trip to Namibia

can anybody recommend a good tour operator in Namibia? I am a 'solo' traveller (woman) and I don't know whether it is convenient to rent a car or join a group. thanks for help

We used Cardboard Box to book our self drive and for my mother to book a tour. We were all extremely satisfied.

thanks. I have heard about this tour operator. Are they very expensive? Did they join a tour or else? thanks for your time and help

sorry I have just noticed that you booked yourselves for a self drive while your mother had booked a tour. Are they very expensive? thanks

Expensive is a relative term. What is expensive for one person isn't for another. They offer a variety of options. Part of it depends if you want to camp or stay in lodges. They offer both options on their tours. We were staying in lodges (my wife isn't the camping type) and they booked everything for us. I would check out the options on their website which gives description and rates.

I really think the self-drive and the tour ended up being pretty close in price for what we each got.

thanks for help.

Try Discover Namibia, Krazy Kudu, Wild Dog, Chameleon, Kunene, Wild about Africa, (Avis, Budget) etc etc.

Personally, I would prefer a tour to driving by myself unless I knew the roads well. It is really really sparsely-populated, even though the roads are good.

Driving by myself, I would be worried about getting punctures and waiting days for help to come along. Not what you want on a holiday.

Just got back from Namibia and South Africa. I'd recommend you consider a tour for Namibia over doing it yourself. The country is big and aside from the road from Windhoek to Etosha, most are just gravel. It is quite empty once you leave towns/tourist sites (2 millions people spread over an area bigger than France and Texas). As Peterscot said, a tire puncture or a car problem and you can wait a whole day for help to arrive (mobile reception is quite good even in middle of empty desert).

Check Gap Adventures (I toured Namibia with them) or Nomad Tour (big operator in Africa) for tour options. Etosha and Namib Desert are the 2 sites to see. If you're focusing on those two, I'd consider flying into Windhoek and do those 2 separately from the capital, then you can go see Swakopmund on your own (excellent place to taste Namibian oysters).

http://www.nomadtours.co.za/index.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/youngadventure/sets/72157625578378522/

Edited by: getyoung

I did a trip with Wild Dog in 2008 and was very happy. They don't charge single supplements so it would be great for a solo traveler.

I can also recommend the Cardboard Box Backpackerhostel and Touristoffice. The service is excelent and you will meet a lot of other solo travelers.
Enjoy your trip. osprey