Namibia by Private Label Guide (Fly Around Safari)

Duration: 18 Nights

Highlights: Windhoek, Etosha, Kunene, Skeleton Coast, Damaraland, Swakopmund, Sossusvlei, Namib Rand

Itinerary

Day 1 - Windhoek

Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, is located at the geographic centre of the country surrounded by rolling mountains. It's not only the perfect place to start or finish your holiday, but well worth a visit in its own right. The influence of German colonization is still present in language, architecture and restaurants where one can savour traditional dishes, bread and beer, and even celebrate Oktoberfest if the timing is right. During the day, the city centre has a European cafe culture feel, laid-back and eclectic, with a pedestrian precinct, bustling shops and market stalls. It all makes for great people watching, and due to Namibia's complex and intertwined history, you will see people of all colours and cultures. From the fairest blond to striking women in traditional dress - all seem to possess a wonderful sense of pride, hope and ambition.  Away from the cafe’s, guided tours are available of many of Windhoek's main attractions, including Namibia's National Museum at Alte Feste (Old Fort), the Christuskirche (Christ Church) of the Lutheran parish from the year 1896, and Katutura.

Upon arrival at Windhoek International Airport, clearing customs and immigration and collect your luggage and make your way to the Arrivals Halls. You will be met by your Private Label Guide and transfer to your lodge. The transfer duration is approximately 40 minutes.

Overnight: Habitas Windhoek - Standard room

Meal Plan: L,D

Day 2 – Windhoek to Etosha

The central north region of Namibia is a mix of flat gravel plains and grasslands, rolling wooded hills and rugged mountains. Here you will find Etosha National Park, one of Africa's premier wildlife sanctuaries and home to dazzling display of wildlife including the endangered cheetah and black rhino. Etosha National Park is famed for it a huge saltpan covering some 120 kilometres (75 miles) across and 55 kilometres (31 miles) from north to south.

Depart from Habitas Windhoek private airstrip for your charter flight to the Etosha National Park. The flying time is approximately two hours and 30 minutes.

Overnight: Little Ongava Lodge - Standard Room 

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 3 - Etosha National Park

Explore the wide-open salt pans of the Etosha National Park with your Private Label Guide.

Game drives - Guided afternoon/evening game drives take place on the private Ongava Game Reserve. The reserve has a diverse range of wildlife and is famed for its population of rhino and lion, as well as other game such as the endemic, black-faced impala.

Excursions into Etosha National Park - A full or half day guided morning game drive in the Etosha National Park, Namibia’s prime savannah wilderness area (with a packed lunch on full day), allows you to see the massive saltpan and perennial springs that provide the water required by the Park’s high-density big game population.

Guided Nature Walks - Offered seasonally and subject to an available walking guide, the guided nature walks through the reserve will proudly showcase the abundant array of life, from the unusual plants to the arid-adapted animals with a chance of potentially approaching white rhino.

The Hide - A hide is a fantastic place to while the hours away up close and personal with wildlife slaking its thirst at a waterhole. This arid environment where little water occurs makes this a popular drinking spot for game.

Ongava Information System and Visitor Centre - Guests can interface with science and research across the Ongava Game Reserve and part of this experience is an immersion into the world of natural history and science at the new Ongava Visitor Centre. With dozens of in-depth displays that feature information on the geology, animals, plants and ecological functioning of this fascinating region, guests are encouraged to meander through the self-guided exhibition area.

Overnight: Little Ongava Lodge - Standard Room

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 4 - Etosha National Park to Kunene River

Kunene is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia and home to the Himba ethnic group. Compared to the rest of Namibia, it is relatively underdeveloped due to the mountainous inaccessible geography and the dryness that significantly hinders agriculture. The region's name comes from the Kunene River which forms the northern border with Angola.

Depart by charter flight from Etosha National Park to Kunene River. The flying time is approximately two hours and 30 minutes.

Overnight: Okahirongo River Camp - Standard Tent

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 5 - Kunene River

Explore the mountain area and riverine of the Kunene with your Private Label Guide.

From stunning scenic drives to elusive desert adapted animals tracking. Each location has a specific set of experiences that we suggest to dive deep in the heart of the Kaokoland and the extraordinary Himba culture. The guides are 100% locals with lifetime experience in the location: they are true Himbas, heirs of ancient desert tribes knowledge. They have been trained to master desert driving and they bring in their priceless knowledge of nature and animals, for an experience that is a true encounter rather than just another “drive”.

