Hiking in the Namib Desert
Would you be interested in a hike in Namibia? Are you interested in a more active vacation in Namibia? Well as you probably know by now there are not many companies that cater to this.
Kayla
I will simply say that my trip with Wild Cherry Adventures was outstanding. It was more than a dream come true; it was like a dream that was occurring in front of me.
Chad seemed to have the magic touch, because we managed to see all the animals we could have expected and some we didn’t. He was patient, helpful and was a really good listener. He truly loves this country and this geography; as he said, Namibia makes sense to him, and that realization really enhanced the tour. He loved seeing these wonders unfold as much as we did.
Desmond was awesome. He remained in the camp, prepared the meals and the sleeping arrangements, and had wonderful localized advice. If there was a mysterious noise in the middle of the night, he would tell you exactly what it was in the morning. I really liked him, and was invaluable to our experience.
The park was both expansive and compact. I will explain. The permanent campground (Wild Cherry is the only tour company that offers this) is surrounded with everything one would need. A charging station for your camera batteries and electronics. A food vendor, bathroom facilities, a restaurant, and for the hotter afternoons a swimming pool. But for me what made the location incredible, were the vantage points at perimeter of the camp. Firstly, at the southwest corner of the camp is a hidden and unmarked observational gem. Basically you are standing in shaded bush, but you can watch very closely as all the animals pass only metres in front of you on their way to the water hole. If you are patient and quiet, they won’t even notice you. Of course, the Water Hole is a sight too. At any given moment, 24 hours a day, you will see a parade of coexisting animals quenching their thirst. The elephants were the big showboats, and the rhinos seemed to be nocturnal.
So that is the element of the ‘Etosha Dream’ that is in your control. Once you get in the back of the truck, Chad had a pretty instinctual sense of where to go. A viewing platform above the truck sits nine people, and comes with comfortable seating and blankets for the cold mornings (we went in August). The roads wind endlessly through the massive park, and from your vantage point you can observe from higher up. This allows you to see giraffes poke their heads up curiously, and Gnus, Zebras, Impala, and Springboks weaving through the landscape.
With Wild Cherry’s 3D/2N tour you get to have two morning and two evening game rides. We seemed to see more animals in the evening, but our rarer sightings (lions, hyenas, and leopards) were all in the morning. And in between, the water hole is always at your disposal in camp. Basically, if you really wanted to, you could be observing animals 24 hours a day. Just don’t miss Desmond’s meals. He has mastered hearty food on the barbecue.
My experience with Wild Cherry was wonderful. Things were done at a very comfortable pace and the itinerary was ideal. Etosha is a quiet and epic place, and the employees at this company embrace that spirit on the game rides. A little information is given, but there is a joy in the quiet wonder shared by everyone. Chad, Sedney, and Desmond really want you to enjoy your experience. And with Chad at the wheel you are going to find unbelievable moments.
I had an unforgettable experience. I will be sure to recommend Wild Cherry if any friends or family end up in Namibia.
~ Mica
We found Wild Cherry Adventures by coincidence and guess what, best coincidence ever! From the very beginning of our trip these guys were extremely supportive and provided us with everything what we needed for our tailor made tour. We had booked our flight tickets just 2 weeks before we came to Windhoek and during this time, because of Chad’s help, we managed to apply for a visa and received it without any problem.
After we had arrived everything was on time. Chad picked us from the airport, took us to his guesthouse (Cardboard Box Hostel, Windhoek) for a quick shower and then we started our tour to Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Brandberg and Etosha National Park.
Quite long drive in short time, but Chad did everything to make it nice and easy. All campsites that we slept on were very good or even spectacular (Etosha NP). Food was quite basic for breakfast and lunch, but food from bush fire made by Chad for a dinner, OMG. We ended our tour with Chad in Etosha NP where Sedney was our guide. We liked him from the beginning because this is the kind of guy who cannot be disliked. Seriously.
Furthermore, everyday we saw rhinos and lions (even fighting with each other), because he knows this part of Etosha very well. We can see that these guys work really hard to give you the best product for this amount of money. For all of these reasons I give them 5 stars and wish them good luck in this business.
~ Tomasz
My boyfriend and I went on the Etosha safari tour and stayed for 3 days and 2 nights. We slept in a tent under the stars at the camp. They do have accommodation on the same location but we strongly recommend to get the full experience to sleep in a tent, you get to hear the lions roar at night. I have to say that it was an amazing feeling to hear, in the middle of the night, the king of the jungle (plains) roar and marking his territory.
We saw life at it’s finest. The calm interactions with all of the animals at the water holes. And our guide Chad whom you could ask anything, he seemed like the “all knowing”. He has been in the business for about 25 years so he knows what he is talking about. We also had 3 meals a day and sat together as a family. Electricity is easily accessed just outside the tents.
August is a really good time to go safari in Namibia because nothing is green yet and you can really see the animals. There was also a watering hole just by the camp that was lit up at night so you can sit there for as long as you want and just gaze at the wonderful thing we call life. And also a good time to see the rhinos. We highly recommend this tour!!
~ Sarah
I had an amazing time on the three day Sossusvlei safari. Our guide was really friendly and knowledgeable, giving us lots of interesting information throughout the trip. Everything was well organized and we even got woken up before dawn to make sure we were on time to catch the sunrise from the top of Dune 45. Had a great day exploring the National Park and taking thousands of photos. The food provided was delicious and more than enough for everyone. Our guide was really considerate of me being a vegetarian. Our group was quite small which was nice and we had fun chatting around the campfire in the evenings. Think the trip is great value for money too! Have already recommended Wild Cherry to friends visiting Namibia.
~ Tamsin
Netherlands/UK
Life changing trip. I had the best trip to Namibia and the highlight was absolutely my trip with Wild Cherry Adventures. Everything was well planned and met my expectations. My tour guide, Sedney was the best! He made sure we were all comfortable and happy and having fun. You will be very lucky if you get to travel with him!
~ Rachel
United States
Amazing tour of Sossusvlei. I had such a great time on my tour of the desert with Wild Cherry Adventures. We were a relatively small group and we had so much fun with our very competent and cool guide Sedney. The cook got in an accident, so we only had our guide Sedney on the trip, who can cook a great meal on his own anyways. Everything went so well on this trip and we all became good friends.
Honestly this was one of the best trips I have ever been on. The desert was amazing and we got great instruction from Sedney about walking up the dunes and dealing with the desert. It was a truly amazing time exploring the beautiful Namib desert and I could not have asked for a friendlier and more helpful tour guide. This guy really loves his job and is happy to work with anybody and accommodate anything you could ask for. It was well worth the money.
~ Jesse T
Visiting Deadvlei & Sossusvlei has been on my bucket list for a long time. Wild Cherry Adventures helped me tick that off in the best possible way.
~ Clive
Australia
We had an awesome safari. The Namib desert is just beautiful and Sedney is an awesome guide and cook.
~ Lin
South Korea
Our group was really fun. Everything like the tents, food and vehicle were great. Especially the steaks. We loved the sunrise on Dune 45.
~ Lee & Incho
Japan