NPN10W: Namib + Kalahari + Fish River

Day 1

You will be met at Windhoek Airport by your Namibia host and transferred to town.

Enjoy a short orientation tour of Windhoek with its charming German architecture before checking in to your hotel.

Balance of day at leisure to explore the town on foot or relax by the swimming pool.

Day 2

This morning we travel southwards for 5-hours along the edges of the vast Kalahari, the largest sand mass on earth. With its endless plains interspersed with Acacia trees and shrubs, this harsh environment is home to the Bushman people as well as an amazing variety of wildlife.

View the unique fauna and flora of the Kalahari that have survived in this desert environment for thousands of years, before checking in to your Kalahari guesthouse for dinner and overnight.

Day 3

Today we complete our journey to the great Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon on earth.

As we travel through the rocky plains we see the unique Quiver Trees nestled amongst huge dolerite boulders, some stacked in such a mysterious way that it seems impossible that they were formed by natural forces.

Check in to our lodge near the Fish River Canyon and enjoy a scenic sundowner walk amongst the magnificent boulder-studded plains, hills and rock formations of Gondwana Canyon Park before dinner.

Day 4

Nama Karoo Desert has dramatic geological formations, which takes on stupendous proportions in the Fish River Canyon where the vegetation is characterized by dwarf shrubs and scattered grasslands.

The slopes of the plateau mountains and vast plains are also home to Hartmann’s mountain zebra, springbok, gemsbok, kudu and ostrich.

Enjoy a full day exploring the majestic Fish River Canyon, with many viewpoints high above the deep winding gorges.

Day 5

Turning north, today we travel through more spectacular scenery to the small town of Aus in the Succulent Karoo.

The Succulent Karoo is a winter rainfall area, with bizarre looking shrubs that store moisture in their leaves and stems to tide them over the dry summer months. This desert is one of the top 20 plant biomes in the world, with an amazing diversity of desert-adapted flora.

You have the opportunity of visiting the diamond town of Lüderitz on the Atlantic Coast and the ghost town of Kolmanskop which had been absorbed by desert sands. Alternatively take a nature drive to see the legendary Wild Desert Horses of the Namib at Garub, a watering point where they can be observed as they come to drink.

Check in to your guesthouse at Aus for dinner and overnight.

Day 6

We continue northwards today 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 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 desert lodge near Sossusvlei.

Day 7

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.

Climbing one of these dunes affords the energetic traveller with an 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. At sunset enjoy a nature drive into the desert.

Day 8

Today we travel through the starkly beautiful Gaub and Kuiseb Canyons to the charming seaside town of Swakopmund, a scenic 4-hour drive.

Swakopmund is Namibia’s premier holiday resort 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 the desert conditions of Namibia. Fog is common along the coast in the early mornings and late afternoons and it is this fog that 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.

On the way we visit Moon Valley, an unusual landscape formed by the valleys of the Swakop River and view ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis found on its vast gravel plains.

Check in to your hotel in Swakopmund, with its charming harbour and lighthouse and easy access to the sand dunes and activities of the Namib Desert.

Day 9

This morning we visit neighbouring Walvis Bay to enjoy a 3-hour Ocean Safari to view the resident school of dolphins and the large seal colony at Pelican Point – with oysters and champagne on board! You will also see abundant marine bird life, including the large flocks of flamingos which live in the shallow waters surrounding the harbour, pelicans and terns. You may also see migrating whales in season (September to October).

Balance of day at leisure to explore Swakopmund

Day 10

At leisure to relax in the charming coastal resort of Swakopmund.

Choose one of the many optional excursions such as a tour into the Namib Desert; desert Golf; Quad Biking in the sand dunes; or a scenic flight along the coast. Alternatively simply relax at a coffee shop or on the beach at Swakopmund.

Day 11

Return transfer to Windhoek Airport (4-hours) for your flight home.