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This affordable safari explores Namibia's main highlights in comfort, using small lodges, hotels, guesthouses
and chalets. You will visit the spectacular dunescapes of the Namib and travel across the desert to
the pleasant coastal town of Swakopmund; then explore some of the desolate Skeleton Coast
before seeking out Twyfelfontein's ancient gallery of rock engravings in the mountainous region of
Damaraland. After a feast of game-watching in the superb Etosha National Park you'll also get
beneath the skin of the country with a visit to a welcoming Bushman community.
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Camelthorn Safari Summary:
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| Day 1 |
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Flight to Namibia |
| Day 2 & 3 |
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Namib-Naukluft Park, guest farm |
| Day 4 & 5 |
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Swakopmund, hotel |
| Day 6 |
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Brandberg, chalets |
| Day 7 |
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Damaraland, lodge |
| Day 8 |
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Southern Kaokoveld, guest farm |
| Day 9 & 10 |
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Western Etosha, chalets |
| Day 11 |
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Eastern Etosha, chalets |
| Day 12 |
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Otavi Mountains, guest farm |
| Day 13 |
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Windhoek, guesthouse |
| Day 14 |
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Flight to London |
| Day 15 |
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Arrive in London |
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DETAILED ITINERARY:
Day 1 - Flight to Namibia
Start your safari to Namibia with a scheduled overnight flight from London Gatwick to Windhoek with
Air Namibia.
Day 2 - Namib-Naukluft Park
On arrival you are met and transferred to the Windhoek office where you will meet your guide, stock up with
cool drinks and head southwest over the Eros Mountains and Khomas Hochland Highlands beginning your Namibia
safari straight away. It is a varied and interesting route, along which the environment, flora and fauna
change considerably. After driving through the mountains you stop for lunch at the top of the escarpment
where the views are stunning; then descend down a mountain pass and on to the Namib's flat, coastal plain.
There's a brief stop at the little desert hamlet of Solitaire for fuel and refreshments, shortly before
reaching your comfortable guest farm on the edge of the desert, where you spend two nights.
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Day 3 - Namib-Naukluft Park
Rise early for a morning drive to Sossusvlei, home to some of the world's highest dunes and stunning scenery.
As the sun rises, the colours change and deepen. The shifting, contrasting patterns of light and shadow on
these dunes are always enthralling, and the view from the top (if you have the energy!) is spectacular. Spend
the morning walking through the lesser-known corners of Dead Vlei and Sossusvlei with your guide, who points
out some of the more interesting flora and fauna. Ancient mineral pans, stunted camelthorn trees and the
chance to see a gemsbok or springbok offer many photo opportunities. After lunch in the desert, visit a deep
canyon with dramatic rock formations at Sesriem; then return to your guest farm, perhaps to relax by the pool
before dinner.
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Day 4 - Swakopmund
After an early start you drive through the gravel plains of the Namib, wending your way up and down the deep
Gaub and Kuiseb passes, to the coastal town of Walvis Bay. Stop for a picnic lunch beside the marine lagoon,
which is usually full of flamingos, pelicans and other waterbirds. From here a short drive brings you to the
pleasant old German town of Swakopmund, where you can relax at your guesthouse or hotel. Your guide organises
dinner for you at one of the town's many excellent restaurants; the seafood is particularly good!
Day 5 - Swakopmund
With Swakopmund as your base today, you have a wide choice of things to do. Your guide and vehicle are
available, and can take you into the nearby desert to explore the Moon Landscape and see the famous Welwitschia
plants; or you can just relax and explore the town with its art galleries, markets, museums, shops and
aquarium. Alternatively, Swakopmund is a major centre for active pursuits and adrenaline activities: for
example dune-boarding, quad-biking, tandem sky-diving and fishing. You could also take a scenic light-aircraft
flight over the Namib, or fly over the bleak Skeleton Coast, site of so many old shipwrecks. Your guide will
explain these and many other options (costs are payable locally and activities undertaken at your own risk),
and help you make bookings. Lunch and dinner are at your own expense; often the group and guide will meet up
and eat together.
Day 6 - Brandberg
From Swakopmund you take the road northward along the start of the Skeleton Coast to Cape Cross Reserve, the
breeding site for thousands of Cape fur seals; you can usually get very close to the seals without disturbing
them at all. Then, heading inland, you first cross a forbidding stretch of amazingly flat and empty desert
before reaching the town of Uis. There used to be a busy, thriving community here, based around on a large tin
mine; but a few years ago the mine closed and now it's a much quieter, sleepy spot. Semi-precious stones are
generally on sale here at competitive prices. Spend the night in chalet accommodation in Uis under the shadow
of the Brandberg, Namibia's highest mountain.
Day 7 - Damaraland
Starting early to make the most of the cool morning you will take a relatively easy, 90-minute walk to see the
world-famous 'White Lady' rock painting on Brandberg Mountain. Attributed to the Bushman artists, the painting
is believed by some to be more than 20,000 years old, and is well worth a visit. From here it's a
two-and-a-half-hour drive to reach the rock formations and ancient rock art of Twyfelfontein, where a seemingly
ordinary valley hides an amazing collection of rock engravings created by the talented artisans of ancient
peoples. This open-air art gallery has now been classed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. From here you travel
deeper into Damaraland's picturesque scenery to your accommodation at a very comfortable lodge overlooking the
surrounding dramatic landscape. There is usually time this afternoon to join an optional drive (at extra cost)
into the surrounding area before sunset.
