The 25 day African Odyssey is a combination of three of the most popular safaris, the Northern Namibia Adventure, the Southern Swing and the Delta and Falls Tour. It offers an extremely comprehensive safari tour of Namibia, the Okavango Delta in Botswana and the Victoria Falls in Livingstone in Zambia. Nights 7 and 14 are included in the price of the trip, in a quality Windhoek guest-house. The itinerary is assisted comfortable camping, with participation limited to only helping with the tents.

The first leg, the Northern Adventure is designed to give a short, but comprehensive safari around the main highlights of northern and central Namibia. This tour combines wildlife, cultural visits, San paintings and a trip to the Namibian coast!

The second leg, the Southern Swing, is another 7 day camping tour that takes in the southern areas of Namibia including; Sossusvlei, the Namib Desert, Lüderitz and the Fish River Canyon. This tour offers an excellent cross-section of southern Namibia.

The third leg, the Delta & Falls Safari Trip, is an 8 day camping tour from Windhoek to visit two of the world's natural wonders; the Okavango Delta in Botswana, and the mighty Victoria Falls in Livingstone, Zambia.

Highlights of the African Odyssey include:

• The weird looking plants of the Quiver Tree Forest.
• Fish River Canyon - one of the world's most spectacular natural formations – only Arizona's Grand Canyon is bigger!
• Luderitz - an interesting and surreal German colonial town.
• The red sand sea dunes of Sossusvlei.
• Getting close-up-and personal with the Big Cats at Okonjima.
• Game viewing and photography of the amazing wildlife in Etosha National Park
• Learning of the tribal structures, religions and daily life of the only traditionally functioning Himba community outside the far north Kaokoland region of Namibia.
• Walking in Namibia's highest mountain to view the 'White Lady.'
• Driving through the beautiful desert landscape of Damaraland
• Enjoying Namibia's premier seaside town, Swakopmund on the Skeleton Coast.
• Two nights beside a pristine lagoon in the Okavango Delta, and it's incredible sightings of large numbers of prey and predators.
• The flood plains and riverine forests of the Mahango Game Reserve.
• A boat cruise into the Chobe National Park with hippo and crocs for company.
• Livingstone and 'The Smoke That Thunders,' the awesome Victoria Falls!

It is also possible to remain with your guide for the 2 day return to Windhoek at the end of the trip, making the itinerary 24 days in total.

Camping Safaris | Namibia

Day 1: Windhoek - Okonjima

Adventurers will be collected from their accommodation in Windhoek between 08h30 - 09h00. The tour first heads north, stopping at small towns along the way, including Okahandja, (The Garden Town of Namibia) with time to visit Namibia's largest woodcarvers market. The market is operated on a local co-operative basis and is one of the best places to shop for truly Namibian souvenirs and curios.
Continuing north and driving through mainly farmland, the tour is scheduled to arrive at Okonjima's Omboroko campsite mid-afternoon, with time to set up camp and to relax before heading out for the afternoon's activities. The lodge is home to The AfriCat Foundation, a non-profit organization, committed to the long-term conservation of Namibia's large carnivores, notably cheetahs and leopards. Activities commence at 15h00 in the winter, and 16h00 in the summer. The leopard can be viewed frequently here, (but not guaranteed) from a hide or radio-tracked from a game viewing vehicle. The cheetah project offers a valuable insight into the welfare work of the AfriCat foundation.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
Camping: Okonjima Campsite

Day 2: Etosha Park

An early departure and continuing the journey north through some more small towns, making short stops for fresh supplies and fuel along the way. The first main stop is to the mysterious Lake Otjikoto, Namibia's largest permanent natural lake, into which German troops dumped weapons and ammunition prior to surrender in 1915.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping: Namutoni

Day 3: Etosha Park

An early start to benefit from a full day's game driving, heading east on the drive towards Halali Camp, situated in the middle of the park. Along the way there are several waterholes to visit and splendid views of the massive Etosha Pan. The game viewing along this route is usually excellent.
The lunch time stop is at Halali, with time for a leisurely lunch, dip in the pool or a visit to see who's taking a drink at the waterhole. The game driving continues down to Okaukuejo, famous for its waterhole, quite rightly described as one of the 'best game viewing opportunities in Southern Africa.' Black rhino, elephant, lion and numerous species of antelope pass by.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping: Okaukuejo

