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It has always been difficult to find a safari suited to families with young children that was reasonably
priced and didn't require a private guide. This safari to Namibia has been designed to offer just that. The
Tamboti Safari combines the best of Namibia's wildlife in the north with the stunning desert scenery in the
south. The whole family can experience Etosha National Park, one of Africa's top game parks, the
world's largest dunes, local communities (both traditional and modern), and a tremendous variety of
contrasting environments - all on an easy Namibian assisted camping safari.
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Tamboti Safari Summary:
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| Day 1 |
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Flight to Namibia |
| Day 2 |
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Windhoek, guesthouse |
| Day 3 |
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Africat Foundation, camping |
| Day 4 & 5 |
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Etosha National Park, guesthouse |
| Day 6 |
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Hobatere Reserve, camping |
| Day 7 |
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Palmwag, camping |
| Day 8 |
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Brandberg, camping |
| Day 9 & 10 |
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Swakopmund, shared chalets |
| Day 11 & 12 |
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Namib-Naukluft Park, camping |
| Day 13 |
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Daan Viljoen Nature Reserve, chalets |
| Day 14 |
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Flight to London |
| Day 15 |
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Arrive London |
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DETAILED ITINERARY:
Day 1 - Flight to Namibia
Scheduled flight from London Gatwick to Windhoek with Air Namibia.
Day 2 - Windhoek
On arrival in Windhoek, you are met and transferred to a comfortable guesthouse. During the afternoon you are
taken on a trip to Katutura, one of Windhoek's large, vibrant townships. During the apartheid years this was
the original workers' township and now makes up the city's largest suburb. Each visit is different, but you
usually have a chance to visit the market and sample some of the local food and drink.
Dinner this evening is at your own expense as there are plenty of good restaurants to choose from.
Alternatively you can dine at the guesthouse. You will find the staff there friendly and helpful, and our
Namibian team is easily contactable and happy to answer any queries you might have about your Namibian
safari.
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Day 3 - Africat Foundation
After breakfast, you are collected between 08.30 and 09.00 for the short drive north to the town of
Okahandja: home to the country's largest and best craft markets, so local artisans come here from all over
Namibia to sell their wares. Your drive continues to a private campsite at Okonjima, where you spend the
afternoon learning about the work of the AfriCat Foundation in conserving Namibia's big cats, especially
cheetah. You usually have the chance to get very close to some of these magnificent predators.
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Day 4 - Etosha National Park
Rise early for a hearty breakfast, before driving north through the town of Outjo where you stop for morning
tea and sticky buns while your guide stocks up with fresh supplies. From here it's a short drive to your camp
on the south western side of Etosha National Park. During the afternoon there is time to head out into the
park on your first game drive; you'll seek out interesting wildlife partly by driving around and partly by
stopping to watch the action at some of the more prolific waterholes.
Day 5 - Etosha National Park
You are up early to enjoy a full day of game viewing. A vast swathe of Etosha National park consists of the
enormous Etosha Pan, a shallow depression of silvery-white salts which fills with water only in exceptionally
wet years. Normally, it's bone dry, but around it are numerous perennial springs that can attract great
concentrations of wildlife. Spotting the big game is easy; but travelling with a knowledgeable guide enables
you also to understand and appreciate the smaller species, and learn about some of Etosha's many birds.
Day 6 - Hobatere Reserve
After breaking camp you travel through the restricted western part of Etosha National Park. This area has
been set aside for wildlife research and to allow animals to breed without the constant intrusion of
vehicles, but with special permission you are allowed to transit through it. Once you leave the park behind
it's just a short distance to the private Hobatere Reserve, which covers 320km2 between Etosha and the
wilderness areas of Damaraland. This is a relatively lush and very well established reserve with excellent
densities of game. Your campsite at Hobatere is rustic but excellent with good views across the surrounding
terrain. It is in an unfenced wilderness area, which must be taken into account if you're on safari in
Namibia with younger children.
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Day 7 - Palmwag
Leaving Hobatere behind you travel via the small, functional town of Kamanjab to a Himba community that
welcomes the chance to interact with visitors. Like east Africa's Maasai, the Himba have a proud culture that
they have successfully retained in the face of the modern world. Many adhere to their traditional dress and
customs, living in ways that have changed little over the centuries. Each aspect of their lives has a
meaning, from how they set up their kraal to honour their ancestors, to the way they wear their hair.
Oase village is the only traditionally functioning Himba community outside the far north Kaokoland region of
Namibia. These tribes-people have migrated here, lifestyle and customs intact, and are following their
traditional way of life in their village located on a farm. You spend the morning with them at the village,
where a local guide introduces you to their alternative lifestyle and helps you to learn about Himba life and
culture.
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From here you continue further west into northern Damaraland, traversing the small Grootberg mountain range
to Palmwag. Located on the banks of a dry river bed, your campsite is set in an oasis shaded by huge Makalani
palm trees close to a rare desert spring. The spring often attracts a variety of animal species, occasionally
including the desert-adapted elephant.
