Safari Tour Details
Day one; We travel out over the Eros Mountains and
along scenic roads, on our way south-west to the desert. We also
pass over part of the Naukluft Mountains the Khomas Hochland range on our
journey today and head down from Namibia’s central plateau by way of the
beautifull Remhoogte Pass. Coming out of the mountains we reach open
plains and from here it is only a short distance to our next stop, the
tiny town of Solitaire. We will stop here for some refreshments
before continuing on through desert scenery
We cross some open grass savannah and
farmlands before the terrain begins to give way to the immense red sand
dune desert of the Namib.
We aim to arrive at our camp during the
late afternoon and watch the colours glow and change on distant mountains
to the east.
Day two; A pre dawn start is essential this
morning as we want to catch the soft light of the sunrise on the desert as
we drive in. After passing through Sesriem, the gateway to the dunes, we
drive into the heart of the dune field.
To reach Sossusvlei itself we walk for
the last 5 km through the dunes. The walk is like nothing else, in
the cool of the morning, with soft sunlight just beginning to play over
the dunes creating a sharp light and shadow contrast across the whole
desert. Ancient mineral pans, stunted camel horn trees and the
chance of seeing a gemsbok or maybe an ostrich make the photo
opportunities perfect.
We spend the morning in and around
Sossusvlei, also visiting “dune 45”, and as the day wears on we return
to Sesriem for lunch and to escape the heat of the afternoon. As the
day cools off in the late afternoon we will take a short excursion to the
Sesriem Canyon.
Day three; After breakfast we begin our journey,
over the mountains and along scenic roads, back to Windhoek. We will
travel back by different roads, this time climbing up to Windhoek and
travelling by way of the massive Gamsberg Pass in the Khomas Hochland
Mountain Range on our way back to civilization.
We are due back into the city around
16:00 and you will be dropped off at your accommodation on our return.
This night’s accommodation is included in the price of the safari but
dinner tonight will be for the client’s own account in a local
restaurant.
Day four; You will be collected from your
accommodation between 08:30 & 09:00. We will travel north, stopping at
small towns along the way including Okahandja, where we have time to visit
Namibia’s largest wood carving market. The market is operated on a local
co-operative basis and is one of the best places to shop for truly
Namibian souvenirs.
Continuing north, passing through
farmland, we aim to arrive at Okonjima during the middle afternoon, giving
us time to set up our camp and to relax in the shade for a while before
heading out on to the property to take part in the afternoon’s
activities.
Okonjima is the home of the Africat
Foundation, a specialist conservation concern that centres its operations
around the African Big Cats, particularly cheetah. This afternoon you will
be taken on a tour during which you will be able to meet,
close-up-and-personal, some of the cheetah that are going through the
Africat rehabilitation programme.
Most of the animals currently living at
Okonjima have been rescued from various desperate situations, being
orphaned or caught in a trap, and the aim of rehabilitation process is to
attempt to re-introduce them into the wild.
After our educational tour we will return
our accommodation and prepare for dinner under the African stars.
Day five; An early start and continuing north we
pass through some small towns, making short stops for fresh supplies and
fuel. Our first main port of call today is the mysterious Lake Otjikoto.
Otjikoto is in fact Namibia's largest
permanent natural lake and we take time here to rest a little and learn
something about the history of this unusual landmark.
Continuing on to Namutoni camp in Etosha
National Park we again aim to arrive in time for lunch, giving us time to
relax before heading out into the park during the cool of the late
afternoon for our first game drive.
After your evening meal there are still more
chances to see Etosha's big game at Namutoni's floodlit waterhole.
Situated on the boundary of Namutoni and easily reachable on foot,
elephants are regular visitors here and there is a good chance of seeing
other species of game as well.
Day six; A full day's game driving. We again leave
early to enjoy the cool morning air as we game drive our way through
Etosha to Halali camp, situated in the middle of the park. Along the way
we visit several waterholes and are afforded splendid views of the massive
Etosha Pan. The game viewing is usually excellent and we have the chance
to tick off a few new species that are not normally seen on the Namutoni
side of the park.
We stop at Halali for a rest and a
leisurely lunch. There is time to visit the Halali waterhole and to make
use of the swimming pool and bar facilities before continuing on our way
and game driving down to Okaukuejo.
Okaukuejo is famous for its waterhole,
which has been described as one of the "best game viewing
opportunities in Southern Africa". Situated on the doorstep of our
accommodation, black rhino, elephant, lion and numerous species of
antelope are usually seen.
Day seven; Leaving Etosha we begin our journey south
with a relatively short drive to the small town of Kamanjab where we will
make a short stop here before continuing on to find the Himba Tribesmen.
