The great Namib

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Arrival - Windhoek

  

  Arrival in Windhoek according to the flight schedule selected in the program, completion of police and customs formalities, collection of your luggage. Welcome by our representative according to your language preference. Departure from the airport, assistance with signing the vehicle rental contract, and taking possession of your vehicle. Drive to Windhoek, hotel check-in, delivery of your roadbook with a detailed map of the country. Review and practical information about your itinerary day by day with our representative. Dinner at your leisure and overnight at Londiningi Guest House or similar.

• day 2

  Windhoek - Okahandja - Waterberg Plateau

  

  Breakfast at the lodge Departure heading north towards the town of Okahandja, with the possibility to visit the craft exhibition market. Continue towards the Waterberg Plateau by taking the C22, heading to the small town of Okakarara, which will lead you to the Waterberg National Park. This 405 km² park offers a unique landscape in Namibia, with a flat summit, superb panoramas, and excellent wildlife. It is largely composed of red sandstone sculpted into amazing shapes and dotted with freshwater springs. The mosaic of wooded areas, green meadows, and ravines on top are particularly well suited for hikers. There are several possible hiking combinations (for example: from the pool to the start of the plateau, then the ascent of the plateau on the marked trail, where, in some places, you have to climb rather than walk, but it remains doable. Beautiful view once you reach the top of the plateau, at the viewpoint that leaves you speechless). Dinner included and overnight at Waterberg Resort NWR or similar.

• day 3

  Waterberg Plateau - Otjiwarongo - Etosha Park

  

  Breakfast at the lodge Departure towards Etosha Park via Otjiwarongo to Lindequist Gate, the western entrance of Etosha National Park. Free lunch and check-in at the lodge or in the park, at the Namutoni Camp restaurant, or picnic. Afternoon safari, during the best hours of the day, when the animals, exhausted by the heat and sun, finally start to come alive again. Scenes unfold between groups of animals heading to the waterholes, dust in the setting sun, and dazzling landscapes. Dinner included and overnight at Mokuti Lodge or similar.

• day 4

  Etosha National Park

  

  Early breakfast at the lodge Departure for a full day safari in Etosha National Park to admire African wildlife roaming freely in its natural environment, crossing the park towards its western part. You have time to explore all the tracks, from waterhole to waterhole, to spot animals coming to drink. Lunch on your own at Halali Camp or picnic. Continue the safari in the afternoon until sunset. Exit Etosha National Park through Anderson Gate and check in at your lodge. Dinner included and overnight at Etosha Safari Camp or similar.

• day 5

  Etosha National Park

  

  Breakfast at the lodge, Departure for a full day safari in Etosha National Park to admire African wildlife roaming free in its natural environment. An exciting day exploring all the tracks, from waterhole to waterhole, to spot animals coming to drink. Lunch at your leisure. Continue the safari in the afternoon until sunset. Return to the lodge via Anderson Gate. Dinner included and overnight at Etosha Safari Camp or similar.

• day 6

  Etosha National Park - Opuwo

  

  Breakfast at the lodge Departure for a morning safari in Etosha Park, crossing its western part, once forbidden to tourism but now open to visitors. Lunch at your leisure and exit the park via Galton Gate, then drive to Opuwo, the world capital of the Himba people in the Kaokoland region. Dinner included and overnight at Opuwo Country Lodge or similar.

• day 7

  Opuwo - The Epupa Falls

  

  Breakfast at the lodge Departure towards the deep Kaokoland, at the border between Namibia and Angola. Along your route, you will discover makalani palms and baobabs, the largest trees in Africa. You will then reach the Epupa Falls on the Kunene River. The falls are a series of 60 m cascades over a distance of about 1.5 km, creating a multitude of channels that later form hundreds of small islands covered with vegetation. While most travelers are content with a glance from the road not far from the falls, lunch is at your leisure. There is a path along the rocks above the river, downstream from the falls, offering beautiful views. From there, you can appreciate the expanse, the beauty, and discover the diversity of plants, including makalani palms, wild fig trees, and baobabs. With a site map available at the lodge, you can take some walks in this lush region. Biking tours, rafting, or canoeing are also practiced along the Kunene River, ideal ways to admire the landscapes, observe birds, and see crocodiles basking on the sandbanks. Dinner included and overnight at Omarunga Lodge or similar.

