You will be collected from your accommodation within the Windhoek city limits or the airport at 07.00 am and transferred to Chameleon Headquarters for a short pre-departure meeting. Heading north from Windhoek, we stop briefly at the small town of Otjiwarongo to gather some last-minute supplies before continuing on to Etosha and we enjoy a light lunch pack whilst “on the move”. We enter Etosha National Park and game drive our way to our overnight accommodation at Halali Camp. All visitors must be in camp by sunset and we aim to arrive at our lodge at Halali just before sunset and with time to settle into our rooms, with en-suite bathroom and tea/coffee facilities.
Driving time: ~5 1/2 hours
Afternoon game drive
We have the whole day to explore Etosha, and we want to make the most of it. The park gates open at sunrise and after a quick cup of coffee and a snack we will aim to be on our way as the sun breaches the horizon. We head to the gate where we meet our local guide for today. We will explore Etosha with him and our guide on an open game viewer today. Early morning is usually a productive time for game viewing, and first thing in the morning is a good time to catch big cats returning from the hunt
Etosha is a desert landscape and water is the most scarce natural resource. There are however numerous waterholes here, both natural and man-made, and our game-driving technique is to take in as many as of these as possible. Here we hope that the game will come to us as the thirsty animals attend for a much-needed drink. We exit Etosha at the Anderson gate close to sunset and it is just a short drive to our accommodation in a comfortable spacious twin share room with modern en-suite bathroom facilities. An ideal space to sit back, relax, and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. A fantastic dinner is prepared by our guide this evening.
Afternoon game drive
After breakfast we aim to be on the road by 07.30 am today. We are heading for the Skeleton Coast and we are taking the scenic route. We first head south on the main road, passing the small town of Outjo, then onwards towards the west and picking up the gravel road as we travel through an area known as Damaraland. Damaraland is famed for its scenery, mountains, open grasslands, tall koppies, (small hills), of round pink granite boulders, wide open spaces and big sky. We also have a chance to meet some of the locals as there are several places along our road today where we can find informal shops selling locally made, hand crafted souvenirs. Represented here we usually find ladies from the Himba, Herero and Damara tribes and most often they are wearing their traditional dress. Here we can interact with some of the colourful local characters who live in this harsh environment. Making a small purchase here is a good way to inject some cash directly into the local economy. We continue on through the beautiful landscape, making a stop for a light picnic lunch, under the shadow of Namibia’s highest mountain, the Brandberg. Rising up from the desert floor, this giant monolith is 2,573 m above sea level and is formed of pink tinged granite. You will be dropped off at your accommodation anywhere within the Swakopmund city limits or the airport.
Swakopmund boasts some truly excellent restaurants and again your guide will be able to help you with recommendations and bookings.
Driving time: ~5 1/2 hours
