Namibia

Namibia, a wonderful country. 

Skeleton Coast National Park which stretches from the Angolan border/Kunene River to the north for some 500km to the Ugab River in the south, making up one third of Namibia's coastline. Wonderful! 

17-Day Namibia, Botswana, Victoria Falls

Explore Namibia, Botswana and the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe! In Namibia, you will enjoy the surprisingly colourful desert, the bushveld in Etosha, the rugged coastline and the plains of Damaraland with its rocky outcrops. Via the lush and green Caprivi Strip, head to Botswana for an extraordinary safari experience. This route offers stunning landscapes, great safaris combined with a rich history and a melting pot of different cultures. The impressive Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe top it all off at the end. 

Itinerary

Day 1 - The start of your African adventure

Flight to Windhoek, Namibia. 

Day 2 - Welcome to Namibia!

Arrive in Windhoek. The first day spent in this bustling city, which lies in a pretty valley with buildings in the German architectural style. Enjoy dinner at Joe's Beerhouse, an iconic restaurant in Windhoek! A tad bit touristy, but nevertheless a cool experience due to the quirky décor and delicious food. 

Day 3 - To the desert

Make your way to the Namib-Naukluft. The oldest desert in the world, with its colours changing every hour, it is a true once in a lifetime experience. Take it easy along the dirt roads. The vastness of the landscape and the amazing red dunes of the Namib Desert is mind-blowing. Visit the Sesriem Canyon: a natural gorge carved millions of years ago by the once mighty Tsauchab River. Make sure to be there during the sunset hour, as the changing shadows and soft light foregrounds is a perfect photography opportunity.

Day 4 - Experience the magic of Sossusvlei

Get up early to be in the Namib Desert during the cool and beautiful morning hours. Be there as soon as the gates open. Hike up Dune 45. The view from hiking up this dune is absolutely worth it. The view of the glistering dunes and salt pans is unforgettable even from halfway up as well. 

Drive further but keep your eyes peeled to spot Gemsbok (also known as Oryx) along the way, perhaps the most beautiful antelope of Southern Africa! A 4x4 trail and another short walk leads you to the Deadvlei: a dried out pan with dark ancient dead trees that stick out against the white pan and the bright orange dunes around it. Here you will feel like you are in a surrealistic dream!

Day 5 - Off to the coast

Off to the coast! Swakopmund lies directly on the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by dunes. Take a stroll along the beach, visit shops in the city centre, or enjoy German food at one of the many cosy restaurants and bars. 

Day 6 : 

Early morning, go on a boat cruise in Walvisbay. It is an unforgettable experience. Get closer to pelicans,  seals and enjoy delicious oysters. 

Spend the afternoon in the incredible desert around Swakopmund. Take a tour which shows you all the amazing creatures living within the dunes. 

Day 7 - The mountain on fire

The next two days,  experience the Damaraland region. First stop: Brandberg! An impressive mountain range, home to ancient rock paintings and the (seasonal) elusive Desert-Adapted Elephants. Drive through the near-barren landscape towards Brandberg. On the way stop op the Spitzkoppe. 

In the evening, watch the sun go down behind the Brandberg Mountain. 

Day 8 - Twyfelfontein

Enjoy a nature drive in Damaraland in the morning. You might be  lucky to spot the elusive and rare Desert Adapted Elephants! These elephants are slightly smaller compared to the Elephants you find in National Parks, and can cover extremely large distances. Depending on the rainy season, they can be spotted roaming the Ugab River. Sightings cannot be guaranteed, but if there is one place in Namibia to spot these impressive giants, it is here! 

Up next in your Damaraland mission: Twyfelfontein: home to ancient rock paintings, engravings, and massive rocky outcrops which stand out in the flat, vast lands. Tonight stay in the Aba Huab valley. An oasis in the middle of nowhere.

