After landing at Windhoek International (Hosea Kutako) Airport, located about 40km outside the city, you will be met and greeted by an Ultimate Safaris representative who will transfer you into town to the Galton House where you will stay overnight in their beautifully designed rooms. The rest of the day is at leisure to relax and recuperate from your flight. Your guide will come to meet you to brief you on any administrative arrangements and answer any questions you may have about the program, before taking you out to dinner, either at your hotel or out at one of the popular restaurants in town. Welcome to Namibia!
Windhoek Capital City: Windhoek, Namibia’s capital nestles among rolling hills, bounded by the Eros Mountains in the east, the Auas Mountains to the south and the Khomas Hochland in the west. It is a meeting place between Africa and Europe, the modern and the old. In the capital’s main street, well-preserved German colonial buildings are in sharp contrast with modern architectural styles, while Herero women in their traditional Victorian dresses mingle with executives dressed in the latest fashions. Centrally located within Namibia, Windhoek is an excellent starting point for an adventurous holiday for many visitors to the country and an ideal base from where to explore the rest of the country.
Galton House: Galton House is named after the famous explorer Sir Francis Galton. It has a relaxed but efficient style which creates a very welcoming atmosphere. A mere ten-minute drive from the centre of town and perched on the edge of Windhoek’s northernmost affluent suburb of Eros, guests staying here will be ensured of peace and tranquillity. The nine guest rooms are all equipped with internet connectivity and satellite television, with a coffee/tea station available on request and other general guest amenities. The communal areas consist of a large lounge, dining room, swimming pool and garden. There is also delightful ‘al fresco’ dining area by the pool, serving freshly prepared and very tasty meals. There are also a number of shops, restaurants and supermarkets within easy striking distance
Overnight: Galton House
Dinner
After breakfast this morning your personal guide will collect you from the Galton House for the start of your safari.
You set off south along the western side of the Kalahari Desert past Rehoboth and Mariental and then on to stay at the Quivertree Forest Rest Camp on the outskirts of Keetmanshoop. Lunch will be enjoyed at a scenic location en route. From here you will have the perfect base from which to photograph Quiver trees & Giants Playground at different light intensities.
Quivertree Forest: A popular subject for photographers, the Quivertree Forest harbors around 300 Quiver trees (Aloe dichotoma), also referred to by its Afrikaans name Kokerboom. Although more of an aloe plant than a tree, these attractive succulents reach skywards with graphically forked branches, splitting into pairs, hence the name ‘dichotoma’. The Quiver Tree is one of the most interesting and characteristic plants of Namibia in the very hot and dry southern regions. The name Quiver Tree refers to the traditional use of the branches by Bushmen and Hottentot tribes to make quivers for their arrows. On average, the trees are about 3m to 5m tall (reaching up to 9m in height) and can be up to one meter in diameter at ground level. The larger trees in the forest are around 200 to 300 years old. They produce bright yellow flowers during the winter months (June and July) and their trunks are smooth and shiny with light creamy to silvery-grey bark which peels, and forms intricate rectangular and diamond-shaped patterns as the tree matures. The Quiver Tree mostly occurs in black rock formations (dolerite), needed to anchor the plants which have a shallow spread root system.
Giants Playground: Across the road from the Quiver Tree Forest is the Giants Playground, an impressive jumble of dolerite boulders which are roughly 180 million years old. It’s called the Giant’s Playground because of the way the massive dolerite boulders are placed on top of each other; like a giant’s building blocks. Molten magma pushed its way through fissures in the underlying rock creating dolerite dykes that have since been exposed as the surrounding sedimentary rock has eroded, leaving the harder dolerite boulders to undergo further weathering into the bizarre formations we see today. Wandering through the maze of boulders is fascinating, but care must be taken not to become lost in the extensive rocky labyrinth.
Quiver Tree Forest Rest Camp: Visit the wonder of nature and relax at the close-by rest camp, a family farm lived on by 3 generations. The camp consists of eight rooms with private shower, toilets and air conditioning as well as seven fully equipped self-catering bungalows. A camp site is also present with electricity, hot showers, and toilets. All visitors are welcome to visit the Quiver Tree Forest and Giant’s playground as well as attend the daily cheetah feeding.
