This safari is based on using a variety of comfortable lodges and Namibia Wildlife Resorts bungalows, “value for money” accommodation! Choose to have a guided or a self-drive safari.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Windhoek / Kalahari Desert. Depart from Windhoek and travel south through Rehoboth to the Mariental area of Namibia. From here, turn east into the fringes of the Kalahari Desert for the first night on tour! A beautiful area surrounded by the red dunes of the Kalahari Desert. A green oasis in the Kalahari landscape, the Lodge is situated on the banks of the dry Auob river. Enjoy the peaceful atmosphere at the swimming pool or discover the surrounding area on foot or horseback or game drives or choose the lodge in the midst of the red dunes of the Kalahari in eastern Namibia, the Lodge rises like a plush green oasis. Join a drive through Gondwana Kalahari Park at sunrise or around sunset, spend time bird-watching or explore the Kalahari on foot by following one of our hiking trails.
Day 2: Maltahohe / Desert scenery / Namib Desert. After breakfast, travel west via Malthohe to the Namib Desert for the next two nights. This is a lovely drive from the one desert to the other passing through desert type Savannah, open plains and rolling hills. This drive takes about 4 hours so one can enjoy the Kalahari area in the morning and an early departure is not necessary. A late afternoon nature drive or walk at the lodge is recommended, especially at sunset! Situated 31.5km from the Sossusvlei entry gate, a newly rebuilt lodge has been skilfully designed to incorporate all the features that guests loved about the original lodge, whilst enjoying the benefit of a pristine location.
Extra activities include horse riding, sun-downer drives, guided walks, hiking, ballooning, quad biking and flight excursions or another lodge in the Namib Desert sits at the foot of a red sandstone cliff, the 'fossilized' dunes of the protomorphic Namib. Situated just 60 km north of Sesriem, the gateway to famous Sossusvlei, the lodge is an ideal starting point for an excursion to the highest dunes in the world. Among tall trees and palms are en suite rooms, a restaurant and swimming pool, all of which invite you to linger and relax.
Day 3: Sossusvlei / Dead Pan / Dune 45 / Sesriem Gorge. A whole day is set aside in this beautiful area with an early morning rise to drive to the beautiful Sossusvlei area where most of the morning will be spent on dune climbing, photography and to visit the amazing Dead Pan. A stunning area, especially early morning! The afternoon is free to relax after the early morning rise and/or to go on a drive or a short hike in the area. The dunes of the Namib desert have developed over a period of many millions of years. It is thought that the vast quantities of sand were deposited into the Alantic Ocean by the Orange river. This material was subsequently moved northwards by the Benguela current to be dumped back onto the land by the surf.
Days 4-5: Kuiseb Canyon / Namib Gravel Plains / Welwitschia / Swakopmund / Skeleton Coast. Head west to the gravel plains of the Namib to visit the amazing prehistoric Welwitschia plants and Moon landscape before arriving at the German colonial style town of Swakopmund. The first morning is set aside for an excursion to the Walvis Bay lagoon where a wide range of birds such as flamingos, pelicans and waders can be seen. The afternoon is free to spend in Swakopmund. A relaxed atmosphere is within a short walking distance to the city centre and the beach. All rooms are equipped with a telephone, satellite TV and en-suite bathrooms. In the restaurant they will spoil you with a great variety of Namibian game and seafood as well as European dishes and vegetarian dishes.
Optional extra activities:
- Scenic flights over the Skeleton Coast (recommended)
- Dolphin boat cruise at Walvis Bay (recommended)
- Dune 4X4 quad biking etc
Day 6: Skeleton Coast / Cape Cross / Damaraland. From Swakopmund, head north along a section of the Skeleton Coast to Cape Cross to visit the breeding colony of Cape Fur seals before heading inland to Uis, the center of Damaraland. From here, head north through this semi-desert are, beautiful with eroded granite hills and dolerite dykes to the Twyfelfontein area. If time permits, visit the “open air museum” of Twyfelfontein this afternoon, or tomorrow morning. En-suite tented chalets, with own shade parking, rock garden and braai area. The sites are well chosen to give you the utmost space to enjoy and relax and feel the unspoilt wilderness.
Days 7-9: Twyfelfontein / Etosha National Park. A visit to the Etosha National Park is one of the highlights of traveling Namibia. Etosha, which was declared a game reserve by the German colonial administration back in 1907, covers an area of more than 22 000 sq km. In its centre lies a vast saltpan surrounded by grass and thorn Savannah, Mopane bushland in the west and dry forest in the north-east. About two million years ago, this area was an enormous lake, fed by the Kunene river. However the lake slowly dried up because over time, the river changed its course.
The pan is just about always dry. However, in the southern parts there are have water-holes scattered throughout this area and form the basis of life for countless game. In years of good rain, sections of the pan are flooded and becomes home to many birds species, a specialty being flamingos that come here to breed. Be it a lion or an elephant, a giraffe or a zebra, almost all African animal species are represented in the huge nature reserve, approx. 22 000 square kilometers in size. There is an estimated number of 250 lions in the park, 300 rhinos, 2 500 giraffes, 6 000 zebras and more than 2 000 elephants. The dainty springbok are especially numerous; at least 20 000 of them roam the reserve. Often, they can be observed in enormous herds of several hundred animals.
The Etosha National Park has a good infrastructure. Well-maintained gravel roads (unbarred) lead to the waterholes, where game viewing is at its best. In the three rest camps Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni, chalets and camping sites are available as well as restaurants, stores and swimming pools.
Two full days (three nights) are set aside to spend on game drives and game viewing at various waterholes in the beautiful game reserve. View numerous species of animals drinking at the same waterhole, not often seen in other African parks!
Overnight at Namibia Wildlife Resorts bungalows at Namutoni, Halali and/or Okaukuejo. Okaukuejo camp is Etosha’s oldest and most popular resort. A floodlit waterhole visited by plenty of game especially after sunset gives Okaukuejo special character, with its luxury and standard bungalows, camping facilities, museum, swimming pool and restaurant complex.
Halali camp. The name Halali comes from a German word signifying the bugle call made to announce the end of the hunt. The camp is spread out amongst shady mopane trees and has en-suite rooms in self-contained bungalows. Leading to the summit is a small dolomite hill with a footpath, referred to as the Tsumasa Trail.
Namutoni camp. Situated at Etosha’s eastern entrance, Namutoni Resort was developed around the old colonial German fort, built 1902 – 1903. Today the fort houses a museum and accommodation of various sizes, restaurant, swimming pool, shop complex and a floodlit waterhole for game viewing opportunities at night.
Day 10: Exit Etosha today and head south via Otjiwarongo and the wood carvers market ending in Windhoek in the afternoon.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price & conditions on request.
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
Namibia
Desert Expeditions
Wildlife Viewing
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