Namibia Safaris
NAMIBIA
EXPLORER
SAFARI
Weekly departures all year
There are no minimum numbers,
no single supplements. The price is virtually fully inclusive, the style is
limited participation, assisted camping and there are two accommodated nights
included on the itinerary. Collection time is between 08:00 & 08:30 from
anywhere within the Windhoek city limits.
By combining this
trip with our 8 day Delta and Falls Safari you can also visit two of the world’s
natural wonders, the Okavango Delta and the mighty Victoria Falls.
Day one
Windhoek – Okonjima
(300 km) (LD) (camping)
We will travel
north, stopping at small towns along the way including Okahandja, where we have
time to visit Namibia’s largest wood carving market. The market is operated on
a local co-operative basis and is one of the best places to shop for truly
Namibian souvenirs.
Continuing north,
passing through farmland, we aim to arrive at Okonjima during the middle
afternoon, giving us time to set up our camp and to relax in the shade for a
while before heading out on to the property to take part in the afternoon’s
activities.
Okonjima is the home
of the Africat Foundation, a specialist conservation concern that centres its
operations around the African Big Cats, particularly cheetah. This afternoon
you will be taken on a tour during which you will be able to meet,
close-up-and-personal, some of the cheetah that are going through the Africat
rehabilitation programme. Most of the animals currently living at Okonjima have
been rescued from various desperate situations, being orphaned or caught in a
trap, and the aim of rehabilitation process is to attempt to re-introduce them
into the wild.
After our
educational tour we will return to camp and prepare for dinner under the African
stars.
Day two
Okonjima
- Namutoni, Etosha National Park (300 km) (BLD) (camping)
An early start and
continuing north we pass through some small towns, making short stops for fresh
supplies and fuel. Our first main port of call today is the mysterious Lake
Otjikoto. Otjikoto is in fact Namibia's largest permanent natural lake and we
take time here to rest a little and learn something about the history of this
unusual landmark.
Continuing on to
Namutoni camp in Etosha National Park we again aim to arrive in time for lunch,
giving us time to relax before heading out into the park during the cool of the
late afternoon for our first game drive.
After your evening
meal there are still more chances to see Etosha's big game at Namutoni's
floodlit waterhole. Situated on the boundary of the camp and easily reachable
on foot, elephants are regular visitors here and there is a good chance of
seeing other species of game as well.
Day three
Namutoni
- Okaukuejo, Etosha National Park (BLD) (camping)
A full
day's game driving. We again leave early to enjoy the cool morning air as we
game drive our way through Etosha to Halali camp, situated in the middle of the
park.
Along
the way we visit several waterholes and are afforded splendid views of the
massive Etosha Pan. The game viewing is usually excellent and we have the
chance to tick off a few new species that are not normally seen on the Namutoni
side of the park.
We stop
at Halali for a rest and a leisurely lunch. There is time to visit the Halali
waterhole and to make use of the swimming pool and bar facilities before
continuing on our way and game driving down to Okaukuejo camp.
Okaukuejo is famous for its waterhole, which has been described as one of the
"best game viewing opportunities in Southern Africa". Situated on the doorstep
of our camp, black rhino, elephant, lion and numerous species of antelope are
usually seen.
Day four
Okaukuejo – Oase Himba Village, Kamanjab (300km) (BLD) (camping)
Leaving
Etosha we begin our journey south with a relatively short drive to the small
town of Kamanjab where we will make a short stop here before continuing on to
find the Himba Tribesmen.
This is
the only traditionally functioning Himba community outside the far north
Kaokoland region of Namibia These tribes-people have migrated here, lifestyle
and customs intact, and are following their traditional way-of-life in their
village on a farm. Oase Village is located about 15 to 20 km outside Kamanjab,
the exact location of the site varies as the Himba occasionally roam to a new
location.
During
the afternoon we will be invited into Oase Village and will meet with the
locals. We will have a specialist guide for the time we are there, who will be
able to translate for us and will introduce us to this “alternative lifestyle”.
We will learn about marriage customs, traditional food and the mysteries of the
local religion, “Holy Fire”.
