Please sign in to post.
Rick Steves Holiday Sale: 20% Off Storewide

Botswana & Namibia tour operators and guides

Posted by (Seattle) on

I'm looking for recommendations for tour operators in these areas for a trip in Jan/Feb 2026 (yes, it's coming right up).
We're looking for something mid range (not sleeping bags, not luxury), good value with knowledgable guides. Probably not a self drive. I understand it's the rainy season in each country.

What would we like to see? Namibia: dark sky areas, Red Dunes, rock art, cultural and indigenous experiences, Etosha NP (game viewing). Botswana: Okavango Delta, cultural and indigenous experiences, game viewing. Zimbabwe: Victoria Falls.

Here are operators we've run across and have reviewed their websites. Looking for comments on any or all of these from folks who have used them:
-Nomad Africa
-OAT (Outdoor Adventure Travel)
-Namibia Tours and Safaris

Thanks.

Posted by
887 posts

You are cutting it pretty close. I highly recommend Not taking a tour but, instead, using the services of a safari planner who can arrange everything from your lodges to your transfers, etc. All of my trips to Southern Africa (but not Namibia) have been planned by Liesl Matthews of SOTHERN DESTINATIONS.com, in CapeTown. She can find you accommodations within your budget and do a ll the rest, and she is a delight to work with.

Linking those two countries may cost you quite a bit in airfares; if budget is a concern you may wish to concentrate on one country or the other.

https://www.southerndestinations.com

Posted by
2509 posts

I was in Tanzania in September 2024. Our tour operator was Caracal Tours and Safaris and our guide was the owner, Ben. He was just great.

A friend is traveling right now in Namibia with her favorite guide, Marc, of Nature Travel Namibia. Here's her description of him:

As far as Marc as a guide, he is fabulous. His mom is about our age and he treats her with great love and respect and that respect, along with helping us with luggage, etc., he carries over to his clients. He's the fellow who was raised in the Joburg zoo until his dad started working for Jane Goodall and moved the family really close to Kruger. Kruger became his playground when he was about 15.

Posted by
6342 posts

I’d also suggest using an Africa specialist to put together a trip at your price point.

Back in 2003, we used Bert Duplessis at Fish Eagle Safaris to put together a trip to Cape Town and Botswana. In Botswana, I particularly loved our time in the Okavango Delta and at Mashatu. While it has been a while, his company is still in business and still family run. For our trip, he arranged all the stays and all the transfers between the camps (by air). Some were commercial flights and two were on small 12 seater planes. Everything went very smoothly.
https://fisheaglesafaris.com/

Add Reply

Please do not reply to violations of our Community Guidelines.