SAMPLE ITINERARY - CLASSIC NAMIBIA

The Dream Cruiser is Onguma's newest and most unique under the stars sleep-out experience.

Arriving in time to enjoy sundowners and take a tour of your overnight accommodation, this sleep out in the wilderness of the reserve is on our custom built Land Cruiser, featuring a full bathroom on the lower deck and a bedroom with lounge area on the upper deck.

A night on the Dream Cruiser calls for al fresco picnic-style dining is delivered by our chef for you to enjoy as the evening turns to night and the stars dance in all their glory.
A ranger is on call via a two-way radio, so make the most of this time and relax in the safety and complete comfort of this unique space.

After a good night's rest, you can enjoy morning tea/coffee with homemade rusks before being collected for breakfast at the lodge.

Onguma's fabulous new water-level hide affords guests a great opportunity to calmly sit and enjoy nature unobserved. Amateur and professional photographers alike love the angles and light from this equipped hide.

There is a small ablution facility nearby, benches from which to view the surroundings and lots of windows and vantage points for creative camera angles.

Onguma Nature Reserve consists of 34 000 hectares of Namibian wilderness & is home to numerous plains game, more than 300 bird species ?and even 4 of the Big 5. ?The Reserve boasts over thirty different animal species. Plains game roam freely on the Reserve and predators although not always easy to spot, are nevertheless common residents of the area. Lions and Cheetahs are frequently seen and often heard. There is a healthy black rhino and leopard population and hyenas are also often seen and heard.

Etosha is a 22 750km² wildlife sanctuary in Namibia – one of Africa’s most stable and accessible countries. Etosha, meaning ‘place of dry water’, and refers to a flat calcrete depression (or pan) of about 5 000km². The ‘Pan’ (overlooked by the Onguma Reserve) provides a great, parched, silver-white backdrop of shimmering mirages to an area of semi-arid savannah grassland and thorn scrub. The pan itself contains water only after very good rains and sometimes for only a few days each year, but is enough to stimulate the growth of a blue-green algae which lures thousands of flamingos.

Africa takes on a new perspective when you experience it on foot as the first explorers did. A bush walk is a unique physical, mental and spiritual adventure through nature. Experience the sights, smells and sounds of the Namibian bush by conducting an early morning leisurely walk accompanied by one of our experienced armed rangers.

?Johan, our resident therapist, is a professional massage therapist with over 15 years experience, having lived and worked at renowned Wellness Centres in Asia and Africa. His passion for and dedication to massage therapy originated in the East, where he was trained and educated from the best teachers in their respective fields. Having the opportunity to spend considerable time with monks in Thailand, has also led him to incorporate focused awareness into his massage therapies.

Explore the national park with our guides who are familiar with the waterholes and the animals that visit them. Let them introduce you to African wildlife from the elevated seat of a game vehicle. Early mornings or late afternoons provide the best game viewing times. And, after Etosha enchantment return to the lodge to dive into the cool waters of the pools. Dine on the veranda under a dome of stars, sit next to a blazing fire or watch the ruby sun sink gracefully into the landscape. Be at peace.

Explore the National Park and its amazing wildlife in a 9-seater game vehicle. Refreshments, snacks, entrance fees to the National Park and passenger liability insurance are included.

Etosha Safari Lodge Credit: GondwanaCollectionNamibia Etosha Safari Lodge - Activities

Etosha Safari Lodge Credit: Gondwana Collection Namibia Etosha Safari Lodge - Activities

Etosha Safari Lodge Credit: Gondwana Collection Namibia Etosha Safari Lodge - Activities

Etosha Safari Lodge Credit: GondwanaCollectionNamibia Etosha Safari Lodge - Activities

Explore the national park with our guides who are familiar with the waterholes and the animals that visit them. Let them introduce you to African wildlife from the elevated seat of a game vehicle. Early mornings or late afternoons provide the best game viewing times. And, after Etosha enchantment return to the lodge to dive into the cool waters of the pools. Dine on the veranda under a dome of stars, sit next to a blazing fire or watch the ruby sun sink gracefully into the landscape. Be at peace.

Explore the National Park and its amazing wildlife in a 9-seater game vehicle. Refreshments, snacks, entrance fees to the National Park and passenger liability insurance are included. Departing morning or afternoon.

A scenic nature drive in the ephemeral Huab River and surrounding valley, including a picnic lunch, exposes visitors to unique geological formations and the possibility of sighting the elusive desert-adapted elephants and rhinos.

(Available during stays of two nights or more only)

Three open game drive cars are permanently available with guides.