• day 8

  Epupa Falls - Himba village

  

  Breakfast at the lodge Early departure with your Himba guide for a visit to a village, for a meeting and cultural exchange. The Himba people are part of the Herero ethnic group and are mainly concentrated in the desert and inhospitable region of Kaokoland, in the northwest of Namibia. This people of herders with archaic customs have benefited from the inaccessibility of their territory for decades to preserve traditions that have now disappeared elsewhere in the world. Few in number, only a few thousand, nomadic in constant search of new pastures, proud and beautiful, they ignore a way of life that, unfortunately, is catching up with them quickly. Lunch and afternoon at leisure. Dinner included and overnight at Omarunga Lodge or similar.

• day 9

  The Epupa Falls - Opuwo - Sesfontein - Palmwag

  

  Breakfast at the lodge Departure towards the pearl of Damaraland. The Palmwag concession abounds with large populations of animals such as mountain zebras, giraffes, oryx, springboks, kudus, desert elephants, and black rhinoceroses. The number of predators here is the highest outside Etosha Park, with more than 100 lions, cheetahs, leopards, spotted hyenas, etc. Dinner included and overnight at Khowarib Lodge or similar.

• day 10

  Palmwag - Twyfelfontein

  

  Breakfast at the lodge Departure to the Twyfelfontein site, an archaeological site in Namibia, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007. It has a significant concentration of petroglyphs, with nearly 2,000 recorded figures, dating back about 6,000 years. The site consists of a valley flanked by sandstone mountains that receive very little rainfall and have a wide range of daytime temperatures. The classic walk is done with a guide and allows you to discover, on the rock walls, the countless representations left by the first Bushmen. Made in red sandstone and remarkably well preserved, they depict animals: seals, lions, giraffes, elephants, rhinoceroses, antelopes... Other sites are worth a visit in the surroundings of Twyfelfontein. You could also linger at another curiosity: Burnt Mountain, a volcanic chain that seems to have been devastated, and Organ Pipe, a basalt wall 100 m long and 4 m high. The Petrified Forest is another geological wonder, with conifer trunks 30 m long and 6 m in diameter, fossilized in the sandstone and estimated to be about 260 million years old. Dinner included and overnight at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge or similar.

• day 11

  Twyfelfontein - Cape Cross - Swakopmund

  

  Breakfast at the lodge Departure towards the Atlantic coast passing through the Cape Cross National Park, where you will have the opportunity to see a stone cross erected by Diego Cao, a Portuguese explorer, in 1486 to mark the southernmost point ever reached by Europeans in Africa, as well as a gigantic beach that is home to the largest of the 15 fur seal colonies. A colony can have around 100,000 members. Continue to the city of Swakopmund, the country's first seaside resort along the Skeleton Coast, while discovering many wrecked ship carcasses. Swakopmund is a very popular city among the inhabitants of the capital, with its charm of a German provincial town. Between green lawns and flower gardens, modern buildings alternate with colonial architecture, and luxurious shops line the downtown streets. Here, you have the opportunity to go shopping, exchange money, etc. Dinner at your leisure and overnight at Beach Lodge or similar.

• day 12

  Swakopmund - Walvis Bay - Swakopmund

  

  Breakfast at the lodge Transfer at 8:00 am to Walvis Bay for a boat cruise (catamaran) or kayaking, an invitation to discover this famous bay populated by flamingos and colonies of fur seals. This excursion is suitable for all levels, even if you have never kayaked and cannot swim! Indeed, excellent supervision, good equipment, and a mandatory life jacket for kayaking are provided. Lunch and afternoon are free. You can therefore take the opportunity to go on an excursion of your choice at your own expense. You can also simply go shopping, stroll around the city or along the shores of the lagoon. Dinner is at your leisure and overnight at Beach Lodge or similar.

