7-Day Northern Namibia Wildlife Explorer Guided Tour

Day 1 & Day 2

Swakopmund | Hansa Hotel Swakopmund | 2 Nights Bed & Breakfast

Day 1 sees you transferring from Namibia’s capital city, Windhoek, to the seaside retreat of Swakopmund. After checking in to Hansa Hotel Swakopmund, your accommodation for the following two nights, you will have the opportunity to discuss your itinerary for the next 7 days with your English-speaking tour guide. Your guide will assist with booking any optional activities and excursions you might be interested in and advise on how those activities may impact on the logistics of departure times.

After the briefing with your tour guide, you have the option of booking a sightseeing city tour or you can strike out on your own and wander around Swakopmund on foot. Founded in 1892, Swakopmund’s quaint architecture reflects its strong German colonial heritage and highlights includes:

• The 1905 headquarters of the German trading company, Woermannhaus
• Altes Gefängnis, a national historic landmark from 1909 that still functions as a prison today
• The old engineer corps troops barracks, Alte Kaserne
• Haus Hohenzollern, built as an Art Nouveau luxury hotel in 1906
• The old Railway Station

Hansa Hotel Swakopmund, one of Namibia’s oldest hotels, is situated within walking distance of the shops, restaurants, and the beach. Breakfasts and dinners are served in the hotel’s restaurant. For an exceptional dining experience, ask your guide to book you a table at the Jetty 1905 Restaurant on the Swakopmund Jetty which is prized for its incredible ocean views and delicious seafood.

Recommendations for Day 2

Swakopmund and nearby Walvis Bay are well-known for their adventure activities. The scenic journey between the two towns is worth the trip, especially in the early morning when the cold sea air transforms into a swirling mist when it meets the dunes of the Namib Desert flanking the coastline.

Optional activities in the area include:

• oysters and sparkling wine Catamaran Cruise in Walvis Bay
• a guided Living Desert Tour of the Namib
• an adventurous dune quad-bike excursion
• a visit to the Crystal Gallery to see the largest cluster of quartz crystals in the world a guided Fat Bike Historical City or Dune Landscape tour

Day 3

Kalkfeld Region | Mount Etjo Safari Lodge | 1 Night Dinner, Bed & Breakfast

The next leg of your 7-Day Northern Namibia Wildlife Explorer Guided Tour begins after breakfast on the morning of Day 3 when you depart for Kalkfeld via the Erongo Mountains. En-route keep an eye out for a group of colossal bald granite inselbergs in the distance called the Spitzkoppe. You will stop along the way for a unique cultural excursion into the lives and

customs of the ancient San. At the Omandumba San Cultural Village, you will learn how to make jewellery from ostrich eggshells and how to shoot arrows from a San bow.

When you check in to Mount Etjo Safari Lodge around mid-afternoon, confer with your guide on the optional activities you might be interested in booking on the morning of Day 4 (see our Recommendations Day 4) before taking a dip in the swimming pool or enjoying sundowners at the bar. Dinner is served alfresco in the Boma.

Day 4 and Day 5

Etosha West | Toshari Lodge | 2 Nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast

After wrapping up your morning activities by late morning, you will make your way towards one of the most prolific game-viewing areas in Africa, Etosha National Park. The unique and varied landscape of Etosha offers sanctuary to a wide range of wildlife from lion, elephant, leopard and rhino to giraffe, cheetah, hyena and African wild dog as well as various antelope species and a wide range of birdlife. Your accommodation for the next two nights, Toshari Lodge, is situated 25 km from Etosha’s Andersons Gate beneath the canopies of Mopane and white Seringa trees. After checking in, the afternoon can be spent at your leisure, lounging poolside or exploring the grounds. Dinners are served at Toshari Lodge Restaurant.

Recommendations for Day 4

Located in the heart of one of Namibia’s first private game reserves, the Okonjati Game Reserve, Mount Etjo Safari Lodge has a range of wildlife and nature activities to choose from including:

• an early morning open-safari vehicle game drive
• a 3-hour guided rhino tracking bushwalk
• a 1.5 km walk to see the footprints left behind by prehistoric dinosaurs

Recommendations for Day 5

Day 5 is reserved for a full day of game viewing in Etosha National Park with your guide. After breakfast, you will enter the park through Andersons Gate and explore the savannah and woodland terrain in search of game. If you are lucky, you might spot the critically endangered black rhino and the exceedingly rare black-faced impala. A definite highlight is the Etosha Pan, a salt pan that forms part of the Kalahari Basin. It is this stark white dry lakebed that gives Etosha its name (Etosha means ‘Great White Place’ in Ovambo) and it is here that a wildlife spectacle unfolds when predators and prey congregate in large numbers to drink from what little water sources they can find. Lunch takes the form of a hearty lunch pack on the go or you can stop at a Camp Restaurant inside the park (not included in price of tour). Return to Toshari Lodge in the late afternoon for sundowners and dinner.

