Day 1: Windhoek
Arrival at Windhoek Airport. On arrival at Windhoek Airport, you will be met by your guide. After a brief orientation, you will then be taken to your accommodation. Lunch at leisure at a restaurant of your choice & then a tour of the city with your guide. Dinner at the hotel.
1 night at The Olive Exclusive Boutique Hotel or similar, on dinner, bed & breakfast.
Day 2 : Waterberg
Depart after breakfast towards Waterberg.
Visit Waterberg Mountain – northern Namibia's second largest attraction after Etosha!
- a sandstone plateau of up to 200 m high, with many springs
- lush and unrivalled flora
- more than 200 different bird species
- national park with rare game species on the plateau
- traces of history from primeval times to the present
Lunch en route is included.
1 night at Waterberg Wilderness Lodge or similar, on dinner, bed & Breakfast.
Day 3 : Etosha
Depart after breakfast, on the way to Onguma visiting the Hoba Meteorite, The Hoba Meteorite is the largest known *meteorite and likewise the largest known single mass of native iron known on earth. And then on to Guinas & Otjikoto Lakes, Otjikoto is situated close to the mining town of Tsumeb. Part of an underground river system, the lake was exposed when the roof of what was a large dolomite cave fell in. A favourite myth is that Otjikoto and its sister lake Guinas are bottomless. This misconception was given durability because the body of a former postmaster of Tsumeb, Johannes Cook, who drowned in Otjikoto in 1927, was never found.
Lunch en route.
3 nights at Onguma Bush Lodge or similar, on dinner, bed & breakfast.
Day 4,5 : Etosha
Full day game viewing & visiting the area in Etosha.
Lunch at leisure
Day 6 : Okaukuejo
Depart after breakfast to Okaukuejo. Originally the site of a German fort built in 1901, Okaukuejo now houses the Etosha Ecological Institute, founded in 1974; the round watchtower is a remnant of the fort. A major draw for tourists is the permanent waterhole, illuminated at night, which draws all types of wildlife, including elephants, lions and black rhinoceros, particularly during the lengthy dry season.
Lunch en route .
1 night at Okaukuejo, Waterhole chalets or similar, on dinner, bed & breakfast.
Day 7 : Grootberg Plateau
Leaving Etosha behind and travelling in a south western direction towards Grootberg Lodge. Perched on the rim of the Grootberg Plateau, the Grootberg Lodge stands sentinel over the Klip River Valley. 12 000 hectares have been set aside by the Khoadi / Hoas community for conservation and tourism, and it is through this pristine wilderness that you meander either on foot or by vehicle to encounter the inhabitants of this remote biosphere.
Lunch en route.
1 night at Grootberg Lodge or similar, on dinner, bed & breakfast.
Day 8 : Twyfelfontein
After breakfast, the guide will organize a guided walk either, on top of the plateau, or down the mountain to the Klip River Springs, or you could track the Desert Elephants or Rhino.
Lunch
On your way to Twyfelfontein you will visit an abandoned Himba Village.
Dinner at a restaurant close by or at the lodge.
2 nights at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge or similar, on bed & breakfast.
Day 9 : Twyfelfontein
Day at leisure in Twyfelfontein, with time to visit :
- The Petrified Forest - You can see the remains of trees that were washed to the site by a large river or a massive flood, approximately 280 million years ago. Additionally, you can also see small specimens of the welwitschia mirabilis and other plants which grow in the general vicinity.
- Organ Pipes – Close to Twyfelfontein another picturesque highlight is waiting for you, the valley of organ pipes, These basalt pipes are the remnants of a volcanic eruption.
- The Burnt Mountain - Another basalt formation in the area of Twyfelfontein, a stone through away from the organ pipes, is the so called "burnt mountain". At dawn this mountain seems to burn.
- San Rock Art – In the mountains of Twyfelfontein, some 100km from Khorixas, the biggest concentration of San paintings and engravings in Southern Africa can be experience. They are supposed to be approximately 6000 years old (the oldest painting are an estimated 25.000 – 28.000 years old!)
