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Namibian Thirstland Journey Pioneer Safari
Summary of Itinerary
Days 1
Windhoek
Days 2
Waterberg Plateau
Days 3
Etosha
Days 4
Etosha
Days 5
Etosha
Days 6 & 7
Damaraland
Days 8
Southern Damaraland
Days 9 & 10
Swakopmund
Days 11, 12 & 13
Namib Naukluft
Days 14
End of Safari
(also operates in the reverse direction)
Namibian Safaris
Namibian Thirstland Journey Pioneer Safari
13 night / 14 day Safari
Nine nights fully serviced wilderness camping (all meals, local wine, beer, soft drinks and mineral water included)
One bungalow and three hotel overnights (meals included)
Extraordinary game viewing in air-conditioned 4x4 safari vehicles
Guide, chef and one camp/backup staff
Maximum seven guests – guaranteed window seat
Namibian desert safari:
Enjoy private camping, desert-chic style, in Namibia’s exclusive wilderness areas on an exhilarating 14-day Pioneer Safari.
Bush walks will reveal many endemic bird species and a chance of seeing desert-adapted rhino and elephant.
Guides and Staff
Discover wild Africa with professional guides, who lead the safaris throughout. The guides are rigorously trained and exceptionally experienced, with unmatched wildlife tracking skills.
Guests are offered an incomparable personal, informative, interpretive and memorable experience of the African wilderness. The guides are also passionately committed to the conservation of Africa’s wild places and to the safety of our guests.
Each safari is accompanied by trained backup staff who ensure that camp is set up before guests arrive. We are licensed as safari professionals and, with our ongoing training programmes, will offer you safety, security and consummate professionalism throughout your African safari. We have exclusive camping rights in wilderness campsites, and ensure that we leave behind only the lightest of footprints.
We also have professional support staff and offices in Namibia, Botswana and Victoria Falls, further ensuring the safety and comfort of our guests.
Inclusions / Exclusions
Rates Include:
Emergency evacuation: medical care, repatriation
Game drives and activities as per itinerary
Non-alcoholic drinks
Charter flight as per itinerary
Wine with evening meal(s).
Game or Park entrance fees and permits
Mattress / rollmat
Meals as per itinerary
Bedding, linen, towels
Radio communication where communication lines are not available
Accommodation specified as per itinerary
Qualified professional guide
Trained cook who prepares meals whilst on tour
Camp assistant to set up camp
Transport provided by tour company
Rates Exclude:
Visas and visa fees required
Laundry
Anti-malarial and vaccinations
Any items bought prior and during the tour for personal use
Bottled water
Insurance for the full duration of the tour
Airport Tax, Departure Tax and / or Government Tax
Optional additional excursions to be paid whilst on tour.
Flight costs for specific routing
Gratuities/tips & porterage for tour guide and staff
Itinerary
Day 1: Windhoek
Upon arrival at Windhoek International airport you will be transferred by road to Olive Grove Guest house for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Waterberg Plateau [B, L, D]
After breakfast you will meet your safari guide in the foyer of the Olive Grove Guest House at 08h00. After your guide has briefed you, embark on your safari through Kalahari bush savanna where you will have the chance of seeing several antelope species. Travel off the beaten track towards the Waterberg Plateau, a geological curiosity, supported by walls of steep, red sandstone. Our exclusive campsite is situated in one of the gorges, home to one of Africa’s dwarf antelope species, the Damara Dik-dik. After lunch, enjoy an afternoon walk along the top of the plateau where you may encounter one of Namibia’s endemic bird species, the white tailed shrike.
The Waterberg is one of the few areas in southern Africa where you could encounter four different species of hornbill. The Waterberg Plateau Park was established as a sanctuary for some of Namibia’s endangered mammal species such as the black and white rhino.
Enjoy a sundowner, made special by the sounds of the African bush: baboons settling into a shelter for the night, rock hyrax warning each other against danger and later the haunting call of nightjars and owls. A delicious dinner will be served under the canopy of indigenous trees surrounding our campsite, while getting your first glimpse of the magnificent southern night skies.
Day 3:Etosha [B, L, D]
After breakfast, continue your journey to our exclusive campsite in the private Fischer's Pan Game Reserve bordering on the world renowned Etosha National Park. On route pass through the small town of Tsumeb, a place rich in interesting mining history. Our campsite is adjacent to the eastern edge of Etosha
National Park. During the afternoon, enjoy your first exploratory game-drive into the eastern Namutoni Region of the Etosha National Park – one of the world's great conservation areas. This afternoon, you are most likely to get a good sighting of one of this region’s endemic antelope: the black faced impala.
Day 4: Etosha [B, L, D]
Depart on an early game-drive into Etosha to further explore the eastern side of the park where numerous waterholes and subterranean springs attract an amazing diversity of wildlife. Excellent game-viewing occurs when prides of lion dominate the water resources. Depending on game sightings and movements, you could spend the day in the Park or return to your camp for a freshly prepared lunch and a siesta.
Day 5: Etosha [B, L, D]
Today’s departure from our private campsite takes us through the Etosha National Park following the southern boundary of the pan, stopping en route for lunch at one of the rest camps. A full day's game-drive will afford you the opportunity to visit several permanent waterholes abundant with game. Overnight at the Okaukuejo Rest Camp, from where you will have access all evening to a safe viewpoint, at the floodlit waterhole, where black rhino and other nocturnal prowlers are likely to make your game viewing experience worthwhile.