Overnight: Quivertree Forest Rest Camp
All meals & excursions with your Ultimate Safaris guide.
This morning you have the option of rising early to experience the sunrise over the Quivertree Forest. After breakfast and freshening up, you take to the road heading southwest towards the coast, passing through the towns of Seeheim and Aus keeping a lookout for the legendary feral desert horses along the way from Aus.
This afternoon your guide will arrange for you to visit the ghost town of Kolmanskop. Stepping back in time, you will have the opportunity to explore the desolate streets and abandoned buildings and photograph this fascinating site before returning to Lüderitz (non-commercial photographic permit included).
Feral Horses: An intriguing feature of the Sperrgebiet is the legendary desert horses seen from the road when traveling between Lüderitz and Aus. There are several theories regarding their origin. Some considered that they were descended from farm animals that had escaped or were horses of the stud belonging to Baron von Wolf, who built Duwiseb Castle north east of Garub and another theory is that they are descended from the German Schutztruppe who abandoned Aus during the South West African Campaign in 1915. New recent research carried out by Telané Greyling in 2005 suggests that the herd was drawn from all of the above as well as the South African army. About
100km east of Lüderitz, a signpost indicates the turn-off to Garub, a maintained water point where the wild horses can be observed and photographed as they come back to drink.
Kolmanskop Ghost Town: Namibia’s most famous ghost town, Kolmanskop, was named after a transport driver called Johnny Coleman, who lived in the settlement of Aus at the turn of the century. During a strong sandstorm he was forced to abandon his ox wagon on the small incline from where Kolmanskop can be seen. It stood there for a while; giving rise to the name Colemanshuegel, which eventually became Kolmanskop. In 1908 railway worker Zacharias Lewala found a sparkling stone amongst the sand he was shoveling away from the railway line near Kolmanskop.
August Stauch, his supervisor, was convinced he had found a diamond. When this was confirmed, the news spread like wildfire, sparking a frantic diamond rush, and causing fortune hunters to converge in droves on Kolmanskop. It soon became a bustling little center with butchery, bakery, furniture factory, soda water and lemonade plant, four-skittle bowling alley, a public playground and even a swimming pool. The town’s development reached its pinnacle in the twenties, with approximately 300 German adults, 40 of their children and 800 Owambo contract workers living there. Despite, or probably because of, the isolation and bleakness of the surrounding desert, Kolmanskop developed into a lively little haven of German culture, offering entertainment and creation to suit the requirements of the affluent colonialists for whom large, elegant houses were built. The well-equipped hospital boasted southern Africa’s first x-ray machine. However, when richer diamond deposits were discovered further south, operations were moved to Oranjemund. Today the ghost town’s crumbling ruins bear little resemblance to its former glory but offer numerous attractive themes for photography.
The stately homes, their grandeur now scoured and demolished by the wind, are gradually becoming overrun with sand. In 1980 the mining company CDM (now Namdeb) restored several of the buildings and established a museum for visitors. On a guided tour through the Ghost Town, you will learn more about everyday life in the settlement and about its rise and fall.
Lüderitz Bucht: The town of Lüderitz stands in isolation on a great frontier between the desert and ocean. Beyond the structures huddled together beside the bay and a lighthouse on the peninsula, the surroundings are much as Bartolomeu Dias found them in 1487, when his flotilla of three small ships first sailed into the uncharted anchorage. The town lands form an enclave in the ‘Sperrgebiet’, 26,000km of coastal desert rich in diamonds. The greater part of the Sperrgebiet lies to the south. Northward the dune fields of the great Sand Sea sprawl overland to the horizon and far beyond. Lüderitz was built on a windswept, rocky hillside and ridge beside the bay. Behind the town, out of sight from the sea, a black-topped road runs into the interior. Outside the town limits it passes Kolmanskop, now a ghost town, where diamonds were first mined in the Namib. Lüderitz is located on the only part of the Namibian coast with a rocky shore. A peninsula with numerous coves, locally called fjords and bays, juts out of the coast at an angle to form the bay proper. Three small islands – Penguin, Seal and Flamingo – lie within the bay. Shark Island was once also an island in the bay, but a solid causeway now joins it to the mainland. It encloses the harbor and yacht basin.
