Blog Voyage - Félix's recommendations for an exceptional safari in Namibia

To learn more about the wonderful country of Namibia, we asked a few questions to our specialist safari partner in Namibia.

Can you introduce yourself in a few words?

My name is Félix and it’s been 15 years since I moved to Namibia. I have always worked in tourism by working for two or three travel agencies and then I decided to open my own agency. My passion for the environment and my different encounters made me want to propose trips in the service of the preservation of the environment. I want to offer more authenticity to travelers with less conventional circuits. I have also been a guide for many years and now more specialized in wildlife documentaries. I am also involved in environmental projects for the preservation of desert lions and also for reptiles. I am a “snake catcher” registered with the municipality, so if people have snakes at home, they call me to relocate. I also manage an NGO in addition to my tourism activities.

What circuits do you offer in Namibia?

I like circuits that go off the beaten tracks, adventure circuits where people are brought to rub shoulders and to experiment something other than purely tourist products. I will encourage them to use accommodations that are related to local communities to meet people. These are not classic village tours, I want to put travelers in touch with local guides to see things they could not see on their own. I strongly insist that travelers make double nights at each place, I want to focus on quality over quantity. Rather than doing too much and badly, I prefer to do less and better to better immerse myself and better understand the environment in Namibia. The 4×4 trips in Namibia proposed follow the concept of responsible tourism. Land journeys made are compensated by tree planting on Namibian territory. The trip is pleasant for the traveler but is also beneficial and useful for the country.

What can you tell us about Namibia?

To make the most of a 4×4 raid in Namibia, it takes about 12 days or two weeks on site. There is so much to see in Namibia that you can go there several times without seeing the same thing. It is a country where the return rate is high, travelers like to come back because it is very pleasant. Travelers are autonomous and do not feel at risk. Namibia is almost twice as big as France and has nearly 2 million inhabitants. It leaves a lot of room for nature. Only 5% of the territory is landscaped, the nature is extremely gross. In addition to being preserved, the nature is very varied since one passes from the Atlantic Ocean to the deserts of sand, the savannah with the wild animals to the rivers with boat rides, crocodiles and hippopotamuses. It is a country where we live outside. It’s sunny 320 days a year and it rains very little. Everything is oriented towards nature and wildlife. These are simple pleasures that we live every day: lunch in front of a river in the company of elephants, drink an aperitif in the evening near a water point with antelopes. We are cutting a little technology and the pace a bit infernal Western countries. We prefer to live quality moments by meeting with nature and with the people we travel with.

What to put in his suitcase for a 4×4 trip to Namibia?

The travelers will surely be very hot but also very cold. We must plan for light business, a hat, a windbreaker, business a little warmer for the evening and binoculars to be able to observe the animals of the savannah.

What are the must-haves of Namibia?

The must-see places to discover on a Namibian safari are Etosha National Park, the Atlantic Coast and its incredible marine life with sea lions, dolphins and whales. There are also the Sossusvlei dunes which are part of the highest dunes in the world, recognizable by their orange color.

As an individual, what is your favorite place in Namibia?

We have just talked about the essentials but there are also places a little more secret in Namibia. In the northwestern part of the country, there are uncrowded corners that are quite incredible, in terms of landscapes, animals and culture.

Do you have anecdotes to tell us about Namibia?

Going on a safari in Namibia is such an immersion in nature that we sometimes forget that nature is queen and that it is the environment that controls everything. A few months ago, during one of my tours, I left my shoes outside and a lioness came to eat them. I found my shoe in the mouth of the lioness. I was able to recover with small holes, she is collector now! He therefore think that nature is incredible, above us and that we must adapt to it. It is a lesson of humanity so the man needs a lot right now.

Do you have any advice for future travelers to Namibia?

You have to be ready to drive because they are great distances to travel but it is not a course from A to B. Each step of a Namibian safari is a journey in itself with changes of landscapes, animals, views. Doing a step is an activity and an adventure in itself. You have to be ready to drive 2500 or even 3500 kilometers in a fortnight, but that’s not at all boring. It’s part of the game, it’s a road trip! It is necessary to open all its senses that they are olfactory, auditory, visual … In Namibia, one has as much the landscape side with large spaces that the natural side with the animals and also the cultural side with the traditional ethnic groups. You have to prepare and accept to feel small compared to Namibian elephants. Namibian nature is more than a playground, it is almost a spiritual return.

What do you like in your job?

I like to share what I love, and it’s often communicative. It is a real pleasure to be able to share these emotions and this passion. My great interest is that the 4×4 treks in Namibia that I propose are not acts of consumption but also experiences that advance personally and that are beneficial for the country and for its inhabitants.