4WD Tours
4–5 hours
Recommended by 97% of travelers
97% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$55
per adult
The Naturalist Collection
The Naturalist Collection
5
SafarisEco ToursPrivate ToursNature & Wildlife ToursDay Trips
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Full view
About
Batis Birding Safaris is a Namibian owned tour company and part of The Naturalist Collection. We offer guided Desert Day Tours from Swakopmund as well as guided and self-drive tours throughout Namibia and guided tours to Angola, Madagascar, Uganda and Ethiopia. Our Desert Day Tours specialise in day excursions to the Namib Desert including the well sought after "Living Desert" tour. Our tours are Eco Tours and are designed to have minimal impact on the environment. We offer half day and full day activities around Swakopmund. We collect and drop off guests at their overnight accommodations for these activities and provide home baked snacks and refreshing beverages. We welcome children along for the adventure. Our tours are conducted in English and information is shared in an interactive way. Booking in advance is essential to avoid disappointment!
Swakopmund, Namibia
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
156 reviews
Excellent
144
Very good
8
Average
1
Poor
2
Terrible
2
Hambone5981
Washington DC, DC14 contributions
Sep 2023 • Friends
My small group (2 couples) just returned from an 11-day tour across Namibia with the Naturalist Collection guides. They came highly recommended from our Kruger guide, and the recommendation was truly enlightened. Our guide (Sean) and his team customized our trip to the group's preferences, provided absolutely all transportation, booked all lodgings, made arrangements for all of our food, accompanied us on our adventures, and provided an overall amazing experience. Given the length of our trip, we booked most of our experiences nearly a year in advance, but the team was able to accommodate some last-minute bookings like sand boarding. This was a general interest group rather than anything specific like birding or herping, and the team hit the mark perfectly. Sean was also able to get us into places before any groups or crowds descended, so we were always thankful to avoid the large bus tours. Sean is an excellent photographer and was even able to put us in the best spots for great shots. We enjoyed the tour so much that we are very likely to return to Namibia and explore additional parts of the country with the Naturalist team.
Written September 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CDNMarmalade
Edmonton, Canada143 contributions
Feb 2024 • Friends
The Dune Lark and Walvis Bay tour. Dayne our guide picked us up on time and whisked us off to the desert to find the Dune Lark before moving off to Walvis Bay for the birds AND THERE WERE LOTS, including pelicans, flamingos, gulls, terns. The tour ended with some time climbing dunes and looking for adders in the scrub around us. In all we saw 30 species of bird and 3 snakes.
Written March 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Supratik
Leicester, UK2,182 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
In 2013 when I was looking for a Living Desert trip from Swakop I never even knew about the existence of Batis Birding and had provisionally booked with some other company who also had very good reviews. But the more I read about those companies the more I felt they were a bit too crowded for my liking. I also wanted to see some of the birds near the Swakop river delta and the cemetery but these tours were not very flexible.
Then by serendipity I came across Batis Birding and realised this was the same Steve Braine who used to own Hobatere lodge. They were also offering a Living Desert Trip from Swakop and looked like the group size was much smaller. There was no review but I got in touch with mfuwe who had stayed at Hobatere and was full of praise fro Steve and Louise.
I got in touch with Louise Braine and she was one of the most efficient and helpful people I have ever come across. She gave me numerous advice on birding, scenic flight and general tips. We decided to go with them in the morning and a scenic flight in the afternoon.
On the day there was another group who went with Dayne and we went with Steve. Steve's passion for nature is truly awe inspiring. And such a humble man despite having several species of butterflies named after him.
It has been very cold for the last few days and understandably it was difficult to see the cold blooded creatures. But Steve tried his best and with some help from Dayne we saw puff adder, chameleons, side winders, lizards, lichens and birds. The Trac Trac chats treated Steve as his friend.
But it was just not the creatures. The whole experience was wonderful even in a cold grey day. Steve gave us a wonderful talk on the geology of Dune formation and even managed to hold the attention of our young children. We had discussion on a range of subjects and it was a pleasure to spend the time with him in the Valley of the Phoenix.
I was touched by the trouble he took to make sure the side winder adder was safe by putting it in his hat and transporting it.
Later he took us to the old rail line area to show us some more birds.
I strongly recommend a Living Desert trip with Batis birding.
Then by serendipity I came across Batis Birding and realised this was the same Steve Braine who used to own Hobatere lodge. They were also offering a Living Desert Trip from Swakop and looked like the group size was much smaller. There was no review but I got in touch with mfuwe who had stayed at Hobatere and was full of praise fro Steve and Louise.
