Cost and validity
1 January to 31 October 2021
Please note
Approx. 85% of Namibian roads are untarred. We strongly advise you to rent a four by four. Also, Hosea Kutako International Airport in Namibia is 45 km east of Windhoek where most rental car companies are located. Please arrange with your rental car company to be collected from the airport and transferred to Windhoek where you can pick up your rental car. We would be happy to arrange a rental car for your convenience if you prefer. Rates on request.
Price Includes
8 nights’ accommodation (2 nights Windhoek, 2 nights Sossusvlei, 2 nights Swakopmund and 2 nights Erindi Private Game Reserve)
8 breakfasts
4 dinners (2 dinners at Sossusvlei Lodge and 2 dinners at Old Traders Lodge)
1 lunch at Old Traders Lodge
2 game drives in Erindi Private Game Reserve
Tourism levy
Porterages
15% VAT
Excluded from Price
Flights
Rental car and fuel
All entrances and activities
Meals not specified
Travel insurance
Optional activities and excursions (rates on request)
Expenses of a personal nature
Visa fees (where applicable
Airport taxes
What to Bring
Comfortable shoes
Warm jackets
Sunhat and sunglasses
Sun cream
Cameras
Personal belongings
IMPORTANT
Namibia emergency number: +264 81 127 0564
When you arrive at Hosea Kutako International Airport in Namibia, make sure to exchange money and purchase an MTC telephone card for your cell phone before proceeding to the capital city, Windhoek. There, you will collect your rental car and drive to Am Weinberg Estate Boutique Hotel which will be your accommodation for the night.
Once you have checked in and collected your info pack which contains maps, routes, important contact numbers and other pertinent information, you can head out on your own and explore some of Windhoek’s turn of the century landmark sights such as the Tintenpalast, Christuskirche and former fort turned museum, the Alte Feste. You also have the option to book a guided, three-hour sightseeing city tour with us in advance.
Am Weinberg Estate offers a wide range of dinner options from sundowners and tapas at the Sky Lounge to sophisticated cuisine at the Wine Lounge, from the largest variety of locally sourced ingredients in Namibia at Olivia’s Kitchen to fresh seafood at the Cape Town Fish Market and great steaks at Butcher Block.
Distance travelled:
Approx. 45 km from Hosea Kutako International Airport to Windhoek
Please note:
Most rental car companies are located in Windhoek, 45 km to the west of the airport. If you book your car rental through us, we will arrange for a representative of the car rental company to meet you at the airport and transfer you to Windhoek where you can collect your four-by-four and proceed to your hotel. Rates on request. Airport transfer and the rental car not included in the price of the safari.
After a leisurely breakfast at Am Weinberg Estate Boutique Hotel, it is time to start the first leg of your 9-Day Namibia Self-Drive Safari. If you head off at around 09h00, you should arrive at Sossusvlei Lodge which is situated directly at the entrance gate to the Namib Naukluft Park at approximately 14h00. The route starts tarred, allowing our European clients to get used to driving on the left side of the road, before turning to gravel further on.
You can stop en-route to take photographs of the rural Namibian landscape but you should aim, if possible, to arrive at your destination no later than mid-afternoon if you have pre-booked a sundowner nature drive. The sundowner nature drive is optional, so guests who would prefer to relax at the lodge instead, are free to do so.
We do, however, recommend that you visit the Adventure Centre after you check in to find out about other optional activities such as:
Meals at Sossusvlei Lodge are served al fresco on a terrace that faces a waterhole framed by Elim Dune in the distance. It is not unusual to see wildlife such as oryx, springbok and jackal drinking at the waterhole. There is also a bar, a sundowner deck and a cosy beer garden with a fire pit beneath centuries-old Acacia trees.
Recommendations for Day 3:
No trip to Namibia is complete without an early morning excursion to Sossusvlei, a salt and clay pan surrounded by majestic dunes, or a visit to nearby photographers’ favourite, Deadvlei, where 900-year old petrified trees rise from the bleached-white pans and form a striking contrast against a backdrop of red sand and blue skies. A visit to the ancient caves and fascinating rock formations of the Sesriem Canyon are also a must.
