Namibia - Private Tour

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of €342.20pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

Your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive and at least 3 blank pages.

Namibia visa requirements:

You will need to purchase a visa for Namibia on arrival. The cost of this is approximately NAD 1,600 (approximately £70). Please note that you will need to have at least three completely blank page in your passport for the Namibian visa to be issued. Alternatively, you can apply for your visa online at https://eservices.mhaiss.gov.na. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, or your General Practitioner.

All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace is rated Active. A good level of fitness is required as you will have early mornings, and some long days driving on uneven terrain. You will be walking around the sights (some have long distances to reach them or stairs to climb) and getting on and off coaches and boats and walking on uneven terrain. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour that may have stairs or uneven walkways. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary.

The currency in Namibia is the Namibian Dollar. The South African Rand is also widely accepted. Cash machines will also be available throughout your stay in Namibia to withdraw money in the local currency.

We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. Some local banks will not change money back into Pound Sterling, so do not exchange too much. It is advisable to carry smaller note denominations as some outlets and vendors may not accept the larger notes.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels.

You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry, any meals not included in the itinerary as well as drinks and any additional snacks. We recommend you bring along a minimum of £400-£500 per person to change to local currency. It is a good idea to try and maintain a supply of small notes and change in the local currency for tipping or small purchases.

It is at your discretion to tip both your driver and guide.

We would recommend tipping approximately $5 per person per day for the guide. $5 per person for the external rangers. This is a total of $90 per person to budget for tips on your trip.

Tips are accepted in the local currency.

This is an escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. You will be joined by a local guide in Botswana during you activities, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. If your group consists of 6-9 people, you will have a Driver Guide accompany you. If your group consists of 10 or more people, then you will have a Driver and a Guide accompany you.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels or lodges. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. Scheduled power outages, commonly referred to as load shedding, can be a common occurrence in South Africa. While most hotels and lodges are equipped to mitigate the effects of load shedding, ensuring that your comfort and convenience are maintained to the best of our ability, it's important to acknowledge that not all establishments may be fully functional during these times. As a result, you may experience temporary disruptions to certain amenities such as air-conditioning, television services, the operation of electric kettles, etc. The hotels/lodges and your guide however, will do their utmost to minimize any impact on your stay. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs

Western and international food will be served however some establishments will serve traditional meals giving you a chance to experience local flavours. Vegetarian and Vegan options available, please request prior to departure. Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. Bottled water will be available at shops and hotels/lodges.

On your arrival you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Sense of Africa Namibia, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Sense of Africa Namibia representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your national guide will be on hand 24 hours a day should you have any queries.

Please find below the emergency contact details for Sense of Africa Namibia Telephone number 24 hr: +264 (0)81 127 0102. E-mail: etosha@tourvestdm.com