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Feb 8 Fri Depart London Gatwick, North Terminal
You will depart from London Gatwick for your flight to Windhoek
on SW386 at 21h30. Please allow at least two hours to check in.
Feb 9 Sat Arrive in Windhoek, The Elegant
You arrive in Windhoek at 0845. On arrival you will be met and
taken to The Elegant, here you will stay in one of the six luxurious
double rooms. The Elegant provides a perfect base from which to
relax and discover Windhoek. When you have had a rest and
freshened up we will take you to our base where you will be
briefed on the vehicle, equipment, route and safety issues. This
thorough briefing can take up to two hours. You will also be asked
to sign the safety affirmation form to confirm that you have read
and understood all the contents of the trip book. We will then help
direct you to the best places to buy your fresh food stocks and
other items you may need. You will have plenty of time to do
your fresh food shopping in the afternoon. You will stay here on
a bed and breakfast basis.
Feb 10 Sun Sesriem Campsite, Sossusvlei
Leaving Windhoek Mountain Lodge in the morning, you drive
south to Sesriem. You camp near colassal sand dunes at
Sossusvlei in the Namib Naukluft Desert, the world’s oldest desert.
The dunes reach 300m high and extend as far as the eye can see.
They look stunning at dawn and dusk. The system of pans, which
fill with water during a good rainy season, attract a variety of
aquatic birds. In the dry season, the dunes are patterned by the
progress of the sidewinding snake, springbok, gemsbok and
mountain zebra. The camp has excellent facilities with hot showers,
flush loos and stone grills to cook on. Here you will be camping
in a prebooked and paid campsite. Allow for a 6 hour drive.
MORE INFORMATION ON SOSSUSVLEI
Situated in the Namib-Naukluft Park, the dunes of Sossusvlei are one of
Namibia's most spectacular sights. No matter how many pictures you have
seen of these colossal forms, seeing them with your own eyes is a wonderful
experience. Sunrise and sunset are definitely the best times to see this
beautiful landscape. The dunes look even more magnificent as the enormous
shadows accentuate their troughs and peaks and their amazing terracotta
hues intensify. They are positively mountainous in their dimensions as they
tower several hundred feet above the valley floor.
Feb 11 Mon Sesriem Campsite Sossusvlei
You spend a second night at Sesriem, giving you further
opportunity to explore your magnificent surroundings.
Feb 12 Tue Beach Lodge , Swakopmund
Drive through Namib Naukluft Desert to Swakopmund, a quaint
oasis town on the Skeleton Coast, which has some great
restaurants. You stay at Beach Lodge which is situated up the
beach and away from the town. Beach Lodge was built to
resemble a ship and many of the rooms have port hole windows.
It’s a simple but very comfortable lodge with everything you could
need whilst staying here as there is so much to do in this town;
quad biking, fishing, dune boarding, dolphin cruising and so much
more. The self-catering cottages are located right on the beach with
huge windows to absorb the mighty seascape and each cottage has
its own outdoor braai facility. You stay here on a bed and
breakfast basis in a pre-booked and prepaid room. This stop
gives you a good chance to stock up on fuel and fresh food and
provisions. Allow for a 6 hour drive.
Feb 13 Wed Beach Lodge Swakopmund
Remain based at Beach Lodge. There is plenty to do in
Swakopmund: you can take a morning cruise around Walvis Bay
and see the seals and dolphins at close range, an afternoon flight up
(or down) the skeleton coast.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE SKELETON COAST
The Skeleton Coast is one of the most inhospitable places on earth yet
amazingly alluring to those eager to experience first hand its bleak beauty and
desolate loneliness. Its name relates to the many shipwrecks that have
occurred along this part of the coast; where the cold waters of the Atlantic
Ocean meet the warm shores of the Namibian coastline, a dense fog is formed.
This natural phenomenon has been the downfall of many a sailor over the
years and if you visit the Skeleton Coast today, you will see that there is
nothing to interrupt the smoothness of the rolling dunes except the occasional
trace of a shipwreck, ancient and sand-blown, left stranded and soon to be
swallowed by the shifting sands. The fear that sailors had of becoming
shipwrecked along this bit of coastline was compounded by the knowledge that
if they did make it ashore, their survival would be virtually impossible owing
to the merciless conditions that would await them. The name 'Skeleton Coast'
actually only refers to the bit of coastline between the rivers Ugab and Kunene
although it has also become a generic term for Namibia's entire desert coast.
Despite its desert-like conditions, the Skeleton Coast is home to flourishing
populations of seals, penguins, flamingos, dolphins and brown hyena - an
extraordinary contrast supported by icy cold seas and scorching hot desert.
Feb 14 Thu Brandberg Wilderness Camp
Take the longish drive to Brandberg - the atmosphere is charming
and you camp amongst the acacia trees, with a lovely contrast
between the trees and the towering russet tones of the Brandberg.
It is a very picturesque place. Hospitable guides offer walks to see
the desert elephant when they are in the area. The camp is well
signed off the main Brandberg road. If you wish to visit the
“White Lady of Brandberg” you will need to leave Swakopmund
early as its not a quick walk! You stay here in a pre-paid and
pre-booked campsite. Allow 5 hours drive.