We strongly recommend you ask the staff at Sossusvlei Lodge’s Adventure Centre to help you plan your excursion to Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and Sesriem Canyon, especially if you want to avoid getting caught in the midday sun which sees temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius. If you feel your level of fitness does not allow for long walks or hiking up dunes, the Adventure Centre will be able to suggest alternative options that require less physical exertion.
Distance travelled:
After breakfast on the morning of Day 4, it is time to depart for Namibia’s adventure capital, the coastal town of Swakopmund where the cool breeze off the Atlantic Ocean will be much welcomed after the desert heat. It can take up to five hours to drive the mostly gravel route with stops here and there to explore some of the highlights en-route and fill up on fuel and provisions.
Some highlights en-route to Swakopmund include:
When you arrive in Swakopmund, check in at the ocean-front Strand Hotel Swakopmund which will be your accommodation for the following two nights. After your road trip, you might want to spend the rest of the afternoon strolling on the beach or exploring Swakopmund on foot. Some noteworthy landmarks that lend Swakopmund its charming German colonial character and other unique experiences include:
You can dine at one of the Strand Hotel Swakopmund’s three restaurants. Brewer & Butcher has an in-house beer brewery, Farmhouse Deli serves Italian and Ocean Cellar is prized for its seafood and comprehensive wine list.
Please note:
Ask reservations to book a table for dinner when you check in at the Strand Hotel Swakopmund. You can also ask them what other dining options they recommend in Swakopmund. The Jetty 1905 Restaurant is a popular choice.
Recommendations for Day 5
There are several activities available in the nearby harbour town of Walvis Bay which is a short 45-km drive from Swakopmund. Many clients leave Swakopmund after breakfast on the morning of Day 5 and spend the day in Walvis Bay doing a combination of the following activities at their leisure:> a morning Dolphin & Seal Catamaran Cruise from Walvis Bay to Pelican Point
Distance travelled
Day 6 sees you departing Swakopmund after breakfast. Keep an eye out en-route between Swakopmund and Usakos for the Spitzkoppe, a group of 120-million-year-old bald granite inselbergs in the distance. When you get to Usakos, you can take an optional detour to pay a visit to the Omandumba San Cultural Village, a living monument to the indigenous hunter-gatherer peoples who were the first to call Southern Africa home. We suggest you call ahead before leaving Swakopmund to book a cultural tour in advance or ask us to make a booking for you if you want to include the San experience in your itinerary.
You should aim to arrive at Old Traders Lodge in Erindi Private Game Reserve around mid-afternoon. That will give you enough time to check in and freshen up before enjoying sundowners and dinner with a view over an active waterhole which sees visits from hippo, crocodile and elephant.
Day 7 sees you embarking on two open-safari vehicle game drives with a knowledgeable safari guide through Erindi Private Game Reserve, a sunrise game drive in the early morning and sunset game drive in the late afternoon. In between, you can enjoy lunch back at Old Traders Lodge. Some of the wildlife you can expect to encounter are cheetah, leopard, lion, hyena, African wild dog, jackal, elephant, hippo, giraffe, eland, waterbuck, springbok, impala, kudu, wildebeest, hartebeest, gemsbok, duiker, steenbuck, klipspringer and zebra.
Please note
If you want to book another early morning game drive on the day of your departure from Erindi Private Game Reserve on Day 8, please speak to reservations on the evening of Day 7.
Distance travelled
The final day of your 9-Day Namibia Self-Drive Safari will see you leaving Erindi Private Game Reserve after breakfast and driving back to Windhoek. There you will check in at Am Weinberg Estate Boutique Hotel. If you have an early flight the next morning, you might want to return your rental car when you arrive in Windhoek before proceeding to the hotel. You can arrange a transfer from the hotel to the airport at reception.
