13 days Namibia…..including guide

PRICE
Total of 8 pax:
N$28,664.00 per person sharing
N$33,117.00 per person single
Total of 10 pax:
N$27,384.00 per person sharing
N$31,748.00 per person single

N$19,430.00 per person sharing

Day 1: Gocheganas - Distance ± 455km

* Included: Lunch on arrival, dinner, bed and breakfast, lunch packs for next day


GOCHEGANAS" - a descriptive Damara name, meaning: "Place of Camel Thorns, abounding with Candle-Pod Acacias" is more than just a place, it is an experience…. Located a mere 29km south east from Windhoek, and situated on a hilltop overlooking a spectacular landscape, this luxurious Lodge offers a unique combination of Wildlife, Nature and Wellness experiences. GocheGanas offers 16 luxurious chalets, under thatched roof, with uninterrupted views over the Nature Reserve.

• Facilities: Ensuite bathrooms, air conditioning, mini bars, TV and DVD/CD players.
• Activities: Walks, guided game drives, wellness



• 1 x Overnight at Gocheganas on dinner, bed and breakfast basis

Day 2+3: Fish River Lodge- Distance ± 615 km

• Included: Dinner, bed and breakfast, lunch, lunch packs for drive to Desert Camp on day 4
Activity: Drive to view point

Fish River Lodge in southern Namibia is the only lodge perched directly on the rim of the Fish River Canyon offering guests breathtaking views of the canyon from sunrise to sunset. With 45 000 hectare situated in Canyon Nature Park, including 75 km of river frontage, here you have space to explore, time to relax and friendly staff to make you feel welcome. With only 8 meters from the rim of the Canyon, at Fish River Lodge you will truly feel as though you are on the edge of eternity.
Facilities: Each chalet has a separate shower, dressing facility, double basins, toilet and fan whilst an additional outdoor shower offers a chance to cool down under the stars on warm nights. An outdoor 'bed' is available to guests who would like to sleep under the stars.
Optional activities: Scenic drive. Sundowner, Day Canyon hike



The Nama Karoo marks the western fringe of the summer rain area. It is wedged between the tree and shrub savannah in the east and the Namib Desert in the west.. You have the opportunity to experience both.
Plant life is dominated by annual grasses, dwarf shrubs and stem succulents such as the quiver tree and milk bush; larger trees are only found along the dry riverbeds.



The Succulent Karoo is named after the plants which account for most of the vegetation: shrubs which store water and are therefore called succulents. With more than 1.700 leafy succulents and 130 stem succulents the Succulent Karoo is regarded as the most diverse desert in the world.

Fish River Canyon: Experience first hand the geological forces that unfolded 300 million years ago, when the Fish River began to etch its way through hard quartzite forming a Canyon 90 kilometers long, 549 meters deep and 28 kilometers wide in some places, making it the world's second largest canyon. The Fish River Canyon is seen as the largest canyon in Africa and second largest canyon on earth - after the Grand Canyon in the US.

DAY 3+4 Desert Camp Distance ± 450 km

* Included: Dinner, bed and breakfast, lunch
Activity:
Morning Hot air ballooning with champagne breakfast,
visit to Sesriem Canyon,
Sossusvlei and Deadvlei,
Permits/park fees

Desert Camp is situated on the 40,000ha Taleni Africa private reserve. Wild and dangerous animals roam freely around the reserve and may be encountered at any time. It is only four kilometres away from Sossusvlei Lodge,
The camp itself nestles under centuries old camel thorn trees, and has a 360° view over the surrounding desert landscape and mountains. The impressive dunes of the Namib Desert are never far away at Desert Camp.



Sesriem Canyon, on the Tsauchab River, gets its name from the days when the early travelers needed to draw water from the river in the canyon and, because of its depth, tied six leather thongs together, fastened a bucket to the end and lowered it to the pools below. In Afrikaans “ses is six and “riem” is the name for the leather thongs; hence Sesriem. Sesriem Canyon is so narrow that it gives shade even at midday. This gorge, which is up to 30 m deep, was dug by the Tsauchab River at a time when a more humid climate prevailed.

Unforgettable and most beautiful experience, a Balloon Safari over the Sossusvlei area is the ultimate treat to yourself. Take off and drift across this magic landscape at Sunrise towards an unknown destination...
After an unforgettable one- hour flight, an Out of Africa Champagne Breakfast awaits you where you land. But before you get back to your original destination, one more surprise awaits you.
Depending on where you land, a lovely nature drive takes you back to the take-off point.

In the afternoon we visit Sossusvlei and the Sesriem Canyon: Enclosed by the waves of a sea of red sand a lake glistens deep down in the valley of dunes – this is where the seasonal Tsauchab River ends; lined by trees it meanders through the dunes from the east. At Sossusvlei the river's course to the sea is blocked by the highest dunes on earth. It rarely happens - only after abundant rainfalls - that the clay pan of Sossusvlei fills with water. In neighbouring Dead Vlei, however, the dry branches of dead camel thorn trees rise towards the sky.






