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Namibia

Who has been and what outfitters would you recommend? Been to SA once and would like to go back to Africa for a retirement trip, but try a new country. Would mainly be interested in plains game or some unique species like honey badger, hyena, porcupine etc

I have hunted Namibia twice (2013 & 2015). I went both times with Agagia Bowhunting. Good folks

Thanks I will take a look

I have hunted with AfriHunt Safaris 9 times. Always a great time. Justus will treat you well

Hunted twice with Makalaan. Excellent.

Hunted with Gert Coetzee of UIB a few years ago. Bowhunting only concession. Native game only. No trucking in game naught at an auction. Small operation on about 60,000 acres. He does not book other parties when you book.

Thank you for all the information. Been looking into them all and options available. Just surprised havent gotten more information a out Namibia

Check out Aru Game Lodges. They are not bowhunting only but have many dedicated bow blinds. They have two separate ranches in Namibia. Danene who owns it with Gysbert, her husband, is the president of the Namibia Professional Hunters Association and Chairperson of Outfitters and Professional Hunters Associations of Africa. They are great people and run an incredible operation.

Kalahari safari's is very good

Thanks for the info still coming in. I am not set on bowhunting exclusively as my wife would be bored to death sitting in a blind, so a combo rifle/bow is great. Now just have to decide budget and species to chase.

I have a hunt booked with Osombahe Nord safaris for June 2021. I have not hunted with them but the references were impeccable. Every person I talked with has been multiple times and most were booked for another trip.

Namibia is a great county to hunt Plains game. Depending on location you may have species that are not naturally in other areas: such as black wildebeest and springbok so note that. Some ranches will have only native species and others have introduced nonlocal species so there are things to think about. Mostly, it is a little more time consuming to get there and back from the US so plan adequate travel time and try to avoid short stays (like a 1 week hunt) as you will be traveling for 1.5 to 2 days to get there or back. I have been there through RSA and also through Frankfurt. It is my understanding that Namibian Air which I flew in and out of Frankfurt, has now become horrifically unreliable so be careful about that and spend your money wisely.

Thank you for the travel information. My dream would be to travel through Frankfurt and spend a week seeing Germany too, but the whole money thing gets in the way. Glad you pointed out the extra travel time to plan for.

Namibia seems to have a better handle on the Corona Virus than does South Africa, although SA announced they are ending their ban on U.S. travelers. Have only hunted RSA, and have another trip planned for their next year, but I hope to do a trip to Namibia some day, so watching this thread.

Those of you that have been to SA and Namibia, what would you say are the major differences. It seems Namibia is large concessions and more free range, but curiois if there are any other major differences either good or bad

Also with a non hunter tagging along, what would some side trips to take either before or after, such as wildlife tours, wine tours, shopping etc

Namibia is a jewel - the hunting is fantastic and the people were a delight. After our 10-day hunt, my wife and I did a self driving tour of the country. Our outfitter set everything up - we spent nights in four different and spectacular lodges. We spent two days driving through Etosha - an incredible experience!

Did you spend any time in Windhoek? If we went we definitely want to tour Etosha How was it driving over there ?

I came back from Namibia on October 31. Used Ethiopian airlines which did an excellent job. No difference in travel time compared to flying to Jo'berg. Rates were also very low, but may change as travel gets closer to normal. In general, Namibia is a more remote country, and there are fewer "tourist" attractions. Etosha is a long drive from many hunting concessions. Windhoek is the only city of size, and other towns have enough shopping for the basics but not for tourist shopping. Properties are typically larger, but not always, so make sure you ask. I find Namibia to be more welcoming that RSA , with fewer gun hassles and just an overall more pleasant experience. But if I wanted side trips for the family, RSA would rank higher. Bill

Bill,

Thanks. My wife does not hunt, but doesn't mind riding in the vehicle while out hunting. Would like to have other options though for her and I. So will have to look into options when talking to PH

I've hunted in Namibia FIVE times and can highly recommend Jan du Plessis of Sebra Hunting Safaris. He has about 40,000 acres of unfenced property, plus has access to many nearby ranches. His ranch is about two hours from ETOSHA and he will take you there for a reasonable fee. His daily rate is very reasonable, as are his trophy fees. His wife is a gourmet cook as well as being a sweetheart. I'll post of pictures of trophies if you'd like.

Here's a 55 ½" Kudu from last May https://imgur.com/a/fBKYMqi

Here's a 30" Waterbuck https://imgur.com/pmKNuSj

Here's a 16" Springbok:

That is one hell of a springbok :) Namibia is a relatively safe country and the level of concern for safety is "not nothing", but I would say that it is a lot less than RSA. The other item that I found very significant (emotionally and intellectually) is that Namibia is the source of a great deal of game that is bought live and transported to be used to stock ranches in RSA. The really large RSA ranches certainly have their own breeding programs and stock but not the smaller operations. Everyone wants a big trophy and an operation that passes through a lot of hunters each year can't possibly keep up with that demand by a home breeding program. Even the large outfits probably buy some items that they can't produce sufficiently to meet the demand: remember it is a business and the customer is always right (and now with the internet can tell the whole world how they feel). I found it a better experience to believe that the game that I was hunting was as "wild/natural" as possible under artificial circumstances. Each to his own. If it matters to you, then I would ask the outfitter about it. There can also be a middle ground where some but not all the game is bought and stocked. I really don't have a problem with stocked fish (which I wouldn't eat anyway) but I am not so keen about stocked game animals. The other item which I found interesting is that the amount of "other game" such as predators (small cats) and other interesting game and experiences is much more common (in my experience ) in RSA than Namibia. I also think that RSA allows some night hunting (lights) that is not allowed in Namibia.... but I admit that I might be incorrect about this. All and all, each country has its own flavor and provides a different experience. However that difference might also be present just between operations within the same country. My best suggestion is that you try them both. I have been 5x

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