packet with maps, hotel vouchers, some animal and bird identification books. We met with our vehicle provider (Samuel), and he explained the how-to's of driving the (brand new!) vehicle. That was great, as we went through even how to change the tire(s) (we had 2 spares). However, thank goodness, we had zero issues with the vehicle, which also had a cooler in the back for items that needed to be kept cool.

The route we were given optimized our time and travel. Accommodations were great to good, though the latter is all that is available in some remote areas we went to (and likely impacted by our late planning). We had an amazing time in all the places we visited, and would not suggesting skipping any of them. We visited Windhoek, Kalahari, Fish Canyon, Klein Aus (wild horses), Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Damaraland, Palmwag Etosha NP, and Waterberg. The 3 weeks went very fast, and we truly enjoyed the self driving aspect of the trip. We specifically enjoyed doing the self drive safari in Etosha, where we went where we wanted, as well as stayed as long as we wanted, in the park. Fish River Canyon, Sossusvlei (you gotta climb Big Daddy Dune, and then the rush of going down it!), and Kalahari also stood out for us.

Watchouts on the trip are the number and locations of gas stations, lots of unpaved roads (we enjoyed this actually), and poor cell/wifi coverage in remote areas (which is to be expected). We actually had some wifi coverage in our vehicle, which was really helpful!

We have already recommended Secret Namibia to friends who have inquired. The excellent service, the freedom of self driving, and excellent pricing, make them an easy referral for us!

Our honeymoon in Namibia was a dream come true, thanks to Secret Namibia.

Everything was flawlessly planned, from the smooth transfers between our lodges to the personalized suggestions for the best activities.

Johan ensured we had a perfect balance of adventure and relaxation, whether it was exploring the dunes or unwinding in the peaceful, romantic settings.

The communication throughout was exceptional, making us feel completely at ease. After all the wedding events we really needed to just switch off and the whole trip was awesome- better than we could have imagined.

We’re already discussing returning for our anniversary as we've heard about a combined safari they offer that includes a visit to Vic falls.

We’ll definitely be booking with Secret Namibia again! Huge Thanks.