My guides were spectacular! The truck we travelled in was very comfortable. I did a three week camping package, and our cook went out of her way to get local food in each area and teach us all about it - she worked miracles with just camping equipment.
We decided really spontaneous that we will go to Namibia with Nomad and went there without any expectations. We did a lot of such tours on our travels so far but this one just surprised us every day. It was the best organized tour with amazing food and a timing that was just unbelieveably well planned.
The Truck was really cool and retro, everything that you need has it's place in it :) It even carrys a whole kitchen, dining "room" and homes for 22 people ;)
We enjoyed sleeping in the comfortable tents, the campsites were even better than the ones we know from Austria.
But we have to say: the best things are the experiences you make :D We loved hiking the sand dunes, seeing lots of wild animals really close to our truck at the Safari in Etosha, it was amazing to swim in orange river and to see the beautiful sunrises and sunsets over canyons and all the other great landscapes of Namibia.
And we have to recommend: Try the skydive... even it sounds scary in the beginning ;) As they used to say... it's the most fun you can have without taking your clothes off :D
We were lucky with our group of people because everyone had the same kind of humor and so we really had a lot of fun while travelling with this people and Roy (the truck), Mbusi (the driver) and Maurice ( the chef), and we can just say.... thank you Nomad for this amazing experience and thank you that you showed us so much of beautiful Namibia.... WE LOVED IT!!!
Beautiful tour of Namibia from 4 to 16 November, all perfect, the comfortable truck that made long distances acceptable, the guides and drivers always available to improve the program and our needs, always kind and smiling! Thanks to Norman, Alie, Gertie and Para!
Bad organization. Planned parts paid, therefore, degradation of hotels. No compensation. False information. We had a group of 12 people and there were 4 different programs. Bad guide. Nature is obviously beautiful, but that was something that fortunately does not have to be organized via NOMAD. We also had a good driver. Were deposited at the wrong hotel the first night and was not corrected. Could run. Can not recommend it. Going around southern Africa, but choose a different organization!
Good and pleasant guides (like JJ and Eduan), good driver. JJ knows a lot about everything
We had an amazing time on our recent trip from Cape Town to Vic Falls with Keith and Clever.
My partner and I recently came back from a 30 day Nairobi to Joburg tour with Nomad and we loved every minute of it! We did the camping tour but within the 30 days, we spent 3 nights in two lovely hotels in Zanzibar and 2 nights in a 4/5 star hotel in Victoria Falls, all included in the price. Our guides Norman and Servius were just amazing! They never stopped working, whether it be guiding, driving or cooking and yet they were always so happy to help and always happy. We saw some amazing things and never wanted to leave, and now we are already talking about potentially returning soon.
I recently traveled with Nomad Tours in Uganda. It was my first time with Nomad and I did not know what to expect. While the itineraries are great and the sites wonderful, I was very disappointed in their communication. I chose the accommodated tour not knowing that it meant we would stay in hotels. I assumed we were staying in permanent tent camps and needed to bring a sleeping bag because there would not be bedding. In all the communications I read about what to pack, etc. never once did it clarify that if you choose the accommodated trip I did not need a sleeping bag. I purchased one and carried it in my bag the whole trip. There were several other members of my tour that did the same thing. The bloody sleeping bag took up 1/4 of my bag and was a completely unnecessary purchase. Furthermore, we were told to refer to our itineraries so we would know where we were going and would be prepared. Many people on the trip had different itineraries. Finally, I joined the tour in Kampala having traveled by bus from Niarobi and then learned that I could have joined the group in Niarobi when I was there saving me the time and hassle of booking buses and waiting around between tours. I had mentioned i would be in Niarobi to the person i was emailing and even asked her for help booking my travel to Kampala. Not once did she suggest I join the group I would travel with Nomad again, especially now knowing how they work, but I really do suggest they re-write their list pre-travel lists to be more clear and encourage them to work on customer communication skills.
It was not a good idea to book a large tour with Nomad (Namibia, Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls). Too much time in the truck, mostly lousy accommodations, modest food, and for the much too high price offered.
Once and never again.
What a great tour!! Garden Route travel is the sole aim of many tourists visiting South Africa. Garden Route tours will show you the beauty, culture and wildlife of the area. Take a look at Garden Route Tours with Nomad Tours for the trip of a lifetime. Loved it!
Perfect guides, drivers and help! Nice trucks take you in to Africa.
We booked a Kruger Safari tour which got canceled almost 3 months ahead of the tour start. The reason stated was that only 2 people registered so far and in order to do the tour they request a minimum of 4 people joining. They did not believe that 2 more people would register within the next 3 months. Combined with the fact that we booked the tour with a 30% discount from Black Friday we strongly believe that the operator simply didn t want us to get this deal. Which business cancels a tour 3 months ahead of time if only 2 people are missing? Luckily we still have enough time to book a tour with an operator who is happy to have us on board. I can not recommend this operator.
Siama, Costa and Adam made my tour of Namibia beyond fantastic. I felt part of their family every day. They provided an encyclopedia of interesting facts about Namibia and the sites we visited. I highly recommend them and Nomad for being astute enough to hire them.
One important thing that everyone traveling through Nomad African Adventure should know is that they, "reserve the right to cancel a trip at any time and for any reason." Two months before my trip, Nomad cancelled my tour and refunded my deposit. I had already purchased flights though and had to spend a fortune to change them --- this was money that I didn't have. In an email, they had told me that this tour was booked and definitely going and so I was super upset when they cancelled.
