Guestbook

We were warmly welcomed by our tour guide, who really knew the country and its people as a local. Thanks to him we learned a lot about South Africa, the country, its history and how this and that developed. It was much more than just the safari; an insight into South African culture.

But of course the safari tours, with all the wild animals we were able to see and photograph, were especially the highlight of this trip. We saw elephants, giraffes, zebras, rhinos and many other animals in the wild. We particularly enjoyed the overnight stay in the Drakensberg too – with the wonderful lodge and the magnificent view there.

Overall a well-put-together tour, with interesting sights and many highlights. The team for trip planning and the tour guide were outstanding!

D. Petra Maria Asprion

A wonderful South Africa trip with Elefant-Tours. At the beginning of November I took the small-group tour along the Garden Route. I really enjoyed the trip.

There are great landscapes, delicious food and friendly people. The trip was very well organised and our tour guide Herbert Rehder took us safely and competently, always in a friendly manner, from one point to the next, conveying many lovely impressions to us along the way.

The shared finale, the little barbecue he organised for us, was great too. Heartfelt thanks for everything!

I had booked a group tour with 9 other travellers to Cape Town and along the Garden Route! Apart from the hotel in Cape Town, the "Grand Daddy Boutique Hotel", which was really awful, we had a wonderful trip that I will certainly not forget.

Lots of lovely impressions, interesting experiences, a different attraction every day, very nice small lodges, everything was just right! We also have our tour guide and driver Herbert to thank for that, who showed us a lot that we would not have seen as solo travellers! Thank you very much for that!

A super perfectly organised 21-day trip through Namibia. We were newly delighted every day and could enjoy and take in the highlights of the beautiful landscapes and the sensational wildlife.

Thanks to Ms Petersen we were able to experience the many facets of this dreamlike country without any problems and in a relaxed way.

This was our twelfth and LAST East Africa trip, because I think there is nothing left to top here.

Entry at the arrival visa counter with only 20 people was faster than with the approx. 120 people at the 2 "normal" e-visa counters. I recommend everyone fill in the embassy's pre-printed form at home. Great.

The transfer and the safari were carried out by Tanzania-Experience in a friendly and very reliable manner.

I would like to single out our driver Daniel in particular. Very good German and professional driving and tour-guiding skills set him apart. If you are only in the Serengeti for one day and then get to see the "Big Five", that naturally makes an impression. In short: it was our fifth and best safari.

The one-week stay at the Arusha Villa was exactly what we wanted. Lovely rooms, friendly staff, great food (even after a week). Every day we travelled around the surrounding villages either by dala-dala or by motorbike and enjoyed being able to experience the work and life of the local population. The organised driver to the Arusha Local Market was almost too touristy for us, but still nice. We did not miss Zanzibar in the slightest.

All in all it was one of the loveliest holidays we have ever had, and I would therefore like to thank you once again most warmly for the recommendations and organisation. Should we still decide on a trip to Victoria Falls, there is only one place to go: ELEFANT-TOURS

With resounding greetings
Alois and Sabine Stürzl

Dear Ms Kayssler,

after 16 days in Namibia we are now back and still revelling in memories of our lovely trip! Perhaps you would be interested in some details about our bookings?

Rental car: We were very satisfied with Europcar, very uncomplicated communication. When we told them we had a crack in the windscreen on the driver's side, they swapped our vehicle on arrival at our next destination. The vehicle return at the end of our trip was also quick and uncomplicated!

Accommodation: Namib Naukluft Lodge: VERY BEAUTIFULLY located lodge, rooms spacious, a little dated but clean. The staff are very friendly and obliging, you feel very welcome. Food: very good! The sundowner drive and the pool with a view over the open landscape were unforgettably lovely!!

Hohenstein Lodge: we had our large room with a spacious bathroom and lovely terrace in the already renovated part of the lodge. Everything very appealing and tasteful, BUT no air conditioning, only a fan, which did not bring much relief in this heat. We (or rather I!) did not want to leave the windows (with insect screens) open at night, as the room was the last in the row…

Camp Kipwe: fantastic!!!! Everything is right here: the very tasteful little round huts with open-air bathroom, the location in the red rocks, the view over the landscape, the very nice and obliging staff, the food, … our loveliest accommodation!!!

Fingerklip Lodge: also quite dated, but the landscape is what impresses here, it is unique! For 1 night 👍🏼.

Taleni Etosha Village: spacious individual little houses, somewhat "wild" in location, clean. Proximity to Etosha: it doesn't get much closer!

NWR camps in Etosha: I was appalled by the condition of the state-run camps (I only saw Okaukuejo and Halali). At lunchtime at Halali a few tourists were there for a meal, we only went to the beautifully located waterhole, which, however, was also quite run-down in terms of access and seating there.

The public toilets between the restaurant and the shop were in very poor condition: no toilet flush worked, of 6 washbasins only 3 taps were still fitted, none of which worked. Around 5 pm we drove into the camp once more; apart from 4 or 5 camping tents, the entire camp was empty.

Frans Indongo: a super tip!!! Very nice huts, very nice staff, all very attentive, delicious food!

Mt. Etjo Lodge: VERY BEAUTIFUL grounds, the rooms also dated but spacious and clean. The game drive is a MUST (we did 2), food good, there is still room for improvement with the management, not very attentive (perhaps because there are several; I knew the previous manager, who ran the lodge very committedly and personally) …on the other hand the service staff are very nice.

Flight with Discover: in terms of seat comfort, honestly an imposition on passengers for a long-haul flight, very little legroom, seating position actually unsuitable for sleeping. As a night flight with a sleep aid, though, OK

Thank you again very much for your valuable support in planning and carrying out our trip, I will gladly recommend you!

Warm regards

Karin Thelen

Our trip began in Zimbabwe at Victoria Falls and then went on to Botswana, to the Chobe River, Okavango Delta and Salt Pans – a fantastic and unique trip. We will always remember it. Many thanks also to Ms Franke for the great organisation.