Lüderitz Nest Hotel: Situated directly on the Bay, Lüderitz Nest Hotel offers sea-facing rooms with en-suite bathrooms, telephone, air-conditioning, television, and tea/coffee facilities. The private beach, sauna, swimming pool and bar with views over the Lüderitz Bay enhance your stay. The restaurant offers an excellent variety of seafood, including the famous Lüderitz oyster and lobster, freshly attained out of the vibrant fishing harbor.
Overnight: Lüderitz Nest Hotel
All meals & PM Kolmanskop visit with your Ultimate Safaris guide.
This morning you head out to visit Kolmanskop before having a wonderful lunch back in town before exploring the town of Lüderitz on foot and then head back to Kolmanskop for an afternoon photo session, returning to the hotel shortly after sunset. Dinner tonight will be enjoyed back at your hotel or out in town with your guide at one of the popular restaurants.
Overnight: Nest Hotel Lüderitz
All meals & AM & PM Kolmanskop Visit with your Ultimate Safaris guide.
This morning you head out to Kolmanskop early enough to set up your equipment in time to see the sun rise and to capture the dunes and remnants of yesteryear at best light once more. You then leave the coast and Lüderitz behind as you make your way north into the Namib Desert. From Aus you head north through the spectacular scenery of the Tiras Mountain Conservancy and a section of the NamibRand Nature Reserve before entering the Namib Naukluft National Park to reach Dead Valley Lodge in the late afternoon, stopping for scenic photo shoots along the way.
Here you will stay for two nights whilst you explore the remarkable sights of the Namib Desert with your guide. Dead Valley Lodge is one of only two lodges that affords you prime location within the boundaries of the Namib Naukluft National Park. If there is still time today, your guide will take you to visit Sesriem Canyon, a nearby geological attraction, or explore Elim Dune. However, if you prefer, you can just relax and soak in the scenic and tranquil surroundings at Dead Valley Lodge or head out on a photographic excursion.
Sesriem Canyon: Sesriem Canyon has evolved through centuries of erosion by the Tsauchab River which has incised a narrow gorge about 1.5km long and 30m deep into the surrounding conglomerates, exposing the varying layers of sedimentation deposited over millions of years. The shaded cool depths of the canyon allow pools of water to gather during the rainy season and remain for much of the year round. These pools were a vital source of water for early settlers who drew water for their livestock by knotting six (ses) lengths of rawhide thongs (riems) together, hence the canyon and surrounding area became known as Sesriem.
Dead Valley Lodge: Dead Valley lodge opened in July 2019 and is situated inside the Namib Naukluft Park, in-between the park gate at Sesriem and Elim Dune. It is therefore next to the road leading down to the world-famous Sossusvlei Dunes and “Deadvlei”. The lodge offers 20 free standing, climate-controlled luxury tented chalets, each with adjoining bathroom and a panoramic view of the Namib Desert with towering red sand dunes, rugged mountain ranges and arid desert savannahs. The lodge restaurant serves delicious Namibian style meals, and guests can also relax in the picturesque bar by the swimming pool while looking out over the local desert scenery towards Elim Dune.
