Namibia is unlike any other African destination. Namibia is the ultimate African road trip destination for ambitious adventurers, with its almost otherworldly dune landscapes, ancient deserts, and spectacular game viewing opportunities
| COST & VALIDITY | From ZAR 138 690,00 1st April 2021 – 31st October 2021 |
| WHAT TO BRING | Comfortable shoes Warm jackets Sunhat and sunglasses Sun cream Cameras Personal belongings Personal medication |
| IMPORTANT NOTE | Namibia emergency number: +264 81 127 0564 |
| INCLUDED | Accommodation and meals will be given according to the itinerary. Both excursions and guided tours Guides that speak English Transfers to and from the airport, as noted As indicated, safari lodging is available. Every meal Private activities and safari vans with special air conditioning Mineral water is available on board the safari vehicle as well as in each camp. At Ongava Camp and Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp, most meals include local beverages. Fees for National Parks and Game Reserves 15 percent VAT included in the Tourism Bed Levy |
| NOT INCLUDED | International flights into and out of Windhoek Gratuities and tips Fees for Visas that are applicable (none needed for US citizens) Services for doing laundry Other beverages, alcoholic beverages, and meals not mentioned above Premium alcoholic beverages Personal expenditures for optional events, additional facilities, or adjustments in your itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control Trip cancellation, emergency care, and evacuation are all covered by travel insurance. Anything else that wasn’t mentioned above Merchandise Taxes at the airport |
Please note
Our plan is contingent on the availability of the required lodging, pilot, and aircraft.
You will be transported to the Galton House guesthouse after arriving at Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport and treated to a welcome dinner. Galton House is Windhoek’s latest accommodation. It has a relaxed however elegant style that creates a very pleasant atmosphere, and it is named after the famous explorer Sir Francis Galton.
Located on the outskirts of Windhoek’s northernmost nearby suburb of Eros, and just a ten-minute drive from the city center, guests staying here can expect serenity. A broad lounge, dining room, swimming pool, and garden are among the communal areas.
There is also a delightful “al fresco” dining area by the pool that serves delicious, freshly cooked meals. A variety of stores, restaurants, and markets are all within convenient walking distance.
Galton House is where you’ll spend the night, dinner, and breakfast.
We leave Windhoek early morning and travel to Etosha National Park’s southern boundary.
Ongava Lodge is one of Namibia’s best lodges, located in one of the best and most popular private game reserves, where you can relax in the shade while photographing animals coming to drink.
The lodge has also established a “hide” adjacent to the waterhole, which is accessible through a tunnel and provides us with very close access to the animals as well as a different light path. Before we go on game drives, this setup is a great place for everyone to refine their photography skills and approaches – and a great place to capture excellent pictures.
The 35,000-hectare Ongava Private Game Reserve, which borders Etosha National Park, is home to Ongava Lodge. Walking safaris and night drives are performed in Ongava’s own private game reserve, which gives it an edge over the park.
Ongava Lodge’s air-conditioned stone, rock, and thatch chalets, each with en-suite bathrooms, are situated on a ridge with seemingly endless views across the plains, providing a relaxing retreat in the African jungle. Enjoy a drink at the bar while watching the wildlife congregate and interact at the floodlit waterhole in the thatched dining area.
At Ongava Lodge, you’ll spend the night with full board.
Following a hearty breakfast, we will go on another game drive in Etosha National Park before returning to the lodge and spending time at the Ongava waterhole. Etosha is a large park with a variety of waterholes built by the government to help the wildlife. On both days, we will reach Etosha, explore various waterholes and areas of the park, and have lunch at one of the park’s rest camps.
The saline depressions or “pans” occupy about 5,000 km2 of Etosha National Park, which occupies 22,270 km2. The Etosha Plate, the largest of these pots, can be considered a salt desert in its own right. The Etosha Pan is situated in Namibia’s Kalahari Desert’s Ovambo Basin, on the northwestern side.
It was once part of a massive, shallow lake that was reduced to a complex of salt pans three million years ago when the Kunene, the great river that fed it, changed direction and started to flow into the Atlantic instead. The lake would be the world’s third largest if it still existed today. With a surface area of 4,760 km2, Etosha is the largest of the pans.