It was truly a special experience – I'm getting goosebumps again just thinking back on it. Breathtaking landscapes in the different areas, the wildlife, the people – simply fantastic.

Dear Ms Petersen,

our trip to Namibia is now a month behind us and we are still full of the many experiences and impressions from it.

The trip planning was very pleasant, uncomplicated, and individual wishes were responded to immediately. The offer of a self-drive briefing with Sven Schmidt, which we gladly accepted, was also a great opportunity to receive many insider tips, advice and information.

There was no single highlight for us, as this varied country was a highlight in every place/region. All the accommodation was perfectly chosen and we felt very much at home throughout the trip.

Thank you very much for this great experience.

Our trip was organised very well for us. Ms Petersen took the time to talk with us and took our wishes and needs into account.

We had a wonderful, unforgettable trip!

We would like to say thank you! Elefant-Tours organised a perfect 3-week tailor-made trip to Kenya for us in Oct./Nov. 24.

Even beforehand, contact with our contacts Mr Brand and Mr Schuff was outstanding. Every question about the trip planning, and any requests for changes, were answered or implemented quickly and professionally.

During the tour you notice straight away that a great deal of passion has gone into the trip. We were looked after superbly from the start. Every wish was fulfilled.

We would particularly like to highlight our guide/driver Emmanuel! A real treasure, who with his calm manner and extensive knowledge brought his home country of Kenya closer to us.

This is already the 2nd time we have travelled with Elefant-Tours, and we can highly recommend this tour operator to anyone who is interested in Africa and would like to experience the dream of "Out of Africa" up close.

We are already considering tackling Namibia next year 😉

Thank you once again for working out the round trip together so brilliantly (the choice of accommodation was outstanding too).

Hello Ms Joubert

It was a great trip!

We were also lucky with the 4 other travellers and our driver/guide Rolf.

We liked the Elegant Desert Ecocamp best. We could have stayed there even longer. Perhaps two more tips for the camp: a ceiling fan would certainly be useful, and it would also be nice if breakfast could be served as a picnic basket on your own terrace at the Ecocamp (without having to drive 10 km to the lodge).

We also thought Mushara Bush Camp was great.

All in all, we can recommend this round trip.

Kind regards

Anja Piazza

At the end of October 2024 we went on a safari trip. Flights from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit and, at the end, from there to Cape Town were included. Booking was very pleasant because Elefant-Tours followed our wishes.

We were picked up at Hoedspruit airport by a driver and taken to Baluleni Lodge (and at the end taken back to the airport by another). The lodge is not fenced, so the animals can roam freely there. We liked that, and could watch the antelopes, monkeys and giraffes while eating on the terrace.

The German couple who run it, Heike and Andreas, were very nice and warm, and the food was excellent. In addition to the morning and evening safari tours in a special open vehicle, we had asked for a boat trip on the Olifant River and a day trip to neighbouring Kruger National Park – both worked out well and were worth it.

We were hugely lucky and saw all of the "Big Five": lions (a pride with a cub), lots of elephants (a herd with young), lots of giraffes, several leopards (one right in front of us on the road), rhinos, also hippos and (at the river) crocodiles, wildebeest, a large herd of buffalo (crossing the road in front of us), zebras, kudus and impalas, and many colourful birds. In the evening there was a good dinner around the campfire.

It was perfect all round. We were especially impressed by the passion of the guides, who love their job and the animals with all their hearts and did everything to show them to us.

Building on the travel module "Highlights of Namibia and Botswana", Ms Joubert/Kayssler adapted our almost 4-week trip perfectly to our wishes: Namibia section somewhat reduced, as we had been there a few years ago, with a longer Botswana section instead, such as Deception Valley on the edge of the Kalahari Game Reserve with Deception Valley Lodge – an absolute highlight both in terms of the journey there and back and the game drives.

The organisation of the vehicle's additional equipment (2nd spare tyre, tyre pressure gauge and compressor) also worked superbly. Heartfelt thanks again for that.

The trip itself was simply f a n t a s t i c in terms of organisation, accommodation, wildlife viewing and experiences, just like our first trip with Elefant-Tours a few years ago to Tanzania (Kili climb, Serengeti safari and Zanzibar), and travelling as a self-driver is another special experience, especially when you sometimes face the local wildlife on your own.

It was actually supposed to be my last trip to southern Africa (at 71, partly for reasons of age), but after this tour, which gave the Africa travel bug plenty of fresh nourishment, it will probably be very hard, perhaps even impossible, to keep to that resolution.

We would set off for Africa with Elefant-Tours again at any time.

Warm greetings from Bavaria, now shrouded in fog, and thank you once again for your efforts.

F. Süß and the whole family

Dear Ms Joubert

Our trip was simply great – above all because we experienced it together as a complete family, with grandmas and grandpa, parents and children. Because of this constellation too, it will remain unforgettable for us forever.

Beforehand we wondered whether we had planned too many safaris and whether we would get "bored". But every safari was different, and thanks to Namibia's varied landscape always different and exciting again.

The AfriCat Foundation was a great start and the location impressed us all greatly. Everyone was very nice and it was very personal. The atmosphere there is good and it carries over to the guests.

Etosha is of course a "must-see" in Namibia, and both the safari and the self-drive tour through it were marked by many animal sightings. The many waterholes and the dryness make this possible.

Namutoni was not so outstanding, but being right at the waterhole and heading out very early at least brought us a cheetah sighting in the early morning. That was incredible! We spotted him – a great feeling!

At Kaisosi River Lodge, too, we were welcomed very warmly, and the boat tour with a brief visit to Angola left a lasting impression.

We would particularly like to highlight Mobola Lodge – for us it was truly the epitome of Africa. The owners there, the people who work there, the island bar, the suspension bridge, the houses built in African style – it is a very special spot on earth.