Overnight: Dead Valley Lodge
All meals & excursions with your Ultimate Safaris guide
Today will be full of photography as you rise early in the morning for a magical excursion into the dunes with your guide. As you are already inside the park you can get into Sossusvlei before everyone else and you would even be able to get there in time to see the sun rise to capture the dunes whilst the light is soft and shadows accentuate their towering shapes and curves. This area boasts some of the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world. Your guide will give you an insight into the formation of the Namib Desert and its myriad of fascinating creatures and plants that have adapted to survive these harsh environs. Once you have explored the area to your heart’s content you can enjoy a relaxed picnic breakfast in the shade of a camel thorn tree. You then return to Dead Valley Lodge in time for lunch. The rest of the afternoon will be at your leisure (from experience, this is usually welcomed after an exhilarating morning in the dunes) with the option to head out again later in the afternoon to visit the dunes at Sossusvlei to see them whilst the shadows sharpen as the sun goes down or the beautiful Sesriem Canyon with its rocky formations and caverns.
Sossusvlei: This most frequently visited section of the massive 50,000km² Namib Naukluft National Park has become known as Sossusvlei, famous for its towering apricot coloured sand dunes which can be penetrated by following the Tsauchab River valley. Sossusvlei itself is actually a clay pan set amidst these star shaped dunes which stand up to 300 meters above the surrounding plains, ranking them among the tallest dunes on earth. The deathly white clay pan contrasts against the orange sands and forms the endpoint of the ephemeral Tsauchab River, within the interior of the Great Sand Sea. The river course rises south of the Naukluft Mountains in the Great Escarpment. It penetrates the sand sea for some 55km before it finally peters out at Sossusvlei, about the same distance from the Atlantic Ocean. Until the encroaching dunes blocked its course around 60,000 years ago, the Tsauchab River once reached the sea; as ephemeral rivers still do in the northern half of the Namib. Sand-locked pans to the west show where the river previously flowed to before dunes shifted its endpoint to where it currently gathers at Sossusvlei. Roughly once a decade rainfall over the catchment area is sufficient to bring the river down in flood and fill the pan. On such occasions the mirror images of dunes and camel thorn trees around the pan are reflected in the water. Sossusvlei is the biggest of four pans in the vicinity. Another, famous for its gnarled and ghostly camel thorn trees, is Deadvlei which can be
reached on foot over 1km of sand. Deadvlei’s striking camel thorn trees, dead for want of water, still stand erect as they once grew. They survived until about 900 years ago when the sand sea finally blocked the river from occasionally flooding the pan.
Sesriem Canyon: Sesriem Canyon has evolved through centuries of erosion by the Tsauchab River which has incised a narrow gorge about 1.5km long and 30m deep into the surrounding conglomerates, exposing the varying layers of sedimentation deposited over millions of years. The shaded cool depths of the canyon allow pools of water to gather during the rainy season and remain for much of the year round. These pools were a vital source of water for early settlers who drew water for their livestock by knotting six (SES) lengths of rawhide thongs (riems) together, hence the canyon and surrounding area became known as Sesriem.
Overnight: Dead Valley Lodge
All meals & Excursions with your Ultimate Safaris guide.
The fascinating drive today takes you northwest through the breathtaking and ever-changing desert landscapes of the Namib Naukluft National Park, including the impressive Gaub and Kuiseb canyons. You meet the coast at the port town of Walvis Bay where you have the option to visit the lagoon to see the interesting mix of pelicans, flamingos, and other sea birds, before continuing to your hotel in Swakopmund. There will be time this afternoon to wander around town and along the waterfront on foot if appeals, before heading out to dinner at one of the popular restaurants in town with your guide.
Strand Hotel: The Strand Hotel has a prime location on the well known “Mole” beachfront and with its extensive, unique and creatively entertaining Restaurants, Bars, Deli, Lobby-Lounge, Sea Facing Terraces, Beach Kiosk and state of the art Conference & Banqueting Center, all set on the Mole, a historic and iconic site surrounded by Ocean on three sides, the Strand Hotel Swakopmund is a social epicentre and destination in itself for all visitors to and residents of Swakopmund. The hotel is in walking distance from the centre of town, and has long, sandy beaches right on its doorstep with a total of 125 rooms of which 90% have beach and sea views and 10% garden and park views. Each room is elegantly furnished and feature en-suite bathrooms, complimentary internet Wi-Fi access, Air Conditioning, Electronic Door Locks, Hairdryers, Safes, Direct Dial Telephones, LCD Television with Satellite TV Channels, Tea/Coffee Stations, Stocked Mini-Bars and Working Desks with 220v International Plug Points for Europe, UK and South Africa.