Distance travelled
Day 9 marks the end of your 9-Day Namibia Self-Drive Safari. After breakfast, it’s time to check out of your hotel in Windhoek and proceed to Hosea Kutako International Airport for your flight back home.
Distance travelled
PLEASE NOTE
When you arrive in Windhoek, you will receive an information pack from reception at the first establishment. This information pack will contain important information such as:
Check-in is usually after 14h00 and check-out at 10h00. Should you arrive at your accommodation before 14h00, you might be able to check in earlier, provided your room is ready. However, an early check-in is not always possible, especially during peak season.
Am Weinberg Estate Boutique Hotel
Elegant and exclusive, Am Weinberg Estate Boutique Hotel is situated in Klein Windhoek in close proximity to the National Botanical Gardens, Avis Dam Nature Reserve and the Independence Museum. The en-suite Courtyard Fountain Rooms are air-conditioned and have flat-screen TVs. Despite their modern amenities, the rooms at Am Weinberg Estate Boutique Hotel exude an old-world charm.
Other facilities include
Sossusvlei Lodge
Sossusvlei Lodge is conveniently located at the entrance gate to the Namib Naukluft Park. The large, air-conditioned, en-suite Superior Units have desert-facing patios, twin beds and a refreshment niche with refrigerator and tea and coffee making facilities. Two of the Superior Units are wheelchair friendly. The en-suite bathroom has both a bathtub and a large shower, a toilet and a double vanity.
Other facilities include:
Strand Hotel Swakopmund
The Strand Hotel Swakopmund is located on the beachfront. The elegant, sea-facing, air-conditioned, en-suite Luxury Rooms have WiFi and a TV. The bathrooms have a shower, separate toilet and double vanities. There is also a couch and two comfortable armchairs in the room.
Other facilities include:
Old Traders Lodge
Surrounded by indigenous trees, the suites at Old Traders Lodge in Erindi Private Game Reserve exude an old-world safari charm. The air-conditioned, en-suite Luxury Suites with their bedroom and cosy lounge are well-equipped with minibar, coffee and tea station and large screen satellite TV area. Each has a patio which faces a small but well-frequented waterhole.
Other facilities include
Am Weinberg Estate Boutique Hotel
Same as Day 1.
PLEASE NOTE
Accommodation is subject to availability. If we are unable to book accommodation as stated, we will look for a similar alternative and advise you accordingly.
20% pre-payment at time of booking.
Balance to be settled 60 days prior to travel.
Payment to be made in ZAR (South African Rands).
The customer is liable for any bank charges.
Account holder: Africa Focus Tours Namibia (Pty) ltd
Bank: Nedbank Namibia
Account number: 110 000 707 52
Branch code: 461 696
Swift code: NEDSNANX
Cancellations 90 to 45 days prior to travel forfeit 20% of the full booking amount (ie deposit)
Cancellations 44 to 30 days prior to travel forfeit 30% of the full booking amount
Cancellations 29 to 15 days prior to travel forfeit 40% of the full booking amount
Cancellations 14 to 8 days prior to travel forfeit 60% of the full booking amount
Cancellations 7 days to NO SHOW forfeit 100% of the full booking amount
Special cancellation terms may apply for certain products and services.
General Terms
Price quoted per person.
Minimum of 2 pax required for tour departure.
The hotels mentioned in the itinerary will depend on availability at the time of making the booking and any alternatives will be of a similar standard.
This is merely a quotation and not a confirmed booking.
Seek your doctor’s advice with regards to vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis.
Parents travelling with children must provide an unabridged birth certificate which includes details of the child’s father as well as the mother for all travelling children. This applies even when both parents are travelling with their children.
When children are travelling with guardians, these adults are required to produce affidavits from the children’s parents proving permission for the children to travel.The above applies to foreigners and South Africans travelling to or from South Africa as well as travellers in transit.
Please note that the child must be the appropriate age (according to accommodation stipulated) at the time of travel.
Unless otherwise specified, children under 12 years of age qualify as a child rate and over 12 years of age as an adult rate.
Rates and policies for children under 12 years of age on request.