| D1: Windhoek - Otjiwarongo |
| Meet and Greet |
| | - | Be met at Windhoek Airport by one of our experienced guides, who will explain your itinerary and give you valuable advice, as well as information to make your trip run smoothly and be utterly unforgettable. Our guide will answer any questions you may have, hand over all the travel documents that you may need such as maps and vouchers, and escort you to your designated transportation. |
| | - | Pick up your vehicle Europcar NA Classic Max Category P b:7-13 days at Windhoek - Drop Off Windhoek (Day 13) - 13 days  |
| | - | Travel to Otjiwarongo |
| | - | Overnight: Frans Indongo Lodge (Standard Room - Bed and Breakfast) |
|
|
| D2: Otjiwarongo - Etosha |
| Cheetah Conservation Fund's Education Centre(o) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Get your feline fix with a visit to the Cheetah Conservation Fund's International Research and Education Centre. Situated 44 km outside Otjiwarango, the CCF Centre was founded by Dr Laurie Marker and is the world's leading organisation dedicated to saving the cheetah from extinction. Loss of habitat, poaching and prosecution by farmers has led to the cheetah being the most endangered cat in Africa. The CCF Centre provides in-depth information about the cheetah, and what CCF is doing to ensure the survival of this species for future generations. Cheetah that cannot be released into the wild for various reasons are protected in this peaceful sanctuary and visitors can observe these big cats on a drive through one of the cheetah camps. (Optional rates: D2:Cheetah Conservation Fund) |
| | - | Travel to Etosha |
| | - | Overnight at the Rest Camp: Okaukuejo Rest Camp (Waterhole Chalet 2 Beds - Bed and Breakfast) |
|
|
| D3: Etosha |
| 4x4 Morning Game Drive(o) • 4x4 Afternoon Game Drive(o) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Morning 4x4 game drive. (Optional rates: D3:4x4 Full day safari at Etosha) |
| | - | Late afternoon game drive in an open 4x4 with ranger in Etosha National Park. One of the best times to observe all the fauna of the park which meets at the water points. It is in this part of the park that we are most likely to encounter black rhinos, lions, as well as high concentrations of elephants. (Optional rates: D3:4x4 Full day safari at Etosha) |
| | - | Overnight at the Rest Camp: Okaukuejo Rest Camp (Waterhole Chalet 2 Beds - Bed and Breakfast) |
|
|
| D4: Etosha - Twyfelfontein |
| Damaraland Discover(n) • Petrified Forest(n) • Visit the Living Museum of the Damara. (n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Travel to Khorixas |
| | - | Shield your eyes from the glare of the sun as you unearth the harsh beauty of Damaraland. The vast stretches of Damaraland’s semi-desert landscape are spectacular and hold rare and unusual sights such as desert-adapted elephants striding along the dusty earth and forests of petrified trees buried in beds of sandstone. Twyfelfontein is a World Heritage Site that conceals one of the continent’s largest collections of African rock art and engravings and there are various craters and mountains in the area to explore. The massive Brandberg massif stands as Namibia’s highest mountain, dominating the surrounding plains and home to an immense collection of early rock paintings including the famous White Lady. Another well-known landmark is Vingerkilp, a striking pinnacle of rock and natural obelisk balancing vertically on its own. Black rhino are present throughout the regions as well as many other animals, although these are more readily found in the east of Damaraland where the vegetation is more lush. (n) (n) |
| | - | Touch trees of stone with a visit to the Petrified Forest, a remarkable site of fossilised tree trunks dating back to the paleontological era. Geological research has revealed that these trees belong to the pine family, and were washed down the continent in a massive flood to their current site, buried beneath hundreds of metres of sediment. Over millions of years, the pressure caused the organic material to be replaced by silica and completely transformed the trees into stone. The effects of erosion have exposed these tree relics, including two trees measuring up to 45 metres. (n) (n) |
| | - | Travel to Damaraland |