Overnight: Strand Hotel
All meals & excursions with your Ultimate Safaris guide
This morning is at leisure and can either be spent relaxing at your hotel, exploring the town of Swakopmund before heading to the harbour town of Walvis Bay from where you will embark on an afternoon sunset excursion to discover the beautiful Sandwich Harbour area with plenty of photographic stops along the way. You will enjoy some beverages and snacks whilst enjoying a beautiful sunset from the top of one of the higher dunes in the area before returning to Walvis Bay where you will meet up with your guides and head to dinner at a local restaurant in Walvis Bay or Swakopmund with your guide.
Walvis Bay: Walvis Bay is Namibia’s main Port town as well as being the base for a variety of fishing and recreational activities on the Lagoon and out at sea. The town is less of a seaside resort than Swakopmund, but it has a variety of areas that are of specific interest especially to birders, including the Lagoon itself and the area around the salt works on the way out towards Pelican Point. The Port was a British Protectorate during the years that Southwest Africa was a German Colony and did not immediately become part of Namibia after Independence. In fact, it took almost another five years before that happened.
Sandwich Harbour: Sandwich Harbour is located approximately 80 km south of Swakopmund, beyond the town of Walvis Bay. It is a remarkably beautiful attraction that consists of a lagoon lying between the Atlantic Shore and high
dunes of the Namib sand sea. It is a Ramsar wetland site of international importance and is also known to be one of the best spots for birding at the coast. Sandwich Harbour is best explored with a local guide who is skilled in off-road driving as the route to the Harbour has no road and crosses the dunes.
Overnight: Strand Hotel
All meals, sightseeing with Ultimate Safaris guide & Scheduled afternoon sunset Sandwich Harbour excursion.
Continuing your safari today, the road takes you north along the coastal road passing by the haunting remains of the Zeila shipwreck and you then head east into the wonderful and diverse region of Damaraland, taking time to view game and absorb the vastness of the scenery along the way. Damaraland is typified by displays of colour, magnificent table topped mountains, rock formations and bizarre-looking vegetation. The present-day landscape has been formed by the erosion of wind, water and geological forces which have formed rolling hills, dunes, gravel plains and ancient river terraces. It is the variety and loneliness of the area as well as the scenic splendour which will reward and astound you, giving one an authentic understanding of the word 'wilderness'.
Later this afternoon and If time allows your guides will take you to visit the nearby attractions and geological sites of the pre-historic Twyfelfontein rock engravings (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) - if not there is plenty of time to see them tomorrow.
Twyfelfontein: Strewn over a hillside amongst flat-topped mountains of red sandstone, Twyfelfontein’s boulders and slabs of red sandstone hold some 2,500 prehistoric engravings that depict wildlife, animal spoor and abstract motifs. It is perhaps the largest and finest collection of petroglyphs in Africa. The engravings show animals such as elephant, giraffe, kudu, lion, rhinoceros, springbok, zebra and ostrich that once used to drink from a fountain at the bottom of the hill. In some cases footprints were engraved instead of hooves or paws. The abstract motifs feature mainly circles. Stone tools and other artifacts found at Twyfelfontein suggest that hunter-gatherers occupied the site over a period of perhaps 7,000 years. These days a local guide accompanies visitors to showcase the rock art. The engravings lie along two circular routes, one an hour’s climb and the other 40 minutes longer. Twyfelfontein is one of Namibia’s key National Monuments and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Doro! Nawas: Doro !Nawas lies on a small hill overlooking ancient plains, with unspoilt panoramic views of a diverse and dramatic landscape. Natural walled units have a unique design and décor that complement the surrounding scenery, with attention to comfort and luxury in the semi- arid desert conditions. All units have a private bedroom leading out onto a veranda, and en-suite facilities with both indoor and outdoor showers, basins and flush toilet. The main area has indoor and outdoor dining areas, a pool area, bar and leads to a small art gallery. The rooms have beds on rollers so that they can be pulled outside onto the deck, thus allowing guests to sleep 'outside' if they wish. There is also a roof top seating area on top of the restaurant which is ideal for panoramic photography by day as well as star gazing at night.
