Safari Drive レビュー 144

The whole SafariDrive team has supported us every step of the way in planning our trip to Namibia. No question was too much to ask for them and everything was treated with a lot of professionalism. Would definitely recommend to everyone!

Safari Drive organised a wonderful two-weeks self-drive for us in Namibia this October and all went very smooth. Their Land Cruiser was well structured and contained everything we needed for driving and camping across this great country. They also prepared a thoughtful itinerary so we experienced a bit of everything that Namibia can offer. Highly recommended.

Very happy with the job Safari Drive did planning our trip. Definitely would use them again!

Safari Drive was the best tour company my wife and I have ever used. Due to Covid, the process of making this trip happen took nearly 2 years. They worked with us to rebook the trip, change dates, modify the quantity of our party, etc... This company thinks of every single detail from Xandi assisting on which flight routes to take, pre-book questions with Joanna, to the on-ground local support with Jens.

They listen to what you your likes and dislikes are, what type of trip you are looking to do, and provide professional experience to cater the self-driving trip to your needs. My wife and I did 14 days through Etosha up to the handle of Namibia by Botswana/Zambia/Angola with 1/2 the days in lodges and half the days camping. Every single accommodation was fantastic: the lodges were local, quaint, comfortable and had great food. The campgrounds almost always had personal bath houses, firepits, sitting areas, etc...

The truck itself was by Far the best tourism 4x4 we saw on the road during our trip. Safari Drive has literally thought of everything you would need: 2 spare tires, backup battery, small refrigerator, propane burner, full kitchen utensils & dinnerware, Firestarter, built-in compressor, dry foods, salt, pepper, small ladder, an ax, satellite phone, etc... I could go on forever with the level of detail that has been put into this truck. Never once during our off-roading did we feel uncomfortable or nervous.

You can tell before you even go on your vacation the quality of this company. It was our first Safari, and it did not disappoint. I would recommend Safari Drive to anybody looking to drive themselves with local support and experience. A+ Company. Safari Drive is top notch.

This was our 7th trip to Southern or Eastern Africa organized with Safari Drive - this time under the spell of COVID19 regulations. Yet everything just went perfect! All appointments were met, all bookings were done, all information on when an were to take COVID test were supplied. And the Landcruiser which was already maintained and equipped very very well on the previous trips was even further improved. Larger and safer water-tank, larger table, better ladder, roof-tent that is faster and easier to use etc. It is hard to imagine how that could be improved any further.

So just many thanks to the Safari Drive Team - I am sure we will return ...

We have been travelling with Safari Drive to Namibia a couple of years ago with the best service ever experienced. We felt safe, everything went fint both the booking, preparation and communication with Safari Drive as well as the trip itself.
Therefore we again decided to choose Safari Drive more than two years ago to book an adventure to Botswana. The trip was supposed to take place last year (2020), but due to the pandemic we have to the trip shift by one year to this summer (2021). However the situation was not better and we then wanted to cancel. We contacted Joanna Houlston, who has been planning the trip for us and asked for getting the deposit back instead of postponing one more year again, which was proposed. Despite the difficulty for Safari Drive to return the deposit, Joanna handled this very professionally and offered super service and we have received the full deposit. We are grateful and hope to make use of Safari Drive another time. Until then our strongest recommendations of an excellent experience offered by Safari Drive.

Do NOT trust with your money!

Unfortunately, I’ve had a very poor experience with Safari Drive, specifically with Xandi Maculan (the owner). This was for my honeymoon….from doing some research I gather the experienced UK team have left Safari Drive. Xandi Maculan picked up my booking and instantly palmed me off to deal with the lodges directly. I followed instruction not really knowing how it works between Safari Drive and the lodges and then my trip was cancelled due to Covid… At this point I was in comms with the lodges and asked the refund process. They were obliging but obviously they were only part of the cost. Safari Drive needed to be involved and I got in touch with Xandi again… At this point he told me I was in agreement the lodges and Safari Drive were exempt from the situation and it was unfortunate that I was out of pocket. What a load of rubbish!! Literally just wanted to leave me high and dry! After a bloody frustrating set of emails… he sometimes didn’t reply… and then lied in his replies… fabricated his replies… He made me an offer to resolve this which left me almost £1,000 OUT OF POCKET and was take it or leave it. In all honestly, the whole thing is a complete joke. I would tread VERY carefully with this guy/ company!

