Your itinerary
Day 1: Depart UK.
Overnight flight to Windhoek.
Day 2: Arrive Windhoek. Included sightseeing.
On arrival in Windhoek you will be met and transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay. En route to your hotel, enjoy an introductory city tour, which includes the Rider Memorial, the Parliament Building (also known as 'Ink Palace'), the Lutheran Church and the Railway Station. The evening is at your own leisure.
Day 3: Windhoek - Kalahari Desert.
We travel south through Rehoboth, centre of the Baster community - a unique group descended from Cape Dutch settlers and indigenous African tribes. Later, we travel along tar and gravel roads toward the Kalahari Desert. This great sand basin covers areas in South Africa, Botswana as well as Namibia. Upon arrival spend the afternoon enjoying a nature drive. The view of antelopes, giraffes and birdlife set amidst the backdrop of the red dunes of the desert, is an amazing sight to behold.
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Day 4: Kalahari Desert - Maltahohe.
Today we journey further into the desert. The Kalahari Desert is a semi-dry region and animals that might be spotted in this area range from hyenas to lions and antelopes. Your journey passes through the friendly market town of Mariental before arriving at Maltahohe. This evening, enjoy a nature drive and free time to absorb the views and tranquillity of the area.
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Day 5: Maltahohe - Sossusvlei - Maltahohe.
Prepare for an unforgettable day featuring some of the world's highest sand dunes and most remarkable arid terrain. Ensure you have your camera close at hand for the chance to capture some incredible images of this peculiar area. We travel to the Namib-Naukluft National Park for an excursion into Sossusvlei - a salt pan surrounded by towering sand dunes that are famous for their magnificent red colour. Upon arrival you transfer to a four-wheel drive vehicle. We then drive into the 'vlei' - an inland body of water that is frequently dry. The astonishing landscape is littered with green and dead trees throughout. We continue on to Sesriem - a deep canyon, whose name means 'six belts', which was the amount of rope needed by the settlers to reach the water flowing through the bottom.
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Day 6: Maltahohe - Namib Desert - Swakopmund.
Remaining in the oldest desert in the world, we travel further north through the barren sand. Despite minimal amounts of rain, the desert still supports various forms of plant life, all of which have adapted to the harsh conditions. One of the unique plants that you will see during your drive is the Welwitschia Mirabilis, a shrub that grows two long, bizarrely shaped leaves. We also visit Moon Valley, named for its lunar resemblance, which are depicted by the irregular patterns in the sand. Later, you farewell the desert and travel to Swakopmund, located on the coast and renowned for its colonial German architecture.
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Day 7: Swakopmund - Walvis Bay Cruise - Swakopmund.
This morning we enjoy a delightful journey to Walvis Bay. This historic whaling town has a chequered history, from being discovered by the Portuguese, colonised by the British and despite being in the middle of Namibia, was formally governed by South Africa until 1994. Your time here will be spent cruising the bay - rich in marine and bird life, sampling delicious local oysters and champagne, followed by a short tour of the town. Return to Swakopmund, where your afternoon is free to wander around the beach resort, browse the local shops and delightful cafes or perhaps explore the sand dunes during an optional quad biking adventure or experience an astounding view from above by a scenic flight.
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Day 8: Swakopmund - Henties Bay - Damaraland.
This morning will start with an early breakfast followed by a drive along the coast. Enjoy a visit to a seal colony and travel through Henties Bay, a small fishing resort. The region of Damaraland is world-famous for the large number of Stone Age engravings in the area, as well as incredible rock formations. Two of the most significant are 'Burnt Mountain' - created by a curious process of hot lava combining with limestone, giving it a distinctive orange hue and the 'Organ Pipes' - a series of spectacular pillars set in a riverbed that were formed around 120 million years ago.
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Day 9: Damaraland - Twyfelfontein - Etosha National Park.
During our first stop this morning, we will see up-close the famous rock art of Twyfelfontein. Believed to have been created by bushmen from as long as 6,000 years ago, this astounding collection is one of the largest in Africa and depicts a large variety of animals and bushman life. After marvelling at the ancient art, we will stop briefly at the Petrified Forest, created when fallen trees were covered by volcanic material, which crystallized and preserved the wood for thousands of years - some of the trees are up to 30 metres long. Following this, we travel into the area of Etosha National Park, dominated by the Etosha Pan - a flat saline desert that was formerly a lake and is Namibia's greatest game park.
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Day 10: Etosha National Park. Included sightseeing and game safari.
After a leisurely breakfast, we drive to a range of watering holes scattered throughout the National Park. Seeing magnificent and rare wildlife up close in their natural environment is a once in a lifetime opportunity making your game safari an unforgettable experience. The game present in Etosha National Park include impala, lions, zebra, antelope and giraffe. The park is unique for being one of the last wild sanctuaries of the endangered black rhino, as well as home to what is said to be the tallest elephants in Africa. Your day is completed with a stay at a charming safari lodge (outside the National Park).
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Day 11: Etosha National Park - Tsumeb - Okahandja - Windhoek. Included mountain drive and sunset dinner.
We spend today discovering Namibia's more recent history during an interesting journey of contrasts. We travel past Lake Otjikoto, which makes up part of a massive underground reservoir, believed at one point to be bottomless. At the end of the Great War the retreating German army left an arsenal of weapons behind, which is still being retrieved by divers today. We then make a stop in Tsumeb, which is close to an area rich in minerals leading to an extensive mining operation, to learn more about the history of the mine during your visit to the town's museum. During a stop in Okahandja - home to a large and exquisite wood carving market, enjoy browsing through and purchasing the unique souvenirs and gifts. After checking into your hotel, we journey to the mountaintops where you will experience an incredible dinner and evening. Savour the best view in Namibia in the warmth of the lit fires whilst the sun sets around you.
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Day 12: Windhoek - UK.
Windhoek is formed of a unique blend of German influences - seen in the buildings as well as the food - mixed with African culture and lifestyle. Spend the morning at leisure exploring this delightful city before being transferred to the airport for your overnight flight back to the UK.
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Day 13: Home landing in the UK.
Hotels On Tour
Windhoek: Safari Court Hotel; Kalahari Desert: Auob Lodge; Maltahohe: Namseb Game Lodge; Swakopmund: Rossmund Lodge; Damaraland: Twyfelfontein Lodge; Etosha National Park: Etosha Gateway Lodge and Mokuti Lodge.
Note: Tour hotels will be as specified or alternatives of a similar standard.
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