Lunch at leisure.
Dinner at a restaurant close by or at the lodge.
Day 10 : Brandberg Mountain
Early breakfast & early departure.
On your way to Swakpmund, you will have the opportunity to visit, The White Lady, a rock painting, located on a panel, also depicting other art work, on a small rock overhang, deep within Brandberg Mountain. The giant granite monolith located in Damaraland and called 'The Brandberg' is Namibia's highest mountain.
The painting has long been an archaeological dilemma, and several different hypotheses have been put forth on its origins, authorship and dating. It is now usually accepted to be a Bushmen painting, dating back at least 2000 years ago.
And then on to The Spitzkoppe, is a group of bald granite peaks or bornhardts. The granite is more than 700 million years old and the highest outcrop rises about 1784 meters (5857 feet) above sea level. The peaks stand out dramatically from the flat surrounding plains. The highest peak is about 700m above the floor of the desert below. A minor peak- the Little Spitzkoppe - lies nearby at an elevation of 1584 metres above sea level. Other prominences stretch out into a range known as the Pontok Mountains.
Lunch at leisure.
Dinner at a restaurant close by or at the hotel is included.
2 nights at Hansa Hotel or similar, on bed & breakfast.
Day 11 : Swakopmund
Today you have time to explore Swakopmund.
Lunch at leisure.
Dinner at a restaurant close by or at the hotel.
Day 12 : Welwitschia Plains
Depart after breakfast to The Moon Landscape.
This group of Damara Granites pushed upwards through the earth’s crust some 500 to 460 million years ago. This previously high mountain range has been eroded through time down to the foundations which over the past 2 million years have experienced further erosion through the actions of the Swakop River changing it into what is known as the “Badlands”
You will also have the opportunity to visit, Welwitschia Plains. Many of the world’s botanical gardens display examples of Welwitschia plants. However, only when viewed in their natural environment can any desert plant be fully appreciated. The plant is only found naturally in the Northern coastal belt of the Namib Desert and the largest specimens are found about 70km inland from Swakopmund.
Lunch at Zebra River lodge.
1 night at Zebra River Lodge or similar, full board.
Day 13 : Sossusvlei
After breakfast, the guide will then take you on one of several choices of hiking trails into the mountains. On returning you will then leave for Sossusvlei.
Lunch en route.
On the way you can visit Sesriem Canyon. Even during the dry season there are water pools in certain areas of the canyon. In previous times these provided an important water source for local inhabitants and for travelers. Early transport drivers would make the detour to the canyon to water their horses and oxen. The animals could not access the water pools at the bottom of the canyon, so their drinking water had to be raised in buckets. The leather thongs used to in-span the draught animals were usually cut from gemsbok (Oryx) hide and were called in Afrikaans a “riem”. As six of these thongs had to be tied together in order to make a “rope” long enough to draw the water bucket the place was named Sesriem.
2 nights at Sossusvlei Dessert Camp, or similar, on dinner, bed & breakfast.
Day 14 : Sossusvlei
Day at leisure to explore Sossusvlei.
Lunch at leisure.
Day 15 : Gondwana Sperrgebiet
After an early breakfast depart for the Gondwana Sperrgebiet Rand Park. The Succulent Karoo - after soft winter rains a sea of bright flowers in the vast plains of the southern Namib. In Gondwana Sperrgebiet Rand Park near Aus you experience the most bio-diverse desert on earth. It is a landscape of Granite Mountains, dry riverbeds and sweeping plains. To the east the park (510 km²) borders on the Nama Karoo, and to the north on the dune sea of the Namib, where the Wild Horses roam.
Lunch at leisure.
Explore the park on a hiking trail or go on a scenic drive to see the unique flora and the fascinating Wild Horses. Lüderitz and the deserted former diamond settlement of Kolmanskuppe are no more than an hour's drive away.
1 night at Desert Horse Inn, or similar, on dinner, bed & breakfast.
Day 16 : The Fish River Canyon
After breakfast the guide will take you to visit the ghost town of Kolmanskuppe.