Safari Drive is an excellent company to coordinate an amazing itinerary which turns out to be a memorable lifetime trip! The moment of first communication to the final goodbyes, the customer services is exemplary! Could not ask for a more positive experience!

This was our second trip to Namibia but first time overlanding, and Safari Drive was fantastic! Joanna nailed our itinerary right off the bat - absolutely no complaints other than we wished we could stay longer at each wonderful spot! While we were in Namibia, Jens was fantastic. On our second to last night, the fridge stopped working. He responded right away with how to fix it and we were back up and running with no food spoilage. The vehicle is really well-equipped to handle whatever you might encounter and had everything we needed to make set-up and camping a breeze. Two thumbs way up - we will definitely use Safari Drive again!

This was an incredibly well organised, self driving experience. Driving through the astonishing landscapes of Namibia's South, creating memories we will never forget. The combination of luxury and absolute freedom made this excursion very unique to us. Especially, in such troubling times we felt safe and well taken care of. They were able to accommodate us following all safety precautions yet still managed to give us that full adventure feeling we were looking for. Many thanks to the SafariDrive team again, you did a fantastic job!

Safari Drive was fantastic. Responsive, professional and knowledgeable. I would not hesitate to book with them again.

They were able to help us with our itinerary and were extremely helpful in booking covid tests for our departure at the end of our trip. The service, equipment, and expertise they provided made our drive though Namibia as good as I could have ever hoped for.

Our 3 week honeymoon in Namibia was nothing short of amazing. Travelling during a pandemic comes with its own challenges but the team at Safari Drive did everything to make our honeymoon happen with all the reassurances if we had to postpone or even cancel.

We definitely went outside our comfort zone with camping but it was a lot of fun. As it was our first time camping we asked Joanna for a mix of campsites with restaurants and lodges but we ended up really enjoying making our own dinner over the campfire and the campsites are extremely well set up. We especially liked Hoada.

The 4x4 was very comfortable for 3 weeks. Everything we needed was easily accessible and had its place in the back. Very smooth/easy set up once arriving at a campsite...within 20min we would have the tent up, table out and cold drink in hand!

Shipwreck Lodge was an amazing experience. Our guide Ziggy, our private lunch on the beach (we were the only guests in the lodge), sushi that Chef David made for us on request for sundowners, the drive to get to Möwe Bay and just the remoteness were special.

Jens and Anneli were great! We got a flat tyre on our third day in Etosha and Jens straightaway sent us a screenshot of where to get it patched before we headed into more remote areas. Anneli was very helpful booking our hot air balloon and changes we made along the way. Definitely recommend having a local sim as that was very handy and cheap (when in reception areas) to keep in contact with them.

The roads - we were very surprised at how good the gravel roads were. I’m not sure if it’s because there is less traffic at the moment but we didn’t have any problems. We came to the rescue to free a car stuck in the Hoanib riverbed, the Land Cruiser is definitely the car to have on those roads.

Green season - we had to work a lot harder to find animals in Etosha but the sense of satisfaction we got when we found a pride of 11 lions laying under a tree and sat there for over an hour having breakfast before another car turned up. The temperature weren’t overly hot and at night we still needed the quilt and a jumper in the morning.

Last but not least Andbeyond, WOW!!!!! Out of this world. The staff, location, activities, suite, private pool and down to the smallest detail of having cocktail garnishes in the ice cubes in the fully stocked in-room bar, definitely not a MINIbar. Four nights was enough to do every activity on offer and also have some afternoons free to have a massage and just enjoy the room. Definitely on our list of places to go back to in the future.

Already thinking of the next trip we will plan with Safari Drive!!

This was an experience of a lifetime. Safari Drive was extremly helpful in organizing our trip in Namibia. We were overwhelmed by their professionalism, support and ability to build trust and mutual understanding. Our trip was organized individually, tailored to our personal wishes and needs. The itinerary was well-structured, but equally flexible. With cars equipped with satellite telephones, spare tires, tents, plates and cutlery, we went on a real adventure. Safari Drive understood exactly what we were looking for. Especially the self-drive experience in this breathtaking nature was amazing. The combination of raw adventure, personal connections on the ground, and a luxurious safari experience was outstanding. We had a lot of experiences with other companies, but were positively surprised by Safari Drive. We made memories we will never forget. We highly recommend the company.

