$3,872 to $4,473 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateArrival
Arrival
Day 1
Welcome to Namibia
Welcome to Namibia
You arrive today in Windhoek from where our local guide, Mr. Elvis Nghimutina, transfers you to your nearby bush accommodation in N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary. This afternoon’s game drive affords close-up viewing of the sanctuary’s rescued lions, leopards, wild dogs and others. During dinner, Elvis will offer a few words of wisdom to help you feel comfortable with being in Namibia, while giving a brief overview of the exciting itinerary that lies ahead.
Some travellers prefer to arrive in Windhoek and continue straight onward to the Namib Desert without considering the possibility of a late arrival due to a flight delay, or the effects of jetlag as well as the very long drive from Windhoek to the desert. Staying close to Windhoek tonight, allows you to acclimatise to Namibia's dry air and settle into a relaxed, healthy rhythm for the remainder of your safari.
- Main Destination:
- N/a'an Ku Sê Wildlife Sanctuary (Wildlife Sanctuary)
- Accommodation:
- Naankuse Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
Naukluft mountain range & the Namib Desert
Naukluft mountain range & the Namib Desert
Today offers a wonderful scenic drive to Sesriem and the dunes of the Namib Desert. Travelling mostly on graded, gravel roads, you descend into the Naukluft Valley and its panoramic mountain vistas. The scenery remains stunning as you approach the easternmost edge of Namibia’s famed desert dunes, where sand and savannah meet. Free-roaming wildlife such as springbok, oryx and ostrich can often be seen from your lodge. Our aim is to provide plenty of time for you to soak up this harsh yet beautiful landscape, therefore we include a stay of two nights in the region.
The Namib-Naukluft National Park lies within the Namib Desert and is one of the world’s largest wildlife reserves, encompassing almost 50,000 km² (19,300 mi²). Your lodge is located next to the park entrance gate and is subsequently one of the best located in the desert region. Other lodges are up to one hour's drive away and require a very early pre-dawn departure in order to see the dunes in the morning sunlight.
- Main Destination:
- Namib Desert
- Accommodation:
- Sossusvlei Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 3
Namib Desert including Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei
Namib Desert including Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei
Today, Elvis takes you to the desert sands overlooking the well-known and photogenic landmarks of Dune 45, Dead Vlei and Sossusvlei. Later today, you explore Sesriem Canyon and can visit Elim Dune to marvel at the splendor of an African sunset.
As you travel down the valley of the Tsauchab River, you are dwarfed on either side by huge sand dunes. At times you pass close to groves of dead trees, testimony to a bygone era when there was much more water. During the drive, you can hope to see oryx, the fabled desert antelope, as well as springbok, ostrich and jackal. At the end of the tarred road is a short, though at times bumpy ride, along a sandy track to Dead Vlei and Sossusvlei. Vlei is an Afrikaans term for a marsh or pan of water.
Traveling in a 4x4 SUV with a private, local guide affords you the luxury of driving directly to the vlei without the need for the 4x4 ‘taxi’ (and the ensuing queue and waiting time) that must be used by visitors in 4x2 vehicles or on group tours.
- Main Destination:
- Sossusvlei (Sand Dunes)
- Accommodation:
- Sossusvlei Lodge
Wildlife in Namib-Naukluft NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Namib Desert & Swakopmund
Namib Desert & Swakopmund
You now call into the home of Gideon David - better known as "Boesman" - and an old friend of Compass Odyssey. Married to Japanese wife Yuri and the subject of an episode of the BBC’s “New Lives In the Wild”, Boesman is our local bare-footed desert guide and also a keen farmer. This morning you are treated to an informative tour of his farm and its resident desert dunes. Along the way, he shows that the Namib Desert is alive and thriving with specialised animal and plant life, the great majority of it utilised in some way by the nomadic Bushmen (also collectively called the San people). After this fascinating morning, you then head for Namibia’s barren Atlantic coastline via the stunning Gaub and Kuiseb mountain passes and the arid coastal moonscape. Reaching the Atlantic coastline by mid-afternoon, you travel north to the quaint resort town of Swakopmund where you stay for the next two nights.
- Main Destination:
- Swakopmund (City)
- Accommodation:
- Sea Breeze Guesthouse
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Walvis Bay and Sandwich Harbour
Walvis Bay and Sandwich Harbour
This morning you travel the short distance south to Walvis Bay, where you discover this port town’s prolific bird and marine life on an entertaining and informative cruise in the bay, followed by a decadent on-board lunch of locally cultivated oysters. You then embark on an afternoon’s 4x4 excursion along the coast to Sandwich Harbour – one of the most remote destinations within a country that boasts its fair share.
Your cruise around the bay offers sightings of dolphins, whales, Cape fur seals, mola mola (sunfish) and with a bit of luck, orca (killer whale). Birders won’t be disappointed, with close-up viewing of pelican, cormorant, Cape gull, Caspian tern, flamingo and other wader species. Less than 60km south of Walvis Bay in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, Sandwich Harbour is one of Namibia’s most unique and dramatic sites where some of the world’s highest sand dunes descend into the wild Atlantic Ocean to form a picturesque lagoon.
- Main Destination:
- Sandwich Harbour (Highlight)
- Accommodation:
- Sea Breeze Guesthouse
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park
From Swakopmund, you venture north-eastwards into Namibia’s savannah region and to Etosha National Park, where you enjoy an afternoon's game drive with Elvis before arriving at your camp - famous for its floodlit waterhole.
Accompanied by Elvis’ broad knowledge of Namibia’s wildlife, you’ll also be on the lookout for the park’s iconic ‘black’ species, such as its black-maned lions, black rhino, black-backed jackal and endemic black-faced impala. On one of your evenings, we also provide an evening game drive with an experienced park ranger, where the spotlights will be on the lookout for the park’s varied nocturnal life – both predator and prey.
- Main Destination:
- Etosha National Park
- Accommodation:
- Okaukuejo Resort
Wildlife in Etosha NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7
Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park
You stay two nights in Namibia’s premier national park, allowing plenty of time to visit a number of the park’s famous waterholes, which regularly affords great viewing of the park’s large herds of elephant, oryx, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra and springbok.
The camps within the park are less salubrious than those located outside the park. However if one is staying outside the park, then one can only enter the park when the gates open at sunrise and one must be back out of the park before the gates close at sunset. We continue to accommodate our travellers within the park because this offers the dual benefits of 1. Game driving earlier/later than those staying outside the park, and 2. Being able to sit and overlook each camp’s floodlit waterhole for as long as one wishes (all night, if you want).
- Main Destination:
- Etosha National Park
- Accommodation:
- Okaukuejo Resort
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 8
Farewell
Farewell
Time permitting, this morning you can stop in the nation’s capital, Windhoek, and visit a local craft centre for some final souvenir shopping. Elvis then bids you farewell as he returns you to Hosea Kutako International Airport in time for an afternoon flight departure. Daily flights are available to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Frankfurt, among others. There's also a three-weekly flight to Botswana's Okavango Delta via the town of Maun.
NOTE: It’s also possible to spend the night in Windhoek, in which case Elvis can provide an informal afternoon tour of the city (stopover at additional cost).
During your journey, you will witness Namibia’s natural and wild beauty, be exposed to her diverse cultures and history, view her iconic wildlife and experience genuine African hospitality. Thank you for visiting Namibia on this Compass Odyssey safari.
Haese mugus (“see you soon”).
- Main Destination:
- No major destination visited
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
