Day 1. Windhoek
Surrounded by the stubble-covered Auas Mountains and the endless Khomas Hochland, Windhoek lies in a long valley fed by ancient hot springs in the central highlands. Namibia’s capital and bustling city. More often than not, the start or end place of your Namibia safari.
In Windhoek there are many interesting historical buildings, museums, galleries and craft shops. The city has several good restaurants and modern shops and services making it an excellent base camp from which to launch your Namibian adventure.
- Welcome to the Land of the Brave
- You will be met by the car rental company representative on arrival and transferred to their offices in Windhoek to complete all rental procedures
- You will then meet with our representative to hand over your travel documents
- The remainder of the day can be spent relaxing at your own leisure
- For dinner tonight, you can head into town for a bite to eat at one of Windhoek's well-known restaurants
Day 2 & 3. Sussusvlei (310km - approximately 4 to 5 hours)
Star dunes with up to five crests rise 300m into the air and rank among the biggest in the world; the dune valleys are marked by vast clay pans where the Tsauchab River gave up its fight to reach the sea more than 60,000 years ago.
Besides the dunes and pans of Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon, a sideshow of activities and sights has developed around the region and there are plenty of game lodges that provide additional desert-adapted activities.Plants and birds are the dominant life form in this dessicated realm and they support a tiny world of mammals, reptiles and insects that, in the absence of coastal fog, seldom wander far from the rivercourse and its pans.
- After breakfast, pop into town for anything you might need and then depart heading south from Windhoek to your lodge for the next 2 nights
- The route will take you either via the beautiful Spreetshoogte or Remhoogte Pass, both showcasing the natural beauty of Namibia
- Wake up early for breakfast (Day 3) and then head to the entrance to Sossusvlei, the Sesriem Gate
- Spend the whole day in the beautiful Sossusvlei area, exploring the highlights: Sossusvlei, Dead Vlei, Dune 45, Big Daddy, Elim Dune and the Sesriem Canyon
- Return to the lodge for lunch or arrange a lunch pack to enjoy in the dunes and return late afternoon for a well-earned rest
- Optional extra activities: Guided Sossusvlei excursion, Hot air balloon safari, Nature drives
Day 4 & 5. Swakopmund & Walvis Bay (350km - approximately 5 to 6 hours)
Surrounded by the ancient Namib desert and the inhospitable - but bounteous - Atlantic Ocean, Swakopmund is alive with activity and has a lot on offer for the adventure-seeker: quad-biking, sand-boarding, horse-riding, skydiving and more.
Swakopmund has many interesting German-influenced buildings from the early 1900s in a variety of styles and, for its size, Swakopmund has an astonishing array of restaurants that serve mainly seafood, steak and many German staples.
Walvis Bay is an industrial port which lies along the Atlantic Ocean, off Namibia's Skeleton Coast. The large bay and surrounding sand dunes help make Walvis Bay a tourist mecca with loads of activities on offer to explore it.
- Explore the Skeleton Coast where the dunes meet the sea at Sandwich Harbour
- Go on a dolphin boat cruise in the harbour. Enjoy champagne and oysters
- Kayak among the seals at Pelican Point
- Visit and climb the mighty Dune 7
- Visit the RAMSAR wetland birding site and the Walvis Bay Lagoon. Thousands of flamingos from October to April
- Explore the neighbouring town of Swakopmund. Activities abound and dining delights
- Depart after breakfast and head north to Solitaire, then west crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, through the Gaub and Kuiseb Canyons via the Namib Gravel Plains to the coast
- Either via Walvis Bay to Swakopmund, or (recommended) detour via Ganab to the Welwitschia Plains and Moon Landscape - (Permits for this detour can be obtained at the Sesriem Gate)
- The Namibian coastline is generally known as The Skeleton Coast due to the barren areas, shipwrecks and, in days gone by, whale skeletons left on the beach
- 1 full day is set aside for this lovely area where Swakopmund and Walvis Bay offer a wide range of activities such as: Dolphin cruise, Sandwich Harbour excursion (a real Skeleton Coast experience), Dune quad biking, Sand boarding, Sea kayaking, Lots more…
- Lunches and dinners can be enjoyed at a cafe or restaurant overlooking the sea
Day 6 & 7. Damaraland (280km - approximately 3 to 4 hours)
Damaraland features vast khaki plains, sheer rocky mountains and incredible desert-adapted wildlife. Track rhino and desert elephant, explore the rugged land or sit back and enjoy the dramatic and endless scenery. Damaraland's hilly savannah supports a large number of species including lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, eland, kudu, giraffe, klipspringer, steenbok, gemsbok and springbok. Birdlife is prolific with over 33 raptors recorded including cuckoo hawks, Egyptian vultures and peregrine falcons - the world's fastest animal.