SOSSUSVLEI EXCURSION
• Drive to the Sossusvlei dunes in a safari 4x4 vehicle accompanied by a Guide with in-depth knowledge of the area
• Departure seasonally, depending on national park opening hours. Activity is possible in the early morning or afternoon ( in the morning preferably for photography – departing before sunrise. In the afternoon preferably for experiencing the dunes more in private, fewer visitors will be there)
• Minimum of 2 guests or single supplement applicable; small groups only (maximum of 9 guests per vehicle)
• Activity duration is approx. 1/2 a day (approx. 6 – 7 hours)
• Rate includes a picnic in the dunes, guide, water, entrance fees

SUNDOWNER DRIVE
On the Witwater Wilderness Reserve – 7000 ha.
• A relaxing way to end the day and enjoy beautiful views and a sundowner with drinks and snacks
• Starts in the afternoon, and lasts 2 – 2 1/2 hours, departure times change seasonally; guests are back at the lodge just before dinner
• minimum of 2 guests or a single supplement applicable, max. 9 guests per vehicle
• opportunity to come face to face with the nature of the Namib in a safari 4x4 vehicle
• Includes sundowner drinks and snacks

OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA

• Quad biking
• Hot air ballooning
• Scenic flights
The staff at Desert Homestead Lodge and Desert Homestead Outpost will be happy to organize all activities of other providers in the area.
An employee of the lodges informs the guests in detail about the start and departure times, depending on the season, as well as about meeting points, equipment, clothes etc. of the activities of the next day during the dinner.
For participation in afternoon activities, check-in is necessary until 2 pm. In the case of a later arrival, it is not possible to guarantee a performance or attendance due to the different start times.

EXPERIENCE THE NAMIB

DESERT ON HORSEBACK

For the more adventurous of spirit, Desert Homestead Lodge offers a unique experience where guests can ride out onto the private reserve and sleep out in nature. The reserve is situated in between the majestic red sand sea of the Namib Desert and the rugged Naukluft mountains.

Leaving the stables and lodge behind, an unforgettable journey set off through wide open plains riding over a varied terrain changing from soft, sandy, stretched open fields, to rockier mountain trails, through dry riverbeds, under social weavers nests and around camelthorn trees.

The experienced guide will eagerly tell more about the environment, fauna and flora. Riders are almost guaranteed to come across a herd or two of grazing Oryx, springbok, or Zebra and some varieties of smaller carnivores, such as Jackal and bat-eared foxes.

Riding takes place at a comfortable pace so that everyone feels comfortable. Slower riders can hang back while more experienced riders go for long stretched-out gallops over grassy plains while winding the way towards the tented Camp, where refreshments await for a truly remarkable sundowner with magnificent views. After watching the sunset over the majestic mountains it’s time to kick off the boots, relax and enjoy the Namibian night skies. While Dinner gets ready on the campfire true Namibian style a refreshing shower awaits.

Dinner is served next to the crackling fire whilst conversation is sure to revert to the days riding. Then it’s time to retire to the comfortable tent or even a stretcher outside, for those who prefer to sleep out in nature under starry skies to get some rest before the next day’s riding.

Riders will wake up the next morning to the smell of coffee brewing and bacon and eggs cooking over an open fire while watching the horses being prepared for the next stretch of riding. After a hearty breakfast, it is time to stretch the legs once again and set off on horses who eagerly await the rest of the adventure.

A relaxing walk with the Bushman (San), sharing with you their ancient survival skills and secrets from their forefathers.

Arriving at the traditional Bushman village, you will meet the family who will present you with how they used to store water in ostrich eggs , plants for medicinal use, setting up traps, the making of ostrich and bead jewellery, etc. This is really an experience, always to remember.

The guide will do the necessary translation in English, as the Bushman will be speaking in their language.

All activities depart from Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch, 3kms away

A game drive in the reserve with a variety of game such as giraffe, kudu, zebra, oryx, blue-wildebeest, eland and much more. The reserve has some of the highest dunes in this region, with views over the pans, characteristic to the Kalahari. Between the dunes, which are called streets, are the beautiful acacia trees. The Kalahari has more than 150 species of birds. The well-known suricate (meerkat) is also to be seen, although they are very scarce.

As the day draws to an end, a sundowner on the dune will await you, with refreshments and a Namibian snack, while enjoying a breath taking sunset in the Kalahari.

All activities depart from Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch, 3kms away

This activity allows one the opportunity to come up close to the cheetah, great for taking photos. The guides will provide interesting facts about this incredible cat and the history of the cheetahs in their care

In association with CCF(cheetah conservation fund), bagatelle are the custodians of the cheetahs, which are kept in a 12 hectare enclosure. Unable to fend for themselves, the three orphans namely, Ralf, Etosha, and Tuano are fed and cared lovingly by them here at bagatelle.

After this, a sundowner on the dune will await you, with refreshments and a Namibian snack, while enjoying a breath taking sunset in the Kalahari.

All activities depart from Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch, 3kms away

Bagatelle has a variety of horses suitable for children, beginners, intermediate and advanced riders.
Experience the Kalahari in silence with only the sounds of nature, on well trained quarter horses (cowboy horses) accompanied with a guide.

Enjoy refreshing drink in an ostrich egg shell on the dune, before heading back to the ranch.

All activities depart from Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch, 3kms away

A game drive, cheetah experience & sundowner on the dune

A game drive in the reserve with a variety of game such as giraffe, kudu, zebra, oryx, blue-wildebeest, eland and much more. The reserve has some of the highest dunes in this region, with views over the pans, characteristic to the Kalahari. Between the dunes, which are called streets, are the beautiful acacia trees. The Kalahari has more than 150 species of birds. The well-known suricate (meerkat) is also to be seen, although they are very scarce.

Cheetah experience allows one the opportunity to come up close to the cheetah, great for taking photos. The guides will provide interesting facts about this incredible cat and the history of the cheetahs in their care.

After this, a sundowner on the dune will await you, with refreshments and a Namibian snack, while enjoying a breath taking sunset in the Kalahari.

All activities depart from Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch, 3kms away