Diverse Namibia

DIVERSE NAMIBIA – 10 Day Adventurer Exploration

Explorations Safaris are an innovative range of fully serviced cross -country mobile safaris that create a secluded sense of wild camping in Africa. These safaris utilise mostly private concessions and wildlife areas exclusive to Safari guests, enhancing the range and diversity of activities. Explorations guides are highly trained and noted for their passion and knowledge of their particular countries and lead each journey from start to finish, creating a seamless and detailed interpretive experience. A variety of travel modes such as game drives, walking, mokoro, canoeing, boating and air transfers maximise every opportunity to view Africa’s diverse flora and fauna. Each itinerary has been carefully created with the changing seasons, game movements and guest experience in mind.

Adventurer Explorations camps are pitched for the season, mostly in private concessions in prime, shady and scenic sites. These camps have “maxi” dome tents which are surprisingly spacious andsport stretchers and cotton linen. En-suite toilets are located at the back of each tent. Thanks to easy mobility these safaris explore the most remote and secret corners of the subcontinent.

Diverse Namibia is an active, exciting adventure, exploring key areas of this vast country – its dunes, desert, plains and iconic wildlife – complete with exclusive accommodation in private reserves and concessions and private access to Sossusvlei. Diverse Namibia takes in the soaring red dunes of Sossusvlei, the life-filled blue Atlantic Ocean, the desert and denizens of Damaraland, and the plains game and predators of Etosha National Park. Throughout the Exploration are interspersed activities such as scenic walks, mountain biking, visiting the spectacular and ancient rock engravings at Twyfelfontein and rhino tracking, along with optional hot air ballooning and horse-riding – all together, a true Namibian adventure!

ITINERARY

Days 1 – 2:  Kulala Adventurer Camp, Sossusvlei

You will be met at Windhoek Airport by your Explorations guide and begin your journey by driving 340km through the Khomas Hochland mountains and down into the iconic Sossusvlei region, a driving time of approximately five hours.

The first two nights are spent at Kulala Adventurer Camp on the private Kulala Wilderness Reserve, a 37 000-hectare tract of land near the spectacular sights of Sossusvlei, bordering the expansive Namib Naukluft Park. The camp, comprising dome tents under the shade, is perfect for taking in the Reserve’s expansive vistas and stark beauty and enjoys views into the Namib Naukluft National Park. Dining under the star-filled Namibian skies and watching a blood red sunset punctuated by the cacophony of barking geckos are a few highlights, as is spending unrushed quality time at the towering dunes of Sossusvlei, known for their red colouring in the early morning sunlight, accessed through our private gate which is closer to the dunes than the main park entry gate. Desert-adapted wildlife such as ostrich, springbok and gemsbok can be seen on the reserve, as well as smaller creatures like bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal and Cape fox.

Other activities include day and night scenic drives and walks, and optional early morning ballooning, horse riding or quad-biking (the last three at extra cost).

Days 3 – 4:  Hansa Hotel, Swakopmund

We depart camp early, driving through the snaking roads of the Kuiseb Canyon and out onto the expansive gravel plains before arriving in Walvis Bay and then finally driving up the skeleton coast into the quaint town of Swakopmund, a drive of about 5 -6 hours (approximately 370 km).

On day 4, we explore the ice-blue Atlantic coast, from the port town of Swakopmund to its incredible marine mammals. A private “Dolphin and Seal” catamaran cruise from Walvis Bay (weather permitting) provides a wonderful opportunity to explore this beautiful bay and coastline.

The cruise takes in the Oyster Platforms, where we learn about the oysters cultivated here – including tasting the delicacies – before moving on to Pelican Point to see the lighthouse, and an area in which three species of dolphins may be encountered, namely the rare endemic Heaviside’s dolphin, dusky and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Aside from spotting diverse pelagic (ocean-going) birdlife, pelicans and flamingo, and Cape fur seals, the massive sunfish, leatherback turtles, southern right and humpback whales can be seen in season.

Accommodation is at the Hansa Hotel, an iconic place that forms part of Swakopmund’s architectural culture and is said to be one of the oldest buildings in the town. It is ideally situated in the centre of Swakopmund within easy walking distance of town and the beach. The luxury of the hotel, its excellent cuisine and friendly service are well known locally and internationally. We will have an opportunity to appreciate this hotel as well as other restaurants and sights in Swakopmund over the two days.