Overnight: Doro Nawas
All meals & excursions with your Ultimate Safaris guides
After an early breakfast you will be treated to an exciting 4x4 excursion along the ephemeral Aba Huab River valley to explore this remarkable region and to search for game, especially the elusive desert adapted elephants, if they are in the area. Damaraland is home to a variety of desert adapted wildlife and hidden desert treasures. Depending on their location you will either enjoy a picnic lunch out in the field or return to camp for lunch. This afternoon you visit the nearby attractions and geological sites of Twyfelfontein rock engravings (a UNESCO World Heritage Site, if you have not done so already the previous day.
Damaraland: Damaraland is typified by displays of color, magnificent table topped mountains, rock formations and bizarre-looking vegetation. The present-day landscape has been formed by the erosion of wind, water and geological forces which have created rolling hills, dunes, gravel plains and ancient river terraces. It is the variety and loneliness of
the area as well as the scenic splendor which will reward and astound you, giving one an authentic understanding of the word 'wilderness'. Damaraland is largely communal land in which wildlife conservancies have been developed to encourage local people to protect and value the animals with which they share this region. Desert adapted wildlife that can be seen include oryx, steenbok, springbok, ostrich, bat-eared fox, cheetah, black rhino and the elusive desert adapted elephant. The ephemeral rivers that traverse the desert plains also create an oasis for other game that browse more vegetated habitats, such as kudu and giraffe.
Desert Adapted Elephant: In habitats with sufficient vegetation and water an adult elephant consumes as much as 300kg of roughage and 230l of water every day of its life. Consider what a herd of them would eat and drink in a week or a month or a year. Finding an African elephant in a desert? Well, yes, and not only elephant, but other large mammals as well, such as black rhinoceros and giraffe. Their ranges extend from river catchments in northern Kaokoveld as far south as the northern Namib. Apart from the Kunene River, seven river courses northwards from the Ugab provide them with possible routes across the desert, right to the Skeleton Coast. The biggest are the Hoarusib, the Hoanib, the Huab and the Ugab Rivers. Desert adapted elephant in Kaokoland and the Namib walk further for water and fodder than any other elephant in Africa. The distances between waterholes and feeding grounds can be as great as 68 km. The typical home range of a family herd is larger than 2,000 km², or eight times as big as ranges in central Africa where rainfall is much higher. They walk and feed at night and rest during the day. To meet their nutritional and bulk requirements they browse on no fewer than 74 of the 103 plant species that grow in their range. Not a separate species or even a subspecies, they are an ecotype unique to Namibia in Africa south of the equator, behaviorally adapted to hyper-arid conditions. Elephant in Mali on the southwestern fringe of the Sahara Desert are the only others known to survive in similar conditions.
Overnight: Doro Nawas
All meals & excursions with your Ultimate Safaris guides
Today you bid farewell to granite boulders of Damaraland as you travel towards the richness of the bushveld and the Etosha National Park with your guide.
Along the way your guide will take you to visit a Himba ‘Living Museum’. At the Living Museum you will be able to meet some of the local community who will be happy to demonstrate elements of their traditional lifestyle. The Himba are one of the last truly traditional peoples of Namibia and they are normally nomadic, but those that have settled here are now firmly established and unlikely to move on. They have little time for conventional practices but welcome visitors who want to learn about the customs and traditions of this very proud nation, and they are very willing to offer insight into their beliefs, way of life and everyday routine. A picnic lunch will be enjoyed en-route at a scenic location before continuing further to your lodge.
Late afternoon arrival with some time free to freshen up and enjoy a beautiful sunset overlooking the granite boulder before joining for dinner.
