Guided Holiday “3-4*, Wildlife, Active” Style

Ultimate Namibia Safari

  All prices are per person sharing

Seasonal Prices:From: 01-04-2012 Until: 30-11-2012 Price: aprx. NAD35865

Routing:Windhoek to Windhoek.

Highlights:Sesriem, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Twyfelfontein, Damaraland, Etosha National Park, Okonjima.

Details:This Ultimate Namibia Safari affords you the chance to experience this magnificent and memorable country in a very personal way. You will have your own professional and experienced safari guide who will enhance your enjoyment of this unique country by making it a fascinating and stress-free journey of discovery.

• [?]Day 1 to 2: Sesriem
  

  This morning you will be collected from your accommodation establishment or from the Windhoek International Airport (assuming you land before 09h00). You then depart Windhoek in your safari vehicle with your personal guide and drive southwest through the scenic Khomas Hochland highlands before you head down the Great Escarpment into the Namib Desert below.

  You will arrive at Hoodia Desert Lodge in the late afternoon where you will stay for two nights whilst you explore the remarkable sights of the Namib Desert with your guide. If there is still time today, your guide will take you to visit Sesriem Canyon, or you can relax and soak in the scenic and tranquil surroundings at Hoodia Desert Lodge.

  On day 2 you will rise early for a magical excursion with your guide into the Namib Naukluft National Park, entering the Park gates at sunrise to capture the dunes whilst the light is soft and shadows accentuate their towering shapes and curves. This area boasts some of the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world. Once you have explored to your hearts content you can enjoy a relaxing picnic breakfast under the shade of a camel thorn tree. Return to Hoodia Desert Lodge in the early afternoon for a late lunch, stopping off to view Sesriem Canyon if you haven’t already done so the day before.

  Lodge: Hoodia Desert Lodge

  Activities: Game/ Nature driving Birding
• [?]Day 3 to 4: Swakopmund
  

  The fascinating drive today takes you northwest through awesome and ever changing desert landscapes of the Namib Naukluft National Park. You will meet the coast at the port town of Walvis Bay and then continue north to Swakopmund for your next two nights. There will be time this afternoon to wander around town, before heading off for dinner at the popular Tug Restaurant by the jetty which specialises in fresh seafood.

  NOTE: As an alternative to the drive from Hoodia Desert Lodge to Swakopmund you may like to take a scenic light aircraft flight over Sossusvlei and along the Diamond Coast (optional extra at additional cost).  Your guide will drive to meet up with you in Swakopmund later in the day.

  During your two nights in Swakopmund you will be accommodated at a charming and welcoming guesthouse conveniently located just minutes walk from the centre of town and the waterfront.

  On day 4 your guide will drive you along the scenic coastal road back to Walvis Bay for a memorable seal and dolphin cruise within the outer lagoon and harbour. This is an ideal way of seeing Cape fur seals, heaviside and bottlenose dolphins, pelicans, flamingos and a wide variety of other sea birds. You may also like to partake in some of the many activities that Swakopmund has to offer, these include camel rides, scenic flights, quad-biking in the dunes, sky diving and more (all at extra cost).

  Lodge: Swakopmund Guesthouse

  Activities: Scenic Flights/ Hot Air Ballooning
• [?]Day 5 to 6: Twyfelfontein
  

  Continue on your safari, heading north and east into the wonderful and diverse region of Damaraland.

  If time allows this afternoon your guide will take you to visit the nearby attractions and geological sites of Twyfelfontein rock engravings (recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes - if not there is plenty of time to do so tomorrow.

  After an early breakfast on day 6 you will be treated to an exciting 4x4 excursion along the ephemeral Aba Huab River valley to explore this remarkable region and to search for game, including the elusive desert adapted elephants if they are in the area. You will return to Camp for lunch and this afternoon you may visit Twyfelfontein and other nearby attractions if you haven’t already done so, or take a walk with your guide into the local area around Camp, or relax and enjoy some well deserved leisure time.

  Lodge: Camp Kipwe

  Activities: Hiking & Walking Game/ Nature driving Birding Cultural Tours
• [?]Day 7: Etosha National Park
  

  Today after breakfast you depart and head to Etosha National Park, travelling via the Grootberg Pass. Along the way your guide will take you to visit a local Himba settlement – you may have to search for a while as the semi-nomadic Himba people sometimes move location with no notice. They are one of the last most traditional peoples of Namibia and have little time for conventional practices. You will learn about the customs and traditions of this very proud nation, and will be given insight into their beliefs, way of life and everyday routine.