Day 6

Waterberg Plateau Park Region | Waterberg Guest Farm Namibia | 1 Night Dinner, Bed & Breakfast

Day 6 sees you embarking on another 2- to 3-hour game drive in Etosha after an early breakfast. You will then strike out via Outjo and Otjiwarongo towards the Waterberg Plateau Park, home to a prominent table mountain that looks over the plains of the Kalahari of Eastern Namibia. Your accommodation for the night, Waterberg Guest Farm Namibia, is situated at the foot of Waterberg Plateau. After checking in, time permitting, the following optional activities are available:

• an excursion to the Cheetah Conservation Foundation
• guided or unguided 1.5- to 3-hour walk to Small Waterberg or Omumborombonga Forest
• a wellness treatment

Day 7

Windhoek | Hosea Kutako International Airport

Day 7 marks the end of your 7-Day Northern Namibia Wildlife Explorer Guided Tour. After breakfast, it is time to check out and travel via Okahandja and Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport for your outward-bound flight.

PLEASE NOTE

If you want to extend your Namibian experience by spending an extra night in Windhoek on Day 7, please let us know and we would be more than happy to assist with booking accommodation and airport transfers. Your guide will drop you off at your hotel in Windhoek en-route to the airport or after dropping the other guests off at the airport, depending on logistics.

ACCOMMODATION

All the properties mentioned in our itinerary are subject to availability. If we are unable to book our preferred accommodation as stated, we will look for a similar alternative and advise you accordingly.

Day 1 & Day 2

Swakopmund | 2 Nights Bed & Breakfast

Hansa Hotel Swakopmund

Dating back to 1905, Hansa Hotel Swakopmund is one of Namibia’s oldest hotels. Situated a few blocks away from the beach, Hansa Hotel Swakopmund is within walking distance of shops, restaurants and some of the town’s most famous landmarks. The en-suite Standard Rooms have air-conditioning, flatscreen TVs, a coffee station, minibar, safe and WiFi.

Other facilities include

• a restaurant, a lunch terrace and a bar
• a garden
• free WiFi

Day 3

Kalkveld | 1 Night Dinner, Bed & Breakfast

Mount Etjo Safari Lodge

Located in the heart of the Okonjati Game Reserve, one of Namibia’s first private game reserves and home to over 8,000 animals and bird species, Mount Etjo Safari Lodge is well-known for its relaxed atmosphere and friendly service. The swimming pool and garden at the main lodge overlook a waterhole which sees regular visits from hippo, nyala and porcupine. The Rooms have large beds, a tea- and coffee-making station, safe, fridge, ceiling fan, air-conditioner and en-suite bathrooms with a shower.

Other facilities include:

• an outdoor swimming pool overlooking a waterhole
• a restaurant, bar and shared lounge
• free WiFi in public areas
• a souvenir shop
• Mount Etjo Museum

Day 4 & Day 5

Etosha West | 2 Nights Bed & Breakfast

Toshari Lodge

Situated a mere 25 km away from the Andersons Gate entry into Etosha National Park, famous for the iconic game viewing opportunities it provides, Toshari Lodge is perfectly positioned for day trips into Etosha. The spacious and comfortable African-inspired en-suite Rooms look onto the beautiful, lush gardens surrounding the lodge.

Other facilities include:

• a swimming pool and sun terrace
• WiFi
• a guest lounge
• a bar
• a restaurant
• a gift shop

Day 6

Waterberg Plateau Park Region | 1 Night Dinner, Bed & Breakfas

Waterberg Guest Farm Namibia

Surrounded by 42,000 hectares of untamed Africa savannah, Waterberg Guest Farm Namibia stands at the foot of the Waterberg Plateau in Northern Central Namibia. Each en-suite Room has a private entrance leading onto a veranda, a safe, a fan and a tea- and coffee-making facility.

Other facilities include

• a dining room
• a guest lounge
• a library
• an outdoor pool and sun terrace
• a traditional lapa and bar
• WiFi in public areas
• wellness treatments

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.

Payment Terms

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.

Banking Details

Account holder: Africa Focus Tours Namibia (Pty) ltd
Bank: Nedbank Namibia
Account number: 011500012252
Branch code: 96167200
Swift code: NEDSNANX

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations 32 to 22 days prior to travel forfeit 60% of the full booking amount.
Cancellations 21 to 15 days prior to travel forfeit 70% of the full booking amount.
Cancellations 15 to 8 days prior to travel forfeit 80% 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.

Terms & Conditions

General Terms

Price quoted per person and includes the cost of accommodation and meals for your guide (and driver where applicable).
Minimum of 2 pax required for tour departure.
Minimum age of children is 8 years old.
Families with children younger than 8 years of age are welcome to request a Private 7-Day Northern Namibia Wildlife Explorer Guided Tour.
Final bookings and rooming lists to be supplied 35 days prior to the commencement date of the tour.
The accommodation mentioned in the itinerary will depend on availability at the time of making the booking. Any alternatives will be of a similar standard and will be within the same region.
This is merely a quotation and not a confirmed booking.

Health

Seek your doctor’s advice with regards to vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis.

Travelling with Children

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.
Minimum age of children is 8 years of age.
Rates and policies for children under 12 years of age on request.