| | - | Engage with the enigmatic Damara people with a visit to the Damara Living Museum near Twyfelfontein. The Damara are one of the oldest nations in Namibia with no clear lineage attachment to any other tribe in Africa, making their origins somewhat mysterious and unique. During your visit you will gain insight into the daily routine of the Damara tribe as you watch blacksmiths making traditional tools and weapons and women producing pretty jewellery and crafts. Test your skills of traditional fire making while the tribe explains to you the importance of the Holy Fire – on object of reverence that is believed to bring good fortune in hunting and can be started only by the village headman as he rubs together sticks and murmurs a ‘magical formula’. Leather tanning to make traditional clothing, dancing, singing and traditional games will round off a memorable experience. (n) (n) |
| | - | Travel to Twyfelfontein |
| | - | Dinner: Twyfelfontein Country Lodge |
| | - | Overnight: Twyfelfontein Country Lodge (Standard Room - Dinner, Bed and Breakfast (FIT)) |
|
|
| D5: Twyfelfontein - Swakopmund |
| Twyfelfontein World Heritage Site(n) • Cape Cross Seal Reserve(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Read the pictures that paint a thousand words at the site of Twyvelfontein in the heart of Damaraland. With over 2 500 rock engravings dating back 6 000 years to the hunter-gatherers of the Stone Age, as well as numerous Khoikhoi rock painting sites estimated to be 2 000 years old, Twyfelfontein has one of the largest concentrations of rock petroglyphs in Africa, and was declared Namibia's first World Heritage Site in 2007. The ancient engravings and paintings depict the lives of lost communities and the animals with whom they shared the landscape. Twyfelfontein is translated to 'doubtful spring' in Afrikaans, referring to the /Ui-//aes spring that that lies within the valley along the slopes of the sandstone plateau. (n) (n) |
| | - | Travel to Cape Cross |
| | - | Watch as seals frolic on the shores of the Cape Cross Seal Reserve. Located approximately 60 km north of the coastal city of Henties Bay on the Skeleton Coast, this reserve holds the largest breeding colony of the Cape fur seals in the world. Cape Cross is also where Portuguese explorer Diego Câo erected a stone pillar and cross to establish his claim on the territory in 1486. The original cross was removed in 1893 and taken to Berlin after the German possession of the land, and a replica made of Namibian dolomite was erected in its place. The reserve is open daily from 10am to 7pm. (n) (n) |
| | - | Travel to Swakopmund |
| | - | Overnight: Villa Margherita Guest House (Standard Room - Bed and Breakfast) |
|
|
| D6: Swakopmund |
| Dolphin Cruise(o) • Sandwich Harbour HD(o) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Inhale the fresh, salty air as you prepare for a marine dolphin motorboat cruise to Pelican Point. The calm waters of Walvis Bay's lagoon are teeming with marine life. The cruise traverses the oyster lines, Walvis Bay Harbour and Pelican Point with its iconic lighthouse, where Cape fur seals play in the waves and come right up to the boat. Further out bottlenose and heaviside dolphins swim alongside the boat, and whales can be spotted between July and November. Flamingos, pelicans and even jackass penguins are common sightings during the cruise. Light lunch with oysters served on board. (Optional rates: D6:Marine Dolphin Cruise) |
| | - | Seize the opportunity to experience the scenic pleasures of Namibia with a half day 4x4 excursion to Sandwich Harbour. Travel south along the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, passing the Kuiseb River Delta where the descendants of the Khoikhoi still live along the dry river beds as they have been doing for the last 2 000 years. Approximately 40 km south of Walvis Bay , the tracks disappear with the constantly shifting sands as you approach Sandwich Harbour, only accessible by 4x4 and when the tide is low. Once a port used by Germans in the early 1900s, its difficult access proved the harbour to be short-lived and only a few ruins remain. Visitors today come to see the hundred-metre dunes merging with the ocean, and a natural tidal lagoon with thousands of flamingos, plovers, terns, pelicans and many other species to be found here. Peregrine falcons and black-breasted snake eagles can be spotted hunting for small mammals that roam the vegetation-covered dunes surrounding the lagoon, alongside bigger animals such as springbok, ostrich and jackal. Within the lagoon's waters, you may spot seals and dolphins, and even whales further out between June and November. End the tour with a full picnic spread surrounded by unimaginable beauty. (Optional rates: D6:Sandwich Harbour PM) |
| | - | Overnight: Villa Margherita Guest House (Standard Room - Bed and Breakfast) |