  You enter the Etosha National Park through the Galton Gate on the western boundary and game drive your way on to the newly opened Dolomite Camp, arriving in the early afternoon. This previously restricted western section of Etosha which was kept for research and rehabilitation of game, boasts some of the highest numbers of wildlife throughout the Park. The vegetation is mainly Karstveldt and Mopane shrubland with the geology dominated by dolomite formations – fittingly giving the new Camp its name. The rest of the afternoon could be spent game viewing at the camp’s waterhole, or possibly heading out again with your guide. After dinner you will head out on an exciting night drive, which will offer you a good chance of seeing nocturnal animals such as spring hares, aardvark, Cape and bat-eared foxes, aardwolf, genets, and possibly some of the larger cats.

  Nestled in the dolomite outcrops of this vast area of western Etosha National Park, Dolomite Camp offers guests an intimate experience of one of the most scenic areas of the Park, an area where previously endangered species like the Black Rhinocerous and Black-Faced Impala have been successfully bred. The Camp consists of a spacious reception, lounge, bar and restaurant area – offering crimson sunrise and sunset views over the surrounding savannah. From this point, a walkway leads to thatched, en-suite chalets nestled amongst the rocky outcrops, providing privacy and dramatic and panoramic landscape views. The Camp’s interiors are designed to harmonise with the natural surroundings, characterized by weathered dolomite rock formations, Mopane, Moringa and savannah woodland. It is here beneath the rugged shoulders of the dolomite outcrops and boulders that tranquility is truly found. Dolomite Camp offers a profound and world-class, first of its kind experience inside the biodiversity-rich western section of Etosha National Park and moreover presents guests with a wilderness experience that is unmatched in terms of privacy and landscape viewing.

  Lodge: Dolomite Camp

  Activities: Game/ Nature driving Birding Cultural Tours
• [?]Day 8 to 9: Etosha National Park
  

  Today after breakfast you will game drive your way east across the western section of the Park to arrive at Okaukuejo Resort in the afternoon, having had lunch en-route. The afternoon can again be spent game viewing at the excellent floodlit waterhole where game comes and goes throughout the day and night, or possibly heading out on another game drive with your guide.  

  On day 9 you have a full day of exciting game viewing within Etosha National Park, on game drives with your guide and at Okaukuejo’s busy waterhole.

  Game-viewing centers around the numerous springs and waterholes where several different species can often be seen at one time. The Park boasts some 114 mammal and over 340 bird species. Wildlife that one might see includes elephant, lion, giraffe, blue wildebeest, eland, kudu, gemsbok (oryx), zebra, rhino, cheetah, leopard, hyena, honey badger and warthog, as well as the endemic black faced impala.

  Lodge: Okaukuejo

  Activities: Game/ Nature driving Birding
• [?]Day 10: Okonjima
  

  Today you game drive your way from Okaukuejo Resort to exit Etosha National Park at Andersson Gate, and then continue south to stay at Okonjima Bush Camp, located at the base of the Omboroko Mountains near Waterberg. This is a wonderful highlight with which to conclude your safari. Here you can enjoy the welcoming atmosphere, superb accommodation and fantastic activities; starting with a guided afternoon excursion and a visit to the night hide after dinner.

  Okonjima is home to the AfriCat Foundation, a wildlife sanctuary which focuses on the research and rehabilitation of Africa's big cats, especially injured or captured leopard and cheetah. Close encounters with leopard and cheetah are an unforgettable highlight. Activities include leopard tracking by vehicle, a visit to the cheetah welfare project and a visit to the night hide where nocturnal animals such as porcupine, caracal, honey badger and even leopard may be seen.

  The delightful accommodation at Okonjima Bush Camp consists of thatched African style chalets, well spaced out for privacy in the tranquil bush surroundings, plus a central main Lapa area in the form of a camel thorn pod where meals are taken and activities commence. Each exclusive en-suite chalet is completely private and the green canvas ‘walls’ can be rolled up to give you an 180 degree view so you can lie in bed and watch life in the bush going on around you whilst you relax in total comfort.

  Lodge: Okonjima Main Camp

  Activities: Game/ Nature driving Birding
• [?]Day 11: Return to Windhoek.
  

  You will rise early this morning for another memorable guided activity before you return to Bush Camp for a sumptuous breakfast. After freshening up you will depart for Windhoek in the late morning, via the town of Okahandja, to arrive back at roughly 14h00. Upon your arrival into Windhoek you will be transferred to your accommodation establishment of choice, or to Windhoek International Airport to check-in for your ongoing flight (departure flights must be no earlier than 16h00 or a final night in Windhoek can be arranged at additional cost if required).

  Lodge: Windhoek

  Activities: Game/ Nature driving Birding