 

Day 9 - Meet the Damara people 

There is no way you are leaving Damaraland without visiting the rock paintings and engravings of Twyfelfontein.  The rock paintings are declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and range from 2000 up to 10 000 years old. A local guide will take you on a walk to the sties, and explain more about the paintings and engravings, which gives a wonderful insight into the history of the area and the people that lived there.

After visiting the rock engravings,  visit to the Damaraland Living Museum. This is a community owned project which gives you a unique insight in the traditional ways of living of the Damara tribe, as well as the modern ways of how life is nowadays. In the village you will experience the daily routine, including dancing, singing, traditional games, fire making and much more. Visit the village to see how life is nowadays for the Damara people, and just chat with members of the community.  

After this, make your way inland towards Etosha National Park. Tonight stay somewhere close to the gates to the National Park. 

Day 10 - Etosha safari 

Enter into Etosha National Park. The unique scenery in Etosha makes that it can't be compared to any other game parks in Africa. Vast, open plains as far as the eye can see, with in the middle a massive salt pan. The contrasting colours are almost surrealistic, and you often have to blink twice before you can comprehend what you are looking at. Bonus: the lack of vegetation and water makes it very easy to spot wildlife! Big game is often seen at the waterholes, and there is no chance you can miss the iconic outline of an elephant on the horizon.

Day 11 - Road trip to Caprivi

Hit the road early, as you have quite a long drive to get to the Caprivi strip. If time allows visit the Bushman people's living museum. 

After this, continue the road trip to the Caprivi strip: a thin strip of Namibian land which shares its borders with Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Angola. You will see the landscape changing with plenty of small rural villages, goats and chickens on the road and Namibians going about their daily business. 

Spend the next two nights along the Kavango River near the small town of Divundu. This untouched landscape is dominated by riverine forests and waterways, with an abundance of bird species. 

Day 12 - Explore the Okavango Pan Handle

Spend the day in Mahango National Park, set within the perimeters of Bwabwata National Park. Fun fact, it is claimed that Bwabwata gets it name from the sounds certain frogs make: ‘Bwaaabwaaaab’. Others are of the opinion it is actually derived from the sound of bubbling water. 

In the afternoon, go on a Mokoro trip along the Kavango River, to spot hippo’s and crocs from up close. Mokoro’s are a type of canoe made out of tree trunks, very typical of this region. Or go on a river cruise whichever you prefer. 

Day 13 - From Namibia to Botswana

Leave Namibia behind and cross the border into Botswana. Hit the road early so that there is time to make a stop at the Mafwe Living Museum, where one learn more about this tribe. The open air museum consists of a traditional village and its surrounding fields on a beautiful hill with a view on the Kwando River. The Mafwe present their old, almost forgotten culture in traditional dresses.

After crossing the border,  stay in Kasane. 

Late afternoon go on a sunset cruise on the Chobe River, and unforgettable experience. Good chance you will see plenty of hippos, elephants, bathing and other wildlife along the banks of this river. 

Day 15 Chobe Safari 

Early morning Safari into Chobe National Park. Chobe is best known for the countless elephants that live there, thanks to its fertile soil, abundant water and vast land. 

After the game pack up and cross the border to Zimbabwe

Day 16 - From the bush to the falls

This afternoon visit the Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and arguably one of the world's greatest natural spectacles. The falls offer a spectacular view of the Zambezi River, the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Take your time to enjoy, admire and photograph these impressive waterfalls. In the evening take a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. 

Day 17- Travel home

Today it is time to head home. With a camera full of photos and a heart full of experiences, it is time to fly back home. 

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11-Day Namibia Tour 

Windhoek - Sossusvlei - Swakopmund - Damaraland - Etosha South - Etosha East

11 Days / 10 Night

Itinerary

Introduction

You could spend a lifetime exploring Namibia. Here we've assembled the highlights in the 11-day Namibia Highlights Safari – a journey of fascinating discovery that includes the Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft Park, the Skeleton Coast, Damaraland and Etosha National Park.