Their policies say the following: "The Company reserves the right, at any time and for any reason, to cancel the tour on notice to the client. In such event, the Company shall refund the tour price (which includes for the avoidance of doubt, the non-refundable deposit) to the client. It is recorded that refund of the tour price as aforesaid shall be the Company s sole responsibility to the client, and no claim for any damages, howsoever arising, shall accrue against the Company by reason of a cancellation of the tour.
I have just spent the last 7 days with Nomad on their Uganda Gorilla trek tour.
Personally if this is your first trip to the continent and you want to see some of the big highlights but don t have your own transport I think this is a really great option. It is a bit of a whirlwind tour, so afterwards you will feel a bit exhausted from the very early rises and some long days in the car. In fact you will be very exhausted so be prepared if you, like me, like your early morning sleep in s.
Realistically the same sites that everyone comes here to see are the same distances no matter what mode you use to get there. If you don t want to deal with driving yourself (I do prefer driving myself BUT it will include cop stops, goats, the same bad roads ect so you better have your paperwork pristine and keep awake) or you don t want to use the public transport (which will NOT include lunch stops and perhaps space to spread out if the bus is not packed) then this is one very stress free way to do it.
Also hold onto your knockers because it a lot of the roads are going to be incredibly bumpy. Because the vehicles are large you do feel a lot more of the bumps, sit at the front if you can. Again those bumps are there no matter what vehicle you take, I ve done some of the roads in a Toyota corolla and that was terrifying. Food: It s pretty basic, you are not going to get gourmet dining here, but it s a budget tour. I personally could have done with a lot less of the sandwiches at lunch, but Norman our guide really went out of his way to change stuff up for us as best as his budget would allow. We were a very amicable group and everyone pitched in with cleaning and helping out so we had a lot more free time to sit around and relax if we needed it.
Camping: Like it said on the brochure it s a camping tour. There is the option always to upgrade, and if I had the cash to spare I might have once or twice to avoid having to carry tents up and down some big hills in the campsite in lake Bunyoni. Be warned of those hills they are quite a workout, and I am not saying that lightly. Tents are decent sized and pretty spacious inside and while we were in Queen Elizabeth park they had great ventilation, which was needed as it was super hot. Lake Bunyoni has a spectacular campsite while the Queen Elizabeth site is not the best so If you want to save cash for an upgrade this is the spot to do it.
Money: I had the odd dollar with me, but pretty much just used Ugandan shillings to pay for everything-which I drew out on the road as we went along. If you are mastercard try Barkleys or Standard- visa, just check for the logo on the inside of the atms . Sometimes they do run out of money after pay day or towards the end of the week, so make sure to draw out where you can- especially before you get to lake Bunyoni, as there are no atms close by. It s Uganda not the sticks; you don t need wads of dollars to get around.
If you are reasonably fit, like camping and want to see a lot of the big highlights in a short period of time, while being catered for to a certain degree then this would be worth your time. What I would suggest doing is ask a lot of questions and get some clarity around what are/are not optional extras to avoid confusion or disappointment.
Do your homework, bring a friend, be realistic about what you are getting and what you are not and make sure that this kind of budget travel suites your needs and you will have a really great time.
Oh wow, Mykonos CTFM, great service, excellent menu, food out of this world, magic venue
Love these guys. The tour I did was perfect in terms of pace and value for money. Everyone was super friendly. Would definitely recommend trying them out.
Awesome place. Greate vibe!!! Perfect christmas evening.
You MUST come visit our new offices on Castle Street in Cape Town! You will feel like you have just stepped into the Namib Desert... Promise ;-) come see for yourselves!
Fabulous experience with Nomad tours in Southern Africa. The overland truck was comfy, spacious and thing of a genius! Our Guide, Saima, was amazing - she was a wonderful cook and had an eagle eye when it came to spotting animals. Vincent was professional and confident driver who was also a wonderful guy to be around - funny and helpful. From the first moment to the very last everything was well organised, safe, it felt like being with a family with a lot of laughs as well. I will definitely choose them in the future for my African travels.
Nomad Adventure Tours were brilliant to travel with. I went on a trip up the West Coast with Nomad and found their crew to be extremely knowledgeable and professional as well as friendly and fun! The chef's cooking was amazing (best pot bread I've ever tasted) and the overland truck driver stuck to the speed limit and made us all feel super safe. I'd definitely recommend Nomad Adventure Tours to those interested in travelling through Africa on a budget.
This is a must. They have a package for any part of Africa
I have now done more than one tour at Nomad and honestly, it was really nice, the guides made the tour a great trip.
I was all the more shocked when I found out more and more how Nomad deals with his employees:
Those who don't work don't get any money. For example, if employees want to take a week-long break after a three-week tour where they work continuously, and after that week there is no tour nearby, they cannot earn money for several weeks. This often forces them to work through for weeks. If they get sick on the tour, tehy have to pay for everything themself, doctor, medicine and there is no way to stop working.
If they stay in one of the nomad logs until the next tour, they have to pay for all food themself and also to get somewhere to buy food. If they want to go home, they have to pay for the way themself. In the lodge in Johannesburg, employees live in containers in summer and winter and are not allowed to go in the tourist area. They are also not allowed to eat there after and before the tour.
If a spoon / mug etc. is lost during the tour, the responsible employee must pay this. If a chair breaks or one of the partially really old tents - the employee pays for it.
This association is run by a white man and I find the way he treats his employees reminiscent of earlier bad times.
Dear Nomad, if you want to find out which guides I did the tour with: don't bother, this is not my real name, you will not find out who I got this information from.
nomadtours.co.za