• day 13

  Swakopmund - Kuiseb Canyon - Solitaire - Sesriem Park

  

  Breakfast at the lodge Drive to the Namib Desert. Lunch on your own. Crossing the Gaub Pass and the Kuiseb Pass. Geological formation of folded schists, through which the Kuiseb River has carved an impressive canyon. This river marks the boundary between the vast rocky plains of the north and the sea of sand that joins the Orange River. Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn between the 2 passes. Solitaire is a small town in central Namibia, near the Namib-Naukluft National Park. This hamlet, which has retained its 1950s character, is an almost mandatory stop. Particularly isolated, the place is sometimes nicknamed the Namibian Bagdad Café. You can taste one of the best apple crumbles in the world there! Free late afternoon after settling in at the lodge. We set off for a walk of about 2 hours around ancient fossilized dunes. Prepare to be amazed by the late afternoon light across the red dunes, true natural masterpieces. From the crest of the dunes, where the sand begins to glow red, a magnificent view opens up before us, stretching from the gentle dunes and riverine trees to the purple-blue mountains. Return to the accommodation before sunset. Dinner included and overnight at Sossusvlei Lodge or similar.

• day 14

  Sesriem - Dune 45 - Big Day - Deadvlei - Sesriem Canyon - Sesriem

  

  Departure at dawn to reach dune 45. Climb the dune to watch the sunrise and admire the view as well as the extraordinary colors of the desert. On the way down, you can have your breakfast and take it to the foot of the dunes. Continue the visit to discover Dead Vlei, which is certainly the most famous place in Namibia, with its famous dunes, dry lakes, and standing dead trees. It is a true postcard landscape that evokes strong emotions. Next, we explore the Sossusvlei site and its giant dunes. At Sossusvlei, you will discover the highest dunes in the world (over 300 meters) in the oldest desert on the planet. This park is also the kingdom of the oryx, a very beautiful antelope that has adapted to the extreme conditions of the desert. The most athletic can climb to the top of Big Daddy and admire the view of the sea of dunes stretching to infinity (don't forget to bring water and good sun protection). Visiting this site is preferable in the morning and, thanks to the play of light on the dunes, it is dazzling. Dinner included and overnight at Sossusvlei Lodge or similar.

• day 15

  Sesriem National Park - Naukluft Mountain Zebra Park

  

  Breakfast at the lodge The Naukluft Mountains are part of the high escarpment that marks the western boundary of Namibia's interior highlands. The flat plateau, similar to the summit of the mountain complex, is separated from the adjacent mountain plateau to the south by impressive, almost vertical cliffs, while to the northwest and west, its highest peaks rise nearly 1,000 meters above the Namib plains. The top of the plateau consists mainly of dolomite and limestone formations. Lunch on your own. Olive Trail: This hiking trail starts near the Kudusrus campsite in the Naukluft Mountains and follows a 10 km loop, much of which is populated by wild olive trees (hence the name). At the beginning of the trail, there are a few olive trees, which mark the start of an ascent to the top of the mountain. The descent down into a riverbed follows a beautiful gorge where you can see some quiver trees. A "slight difficulty" arises at the end of the gorge, where you must use a "chain" to cross the rocks. Baboons and kudus have been seen along the route. Hikers must carry enough water and food for the day, and don't forget to wear appropriate clothing for the time of year. Waterkloof Trail: This 17 km hike starts near the Kudusrus campsite in the Naukluft Mountains and takes about 8 hours. The first and last parts of the trail follow the unassailable rock pools on the Naukluft Mountains, while the middle section of the hike takes you through the dry plateau area. Surprisingly, for such a dry country, the Waterkloof trail begins and ends with swirling, deep streams, clear pools set amidst beautiful landscapes. You will need enough food and water for the day, and it is advisable to wear appropriate clothing for the time of year. Both circuits: mandatory departure around 6:30 - 7:00 am. Dinner included and overnight at Naukluft Camp NWR or similar.

• day 16

  Naukluft Mountain Zebra Park - Rehoboth - Windhoek

  

  Breakfast at the lodge Departure to Windhoek. Founded around 1844 by Jonker Afrikaner, Windhoek (pronounced "Vihnt houk") means "place where the wind blows." It has been the capital of the Republic of Namibia since its independence in 1990, after having been the capital of the German and then South African colony. Located in the center of Namibia, at an altitude of 1,700 meters, it is the largest city in the country and its political, cultural, economic, financial, and social center. Dinner at leisure and overnight at Londiningi Guest House or similar.

• day 17

  Return - Windhoek International Airport

  

  Breakfast at the lodge, You return your rental vehicle to the rental company and are accompanied to Windhoek International Airport for your return journey. NB: Plan to be at the airport 2 hours before your flight time.