It only fills up with water these days when enough rain occurs in northern Angola, causing floods to flow south along the Cuvelai drainage system. Grasslands, woodlands, and savannah make up the park. As they aim to drink and bathe, waterholes appear to concentrate wildlife and bring a variety of species together (often agitatedly).
Around 114 mammal species and over 340 bird species live in the park. Elephants, lions, giraffes, blue wildebeest, eland, kudu, gemsbok (oryx), zebra, rhino, cheetah, leopard, hyena, honey badger, and warthog, as well as the endangered black-headed impala, are among the animals to be seen.
At Ongava Lodge, you’ll spend the night with full board.
Game drives in Etosha National Park or the Ongava Private Game Reserve are available on this day.
You can also spend time in the hide at the camp. During your stay at this luxurious lodge, there is plenty to do.
At Ongava Lodge, you’ll spend the night with full board.
It’s time to switch gears and concentrate! We travel via Damaraland to Mowani Mountain Camp, which is perched on a high ridge with rooms nestled between weathered rocks. From here, we’ll explore Damaraland’s dramatic weathered volcanic landscape, which makes for spectacular scenery.
We’ll go looking for the legendary desert elephants, who live in ancient washes dotted with camel thorn trees. We’ll search for and construct intricate petroglyph compositions left by hunter-gatherers thousands of years ago. We’ll also use our cameras to “edit” the night sky, producing photos that connect dramatic boulders and weathered tree stumps to the Milky Way!
We’ll explore Damaraland this afternoon after settling into our new digs, looking for dramatic compositions and bright afternoon sun. We’ll see bare trees with white bark against weathered rock formations and clear blue skies. As evening colors the uppermost layers of distant rock formations, we return to camp in time to create sweeping panoramas.
After dinner, we’ll have our first opportunity to work on dramatic night sky shots. We’ll learn how to use flashes to illuminate weathered rocks and jagged cliffs set against the Milky Way!
Mowani Mountain Camp is conveniently located near the local attractions in Damaraland. The camp is nestled between massive granite boulders with a view of the ephemeral Aba Huab riverbed, where the desert-adapted elephants frequent.
The thatched, domed structures are shaped like the rugged, textured granite boulders between which they are set, with African wood carvings and artefacts adding to the theme. A reception area, bar, spacious outdoor dining space, and lounge overlooking a waterhole with a welcoming fireplace nearby for evening relaxation make up Mowani’s main complex.
The camp also has a refreshing swimming pool and a beautiful sundowner viewing area with its own lounge. Guests stay in spacious East African-style safari tents constructed on elevated wooden platforms, each with its own private veranda and spectacular views of the Aba Huab Valley.
Overnight stay at Mowani Mountain Camp on a full board basis.
Today, we’ll explore Damaraland’s incredible natural beauty, searching for elusive desert elephants and photographing ancient rock art.
We’ll begin the day by going off-road in search of desert elephants. We search a series of scenic dry washes for fresh elephant tracks, droppings, and bushes ripped up by feeding elephants. Our search will necessitate our guides’ four-wheel-drive skills as we ride through deep sand and steep banks while following signs to where the elephants are feeding today!
This afternoon, we’ll set out to read messages left by hunter-gatherers who once foraged for game in these very hills and valleys thousands of years ago! Boulders and slabs of red sandstone scattered around a hillside at Twyfelfontein in the southern Kaokoveld include 2,500 prehistoric engravings depicting wildlife, animal tracks, and abstract motifs. It is possibly Africa’s largest and most beautiful petroglyph series. Elephants, giraffes, kudus, lions, rhinos, springboks, zebras, and ostriches once drank from a well at the foot of the hill, according to the engravings. In some instances, instead of hooves or paws, footprints were engraved. The abstract motifs are often made up of triangles.
Twyfelfontein has been inhabited by hunter-gatherers for over 7,000 years, according to stone tools and other artefacts discovered there. Twyfelfontein is a World Heritage Site that was recently declared as a national monument.
At Mowani Mountain Camp, spend the night with full board.
We left early in the morning after an early breakfast to travel to a local Himba settlement near the Grootberg Pass via a winding and scenic path. We’ll hear about this proud people’s cultures and customs, as well as their values, way of life, and everyday activities.
