"A Pioneer Safari"

Upon arrival at Windhoek International airport you will be transferred by road to Olive Grove Guest house for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast you will meet your safari guide in the foyer of the Olive Grove Guest House at 08h00. After your guide has briefed you, embark on your safari through Kalahari bush savanna where you will have the chance of seeing several antelope species. Travel off the beaten track towards the Waterberg Plateau, a geological curiosity, supported by walls of steep, red sandstone. Our exclusive campsite is situated in one of the gorges, home to one of Africa’s dwarf antelope species, the Damara Dik-dik. After lunch, enjoy an afternoon walk along the top of the plateau where you may encounter one of Namibia’s endemic bird species, the white tailed shrike.

The Waterberg is one of the few areas in southern Africa where you could encounter four different species of hornbill. The Waterberg Plateau Park was established as a sanctuary for some of Namibia’s endangered mammal species such as the black and white rhino.
Enjoy a sundowner, made special by the sounds of the African bush: baboons settling into a shelter for the night, rock hyrax warning each other against danger and later the haunting call of nightjars and owls. A delicious dinner will be served under the canopy of indigenous trees surrounding our campsite, while getting your first glimpse of the magnificent southern night skies.

DAY 5: ETOSHA

Today’s departure from our private campsite takes us through the Etosha National Park following the southern boundary of the pan, stopping on route for lunch at one of the rest camps. A full day's game-drive will afford you the opportunity to visit several permanent waterholes abundant with game.

Overnight at the Okaukuejo Rest Camp, from where you will have access all evening to a safe viewpoint, at the floodlit waterhole, where black rhino and other nocturnal prowlers are likely to make your game viewing experience worthwhile .
 

DAYS 6, 7: DAMARALAND

After breakfast departure from the park continuing in a westerly direction towards the northern Damaraland Region. Stop for lunch in the Kamanjab area, before crossing over the Grootberg Mountain Pass. Watch the scenery changing drastically, as you approach the arid semi desert pro-Namib region. Once on the Etendeka Consession your days will be spent exploring the ancient volcanic landscape of this truly unique area, searching for hidden waterholes. Nights will be spent in our exclusive expedition camp. This area is home to many uniquely desert adapted flora and fauna species.

The desert adapted elephants roam at will, mostly following the linear oases of the ephemeral rivers of the northwest. This is also the refuge of the last population of free ranging black rhino in the world. Your guide will also introduce you to members of Namibia’s semi-nomadic pastural tribe, the Ova- Himba. Kaokoland is home to the Himba; a nomadic tribe with a way of life that has remained unchanged for centuries. They can be seen wandering with their herds of goats and cattle from watering hole to watering hole. Clad only with a loincloth, the Himba's paint their bodies with an ochre-red pigment, which protects their skin from the sun. Here we will visit a traditional Himba homestead far off the beaten track and accessible only by our safari vehicles.

Departing from Etendeka, follow the winding desert road southwards, as it takes you to your campsite amongst the granite boulders of Southern Damaraland. This area between the Ugab and Huab Rivers in Southern Damaraland is a vast and unspoiled wilderness. The area boasts magnificent desert scenery, fascinating geological formations and extensive archaeological sites.

While in the Twyfelfontein area excursions will be conducted to visit the Twyfelfontein Heritage Site Engravings, one of the richest areas of rock engravings and Bushmen (San) paintings in Namibia, and the geological formations of the “Burnt Mountain” and the dolomite columns known as the “Organ Pipes”.

Today’s journey continues through ever changing landscapes into the Namib Desert, before continuing along the Atlantic coastline to Cape Cross – home to more than 80 000 Cape Fur Seals – where the Portuguese seafarer Diego Cao became the first European to set foot on Namibian soil in 1486.

No safari in Namibia is complete without a visit to the quaint coastal town of Swakopmund, where the following two nights will be spent at the Intermezzo Guesthouse – conveniently situated near the beach and within walking distance of the museum and shops. Enjoy some of the town's exciting optional activities such as quad biking, camel riding, dune boarding, or an early morning dolphin cruise or sea kayaking from Walvis Bay traveling around Pelican Point.

DAY 11, 12, 13: NAMIB NAUKLUFT

Continue to the Namib-Naukluft, Namibia’s largest National Park, which offers a surprising variety of landscapes and ecosystems ranging from Sossusvlei’s monumental sand dunes to vast quartzite gravel plains, and the rugged Naukluft Mountains along the eastern edge of the Desert. Visit the awe-inspiring dunes of Sossusvlei – the highest dunes in the worlds, many of which are in excess of 300m high. Spend the afternoon climbing and exploring these fascinating dunes and pans before leaving the area for our exclusive pristine campsite in the Naukluft Mountains.

NAMIB NAUKLUFT MOUNTAINS

The Naukluft Mountains offer a surprising contrast to the surrounding area. Enjoy guided excursions in the area with hiking trails to the plateau, quiver trees and exceptional vistas across the desert plains and over the Namib “Sand Sea”. Optional activities include horse riding at a nearby Guest Farm.