Day 8 - Southern Kaokoveld
Leaving the stunning landscapes of Damaraland, you descend the Grootberg Pass on your way to the small town of
Kamanjab, set in a farming area, before continuing a short distance to your lodge. Your accommodation for the
night is situated on a private reserve bordering the western boundaries of Etosha National Park and it is from
here that you concentrate on the wildlife portion of your safari to Namibia. It's a relatively lush and very
well-established reserve which supports wildlife including eland, kudu and oryx. Spend your afternoon exploring
on one of the walking trails, on an optional game drive (at extra cost) or relaxing whilst keeping an eye on
whatever wildlife comes to drink at the nearby waterhole.
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Day 9 - Etosha National Park
Today you begin your journey east to your lodge accommodation in Etosha National Park's south western region.
You aim to arrive around midday, with time to relax by the pool during the early part of the afternoon.
Later, when the air is cooler, you might take your first game drive into the park, partly driving around and
partly stopping to watch action at waterholes. You'll return to the lodge in time for a cool drink just
before sunset.
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Day 10 - Etosha National Park
Rise before the sun for a quick coffee and an early game drive to catch the morning action at the nearby
waterholes. Even without the game, Etosha Pan is an amazing sight: an enormous shallow depression coated with
silvery-white crystals. It was probably once the centre of an enormous super-lake, though now it is dry and
fills only in exceptionally wet years. A string of waterholes around its southern perimeter attract great
concentrations of wildlife, especially in the dry season; your game drives will focus on these. During the
heat of the day you will find a cool spot to relax by the pool and enjoy a leisurely lunch. You emerge again
for a drive in the late afternoon before arriving at your accommodation in time for a cool drink as the sun
sets.
Day 11 - Etosha National Park
Today brings a slightly more leisurely breakfast before you pack up and take a long, slow game drive right
across the park. Etosha is home to over 300 different species of birds, most of Africa's main big-game
animals (including lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, giraffe and rhino), and a myriad of fascinating smaller
ones. Stop for lunch in the centre of the park at Halali Rest Camp - perhaps even allow yourself a cooling
dip in the pool! Then continue your game drive, stopping at waterholes and any promising game sightings on
the way, until you reach the lodge on the eastern side of Etosha where you spend the night.
Day 12 - Otavi Mountains
After breakfast, you head for the Ombili Bushman Project. The village is located on the site of an old South
African military base where, during the war years before Namibia's independence in 1990, many Bushmen were in
uniform as trackers. When the South African army withdrew, the Bushmen remained behind and were in danger of
becoming displaced people, having been so long away from their own villages. The local farming community in
this area invited the Bushmen to stay and make their homes, and over the last 15 years or so a thriving
community has developed. During a visit here you learn about their history and their traditions, and how
these communities are adapting to the 21st century. Although the Bushmen here are not following the
traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle, their language and many of their customs remain alive.
After some time at Ombili you continue south into the Otavi Mountains, arriving by mid-afternoon at a
delightful old guest farm in the foothills of this small but picturesque range.
Day 13 - Windhoek
The road to Windhoek is good, and there's time to stop at the terrific market in Okahandja: a great place to
buy curios and carvings. Arriving in the city during the late afternoon, you are dropped at your guesthouse.
Dinner is at your own expense, though your group and guide will often arrange to meet for a farewell meal
together on this last night of your safari to Namibia.
Day 14 - Flight to London
After a morning free to explore Windhoek and to buy those last-minute souvenirs, you are collected from your
guesthouse and driven to the airport in time to depart on your scheduled flight to London.
Day 15 - Arrive in London
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Departures:
Cost is per person sharing, departing and returning UK
There is a single supplement of £275.
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| 07/11/08 - 21/11/08 | £2114 | | 21/11/08 - 05/12/08 | £2114 | | 19/12/08 - 02/01/09 | £2499 | | 16/01/09 - 30/01/09 | £1983 | | 13/02/09 - 27/02/09 | £1983 | | 13/03/09 - 27/03/09 | £1983 | | 03/04/09 - 17/04/09 | £2224 | | 17/04/09 - 01/05/09 | £2144 | | 08/05/09 - 22/05/09 | £2144 | | 22/05/09 - 05/06/09 | £2144 | | 05/06/09 - 19/06/09 | £2144 | | 19/06/09 - 03/07/09 | £2144 | | 03/07/09 - 17/07/09 | £2224 | | 17/07/09 - 31/07/09 | £2339 | | 31/07/09 - 14/08/09 | £2339 | | 07/08/09 - 21/08/09 | £2339 | | 14/08/09 - 28/08/09 | £2339 | | 21/08/09 - 04/09/09 | £2224 | | 28/08/09 - 11/09/09 | £2224 | | 04/09/09 - 18/09/09 | £2224 | | 11/09/09 - 25/09/09 | £2224 | | 18/09/09 - 02/10/09 | £2224 | | 25/09/09 - 09/10/09 | £2224 | | 09/10/09 - 23/10/09 | £2224 | | 23/10/09 - 06/11/09 | £2224 | | 06/11/09 - 20/11/09 | £2224 | | 20/11/09 - 04/12/09 | £2224 | | 18/12/09 - 01/01/10 | £2587 | | | | | | |
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