The Himba: The Himba, Tjimba and other Herero people who inhabit Namibia’s remote north-western Kunene Region are loosely referred to as the Kaokovelders. Basically, Herero in terms of origin, language and culture, they are semi-nomadic pastoralists who tend to tend from one watering place to another. They seldom leave their home areas and maintain, even in their own, on which other cultures have made little impression. For many centuries they have lived a relatively isolated existence and were not involved to any noteworthy extent in the long struggle for pasturelands between the Nama and the Herero.The largest group of Kaokovelders is the Himba, semi-nomads who live in scattered settlements throughout the Kunene Region. They are a tall, slender and statuesque people, characterized especially by their proud yet friendly bearing. The women especially are noted for their unusual sculptural beauty, enhanced by intricate hairstyles and traditional adornments. They rub their bodies with red ochre and fat, a treatment that protects their skins against the harsh desert climate. The homes of the Himba of Kaokoland are simple, cone-shaped structures of saplings, bound together with palm leaves and plastered with mud and dung. The men build the structures, while the women mix the clay and do the plastering. A fire burns in the headman’s hut day and night, to keep away insects and provide light and heating. A family may move from one home to another several times a year to seek grazing for their goats and cattle. Men, women and children wear body adornments made from iron and shell beads. A himba women spends as much as three hours a day on her toilette. First, she bathes, then she anoints herself with her own individually prepared mixture not only protects her skin from the harsh desert sun, but also keeps insects away and
prevents her body hair from falling out. She uses another mixture of butter fat, fresh herbs and black coals to rub on her hair, and ‘steams’ her clothes regularly over the permanent fire. Men, women and children adorn themselves with necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and belts made from iron and shell beads. With their unusual and striking designs, these items have gained a commercial value and are being produced on a small scale for the urban market. Sculptural headrests in particular are sought-after items.
Andersson’s at Ongava: Located just 4.5km from Etosha National Park’s Andersson Gate, Andersson’s at Ongava takes its name from Charles Andersson, the Swedish explorer who first 'discovered' the Etosha Pan with Sir Francis Galton in 1851. Set against a backdrop of the low Ondundozonanandana Mountains, Andersson’s at Ongava is located within the private Ongava Game Reserve which borders the Etosha National Park. The Ongava Game Reserve is typified by white calcrete soils, rocky outcrops and scrub-covered plains which support a rich variety of game such as giraffe, lion, rhino and various antelope species. The Camp overlooks a waterhole where guests can enjoy the interaction of wildlife coming and going throughout the day and night. Central to the design of the new Andersson’s at Ongava is the waterhole and nearby underground photographic hide. Here guests have a water level view of the prolific wild and birdlife on Ongava Game Reserve. A centrally positioned infinity-edge swimming pool and surrounding lounge area allows for relaxing in sheltered nooks with views of the waterhole and beyond. The social area encompasses an undercover and open-air dining area, a spacious lounge and bar, a sunken observation terrace, and open fireplaces to rake away the winter chill. For specialist photographic parties, there is a dedicated photographic nook for review and editing of images. Completing the camp are features such as a uniquely Namibian curio shop, library, complimentary Wi-Fi, and connectivity to the research data developed over years of diligent and cutting-edge scientific endeavors on Ongava.
Overnight: Anderssons at Ongava
All meals, Himba Living Museum Visit & Etosha game drives with Ultimate Safaris guide.
Continue your exploration of the southern parts of the Etosha National Park with lunch to be enjoyed back at the lodge. This afternoon you embark on a sundowner on the Ongava Reserve with one of the dedicated lodge guides before returning to freshen up for dinner.