Feb 15 Fri Brandberg Wilderness Camp
Stay at Brandberg and explore the area.
Feb 16 Sat Etosha National Park, Ongava Tented Camp
Today you drive into Etosha National Park. The wide open spaces
and the abundant wildlife make a visit to this park unforgettable. At
the heart of the park is the Etosha Pan; a place of mirages and
plumes of sand whipped up by the wind. It is dry for most of the
year but the perennial springs and waterholes attract great
concentrations of birds and game even during the dry winter
months. Birdlife in Etosha is prolific, Lion are frequently seen but
cheetah and leopard are spotted less often. Elephant, gemsbok,
springbok, kudu, eland, dik dik, giraffe, zebra, hyenas are all found
in Etosha along with many other species! Tonight you will be
staying at the Ongava Tented Camp. This stunning, newly
refurbished, tented camp is extremely comfortable and a good
place from which to drive to Etosha. You will stay in an ensuite
tent with a well appointed bathroom and a private balcony with
panoramic views over the surrounding savannah and woodland.
Dinner will be served under the stars overlooking the floodlit
waterhole and you can be sure to have a real bush experience in
this peaceful camp where activities include game drives on the
30000 hectare private game reserve and walking in the area. You
stay here on a fully inclusive basis. Drinks extra. Allow for a 5
hour drive. There are fuel pumps at the camps in Etosha.Note that
the evening game drive normally departs around 4 pm returning to camp
around 7-8 pm.
MT - 11/1/08
Feb 17 Sun Etosha National Park, Ongava Tented Camp
Stay at Okaukuejo for a second night allowing you to spend more
time exploring the wonderful Etosha National Park.
MORE INFORMATION ON ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK
Etosha National Park is probably one of the best game-viewing regions in the
world. Its name (meaning 'great white place of dry water') comes from the
Etosha Pan, a vast, flat, saline desert. When a good rainy season happens, the
normally dry river channels carry water to this gentle depression turning it
into a shallow lagoon. This unusual oasis then becomes a busy watering hole
as it draws in a variety of animals and, for a few days each year, thousands of
flamingos and pelicans. About 80% of Etosha National Park is covered by
mopane woodland. Scrubby savannah, umbrella thorn acacias and other trees
enjoyed by browsers are also part of Etosha's landscape. The park protects
over 100 species of mammal, 16 species of reptile and amphibian and an
incredible 340 species of bird. As well as elephant, Burchell's zebra, giraffe,
cheetah, lion and leopard, Etosha is home to the protected black-faced impala
and black rhino. Here you are also likely to encounter springbok, red
hartebeest, blue wildebeest, gemsbok, eland, kudu, roan, jackals and hyena.
The abundant birdlife includes korhaans, marabou, yellow-billed hornbills,
ostrich, white-backed vultures and the enormous kori bustard, which can
exceed 15kg in weight.
Feb 18 Mon Onguma Bush Campsite, East Etosha
You travel through Etosha to spend the night at Onguma Camp at
the eastern end of the park. Situated just outside the Von
Lindequist Gate, East Etosha, is the newly renovated privately
owned campsite has all the facilities you could ask for. There are
just 5 sites, each with individual braai areas, private bathroom and
washing area, all wonderfully shaded under the acacia trees. This a
perfect place to base yourself for a few days away from the
madding crowds while wanting to visit Etosha National Park and
you will be given a key for your bathroom where you can store
your belongings during the day when you are in the park. There is
also a bar, very large swimming pool and restaurant at the
neighbouring Onguma Guest House which you can make full use
of and they will also provide firewood for cooking.Here you will
be camping in a pre-booked and prepaid campsite. Allow for
a long game drive.
Feb 19 Tue Onguma Bush Campsite, East Etosha
You stay another night aat Onguma Campsite.
Feb 20 Wed Okonjima Bush Camp
Today you drive to Okonjima, in the Omboroko Mountains. Here
you can enjoy walks, scenic drives, great food and a friendly
atmosphere. You can also see the wonderful work your hosts, the
Hanssen family, are doing with AfriCat. AfriCat was set up to
relocate cheetah and leopard and other trapped or injured animals
MT - 11/1/08
back into the wild. Although the foundation has a slightly zoo-like
quality (as some of the animals are very tame and thus are not able
to be released into the wild) it is important to remember that for
the few kept in captivity there are many released. The work of
AfriCat has done a huge amount of good to the wildlife of
Southern Africa. Please be sure to be there by 1500 to enjoy the
afternoon activities which will involve tracking the cheetah or
leopard on the farm. The Bush Camp is extremely comfortable
and you stay in a private ensuite cottage with views to a waterhole
and the professional team will look after you very well and make
sure that you have a lot of fun whilst staying in this beautiful camp.
The Camp is around 3 kms from the Main Lodge and far nicer.
Your stay here is on a fully inclusive basis with two activities
daily. Drinks are extra. Allow for a 5 hour drive.
Feb 21 Thu Depart
You drive back to Windhoek to return the vehicle (at a
prearranged time and place) and transfer to the airport for your
flight to London on SW385 departing at 2040. Allow for a 4 hour
drive back to Windhoek plus time to hand back the vehicle, 45
minute transfer to the airport and 2 hours for check in.