Damaraland is divided into several enormous private game reserves, known as concessions, that support most species of Namibia's large game and provide some of the best birding and wildlife experiences in the country - and southern Africa for that matter.
- Head north along the Skeleton Coast, via Henties Bay to visit the Cape Cross seal colony. Along the way, stop at the Lichen Fields as well as the ship wreck between the colourful small town of Wlotskasbaken and Henties Bay
- Backtrack to Henties Bay and head inland through wide open plains to Uis, then north to the Twyfelfontein area
- Visit to Namibia's Open Air Museum, the Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings as well as the interesting Organ Pipes rock formations and Burnt Mountain
- Activate your 4x4 option and take a drive west to the Huab River to look for desert adapted elephants as well as other game such as oryx, springbok, ostrich and more (recommended with a lodge guide)
- Visit the Damara Living Museum for a hint of culture
Day 8. Etosha National Park (Southern part) (280km - approximately 3 to 4 hours)
Located just south of the boundary of Etosha National Park in northwestern Namibia, Etosha South makes up the southern region of this wild paradise. The area is comprised of a collection of world class private game reserves. The national park can be accessed via the southern entrance at Andersson’s Gate. Visitors can catch a glimpse of a variety of wildlife including: lion, giraffe, elephant, white and black rhino, and a multitude of plains game. Popular activities include: enjoying an open 4x4 safari with an expert guide, half day or full day drives with the option of a picnic lunch with wine on the full day game drive.
- After your campfire breakfast, drive east towards Khorixas stopping at the Petrified Forest en-route
- From Khorixas head further east along the tar road to Outjo and then north to your lodge which is situated very close to the southern entrance of Etosha, the Anderson Gate
- If time permits, enter Etosha for an afternoon game drive. Depending on how often you stop today, you should arrive at your lodge in time for lunch (optional extra)
- On entering the park, the first stop would be Okaukuejo where you pay your entry fee and I suggest you pop in at the local shop to purchase some drinks and snacks and most importantly, a map of Etosha which will show you all the waterholes along the way
- Etosha is one of Africa's great game parks. With 114 species of mammal and 340 species of birds you are sure to see a great variety of wildlife on your safari
Day 9 & 10. Etosha National Park (Eastern side)
On the eastern edge of Etosha National Park, the park itself is bordered by numerous private reserves and access into the park is via the Von Lindequist Gate, named after Dr. Friedrich von Lindequist who proclaimed it a game reserve in March 1907. This side of the park is characterised by flat endless plains, tree-savanna type of vegetation and fantastic waterholes, where you could easily spot any of the prolific wildlife Etosha is known for. There's an abundance of wildlife here.
- From one side to the other side of the park is a full day game drive as you head slowly east stopping at numerous waterholes along the way
- Take a slow drive in the morning and then enjoy a packed lunch (optional extra) overlooking one of the waterholes before continuing on through the park to the eastern side
- 1 full day is set aside for game viewing, either all day or alternate with morning and afternoon drives. These are self-drive game drives but you can arrange at the lodge to go with their open safari vehicle and guide (optional extra)
Day 11. Back to Windhoek (575km - approximately 6 hours)
- Today we head back to Windhoek today, where the vehicle is dropped off and your holiday comes to an end unfortunately with memories to last you a lifetime.
- Transfer to the airport to catch your departure flight. (Keep in mind that you need to be at the airport 2 hours prior and the airport is still a 45 minute to 1 hour drive from town)
- Today we head back to Windhoek today, where the vehicle is dropped off and your holiday comes to an end unfortunately with memories to last you a lifetime.
- Transfer to the airport to catch your departure flight. (Keep in mind that you need to be at the airport 2 hours prior and the airport is still a 45 minute to 1 hour drive from town)