Etosha National Park: Etosha National Park, translated as the ‘Place of Mirages’, Land of Dry Water’ or the ‘Great White Place’, covers 22,270km², of which over 5,000km² is made up of saline depressions or pans. The largest of these pans, the Etosha Pan, can be classified as a saline desert in its own right. The Etosha Pan lies in the Owambo Basin, on the north-western edge of the Namibian Kalahari Desert. Until three million years ago it formed part of a huge, shallow lake that was reduced to a complex of salt pans when the major river that fed it, the Kunene, changed course and began to flow to the Atlantic instead. If the lake existed today, it would be the third largest in the world. Etosha Pan is the largest of the pans at 4,760km² in extent. It is nowadays filled with water only when sufficient rain falls to the north in Angola, inducing floods to flow southward along the Cuvelai drainage system. The Park consists of grassland, woodland and savannah. There are game-viewing centers around the numerous springs and waterholes where several different species can often be seen at one time. The Park boasts some 114 mammal and over 340 bird species. Wildlife that one might see includes elephant, lion, giraffe, blue wildebeest, eland, kudu, gemsbok (oryx), zebra, rhino, cheetah, leopard, hyena, honey badger and warthog, as well as the endemic black faced impala.
Ongava Game Reserve: The Ongava Game Reserve is effectively a private game reserve, spanning 30,000 hectares along the south-west border of Etosha National Park. The reserve is home to a wide variety of game including lion, leopard, giraffe, rhino, Hartmann’s Mountain zebra, gemsbok (oryx), kudu, steenbok and much more. The scenery is attractive with large open plains blending into Mopane tree woodlands and dolomite outcrops.
Overnight: Anderssons at Ongava
All meals, Etosha game drives with Ultimate Safaris guide & 1 x Scheduled shared sundowner game drive with Ongava lodge-based guide.
Today is spent game-viewing in the Etosha National Park from the comfort of your safari vehicle as you make your way through the breadth of the National Park, stopping at selected waterholes to observe the game gathered there along the way. Lunch will be enjoyed at one of the camps inside the park.
You then exit the park through the eastern Von Lindequist Gate to arrive at Onguma the Fort, situated on the private Onguma Game Reserve.
Onguma – The Fort: As the heart of the African sun casts mirages on the horizon, you are invited to experience the Fort on Fisher’s Pan. A fort so unique, that today it stands testimony to a journey worth taking, when the dream is big enough. Positioned to give guests unrivalled views of the spectacular Namibian sunset, Onguma The Fort is a unique refuge in this vast landscape. Overlooking the beautiful scarceness of the Etosha Pans, the Fort gently enfolds guests within massive, cool raw walls and uncompromised luxury. This unique lodge comprises eleven, completely private mini-suites and a fort suite – the latter situated within the spectacular 12m high main tower. Each suite offers sprawling views of Etosha and Fisher’s Pan, as a spacious bathroom with both an indoor- and a private outdoor shower. From every corner of your room, wooden decks and sun-loungers invite you to come out and play. Drift away in desert chic as you dissolve into the beautifully decorated surroundings. Elaborate antique African doors, raw plastered walls and elegant furnishing fuse classic African style with a touch Moroccan and Indian themes – creating a world of dreams… At Onguma The Fort the diverse wildlife can be enjoyed from the comfort of your suite, on a sunset game drive or from the main tower – offering unparalleled views of this unique landscape. Zebra, giraffe, lion, a variety of antelope and superb birdlife will accompany you during your stay. Savour relaxing sunset moments in the outdoor pool, as the view invites you to become one with the dream.
Overnight: Onguma The Fort
All meals & Etosha game drives with Ultimate Safaris guide & 1 PM Scheduled shared Sundowner drive with Onguma lodge-based guide.
After breakfast you bid farewell to the plains of Etosha and travel south back to Windhoek to spend the last night of your safari in the comforts of Galton House. Dinner this evening can either be enjoyed at your hotel, or out at one of the popular restaurants in town with your guide to reminisce about trip highlights and good memories.
Overnight: Galton House
All meals
This morning can be spent relaxing at your hotel, exploring Windhoek, visiting NamCrafts and the Craft Centre, or doing some last-minute souvenir shopping if time allows, before an Ultimate Safaris representative will collect you from your hotel for your transfer out to the Windhoek International Airport, getting you there in time to check in for your ongoing flight.
We wish you safe travels and hope that your Namibian safari has been full of unforgettable highlights and memorable experiences! ….. Bon Voyage!
Breakfast
