Our Safaris

Wild Dog Safaris is the premier budget-safari company in Namibia. Our office and workshop has the advantage of  many years of experience in the tourism industry and our policy has always been to run high quality safaris at a reasonable price. All trips are run with a maximum of 14 people.

• These trips are an inexpensive option to see the highlights of Namibia but still with comfort. We provide good quality equipment, three meals a day with an enjoyable evening dinner around the campfire – we place a strong emphasis on our bush cuisine.
• Most of the safaris will use our  Toyota Dyna 14 seater vehicles with pop-tops. The vehicles have modified seating for more leg room and there are large windows for game viewing. The pop-tops are great for photographing game. Smaller groups may travel in either a minibus or double cab or similar. The tents are dome type which are easy to assemble, your mattresses are approximately 5cm thick and everyone has a camp-chair with a backrest.
• Group participation. There is very limited participation on the trips. Group participation is limited to putting your own tent up and down as your guide and assistant are there to most of the other jobs.
• All safaris will be conducted in English.
• Clients are limited to one soft bag per person with a maximum weight of 15kg. This does not include camera equipment. Dust can be a problem for cameras, zip camera bags are a good idea.
• Clothing and Footwear recommendations: t-shirts and long-sleeved shirt; shorts / skirts; longtrousers / slacks; tracksuit; underwear and socks; swimming costume; comfortable walking shoes; soft hat; good quality sunglasses; during winter, (May to August) a warm jacket or mid layer (fleece or wool) – for cool nights and early morning gamedrives. Camera, film & binoculars; personal toiletries; torch; visas (if required); basic medical kit to include suntan lotion, insect repellent, malaria tablets; water-bottle. During the summer months, (Nov. to April) we would expect rain so a lightweight waterproof jacket is a good idea.
• We suggest a sleeping bag range of “3-4 season”. These can be supplied by prior arrangement for a cost of N$10.00 per day.
• Please arrange your own travel insurance for medical cover / loss of luggage / curtailment of holiday due to sickness etc.
• Visas and Permits: See “About Namibia”
• Namibia’s dry climate is very healthy! There are very few of the health problems in Namibia that are experienced elsewhere in Africa. Always consult your own doctor for malaria prophylactics. There is no risk in the south of Namibia, low risk around Waterberg and high risk in the northern regions.
• Tap water throughout the areas you will visit is clean to drink. This applies to all campsites, hotels and restaurants. Drinking water is always available from the vehicle.
• The Namibian Dollar (N$) is pegged to the SouthAfrican Rand (SAR)and is not an exchangeable currency out of the country .We would recommend bringing SA Rand. There is also a bank available at the airport, on arrival in Windhoek.

Other important information

Have Your Say

At the end of your safari your guide will hand you an evaluation form. We encourage you to complete and return it to your guide or a representative of the company. You only need to complete your name and details if you choose to. Please remain anonymous if you prefer. We study the forms and do value your comments, both complimentary or otherwise.

A Little Extra

If you feel that your guide or assistant have really gone the extra mile to make your safari a truly memorable experience, our tipping guideline for both guides and assistants is approximately N$30.00 to N$40.00 per assistant/guide, per client, per day of safari. Its probably easiest if you work as a group on this and collect two separate amounts in two envelopes. This avoids unnecessary complications for the guide and assistant when they try and decide what their share is!

Please remember that tipping is at your own discretion and the above is just a guideline. Tipping is only if you feel your crew deserve it.

Cheers

Tap water in Namibia is either purified or comes directly from boreholes and is therefore safe to drink. We supply drinking water from the tap, but bottled mineral water is readily available at shops and restcamps should you prefer it. On the rare occasion that tap water is unsafe to drink, your guide will always advise the group before you arrive in the area.

Lion’s Lunch

It is forbidden to leave the vehicle in Etosha National Park unless you are in camp or other designated area. Your guide will advise.