Day 4: Etosha - Kamanjab

One last game drive on the way out of Etosha National Park as the tour heads south with a relatively short drive to the small town of Kamanjab, with a short stop here before continuing on to find the Himba Tribesmen.
This is the only traditionally functioning Himba community outside the far north Kaokoland region of Namibia. The Ovahimba, an offshoot of the much larger Herero group, are semi-nomadic pastoralists, who breed cattle and goats. These tribes-people have migrated here, lifestyle and customs intact, and are following their traditional way-of-life in their village on a farm. Oase Village is located some 15-20km outside Kamanjab, the exact location of the site varies as the Himba occasionally roam to a new location, to take advantage of better grazing elsewhere. During the afternoon, the group we will be invited into Oase Village to meet with the locals, but with a specialist guide for the duration. He will be able to translate and introduce the 'alternative lifestyle.' include marriage customs, traditional food and the mysteries of the local religion, 'Holy Fire.'
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping: Oase Village Camp

Day 5: Kamanjab - Brandberg

The safari drives into one of the most interesting, beautiful and dramatic regions in Namibia, Damaraland, first heading south to the capital of this region, the small town of Khorixas, and then west, travelling via the Petrified Forest geological site, to visit the ancient Bushman rock engravings at Twyfelfontein. At both of these locations, a local guide will conduct a short guided tour. It's then deeper into the desert to Namibia's highest mountain, The Brandberg, (2573 m) an ancient Bushman spiritual site. Desert-adapted elephants are regular visitors here. Tonight's campsite will be set up under the shadow of this giant granite monolith.
Driving time: approx. (400 km).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping: Brandberg

Day 6: Brandberg - Swakopmund

An early start benefits from the cool morning air, especially important on today's guided hike, into the mountain to see the world famous so called 'White Lady' rock painting. (Said to be over 20,000 years old and probably a male!) It can be seen deep in the wild and lovely Tsisab ('leopard') gorge and is one of a whole gallery of splendid paintings to be found in the Maack Cave.
It's then back on the road to admire more of the beautiful Damaraland scenery. The next stop is in the small town of Uis, an old mining town, and one of the best places to buy semi-precious stones, especially rough Amethyst and Tourmaline.
From here it's directly west across the 'gravel plains' on the way to the Atlantic Ocean and the Skeleton Coast. After first meeting the ocean at Henties Bay, it's north along the coast to visit the seal colony at Cape Cross, where more seals breed than anywhere else in the world. Following the skeleton coast southbound, the final overnight stop is at the coastal town of Swakopmund, Namibia's premier seaside town. Scheduled arrival time is for the late afternoon, with time to explore the town on foot before sunset. The coast has always held a strong attraction for visitors, and Swakopmund is no different.
Accommodation tonight is in shared bungalows, with en-suite bathroom facilities. Most of the restaurants have an excellent choice of game meats and the seafood in Swakopmund is superb. Your guide will offer to organize a group meal in a local restaurant for this evening. (Participation is recommended but by no means required.) Dinner this evening is on own account.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodation: Bungalows

Day 7: Swakopmund - Windhoek

Drive time back to Windhoek is around 5 hours hrs, departing after lunch. The morning is available for free leisure time in and around the beaches, shops and town's amenities. There is also a very good museum and the Namibian National Marine Aquarium is located in Swakopmund. There are many activities available in Swakopmund: dune-boarding, scenic flights over the desert and Skeleton Coast, skydiving and a whole lot more. After the morning in Swakopmund, we have lunch and then drive back to Windhoek, arriving about 17h30.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

 

Day 8: Windhoek - Quiver Tree Forest

The long journey south (480km) on the main B1 highway, travels through a thin strip of the Kalahari Desert that protrudes onto the eastern side of Namibia. There are a number of stops at small towns along the way, including Rehoboth, the traditional home of the Baster people. Arrival time at the Quiver Tree Forest, is expected to be mid-afternoon and it is located just north of Keetmanshoop, (officially the sunniest town in the world!) After setting up camp, there is time to explore the area on foot.
Quiver trees are not in fact trees, but a type of aloe, (Aloe dichotoma), and one of Namibia's more striking species. They are a hardy, smooth-trunked plant that stores water in its succulent leaves and sponge like stem. It is so called because the branches fork 'dichotomously.' The early San (Bushman) people fashioned quivers from its branches, to keep their arrows.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
Camping: Quiver Tree Forest Campsite

Day 9: Quiver Tree - Fish River Canyon

Before leaving the Keetmanshoop area, there is time to visit another local site of interest, the 'Giants Playground,' an area filled with massively eroded dolorite rocks that are precariously balanced in tottering towers. A short stop in the town of Keetmanshoop, a former German garrison town, follows.
The journey heads further south, off the tarmac and onto gravel roads heading towards the Fish River Canyon, one of the world's most spectacular natural formations. (161km long and in places 27km wide.) The cliffs to either side is a sheer 500m fall to the valley below. The campsite is on the north-west side of the Canyon, and opposite the traditional viewing point of the Canyon.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping: Fish River Canyon Campsite