The Namib Desert covers the entire Namibian coastline of over 1,500km and sweeps up to 200km inland. It is the planet's oldest desert and has an astonishing diversity of landscapes and habitats including the Great Sand Sea of Sossusvlei and the surreal Skeleton Coast north of Swakopmund.

Damaraland's scenic rocky outcrops and sandy riverbeds form a vast undulating landscape that shelters a variety of desert-adapted wildlife including elephant, rhino, lion and some rather hardy plains game.

Etosha National Park’s plains game come to drink during the middle of the day when predators are most lethargic; thus it's not uncommon to have a collage of several different species in the same frame. Lions, elephants and several endemic species of antelope and birds - including 46 raptors - add to the game viewing excitement

Day 1: Windhoek

Windhoek

Surrounded by the stubble-covered Auas Mountains and the endless Khomas Hochland, Windhoek lies in a long valley fed by ancient hot springs in the central highlands. Namibia’s capital and bustling city. More often than not, the start or end place of your Namibia safari.

In Windhoek there are many interesting historical buildings, museums, galleries and craft shops. The city has several good restaurants and modern shops and services making it an excellent base camp from which to launch your Namibian adventure.

Day 2-4: Camp, Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei

Star dunes with up to five crests rise 300m into the air and rank among the biggest in the world; the dune valleys are marked by vast clay pans where the Tsauchab River gave up its fight to reach the sea more than 60,000 years ago.

Besides the dunes and pans of Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon, a sideshow of activities and sights has developed around the region and there are plenty of game lodges that provide additional desert-adapted activities.Plants and birds are the dominant life form in this dessicated realm and they support a tiny world of mammals, reptiles and insects that, in the absence of coastal fog, seldom wander far from the rivercourse and its pans.

Day Itinerary

Windhoek – Sossusvlei              350km - approximately 5 to 6 hours 

• Depart heading south from Windhoek to your lodge for the next 2 nights

• The route will take you either via the beautiful Spreetshoogte or Remhoogte Pass, both showcasing the natural beauty of Namibia

• Wake up early for breakfast (Day 3) and then head to the entrance to Sossusvlei, the Sesriem Gate

• Spend the whole day in the beautiful Sossusvlei area, exploring the highlights: Sossusvlei,  Dead Vlei, Dune 45, Big Daddy, Elim Dune and the Sesriem Canyon

• Return to the lodge for lunch or arrange a lunch pack to enjoy in the dunes and return late afternoon for a well-earned rest

• Optional extra activities: Hot air balloon safari, Nature drives

Day 4-6:  Swakopmund

Surrounded by the ancient Namib desert and the inhospitable - but bounteous - Atlantic Ocean, Swakopmund is alive with activity and has a lot on offer for the adventure-seeker: quad-biking, sand-boarding, horse-riding, skydiving and more.

Swakopmund has many interesting German-influenced buildings from the early 1900s in a variety of styles and, for its size, Swakopmund has an astonishing array of restaurants that serve mainly seafood, steak and many German staples.

Day Itinerary

Sossusvlei - Swakopmund          350km - approximately 5 to 6 hours

• Depart after breakfast and head north to Solitaire, then west crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, through the Gaub and Kuiseb Canyons via the Namib Gravel Plains to the coast

• Either via Walvis Bay to Swakopmund, or (recommended) detour via Ganab to the Welwitschia Plains and Moon Landscape

• The Namibian coastline is generally known as The Skeleton Coast due to the barren areas, ship wrecks and, in days gone by, whale skeletons left on the beach

• 1 full day is set aside for this lovely area where Swakopmund and Walvis Bay offer a wide range of activities such as: Dolphin cruise, Sandwich Harbour excursion (a real Skeleton Coast experience), Dune quad biking, Sand boarding, Sea kayaking, Lots more… (Optional extra)

• Lunches and dinners can be enjoyed at a cafe or restaurant overlooking the sea

Day 6-8: Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp, Damaraland

Damaraland

Damaraland features vast khaki plains, sheer rocky mountains and incredible desert-adapted wildlife. Track rhino and desert elephant, explore the rugged land or sit back and enjoy the dramatic and endless scenery. Damaraland's hilly savannah supports a large number of species including lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, eland, kudu, giraffe, klipspringer, steenbok, gemsbok and springbok. Birdlife is prolific with over 33 raptors recorded including cuckoo hawks, Egyptian vultures and peregrine falcons - the world's fastest animal.