Our guide will speak with the Himba on our behalf and set the photography parameters. When we arrive, the Himba will be dressed in traditional robes and going about their everyday activities. We’ll be forced to take pictures as they switch between shade and direct sunlight – and often sit in dim light (an opportunity to hone our skills). Our goal would be to conquer technological obstacles in order to capture the beauty and integrity of a people who have not adopted modern technology, western clothing, or global standards of appearance and behaviour.
The Kaokovelders are a group of Himba, Tjimba, and other Herero who live in Namibia’s remote northwestern Kunene area. They are semi-nomadic pastoralists who travel from one waterhole to the next, and they are primarily Herero in origin, language, and culture. For several years, they have existed in relative isolation and have not been interested in the long fight between the Nama and the Herero for grazing land. The Himba, a semi-nomadic people who live in scattered settlements throughout the Kunene area, make up the largest community of Kaokovelders.
For several years, they have existed in relative isolation and have not been interested in the long fight between the Nama and the Herero for grazing land. The Himba, a semi-nomadic people who live in scattered settlements throughout the Kunene area, make up the largest community of Kaokovelders.
They are a tall, slender, statuesque people who are known for their proud yet welcoming demeanor. Women are noted for their unusual sculptural elegance, which is enhanced by elaborate hairstyles and traditional jewelry. They use red ochre and grease to coat their bodies, which protects their skin from the harsh desert environment. In Kaokoland, Himba houses are simple cone-shaped structures made of saplings tied together with palm leaves and plastered with mud and dung. Men build the structures, while women mix the mud and mortar the walls. A fire burns day and night in the chief’s hut to keep insects at bay while also providing light and warmth.
Several times a year, a family may move from one house to another in search of pasture for their goats and cattle. Body jewelry made of iron and shell beads is worn by men, women, and girls. A Himba woman can spend up to three hours on her toilet every day.
She bathes first, then anoints herself with her own custom-made concoction that not only protects her skin from the harsh desert sun, but also repels insects and stops her body hair from falling out. She rubs another mixture of butterfat, fresh herbs, and black coals into her hair, and she “steams” her clothes over the steady fire on a regular basis. Necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and belts made of iron and shell beads are worn by men, women, and children.
For the night, return to Mowani Mountain Camp. Overnight at Mowani Mountain Camp with full board.
After breakfast, we depart for Okonjima and Africat, which are located near the Waterberg at the foot of the Omboroko Mountains, arriving at our camp in time for lunch. We’ll plan a variety of activities with the Africat guide(s) over the next three days, including extended drives in search of radio-tagged leopard and cheetah, visits to hide sites where we can photograph untagged leopard, cheetah, and lions up close, and night drives to find animals and photograph landscapes and the night sky.
Okonjima Plains Camp is located in Okonjima, Japan. The Hanssen family’s original farmhouse, Okonjima Plains Camp, was transformed into a lodge in 1993 and renovated in 2008. A reception, a dining lapa, a bar, a large outdoor boma and entertainment area with an open fire, a peaceful garden, and a refreshing swimming pool are among the farmhouse’s amenities.
The “view rooms,” located just a short distance from the main boma and lapa location, provide guests with breathtaking views of the surrounding bushveld and Omboroko Mountains.
Each viewing room (which was just finished in June 2014) has a mini-fridge for your own drinks, a tea/coffee station, a lock, a telephone, a roof fan, a spacious bathroom with two sinks and a large shower, and a balcony to relax and enjoy the tranquil surroundings.
Overnight stay at Okonjima Plains Camp with full board.
The AfriCat Foundation, established in 1991, is a wildlife sanctuary dedicated to raising conservation awareness, preserving biodiversity, encouraging environmental science, and supporting animal welfare.
Its main focus is on Africa’s big cats, especially leopards and cheetahs that are injured or in captivity. AfriCat is the world’s largest cheetah and leopard rescue and release organization. About 1000 of these predators have been saved in the last 17 years, with over 85% of them being released back into the wild.
The opportunity to get up close and personal with leopards and cheetahs is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Extensive drives in search of radio-tagged leopards and cheetahs, visits to hide places where we can photograph untagged leopards, cheetahs, and lions up close, and night drives to locate animals and photograph landscapes and the night sky will be among the activities planned.
Overnight stay at Okonjima Plains Camp with full board.
We participate in one of the following events after a relaxing breakfast at our lodge (included).
Game drives, visits to the study area to learn more about the wildlife, and leopard tracking are some of the activities available (children 12 years and older).
Lunch is going to be served.