Day 10: Fish River - Klein Aus Vista

Viewing from the rim of the canyon, the sparkling Fish River can be seen. Although it's flow is seasonal, it leaves deep pools that outlast even the longest and driest of winters. After breaking camp, it's time to move on to the tiny town of Aus, formerly the site of a German prisoner-of-war camp. Camping tonight is at Klein Aus Vista, a private reserve, beautifully located in the Aus Mountain Range, (Huib-Hoch-Plateau region).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping: Klein Aus Vista

Day 11: Luderitz Day Trip - Klein Aus Vista

An early morning start for the short drive to Luderitz, a surreal colonial relic if ever there was one! En-route, keep a sharp look out for the desert feral horses. (Once tame but now wild.) The origin of these horses is unknown, and they have become adapted to an existence with very limited water. (They urinate less than domestic horses if you really want to know!)
Arrival in Luderitz is scheduled to join an optional extra excursion; a trip on an old wooden sailing ship, 'The Sedina,' for a cruise around Luderitz bay and weather permitting, on to Halifax Island to see the African jackass penguins, returning under sail. Lunch is on own account in Luderitz.
After the boat trip, there is a short drive out to the desert ghost town at Kolmanskop. It was built in 1908 after the discovery of diamonds, to provide shelter for workers from the harsh environment. Now it's just sand, abandoned houses, sand, you, more sand, and the howling wind! The rest of the afternoon is spent exploring the town of Luderitz, with it's German architecture, delicatessens, coffee shops and Lutheran churches. Later on there is a drive out to Diaz Point to see the bird life, seals and the stone cross replica, originally erected by the Portuguese mariner Bartholomew Diaz.
Returning to Klein Aus Vista in the late afternoon, the trip goes through the diamond fields of 'Sperrgebiet' or the 'forbidden territory.' N.B: The 'Sedina'excursion is subject to availability and on own account.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Camping: Klein Aus Vista

Day 12: Klein Aus - Sesriem Area

Turning north, we once again head deep into the ancient southern Namib, travelling on small gravel roads and passing some tiny rural communities along the way. The scenery is harsh, and sometimes forbidding. The process of erosion in these areas is well advanced and we pass time rounded "koppies" arid terrain and outcrops of tortured rock.
Traversing this bleak yet beautiful landscape, the terrain begins to change and we cross some open grass savannah and farmlands before the terrain begins to give way to the immense red sand dune desert of the Namib. We aim to arrive at our camp during the late afternoon and watch the colours glow and change on distant mountains to the east. (350 km).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping: Agama Camp

Day 13: Sossusvlei

A pre dawn start is essential this morning as we want to catch the soft light of the sunrise on the desert. After passing through Sesriem, the gateway to the dunes and driving into the heart of the dune field, we reach Sossusvlei itself by walking the last 5 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 camel thorn 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, also visiting dune 45, and as the day wears on we return to Sesriem for lunch to escape the heat of the afternoon. As the day cools off in the late afternoon we will take a short excursion to the Sesriem Canyon.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping: Agama Camp

Day 14: Windhoek

After breakfast the final leg of the journey is a pleasant drive over the Naukluft Mountains and the Khomas Hochland Range. Arrival in Windhoek is scheduled for around 16h00, and you will be dropped off at your accommodation.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 15: Windhoek – Kalahari San Village

Todays departure is between 07h30 and 08h00, and the journey on the Trans Kalahari Highway begins. The drive is via the small farming centre of Witvlei and on to a farm in the Gobabis area to spend time with a Bushman family. After meeting the family members set up camp and enjoy the evening around the fire.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner

Day 16: Kalahari San Village - Ghanzi

The morning starts with a bush walk lead by the Bushmen family, masters of Kalahari lore. They show us the traditional desert survival techniques that have been passed from generation to generation for millennia. After lunch continue on the Trans Kalahari Highway and cross into Botswana at the Buitepos border post from where the tour continues through rural Botswana to the town of Ghanzi, a cattle farming area and on to the evenings campsite.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 17: Ghanzi - Okavango Delta

An early start with a quick stop in Ghanzi for a quick re-supply before continuing west, traversing the linear dunes of the Kalahari and passing through small towns along the way. The change in vegetation heralds the arrival on the very western edge of the Okavango Delta. The tour heads north for a while, before traversing west on entering the Delta proper. The first glimpses of the crystal waters through the lush vegetation can now be admired and the group make camp on the banks of a pristine African lagoon.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 18: Okavango Delta

