Day 1 - Flight to Namibia
Begin your Namibia safari of discovery with an overnight scheduled South African Airways flight from London Heathrow to Windhoek, via Johannesburg.
Includes dinner on the flight.
Day 2 - Windhoek
Upon arrival into Namibia you are met at the International Airport and transferred into Windhoek city to your accommodation in a comfortable guesthouse or hotel. The rest of your day is spent at leisure, with time to relax by the swimming pool, or to explore the city centre. Windhoek offers an excellent selection of shops, craft markets and cafes amidst an interesting mix of African and colonial German influences and architecture. In the early evening your guide will meet with you to discuss your camping safari and to answer any queries you have. Dinner this evening has not been included, thus giving you the flexibility to dine at the hotel or out in town as appeals.
Includes breakfast on the flight.
Day 3 - Waterberg Plateau
You are collected by your safari guide and set of for an easy drive north. You'll pass through the small town of Okahandja and through Namibia's central highlands, where many of Namibia's larger game and livestock farms can be found. You'll often see game such as springbok, kudu, red hartebeest or giraffe along the fence line at the side of the road. A little before the town of Otjiwarongo you turn east and drive to the striking Waterberg Plateau and your campsite on its slopes. The Waterberg Plateau towers 400 metres above the surrounding plains and the view from the top is dramatic. So, after settling in you'll climb the track to the top which takes about 45 minutes each way and is of medium difficulty.
Windhoek to Waterberg: approx. 4 hours (300km)
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 4 - Etosha National Park
Leaving Waterberg after an early breakfast, you continue north, aiming to arrive at your campsite in the early afternoon and usually take a short break before heading out for your first Etosha game drive.
Namibia's Etosha National Park is one of Africa's largest and most established wildlife reserves. It's generally flat landscape and open savannahs make it relatively easy to spot game. At the park's centre lies the expansive Etosha Pan, a shallow bowl of silvery clay spanning 4,590 square kilometres. Along the southern perimeter of this salt pan, a string of waterholes attract large numbers of game to the area - particularly in the dry season. You'll spend your days in Etosha following the rhythm of the animals: rise at dawn to game drive when it is cooler and wildlife is most active; relax during the midday heat and venture out again in the cool of the late afternoon.
Waterberg to Eastern Etosha: approx. 4 hours (380km)
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Days 5 & 6 - Etosha National Park
Break camp before heading out early to game drive your way westwards through Etosha's generally arid but varied and striking terrain. There is time to pause and enjoy spectacular views across the silvery expanse of Etosha Pan along the way, as well as stop at waterholes and for significant game sightings. Most of Africa's big-game species are found here, including a high concentration of lion as well as elephant, giraffe, cheetah, zebra, leopard, ostrich, blue wildebeest, black and white rhino and many species of antelope. Smaller inhabitants include the endemic black-faced impala, Damara dik-dik, warthog, honey badger, black-backed jackal and mongoose. Etosha National Park's birdlife is also prolific with over 300 recorded species. Your campsite tonight is situated on the southern side of Etosha. Your wildlife viewing doesn't end at nightfall as the camp has a flood-lit waterhole which is a great place to sit in the evenings with a drink and a camera, watching nocturnal visitors and their interactions.
Safari drives
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Days 7 & 8 - Epupa Falls, Kaokoland
A final game drive in Etosha National Park takes you through the remote western side of the park which only opened to most visitors a relatively short time ago. It's a long but scenic drive today into the remote north-west region of Namibia to reach the Kunene River which forms the country's northern border with Angola. You will spend the night camping under a forest of Makalani palms on the bank of the Kunene River, a short way upstream from the impressive Epupa Falls. The birdlife here is abundant and you might discover rarities like the rufous-tailed palm thrush and Ruppell's parrot. The scenery is spectacular; parched rugged mountains drop down to the lush river valley where palm groves, fig trees and giant baobab's line the banks and cling precariously to rocks. Epupa Falls are a series of cascades where the river drops 60m along a 1.5km gorge, forming a multitude of channels and rock pools. Alongside the falls there are walking trails and viewpoints to be explored, and a small open-air market sells crafts created by the local community.
Your safari guide will take you on a fascinating visit to a local Himba settlement on the morning of Day 8, giving you the opportunity to meet some of the villagers and to learn about their traditional way of life. The Himba people were originally part of the Herero clan, so share a common language and heritage. Herero pastoralists migrated to northern Namibia in the 1500's with their herds of cattle. The majority migrated further south in search of better pastures and settled in the central highlands. The Himba remained in the remote north-west, their isolation and proud culture ensuring they retained their semi-nomadic customs and traditional beliefs.
