DAY 1 – ARRIVAL WINDHOEK
On your arrival in Windhoek International, you will be met and transferred to Windhoek city and check into our hotel.
Time permitting, we will explore the city center with its rich history and new and old buildings. We also visit the local craft market area where many local artists display their talents in many forms, from pottery to hand stitched items, wood carvings and semi -precious stone jewelry.
Namibia is well known for its interesting ancient geology and therefore its diamonds and other precious and semi-precious stones.
Accommodation: Arebbusch Travel Lodge or similar on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
DAY 2 – WINDHOEK – THE KALAHARI
Today we travel slightly south to the edge of the Kalahari Desert in the area of Mariental.
The Kalahari Desert is a large area, extending over 900,000square kilometers covering much of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.
The Kalahari, meaning “the great thirst” or “place with little water” area in Namibia, is a mainly linear desert, and this can be seen on our afternoon game drive, as we travel through the shallow valleys and small rises of these red dunes.
The area is known for its Oryx and Springbok antelope, but zebra, giraffe, and many other animals are seen. In particular the well known “meerkat” or suricate, and the Bat eared foxes.
Accommodation: Intu Afrika Camelthorn Camp, on a lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
This morning we do a walk with the bushmen people of the area, where they explain their way of life, and demonstrate their hunting skills. Unfortunately, this culture is disappearing so fast, and the bushmen no longer live as they once did, but this walk gives us an idea of how they did many years ago.
We depart after breakfast and travel through the towns of Mariental, and Maltahohe to the Sesriem area of the Namib Naukluft Park.
After a beautiful panoramic drive through some of the spectacular passes of the area, we arrive in the late afternoon.
Accommodation: Sossusvlei Lodge or similar on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
DAY 4- SESRIEM -THE NAMIB DESERT
Early morning wake-up today to visit the dune area of Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and Sesriem Canyon.
Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes in the heart of the Namib Desert. Sometimes, depending on rainfall, this area pan will fill with water, therefore the vegetation surrounding the pan is still fairly green.
Deadvlei nearby however, was cut off from the flow of the rain coming down the nearby mountains, and therefore does not receive any water, hence the name “dead” vlei.
Vlei is an `Afrikaans word meaning a shallow or low-lying marshy ground area.
In the afternoon we visit Sesriem Canyon, a small but interesting canyon shaped by the Tsauchab River over millions of years.
Accommodation: Sossusvlei Lodge or similar on a dinner bed and breakfast area.
DAY 5 – SESRIEM – SWAKOPMUND
A full day of travelling takes us through the harsh gravel pains of the Namib Desert. We travel through the Kuiseb Canyon, and the Gaub Canyon, we stop at the Tropic of Capricorn, and arrive in Walvis Bay in time for lunch on the lagoon. After lunch we take a drive around the lagoon to view many of the birds and then travel through to Swakopmund to our hotel.
Accommodation: The Delight Swakopmund or similar on a bed and breakfast basis.
We have a full day in Swakopmund with a choice of doing an optional flight over the Skeleton Coast, or a guided nature drive in the desert surrounding the town, a boat cruise on the Walvis bay Lagoon in search of dolphins, and whales, and to see the seal colony, or a township tour of Mondesa with a local guide.
Accommodation: The Delight Swakopmund or similar on a bed and breakfast basis.
DAY 7 – SWAKOPMUND – TWYFELFONTEIN
After breakfast we travel north to Twyfelfontein, along some of the Skeleton Coast road, then inland towards Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain.
This area is well known for its thousands of rock engravings of about 6000 years of age. In the afternoon we partake of a nature drive in search of the desert elephants.
Accommodation: Twyfelfontein Lodge on a dinner bed and breakfast basis.
Breakfast and early morning visit of the rock engravings, before our departure to Etosha National Park. En route before arrival at Etosha, we visit a Himba village.
The Himba people of Namibia are the last remaining traditional people of the country. They still live off the land, tending to their cattle and goats. Lunch en route and late afternoon arrival
Accommodation: Toshari Lodge on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
DAY 9 – ETOSHA
Full day Etosha Game Drive with a local guide in an open vehicle into the Etosha National Park in search of its wonderful animals. Etosha is Namibia’s National Park, and it is home to most of the Southern African antelope, rhinos, elephants, and predators.
Accommodation: Toshari Lodge on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
DAY 10 – ETOSHA – OKONJIMA GAME RESERVE
Breakfast and a last safari into Etosha National Park.
Departure south to Okonjima Game Lodge in time for lunch.
In the afternoon we visit the Africat Foundation and learn about Namibia’s Carnivore Project.
Accommodation: Okonjima Plains Camp on a lunch dinner bed and breakfast basis.
DAY 11 – OKONJIMA GAME RESERVE – WINDHOEK
After breakfast and time permitting, a last safari, we travel back to Windhoek via a visit to the Wood Carvers Market at Okahandja. We stop for lunch and a short historical talk of this capital town of the Herero people of Namibia.
We arrive in Windhoek in the late afternoon and check into our hotel or proceed to the airport for your flights out.
Accommodation: Arrebusch Travel Lodge on a bed and breakfast basis.
DAY 12 DEPARTURE
A leisurely day today with time to shop, or do a township tour of Katatura, visit the Hero’s Memorial just outside the city, and the new Windhoek Museum. Transfer to Windhoek International airport for your flight out.