Day 1 Depart the UK in the evening.
Day 2 On arrival in Windhoek you are met and transferred to your hotel. Rest of the day free for sightseeing or relaxation..
Windhoek or similar - bed and breakfast basis
Day 3 Leaving Windhoek, we travel into the largest sand mass on earth, the Kalahari Desert. The bushman refer to it as the “Soul of the World”, an emotive description for this area! With its deep red sand dunes and endless grass plains interspersed with Acacia’s and shrubs, it is the only form of survival for a vast amount of specially adapted wildlife. Enjoy the opportunity to experience the fauna and flora that has survived this desert environment for thousands of years.
Intu Africa Lodge / Kalahari Anib Lodge
Day 4 We travel south through expansive rocky plains, visiting the unique Quiver Tree forest. Nestled amongst huge dolerite boulders, some stacked in such a mysterious way that it seems impossible that they were formed by natural forces, it awards us with magnificent photographic opportunities. After we arrived at our lodge, we have time to enjoy a pleasant walk to an adjacent granite hill to enjoy the sundowner with a cold drink in hand.
Canon Lodge / Canon Village
Day 5 Our morning starts on the edge of the Fish River Canyon, where we gaze 550 meters into this magnificent geological phenomenon, the second largest of its kind on earth. Thereafter we travel down the Great Escarpment and into the awesomely stretched plains of the Namib Desert, the scenery giving way to the shifting dunes of the Prohibited Diamond Area. Here we visit Diaz’ Cross, before rounding off the day with a tour through Lüderitz and checking into our hotel for the evening.
Nest Hotel / Hotel zum Sperrgebiet.
Day 6 This morning the ghost town of Kolmanskop reminds us of the opulence and decadence of the diamond rush days of the early 1900’s. Now it stands barren to the harsh wind and heat of the unforgiving desert. Thereafter we travel north through the pre-Namib to our lodge in the Namib Desert. This is the gateway to Sesriem Canyon and Sossusvlei, where some of the highest sand dunes on earth stand towering over the white desert plains.
Sossusvlei Lodge / Hammerstein Lodge.
Day 7 This morning demands an early start. The first rays of sunrise paint the mountains of sand into a variety of apricot, red and orange, contrasted against a crisp blue skyline, enrapting our senses, and awarding us the opportunity to capture this awesome landscape on film. Sossusvlei, where the mostly dry Tsauchab River ends abruptly amongst majestic dunes, sees us walking up one of these dunes to admire the desert landscape. Thereafter we visit the Sesriem Canyon, a life sustaining natural phenomenon in the heart of the Namib Desert.
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Sossusvlei Lodge / Namib Desert Lodge.
Day 8 After breakfast and after we traveled through the Gaub and Kuiseb Canyons, we visit the Vogelfederberg before traveling to the quaint coastal town of Swakopmund. In the better light of the cooler afternoon we venture into the valley of the Swakop River to visit the Welwitschia Plains and the aptly named Moonlandscape, enjoying this astonishing area while the sun is setting. After the short trip back to our hotel we can enjoy dinner at one of Swakopmund’s many acclaimed restaurants.
Hansa Hotel / Europa Hof.
Day 9 This idyllic coastal town is the perfect location for walking tours, shopping, relaxing at a quaint coffee shop or along the sandy beaches. This being Namibia’s playground, we also have a wide variety of activities on offer, ranging from dolphin cruises, desert tours and scenic flights to quad biking, paragliding, parachuting and kite surfing to mention but a few.
Hansa Hotel / Europa Hof.
Day 10 Heading further north, we travel along vast lichen fields to Cape Cross, a fur seal reserve where at times over 80’000 animals frolic in the waves of the Atlantic! We drive via the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain (2579m), into the Damaraland, one of the least populated and geologically diverse areas in Africa. This harsh, rocky environment is home to the rare Desert Elephant, the Black Rhino and free-roaming antelope species.
Mowani Mountain Camp / Twyfelfontein Lodge.
Day 11 We start the morning with a visit to Twyfelfontein, a heritage site where bushman communities engraved and painted over 2500 pictures some 6000 years ago! We also visit the Burnt Mountain, Petrified Forest and the Organ Pipes - all geological phenomena depicting the creation and evolution of some of the oldest landmasses on earth. We proceed on to our lodge situated close to the world-renowned Etosha National Park.
Epacha Game Lodge & Spa / Etosha Safari Camp.
Day 12 The day is devoted purely to the abundant wildlife found in the Etosha National Park, which surrounds a parched salt desert known as the Etosha Pan. The park is home to 4 of the Big Five - Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Rhino – its waterholes supporting a rich diversity of birds and mammals, including rare species such as black-faced Impala, roan, cheetah, and Namibia’s smallest antelope, the Damara Dik-Dik.
Epacha Game Lodge & Spa / Etosha Safari Camp.
Day 13 After breakfast we again enter the park, travelling through it from west to east. En route we may encounter animal species we have not seen before and look forward to any new surprises at the different waterholes visited. In the late afternoon we travel out of the park to our lodge, where we enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure and reminisce about the day’s exciting events.
Onguma Plains Camp / Ghaub Guest Farm.
Day 14 After leaving Etosha we head south to Namibia’s mining centre. In this region we visit Lake Otjikoto, the larger of only two natural lakes found in Namibia, as well as the Tsumeb museum, where we explore the colonial and mining history, as well as different minerals found in this area. We continue southwards via the African craft market in Okahandja to Windhoek.
Windhoek.
Day 15 Free morning. Transfer to the airport in time for your flight.
Day 16 Arrive UK
Departure dates:
Jan 8, 14
Feb 5, 19
Mar 5, 19
Apr 2, 16, 30
May 14
Jun 4, 18
Jul 2, 16
Aug 6, 20
Sep 3, 16, 23
Oct 1, 8, 15, 22
November and December dates to be confirmed.
Accommodation
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