Namushasha River Lodge was the opposite – much bigger, much more anonymous. Nevertheless – freshly renovated houses, pure luxury there (except for the food).

The safaris there by boat and by safari vehicle impressed us greatly. Plenty of water – the animals live very differently here from the interior of Namibia.

Our safari finale, and also an accommodation worth highlighting, was Chobe River Lodge. Small and very personal – and very tastefully furnished. Definitely to be recommended. The staff extremely obliging and friendly. Very good cuisine!!

The safari on the Chobe and the following day twice by car was special. The guides have respect for nature and animals, which we greatly appreciated throughout the whole trip.

On the last day we saw both a buffalo that had just been killed by 2 lions and a leopard in a tree not far away. And the many elephants are simply overwhelming every time.

Because of the drought, Vic Falls was rather sobering, and could be seen as a waterfall only up to a maximum of 500 metres. The accommodation Pioneers was classically British and spacious – really lovely, the different accommodation options.

The flights also all went smoothly. The border crossings too – the one into Zimbabwe was a little adventurous… Our finale in Cape Town turned out to be a lovely ending – you can really eat and shop superbly there.

Only our accommodation there – the Finchley Guest House – cannot really be recommended at present. The staff are very friendly and obliging, the location is great, but the rooms are simply completely worn, floors and bathrooms in need of renovation, windows and doors no longer close properly. But it is only a small drop of bitterness 😉

This trip with its incredible landscapes and animals fulfilled us greatly and will resonate with us for a lifetime.

Thank you very much for putting this great trip together for us and for bending it this way and that again and again to our ideas – for our next Africa trip we will certainly come back to you!

Thanks!
Nicole Schmoll

Hello dear Natascha,

we would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again, most warmly, for your consistently great advice and support on our first Namibia self-drive round trip.

Your country fascinated and thrilled us so much that we will definitely visit it again!

It was simply magical!

Thanks to your professional planning and personal advice, we were able to spend an absolutely trouble-free time.

Route, places, lodges, venues etc. were chosen more than perfectly for us.

The last overnight stay near the airport was also planned entirely correctly… good thing we listened to you! That way we could let all the impressions sink in in peace before everyday life in Germany caught up with us.

Many thanks also for the contact with Matthias! It was simply great!

We are attaching a few photos to this email, although we really can't decide which ones….. 😉

Whether we will recommend you? Of course! Already done long ago! 😊

Thanks for everything and all the best to you and your family!

Yours, Melanie and Andreas Stöber

Hello Ms von Zelewski,

We had a truly wonderful, eventful and varied time in Namibia! Thank you very much for your effort and the great preparation of our trip. The accommodation was all very clean and the service perfect. Certainly worth highlighting is Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp – the overnight stay in a "tent" in front of the red rocks was a great experience. The sundowner on the rocks at the little bar is unforgettable.

Our absolute highlight among the accommodation, however, is Otjohotozu Guest Farm. We felt very much at home with Christa and her team on both days, the game drive with Fritz was very entertaining, and Ethan's food was unbeatably good. Ghaub Farm was also a highlight in its own way – we were the only lodge guests in the secluded nature. Here we were also able to experience the absolute high point of our activities – a walk to the rhinos. Being at eye level with these mighty animals was an unforgettable experience!! Absolutely recommended!

Other highlights were certainly Etosha National Park, the quad bike tour with dune surfing and the Little Five near Swakopmund (Desert Explorers), the excursion to Deadvlei and the dunes, and the Living Museum of the San.

The evening sundowners, which we started in spectacular fashion at Namib Desert Lodge, we have kept alive at home. As you will guess, it was certainly not our last trip to this beautiful country with its many warm-hearted people. When the time comes, we will be very happy to get in touch with you again.

Best wishes from Lake Constance,

Tanja, Tim and Markus Heier

Dear Ms Petersen,

our Namibia trip was truly wonderful and we have come to love this fantastic country and its people. Heartfelt thanks for the great organisation of this trip, the tips and the individual, repeated talk-throughs of the route. Everything was superbly organised from the first minute to the last.

We can absolutely recommend Windhoek Game Lodge, which we booked ourselves. Wonderfully equipped tents, a lovely lodge ambience, warm German-speaking hosts, and the giraffe feeding in the morning is a dream, which was of course a highlight on our first morning in Namibia.

Followed by the many other highlights such as the balloon flight over the Namib, the cheetahs at Bagatelle Kalahari Lodge, and the wonderful Lodge Alte Kalkofen with great food and warm hosts.

Equally an experience was the safari in Chobe National Park from Chobe River Lodge, and of course beforehand the unique landscape of Namibia with its deserts, animals, mountains etc..

Warm regards

Petra and Frank

Dear Elefant-Tours team,

we would like to thank you most warmly for the outstanding organisation of our Namibia trip! From start to finish everything was perfectly planned – an unforgettable trip full of adventure and breathtaking experiences.

Thanks to your expertise, we were able to enjoy the diverse beauty of Namibia to the full, whether it was the impressive sand dunes of Sossusvlei, the fascinating wildlife in Etosha National Park or the vastness of the Namib Desert. We would particularly like to highlight the smooth handling on site, the friendly and competent guides and the perfectly chosen accommodation. You far exceeded our expectations!

We will certainly book with you again and recommend Elefant-Tours without reservation!

Thank you for this wonderful experience!

Dear Ms Joubert,

We were absolutely thrilled with Namibia and took home wonderful pictures and experiences. Our expectations of the country, the people, the food and the animals were definitely exceeded, and yes, it was a camping adventure – we have plenty of stories to tell!

Exploring Namibia on our own, the peace, the landscape, the animals, was a special kind of luxury and freedom for us, which we can definitely recommend to any adventurous couple.