Overnight: Okahirongo River Camp - Standard Tent

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 6 - Kunene River to Skeleton Coast

The Skeleton Coast is the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean coast of Namibia and south of Angola from the Kunene River south to the Swakop River, although the name is sometimes used to describe the entire Namib Desert coast. The area's name derives from the whale and seal bones that once littered the shore from the whaling industry, although in modern times the coast harbours the skeletal remains of the shipwrecks caught by offshore rocks and fog. The riverbeds further inland are home to baboons, giraffes, lions, black rhinoceros and springbok. The animals get most of their water from wells dug by the baboons or elephants.

Depart by charter flight from Kunene River to the Skeleton Coast. The flying time is approximately one hour.

Overnight: Shipwreck Lodge - Standard Tent

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 7 & 8 - Skeleton Coast

Explore the Skeleton Coast region with your Private Label Guide.

Möwe Bay Excursions - The dangerous beauty of Skeleton Coast! Either on your way to the lodge from Möwe Bay or returning from the lodge, you will see what is left of the victims of this treacherous coastline: Decaying ships, the remains of a Ventura Bomber and the abandoned Westies Diamond Mine bear witness to the unforgiving nature of this arid landscape. You will also visit the seal colony.

Sundowner Drive - The music of the Namib. Embark on a sundowner drive to the Roaring Dunes where the desert’s voice can be heard. Or watch the sun disappear into the Atlantic Ocean.

Hoarusib River Excursion - All along the river. Spend your morning exploring the Hoarusib River. Visit the Clay Castles, a striking geological formation. You might even spot the elusive desert-adapted elephants, brown hyenas and lions.

Beach Lunch (weather permitting) - Seaside lunch. Weather permitting, enjoy a scrumptious lunch on the vast empty beach. Feel the crisp sea-breeze tousle your hair and ponder the meaning of life as the ocean washes onto the pristine sand in its unending ebb and flow.

Quad Biking - Join one of the guides on a scenic drive over the roaring dunes. The tour takes approximately one hour 30 minutes and is for one guest per quad. As a safety precaution the minimum age is 16 years.

Dune boarding - For the more adventurous at heart, go for dune boarding. This is done by lying down on a polished board while you slide down the dune headfirst. Speeds of up to 80km/h can be reached.

Overnight: Shipwreck Lodge - Standard Tent

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 9 - Skeleton Coast to Damaraland

The rugged, rocky landscape of Damaraland in north-west Namibia is characterised by valleys and dry riverbeds that carve their way through deep gorges and ancient geological features. These rivers are ribbon-like oases that push through the most desolate of terrains and attract wildlife. The area boasts the geologically fascinating Twyfelfontein World Heritage Site and is home to around 1200 Nama, Damara, Riemvasmaaker and Herero people. The wildlife in the area is simply captivating and includes the famous desert-adapted elephants and black rhino.

Depart by charter flight from the Skeleton Coast to Damaraland. The flying time is approximately two hours.

Overnight: Onduli Ridge - Standard Tent

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 10 - Damaraland  

Explore the Damaraland with your Private Label Guide, from nature drives and nature walks, desert adapted animal activities to rock art explorations, solar e-biking and trail treats. There is so much to discover in this unspoilt piece of Africa.

Overnight: Onduli Ridge Standard Tent

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 11 Damaraland - Swakopmund  

Walvis Bay, located in Namibia, shares its name with the bay in which it lies. The town has 85,000 inhabitants and owns 29 square kilometres (11 square miles) of land. The bay has been a haven for sea vessels because of its natural deepwater harbour. It is the only natural harbour of any size along the country’s coastline. Rich in plankton and marine life, these waters also draw large numbers of whales, attracting whalers and fishing vessels.

Depart by charter flight from Damaraland to Swakopmund Airport. You will be transferred by road to The Strand Hotel.

Overnight: The Strand Hotel - Standard Room

Meal Plan: B

Day 12 - Swakopmund

Spend the day exploring Swakopmund with your Private Label Guide.

Overnight: The Strand Hotel - Standard Room

Meal Plan: B

Day 13 - Swakopmund to Sossusvlei

Transfer from The Strand Hotel to Swakopmund Airport and depart by charter flight to Sossusvlei. The flying time is approximately one hour and 30 minutes.