We will
make our camp about 150 meters from the village “Kraal” to ensure both our and
our hosts privacy
Day five
Oase
Village – Brandberg Mountain (400km) (BLD) (camping)
Today we
head into one of the most beautiful desert regions in Namibia, Damaraland. We
drive south to the capital of this region, the small town of Khorixas, and then
take a detour to the west, travelling via the Petrified Forest geological site,
to visit the ancient Bushman rock engravings at Twyfelfontien. At both these
locations we will have local guides to conduct us on a short guided tour.
From
here we head deeper into the desert to Namibia’s highest mountain, The
Brandberg, (2573 m). Brandberg Mountain is an ancient Bushman spiritual site
and tonight we will sleep in a community campsite under the shadow of this giant
granite monolith.
Day six
Brandberg Mountain – Swakopmund, Skeleton Coast (200 km) (BL) (chalet
accommodation)
Starting
early to enjoy the cool of the morning we will hike, “into” the mountain with
our guide to see the world famous “White Lady” rock painting. Attributed to the
Bushman artists, the white lady panel is believed by some to be in excess of 20
000 years old.
Back on
the road and more beautiful Damaraland scenery this morning, we make our first
stop in the small town of Uis,
an old mining town, and one of the best places to buy semi-precious stones, for
which Namibia is famous. Here, rough Amethyst, Tourmaline etc can be found at
bargain prices.
From
here we turn directly west and cross the “gravel plains” on our way to the
Atlantic Ocean and the Skeleton Coast. Meeting the ocean at Henties Bay, we
first head north along the coast to visit the seal colony at Cape Cross. Here
at certain times of the year there can be as many as 100,000 Cape Fur seals in
attendance. The next destination is Swakopmund, following the Skeleton Coast
into Namibia's premier seaside town.
The
Swakopmund section of the trip is designed to allow people to relax either with
the group, or on their own. Only breakfast is provided, this is to allow you to
plan your time here with as much flexibility as possible and not to be tied to
group meal times. It also gives you the chance to sample some of the excellent
local cafes and restaurants. The seafood in Swakopmund is superb. Your guide
will offer to organise a group meal in a local restaurant for this evening.
Participation is recommended but by no means required.
Dinner
this evening in not included in the price of the safari and will be for the
client’s own account
Day seven
Swakopmund (B) (chalet accommodation)
Today is
a free day. The idea is to allow time for everybody to do their own thing.
Swakopmund is a very pleasant seaside town with lots of shops, a good stretch of
beach (although the Atlantic here is quite cold) and an open-air curio market.
There is also a very good museum and the Namibian National Marine Aquarium is
located in Swakopmund.
Alternatively, there are various optional activities that can be arranged.
These include aeroplane and microlight flights over the desert, scenic drives,
fishing trips (both from the beach or in a boat), four-wheel motorcycle (quad
bike) trips into the desert and over the sand dunes around Swakopmund, sand
boarding trips (also in the dunes), skydiving, surfing, bird-watching and many
other activities are available.
Your
tour guide will discuss all the possible options with you before you reach
Swakopmund and will offer to make bookings in advance of your arrival. (N.B.
All extra activities and excursions in Swakopmund are subject to availability
and are made at the clients’ own risk and expense).
Dinner
this evening is not included in the price of the safari and will be for the
client’s own account
Day eight
Swakopmund – Namib
Desert Camp (300 km) (BLD) (camping)
We first make a stop at Walvis Bay,
situated about 40 km south of Swakopmund. South of the town there is a large
marine lagoon which is home to a vast array of marine bird-life, in particular
flamingos.
We will make a short visit to the
lagoon to see the birds and a short visit to Walvis Bay to collect any last
minute supplies before once again heading out into the desert.
The second part of
our journey today takes us across more of the seemingly endless Namib gravel
plains. Then the landscape suddenly changes and we are into the mountain
desert.
We traverse both the
Kuiseb and Gaub passes, driving both times to the river beds at the bottom of
the canyons and then climbing the long steep road to the top and the spectacular
panoramas the mountains give us. Again the scenery changes as we make our way
down to the dune fields.