The remainder of the afternoon can be spent relaxing at the lodge’s pool.
We have a long commute today as we travel from north Windhoek to the Namib Desert, which is located south and west of Windhoek! This morning, we leave AfriCat Foundation at 5:00 a.m. to drive to Sossusvlei via Windhoek. Before descending the Great Escarpment into the Namib Desert, we’ll travel south-west through the picturesque Khomas Highlands.
Today will be a long day, so we’ll take breaks and have lunch along the way.
Arrive in the early evening and spend the night at Sossusvlei Lodge.
Overnight at Sossusvlei Lodge on a full-board basis.
We have a full day of shooting in the sand dunes planned today, starting with an early morning excursion. We will get to Sossusvlei before everyone else because our lodge is closer to the park, and we’ll be able to see the sunrise and photograph the dunes when the light is soft and the shadows accentuate their towering shapes and curves. This region is home to some of the world’s tallest freestanding sand dunes. Our guide will explain how the Namib Desert was created, as well as the fascinating creatures and plants that have evolved to survive in this harsh climate.
Sossusvlei, the most visited section of the 50,000-square-kilometer Namib-Naukluft National Park, is renowned for its towering apricot-colored sand dunes and can be reached by following the Tsauchab River valley.
Sossusvlei is a clay pan in the center of these star-shaped dunes, which rise 300 meters above the surrounding plains, making it one of the world’s highest dunes. In the Great Sand Sea’s interior, the dead-white clay pan stands out against the orange sands and serves as the terminus of the ephemeral Tsauchab River.
The river originates in the Great Escarpment, south of the Naukluft Mountains. It travels 55 kilometers through the Sand Sea before drying up at Sossusvlei, around the same distance from the Atlantic Ocean. The Tsauchab River once entered the sea before being blocked by encroaching dunes around 60,000 years ago, as ephemeral rivers still do in the Namib’s northern half.
Sossusvlei is the largest of the area’s four pans. Another is Deadvlei, which can be reached on foot through a 1km sandy path and is known for its gnarled and ghostly camelthorn trees. The iconic camelthorn trees of Deadvlei, which died due to a lack of water, still stand upright as they once did. They managed to survive until about 900 years ago, when the sand sea eventually prevented the river from flooding the pan on occasion.
After a day of exploring, sit back and relax with a picnic breakfast under the shade of a camel thorn tree. We return to Sossusvlei Lodge for a late lunch in the early afternoon. We set out again in the late afternoon in search of more photo opportunities, this time mixing dramatic light, high dunes, gnarled trees, and maybe even a small canyon!
Overnight at Sossusvlei Lodge on a full-board basis.
We’re up early this morning for a spectacular hot air balloon flight over the sand dunes. When the sun rises, the balloon rises with it. The first hour of daylight is said to be the most beautiful, particularly in the desert, with the rich contrast of colors and shapes on the towering sand dunes of the Sossusvlei region, the vast desert plains, and the surrounding mountain ranges.
The flight takes about an hour and is followed by an exclusive champagne breakfast at the landing site, which is set in the middle of nature.
You will take a nature drive after returning to the cabin, and you can choose to return to the dunes in the afternoon to catch more photographs in this truly stunning scenery.
Please keep in mind that the balloon ride is completely dependent on the weather. The trip will have to be postponed until tomorrow if there is snow, and we will leave Sossusvlei a little later.
Overnight at Sossusvlei Lodge on a full-board basis.
Another early morning excursion awaits us, this time to see the first rays of light fall dramatically over the dunes around Sossusvlei. We then go back to our rooms to pack and prepare for our return to Windhoek.
Our final night will be spent at Galton House.
Galton House is where you’ll spend the night, dinner, and breakfast.
We will be moved to the Windhoek Airport after breakfast to meet our departing flights home.
We eagerly anticipate your return to Southern Africa!
Named after the famous explorer Sir Francis Galton, it has a relaxed but efficient style which creates a very welcoming atmosphere. Impressive wildlife photography adorns the walls whilst the rest of the interior is a combination of modern minimalist and understated chic.
A mere ten-minute drive from the centre of town and perched on the edge of Windhoek’s northernmost affluent suburb of Eros, guests staying here will be ensured of peace and tranquillity. There is Wi-Fi throughout the property and the nine guest rooms all have wireless and wired internet connectivity as well as satellite television. The rooms also have stocked coffee/tea stations.