This is the only traditionally
functioning Himba community outside the far north Kaokoland region of
Namibia These tribes-people have migrated here, lifestyle and customs
intact, and are following their traditional way-of-life in their village
on a farm. Oase Village is located about 15 to 20 km outside Kamanjab, the
exact location of the site varies as the Himba occasionally roam to a new
location.
During the afternoon we will be invited
into Oase Village and will meet with the locals. We will have a specialist
guide for the time we are there, who will be able to translate for us and
will introduce us to this “alternative lifestyle”. We will learn about
marriage customs, traditional food and the mysteries of the local
religion, “Holy Fire”.
Day eight; Today we head into one of the most beautiful desert regions in Namibia,
Damaraland. We drive south to the capital of this region, the small town
of Khorixas, and then take a detour to the west, travelling via the
Petrified Forest geological site, to visit the ancient Bushman rock
engravings at Twyfelfontien. At both these locations we will have local
guides to conduct us on a short guided tour.
From here we head deeper into the desert
to Namibia’s highest mountain, The Brandberg, (2573 m). Brandberg
Mountain is an ancient Bushman spiritual site and tonight we will sleep
under the shadow of this giant granite monolith.
Day nine; Starting early to enjoy the cool of the
morning we will hike, “into” the mountain with our guide to see the
world famous “White Lady” rock painting. Attributed to the Bushman
artists, the white lady panel is believed by some to be in excess of 20
000 years old.
Back on the road for more beautiful
Damaraland scenery. We make our first stop in the small town of Uis, an
old mining town, and one of the best places to buy semi-precious stones,
for which Namibia is famous. Here, rough Amethyst, Tourmaline etc can be
found at bargain prices.
From here we turn directly west and cross
the “gravel plains” on our way to the Atlantic Ocean and the Skeleton
Coast. Meeting the ocean at Henties Bay, we first head north along the
coast to visit the seal colony at Cape Cross. Here at certain times of the
year there can be as many as 100,000 Cape Fur seals in attendance. The
next destination is Swakopmund, following the Skeleton Coast into
Namibia's premier seaside town. We aim to arrive in the late afternoon
giving us time to explore the town on foot before sunset.
Tonight we take the chance to sample one
of the excellent restaurants. The seafood in Swakopmund is superb. Your
guide will offer to organise a group meal in a local restaurant for this
evening. Participation is recommended but by no means required.
Dinner this evening in not included in
the price of the safari and will be for the client’s own account
Day ten; The drive back to Windhoek today will
take about 4 and a half hours. We will only depart after lunch,
giving us time to spend the morning relaxing in Swakopmund. Swakopmund is
a very pleasant seaside town with lots of shops, a good stretch of beach
(although the Atlantic here is quite cold) and an open-air curio market.
There is also a very good museum and the Namibian National Marine Aquarium
is located in Swakopmund.
Alternatively, there are various optional
activities that can be arranged. These include aeroplane and microlight
flights over the desert, scenic drives, fishing trips (both from the beach
or in a boat), four-wheel motorcycle (quad bike) trips into the desert and
over the sand dunes around Swakopmund, sand boarding trips (also in the
dunes), skydiving, surfing, bird-watching and many other activities are
available. Your tour guide will discuss all the possible options with you
before you reach Swakopmund and will offer to make bookings in advance of
your arrival. (N.B. All extra activities and excursions in Swakopmund are
subject to availability and are made at the clients’ own risk and
expense).
We are due back into the city around
16:00 and you will be dropped off at your accommodation on our return.
This night’s accommodation is included in the price of the safari but
dinner tonight will be for the client’s own account in a local
restaurant.
Day eleven; You will be collected from your accommodation between 07:30 and 08:00.
A long drive today, making use of the Trans-Kalahari-Highway, a relatively
new road that provides an invaluable communication link between Namibia,
Botswana and South Africa. The road takes us first to the small town
of Gobabis, one of the main livestock farming centres of Namibia, and then
on to the border with Botswana.
After completing the immigration
formalities we continue, through rural Botswana to the town of Ghanzi,
located in the centre of cattle farming Botswana. Ghanzi is located
almost in the middle of the Kalahari Desert and was almost unknown before
the Trans Kalahari Highway.
Day twelve; An early start and a quick stop in Ghanzi to collect any last minute
supplies before continuing west, traversing the linear dunes of the
Kalahari and passing through small towns along the way. A change in
vegetation heralds our arrival on the very western edge of one of the
natural wonders of the world, the Okavango Delta.
Here we turn north for some way before
again pointing our wheels west as we enter the Delta proper. We see
our first glimpse of the crystal waters through the lush vegetation and we
make our camp on the banks of a pristine African lagoon.
Day thirteen; We are in the territory of the River People, so this morning we leave our
vehicle behind and travel in a more appropriate fashion, first by
motor-boat and then by traditional mokoro (dugout canoe), deep into the
Delta.