I got in touch with Louise Braine and she was one of the most efficient and helpful people I have ever come across. She gave me numerous advice on birding, scenic flight and general tips. We decided to go with them in the morning and a scenic flight in the afternoon.
On the day there was another group who went with Dayne and we went with Steve. Steve's passion for nature is truly awe inspiring. And such a humble man despite having several species of butterflies named after him.
It has been very cold for the last few days and understandably it was difficult to see the cold blooded creatures. But Steve tried his best and with some help from Dayne we saw puff adder, chameleons, side winders, lizards, lichens and birds. The Trac Trac chats treated Steve as his friend.
But it was just not the creatures. The whole experience was wonderful even in a cold grey day. Steve gave us a wonderful talk on the geology of Dune formation and even managed to hold the attention of our young children. We had discussion on a range of subjects and it was a pleasure to spend the time with him in the Valley of the Phoenix.
I was touched by the trouble he took to make sure the side winder adder was safe by putting it in his hat and transporting it.
Later he took us to the old rail line area to show us some more birds.
I strongly recommend a Living Desert trip with Batis birding.
Written November 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
trustscholar
Potomac, MD40 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
The eco dune tour was booked by the travel agent in Windhoek. First we were called at our hotel and told that the guide assigned to us would not be available and the alternative guide would not accept credit cards. My wife told the hotel receptionist that this would be a problem for us, but the tour company never responded. We did not know if they were going to show up, but they did.
We got into their van and they stopped to pick up four other passengers. These passengers spoke very loudly and I could not hear our guide. I asked them to speak more softly and they refused, They said that the guide was speaking English and they spoke only German s o they had to speak loudly. The guide said that there would be a second guide that we would pick up who would speak in English and he would switch to German, but the other passengers didn't seem to care. The guide said he could not ask them to speak in a lower voice so it was up to me if I wanted to continue. I told him that I could not hear him and he replied that there was nothing he could do. He put us in another van and the driver of that van took us back to our hotel.
I very much wanted to go on the tour but I could enjoy the trip if I could not hear the guide. I do not understand why the guide could not even ask the other party to speak in lower voices. It would have been simple--we were on a tour of Robben Island in Cape Town last week when the guide repeatedly asked passengers not to speak when he was talking and this made it much better for everyone. Why this guide could not do so is beyond me. I have never had a guide treat any passenger with such direspect.
The whole afternoon was a disaster. I would strongly urge anyone thinking of booking with them to think twice.
We got into their van and they stopped to pick up four other passengers. These passengers spoke very loudly and I could not hear our guide. I asked them to speak more softly and they refused, They said that the guide was speaking English and they spoke only German s o they had to speak loudly. The guide said that there would be a second guide that we would pick up who would speak in English and he would switch to German, but the other passengers didn't seem to care. The guide said he could not ask them to speak in a lower voice so it was up to me if I wanted to continue. I told him that I could not hear him and he replied that there was nothing he could do. He put us in another van and the driver of that van took us back to our hotel.
I very much wanted to go on the tour but I could enjoy the trip if I could not hear the guide. I do not understand why the guide could not even ask the other party to speak in lower voices. It would have been simple--we were on a tour of Robben Island in Cape Town last week when the guide repeatedly asked passengers not to speak when he was talking and this made it much better for everyone. Why this guide could not do so is beyond me. I have never had a guide treat any passenger with such direspect.
The whole afternoon was a disaster. I would strongly urge anyone thinking of booking with them to think twice.
Written August 5, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good day
We have tried to make contact with both yourself and your agent in Windhoek with no response. However, here is some feedback from our side:
Dayne, who was your guide for the day, arrived at your Hotel punctually and ended up waiting 15 minutes for you. This was quite the inconvenience to the other guests who had made their booking with us long in advance. Your booking was made with us one day prior. With August being a very busy time we were glad that we could accommodate your last minute booking request.
While departing the town towards the starting point of the tour, Dayne engaged in some small talk with the other guests. Apologies if you felt left out, however as he assured you, the tour would start as a group once we arrived in the Desert and surely he was free to answer irrelevant questions.
When Dayne picked you up, he advised you that Collin, the driver of the second vehicle, would be conducting the tour in English, you would simply be driving with Dayne who was conducting a German tour. They would be driving behind one another and doing the exact same tour. We thought we were doing you quite a big favor actually as we were able to offer you seats on a tour mid high season.
However, before we even reached the Desert, you had been rather rude and acted quite unacceptably towards our guide and most importantly to our other paying guests. Anyone who knows Dayne, and we urge you to read some other reviews where guests are continuously raving about him, knows that Dayne is the happiest guy around, always smiling and always extremely eager and excited to share his knowledge. At no one point was he disrespectful and he insists that he was very diplomatic and probably a lot more patient than the average Joe throughout your rude remarks and demands. One can only ask guests politely to speak a bit softer, however all of this happened before the tour even started.