Sossusvlei represents the classic view of the Namib Desert of an ocean of sand, ‘waves’ that are made of bright red sand and dark shadows. Known as the ‘Sand Sea,’ it is sandwiched between the Atlantic’s cold Benguela Current and a rocky mountain escarpment that runs parallel more than 100 kilometres (62 miles) inland. Highlights in the area include the moon-like pans are grandly flanked by some of the world’s tallest dunes.

Sesriem Canyon is a cool, moist place in a barren and stark environment and yet despite low rainfall and lack of vegetation, the desert is filled with life. Sossusvlei mostly comprises of small animals that can survive with little water, including a number of arthropods, small reptiles and small mammalians such as rodents or jackals. Bigger animals include antelopes including oryxes, springboks and ostriches. During the flood season, several migrant bird species appear along the marshes and rivers. Much of the Sossusvlei and Namib fauna is endemic and highly adapted to the specific features of the Namib.

Overnight: Sossusvlei Desert Lodge - Standard Suite

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 14 & 15 – Sossusvlei

Explore Sossusvlei with your Private Label Guide.

Sossusvlei Excursion - This half-day morning adventure takes you into the Namib Naukluft National Park. Learn about the ecosystem, Aeolian geological processes, walk to Deadvlei, perhaps climb a sand dune, and for the fit and adventurous, conquer the towering ‘Big Daddy’.

Living Dunes - Set out to the dunes on our reserve, where the story of the deserts ecology is written in the sand. Explore the dunes on foot or by quad bike with a specialist guide who will uncover the secrets of the dunes.

Desert People - Step back in time and bring to life the history of the area and its people. Follow your expert guide into the untamed Namib Desert scattered with San rock art. Explore heritage sites and gain insight into the San people.

Desert Rock - Explore the unique landscape on this fascinating geological excursion, in a vehicle and on foot. View the varied topography, exposed due to the upliftment events after the continent of Gondwana split into Africa and South America. Observe young geology ‘in action’ as the dunes shape this awe-inspiring landscape.

Desert Drive - Be mesmerised by the magnificence of the desert on morning or late afternoon desert drives that continue after nightfall. Explore four different habitat types and ecosystems. Learn about fairy circles, how deserts are formed and function, and how animals have adapted to this desolate environment.

Stargazing - Sossusvlei neighbours Africa’s first International Dark Sky Reserve, which has also been awarded Gold Tier status, declaring it an environment with little to no impact from artificial light. Get a closer look at the night sky from our sophisticated observatory with resident astronomer and state-of-the-art telescope.

E-biking - Traverse the stark beauty and vast expanse on an e-bike. Easy to ride and super fun, these nifty bicycles are fitted with a battery-powered ‘assist’ that gives a boost via a throttle when pedalling. There are two different options, an 11 kilometre or a 19-kilometre route.

Hiking - Explore the lodge surrounds on foot, take the time to sit in the stillness and be enchanted by the views. There are two defined hiking trails, a 2.2 kilometre or a 3.4-kilometre route waiting to be explored.

Overnight: Sossusvlei Desert Lodge - Standard Suite

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 16 - Sossusvlei to NamibRand Nature Reserve

NamibRand Nature Reserve, a vast privately owned reserve covering almost 200 000 hectares bordering the Namib Naukluft Park, is situated south of Sossusvlei in southwestern Namibia. Synonymous with some of Africa’s most breathtaking locations, the Reserve originated in 1992 as desert frontiers where extended by integrating a large number of former livestock farms. To date, thirteen farms have been rehabilitated into a single continuous natural habitat. The result is a sanctuary free of fences allowing the wildlife to once again roam their habitat unhindered.

Depart by charter flight from Sossusvlei to NamibRand Nature Reserve. The flying time is approximately 45 minutes.

Overnight: Zannier Hotel Sonop - Standard Tent

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 17 & 18 NamibRand Nature Reserve

Explore the NamibRand Nature Reserve with your Private Label Guide.

Enjoy morning and afternoon drives. Electric fat bikes are available to guests included in the rate. Helmets are provided. A stargazing experience is included in your stay. 30 minutes horseback riding is offered and all levels are welcome, gear is provided. At 21:00 open-air cinema starts by the infinity pool, showing classic movies such as Out of Africa and Casablanca.     

Overnight: Zannier Hotel Sonop Standard Tent

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 19 - Depart   

Depart by charter flight from the NamibRand to Windhoek International Airport.                                                                                       

Meal Plan: B