As this is the territory of the river people, Mokoro's (dug-out canoe's) will be the main form of transport for the next two days. These amazing traditional craft are perfectly designed for the narrow waterways of the Okavango, and allow travel further into the Delta than with more modern forms of transport. They carry three people, two seated passengers and one driver, the poler. He stands in the rear of the canoe, (a real feat of balance), and uses a long wooden pole to propel and steer the Mokoro through the twisting channels of the Delta.
The Okavango Delta provides a seasonal habitat to numerous different species of animal including elephant, buffalo, hippo, lechwe, tsessebe, blue wildebeest, giraffe, the Nile crocodile, lion, cheetah, leopard, brown and spotted hyenas, kudu, sable, zebra, warthog and chacma baboon. There are over 400 species of bird, including African Fish Eagle, crested crane and the sacred ibis. Return to camp for the late afternoon, to enjoy another spectacular night watching and listening to the sights and sounds of the Okavango waters.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 19: Okavango Delta - Mahango Game Park

Along the Caprivi's southwestern boundary with Botswana, is the 25,000ha Mahango Game Reserve, today's destination, reached after completing the necessary passport requirements for entry back into Namibia. The tour game drives through this ecologically diverse area of grasslands, flood plains, riverine forests and reed and papyrus beds, which helps to sustain over 60 species of mammal including all the big cats, elephant, hippo, kudu, sable, roan antelope, lechwe, oribi and the shy situtunge. The camp for tonight is just outside the Game Reserve, beside the Okavango River.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 20: Mahango - Kasane

There is a long drive along the Caprivi Strip, a long narrow stretch of territory running along the Namibia / Botswana border, through a landscape of broad leaf forest, with many small communities dotted along the route. The transit of the Caprivi region is complete on arrival in Namibia's easternmost town, Katima Mulilo. There is a short break before crossing back across the border into Botswana, and driving directly into the world famous Chobe National Park, where the world's largest population of African elephants roam. The trip transits through the park to the small town of Kasane. This evening's campsite is in the grounds of a local lodge, right on the banks for the Chobe River.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 21: Kasane/Chobe National Park

Start the day with an early morning game drive in the Chobe National Park. Chobe offers one of the best wildlife experiences in the region and is justifiably famous for the elephant population that lives on the banks of the river, you might see one or two. There is time to relax in the afternoon, before joining a river boat cruise, back into the park. From the boat we will have the chance to see a huge amount of wild game, and this is excellent game viewing territory, so camera's and binoculars at the ready! Crocs and hippo are on both river banks and in the waters swirling around us, not forgetting elephant, buffalo and the big cats that come to the river banks for a drink and a snack. The Chobe River also provides a wide variety of bird life.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 22: Chobe River - Livingstone

Another border crossing today, on the drive out of Kasane to the Kazangula ferry depot to complete the relevant Botswana exit formalities. Transit across the Chobe River is on a local ferry boat, entering Zambia and the short drive to the town of Livingstone, named after the famous British missionary and explorer Dr. David Livingstone. The evenings camp is made on the banks of the Zambezi River, with time to explore the town and to visit the might Victoria Falls. The views of the waterfall from the Zambian bank are simply fantastic, with many small paths and lookout points.
Dinner tonight will be in a local restaurant. (On own account.)
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 23: Livingstone

The Delta and Falls Tour comes to an end after breakfast. Your guide will be able to offer advice on travel plans. Clients transferring back to Windhoek have a free day to explore the area or to take part in optional activities. Lunch and dinner are not included in the price of the trip. Your guide will arrange a collection time for the return journey.

NB: All extra activities are subject to availability and are done at the clients own risk and expense.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 24 & 25 - Optional transfer Back to Windhoek

An early start and a long drive, transit transportation only, taking in sights along the way. Traversing the Caprivi Strip, the transfer will spend the night near the small town of Rundu, camping in the grounds of a lodge on the banks for the Okavango River.

Another early start and long drive, heading south through Kavango Province, down through the towns of Grootfontein, Otjiwarongo and Okahandja before reaching Windhoek. There will be a stops at the local woodcarvers market at Okahandja before arriving in the city. Travellers will be dropped off at their accommodation in Windhoek. Approximate driving time for days 9 and 10 is around 20hrs. Approximate driving time 20 hours

 

Mode of transport

Transport for up to 8 people will be in a minibus or a Land Cruiser. For more than 8 a specially converted safari truck will be used

Number Of Participants

Maximum of fourteen

Included

All transport
Meals as specified in the itinerary
Tea & coffee in camp
All camping equipment
Park entrance & accommodation fees
Guide
Pick-up and drop-off at accommodation in Windhoek

Excluded

Beverages
Sleeping Bag (can be hired)
Tips
Travel Insurance

Other

Itinerary is assisted comfortable camping with participation limited to only helping with the tents

Route & Accommodation

The itinerary above is a guideline only and whilst we try to adhere to it there may be circumstances when it may change - for example weather and/or road conditions, seasonal daylight hours etc. Overnight stops on occasion may be altered from those indicated.