Guided Holiday “Camping, Active” Style

Southern Namibia Safari

  All prices are per person sharing

Routing:Windhoek to Windhoek.

Highlights:Kalahari Desert, Mesosaur Fossil Site, Quiver Tree Forest, Kolmanskop, Fish River Canyon, Aus, Luderitz, Sossusvlei & Sesriem, Naukluft Mountains.

Details:Camping safari inclusive of camping equipment, most meals, park entry fees, minibus/4x4/truck vehicle, professional English speaking guide & camp assistant.

• [?]Day 1 to 2: Friday & Saturday, Sesriem
  

  You will be collected from your Windhoek accommodation between 07:30 & 08:00. We travel out over the Eros Mountains and along scenic roads on our way south-west to the desert. Heading down from Namibia’s central plateau by way of the beautiful Remshoogte Pass, we reach open plains and the tiny settlement of Solitaire. We will stop here at the ‘Na’ankuse and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt Foundation’, a 500 hectare Conservation Centre which hosts an educational centre and wildlife tracking within the purpose built enclosures and receive information on the carnivore surveillance in the greater Namib area. We aim to arrive at our camp during the late afternoon and watch the colours glow and change on distant mountains to the east.

  A pre-dawn start on day 2 is essential as we want to catch the soft light of the sunrise on the desert. After passing through Sesriem, we head into the heart of the dune field, reaching Sossusvlei on foot, trekking the last 5 km through the dunes. Landscape photo opportunities abound in the cool of the morning. We spend the morning in and around Sossusvlei, also visiting dune 45. As the day wears on we return to Sesriem for lunch, escaping the heat of the afternoon. As the day cools off in the late afternoon we will take a short excursion to the Sesriem Canyon.

  Lodge: Sesriem Campsite

  Activities: Hiking & Walking Scenic Flights/ Hot Air Ballooning
• [?]Day 3: Sunday, Luderitz
  

  Turning south we travel through the Namib Rand Nature Reserve down to Betta and on to the village of Helmeringhausen. Traversing this sparse, yet beautiful landscape, the terrain begins to change from the immense red sand dune desert of the Namib, we cross some open grass savannah and farmlands. The scenery is harsh, but forever changing. The process of erosion in these areas is well advanced and we pass time rounded “koppies” arid terrain and outcrops of tortured rock. From Aus we continue on to the coastal town of Lüderitz where its colonial-style buildings cling to the rocks overlooking the bay, on some days a deep iridescent blue, on others grey and stormy, the crisp fresh climate, fishing boats bobbing up and down on the Atlantic horizon, penguins and seals diving beneath the waves, give the town a curious other-worldly allure. We aim to arrive at our guest house during the late afternoon. Dinner will be at clients own expense tonight.

  Lodge: Luderitz

  Activities: Boat Cruises
• [?]Day 4: Monday, Fish River Canyon
  

  We arrive at Kolmanskop, a desert ghost town about 20 km out of Luderitz. It was built in the 1920's during the diamond rush and was abandoned when bigger and better diamonds were found further along the coast. The area is still abandoned and the desert has encroached over the entire town, giving an eerie feeling and real meaning to the word “ghost”. We return to Aus through the “forbidden Zone” so named because in years gone by, the alluvial diamonds found in Namibia were simply scattered across the desert. On route we keep a sharp look out for the unique Namib wild horses. These horses are the only feral horses in Namibia and have, very unusually, become adapted to an existence with very limited water. Where they originated is unclear. Many believe they are the descendants of the horses used by the German cavalry during the First World War. Another theory is that they originally came from a stud farm that used to be run by a German Barron, (von Wolff), in the very early colonial days. From Aus we leave to the Fish River Canyon. We are heading to the main view point where we can see how impressive this canyon actually is. This is an ideal opportunity for photos and to spend some time experiencing this amazing sight. Viewing from the top we can see the river sparkling in the sunlight far below us, and can barely imagine how many millennia it took for the forces of erosion to carve such a magnificent vista.

  Lodge: Hobas Campsite

  Activities:
• [?]Day 5: Tuesday, Quiver Tree Forest
  

  Leaving the Fish River Canyon behind us we travel to Keetmanshoop, founded in 1860 by the Rhenish Mission Society, the town retains vestiges of its original German buildings as well as several dating back to the arrival of the first Europeans, who trekked across the Orange River to trade, hunt and explore the land. The first of these expeditions was in 1791. We visit the Mesosaurus Fossil Site and Quiver tree Dolerite Park situated a short distance out of town. The Fossil Site is probably one of the most convincing examples to prove the drifting of continents. The same genus in the same rock formations is to be found in both southern Africa and South America. The Quivertree on the other hand is a living fossil with some 5000 specimens packed into this area. Quiver trees are not in fact trees; they are a type of aloe, (Aloe Dichotoma), so called because the branches fork “dictomously”. These weird looking plants dot the landscape in this part of the world and are locally common; however they are one of the world’s rarest flora species.

  Lodge: Quiver Tree Forest Campsite

  Activities:
• [?]Day 6: Wednesday, Kalahari Desert
  

  Leaving the south we begin our journey north-east travelling through the thin strip of Kalahari Desert that protrudes onto the eastern side of Namibia. This area is very dry and is covered by hundreds of ancient longitudinal sand dunes, separated by flat grass covered plains, commonly referred to as roadways. Another characteristic is the striking red color of the dune sand. Tonight we will camp at Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch. Bagatelle in association with the Cheetah Conservation Fund are the custodians of cheetahs kept in an enclosure. The facility was built exceeding the requirements laid down by the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife and under the guidance of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. These captive cheetahs are not able to be released into the wild, and have to remain in captivity for the rest of their lives. Their aim is to ensure that this happens in a way that ensures the best quality of life for these speedsters of the African Savanna.

  Lodge: Bagatelle

  Activities: Hiking & Walking
• [?]Day 7: Thursday, return to Windhoek
  

  Participate in an early morning ‘Nature drive’ which will enable you not only to view the diversified animal and bird life, but also the unique dune topography and vegetation. We return to Windhoek via Rehoboth, traditional home of the Baster people, we aim to arrive in Windhoek after lunch.

  Lodge: Windhoek

  Activities: Game/ Nature driving