2024 - SCH 7-day Namibia's Wildlife & Art (Schedule Fri departure)

Day 1 - Friday

Route:                                 Windhoek to Mount Etjo Safari Lodge

Distance:                           200 km

Collection time:            08h00 – 08h30 from any accommodation within the City of Windhoek

Journey:  leaving Windhoek we travel via the town of Okahandja, founded around 1800 by two local groups, the Herero and the Nama it is known as the Garden town of Namibia. South of Otjiwarongo lies Mount Etjo Safari Lodge located in the heart of the Okonjati Game Reserve.   Home to over 8000 animals and a impressive variety of bird species the Okonjati Wildlife Sanctuary is a true Conservation Area,    Mount Etjo Safari Lodge is where the most important Declaration towards Namibia's Independence was signed in 1989 (The Mount Etjo Declaration).  

Three different dinosaur footprints can be found in the area, believed to date back to the Triassic (Stormberg) age, around 230 Million years ago.  

Late afternoon we will join a guided game drive on the property.

Day 2 - Saturday

Route:                                 Mount Etjo to to Onguma Game Reserve (outer border of Etosha National Park)

Distance:                           400 km

Journey:    we continue northwards via the town of Otjiwarongo, the next stop being the mining town of Tsumeb. We aim to arrive at the private reserve mid-afternoon, set up camp and head off for some game viewing.

Day 3 - Sunday

Route:                                 Through Etosha Onguma to Okaukuejo region (Taleni Etosha)

Journey:  Up before dawn, we need to be at the Von Lindequist Gate for sunrise which is when the entrance gates open, one of the best times for game viewing is the cooler morning hours and late afternoon.  We make use of today on an extensive game drive in search of black and white rhino, elephants, lion, cheetah and the numerous species of plains game.  The drive will give you an overview of the National Park including its birdlife, flora and geology. A stop will be made at Halali, the most central of the resorts.  Exit the National Park, it’s a short journey to our overnight camping.

Day 4 - Monday

Route:                                 Taleni Etosha to Hoada campsite

Distance:                            275 km

Journey:    Todays travels take us to a Himba Village situated on a local cattle farm, a guided tour around an authentic Himba village will not only give you an in depth insight into the life and ways of this traditional tribe but an amazing photographic opportunity as well.  A stop to buy supplies before we head off to our campsite, hidden among large grey granite boulders and mopane trees, the sites were designed to minimize the impact on the environment.  After a day on the road refresh oneself in the sparkling splash pool and enjoy your sundowners on the natural wooden decks surrounding it.

Day 5 - Tuesday

Route:                                 Hoada campsite to Madisa campsite

Distance:                           190 km

Journey:  We drive along the Grootberg Pass through Damaraland, an area characterised by its rocky and rugged landscapes of rough, fascinating beauty. A visit to the Damara Living Museum before we view the rock engravings and rock paintings at Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage Site before setting up camp for the night. 

Day 6 - Wednesday

Route:                                 Twyfelfontein to Swakopmund

Distance:                            385 km

Journey:  Destination = Swakopmund.  Today we continue our travels through southern Damaraland, passing the Brandberg Mountain to arrive at the old mining town of Uis before heading off across the gravel plains to reach the Atlantic Ocean and the Skeleton Coast.  Here we travel north to Cape Cross Seal Reserve, home to between eighty and one hundred thousand Fur seals, endemic to southern Africa they are commonly known as “eared seals”.  Arrival in the coastal town of Swakopmund will be mid-afternoon.

Day 7 – Thursday

Route:                                 Swakopmund to Windhoek

Distance:                            352 km

Journey:  All guests have the morning at leisure to explore this coastal town or participate in one of the many morning activities available in the Swakopmund vicinity and in Walvis Bay.  These optional activities may include kayaking or a marine cruise from Walvis Bay.  Alternatively explore the desert surrounding Swakopmund on the Living Desert Tour, do a township tour or for those seeking some adventure quad biking and dune boarding is also offered. 

Departure from Swakopmund will be around lunch time (or just thereafter), we head due east through the sun baked town of Usakos and return on the main road to Windhoek.  Arrival will be late afternoon / early evening so please do not book any outbound flights on this day.