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Day 1 Windhoek
– Olive Grove Guesthouse (Bed and Breakfast)
Arrive
in Windhoek, direct or via Johannesburg. After clearing customs
and immigration formalities, you will be met by SandyAcre
Safaris who will transfer you to Olive Grove Guesthouse,
situated in the Eros suburb of town. Olive Grove Guesthouse offers
stylish and comfortable en-suite accommodation, matched with a charming
and friendly atmosphere. Tasty meals are served on the terrace or
in your room if required. The guesthouse has a swimming pool, jacuzzi
deck and is within easy access of the city's restaurants.
Your safari
guide will meet with you for a sundowner drink to discuss the details
of your safari, assist with any questions you may have, and help
deal with any special arrangements that may be required.
Overnight at
Olive Grove Guesthouse on a bed and breakfast basis to leave the
option for you to dine at the guesthouse or have dinner at a restaurant
of your choice in town.
Days 2 &
3 Namib Desert – Namib Naukluft Lodge
Today you set off on your safari, with your private guide, driving
south-west through the scenic Khomas Hochland highlands before you
head down the escarpment into the Namib Desert below. Here you will
stay two nights at Namib Naukluft Lodge, situated about 60 km north
from Sesriem, the gateway to the Sossusvlei dunes. Accommodation
is in comfortable en suite guest rooms, that lead on to a private
verandah overlooking the expansive desert plains. There is a large
living area, a swimming pool, and a pleasant bar area. Meals are
often taken on the outdoor verandah, or a traditional ‘braai' (barbeque)
is served in the ‘boma' under the starry night sky. From the lodge
you can take an easy walk to explore the local area, bird watch
from the nearby hide, or just relax inside or by the pool.
During your
stay, the activities on offer include a sundowner drive to Marble
Mountain, visit Sesriem Canyon, and a magical morning excursion
into the dunes at Sossusvlei, some towering over 250 metres above
the generally dry Tsauchab River Valley. The Namib Naukluft Park
is one of the largest conservation areas in the world consisting
of a diversity of landscapes, wind-sculptured rock formations and
valleys, scrub-like terrain and gravel plains. One of Namibia's
most spectacular sights is the massive free-standing sand dunes
at Sossusvlei – reputed to be the highest in the world. These gigantic
mountains of sand constantly change colour and contrast with the
pale clay pans below, and occasionally gemsbok and ostrich can be
seen wandering along the lonely horizon.
Day 4 Swakopmund
– Hansa Hotel
We depart after breakfast and drive northwest through the Namib
Naukluft National Park. Here you will experience some awesome moonscape
scenery including the Gaub and Kuiseb canyons on the way to Swakopmund
via the port of Walvis Bay. – a journey of about 5 hours. There
will be time this afternoon to explore town before heading off for
dinner at the popular Tug Restaurant by the jetty which specialises
in fresh seafood – the cost for this is included in your holiday
price.
Swakopmund
resembles a small, German coastal resort nestled between the desert
and the sea, and is a perfect example of German colonial architecture
blending with good hotels, restaurants, museum, and coffee shops.
The elaborate railway building and others are of interest, as are
the various arts and crafts centres which you may wish to visit.
Although the sea is normally cold for swimming there are pleasant
beaches and the cooler climate is refreshing after the time spent
in the desert. We stay for two nights at the old colonial style
Hansa Hotel conveniently located in the centre of town.
Day 5 Swakopmund
& Walvis Bay – Hansa Hotel
After an early breakfast we drive the scenic coastal road back to
Walvis Bay for a memorable dolphin cruise onto the outer lagoon.
This is an ideal way of seeing Atlantic cape fur seals, heaviside
and bottlenose dolphins, pelicans, flamingos and a wide variety
of sea birds. During the course of the cruise, snacks will be served
along with local champagne and fresh oysters. Return to Swakopmund
for an afternoon at leisure in town. Option to stop off and climb
the coastal dunes at Langstrand on the way back to Swakopmund if
this appeals. You can also partake in some of the many activities
that Swakopmund has to offer, these include scenic flights, quadbiking
in the dunes, and more (all at extra cost). Second night at the
Hansa Hotel.
Day 6 Southern
Damaraland – Mowani Mountain Camp
Continue on your safari, heading north and east into Damaraland,
with stops to view game and absorb the vastness of the area along
the way. Damaraland is typified by displays of colour, magnificent
table topped mountains, rock formations and bizarre-looking vegetation.
The present day landscape has been formed by the erosion of wind,
water and geological forces which have formed rolling hills, dunes,
gravel plains and ancient river terraces. It is the variety of landscapes
and colours of the area as well as the scenic splendour which will
reward and astound you, giving one an authentic understanding of
the word 'wilderness'.