|
|
| D7: Swakopmund - Namib-Naukluft |
| Moon Landscape and Welwitschia Mirabilis(n) • Kuiseb Canyon(n) • Namib-Naukluft Introduction(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Travel to Namib-Naukluft |
| | - | Walk on the moon Namibian-style at the Namib Moon Landscape, a name given to a part of the valley of the Swakop River near Swakopmund. The lunar-type landscape, eroded by thousands of years of wind and rain, is awe-inspiring. The river that flows from time to time at the bottom of the valley brings a short-lived period of fertility to the region and the water allows some plants to survive in this hostile environment. Man tried to cultivate parts of this valley for agriculture at the beginning of the previous century, with little success due to the harshness of the environment. Discover the Welwitschia mirabilis, a botanical curiosity that is found almost exclusively in areas of fog of the Namib Desert. Some specimens are older than 1500 years. (n) (n) |
| | - | Capture hypnotic scenic images at the Kuiseb Canyon. The ephemeral Kuiseb River has carved an impressive nine kilometre long canyon which can be seen from the C14 road close to the town of Solitaire. This river is the dividing line between the endless rocky plains of the north and the sand dunes that end near the Orange River. After the rainy season in the summer, the Kuiseb River mostly dries up but some water remains at the canyon. Klipspringer, leopard, hyena, jackal and springbok can sometimes be spotted. (n) (n) |
| | - | Prepare to be mesmerised as you explore the enormous Namib-Naukluft National Park. The park covers an area of just under 50 000 km2, and is the largest nature conservation area in Namibia, and the fourth largest in the world. This is a vast, remote area encompassing dramatic landscapes, from an impressive mountain massif to desert plains and high dunes, to deep gorges and an estuarine lagoon. The Naukluft area is situated north-west of Maltahöhe on the road to the coastal town of Swakopmund at the edge of the Namib Desert. Amid the semi-desert landscape and mountainous escarpment, mountain zebra and other species of game can be found. Sesriem, the main entrance gate to the park, lies west of the Naukluft mountains, where the Tsauchab River disappears dramatically down a steep gorge at a huge, dried-up pan, called Sossusvlei. Here, the towering dunes, reaching up to 300 m high - among the tallest dunes in the world - extend as far as the eye can see, and their multi-coloured hues vary from pale apricot to vivid reds and oranges. Sandwich Harbour, 42 km south of the port of Walvis Bay, is a large, reed-lined marine lagoon home to many coastal and freshwater birds and only accessibly by 4x4 vehicles. (n) (n) |
| | - | Dinner: Sossusvlei Lodge |
| | - | Overnight: Sossusvlei Lodge (Standard Room - Dinner Bed and Breakfast) |
|
|
| D8: Namib-Naukluft |
| Sossusvlei and Deadvlei(n) • Namib Naukluft National Park(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Spend a full day in the desert to see Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. Drive to the entrance of the national park at Sesriem. From the entrance, continue along a paved road for 50 kilometres and be mesmerised by the transition between the magnificent landscapes of the Naukluft mountains and those of the dunes. If you’re up to the challenge, you can climb Dune 45, the real star of the show, and probably the most photographed dune of all. Arriving at the car park signalling the end of the asphalt road, you can continue your way on the sand for 5 km provided you have a 4x4, or take the shuttle to the car parks serving the sites of Deadvlei and Sossusvlei. A few hundred metres’ walk in the dunes from the parking of the site you will discover Deadvlei, a clay bowl sheltering a dry, cracked lake. The contrast between the blackened trees, the white of the lake, the ochre of the dunes and the deep-blue sky is dazzling. Finally, discover the incredible site of Sossusvlei. All the splendour of the Namib is concentrated here. From the top of one of the dunes, a breathtaking sea of sand awaits you, filled with giant dunes, the highest in the world, some reaching 300 metres in height. (n) (n) |
| | - | Enter the Namib Naukluft National Park at Sesriem. (n) (n) |
| | - | Dinner: Sossusvlei Lodge |
| | - | Overnight: Sossusvlei Lodge (Standard Room - Dinner Bed and Breakfast) |
|
|
| D9: Namib-Naukluft - Aus |
