Namibia Standard Fly Drive - 15 days/14 nights
Day 1:
Arrival at Hosea Kutako Airport.
Subsequent road transfer to Olive Grove Guesthouse, Windhoek
One overnight stay at Olive Grove Guesthouse. Bed & breakfast
Olive Grove is an upmarket establishment situated close to the city centre in a quiet, peaceful area. The indoor lounge is tastefully decorated, with comfortable chairs and a fireplace in front of which you can relax. Whilst each room caters for the every need of the most discerning traveller, the emphasis remains one of simplicity and elegance. One of Olive Grove’s main features is the large veranda in front of every room, with tables and chairs for “al fresco” dining. The plunge pool and tranquil garden invite the visitor to make the most of Namibia’s open skies, while the open-air spa bath and lounge area provide outdoor indulgences.
Day 2 and 3:
Road transfer from Olive Grove Guesthouse to Eros Airport (10 minutes).
Subsequent air transfer to Wolwedans Dune Lodge (1 hour approx).
Two overnight stays at Wolwedans Dune Lodge. Fullboard incl activities - local drinks included.
Wolwedans, which takes its name from the African - “where the wolves dance”, is situated in the heart of the Namibrand Nature Reserve, just south of Sossusvlei. Nestled amidst red dunes and set against a backdrop of unparalleled beauty, Wolwedans provides the perfect base from which to explore vast stretches of awe-inspiring nature and learn about an exciting variety of desert creatures.
The Dunes Lodge is perched on top of a dunes plateau some eight kilometers north of the Dune Camp and overlooks panoramic vistas in all directions, capturing the desert in a most memorable way. The building style is a combination of wooden structures, large canvas blinds and windows that open up to the desert beyond. The Lodge reflects the ambience of a tented camp, but provides the comfort and protection of a permanent building. Each of the nine spacious chalets with en-suite bathrooms leads onto a private verandah and vast stretches of untouched sand. Sleeping with your canvas blinds open is as good as sleeping under the stars. The main complex, which has been completely rebuilt during 2003, consists of two lounges, a number of sundowner decks, a fireplace, a tea deck, a library, the wine cellar and two dining rooms. All communal areas of the lodge open out onto verandahs with superb views.
Accompanied by experienced guides, visitors are introduced to the many facts of Namibrand Nature Reserve’s desert habitat with its diverse fauna and flora - on foot or by car. The classic programme for a two night stay would entail an afternoon drive on the day of arrival, followed by a full day safari with picnic lunch en route. Alternatively you can join one or two halfday excursions, if you feel like lazing around for an afternoon.
Day 4:
Road transfer to Kulala Desert Lodge (1.5 hours).
One overnight stay at Kulala Desert Lodge. Fullboard incl activities - local drinks included.
Situated on over 21,000 hectares of private property and bordering the Namib Naukluft Park, Kulala Desert Lodge lies in the heart of the Namib and offers magnificent views of the famous red dunes of Sossusvlei, as well as magnificent mountainous scenery and vast open plains. Fourteen thatched and canvas chalets or “kulalas” (kulala in the Namibian language Oshiwambo menas “to sleep”) with en-suite bathrooms and showers are set on wooden platforms to provide maximum airflow. For outdoor enthusiasts, mattresses can be moved to the rooftop to sleep under the stars from a private star gazing platform. The main lodge, with décor inspired from Northern Africa, has a lounge, bar, dining area and plunge pool, and offers a wrap-around verandah that overlooks the waterhole and provides a perfect location to view and photograph the desert sunset. Early morning guided scenic drives to the spectacular dunes are through a private gate on the Tsauchab River. Drives and walks are also offered on the private reserve with incredible views, desert game and smaller desert fauna and flora.
Day 5 and 6:
Seat rate air transfer to Swakopmund airfield (1.5 hours approx).
Receive rental vehicle at Swakopmund airfield and start with selfdrive itinerary.
Selfdrive to Erongo Wilderness Lodge (3 hours tar road).
Two overnight stays at Erongo Wilderness Lodge. Dinner, bed & brunch plus 1 x activity
Erongo Wilderness Lodge is nestled amid granite formations on the outskirts of an ancient volcano. These are the Erongo Mountains - a spectacular feature in the heart of a country renowned for its scenic beauty. The Lodge is a founder member of the Erongo Mountain Nature conservancy, joining thirty private landowners in a collective effort to conserve and protect this natural treasure of over 200,000 hectares. The Conservancy’s mission includes the preservation of the rich cultural heritage in the form of rock paintings and engravings, found throughout the area.
