ITINERARY

Day 1 Upington South Africa
We head to Upington, the principal town of the North Western Cape on the banks of the Orange River, South Africa’s largest. This area is the heart of an irrigated corridor of intensive wheat, cotton and grape farms on the edge of the Kalahari desert. (D)

Day 2 Fish River Canyon Namibia
The scenery that greets you this morning as we cross into Namibia will impress you. You will notice immediately the stark change. After setting up camp we enjoy watching the sunset over the canyon, the second largest in the world. Measuring roughly 160km from north to south and about 550m deep this is an experience to remember as we watch the sunset into the canyon! (B,D)

Day 3 Aus Namibia
This morning you have time to explore the canyon further before we take a relaxed drive to Aus, a small town on the edge of the desert. We camp at Klein-Aus, a farm set amongst the rocky hills. There is the opportunity to go horse riding or hiking from here and keep alert for sightings of the famous ‘desert horses’ who have adapted to some of the most arid conditions on earth. (B,D)

Day 4 Luderitz Namibia
Early the next day we make our way to the ghost town of Kolmanskop, near Luderitz, that lost the battle with the sand when its inhabitants left many years ago. This town, once an important part of the lucrative diamond mining industry, was abandoned in the 1950’s. A guided tour gives us an insight into what life was like in this very harsh climate. We then continue into Luderitz itself, the port town, with its German Imperial architecture. Here you can do a boat trip on the harbour (weather permitting) to see a jackass penguin colony as well as some great sea life including dolphins. We return to Aus for the night. (B,D)

Days 5 & 6 Sesriem Namibia
We take a drive northwards to Sesriem. The scenery, as we approach the dunes will leave you breathless. We venture into Naukluft Park for great photo opportunities. The dunes of Sossusvlei are some of the highest sand dunes in the world. Take the challenge and see if you can make it all the way to the top! Here you also have the opportunity to visit the Dead Vlei. (B,L,D)

Day 7 & 8 Swakopmund Namibia
This morning we make the journey through the Namib-Naukluft Park to Walvis Bay. As we make our way through the pass, you will see spectacular scenery in colours straight from an artists painting. The lunar landscape appears, as we get closer to the coast - have your cameras at the ready. We continue through the desert to the oasis town of Swakopmund. Here there are boundless activities for you. You can relax on the beach or go deep-sea fishing. You can also go quad biking, parachuting or sand boarding on the dunes for a close up look at the landscape! The evening brings an opportunity to try some of the increasingly popular nightlife available after the days adrenelin rush. (B)

Day 9 Cheetah Farm Namibia
Making our way up the Skeleton Coast, scene of many a shipwreck, we visit Cape Cross, where the Portugese navigator Diago Cao placed a cross in 1486. Here you will have a chance to visit the famous cape seal breeding colony with over 250,000 seals. Leaving the coast behind, we head back inland. Our overnight stop tonight is the Cheetah Farm where you have a unique experience awaiting you. We camp right next to the cheetah enclosure and have the chance to see many of these majestic animals close up. The brave can get very close as we feed the most effective “watch dogs” in the world at the main house! (B,L,D)

Day 10 & 11 Etosha National Park Namibia
Continuing northwards we enter the vast Etosha National Park. Centred around the Etosha pan, this park covers an incredible 22,207km and is home to large populations of predators. One night we camp at Okaukuejo, giving us the opportunity of game viewing at the amazing water hole on the edge of the camp. All night, animals from the smallest to the largest come to the water hole to drink – it’s up to you how long you want to watch! Our days are spent on game drives, spotting some of the animals in the park. Midway we stop at the Etosha Pan after which the park is named. (B,L,D)

Day 12 Windhoek Namibia
Exiting Etosha we head to Windhoek, the capitol of Namibia. This city has a vast mixture of all the different ethnic groups that live in Namibia. The city has a strong German influence that you can clearly see in the architecture. Tonight we enjoy the nightlife of the capital. (B)

INCLUDED HIGHLIGHTS: Fish River Canyon, Kolmanskop/Luderitz, Sesriem/Sossusvlei, Cape Cross, Cheetah Farm, Etosha NP Entry & Game Drives, Namib Desert
ACCOMMODATION: Days 1-6, 9-12 camping 2 man tentsDays 7,8 multishare dorms
VEHICLE: Minibus (no aircon) - Maximum 10 passengers per group

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES: These rates are in USD and can change at any time without notice. Please use as a guideline only.Activities in Namiba: Quad Biking $50 Sandboarding $20 Tandem Skydive $150Fishing Trip $60 Dolphin Cruise $45 Luderitz Cruise $20

INCLUDED: All ground transportation, services of experienced qualified driver / guide, camping equipment (2 man dome tents, thin hiking mats, cooking equipment), all highlights, meals, entrance fees & accommodation per itinerary.
NOT INCLUDED: Visa’s (if required), travel insurance, flights, departure taxes, sleeping bags, items of a personal nature, drinks, optional activities.
PARTICIPATION: Full participation safari – clients erect their tents and help out with cooking, dishes and vehicle cleanliness.