The communal areas consist of a large lounge, indoor and outdoor dining areas, a swimming pool, an early arrival/late departure day room (including toilet, shower, changing and re-packing facility) as well as understated garden areas. There is also a delightful ‘al fresco’ dining area by the pool where freshly prepared and very tasty meals are served (including lunch and dinner). A number of shops, restaurants and supermarkets are within easy striking distance.
Ongava Lodge is one of Namibia’s premier lodges on one of the country’s most important private game reserves.
The well-established Ongava Lodge is situated in the privately owned Ongava Game Reserve along the southern boundary of Etosha National Park. Placed as it is close to the top of a hill in the foothills of the Ondundozonanandana range, the vantage point is beautiful and overlooks a well-frequented waterhole and the plains beyond.
Ongava Lodge offers luxury accommodation in 14 rock-and-thatch en-suite chalets. There are impressive views over the camp’s waterhole from the main lounge and dining areas and there is also an inviting pool to cool off in the heat of the day. Meals are either served in the main dining area under thatch or on the dining deck under the stars.
Activities include game drives into Etosha, spending time in the camp hide, and nature drives and walks on the reserve. Ongava has resident white and black rhino, giving guests staying at Ongava the opportunity to see both species.
Mowani Mountain Camp offers luxury tented accommodation with magnificent desert views. Open air en-suite bathrooms and private decks give you great views of Damaraland and the reliability of nearby Twyfelfontein with its San engravings and paintings is contrasted by the elusive desert adapted elephants.
The Twyfelfontein conservancy has been protecting the southernmost roaming ground of the black rhino and elusive desert elephant. Sustainable eco-tourism and community upliftment is of the utmost importance at Mowani. Guides from the local tribes compliment day-time game drives to track mountain zebra, kudu, springbok, klipspringer and if you are fortunate enough… the leopard! The adventurer in me took over at Mowani. Days were filled with game drives, hot air balloon trips over the Aba-Huab Valley, champagne breakfasts and al fresco meals amidst the dusky landscape beneath Mopani trees.
The elegant Luxury Bush Camp is situated within the 2 000-ha enclosed wilderness area of Okonjima Nature Reserve, only 2.5 km from the Okonjima Plains Camp.
The Luxury Bush Camp consists of 8ight thatched, African-style chalets, a junior suite and three en-suite safari tents for pilots & guides.
The Luxury Bush Camp consists of:
Eight thatched, safari-chic chalets with earthy tones and African design elements.
Each of the private chalets are between 80-100 metres away from one other.
The junior suite.
A Camelthorn pod-shaped lapa that encompasses the reception area, curio shop, a cosy lounge area with inside and outside fireplaces, a restaurant and dining area. It looks out onto the waterhole.
A secluded, private swimming pool.
A Wi-Fi hotspot and has cellphone reception as well as undercover, private parking.
Luxury right at the entrance gate to Sesriem Canyon and the famous Sossusvlei Situated at the Entrance Gate to the Namib Naukluft Park, Sossusvlei Lodge offers direct access to the towering red sand dunes, the famous pan of Sossusvlei, the scorched black trees of Dead Vlei and the remarkable depths of the Sesriem Canyon. The Superior Accommodation units at Sossusvlei Lodge feature a patio to enjoy views over the Desert landscapes, a spacious air-conditioned twin-bedded room and a full en-suite bathroom. The Standard Family Units feature two rooms back to back connected by a lockable inter-leading door between the two private bathrooms. An elegant Junior Suite boasts a spacious bedroom, living area, patio with a splash pool, large bathroom and inspiring views. Experience the true art of Hospitality with the thoughtful touch of attentive staff to contribute to a truly memorable experience. Facilities include a sparkling pool, bar, sundowner deck, beer garden and an al fresco terrace where one can enjoy exquisite food, award-winning wines and magnificent views of the floodlit waterhole. The Sossusvlei Lodge Adventure Centre provides a range of activities including Guided Excursions to Deadvlei and Sossusvlei, Elim dune walks, Sundowner Trips, Quad Buggy Nature Drives, Hot Air Ballooning, Scenic Flights and much more to explore the area’s natural beauty.
Special cancellation terms may apply for certain products and services.
General Terms
Seek your doctor’s advice with regards to vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis.