| D1: Windhoek (52 km) |
| Meet and Greet • Windhoek tour(n) |
| | - | 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 W c: 14-30 days at Windhoek - Drop Off Windhoek (Day 15) - 15 days  |
| | - | 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: Belvedere Boutique Hotel (Standard Room - Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D2: Windhoek - Otjiwarongo |
| Okahanjda Artisan Market(n) • 4x4 Afternoon Game Drive |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Appreciate handmade wooden creations in Okahandja. This small town lies approximately 70 kilometres from Walvis Bay and is the commercial centre of the area. The town was originally established as a mission station and its history is closely linked to that of the Herero people in Namibia as it is the location of one of their most important tribal centres. At the entrance and exit of Okahandja, there are two open air craft markets that specialise in wooden carvings made from timber originating in northern Namibia. The markets are popular browsing spots for tourists who are looking for a special memento of their Namibian travels and purchases from here also help support the local community who sell their carvings at the craft markets on a co-operative basis. (n) (n) |
| | - | Travel to Otjiwarongo |
| | - | Afternoon 4x4 game drive. |
| | - | Dinner: Okonjima Bush Camp |
| | - | Overnight: Okonjima Bush Camp (Chalet - Dinner, Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D3: Otjiwarongo - Etosha |
| Cheetah Conservation Fund's Education Centre(n) • Sight Seeing(n) |
| | - | Bush 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. (n) (n) |
| | - | Travel to Tsumeb |
| | - | Fathom the myths and legends that surround the supposedly bottomless Otjikoto Lake. Contrary to early belief, this emerald-green subterranean lake is in fact 55 metres deep and lies on a thick succession of well-stratified dolomite and limestone thought to be about 700-million years old. As the rock mass eroded, roofless cavities were formed creating an upside down mushroom shaped lake, noted for its scenic setting and startling water colour. Ancient tribes believed that no living creature that entered the water ever came out alive again and its reputation of being bottomless possibly led to the dumping of a considerable supply of artillery and ammunition into its murky depths by retreating Schutztruppe, rather than let the armaments fall into the hands of the South African troops. A number of guns, large quantities of ammunition and an ammunition wagon still in perfect condition have subsequently been salvaged from the lake by divers. (n) (n) |
| | - | Travel to Etosha |
| | - | Overnight: Emanya Etosha Lodge (Standard Room - Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D4: Etosha |
| Etosha East Game Drive Full Day(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Fall in with the pace of nature on a full day game drive in the eastern sector of Etosha National Park. Despite its arid, unusual setting, Etosha is renowned as one of the best game reserves in Africa. Enter the Von Lindequist Gate at sunrise and visit the numerous waterholes bordering the Etosha Pan, fed by springs and artesian fountains where you may encounter many species of animals such as black-faced impala, eland, giraffe, gemsbok, elephant, black rhino and lion. Covering almost a quarter of the park, Etosha Pan is the largest salt pan in Africa, supporting very little life except during the rainy season when up to 1-million flamingos converge on the pan. The smaller Fischer's Pan - named after the park's first game warden - also attracts thousands of flamingos and other waterbirds when the rains arrive. Stop at one of the rest camps for lunch and to observe the waterholes they overlook. Namutoni has a Beau Geste charm and the historic fortress was once the northernmost German outpost and is now a national monument. (n) (n) |
| | - | Overnight: Emanya Etosha Lodge (Standard Room - Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D5: Etosha (202 km) |
| Etosha Central Game Drive Full Day(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Sweep through the wilderness on a full day game drive in the Etosha National Park. Proclaimed a game reserve in 1907, Etosha spreads over 22 270km2 of saline desert, mopane forests and grassy scrublands. The park's most distinctive feature is the Etosha Pan, once a lake and now a massive white, salty depression that fills with pockets of pools after infrequent rains, attracting up to 1-million flamingos which use the pan as a breeding ground. The rain pools, along with approximately 30 waterholes and springs across the reserve, sustain an abundance of wildlife, including 340 bird and 114 mammal species, as well as some rarities like the Damara dik-dik, the black-faced impala and the Egyptian vulture. (n) (n) |
| | - | Dinner: Etosha Safari Lodge |
| | - | Overnight: Etosha Safari Lodge (Standard Room - Dinner, Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D6: Etosha - Twyfelfontein (315 km) |
| Damaraland Discover(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Travel to Twyfelfontein |
| | - | 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) |
| | - | In the Damaraland, depending on the time available and your itinerary, we recommend: Twyfelfontein*** home to the largest collection of rock paintings in Namibia; the Petrified Forest**, composed of gigantic tree trunks transported by floods and submerged in mud more than 200-million years ago, and Vingerklip* or "rock finger", an intriguing 35 m high rock formation. (n) |
| | - | Dinner: Camp Kipwe |
| | - | Overnight: Camp Kipwe (Bungalow - Dinner, Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D7: Twyfelfontein - Swakopmund (326 km) |
| Nature Drive(o) • Swakopmund Orientation(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Nature Drive / Elephant Drive AM. (Optional rates: D7:Nature Drive/Elephant Drive AM) |
| | - | Travel to Swakopmund |
| | - | Soak up the salty sea breeze on an orientation tour of Swakopmund. A popular seaside resort providing visitors respite from the heat of the desert, the town is a quirky mix of German architecture, stemming from its origins as a harbour town for German South West Africa, and the African love for adrenalin. To this day, the town's main inhabitants and visitors are German-speaking, preserving European heritage at the edge of the Namib Desert. The harbour activities were moved to Walvis Bay in 1915 but tourism continues to thrive as visitors come to see the incongruous Baltic Sea architecture among palm tree-lined streets, and participate in the plethora of outdoor activities on offer. The most iconic remnant of the German colonial era in Swakopmund is the ornate Victorian Hohenzollern building, dominated by a figure of Atlas holding the world upon his shoulders. Other prominent examples of German architecture dating from the early 1900s include the Prinzessin Rupprecht Rezidenz (originally a military hospital and now a hotel), the Woermannhaus (1905), the youth hostel, the Lutheran Church on Post Street (1911), the court, the railway station which is also now a hotel (1901), the buildings on Sam Nujoma Avenue (previously Kaiser Wilhelm Strasse), the Arnold Shad Promenade, and the metal pier which was built in 1915, and recently rescued from dereliction. (n) (n) |
| | - | Overnight: Villa Maji - Guest House (Honeymoon suite - Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D8: Swakopmund (89 km) |
| 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: D8: Walvis Bay 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: D8:Sandwich Harbour) |
| | - | Overnight: Villa Maji - Guest House (Honeymoon suite - Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D9: Swakopmund - Namib-Naukluft (372 km) |
| Kuiseb Canyon(n) • Namib-Naukluft Introduction(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Travel to Namib-Naukluft |
| | - | 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: Le Mirage Lodge |
| | - | Overnight: Le Mirage Lodge (Sky room (Oasis) - Dinner Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D10: Namib-Naukluft (147 km) |
| Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei (Shuttle)(n) • Sesriem Canyon(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Travel by 4x4 shuttle to the incredible site of Sossusvlei. Meaning 'dead-end marsh', Sossusvlei is a salt pan surrounded by ancient dunes that are among the highest in the world, reaching up to 300-400 metres. Visitors from all around the world come to capture haunting images of the towering coral-hued dunes. Skeletal remnants of 550-year-old dead camelthorn trees rise from another dry lake, the Dead Vlei, in stark contrast against its surrounding sea of sand. While it may seem that this stark environment could not sustain life, many species of plants and animals have adapted to the harsh conditions, among them the gemsbok (oryx), which can survive without water for weeks. (n) (n) |
| | - | Stare into the abyss at the Sesriem Canyon located 4,5 km from the Sesriem gate to the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The 50 metre-deep gorge was formed by the Tsauchab River as a result of millions of years of erosion, and is one the few places in the Namib Desert that holds water all year round - there are water pools at the bottom of the canyon even in the dry season. Early Afrikaans explorers tied six (ses) leather ropes (riem) together to pull buckets of water from the canyon for their livestock. (n) (n) |
| | - | Dinner: Le Mirage Lodge |
| | - | Overnight: Le Mirage Lodge (Sky room (Oasis) - Dinner Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D11: Namib-Naukluft - Aus (392 km) |
| Duwisib Castle(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Travel to Maltahohe |
| | - | Enter through the imposing doors of Duwisib Castle, built in 1909 by a German baron to resemble a fort and to reflect the baron's commitment to the German Military. Much of the building supplies were shipped into Lüderitz from Germany and transported by ox-wagon across the desert to the site of the castle, 70 km south-west of Maltahohe. The 22-room castle served as the private residence of the baron and his wife, but following his death in France during World War 1, the castle was sold. It was transferred to the state in the late 1970s and today it is a national monument, filled with antiques, armour and paintings, standing incongruously amid its semi-arid surrounds. (n) (n) |
| | - | Travel to Aus |
| | - | Overnight at the Lodge: Klein Aus Vista (Eagles Nest Chalet - Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D12: Aus - Fish River Canyon (286 km) |
| Namib desert wild horses(n) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | 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) |
| | - | Travel to Fish River Canyon |
| | - | Overnight at the Lodge: Canyon Lodge (Chalet - Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D13: Fish River Canyon - Mariental (699 km) |
| Fish River Canyon(n) • Kalahari Visit(n) • Sundowner Drive (incl drinks)(o) • Star Safari from Observatory (o) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | 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) |
| | - | Travel to Mariental |
| | - | Be blown away by the haunting beauty of the Kalahari Desert. Extending over an area of 500,000 km², the Kalahari covers most of Botswana - where it is known as the Kgalagadi - some areas of South Africa, and south-eastern Namibia. Contrary to what the notion of 'desert' might suggest, the Kalahari has a semi-arid climate and receives an average annual rainfall of 100 mm (as opposed to a maximum of 25 mm for a true desert). The rains enable a multitude of life to flourish across the red sands that transform into grassy plains at times of higher rainfall, and numerous species of mammals and birds inhabit the Kalahari, as do the San Bushmen, southern Africa's oldest human inhabitants. The solitary expanses evoke a sense of isolation, yet its lunar landscapes, varied fauna and flora and ancient tribes make the Kalahari an enriching experience. (n) (n) |
| | - | Nature drive on the property of the lodge, amongst the red dunes of the Kalahari. Enjoy a sundowner as the day draws to a close. (Optional rates: D13: Sundowner Drive(incl drinks)) |
| | - | 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: D13:Star Gazing) |
| | - | Overnight at the Lodge: Bagatelle Kalahari Main Lodge (Dune Chalet - Dinner, Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D14: Mariental - Windhoek (261 km) |
| Morning Bushmen Walk(o) |
| | - | Breakfast |
| | - | Walk with members of the Kalahari San indigenous group to a reconstructed village to observe the ancient survival skills and traditions of the oldest inhabitants of southern Africa. A guide will translate into English as a family demonstrates how to store water in ostrich eggs, explain which plants are used for medicinal purposes, show how traps are set up, and how jewellery is made from beads and ostrich shells. While most Kalahari San people have adapted to a more modern way of life, the tour aims to preserve San heritage. (Optional rates: D14:Morning Bushmen Walk) |
| | - | Travel to Windhoek |
| | - | Overnight: Villa Moringa Guesthouse (Executive Room - Bed and Breakfast) |
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| D15: Windhoek (6 km) |
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| | - | Breakfast |