Southern Etosha to Epupa Falls: approx. 7 hours (500km)
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 9 - Sesfontein
After lunch you depart Epupa Falls and drive south to the town of Opuwo, Kaokoland's administrative capital. Opuwo is a bustling and eclectic town where commercial shops are scattered amongst local bars and shacks, and livestock wander the dusty streets. It is the only sizeable trading centre in the vast region of Kaokoland, providing a vital meeting point and supply post for miles around. From there you'll continue south through remote, arid and dramatic landscapes to Sesfontein and your campsite there. 'Sesfontein' is named for the six springs that surface nearby, and is well-known for an old military fort built here in 1901 as a base from which to control the movement of stock around the country after a severe rinderpest epidemic in 1896.
Epupa Falls to Sesfontein: approx. 4 hours (320km)
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 10 - Damaraland
Depart the outpost of Sesfontein and travel south into Damaraland. This is a breathtaking region of sandstone mountains, flat-topped plateaus and ephemeral river valleys. Stop at Twyfelfontein where a local guide leads you around this amazing gallery of ancient Bushman rock art, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Engaging the services of a local guide here ensures that the knowledge of this important site is maintained and the revenue from tourism is ploughed back into surrounding communities. After a pause to discover the interesting 'Organ Pipe' rock formations and Burnt Mountain you continue to your campsite located by the dry Gauntegab riverbed and partway between Twyfelfontein and Brandberg Mountain.
Sesfontein to Damaraland: approx. 3 hours (250km)
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Days 11 & 12 - Swakopmund
Cross a forbidding stretch of amazingly flat and empty desert before reaching the Skeleton Coast and cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Detour north to visit Cape Cross seal colony, where tens of thousands of Cape fur seals congregate to breed. Raised walkways allow you to see these gregarious creatures up close. From here it's an interesting drive south along the coast to the town of Swakopmund, Namibia's coastal resort town. After settling into your guesthouse you can spend your afternoon at leisure. This quaint town can easily be explored on foot to enjoy its German colonial architecture, attractive waterfront and interesting centre. Swakopmund is also Namibia's epicentre of coastal and desert pursuits. There are a number of optional activities including dune-boarding, quad-biking, informative 'Living Desert Tours', seal and dolphin cruises, sky-diving and scenic flights. Your safari guide will explain your options to you and assist you with making the necessary bookings for this afternoon or the following day (all activities are at extra cost and are undertaken at your own risk). If you prefer a more relaxed pace there are various galleries (including a Crystal Gallery), a museum, aquarium, reptile park, numerous shops, curio stores, craft market and sidewalk cafes to enjoy.
Lunches and dinners have not been included during your stay in Swakopmund, leaving you free to choose from a variety of good restaurants, many serving fresh tasty seafood at reasonable prices.
Damaraland to Swakopmund: approx. 5 hours (400km)
Includes breakfast.
Days 13 & 14 - Namib-Naukluft National Park
Driving south and inland into the desert and Namib-Naukluft National Park you'll cross vast barren landscapes, interrupted only by occasional rocky outcrops. After dropping into the deeply incised Kuiseb and Gaub canyons, the road flattens out to skirt alongside the mountainous escarpment to the east and the broad Namib Desert plain to the west. You stop at the tiny outpost of Solitaire for refreshments and continue to your campsite at the edge of the desert. Watch the evening colours glow and change as the sun sets and the night skies brighten with a multitude of stars.
Rising well before the sun the following morning, you drive deep into the Great Dune Sea, where the dawn light spreading over the towering orange dunes is an unforgettable sight. You'll leave the vehicle to walk the last section into the dunes on a desert safari with your guide, exploring in and around Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. Reenergise with lunch under a shady camelthorn tree before travelling back to camp via the small but interesting Sesriem Canyon, where you wander through its cool depths.
Swakopmund to Namib Desert: approx. 5.5 hours (300km)
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 15 - Flight to London
Drive back to Windhoek through yet more remarkable scenery as you pass up and over the escarpment and traverse through the Khomas Hochland highlands. You arrive at Windhoek International Airport in the early afternoon, in time to check in for your scheduled flight back to London.
Namib Desert to Windhoek Airport: approx. 6 hours (350km)
Includes breakfast. Dinner is on the flight.
Day 16 - Arrive in London
Arrive back home having discovered Namibia's key highlights as well as some unforgettable remote regions on this exciting camping safari.
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