Namibian Explorer Safari

You will be collected from your accommodation in Windhoek on the morning of departure between 08:00 and 08:30 and you should be on the road by about 09:30.

Travelling via the community woodcarving market in the small town of Okahandja, about 80 km north of Windhoek, we continue north to the Table Mountain of Namibia. Waterberg Plateau high above the surrounding plains, dominating the landscape and providing us with an ideal location for your first night. We aim to arrive in time for lunch, giving you time in the afternoon to make use of the swimming pool and to take the Mountain View Hike to the top of the plateau. Accommodation is in shared Waterberg bungalows.

Leaving Etosha we are en-route for the desert. We make a stop at a small town called Outjo where we can get coffee, sticky cakes and make use of the Internet Cafe. We then drive west to Khorixas, the Capital of the Damaraland region. Khorixas rest camp is situated about two km from the centre of the town and it is here that we will be spending the night. After checking in we will have an early lunch before heading out for an afternoon excursion to Twyfelfontein

The sealed roads finish at Khorixas and we now travel on the desert gravel roads that cover most of rural Namibia. Our first stop of the afternoon is at the Petrified Forest geological site, where a local guide will take us around and explain about the pre-historic trees, before continuing on to visit the ancient Bushman rock engravings at Twyfelfontein. Here again a local guide will introduce us to the ancient Bushman rock engravings or pectoglifs. We will also make a visit to another geological site in the area called the Organ Pipes. Damaraland scenery is some of the best in Namibia. Open grasslands studded with massive granite koppies create the feeling of being surrounded by mountains. We are well into desert elephant and black rhino country and other game such as springbok, ostrich and gemsbok are often seen. We will return to Khorixas in the late afternoon. Accommodation is in shared rooms at the Khorixas Rest Camp

More beautiful Damaraland scenery this morning. We pass Namibia's highest mountain, the Brandberg (2573 m) and make our first stop of the morning in the small town of Uis. Namibia is famous for its rocks and gems. Uis, an old mining town, is one of the best places to buy rough semi-precious stones, for example Amethyst and Tormeline, at bargain prices. From here we turn directly west and cross the gravel plains on our way to the Atlantic Ocean and the Skeleton Coast. Meeting the ocean at Henties Bay we first head north along the coast to visit the seal colony at Cape Cross. Here at certain times of the year there can be as many as 100,000 Cape Fur seals in attendance. The next destination is Swakopmund , stopping for lunch en-route and following the Skeleton Coast into Namibia's premier seaside town.

The Swakopmund section of the trip is designed to allow people to relax, either with the group, or on their own. Breakfast only is provided. This is to allow you to plan your time here with as much flexibility as possible and not to be tied to group meal times. It also gives you the chance to sample some of the excellent local cafes and restaurants. The seafood in Swakopmund is superb. Accommodation is in shared chalets

Today is a free day. The idea is to allow time for everybody to do their own thing. Swakopmund is a very pleasant seaside town with lots of shops, a good stretch of beach (although the Atlantic here is quite cold) and an open air curio market. There is also a very good museum and the Namibian National Marine Aquarium is located in Swakopmund.

Alternatively, there are various optional activities that can be arranged. These include aeroplane and microlight flights over the desert, scenic drives, fishing trips, both from the beach or in a boat, four wheel motorcycle (quad bike) trips into the desert and over the sand dunes around Swakopmund, sand boarding trips also in the dunes, skydiving, surfing, bird watching and many other activities are available. Your tour guide will discuss all the possible options with you before you reach Swakopmund and will offer to make bookings in advance of your arrival. N.B. All extra activities and excursions in Swakopmund are subject to availability and are made at the clients own risk and expense.

Away by 09:00 and a little further down the coast to the port town of Walvis Bay. South of the town there is a large marine lagoon which is home to a vast array of marine bird life, in particular flamingoes. We will make a short visit to the lagoon to see the birds and a short visit to Walvis Bay to collect any last minute supplies before once again heading out into the desert. The first part of our journey today takes us across more of the seemingly endless Namib gravel plains. Then the landscape suddenly changes and we are into the mountain desert. We traverse both the Kuiseb and Gaub passes, driving both times to the river beds at the bottom of the canyons and then climbing the long steep road to the top and the spectacular panoramas the mountains give us. Again the scenery changes as we make our way down to the dune fields.

We cross some open grass savanna and farm lands before the terrain begins to give way to the immense red sand dune desert of the Namib. We stop for lunch in the desert en-route and arrive at the Namib Desert Lodge during the late afternoon. We have time to relax and watch the sunset over the dunes. Dinner tonight is provided in the restaurant at the Restcamp and accommodation is in shared rooms.

A pre-dawn start to see the sunrise. From our campsite we drive a further 40 km to Sesriem. Sesriem is the entrance to he Namib Naukluft National Park and the gateway to the dune fields. We aim to arrive at Sesriem when the gate opens at Sunrise. From here we drive a further 60 km, almost to the geographical centre of the sand dune desert, stopping for photographs along the way and watching the colours grow and change in the sunrise. To reach Sossusvlei itself we must then walk for the last five km through the dunes. The walk is like nothing else. In the cool of the morning, with soft sunlight just beginning to play over the dunes creating a sharp light and shadow contrast across the whole desert. Ancient mineral pans, stunted Camelthorn trees and the chance of seeing a gemsbok or maybe an ostrich make the photo opportunities perfect.

We spend the morning in and around Sossusvlei (There is a good chance of getting a lift in a four wheel drive vehicle for the return 5 km walk and there is often a four wheel drive shuttle service available in both directions for a small extra charge). We stop for lunch in the desert and have time to enjoy the shade, swimming pool and other facilities at the Sesriem campsite during the heat of the day. In the late afternoon we will take a short excursion to the Sesriem Canyon before heading back to the Namib Restcamp. Dinner once again in the restaurant and accommodation is in shared rooms.