We stay at
the unique Mowani Mountain Camp near the Aba Huab River. This luxury
tented camp is nestled amongst giant granite boulders, with each
tent boasting a private balcony overlooking the dramatic scenery.
During your stay you will visit various interesting sites in the
area such as the pre-historic rock engravings at Twyfelfontein itself,
the Organ Pipe rock formation, the fascinating Welwitschia plants,
and ‘Burnt' Mountain.
Days 7 &
8 Northern Damaraland – Hobatere Lodge
We drive through northern Damaraland to the Hobatere Concession
– a journey of about 4 hours. Hobatere Lodge is on a private concession
of 32,000 hectares on the western border of the Etosha National
Park. The concession is home to a wide variety of game, including
lion, elephant, leopard, cheetah, eland and Hartmann's Mountain
Zebra, as well as gemsbok, kudu and steenbok. The scenery is attractive
with large open plains blending into Mopane tree woodlands. The
night drives here are highly recommended as this offers a good chance
of seeing nocturnal animals such as spring hares, aardvark, cape
and bat-eared foxes, aardwolf and genets.
Hobatere Lodge
has 14 rooms in total, some being cottages, all with en-suite bathroom.
The main living area consists of an outside braai area, where you
can have dinner in the evenings, a verandah where breakfast is served
and various birds visit for a morning drink, bar, and curio shop.
The lodge also has a swimming pool, a mini snake park, and a nearby
hide where you can view game coming and going from the waterhole.
The lodge owner, Steve Brain, is one of Namibia's top birders and
naturalists, and the concession is home to many of Namibia's near
endemic birdlife, making it a sought after destination for other
keen birders. Activities also include afternoon game drives, and
escorted nature walks.
Days 9 &
10 Etosha National Park – Okaukuejo Rest Camp
Drive through the Otjovasandu Gate on the western boundary
into Etosha National Park. We have a special permit which allows
us access through this western side of the Park, an area that is
closed to ‘normal tourist traffic' as it is used for game research
and rehabilitation. For the next two nights in Etosha National Park
we stay in bungalow accommodation at Okaukuejo Restcamp in the centre
of the park near the southern boundary, and dine at the restcamp
restaurant.
These two days
will be spent exploring Etosha National Park on game drives, visiting
selected waterholes and the expansive Etosha Pan. Okaukuejo Restcamp
also has an excellent waterhole that is floodlit at night for game
viewing.
Etosha National
Park covers 22 270 sq km of which approx. 5 000 sq km is the 'Pan',
an area classified as a saline depression. The park consists of
grassland, woodland and savannah where the game-viewing centres
around the numerous springs and waterholes at which several species
can often be seen at one time. The Park boasts some 114 mammal and
over 340 bird species and the Etosha Pan is one of the most important
breeding grounds for southern Africa's flamingo population.
There is abundant
wildlife in Etosha, and there is a wide variety of both mammal and
bird species that can be found. Mammals often seen when exploring
the park include elephant, black rhino, lion, giraffe, eland, kudu,
gemsbok, Damara dik-dik, zebra, cheetah, leopard, hyena, honey badger,
and warthog ("remote controlled pigs") as well as our endemic black
faced impala.
Days 11
& 12 Waterberg – Okonjima Lodge
Game drive on the way out of Etosha and then continue south
to stay at Okonjima Lodge, located by the Omboroko Mountains near
Waterberg – a journey of about 4 hours. Here you can enjoy the welcoming
atmosphere, lovely accommodation, and fantastic activities. As you
will be completely pampered by the lodge staff and guides, your
SandyAcre Safari guide will make sure that you are settled in before
continuing on to Windhoek, and then returning to collect you again
on check out in two days time.
Okonjima is
home to the AfriCat Foundation which focuses on the research and
rehabilitation of Africa's big cats, especially injured or captured
leopards and cheetah. Close encounters with lion, leopard and cheetah
are a memorable highlight. Activities include leopard tracking,
a visit to the cheetah welfare project and clinic, tracking cheetah
on foot, guided walks (in particular the ‘Bushmen trail'), bird-watching,
and visits to the night hide where nocturnal animals such as porcupine,
caracal, honey badger, and even leopard may be seen.
Day 13 Depart
–
You have the option to go on a morning activity before brunch, after
which we leave Okonjima and drive back to Windhoek (a journey of
about 3 hours). If there is time, you can visit a craft market for
souvenirs and stop off at our base in town to freshen up before
going on to the international airport in good time for your onward
or return flight.
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