Highlights for us were Etosha National Park, where in the West Gate area we would even add another day. The organisation and accommodation were superbly chosen; they should not be any further apart, because the roads are in part very bad and the driving times do not match the maps or Google. As a result, unfortunately, there is not much time left in the evening to relax at the accommodation, especially as campers.

The campsites were all great, especially those where we had the place to ourselves and could also buy or eat game meat. We particularly liked Onguma Camp, where elephants also came in the evening. We cannot recommend the guesthouse in Swakop, because of 15°C in the room and heating only from 1 Sep (we were there 30 Aug – 1 Sep).

We thank you most warmly for putting together a super route with truly great accommodation, which made a breathtaking trip possible! 🙂

All the best, Christoph & Angela

Ms Joubert put together a wonderful trip for us. On our self-drive tour we were able to experience many lovely things and stayed at accommodation where we were wonderfully welcomed and spoiled.

We came back with many beautiful memories of the country, the people and lots of animals. A huge thank you, happy to do it again.

This year we travelled to Kenya with Elefant Tours for the third time and returned from this beautiful country thoroughly delighted once again.

Whether Amboseli NP, Solio Game Reserve, Meru NP, Lake Nakuru NP or the Masai Mara reserve, everywhere we had great experiences and lots of fun thanks to our guide Emanuel. With his comprehensive knowledge of the country and its wildlife, there were exceptional wildlife sightings again and again.

One highlight of this trip was a balloon flight over the wildlife-rich expanses of the Masai Mara. It remains unforgettable!
With our many good photos and videos, the fascination of what we experienced only becomes fully clear to us after the trip.

For us it was a thoroughly successful trip with many lasting impressions and experiences.
A big thank you to Emanuel for his outstanding job.

But also a thank you to Mr Schuff for the perfect organisation.
The camps and lodges were dreamlike and the service and food very good.

Best wishes and keep it up
The Kriska family

Dear Ms Petersen,

We would like to thank you for the great organisation of our Namibia trip.
Everything was super, from the car to the lodges and especially the reservation for dinner at the Eagles Nest Restaurant in Vingerklippe Lodge, we were totally surprised.

Getting to know you personally was very nice and we hope we will have the chance to see you again.
We have already returned home. One time glad to see our loved ones again but another time part of our hearts stayed in Namibia.

What a beautiful country! We are very grateful that we were able to get to know this region and so many warm-hearted people. That will stay with us for a long time!

Kind regards
Maria and Bernardo

We spent three eventful weeks in Africa, gathered many new impressions and met nice people. At the lodges and guesthouses we were received very warmly and for the most part felt comfortable and safe. When problems arose, Ms von Zelewski took care of them immediately.

We would particularly like to highlight Rosedene Guesthouse, Cornerstone, Mobola and 528 Vic Falls, which we will remember especially fondly for their very personal and warm care. But we also felt well looked after at almost all the other accommodation (Progress Guest Farm, Okutala Etosha Lodge, Tlouwana Camp).

Dear Mr Schuff,

our wonderful adventure in Kenya is now already two weeks behind us, and unfortunately I am only now getting round to thanking you from the bottom of my heart – also on behalf of my nephew Matthias and his wife Stefanie – for an unforgettable experience, for unforgettable impressions and encounters, for the great organisation and the high standards in terms of hygiene, our lodges, and food and drink.

Our loyal guide Kim was very careful in his driving and fulfilled our every wish. We really saw all the animals we wanted to see, and are impressed by the landscapes we saw on our drives to the three base camps, by the friendliness and cheerfulness of the people and by the service on site!

Matthias told his colleagues at his firm about our safari, and there are a few who were very interested too!

The balloon safari was also wonderfully beautiful, including the champagne breakfast afterwards, and neither Alexander nor Kim gave anything away….

Many thanks too for the time you took for my questions beforehand, and – a warm Hakuna Matata! Petra Eilers-Stawinoga

Dear Ms Petersen,

we are back from our trip safe and sound and I wanted to get in touch with you.

Our Namibia trip was simply superb. Everything worked out perfectly, everything was brilliantly organised, suited us completely and was great fun.

The mix of driving yourself, having a certain flexibility and freedom while at the same time having a well-worked-out route and knowing that everything is sorted at the accommodation in the evening gave us an unexpectedly relaxed holiday. The impressions we gathered are unforgettable and I almost think this was not our last trip to Africa.

The accommodation was all great, each in its own way. We really liked the variety and we were welcomed warmly everywhere and felt at home.

We would gladly have stayed a second night at the 2 places where we stayed only one night, but then you simply need even more time, as Mokuti and Kwando Camp in particular were of course very beautiful. The transfers, border crossings etc. all went smoothly too.

Many heartfelt thanks for your great work, the good organisation, the fitting choice of accommodation and the good communication.

All the best to you and warm greetings from cold and rainy southern Baden Stefanie & Bernd

Dear Ms Petersen,
we are now back home after an intense and lovely trip through part of Namibia. Thank you very much for the wonderful planning – the route you suggested was perfect, all the accommodation excellent – the briefing with Sven was a great introduction and very helpful.

We also felt very well supported by you – many thanks for the help when we had a flat tyre and had to get a new spare. Thanks to your help it was very easy and we were even able to keep to our itinerary (we hadn't expected that at all).

Normally we always travel independently, so we are not used to this kind of service – being able to experience it here was something very special. We had the feeling that if anything should happen, you can be reached quickly. Great!

Conclusion:
What a beautiful country! We are very grateful that we were able to get to know this region and so many warm-hearted people. That will stay with us for a long time!

Thank you for everything – we will recommend you most warmly and are glad to have found a good address to turn to when we hatch further Namibia plans.

Dear Ms Petersen,

it was *FABULOUS*.

YOU did a top job, truly outstanding!

And Sven Schmidt is a gem, look after him well and keep him on side 😉

We mention your name and Elefant-Tours whenever we get the chance.

