Namibia Safari Holidays Namibia Holidays Namib Tours Vacations Namibia

Namib Desert + Swakopmund + Damaraland + Etosha
QYN11W

11 NIGHTS
FROM $4,977
International flights quoted separately
Explore fascinating Namibia on this small group tour of its wildlife & deserts, starting with the gigantic sand dunes at Sossusvlei in the Namib & the seaside town of Swakopmund. Continue to the Bushman Paintings at Twyfelfontein in Damaraland; the famous Etosha National Park and Africat, where you can see cheetah & leopard. Scheduled departures.
HIGHLIGHTS
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• Windhoek • Sossusvlei Sand Dunes • Moon Valley • Swakopmund
• Twyfelfonetin • Bushman Paintings • Petrified Forest • Etosha National Park
• Africat Foundation • Leopards & Cheetah
Day 1
You will be met at Windhoek Airport and transferred to your hotel in Windhoek.
 
Check in and relax under warm blue Namibian skies.
Day 2
This morning we travel southwards through ever-changing landscapes into the great Namib Desert, a 5-hour journey through dramatically beautiful desert scenery. The terrain becomes more arid as we travel past towards Sossusvlei, whose great mountains of sand are a monument to the extreme forces of nature.
 
Time will be spent exploring both Gondwana Namib Park and the neighbouring Namib Naukluft Park. The petrified dunes of the dry riverbed of the Dieprivier are a special attraction, as they are remnants of the fossilised dunes of the ancient Namib, now overlaid with the sands of the younger Namib. Check in to your luxury accommodation near Sossusvlei.
Day 3
An early start is imperative, as this is not only the coolest part of the day but the best for photography, as we travel by 4x4 vehicle into the famous Sossusvlei, a clay pan surrounded by some of the highest sand dunes in the world – an endless sea of reddish sand stretching all the way to the distant horizon.
 
Its monumental star shaped sand dunes, some up to 1,000 ft (325m) when measured from the base, were formed by strong multi-directional winds. The warm tints of sand ranging from apricot to orange, red and maroon, contrast vividly with the stark white surface of the clay pans at their base.  This provides photographers with a spectacular display of images to capture.
 
Enjoy the unforgettable experience of endless vistas across a sea of dunes. Time will also be taken to explore the impressive conglomerate gorges of the Sesriem Canyon, with its rock pools fed by the Tsauchab. The erosion of many centuries has resulted in a narrow gorge, which in rainy season sometimes fills the rock pools. The name Sesriem is derived from the six “rieme” (leather thongs) that early pioneers used to draw water from these pools.
Day 4
Today we travel overland for 4-hours from Sossusvlei to Swakopmund, through the starkly beautiful Gaub and Kuiseb Canyons of the Namib Desert.
 
We visit Moon Valley, an unusual landscape formed by the valleys of the Swakop River and view ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis plants found on its vast gravel plains, before arriving in the charming seaside town of Swakopmund with its old lighthouse and easy access to the sand dunes and activities of the Namib.
Swakopmund is situated on the Atlantic Coast where the cold Benguela Current sweeps up from Antarctica, releasing no moisture into the prevailingly onshore winds – hence the very low rainfall and desert conditions. Fog is common along the coast in the early mornings and late afternoons and this is what gives life to the desert-adapted flora and fauna of the region. The cold current is also highly oxygenated, causing it to teem with marine life. Check into your hotel and relax on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
Day 5
Heading northeast, today we visit the seal colony at Cape Cross and travel past Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain, into timeless Damaraland - one of the least populated and most geologically diverse areas in Africa. This harsh rocky environment is home to the desert elephant and the rare black rhino.
 
We visit Twyfelfontein meaning ‘Doubtful Spring’, a World Heritage site where Bushmen communities engraved and painted over 2,500 pictures some 6,000 years ago. The slopes of the area are strewn with boulders, all dotted with thousands of engravings and some ancient paintings, a virtual open-air museum.
 
Time permitting we also visit the Burnt Mountain, Petrified Forest and the Organ Pipes – all geological phenomena depicting the creation and evolution of land masses. We proceed to our Twyfelfontein lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6
Today we travel 5-hours through Damaraland to Etosha National Park, one of the largest and greatest game parks in Africa (picnic lunch included).
 
Etosha owes its unique landscape to a vast shallow depression – the Etosha Pan.  During the dry season it becomes an expanse of white cracked mud, shimmering with mirages and spiralling dust devils, with its open pans offering magnificent game viewing. Etosha is home to over a hundred different species of mammals, including cheetah, leopard, lion, elephant, rhino, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest.
 
Check into your accommodation near the southern entrance to Etosha National Park.
Day 7
Today is devoted purely to the abundant wildlife of the famous Etosha National Park, one of the largest wildlife conservation areas in Africa, surrounding an enormous salt pan that is the size of the Netherlands. We set out early each morning as the camp gates open (05h30 to 06h00 depending on the season), to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day, returning for brunch. The balance of the day is spent relaxing in camp, before we set out once again in search of game in the late afternoon.
 
We explore the vast Etosha Pan, which offer magnificent game viewing opportunities including springbok, oryx and black-faced impala. A series of waterholes throughout the park guarantees rewarding game viewing, with Etosha being renowned for its vast arrays of plains game and its “great cats” which are more easily seen on the open pans.
 
Etosha is also a bird watchers paradise, with hundreds of recorded bird species and many migrants during the summer months. In the evening, enjoy the balmy weather and pristine stars of the Southern Sky and Milky Way, as you have never seen them before – including the spectacular Southern Cross.
Day 8
Enjoy a superb day of game viewing today in Etosha National Park as we travel from the southern sector of the park and through the central section to the eastern gate (picnic lunch included).
 
With its wide variety of wildlife including predators such as cheetah, hyena, lion and leopard, Etosha offers superb game viewing on its open salt pans. Hopefully see elephant, rhino, springbok and much more, before leaving Etosha and checking into our hotel near the eastern gate.
Day 9
Today we continue our exploration of the Etosha National Park, spending time at some of the many waterholes that provide rich photographic opportunities.
 
Bird watching at your rest camp is also extremely rewarding, as well as star gazing in the clear evening skies.
Day 10
Today we depart from Etosha and travel southwards for 3-hours to Okonjima. This is the home of the Africat Foundation dedicated to the preservation of Namibia’s large carnivores, but especially leopard and cheetah.
  
Namibia accounts for 25% of the world’s population of the endangered cheetah, which can be radio-tracked from the game viewing vehicle in the rehabilitation area where they roam freely and catch their own prey. Leopards are also frequently seen from the viewing hide.
  
Check in to your lodge, settle in and relax in this wonderful wildlife centre, before enjoying a game drive in the reserve.
Day 11
Today is free to observe more of the wonderful the work of the Africat Foundation.
 
This includes a game drive and the opportunity to track leopard or cheetah from the vehicle - an amazing experience!
Day 12
Transfer 3-hours through central Namibia to Windhoek Airport for your flight home.