| Scenic Route D707(n) • Namib desert wild horses(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Drive along the Route D707 and through an unusual type of paradise. Rough, undulating and dusty, the stillness and lack of development along this ‘dream road’ is part of its appeal as it winds its way through endless desert landscape for 123 kilometres. Your chances of passing another vehicle are slim, and you may come across the occasional springbok or oryx grazing on scrubby grass, while chickens dig in the dusty gravel, looking for something to eat. It is, however, the panoramic scenery that makes this route so unique with a desert landscape all around and an endless blue sky above. The myriad colours in the Namib never cease to amaze as azure sky melts into the red and brown hues of the mountains, while patches of distant vegetation cast green, lavender and pink streaks across the ground. The beauty of endless space and pure nature epitomises the dazzling allure of Namibia and no visit is complete without experiencing this quiet, stark magnificence. (n) (n) |
| | - | Encounter the ephemeral Namib Desert Horses, the only wild desert-dwelling horses in Africa, and possibly the world. These horses are the subject of many discussions and studies as to their origin and incredible resistance to the extreme conditions of the desert. They are found to the west of the town of Aus on the road to Lüderitz, and in the valley of the Koichab River. Today the Namib feral horses are highly protected by the Namibian Directorate of Nature Conservation. (n) (n) |
| | - | Overnight: Klein Aus Vista - Lodge (Room Desert Horse Inn - Bed and Breakfast) |
|
|
| D10: Aus - Fish River Canyon |
| Fish River Canyon(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Travel to Fish River Canyon |
| | - | Sense the magnitude of nature's forces with a visit to the Fish River Canyon. Located in the Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park at the lower reaches of the Fish River - Namibia's longest river - the Fish River Canyon is said to be the world's second largest canyon after America's Grand Canyon. Formed 650-million years ago as a result of tectonic shifts, the canyon spans a depth of 600 metres, a length of 80 kilometres and a width of approximately 20 kilometres. The sight of the massive ravine against a stark desert backdrop is one of the highlights of southern Namibia. (n) (n) |
| | - | Overnight at the Lodge: Canyon Lodge (Chalet - Bed and Breakfast) |
|
|
| D11: Fish River Canyon - Mariental |
| Kokerboom Forest National Monument Site(n) • Star Safari from Observatory (o) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Travel to Keetmanshoop |
| | - | Transcend time with a visit to the Kokerboom Forest south of Keetmanshoop, proclaimed a national monument in 1955 due to its exceptional concentration of quiver trees. Belonging to the aloe family, the quiver tree (aloe dichotoma) is endemic to Namibia and is certainly one of the country's most outlandish plant specimens. Once the branches of this aloe are dry, the fibrous inner contents are removed and the hollow bark is used as a quiver for arrows by the indigenous people. Some specimens can reach a height of 9 metres and the trees in this natural forest are between two and three hundred years old. (n) (n) |
| | - | Travel to Mariental |
| | - | Dinner: Bagatelle Kalahari Main Lodge |
| | - | Star-Gaze from the observatory's computerized telescopes to explore the universe in the brilliantly clear Namibian sky. (Optional rates: D11:Star gazing ) |
| | - | Overnight at the Lodge: Bagatelle Kalahari Main Lodge (Dune Chalet - Dinner, Bed and Breakfast) |
|
|
| D12: Mariental - Windhoek |
| Windhoek tour(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Travel to Windhoek |
| | - | Saunter the sidewalks on a city tour of Windhoek. The capital of Namibia lies at an altitude of 1 654 metres within the Khomashochland, a hilly plateau in the centre of the country. With its unique blend of European and African architecture, history and culture, the tranquil city has a slightly vintage feel. Its first inhabitants named the city as a "place of vapour, water or fire" due to the numerous hot water springs in the area. Following the arrival of the Germans in 1890 the city grew around a fortress, or the Alte Feste, and the Tintenpalast (Ink Palace), Namibia's parliament building. The Christuskirche, built in neo-Gothic / Art Nouveau style, rises above the city showcasing the German architectural influence of the time. (n) (n) |
| | - | Overnight: Villa Moringa Guesthouse (Executive Room - Bed and Breakfast) |
|
|
| D13: Windhoek |
| |
| | - | Breakfast |