The route was superb, and apart from the hotel in Keetmanshoop (which was quite decent), all the accommodation was wonderful.

The people were *WOW* and the landscape and wildlife phenomenal.

We travel a lot and love it, but we have rarely been so blown away over an entire trip…

THANK YOU – it was a great pleasure for us!

AND: we will be in touch again. Etosha, Angola and Botswana will follow… 🙂

All the best to you and thank you once again!

Warm regards
Lisa & Severin

We went on an 11-day private safari through Namibia at the beginning of August. Thanks to Ms Joubert we had lovely lodges.

Aron, our guide, was very likeable. Thanks to him we learned a lot about the country and its people.

Without him we also would not have spotted so many animals. It was very pleasant not having to drive the gravel roads ourselves. This meant all 5 of us could enjoy our family holiday.

Heartfelt thanks to Aron!

Dear Ms Petersen, we really enjoyed our tour through Namibia. Everything was so well organised, Gottfried was a fantastic guide. He brought Namibia, its culture and history, the beautiful landscape, the incredible wildlife and the people closer to us.

We had very interesting conversations with him. Gottfried is very well connected and greatly enriched our tour and made it a great experience.

Thank you very much for the organisation, we all liked the lodges very much, we will certainly come back to Namibia.

Kind regards Felicitas Hobje-Schulz

Hello Ms Petersen,
I would like to thank you and the whole team responsible for our Namibia trip extraordinarily. You arranged an indescribable experience for us, which we will be able to tell our grandchildren about.

Within the organised framework (accommodation), our tour guide Gottfried prepared a dream holiday for us from the first second to the last.
All questions and wishes were answered or fulfilled without fuss, however "special" they were.

The country, the people, the culture and of course the animals were presented to us in an incredibly wonderful way.

The accommodation and its management were a dream, we hardly came out of the "WOW".

Only the accommodation in Etosha National Park was somewhat out of the ordinary, but we had been prepared for that to some extent. The "waterhole" there, however, was a great experience. But these moments cannot diminish our joy and happiness with this trip and our tour guide Gottfried.

If you have the opportunity to pass on our special thanks to our tour guide Gottfried once more, we would be very pleased!

Dear Ms Walter,

we are indeed back in Germany in one piece. Our trip was dreamlike and we are still elated by all the great experiences and impressions. Our small group got on very well with our guide Keisr from Botswana Experience and the very nice American couple.

Keisr in particular, with his around 20 years of professional experience, always brought us safely from adventure to adventure and to the lodges, and was at the same time extremely skilled at tracking down lions, leopards and other rarer animals too.

The absolute highlight was MmaTsebe Tented Camp Lodge, which only opened this year, with a herd of 50 elephants that completely surrounded us for more than two hours at lunch, letting us share in their midday splashing and relaxed feeding from just a few metres away.

Betty and Till

Dear Mr Schuff,

yes, we are back home safe and rested, full of wonderful experiences and memories! Everything worked perfectly, a uniquely beautiful and exciting time lies behind us. You are welcome to post our feedback, which we have already published on Trip Advisor, on your homepage.

Our unique safari experience with Tanzania-Experience, booked through Elefant-Tours, became a perfect African treat thanks to our brilliant, best-in-the-world English-speaking guide Jackson and the cook Gerald, who conjured up incredible feasts!

We spent 6 days on a camping safari from Arusha and beforehand had a wonderful introductory day with Daniel in Arusha National Park, including an exciting walking safari.

Then we set off with Jackson and Gerald to Tarangire NP, which we can recommend as a perfect starter park. At the little-frequented campsite we felt very safe thanks to a watchful ranger. On our game drives we were surrounded several times by masses of elephants. We were able to watch zebras, buffalo, wildebeest, gazelles, warthogs, two cheetahs and lions, hyenas, jackals, ostriches, meerkats and many bird species!

Then it was on to the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, where everywhere we had an extremely large number of wildlife sightings, and from a distance a rhino and a leopard too. Heaps of hippos and crocodiles….

Mr Schuff of Elefant-Tours put the trip together perfectly for us and picked out a wonderfully quiet little hotel complex on Zanzibar for relaxing afterwards, the Ujamaa Beach Resort. Thank you for everything!

And with our guide Jackson we share a real friendship, grown over cosy evenings playing cards. He is as reserved as he is attentive and sensitive, a very friendly person and a careful driver whom you gladly entrust yourself to! He is also very experienced and has an incredibly good nose for finding animals, we always had a perfect view of all the animals!

Camping in the wilderness is of course somewhat adventurous, you have to know that, but you are rewarded with unique experiences, a breathtaking soundscape, fantastic-tasting dishes and great up-close African experiences. Some guests may prefer the comfort of a lodge and don't know what they are missing.

Gerald is a master chef and spoiled us so much! With his camping stove and on the open fire he conjured up three-course menus. For the lunch boxes and breakfast he got up at 3 am to bake bread rolls and pancakes.

Thank you for everything,

The Jenne family from Stuttgart

We, aged 77 and 78, took a great, if very strenuous, self-drive tour through Namibia in May 2024, with the trip planning by Ms Franke and the advice in Windhoek from Sven of NamibiaExperience.

The lodges chosen were good to very good.

Worth highlighting are Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch, Corona Guest Farm, Hohenstein Lodge, Vingerklip Lodge, Mushara Lodge, Waterberg Plateau Lodge and Hotel Schwerinsburg in Windhoek.

And if we could do it again, we would skip Sossusvlei and plan 2-3 days at Halali Camp in Etosha NP for wildlife viewing.

But even so, Namibia was worth the trip!

Before our fly-in safari in Botswana we had high expectations, and they were far exceeded.

The trip was an unforgettable experience for us – also thanks to Ms Franke's perfect organisation.

Thank you very much for that!

