Dunas Safari is a proudly Namibian travel and tour operator offering authentic, immersive safari experiences across Namibia’s breathtaking landscapes. From the rolling dunes of Sossusvlei to the wildlife-rich plains of Etosha and the rugged beauty of Damaraland, Dunas Safari curates unforgettable adventures that celebrate the country’s natural wonders, rich cultures, and warm hospitality.
Founded with a passion for exploration and conservation, Dunas Safari blends expert local knowledge with a personal touch to deliver jour- neys that go beyond sightseeing — each trip tells the story of Namib- ia’s spirit, its people, and its wild places.
Dunas Safari is registered with the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) and is a member of the Tourism Association of South Africa (TASA), special- izing in Tailor-Made SafarisWe speak Portuguese, French, English, and Spanish; and offer first class and personalized services for families and group tours, conferences, weddings, events, and many more.
Operating from our headquarders in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, Dunas Safaris presents itself as the gateway to the magical paradise of flora, fauna and wildlife of Southern Africa
"We take you on a trip that crosses two worlds that coexists in hamony, nature and progress. Our goal is to provide you with the rarest of pleasures"
Founder & Managing Director
Senior Tour Planner
Sales Manager
Senior Tour Guide
In June 2002, Joao Pedro Ribeiro quickly realized and felt the impulse that Namibia could offer the possibility of making one of his dreams come true, which was to develop a unique Leisure Tours offering within Africa.
JP initiated the audacious project, officially founding Dunas Safari Tour Operator in November 2003.
As he embarked on this exciting new project with his family, they for pillars that were grounded by the certain core values:
- We pledge on the power of friendship!
- We are committed and passionate!
- We always visualize ourselves as clients!
- We never consider ourselves perfect!
- We embrace risks as adventures!
- We embrace competition
- We maintain faith in our young and confident team!
- We believe in our brand – Dunas Safari!
From Angolan origins, JP never lost his roots to Portugal and for the past 20+ years of activity, Dunas Safari has managed to extend its network throughout the world and now has become an inbound & outbound Tour Operator in Namibia, offering services in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, Ethiopia and beyond.
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2003 – 2026
From November 2003 to June 2026, we proudly served approximately 23,500 families from all over the world, helping create unforgettable travel experiences across Southern Africa. -
2004 – 2007
These were challenging years as we worked to establish Dunas Safari within the Namibian tourism industry. The company was built through the dedication of JP and Ru, supported by several freelancers. Ana Jolaine joined in 2004, Francisco Carvalho in 2005, followed shortly afterwards by Bruna Pastuk. -
Late 2007
By the end of 2007 we realised, for the first time, that Dunas Safari had successfully established a solid presence within Namibia's tourism industry. -
2005
Dunas Safari proudly represented Namibia as the only Namibian Tour Operator exhibiting at the BTL International Tourism Exhibition. -
2008 – 2013
We successfully organised conferences and corporate events for leading companies including Sonangol, ALNG, SOMG and Chevron. In 2010, Janine Heinz joined the group as Manager of Villa Moringa Guesthouse before becoming an Expert Safari Planner responsible for the German market. -
2008 – 2009
We successfully delivered Incentive Team Building programmes throughout Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Cape Town for Banco Espírito Santo Angola. -
2011
We were honoured with the organisation of a 100-guest destination wedding in Mauritius. During the same year, Melizande Adams assumed responsibility for the Financial Department. -
2012 – 2013
Dunas Safari secured major service contracts with international energy companies including Petrobras, HRT, Halliburton and Schlumberger. Ivo Alves assumed responsibility for contract management before becoming Head Office Manager while continuing as an Expert Safari Planner. -
2012
At the invitation of the Namibian Ministry of Tourism, we undertook an official visit to the People's Republic of China. -
From 2013
We began exhibiting regularly at leading international tourism trade shows including INDABA and ITB Berlin. Andrew Kazeudja joined Villa Moringa Guesthouse before becoming Senior Consultant and Head of the Groups & Bookings Department at Dunas Safari. -
2014
Frederico Ribeiro assumed responsibility for our Cape Town office and the Marketing Department. Sylvia Mushabati also joined the team as an Expert Safari Planner. -
2015
This year marked the transformation of Dunas Safari from a family business into a professionally managed organisation. Pedro Figueira joined as Commercial Director for Europe before becoming General Director, helping open the Portuguese and Spanish markets. -
Since 2016
Dunas Safari has exhibited annually with its own stand at FITUR, one of Europe's leading tourism exhibitions held in Madrid. -
2016
Following an expedition along the Nile River and through Kibale and Bwindi Forests, JP and Ru expanded Dunas Safari's portfolio by introducing Uganda as a new destination. -
2016
Thierry Jolaine became Commercial Director for the French market while Inês Martins joined the company as an Expert Safari Planner. -
2017
Tanzania officially became another exciting destination within the Dunas Safari portfolio. -
2018
A new phase of growth began under JP's leadership. Conni Lyners joined as Marketing Manager, while Silvia Machado became both Tour Leader and Expert Safari Planner. -
2019
For the first time, Dunas Safari launched Fixed Weekly Departures and Guaranteed Departure Tours. Kahundu Matengu became responsible for the Spanish market. -
2020 – 2021
The global pandemic temporarily paused our journey. Thanks to resilience and determination, we welcomed our first returning guests in August 2021, marking the beginning of our recovery despite the challenges created by the Omicron variant later that year. -
2022
We successfully entered the Hungarian market while gradually restarting postponed operations. During the same year, we welcomed Malia, an experienced English and French-speaking professional guide, further strengthening our team. -
2023
Our traditional Portuguese and Angolan markets returned strongly while we welcomed new guests from Australia and the USA. Frederico Ribeiro assumed responsibility for Bookings & Marketing, assisted by Elena Doyle. Elena Kotlyar became our exclusive representative for Russia. -
2024
Dunas Safari Portugal – Dolphin Balance Lda. was officially established as a fully licensed Portuguese Travel Agency and Tour Operator, bringing our services even closer to our European clients. -
2024
We also began an important partnership with the Portuguese energy company GALP, providing logistics services and tailor-made leisure programmes for its management teams. -
2025
Our portfolio expanded further with the introduction of two exciting new destinations: Kenya and Ethiopia. -
2026
Pedro Figueira officially returned to Dunas Safari as Commercial Director for the Spanish Market, bringing valuable experience and renewed energy to our leadership team. -
Looking Ahead to 2027
We are delighted to have already secured bookings from exciting new markets including Canada, Romania and Mexico, continuing our international expansion. -
Today
Dunas Safari has firmly established itself throughout Portugal, Angola and the wider European Union while welcoming guests from around the globe. With recent groups arriving from Portugal, Israel and Turkey, our sales have now exceeded pre-pandemic levels, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our history.
The Sky is our limit ! Fly with Dunas Safari!
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