Day 6 & 7:Damaraland [B, L, D]
After breakfast depart from the park continuing in a westerly direction towards the northern Damaraland Region. Stop for lunch in the Kamanjab area, before crossing over the Grootberg Mountain Pass. Watch the scenery changing drastically, as you approach the arid semi desert pro-Namib region.
Once on the Etendeka Consession your days will be spent exploring the ancient volcanic landscape of this truly unique area, searching for hidden waterholes. Nights will be spent in our exclusive expedition camp. This area is home to many uniquely desert adapted flora and fauna species. The desert adapted elephants roam at will, mostly following the linear oasis of the ephemeral rivers of the northwest. This is also the refuge of the last population of free ranging black rhino in the world. Your guide will also introduce you to members of Namibia’s semi-nomadic pastural tribe, the Himba. Kaokoland is home to the Himba; a nomadic tribe with a way of life that has remained unchanged for centuries. They can be seen wandering with their herds of goats and cattle from watering hole to watering hole. Clad only with a loincloth, the Himba's paint their bodies with an ochre-red pigment, which protects their skin from the sun. Here we will visit a traditional Himba homestead far off the beaten track and accessible only by our safari vehicles.
Day 8: Southern Damaraland [B, L, D]
Departing from Etendeka, follow the winding desert road southwards, as it takes you to your campsite amongst the granite boulders of Southern Damaraland. This area between the Ugab and Huab Rivers in Southern Damaraland is a vast and unspoiled wilderness. The area boasts magnificent desert scenery, fascinating geological formations and extensive archaeological sites.
While in the Twyfelfontein area excursions will be conducted to visit the Twyfelfontein Heritage Site Engravings, one of the richest areas of rock engravings and Bushmen (San) paintings in Namibia, and the geological formations of the “Burnt Mountain” and the dolomite columns known as the “Organ Pipes”.
Day 9 & 10: Swakopmund [B, L, D]
Today’s journey continues through ever changing landscapes into the Namib Desert, before continuing along the Atlantic coastline to Cape Cross – home to more than 80 000 Cape Fur Seals – where the Portuguese seafarer, Diego Cao, became the first European to set foot on Namibian soil in 1486.
No safari in Namibia is complete without a visit to the quaint coastal town of Swakopmund, where the following two nights will be spent at the Intermezzo Guesthouse – conveniently situated near the beach and within walking distance of the museum and shops. Enjoy some of the town's exciting optional activities such as quad biking, camel riding, dune boarding, or an early morning dolphin cruise or sea kayaking from Walvis Bay traveling around Pelican Point.
Day 11, 12 & 13: Namib Naukluft [B, L, D]
Continue to the Namib-Naukluft, Namibia’s largest National Park, which offers a surprising variety of landscapes and ecosystems ranging from Sossusvlei’s monumental sand dunes to vast quartzite gravel plains, and the rugged Naukluft Mountains along the eastern edge of the Desert. Visit the awe-inspiring dunes of Sossusvlei – the highest dunes in the worlds, many of which are in excess of 300m high. Spend the afternoon climbing and exploring these fascinating dunes and pans before leaving the area for our exclusive pristine campsite in the Naukluft Mountains.
NAMIB NAUKLUFT MOUNTAINS
The Naukluft Mountains offer a surprising contrast to the surrounding area. Enjoy guided excursions in the area with hiking trails to the plateau, quiver trees and exceptional vistas across the desert plains and over the Namib “Sand Sea”. Optional activities include horse riding at a nearby Guest Farm.
Day 14: End of Safari [B, L]
After a leisurely breakfast, you will return to Windhoek where your safari terminates in the late afternoon.
Extra information
Luggage Limitations
As you will be travelling in vehicles and small aircraft with limited luggage capacity, your luggage is required to be packed in a soft bag weighing a maximum of 10kg. A reasonable amount of photographic equipment is allowed.
Children Policy
Regrettably children under 12 cannot be accommodated on scheduled safaris, and an adult relative or guardian must accompany participants between 12 and 18 years old.
Best seasons to visit
Namibia’s dramatic landscape and diverse wildlife ensure once-in-a-lifetime safari opportunities throughout the year, and you can expect hot summers and pleasant winters in this arid climate. In summer, from November to April, daytime temperatures can rise to 35ºC/95ºF and night temperatures drop to around 14ºC/58ºF-18ºC/65ºF. The coastal region is cool and dry throughout the year. Winter is from May to October and days are dry, sunny and mild to warm, generally reaching temperatures of 23ºC/73ºC which can drop to as low as 0ºC/32ºF-10ºC/50ºF at night. The ‘rainy’ season is from February to March and average rainfall varies from less than 50mm along the coast to 350mm in the central and 700mm in the far northeastern regions. March to May boasts magnificent green scenery with beautiful fresh flowers.
Camera and battery charging facilities
In Namibia, limited film can be bought en route on all safaris.
Please note that a 12V cigarette lighter adaptor will be required (that is compatible with camera make)
Dietary requirements and special occasions:
All Expeditions (Africa Under Canvas Safaris) are world-renowned for their delicious hearty meals prepared on the coals using fresh ingredients, simply prepared with an African flavour. Special dietary requirements can be catered for with advance notice.