Lunch en route.
And then on to the Fish River Canyon. Its dimensions are enormous: 160 km long, up to 27 km wide and 500 m deep. The Fish River Canyon is seen as the largest canyon in Africa and second largest canyon on earth - after the Grand Canyon in the US. Just as impressive is the period of time during which it was formed: 350 million years ago a fault with a width of 20 km appeared and the river meandered through it in wide loops. When the ancient continent of Gondwana disintegrated 120 million years ago, the Fish River started to dig deep into the ground and create its system of gorges.
2 nights at Canon Roadhouse, or similar, on dinner, bed & breakfast.
Day 17 : The Fish River Canyon
Day at leisure to explore The Fish River Canyon.
Lunch at leisure.
Day 18 : Giants Playground
After breakfast, depart for the Quiver Tree Forest & The Giants Playground. This is situated on the Farm Gariganus. It is called the Giants Playground because of the way in which the massive dolerite boulders have apparently been placed one on top of another by some gigantic force, creating strange rock formations and a series of mazes. The rock formations make for a couple of house of interesting hiking.
Lunch.
1 night at Quiver Tree Forest Rest Camp, or similar, on dinner, bed & breakfast.
Day 19 : Gondwana Kalahari Park
After breakfast depart for the Gondwana Kalahari Park. The Kalahari - green acacias and yellow grass on the red sand of Kalahari dunes which extend over hundreds of kilometres. Gondwana Kalahari Park provides you with unforgettable impressions of the world's largest continuous stretch of sand. The park covers 100 km² and is situated 30 km northeast of Mariental. Animals like springbok, oryx antelope and ostrich as well as jackal, hare and porcupine inhabit the dunes and dune valleys, also referred to as 'streets'.Take pictures of the Kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird of all, and of huge weaver birds' nests in the trees. En route you will visit the Hardup Dam, Created in 1962 while Namibia was under South African occupation, Hardap Dam is the largest Dam in the country. The reservoir dams the Fish River and has a surface area of 25 km². The Dam also is home to numerous examples of wildlife of Namibia.
Lunch en route.
1 night at Kalahari Anib Lodge or similar on dinner, bed & breakfast.
Day 20 : The Kalahari Desert
After breakfast, you will have the rest of the morning to explore The Kalahari Desert. If you are looking for world records you have to see the Kalahari: it holds no less than four of them. It is the largest continuous stretch of sand on the planet. The landscape is characterised by red sand dunes which reach a height of about 15-30 metres and extend over hundreds of kilometres. Chains of dunes run parallel to one another, with considerable distances between them. Now and then pans can be found in the valleys. After good rains they fill up with water but rapidly dry up again.
The red crests of the dunes contrast picturesquely with the blue sky above and the yellow grass in the wide dune valleys, while acacias add shades of dark green to the amazing symphony of colours. This magnificent scenery is inhabited by animals like gemsbok, springbok, jackal and bat-eared fox.
And speaking of world records again: many camel thorn trees lend support to huge weaver bird nesting colonies – the largest nests on earth. In the dune valleys the heaviest flying bird, the Kori bustard, and the largest flightless bird, the ostrich, are found.
Lunch at leisure.
You will now make your way back to Windhoek.
1 night in The Olive Exclusive Boutique Hotel, or similar, on dinner, bed & breakfast.
Day 21 : Windhoek
After breakfast, you will have the rest of the day to explore the Capital City of Namibia, Windhoek. largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area around 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529. A population influx from all over Namibia has caused researchers to estimate the figure to be well over 300,000.
Due to its relative size Windhoek is even more so than other capitals the social, economic, and cultural centre of the country. Virtually every national enterprise has its headquarters here. The University of Namibia is here, as is the country's only theatre, all ministry head offices, and all major media and finance bodies. City of Windhoek's budget nearly equals that of all other Namibian local authorities combined.
Lunch at leisure.
Guide will then take to Windhoek Airport to board your plane home.
As we wave you goodbye, we wish you a Bon Voyage!
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