Bushlore Namibia — Attraction in Khomas

Summary: They were really efficient and helpful in reserving good campsites in Northern Namibia for us. But we had a terrible experience with their vehicles. Essentially, I think they are way too aggressive in utilizing their cars every possible day, cutting corners, really diminishing the renters' vacation experience, and actually compromising on safety. Bushlore refunded us some money, but I did not feel it was adequate to compensate for our experience.

The details, if you're interested: (1) When we arrived at their facility, our Landcruiser was not ready. It took them 8 hours to get it sort-of-ready. We lost an entire vacation day. (2) The air pump did not fit on the tire valves, making it impossible for us to adjust pressure for different types of roads. (3) When we were given the vehicle (after several hours), I noticed while driving that it had essentially no braking power whatsoever. Staff assured me that this was “normal” and only when I insisted that they test drive it the brakes were completely gone. The brakes were malfunctioning so badly that I actually think this was an acute safety risk – the vehicle should certainly never have been given to us. (4) About an hour before reaching our campsite, after nightfall, we realized that one of the two jerry cans we had been provided with was badly damaged and several liters of diesel had spilled on the inside (back) of the vehicle. It spent hours cleaning it and the vehicle smelled terribly for the entire time. (5) The refrigerator was very old and long past the point where it should have been replaced. We lost lots of food and often had to settle for pasta because the meat was no longer good. In 9 nights of vacation we only managed to have a braai one single evening. (6) The Landcruiser broke down completely twice. It would not start and there was no electricity to the vehicle at all, so that we needed to get someone to jumpstart us. On the second occasion this happened while we were parked right next to three leopards for about an hour. While we greatly enjoyed their sight, the fact that we could not close the vehicle’s windows was not great. (7) On the sixth day of our vacation, Bushlore finally agreed to replace our vehicle with another one. I was told that we would receive another Landcruiser. Then I was told that that the Landcruiser could only be delivered after dark and that they would send a Hilux instead. The Hilux was then also only delivered after dark. We waited all evening (as we couldn’t set up camp with the old vehicle) – another evening which we did not enjoy as planned. (8) The “new” Hilux was delivered with a newly replaced windshield. The windshield already had a crack in it which grew from day to day, making us wonder whether the windshield was safe. The new windshield not to have been sealed properly. When we drove in the rain, water ran down on the inside of the windshield, accumulated in puddles on the dashboard, and ultimately ran down to our feet. (9) During the next night, our Hilux developed a new “feature”: A loud alarm sounded from the cab, waking us and all other inhabitants of the camp ground at 3am. It could not be turned off with our remote and was clearly separate from the vehicle’s regular alarm system. When I enquired with Bushlore I was told that this separate alarm is positioned behind the rear seat and that Bushlore usually removes it upon delivery of new vehicles. For unspecified reasons, it had not been removed from our vehicle … and spoiled another...

I recently had the pleasure of renting a 4x4 vehicle from Bushlore Namibia, and I have to say, the entire experience was absolutely outstanding! From the moment I walked into the rental office, I was greeted with friendly smiles and a warm welcome. The standout moment, however, was meeting Benson, who expertly guided us through the process.

The 4x4 was immaculate when it was delivered to me—cleaner than I had even expected! You could tell that Bushlore takes great pride in maintaining their vehicles. There wasn't a speck of dust or dirt to be found, and it looked like it had just come off the showroom floor. Benson took the time to give me a detailed explanation of all the vehicle's features and made sure I was comfortable before I set off. His knowledge of the 4x4 was incredibly helpful, especially since this was my first time driving this type of vehicle in Namibia.

Benson’s thoroughness in explaining the ins and outs of the vehicle made me feel confident and ready for the adventure ahead. He pointed out all the important controls, safety features, and even gave me tips on navigating the Namibian terrain. It’s clear that Bushlore Namibia values customer service and wants their renters to have the best experience possible.

Throughout my trip, the 4x4 performed flawlessly, proving that Bushlore's commitment to quality extends well beyond the initial delivery. It handled the rugged landscapes with ease, and I never encountered a single issue. It made my journey through Namibia an unforgettable experience.

In summary, I highly recommend Bushlore Namibia for anyone looking to rent a 4x4. The cleanliness of the vehicle, the professionalism of the staff, and the exceptional service from Benson made this rental experience a five-star event. I will definitely be returning to Bushlore for my future...

We spent 4 weeks using a hilux camper driving Namibia to botswana and back. We loved everything about this camper and found the Bushlore team very responsive when we needed help with a small issue. The camper is really comfortable and quick and easy to set up and pack up. It also drove really well over some really difficult and tough terrain.

Our only complaint is that our Orientation/ handover lacked vital information. A number of functions of the vehicle we worked out ourselves weeks into the trip which would have been good to know earlier during handover. The biggest issue was that we were NOT told about having to have the receipt for the road tax available in case we were stopped by police. In fact there were a whole lot of documents tucked in the drivers side visor we knew nothing about until we returned the car. We paid the road tax at the borders but didn’t know we needed to keep the receipt until we handed the car back to Bushlore and were then told that we could have been fined if stopped by police and didn’t have it. We told them we were never given this information at handover, the staff member explained that all the documents in the visor were there for convenience if stopped at checkpoints and we should have been told to put the road tax receipts there. We were never shown this or told anything about this. It was obviously a problem because there was now no proof of the payment being made, but as it was an error with handover they didn’t press the point. Apart from this issue we would highly recommend...