Our 15-day self-drive Namibia trip was an absolute dream and perfectly prepared and organised by Ms Franke!! We will benefit from this wonderful time for a long while, always happily look back on it and rave about it together!!!

The country, the varied landscapes, the people and the (wild) wildlife are fascinating and unforgettable! Our beautiful days were rounded off by great, clean and perfectly located accommodation.

Thank you once again for this unique time!!

3-week round trip "The Best of Namibia!"
We were very satisfied with the organisation and were able to enjoy an unforgettable family holiday. Many thanks to Ms Joubert and the team. Hopefully see you again soon!!

In July/August 2024 we spent three weeks on the trip "Namibia's Diversity". Even the planning and booking went very well. It was real fun planning everything with Ms Petersen. Heartfelt thanks again for that. The round trip itself was run by Namibia-Experience with the guide Matthias.

From the first day it was a dream trip for us. The group was great, the guide Matthias was top class, the lodges and farms were brilliant and the food in places deserves stars. It was a culinary experience. When it was cold in our room at night, we found a hot-water bottle in the bed. We were simply treated with great care.

Matthias had a wonderful eye for the animal and plant life and could tell us a great deal. Likewise about the culture of the country. Every day brought a new experience and it was always great. Experiencing these wonderful animals so close was a great experience for us.

Matthias was also a superb driver and always brought us safely to the lodges and farm. In places the roads were very bad, but for Matthias this was no problem.

I can only recommend this trip to everyone. I would love to do this trip again straight away. It was simply great.

Dear Elefant-Tours team,

I did the camping safari Botswana's Wild Side in June/July 2024 and have not regretted it. Spending every night in a tent and often having only a bush toilet and shower available is certainly not for everyone, but I can only highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys being in nature and wants to get to know Africa away from lodges too.

It is beautiful and a great adventure. Our guides were simply outstanding and great fun. What Brian cooked was absolutely fantastic.

And you could turn to them with questions at any time. The wildlife sightings were great too.

I have been on safari a few times, but was impressed again and again and could have lingered for hours in some places. My wish to see leopards came true 3 times.

My favourite places on the tour were Savuti and Victoria Falls.

I would book a tour again at any time. 🙂

Warm regards

Kristina

I had the pleasure of taking part in a safari in Tanzania with Elefant-Tours, and I can only say that it was an unforgettable experience! Our guide Witson was simply fantastic. He is not only an extremely reliable guide and an excellent driver, but also brings admirable knowledge of the animals.

During the safari we learned so much about the country, the people, the culture and of course the animals. Witson's many years of experience as a guide are clearly noticeable – he really knows his stuff! It was particularly impressive that he was willing to take quieter routes when we wished, which made the experience even more enjoyable.

I can only recommend Witson and Elefant-Tours most warmly! If you are planning a safari, you are in exactly the right place here!

Namibia travel report 2024: Fascination Namibia

On Saturday I flew to Windhoek with my 13-year-old goddaughter. The flight took a good 10 hours and we landed in Namibia's capital on Sunday morning. There Sam, our guide for the safari, picked us up and took us to the first lodge. In summary I can say that all the lodges were comfortable. Mostly they were individual houses spread village-style around the main building. The beds were comfortable, the bathroom clean and a small terrace invited you to relax. The food was also outstanding in all the lodges. Meat eaters find a broader range than vegetarians. There were three highlights on our safari: a boat trip from Walvis Bay, near Swakopmund, on which seals climbed onto the boat, pelicans let passengers stroke them and dolphins accompanied us.

The second highlight was the dunes of Sossusvlei. The deep blue sky and the reddish shimmering sand are simply overwhelming. The third highlight for me was Etosha Park. We spent three days there and saw loads of elephants, giraffes, zebras, springbok, jackals, ostriches and much more.

Our guide Sam led us competently through nature, and could point out individual animals to us that I would never have seen with the naked eye. He knew every waterhole in Etosha Park and was well connected with the other tour guides, so that we even saw four lions in total. Along the way he knew the best toilets, although it must not be forgotten that at times we were far from civilisation. Sam gave an informative answer to most questions, so that I increasingly got an impression of the particularities of the state of Namibia. Direct contact was arranged with the Herero and Damara.

I would like to especially emphasise the individual support. I have a slight walking disability and have to wear a breathing mask at night because of sleep apnoea. Only at a lodge in the mountains was there a brief power cut. Sam made sure I had the shortest way to the main house, he motivated me to go to my limits so that I would not miss unique insights into the surroundings, but also accepted when I felt overwhelmed. As we generally had to provide our own lunch, we visited a supermarket about every three days to stock up on water and food. The most strenuous part for me was the long car journeys from lodge to lodge, which were often supplemented by afternoon game drives. We had deliberately chosen an English-speaking tour guide and did not regret it. The group consisted of three Americans, one Briton, the two of us Germans and the Namibian guide. The group got on well. This is a summary of the 12 days and reflects only a part of the unforgettable experiences.

Ingrid Lohmann

We enjoyed 16 wonderful days through Namibia and Botswana to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, saw impressive landscapes and many animals. Every evening we looked forward to what great lodge was waiting for us. The lodges were mostly smaller and more personal, which we liked very much. We were surprised by the great menus at white-clothed tables by the fireplace or with a view of nocturnal visitors at the waterhole. At some lodges we would have loved to stay longer, e.g. Mushara Bush Camp or Malansrus Tented Camp! What a trip!

We were of course very lucky to be only 2 couples + our guide Victor, which meant he could take personal wishes into account and we had generous space in the jeep. We think this type of vehicle is very good in general, very robust, lots of space!

Thank you very much for the perfect planning, starting with Benjamin, who gave us an informative introduction! Our special thanks go to our guide Victor from Namibia-Experience, who accompanied us on this special trip and drove with great experience. Even through a sandstorm! We learned a lot about the country and its people, about plants and animals, and you can tell that he loves this country!