Skeleton Coast

The whole length of Namibia’s coastline is known as the Skeleton Coast. Please don’t mistake this for the Skeleton Coast National Park. Our trips visit the Skeleton Coast, where we see a Cape Fur Seal colony but we do not have enough time to travel further north to the National Park. We can arrange trips to this Park but you need an extra 3- 4 days and be prepared to fly in.

What’s Goin On?

Every evening, usually at dinner time, your guide will brief you on the next day’s journey and the activities which will be available. This is also the best time to ask questions.

Dedicated Followers of Fashion

If you like the uniforms worn by our staff, you can purchase any of our branded clothing at the Windhoek office.

Creepy Crawlies

Our tents are 100% bug proof, but only when they are closed. It is your tent for the duration of the trip, and it is up to you to make sure that you do not have any uninvited guests in the middle of the night.

Guarantee

All our scheduled safaris will run with a minimum of two clients. If you are the first client to book, please don’t be concerned, it is very unusual for us to cancel a trip because we rarely have one booking. Our consultants will keep you notified as to the situation with future bookings and will confirm your trip as soon as the second person books.

Middle (not muddle) nights accommodation

On our combination trips we include the middle night’s accommodation in a Windhoek guesthouse. If you do not know where you are staying in between the different sections of your safari, ask your guide to check to avoid any confusion.

Many partings

At the end of the safari your guide will drop you anywhere within the city limits of Windhoek. We can arrange airport transfers but please make sure you give us prior notice.

Paparazzi

We are always on the look-out for fresh promotional photographs. If you have good shots, please feel free to share them with us, its always appreciated.

Weather to camp

Camping safaris are one of the best and most economical ways to see Africa and the climate in Namibia is usually fantastic for camping. On occasion though, the weather conditions in Namibiacan become adverse, with heavy rain, strongwinds, hot sun or cold winters that can make life under canvas a challenging experience. Camping in the bush is not the same as sleeping in a hotel, and we can be thankful for that, (99% of the time).

Personal

Your personal belongings, including valuables, are just that, they belong to you! Please take care of them, don’t leave them lying around where they might vanish and make sure that you have everything with you when you leave the trip. They are yours, and yours to replace if they are lost.

Zippered

The zips on our tents are the heaviest duty you buy, and most of the time they work perfectly. The problem with a zip is that you get no warning when it is going to fail, and occasionally during a trip, one will break. We check all the zips after each trip but Namibia’s dry and dusty climate is hard on zippers, so we would like to request your understanding if you discover a “dodgy” zip on your tent.

Be safe, not sorry

Travel insurance is compulsory for people travelling on our safaris and we place the onus on our clients to make sure that they are adequately insured. It is also important to realise that should you need to make a claim on your policy, (for medical expenses for example), it is most likely that you will personally have to pay any bills up front, at the time the service is provided. You will then have to make a claim against your insurance company, when you get home. With this fact in mind we recommend to all our clients that they have enough funds available to cover any unexpected costs. Usually the best way to do this is to carry a credit card with a sufficient credit limit.

Visas

It is the responsibility of clients to ensure that passports, visas or other travel documents are valid for the duration of their stay in Namibia and other areas included in tours, and the company will entertain no complaints related to invalid travel documentation. In the event that a client does not possess the necessary documentation to enter an area or country on the tour, the company reserves the right to request the client to disembark from the tour at the point of entry to such areas or countries. Should such a case ensue, the company will not be liable for providing further travel arrangements.

If you are travelling on our 8 day Delta and Vic Falls trip, please check the visa cost for entering Zambia. This is to be paid at the border crossing and they will require US$. If you have a passport that requires you to obtain a visa to enter Namibia or Botswana, please make sure this is a multiple entry visa because this trip will enter Namibia and Botswana more than once.

Health and Personal Safety

The client should be in a reasonably fit, physical condition, before joining a tour. You are advised to contact your doctor for advice regarding anti-malaria and other medical precautions well in advance of your departure for Namibia. Tours offered by the company cover widely diverse areas with regards to climate and natural environment. Neither the company, its employees nor its agents can be held responsible for any injury or related incidents which occur during the course of a safari.