The lodge has ten tented chalets, built on stilts, set against towering granite formations. Each chalet has its own niche amongst the rocks, ensuring peace, privacy and exclusivity. The luxury Meru tents are pitched under steep thatched roofs for shade and the en-suite bathrooms are built around the existing rocks and trees. With its own private deck, bush style mini-bar and spectacular setting, each chalet is the best way to experience the lush Erongo environment. Guided walks, nature drives, rock art, excellent birding and guaranteed relaxation are offered.
Day 7:
Selfdrive to Palmwag Lodge (7 hours approx - graded gravel road).
One overnight stay at Palmwag Lodge.
Palmwag Lodge is a paradise on the Uniab River in northwest Damaraland. Waving palms whispering in the wind, spectacular surroundings which harbor the famous desert elephant, the rare black rhino, giraffe, zebra, gemsbok and many other wild animal species, sunsets to dream of – this is Palmwag Lodge, one of Namibia’s oldest and most popular tourist accommodations. The lodge offers 30 beds in 2-3-bed thatched bungalows, and 10 beds in luxury en-suite tents, a fully licensed restaurant, swimming pool under shady palms, and a very cozy “pool bar” and lapa. The well-situated hiking trails let you enjoy and discover the neighboring nature.
A day excursion, which will take you to the Palmwag Lodge private concession, will be pre-booked for you. You will be leaving Palmwag Lodge after breakfast to enjoy this tour in an open 4x4 gameviewing vehicle. Spectacular close-up viewing of Namibia’s only free-ranging game e.g. zebra, kudu, oryx, springbuck, ostrich, jackal, brown and spotted hyena, and with a bit of luck the endangered black rhino and desert elephant. All in the most spectacular landscape far off the normal tourist tracks and routes. Picnic lunch en-route. Return to the lodge late afternoon.
Day 8 and 9:
Road transfer to Desert Rhino Camp (2 hours 4wd track).
Two overnight stays at Desert Rhino Camp. Fullboard incl activities.
Desert Rhino Camp, situated in the 400,000 hectare (1 million acre) private Palmwag Reserve, offers an original and exclusive wilderness experience. The reserve’s freshwater springs support healthy populations of the famous desert-adapted black rhino, elephant, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, giraffe, oryx, springbok and kudu, as well as large numbers of predators such as lion, cheetah, leopard, and brown and spotted hyena. The camp has eight meru-styled tents with en-suite bathroom comprising hand basin, flush toilet and a classic bucket shower that is filled with hot water whenever needed.
A tented dining and living area offers uninterrupted views of the desert and mountains, while the extraordinary Welwitschia plants dot the plain in front of camp. Activities include rhino tracking on foot or by vehicle, full day outings with a picnic lunch, and day and night nature drives. Desert Rhino Camp is run in conjunction with Save the Rhino Trust, an organization that has been responsible for the survival of the rare black rhino in the area. Guests gain an amazing insight into the ecology and conservation of this area, while at the same time a portion of guest revenue contributes to the Trust and rhino conservation operations.
Day 10:
Selfdrive to Andersson Camp bordering the Etosha National Park. (2 hours 4wd return to rental car + 5 hours gravel/tar)
One overnight stay at Andersson Camp. Dinner, bed & breakfast
Surrounded by plains teeming with wildlife and situated close to Etosha (the vast expanse of savannah and salt pan, the largest in Africa, ‘discovered’ by Sir Francis Galton and Charles Andersson in 1851), the discoverer atmosphere of Andersson’s Camp makes for a much more comfortable modern day exploration of this landscape. The resurrected farmstead now forms the anchor fronting onto a thriving waterhole, and the twenty tented guest units with en-suite bathrooms are raised on decks for an enhanced view. This model of eco-sensitive lodging provides an authentic, safe and down-to-earth experience for small groups, families and independent travellers to Etosha.
Day 11 and 12:
Selfdrive to Mushara Lodge. (4 hours national park road)
Two overnight stays at Mushara Lodge. Dinner, bed & breakfast.