Namibia Self Drive Safari

Thank you to the Safari Drive team who completely exceeded our expectations! Not only did they listen to our wish list, they came up with fantastic personalised suggestions, and executed the itinerary without hiccup.

Safari Drive are incredibly knowledgeable, caring and attentive. My wife and I are already planning our next trip, and can not wait to explore more of Africa.

Thanks!

Safari Drive helped organise the perfect bespoke holiday package for my wife and I. Their staff were a pleasure to deal with from start to finish and went over and beyond what I had excepted when booking the trip.

Throughout the process they kept me abreast with what my options were alongside what they recommended - you can tell they do their research properly as all their recommendations were excellent!

The holiday was a great success and I will be sure to use SD again.

I've been lucky enough to experience two Safari Drive trips (Namibia and Zambia/Malawi) and both were absolutely excellent. Tailored perfectly to our needs Ben and the SF team were incredibly efficient and pro-active in making sure the trips were great successes. Both trips had different budgets and they catered for that perfectly, offering amazing fun camping experiences, eco-lodges and high end safari camps. The vehicles are excellent and you have the perfect combination of adventure but security. I cannot wait to go again in the next few years.

We used safari drive who had a well established and run ground operation in Namibia supported by a very responsive uk team.

Before going:

Great insight, support and speed of response to help plan the best route, places to stay and things to do. They have the advantage that there Namibia team have first hand experience of the accommodation, and itinerary. This came through well with speedy and good communications from the uk team. A useful planning pack coupled with instruction videos on the vehicle we were to drive really helped dispel any anxiety over driving such distances on tracks. This lead to high degree of trust and ultimately a great itinerary, perfect for our 2 week adventure.

Out in Namibia:

From the moment you are picked up at the airport until you complete a tour assessment with the local rep on drop off back at the airport you can see this is such a professional outfit that has an eye for detail that makes your holiday stress free.

On day 1 you get a though vehicle orientation session, chance to drive, and further activity and route support. This leaves you with the confidence to get going and relax into what is an awesome country.

The two weeks drive presented daily mind blowing views and the distances flew by. The people at the accommodations we selected and game reserves / activities were so friendly with a lot of beautiful views unique to Namibia.

Overall a holiday of a lifetime. Although with operations growing and now in Argentina we will be using again.

Professionalism, eye for detail, insider knowledge and great planning and support, safari drive is a must for any driving break in Africa where they are present.

Great trip, well planned and executed start to finish. Easy to deal with. Top quality in country supplied equipment and first class help. High quality accommodation throughout. Couldn't of been better, didnt need or want for more.

This is our 4th trip with Safari Drive and we cannot fault their planning and commitment to making your adventurous trip the best ever. On the ground experience and knowledge from their team in Africa contribute to making the trip a great success. It is also reassuring to know that the itineraries and stays have all been tried and tested, and a great deal of pre trip discussions in planning an itinerary tailor made for us was extremely valuable and welcomed.
We are already talking and planning our 5th trip, and I would not hesitate in thoroughly recommending a holiday with them.

Safari Drive are a great organisation in many ways:
1. They are based both in the UK and have expertise on the ground in the countries you'll visit. Both teams are extremely knowledgeable about the places you'll visit and where to stay, and provide unbiased useful views to help with your planning.
2. They are very flexible around itinerary planning and will work with you to finalise details.We changed our plans several times before finalising and Jo was very helpful throughout.
3. The Toyota Land Cruisers are very solid, larger, more comfortable and better equipped than most of the other self-drive hire vehicles that we saw in Namibia. The roof tent was a brand new 'clamshell' type which takes less than a minute to erect - far easier than the standard version with the cover that has to be taken on and off (which everyone else uses). The awning also was absolutely huge and can be put up in a few seconds. The satnav is excellent and runs on a tablet that Safari Drive provide. All very well thought through.
4. In Namibia Jens is very helpful and takes you through the entire vehicle explaining everything thoroughly. He also has useful tips about places to eat, routes etc.
We stayed in a mixture of lodges and the roof tent. Our preference when using the roof tent was to pick sites which had a restaurant so that we didn't have to cook - this worked very well in some cases. We had too many amazing experiences to list. All in all we had a fantastic time.