We think it best that in the future you should book private tours as to not be inconvenienced by other paying guests.
Sunny regards from Swakopmund, the Batis Birding Safaris team.
Written September 5, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tamara S
Herndon, VA205 contributions
Apr 2019 • Family
I cannot even begin to write how amazing this tour was for myself and my 7 year old daughter. No guarantees of wildlife they say but our amazing guides saw tiny footprints, slither lines, tracks and found us a chameleon, two snakes, a skink, and shovel headed lizard, in addition to a very inquisitive and hopeful little bird who followed our trucks. Our guides - it kills me I cannot remember their names - were top notch. I’ve been in countless tours, visited about 100 countries and territories, and this tour is one of the best!
Written April 21, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ashleerosetutt
Abidjan, Ivory Coast4 contributions
Dec 2017 • Couples
Pre-trip: timely and thorough information about availability, prices and what to expect. I always ask lots of questions and correspondence by email was great. They also kept in touch about who else was booking since we were a party of 2 and there's a 4-person minimum for the night walk. We were willing to pay for 4 but they kept in touch so we knew what to expect. We also had to change days at the last minute due to a late departure/missed connection and they were super flexible about it with great customer service.
Night tour: Dayne was our guide and he was super friendly, informative and determined. We wanted to see all the things: snakes, scorpions, spiders, lizards and anything else. Unfortunately we couldn't find any snakes or scorpions that night, but that's not the company's fault. Safaris and walks are part skill in sighting the creatures and part luck. Dayne came with flashlights, UV lights and a metal instrument for nudging the poisonous creatures like Dancing White Lady spiders (which he did only a few times and very delicately).
Possible note for next time: let guests know to bring their own flashlights or headlamps. I didn't mind not having my own but it would've made my partner more comfortable, since it's quite dark and rocky so people stumble about.
Night tour: Dayne was our guide and he was super friendly, informative and determined. We wanted to see all the things: snakes, scorpions, spiders, lizards and anything else. Unfortunately we couldn't find any snakes or scorpions that night, but that's not the company's fault. Safaris and walks are part skill in sighting the creatures and part luck. Dayne came with flashlights, UV lights and a metal instrument for nudging the poisonous creatures like Dancing White Lady spiders (which he did only a few times and very delicately).
Possible note for next time: let guests know to bring their own flashlights or headlamps. I didn't mind not having my own but it would've made my partner more comfortable, since it's quite dark and rocky so people stumble about.
Written December 27, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adelepop
Postmasburg, South Africa10 contributions
Dec 2017 • Couples
We,ve booked a Night Walk for the 11th of December 2017 via Swakopmund Info, our instructions was to be at
Rössmund Lodge at 19:30 to start the tour at 19:45. We arrived at 19:15 and waited untill 20:15 but the tour guide was a no show.
Rössmund Lodge at 19:30 to start the tour at 19:45. We arrived at 19:15 and waited untill 20:15 but the tour guide was a no show.
Written December 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lydias
Sydney, Australia329 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
I feel compelled to write this review as I have never in all my years of travel met such an enthusiastic, competent, Informative and patient guide as Dayne. His passion for the area and its surrounds is obvious. An added bonus is that Dayne is an exceptionally talented photographer who patiently guided my husband in his photographic endeavours. We loved every moment of what we did, the many different scenes that we saw and the places we visited on our tour. Highly, highly recommended.
Written April 20, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dc3chuter
Exton, PA29 contributions
Nov 2021
Loved this 4-hour tour. Buzz was energetic, entertaining and knowledgeable. He met us at the hotel and took us out to the dunes outside of Swakopmund. He spotted all sorts of animals that we never would have seen and had a wealth of knowledge about them. We had a great time and will look to hire the company for a longer tour the next time we're in Namibia. We're considering a week or more and will definitely call Batis.
Written December 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Conni
2 contributions
Mar 2020
We did the tour recently with our guide Buzz. That was a great experience in the sand dunes!!! We got lots of information from Buzz and he found all those little creatures sometimes deep in the sand: chameleon, lezard, gecko, snakes and scorpion. Learned a lot of interesting things about these little animals. Thank you, Buzz, and we highly recommend the tour.
Written March 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wat is verschil tussen Batis Birding Safaris en living desert adventures?
Written May 16, 2016
I am planning a visit to Namibia from 18 to 25 September, 2015, and would like to know the tours you have available and their costs. I'm interested in seeing the Big 5 and highlights of Namibia that can be seen in only a week.
Written August 4, 2015
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