Day 8 - Brandberg
After breakfast you turn southwards through Damaraland, a picturesque area of flat-topped sandstone
mountains. Take time to explore the World Heritage Site at Twyfelfontein. Here a seemingly ordinary valley
hides an amazing gallery of rock art carved into the flat surfaces of a ruined petrified sand dune. At each
of these sites a local guide will lead you; this ensures that the local knowledge is maintained and revenue
from tourism is ploughed back into the surrounding communities. From here you continue to your campsite in
the shade of Brandberg, which at 2,573m is Namibia's highest mountain and a National Monument.
Day 9 - Swakopmund
An early start ensures that the day is still cool for your 90-minute, relatively easy walk into the mountain,
to see the world-famous 'White Lady' rock painting. Attributed to the Bushmen artists, the painting is
believed by some to be more than 20,000 years old and is well worth a visit.
On your way to the coast, there is time for a short stop in Uis. Once there was a thriving community here,
centred on a large tin mine; but the mine closed a few years ago and now it's a much quieter and almost
sleepy place. Semi-precious stones such as amethyst and tourmaline can be found here at bargain prices.
Driving along the desolate Skeleton Coast, you pause to visit Cape Cross, where you can walk to within feet
of an enormous colony of Cape fur seals, before reaching the pleasant coastal town of Swakopmund and settling
into your chalet. There are many interesting shops and craft centres here, and several excellent restaurants
to choose from. (Don't miss the succulent fresh seafood!)
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Day 10 - Swakopmund
With Swakopmund as your base on these two days of your Namibian safari, you've a wide choice of things to do.
This small seaside town is a major centre for activities, from dune-boarding, quad-biking, sky-diving and
dolphin cruises to scenic flights over the desert. Your guide will explain these and many other options to
you (costs are paid locally and activities undertaken at your own risk), and help you make bookings.
Alternatively, spend your time exploring the town with its museums, galleries, curio shops and historic
buildings, relax in one of the many cafés, or take a quiet stroll along the beach. Lunch and dinner are at
your own expense, although the group and guide often arrange to meet up.
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Day 11 - Namib-Naukluft Park
Drive south along the dramatic coastal road to the port town of Walvis Bay, where the lagoon is usually full
of flamingos, pelicans and other water birds. From here you turn southeast across the gravel plains of the
Namib before traversing the steep Kuiseb and Gaub passes. After a short stop at the tiny desert outpost of
Solitaire for tea and perhaps some homemade apple crumble, it's a relatively short drive to your campsite on
the edge of the desert. You aim to arrive during the late afternoon, in time to watch the evening colours
glow and change on the distant mountains to the east.
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Day 12 - Namib-Naukluft Park
Rising well before dawn, you drive deep into the desert, home to some of the world's highest dunes and
stunning scenery. 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. After breakfast in the
desert you continue through breathtaking scenery to some of the world's highest dunes at Sossusvlei. Spend
the morning exploring these, marvelling at the surroundings and the wildlife. After a relaxing lunch-stop at
Sesriem, you drive to nearby Sesriem Gorge, where the force of the ephemeral Tsauchab River has sculpted
amazing shapes from the rock.
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Day 13 - Daan Viljoen Nature Reserve
After breakfast you leave the plains of the Namib to traverse the Naukluft Mountains and Khomas Hochland
Highlands. After passing through Windhoek you continue to the nearby Daan Viljoen Nature reserve and your
bungalow accommodation beside the Augeigas Dam. The bungalows here are not en-suite but the ablution blocks
are situated nearby. Daan Viljoen is a small but interesting reserve, home to good populations of Hartmann's
mountain zebra, blue wildebeest, kudu, oryx and springbok as well as klipspringer, giraffe and even eland. It
is also a fantastic place to spot some of many bird species that have been recorded here. Arriving around
mid-afternoon will give you time to relax or explore some of the surrounding area on foot.
Day 14 - Flight to London
As your flight departs in the evening you have the full day to explore further in Daan Viljoen or spend time
shopping in Windhoek. Your guide will be on hand if you need transport and to transfer you to the airport in
time for your homeward flight.
Day 15 - Arrive in London
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Departures:
Cost is per person sharing, departing and returning UK
Minimum Age is 5 years old
There is no single supplement on this trip.
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| Adult cost | 13-18 yrs | 12 yrs | 5-11 yrs | | 19/12/08 - 02/01/09 | £2156 | £2019 | £1992 | £1828 | | 03/04/09 - 17/04/09 | £1775 | £1775 | £1575 | £1476 | | 10/07/09 - 24/07/09 | £1775 | £1775 | £1575 | £1476 | | 24/07/09 - 07/08/09 | £1890 | £1890 | £1673 | £1553 | | 31/07/09 - 14/08/09 | £1890 | £1890 | £1673 | £1553 | | 14/08/09 - 28/08/09 | £1890 | £1890 | £1673 | £1553 |
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This itinerary can be downloaded from our Downloads Page
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