Days 5 – 7:  Drive to Damaraland Adventurer Camp, Damaraland

We continue our journey by road 320km (approximately 8-hour drive) to Damaraland, west of the Brandberg Mountain (the second largest monolith in the world after Ayre’s Rock, Australia), stopping for lunch at Ugab Save the Rhino Trust Camp. The Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) has been involved with rhino conservation in this area since the early eighties, and has been singly responsible for helping these rare animals survive and thrive, so that today this area boasts the largest concentration of black rhino anywhere on the planet outside of a national park. Community game scouts employed by the Trust as monitors are the trackers and guides.

Once in the area around Damaraland, we are in the heart of the rocky desert, an ancient glacial landscape. Damaraland boasts a varied and breathtaking assortment of desert-adapted species including one of the highest concentrations of desert elephant and black rhino, and a surprisingly high diversity of wildlife including Hartmann’s mountain zebra, kudu, giraffe, gemsbok, and springbok, with occasional cheetah sightings. Our activities range from nature walks, mountain biking, viewing the rock engravings at Twyfelfontein (a World Heritage Site) to day and night nature drives, exploring the mountains, hills and ephemeral river beds and springs.

Looking south from camp toward the imposing Brandberg Mountains, Damaraland offers its guests endless vistas and one of the best wilderness areas in Namibia. Early morning mists generated by the clash between the icy Atlantic Ocean and the warm desert air of the Skeleton Coast, drift inland along the river sand canyon, providing sustenance to the flora and fauna of the region.

Days 8 – 9:  Road transfer to Andersson’s Camp, Ongava Game Reserve

We drive approximately 330km (approximately 5 hours’ drive time) to Ongava Game Reserve on the boundary of Etosha National Park, to experience big game viewing and this iconic salt pan.

Etosha remains the highest density wildlife area within Namibia, its’ fame justly acknowledged. The salt pan (largest salt pan in the world) is speculated to be a remnant of an ancient glacial lake – today being maintained by scouring winds across its surface and sporadic ephemeral flooding. Springs along the edge of the pan attract and quench the thirst of a dense and varied conglomeration of wildlife, mixing savanna and desert species like impala and springbuck. On day 9 we embark on a full day game drive into Etosha, exploring the southern roads of Etosha Pan from Okakeujo through to Halali (where we stop for lunch and relax in the cool shade watching the game coming in to drink at the waterhole), meandering our way from waterhole to spring and enjoying the endless vistas and mirages of the pan itself.

On the southern boundary of Etosha National Park and forming a buffer to the Park lies Ongava Game Reserve, a prolific 30 000ha private concession. It is a haven to large concentrations of wildlife: notably lion, cheetah, black rhino, white rhino, springbok, gemsbok, wildebeest, Burchell’s zebra, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, waterbuck, red hartebeest, giraffe, eland and the largest population of the endemic black-faced impala outside of Etosha. Andersson’s Camp makes for a comfortable modern day, eco-friendly exploration of the Etosha landscape. Its resurrected farmstead fronts onto a waterhole and the 20 tented guest units, each with en suite bathroom, are raised on decks for an enhanced view.

To further enhance our Etosha experience and while accommodated on the private Ongava Reserve, we can enjoy night game drives and walks, while evening game viewing is enhanced with a floodlit waterhole out the front of the main area.

Days 10:  Drive to Windhoek

Driving south, we return to Windhoek at 13h00 (approximate distance – 420km) where the adventure ends.

End of Safari

Includes:

Excludes:

• Flights (other than specified in the detailed safari itinerary)
• Visas
• Compulsory comprehensive insurance
• All relevant entry and departure government taxes
• All drinks
• All personal purchases (including curios, spirit liquors, telephone calls etc.)
• Gratuities
• Laundry
• Optional extra activities, pre and post safari tours and all other travel arrangements before or after the safari
• Any new Government taxes, levies, fuel or industry increases which are beyond our control

Notes:

• Each departure is guaranteed with minimum of 2 confirmed guests and operates with a maximum of 8 guests per safari.
• We will gladly create tailor-made departures, subject to the availability of space.
• Should all other bookings on an Exploration cancel, reducing the group to one guest, we will convert the booking to an FIT package,in all likelihood at an increased price.
• Guests need to arrive in Windhoek no later than 09h00 on the day of departure (we recommend that guests overnight in Windhoek before the start of the safari). The safari also ends in Windhoek on the last day at approximately 13h00.
• Age Limits – Children from the age of 12 are welcome on all scheduled departures. For parties with children under 12, a private tailor-made safari will be quoted for on request.
• The Operator reserves the right, due to situations beyond our control, to substitute a lodge or location with another of comparable quality at no additional cost.
• No triple rooms are accepted.
• These Explorations are limited to a 20 kg luggage allowance (in soft bags only with no wheels or frame) per person.