Located only 8 kms from the von Lindequist Gate on the eastern outskirts of the Etosha National Park, Mushara Lodge is ideally situated for travellers visiting the Park. The Lodge consists of ten spacious chalets, one family unit and two single rooms. The name Mushara derives from the Purple Pod Terminalia tree, which grows in abundance in the lodge grounds and the surrounding area. The thatched public area consists of a small library with a selection of good books, a bar with an extensive wine cellar, airy lounge with welcoming fireplace for winter evenings, a dining area and well-stocked curio shop. Great attention has been paid to the décor, which is an eclectic blend of traditional African and modern art works combined with original paintings.
In a horseshoe shape around the swimming pool there are ten well spaced thatched chalets. Each chalet and the rooms are extremely spacious and are furnished with air-conditioning, mosquito net, mini bar fridge, safe, tea- and coffee making facilities, electric lights, direct dial telephone, wardrobe and luggage rack. The bathrooms are en-suite with separate toilets. Seven of the chalets have just a shower and the other three chalets, the triple room and the single rooms have a bath and shower. A feature of Mushara is its large, tiled, bright blue swimming pool surrounded by green lawn that is kept well manicured by the occasional visiting local wildlife.
From here you can explore the Etosha National Park.
Etosha is one of the largest and best game viewing parks in the whole of Africa. The reason is in the Ovambo name Etosha, which means 'huge white area' or 'place of dry water', depending upon whom you ask. For most of the year a vast shallow pan, which was once a lake the size of Holland, shimmers a glaring bright white from crystallized salt across its entire surface. Surrounding the pans is a variety of grass and woodlands amongst which live a wonderful variety of animals and birds, insects and reptiles.
Etosha has dozens of waterholes, some are natural while others are artificially fed from boreholes. During the dry season, staking out a position at a waterhole viewpoint is a rewarding way to watch game without moving from one spot. A veritable 'Noah's Arc' of species queue up to take a drink, with elephants hogging the lion's share! Plains game such as zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, springbok, impala and eland abount in great numbers on the grasslands and congregate at waterholes in the dry season. Herds of fifty elephants are not unusual and often walk right down the middle of the road giving people in cars an incredibly close and thrilling encounter. Lions and hyenas must be searched for, but silver-backed jackals trot around almost oblivious to you. The desert dwelling oryx, upon which the mythical unicorn must surely be based, will certainly be seen here along with the impressive curly horned kudu. Etosha also contains endangered black rhino and unusual species like the blackfaced impala - a larger and darker subspecies found only in southwestern Angola and northwestern Namibia.
Etosha birdlife is absolutely wonderful with every kind of feathered friend. One to look for is the ground hornbill – looks like a downhearted widow with a red scarf around her face. Other less terrestrial hornbills are the cheeky yellow-billed hornbills whose squawk and loping flight becomes a familiar sight. Lilac breasted rollers are colour enough as they sit on their favourite perch, but when they take off in pursuit of an insect, their underwings give blinding flash of electric blue. Eagles and vultures cruise high in the warm air currents or perch on branches with beady eyes alert.
Day 13 and 14:
Selfdrive to Okonjima. (5 hours tar road)
Two overnight stays at Okonjima Bush Camp. Fullboard incl activities
Okonjima lies nestled in the unspoilt beauty of the Omboroko mountains, part of the well known Waterberg Plateau. In the Herero language Okonjima means 'place of the baboons'. Okonjima is so much more than just a luxury lodge. It is also home to the AfriCat Foundation, which is committed to researching and rehabilitating Namibia’s threatened wild cat population. AfriCat is known internationally after featuring in an award-winning documentary filmed for the Discovery Channel.
Okonjima’s luxury Bush Camp, 3 km from Main Camp, is situated on the edge of a wilderness area. Each exclusive chalet enjoys complete privacy and is a combination of earthy, ochre walls and khaki-green canvas, under a thatched roof.
Bush Camp has 8 luxury, thatched African-style chalets, a secluded swimming pool, mini-bar, telephone, private safe, a queen-size bed as well as a 3/4 bed in each chalet. The front 180° of canvas paneling may be rolled up for a spectacular view. All chalets are very well spaced with 80m -100m between each other. Please note that children under the age of 12 years are not permitted at the Camp.
• Bush Camp closes for renovations during February
Day 15:
Selfdrive to Hosea Kutako Airport. (4 hours tar road)
Return rental vehicle.
Check-in for your outbound flight.
Please contact us for 2008 rates.