Namibian Explorer 2020

Welcome to Namibia and its capital, Windhoek. This morning, after meeting your crew, we pack our bags into our vehicle and set off for The Waterberg Plateau National Park. Arriving in the early afternoon, our game viewing experience starts immediately with our game drive through the Waterberg Plateau National Park. The Waterberg Plateau is an impressive sandstone table-top mountain that rises 200m above the surrounding bushveld providing a home to more than 25 species of game and at least 200 bird species.

After breakfast, we leave the Waterberg Plateau for Etosha National Park. With vast salt pans, savanna and woodland, Etosha is one of Africa’s finest game parks. At 18 000 sq km, it is one of the biggest Parks in Southern Africa. Etosha means “great white area”, which refers to the large dried pan in the middle of the Park. This afternoon, we will spend the afternoon exploring the park in the Nomad Truck.

Etosha is the venue for some of the most unique game viewing experiences in Africa. Today we have a full-day to explore the edges of the Etosha Pan in search of the abundant wildlife that occurs in the park. Our truck offers us an elevated platform and we will spend some time at the many waterholes dotted throughout the park.

Our final morning in Etosha ends with us making our way to the gate to exit the park. The road today leads us towards the Brandberg / Khorixas area. Today we will explore the Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings and the Petrified Forest in the Kunene Region. This area has been inhabited for 6000 years by the Khoi San. These inhabitants used the site to conduct shamanist rituals. In the process, 2500 rock paintings were created. This site displays one of the largest concentrations of rock petroglyphs in Africa. Also on route, we visit the Petrified Forest, a national monument, comprising of prehistoric tree trunks now fossilised. In prehistoric times huge tree trunks were washed down a river and deposited in alluvial sands, creating this relic.

This morning we travel from Twyfelfontein via Brandberg to the seaside town of Swakopmund. The Brandberg (Burning Mountains), are regarded as the highest in Namibia and home to the famous White Lady, one of more than 45,000 rock paintings in the area. This morning we will make the 1-hour hike to visit the painting that is said to be around 2,000 years old. (Please be advised that the hike does traverse rough terrain along the gorge of the normally dry Tsisab River).

Today is all about exploring Swakopmund or participating in the many activities on offer in this coastal town. Not to be missed is the selection of famed coffee shops and bakeries that offer a delightful range of treats.

It is an early start today as we leave Swakopmund and head towards the famous Namib Naukluft National Park. We begin our exploration of the desert by joining an expert guide for an educational desert excursion. No visit to Namibia would be complete without a stop at the famous bakery in Solitaire, known for its apple pie – not to be missed. We will enjoy our apple pie and a wonder around this one-horse town before heading to our accommodation for the next 2 nights.

A brisk climb up Dune 45 offers us the perfect vantage point to marvel at the changing colours of the desert. Once satisfied we descend this famous dune before catching a 4×4 transfer into Sossusvlei. Here we will spend time on foot visiting the pans at Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. As we leave we will make a short stop at the Sesriem Canyon. Tonight we empty the red sand from our shoes and spend the night under the magnificent desert stars, knowing that we have spent a full-day enjoying the wonders of this harsh land.

We make our way towards Kalkrand, the area is one of the most beautiful parts of Namibia and a must see. Enjoy the beauty of the deep red dunes colours. You may spot several types of antelope’s like the Oryx. You may even spot a meerkat.

Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Kalahari today as you participate in the various optional activities on offer. Today is for you to enjoy the area. One of the many highlights of the Kalahari is the star gazing and tonight you get the opportunity to view the stars, planets, clusters and depending on the time of month, the moon. Tonight presents itself with a final opportunity to soak in the Namibian sunset on an evening sunset drive with sundowners.

After breakfast we bid farewell to the red sand of the Kalahari and take aim for Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia. We will take a short walk through the city centre and have the opportunity to view some its better known landmarks.

Today our tour comes to an end after breakfast. Take the day to book a city tour of Windhoek or relax at the lodge until your departure flight.