Conclusion: a great group with a super guide on a unique trip!

We will definitely recommend Elefant-Tours!

Best wishes

Dear Ms von Zelewski,

we are sitting in Voigtland Guest House right now and are unfortunately at the end of our Namibia trip. We had a fantastic two and a half weeks. All the accommodation was very good, much of it fantastic. Your planning was perfect.

So heartfelt thanks to you on behalf of the whole Brüggestrat family. Your advice is outstanding. Your patience with all my questions and the competent answers also impressed me greatly.

The world is too big to travel straight back to Namibia next year. But when we come back, it will most certainly be with your support.

Dear Ms Petersen.

We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your wonderful travel advice.

Even during the preparation for the Namibia trip we felt we were advised very competently and with real commitment.
You captured our individual needs excellently and put them into practice.
I am fascinated by how precisely fitting your selection was, even though we only knew each other from phone calls.
We would never have expected to stay in such wonderful places.

The first 2 days in Windhoek and the self-drive briefing were a relaxed start. We felt very comfortable at Villa Violet.

Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch Campsite impressed us enormously and exceeded our expectations.

At Little Sossus Campsite we enjoyed the relaxed and personal atmosphere. Here too, nothing was lacking.

Because of the humidity we were very glad of the holiday apartment "Atlantik Sicht" in Swakopmund.

Spitzkoppe Campsite enchanted us all. What an impressive place. We were really able to enjoy the vastness and the incredibly beautiful nature thanks to the peace and solitude at the pitch. The somewhat more basic infrastructure did not bother us at all.

We used our time at the Brandberg to relax by the pool and for an excursion to the desert elephants.

Vingerklip Lodge also surprised us enormously. We are very grateful for the many varied landscapes but also for the many different types of accommodation.

Everywhere we met very friendly staff. The evening at Eagle Nest was also a highlight.

With Etosha Trading Post we got to know another, completely different place. At night we heard the lions… incredible 😊
The proximity to Etosha suited us very well, as we drove a lot within the park.

Onguma Leadwood Campsite… we could have stayed here forever. A beautiful site, great activities but also time to relax, process the impressions and simply enjoy.

We also felt at home at Waterberg Guest Farm, but the "farewell pain" at leaving the rooftop tent was noticeable in all 4 of us.
It is also a lovely, authentic place.

Spending the last night in Windhoek was a good decision.

We can say nothing negative about Elegant Guesthouse, but compared with Villa Violet, Villa Violet stands out for us with its very personal and loving touch.

All the transfers you organised worked fabulously.

The way the travel documents were presented was very clear and helpful for us.

My husband jumped for joy the day after arrival when the drone licence arrived by email. At this point, thank you for the contact you arranged for us.

Our conclusion: we will be back.
Next time with Elefant-Tours again, too.

Many thanks from all of us.
It was an unforgettably beautiful experience,
Kira and Lilly, Enrico and Caterina Schliebe

We had booked our two-week small-group tour through Namibia with Elefant-Tours. There we were advised very well beforehand. Our concerns were addressed and questions answered promptly.

The trip was run by Namibia-Experience. To begin with, apart from a flat tyre and an engine that wouldn't start for a while, everything went superbly.

Namibia is a beautiful country and we would absolutely recommend this trip.

We were lucky with our travel group, which got on wonderfully. We were also very lucky with our guide, Jürgen Schatz. As a local he passed on a lot of knowledge about the country, people and nature, and added personal, mostly funny episodes from his everyday life. Jürgen enriched the trip with his commitment and his humour and we felt safe and well looked after at all times.

Thank you to everyone who made this trip unforgettable!

Sabine and Nadine.

Hello Ms von Zelewski

We have already been back from Namibia for a few days.

It was a really lovely trip, the landscape, the surroundings, so many different impressions, it was really great.

The accommodation you booked was also very good, we liked the smaller lodges very much, just as we had discussed.

Namtib Desert Lodge was special, we were lucky to be there alone that night and had a very lovely evening with Thorsten and Lynn, but all the other lodges were super lovely too: the two nights at Vreugde Farm with Elzie were warm, Elzie gave us a precise explanation of which animals we could see at which waterholes in Etosha Park, it was unique!

We would like to thank you once more for your planning and will recommend you, we liked everything very much, a pity that the meeting in Swakopmund didn't work out.

We hope you are well, warm regards from Münsterland…

Ulrike and Fred

Dear team around Ms Franke, dear Ms Franke,

once again, heartfelt thanks for your wonderful help in the run-up to the trip.

We were allowed to be the first and only guests at Karangoma Camp, so our every wish was fulfilled. Even a separate safari drive, where my friends were then lucky enough to watch wild dogs, elephant viewing with a special adrenaline rush and a good deal more. The animals at the camp are not yet used to visitors, which will surely change in future, which will then make viewing easier.

Setari Camp is a water-based camp, i.e. every day starts with a boat trip, which is unfortunately quite loud, but the guide spots animals… incredible… young croc, iguanas, birds, hippos, lechwe… a mokoro trip was a dream (without fear of hippos overturning the fibreglass boat, as side channels without crocs and hippos are chosen). However, 2 days there would really have been enough, unless you are a bird photographer 🙂

The last camp was in Linyanti… wonderfully located, about 2 hours' drive to the airstrip, as elephants had made the landing strip unusable. But that gave us our 3rd helicopter flight of approx. 10 minutes, which is simply great!! At this camp we were lucky enough to watch 2 lionesses with cubs… Wonderful!! And all on our own, without other vehicles. The accommodation, the staff, the guides, the food, everything was right.

Botswana is certainly worth a trip, even if more expensive than other parts of Africa!!!

If we go to Africa again, which I assume we will, then again with Ms Franke and Elefant-Tours!!

Many, many thanks!!!!!