Damaraland is divided into several enormous private game reserves, known as concessions, that support most species of Namibia's large game and provide some of the best birding and wildlife experiences in the country - and southern Africa for that matter.

Day Itinerary

Swakopmund – Damaraland       445km - approximately 7 to 8 hours

• Head north along the Skeleton Coast, via Henties Bay to visit the Cape Cross seal colony. Along the way, stop at the Lichen Fields as well as the ship wreck between the colourful small town of Wlotskasbaken and Henties Bay

• Backtrack to Henties Bay and head inland through wide open plains to Uis, then north to the Twyfelfontein area

• Visit to Namibia's Open Air Museum, the Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings as well as the interesting Organ Pipes rock formations and Burnt Mountain

• Take a drive with , west (4x4 needed) to the Huab River to look for the desert adapted elephants as well as other game such as oryx, springbok, ostrich and lots more

• Visit the Damara Living Museum for a hint of culture

Etosha South

Etosha South

Day 8: Etosha Village, Etosha South

Etosha South

Located just south of the boundary of Etosha National Park in northwestern Namibia, Etosha South makes up the southern region of this wild paradise. The area is comprised of a collection of world class private game reserves. The national park can be accessed via the southern entrance at Andersson’s Gate. Visitors can catch a glimpse of a variety of wildlife including: lion, giraffe, elephant, white and black rhino, and a multitude of plains game. Popular activities include: enjoying an open 4x4 safari with an expert guide, half day or full day drives with the option of a picnic lunch with wine on the full day game drive.

Day Itinerary

Damaraland – Etosha (south)     325km - approximately 4 to 5 hours

• After breakfast, drive east towards Khorixas stopping at the Petrified Forest en-route

• From Khorixas head further east along the tar road to Outjo and then north to your lodge which is situated very close to the southern entrance of Etosha, the Anderson Gate

• If time permits, enter Etosha for an afternoon game drive.

• On entering the park, the first stop would be Okaukuejo where you pay your entry fee (included) and I suggest you pop in at the local shop to purchase some drinks and snacks and most importantly, a map of Etosha which will show you all the waterholes along the way

• Etosha is one of Africa's great game parks. With 114 species of mammal and 340 species of birds you are sure to see a great variety of wildlife on your safari.

Day 9-11: Etosha East

Etosha East

On the eastern edge of Etosha National Park, the park itself is bordered by numerous private reserves  and access into the park is via the Von Lindequist Gate, named after Dr. Friedrich von Lindequist who proclaimed it a game reserve in March 1907. This side of the park is characterised by flat endless plains, tree-savanna type of vegetation and fantastic waterholes, where you could easily spot any of the prolific wildlife Etosha is known for. There's an abundance of wildlife here. 

 

Day Itinerary

Etosha (south) – Etosha (east)   a full days game drive through the park

• From one side to the other side of the park is a full day game drive as you head slowly east stopping at numerous waterholes along the way

• Take a slow drive in the morning and then enjoy a packed lunch (optional extra) overlooking one of the waterholes before continuing on through the park to the eastern side

• 1 full day is set aside for game viewing, either all day or alternate with morning and afternoon guided drives.

Day 11: End of Itinerary

Day Itinerary

Etosha (east) – Windhoek          490km - approximately 6 hours

• Head back to Windhoek today, to be in at the airport in time for your departure flight (Keep in mind that you need to be at the airport 2 hours prior and the airport is still a 45 minute to 1 hour drive from town

More to come