Mokoro’s will be our main form of
transport for the next two days. These amazing traditional craft are
perfectly designed for the narrow waterways of the Okavango and allow us
to travel further into the Delta than if we were using more modern forms
of transport. Mokoros carry three people, two seated passengers and
one driver. The driver stands in the rear of the canoe, (a real feat
of balance), and uses a long wooden pole to propel and steer the mokoro
through the twisting channels. It really is the only way to travel.
Back to camp in the late afternoon for
another night by the Okavango waters.
Day fourteen; Back on the road today, destination Namibia. Passport formalities
completed we go directly into the Mahango Game Reserve, a small but
excellent park right on the edge of the Okavango River. We game
drive our way through Mahango and have the chance to spot rarely seen
Namibian species such as roan the majestic sable antelope.
Our camp for tonight is just outside the
Game Reserve, and we are again beside the Okavango, but this time the main
river, on its journey from the Angolan highlands, through the pan handle
to waters end, the delta.
Day fifteen; The Caprivi Strip is a long narrow stretch of territory running along the
Botswana’s northern border. It is a landscape of broadleaf forest
with many small communities dotted along our route. The locals in
this area are the Kavango people and we make a cultural visit to a local
community. The people here have taken the initiative to establish a
traditional “kraal” which will be opened for us and we will give a
guided tour.
We have the chance to gain a significant
insight into the local customs and culture, including demonstrations of
traditional medicine and superstition.
From here it is only a short drive to our
camp for the night, also operated as a community project, located on the
banks of the Kwando River in a beautifull setting. There is a craft
market nearby where you can shop for truly Namibian souvenirs.
Day sixteen; We finish our long transit of the Caprivi region this morning when we
arrive in Namibia’s easternmost town, Katima Mulilo. A short break
here before crossing back across the border into Botswana. The road
takes us directly into the world famous Chobe National Park. Chobe
has the world’s largest population of African Elephants and the chances
of seeing some big game are very good as we transit through the park to
the small town of Kasane. We make camp in the grounds of a local
lodge, right on the banks for the Chobe River.
Time to relax in the afternoon before
joining a river boat cruise, back into the park. From the boat we
will have the chance to see a huge amount of wild game, both on the river
banks and in the waters swirling around us.
Crocodiles and hippos abound in the
forbidding Chobe River and on the land side there is often a kaleidoscope
of different antelope and species such as elephant, buffalo and even the
Big Cats come to the river banks for their sun-downer drink. The
Chobe River provides a very broad habitat for bird life and it is possible
to see many beautifull species of our feathered friends.
Day seventeen; Another border crossing today, we drive
out of Kasane to Kazangula ferry depot and complete our Botswanan exit
formalities. We cross the Chobe on the local ferry boat, enter
Zambia and from here it is a short drive to the town of Livingstone.
Named after the famous British missionary and explorer Dr. David
Livingstone, the town is a bustling African centre. We make our camp
on the banks of the Zambezi River and have time to explore the town and to
visit the might Victoria Falls.
The views of the waterfall from the
Zambian bank are fantastic, there are many small paths and lookout points
to explore. This afternoon your guide will help you organise the
many optional activities available in Livingstone. These include
white water rafting, bungi jumping, other excursions on the river and
scenic flights to mention but a few.
Dinner tonight will be in a local
restaurant at the client’s own expense.
NB: All extra activities are
subject to availability and are done at the clients own risk and expense.
Day eighteen; After breakfast the safari is finished. Your guide will be able to
offer advice on other travel plans you have in this region. We pack
up our campsite.
For clients
transferring back to Windhoek tomorrow this is a free day for you to
explore the area or to take part in optional activities. Lunch and
dinner are not included in the price of the trip. Your guide will
arrange a time to collect you for the return journey in the morning.
You will keep your tent for tonight and this nights camping is included in
the price of the safari.
Day nineteen; An early start and a long drive. We are in transit only and will not
be stopping to take in the sights along the way. We will traverse
the Caprivi Strip and will spend the night near the small town of Rundu in
northern Namibia. We camp in the grounds of a lodge on the banks for
the Okavango River, looking into Angola on the far river bank.
Dinner tonight will be in the restaurant
at the lodge and is included in the price.
Day twenty; Another early start and another long drive. We head south through
Kavango Province, down through the towns of Grootfontien, Otjiwarongo and
Okahandja before reaching our final destination, Windhoek.
There will be stops at some of the local woodcarving stalls as well as the
market at Okahandja before arriving in the city.
We are due back into the city in the late
afternoon and you will be dropped off at your accommodation on our return.
Tonight the accommodation is not included in the price of the safari.
The
18 day combination safari marries together three of most popular safaris,
the 