While looking for an unforgettable trip to Africa, we came across the provider Elefant Tours. First we made a non-binding enquiry to get an overview. After only a short time we received a call to discuss our ideas for the trip further and find a suitable route. After a few days and small change requests to the first offer, the final offer was in front of us and already put us in a mood of first anticipation for our trip.

The booking process went smoothly, and we were also informed regularly about the status of processing. Before the trip we received plenty of information about travelling as a self-driver, which proved important during the trip. We could also view the itinerary via a mobile app, in which every day, every lodge and all recommendations for the trip were neatly and clearly presented.

After landing in Windhoek we collected the rental car and set off for the first lodge. Check-in was straightforward and we could recover from the journey.

Our trip first took us further south, via Bagatelle to the Fish River Canyon. The lodge at the Fish River Canyon was a highlight of the trip, the view from the pool into the canyon is priceless. Our next destination took us into the Namibian desert, a big contrast to the trip so far. The view over the dunes is priceless, but also very hot.

After a few days and several lodges in the desert, we drove on to Swakopmund, a lovely coastal town with a milder climate. The town is quiet and strongly shaped by German influences, and invites you to stroll.

Another highlight of the trip followed next, the drive to Etosha National Park. We explored the park for four days as self-drivers and drove out again each day with new impressions. The wildlife is impressive, new animals can be seen around every corner.

After our stay at Etosha National Park in various lodges, our trip ended after a stop at the Waterberg, after 19 days, back in Windhoek.

Throughout the entire trip we were hardly ever out of amazement. Everywhere we could watch animals, see incredible landscapes and take lovely excursions. We followed the recommendations we received at the start of the trip for the most part and were not disappointed. These include sunset drives, a drive through the canyon followed by a swim in the canyon, a boat tour to the seal colony and the pelicans, or self-drive trips to rock paintings or the world's largest meteorite.

We would do the trip again at any time and can draw on the impressions for a long time to come.

We have now slowly arrived back home, but the beautiful impressions of this trip will stay with us always.

The route and the accommodation you chose were great.

At every accommodation, the best room or tent was booked. Thank you for that. Really great.

Your super-quick rebooking after we no longer wanted to camp following the thunderstorm also worked superbly. With your dedication you gave us a wonderful holiday experience.

we are back safely in Austria and gained many unforgettable impressions on this trip.

Thank you very much for the planning, organisation, your patience and the service!

We have never had a travel agency with this quality of service and such extensive sources of information (app, advance planning, tips).

From the start we felt in the best hands and well advised with you – and this was confirmed on site too. The lodges and the campsites were flawless (except Okaukuejo, but we expected that).

The rain spared us – only at the airport on the flight home did the first proper thunderstorm catch us 🙂

The roads were also better than expected, and thanks to Sven's tips on the route we were able to avoid the worse tracks.

The route change via Savuti and Khwai definitely paid off – that section (despite the deep-sand track) was one of our absolute highlights!

First of all, many, many thanks to Mr Bernhard Forster!

The trip was an absolute hit and we were constantly amazed, and that doesn't even include the impressions of nature, people and animals!

So, always happy to do it again!

Many thanks to Elefant-Tours and Africa Experience for an unforgettable trip!

I have just returned from the two-week small-group tour "South Africa's South Intensive" and could not be happier! Everything simply fitted! The accommodation was all beautiful with fantastic locations, so saying goodbye was hard every time.

The itinerary offered incredible variety and lots of experiences – big city, sea, semi-desert, wildlife viewing – but it was still relaxed and you never felt rushed. It was great that we spent two nights almost everywhere. Ten stars go to our guide, Uli Glatz, who made the trip something very special! Uli is such a warm-hearted person, to whom it was always important that we were all doing well. He fulfilled many wishes on the side and always had small surprises up his sleeve. He also passed on a great deal of knowledge about the country and its people and made sure we felt completely carefree.

The group was made up of different age groups and we all got on wonderfully.

Many thanks also to Henning Meyer for the warm advice before the trip! I am sure it was not my last trip with Elefant-Tours…

It was an incredible trip, we felt very well understood from day one. Simon, our guide, was very nice and could tell us a lot about Kenya. He was very fond of animals!

The moment we saw the first animal is hard to describe. It is certain that this was not our last trip to Africa! The lodges were very clean – everyone friendly and helpful.

Can recommend it exactly as it is. In my private circle there have already been one or two enquiries about the trip.

Here's to seeing you again soon and planning the next trip 🧳

The trip was well planned by Larissa Walter. I would have a trip planned by Elefant-Tours again at any time – thank you.

The self-drive briefing by Sven Schmidt in Windhoek was super good and very much needed – thank you here too.

We would like to thank you most warmly!!!
We had a wonderful trip through Namibia and every day was something very special!

Many thanks also for the choice of accommodation! We particularly liked Elegant Desert Camp, Melansrus Camp and Otjohozu Farm… small, a little luxury and individual.
At Mushara Lodge we had by far the best dinner.
Only Etosha Safari Lodge was far too big for us.

We had really great experiences, met nice people and are sure this was not the last time in Namibia or in the neighbouring countries.

From the advice and booking by Mr Forster to the last day of our trip, everything worked wonderfully. We were very lucky to be only three with our guide!

A cheerful group with a great guide, all getting on superbly. Thank you Sidney for shaping this exciting, eventful and unforgettable trip for us.

Thanks to your motivation and knowledge, no question was left unanswered.

The design of the trip with the spots visited was very well chosen.

It was great fun – we are fascinated by South Africa!

THANK YOU

I had also been meaning to write you an email and tell you how wonderful the holiday was: everything worked really well and above all was brilliantly organised!

It couldn't have been better, and especially for our needs you really found the perfect combination of action, relaxation, pure nature or even the occasional more luxurious campsite.

Thank you very much for your help and the great organisation.