Wild landscapes, intrepid activities and all the laughs - what an epic trip! Taffy was an incredible guide - communicative, knowledgeable on local culture, and the best laugh! We felt safe in his presence, he's an amazing cook, and he's a credit to G Adventures!
Wildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Camping, Guest House, Resort
Age Range
12-100 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Cape Town, Windhoek, Etosha Nati
Cape Town, Windhoek, Etosha National Park, Lambert’s Bay, Orange River, Fish River Canyon, Sesriem, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund
22% OFF TODAY
This deal is valid for limited time. Book now to reserve your seats.
I enjoyed this holiday so much. The itinerary was very well balanced with a host of different activities and experiences. It was good to spend at least two nights in each location and have time to appreciate where we were staying. We have been on quite a few Exodus trips before, but this was one of the best. Some of the accommodation was very good indeed, notably the Martin House guest lodge in De Rust and the apartments in Hermanus.
Food tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Guest House, Hotel
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Sunda
Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Sundays River Valley, Addo Elephant National Park, Tsitsikamma National Park, Oudtshoorn, Hermanus
Highlights -
Stunning landscapes, especially around the Namib desert/Sossusvlei, Brandberg area and Walvis Bay/Swakopmund.
Wildlife viewing was excellent - plenty of time to view and observe and search both mammals and birds throughout the trip. You will get some amazing photos and memories!
A knowledgeable guide who sorted everything that needed doing and had a great understanding of the wildlife/country.
A couple of the lodges were above expectations (NB the app stated that there might be changes and there were).
Things that surprised me:
One of the lodges was disappointing but we were only there for one night (Brandberg White Lady Lodge - no proper AC and nowhere to charge anything plus very basic room and the food was also below par).
There wasn't much time to decompress and just enjoy the areas without being on the move - ideally this should be a 14 or 15 day trip with Toshari or Makuti and Swapokmund stays being extended by a further day.
Water is not provided at many of the lodges or at the inclusive meals so you end up buying plastic bottles of water (more costly than a beer!) that you then can't keep chilled as the rooms often did not have a fridge.
One of the recommended excursions in Walvis Bay was a waste of time and very expensive. The Shifting Sands excursion to Sandwich Harbour was vastly more costly (x3) than the Desert Discovery trip (both 3 hours) and yet covered much the same but at a much lower standard. The Desert Discovery Trip had much better guides, much more to see and a far superior dune driving experience. The Sandwich Harbour trip just gave the "dunes meeting the sea" and a fraction of the elements covered in the other trip but for the time/cost and drive it would have been better to have stayed in Walvis Bay and appreciate all the birdlife and coast there. Avoid that if offered.
What I needed on the trip:
The following items were really useful:
A sarong - to sit on a very hot seat or use as a sunshield in various locations; a water bottle flask that kept my water chilled all day;
A broad brimmed hat - in summer a baseball cap did not cut it at Sossusvlei;
Binoculars - even a basic pair;
A power bank for your phone as some days you are on the road for 12 hours and with all the photos you'll need an extra power source.;
A usb adaptor for your phone charger as a few lodges had these in the socket spaces;
Washing powder as you may end up hand washing a lot;
A basic set of general medications..... you never know!
Additionally I would recommend going at least one day earlier so you have time to take in a township and Windhoek tour. The on-cost of the hotel was minimal (arranged directly) but it meant we had no stress of being late and we had a chance to acclimatise, plus had a good look around prior to meeting the rest of the group and the guide. The Mercure has full access to the sister Movenpick which has a great pool area, other restaurants and spa/gym for use by all residents.
If you fly through Germany and direct on to Windhoek, you travel overnight and arrive morning time giving you a whole afternoon plus a whole day before you meet the group at 6pm. Plus your return flight is early evening so you get the departure day too if you extend your room at the Mercure. Well worth it!
Overall a truly great and varied trip even if you have done safaris before.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Windhoek, Otjiwarongo, Sesriem
Windhoek, Otjiwarongo, Sesriem, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Uis, Etosha National Park
11% OFF TODAY
This deal is valid for limited time. Book now to reserve your seats.
All the accommodation was amazing. Petro, our guide was so knowledgeable and couldn’t do enough for us and the experience was just brilliant.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Lodge, Hotel
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Amakh
Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Amakhala Game Reserve, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Tsitsikamma National Park, Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Stellenbosch
Great trip with good mixture of activities and wildlife. The weather was perfect for an August trip - warm during day, cooler at night, and fortunately only 10 minutes of rain in 2 weeks. Well looked after by our guide Bianca. Food was very good value. Expect some flexibility in the itinerary - we couldn’t sea kayak due to choppy sea but alternative hike was great. Highlights were climbing Table Mountain (2-3h strenuous hike), surfing lesson, optional Whale Watching boat trip, Addo Elephant National Park and optional Schotia Private Game Reserve drive on the morning of departure.
Active and outdoorExplorer
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort, Hut, Lodge, Camping
Age Range
7-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Tsits
Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Tsitsikamma Forest, Addo Elephant National Park, Robben Island, Breede River, Cango Caves, Plettenberg Bay, Robberg Nature Reserve