We cross some open
grass savannah and farmlands before the terrain begins to give way to the
immense red sand dune desert of the Namib
and from here it is only a short
distance to our next stop, the tiny town of Solitaire. We will stop here for
some refreshments before continuing on through stunning desert scenery.
We aim to arrive at our camp during
the late afternoon and watch the colours glow and change on distant mountains to
the east.
Day nine
Namib Desert Camp – Sossusvlei -
Namib Desert Camp (camping) (BLD)
A pre dawn start is essential this
morning as we want to catch the soft light of the sunrise on the desert. After
passing through Sesriem, the gateway to the dunes and driving into the heart of
the dune field, we reach Sossusvlei itself by walking the last 5 km through the
dunes.
The walk is like nothing else, in
the cool of the morning, with soft sunlight just beginning to play over the
dunes creating a sharp light and shadow contrast across the whole desert.
Ancient mineral pans, stunted camel
thorn trees and the chance of seeing a gemsbok or maybe an ostrich make the
photo opportunities perfect.
We spend the morning in and around
Sossusvlei, also visiting dune 45, and as the day wears on we return to Sesriem
for lunch to escape the heat of the afternoon. As the day cools off in the late
afternoon we will take a short excursion to the Sesriem Canyon.
Day ten
Namib Desert Camp -
Windhoek (450 km) (BL)
After breakfast we begin our
journey, over the mountains and along scenic roads, back to Windhoek. We will
travel over the Naukluft Mountains and also the Khomas Hochland range, through
beautiful Remhoogte Pass on our way back to civilization.
We are due back into the city
around 15:00 and you will be dropped off at your accommodation on our return.
10 day Namibian Explorer
Assisted Camping Safari
It is strongly
recommended that you purchase comprehensive personal travel insurance before you
embark on your safari. Travel insurance is for your own protection and we
consider it to be an essential part of modern international travel.
Maximum group size is 16 people, with no minimum number.
Transport for up to 8 people will be in a minibus and for 9 people and more in a
Toyota bus / truck.
The style of safari is limited participation, you will be
asked to assist put up and take down your own tent, however there will be a camp
assistant to complete all the other campsite chores. Your tour guide will do
all the shopping, cooking and day-to-day organization of the safari. Unless
otherwise specified, all safaris will be conducted in English
We will collect you
from your accommodation in Windhoek on the morning of departure. Pick up time
will be between 08:00 & 08:30.
The tents are dome
type, which are easy to assemble and your mattresses are approximately 5 cm
thick with your own mattress cover, and everyone has a camp chair with a
backrest.
Clients are limited
to one soft, barrel type bag per person with maximum weight of 15kg, one medium
sized hand luggage bag, one medium sized camera bag and a sleeping bag.
We suggest a
sleeping bag range of “3 – 4 season”. Sleeping bags can be hired by prior
arrangement for a cost of N$: 100.00 per 10 day trip.
When packing your clothing
please be aware that Namibian summer temperatures (December - March) can reach
45*C, and winter temperatures (June - September) can be as low as -5*C. The
rainy season is between December and April.
All evening meals on
camping safaris, (unless stipulated), are cooked on an open fire by your guide.
Salads and fresh vegetables will be served where possible, but please note in
some areas this is not necessarily every day. Fresh fruit will also be supplied
when possible. Vegetarians can be catered for but please notify us prior to
safari departure.
Namibia is a low
risk malarial destination but we recommend that seek professional medical advice
to enable you to make decisions on personal malaria protection.
All tap water in
Namibia has been purified or comes directly from boreholes and is safe to
drink. We supply tap drinking water but bottled mineral water is easily
available at shops and rest camps should you prefer to drink this.
Electrical plugs are
220 V and are 3 pin (round pin as opposed to square pin). Adaptors can be
purchased in Windhoek. It is possible to re-charge batteries at some campsites.
The Namibian Dollar
(N$) is tied permanently 1-1 to the South African Rand (SAR). SAR, notes and
coins are legal tender in Namibia.
Airport transfers
and pre-and-post safari accommodation can be arranged on request
It is customary to
tip in Namibia, usually, around 10% at restaurants. Your guide and assistant
can be tipped at your own discretion but we ask that the guide be tipped
separately from your assistant.