Namib Desert: At 20 million years old the Namib is seen as the oldest desert on earth. It covers the entire coastline in a strip about 100 km wide, from Angola down to South Africa. Due to many individual features, however, scientists regard the section south of Lüderitz as a separate desert - the Succulent Karoo. The central Namib consists of enormous mountains of sand; at the Sossusvlei clay pan you can climb the highest dunes on earth.

Activities: Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and sesriem Canyon - Sesriem Canyon, on the Tsauchab River, gets its name from the days when the early travelers needed to draw water from the river in the canyon and, because of its depth, tied six leather thongs together, fastened a bucket to the end and lowered it to the pools below. In Afrikaans “ses is six and “riem” is the name for the leather thongs; hence Sesriem.

General Info: Sossusvlei is generally regarded as one of the most spectacular landscapes in Namibia. The ‘vlei' itself is situated at the point where the Tsauchab River dams up at the foot of a spectacular series of sand dunes, its route to the sea blocked.  The sand that makes up these massive dunes, amongst the biggest in the world, was carried here by the east winds from central Namibia and owe their distinctive overall colour to the presence of iron oxide, with streaks of black contributed by magnetite . To give you an idea where Sossusvlei is: You may enter the gate to Sossusvlei upon sun rise and still have to travel 63km to reach the well known “Sossusvlei” and “Deadvlei”.

Day 5,6,7 Swakopmund Hotel Distance ± 345 km

* Included: Bed and breakfast
Activity: Catamaran cruise

On route to Swakopmund, we stop at Solitair.
Solitair is a small settlement and has a fuel station which is manned daylight hours and the provisions shop opens until quite late. It's here that you might catch a glimpse of Big-Moose who bakes the 'Moose Bread' and the renowned apple crumble.




The Swakopmund Hotel and Entertainment Centre is a centrally positioned four-star hotel. It is built in and around the old Station Building in Swakopmund and dates back to 1901. After extensive renovations, it has been restored to its former Victorian glory, and has been opened as one of the towns premier hotel's since the end of 1994. The hotel boast of it's 'combined architectural beauty with first-world comfort. It features a restaurant, swimmingpool, laundry, en-suite rooms, TV, coffe/tea, safe.




Catamaran cruise: 3½ hours morning catamaran cruise. Take close up pictures of pelican being fed in flight, Cuddle with a seal and enjoy dolphins occasionally jumping up and leaping along the catamaran. Drinks will be served all the time. Between July and October you might be lucky to see whales. Before you disembark you will be spoiled with fresh Walvis Bay oysters and sparkling wine as well as a tasty snack platter.

Optional activities: Scenic flights, Sandwich Harbour 4x4 trips, Desert Trips, Sand boarding, Quad biking, flying-fox and more.
''Flying Fox''. This is the cable slide installed on the top of Rossing Mountain which is the world's longest (1100 m) and highest (200 m) cable slide. The program include 4x4 trail up to the top of the mountain with a spectacular views of the surrounding plains.

DAY 8+9 CAMP KIPWE DISTANCE: ± 300 KM

* Included: Lunch on arrival, Dinner, bed and breakfast
Activity: Elephant tracking, visit to organ pipes and bushmen engraving


Camp Kipwe, situated within the Twyfelfontein Conservancy in the Damaraland area, only 4kms from it's sister lodge of Mowani Mountain Camp. The closest towns are Uis (130km to the south) and Khorixas (130kms to the east). Damaraland is renowned for its geology, unusual rock formations, rock paintings, and rare desert-adapted flora and fauna.
Accommodation is in 8 igloo-shaped double bungalows, allowing a maximum of 16 guests at a time, emphasizing the peace and quiet of the camp. Outside each bungalow is an en-suite bathroom with a shower, as well as a private veranda, overlooking the surrounding plains. They all have an in-room safe.
The Twyfelfontein excursion will include visits to the Organ Pipes, as well as to the fascinating Bushman Engravings. – these natures arts we will be visiting in the afternoon of arrival at the lodge.

African savannah with shrubs and acacias, sandy dry riverbeds, massive granite mountain tops and table mountains are characteristic of the wildly romantic scenery of Damaraland. Namibia's original inhabitants carved animals and mysterious symbols into the reddish-brown sandstone at Twyfelfontein, now a World Heritage site




Although not a separate species, and not much different from other savannah elephants Loxodonata africana africana, Namibia's desert-dwelling elephants are special nonetheless. They are of high national and international conservation priority, and have been designated as top priority for protection by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). They live in the Kunene Region, encompassing 115,154km2 of mostly sandy desert, rocky mountains and arid gravel plains in Namibia's northwest.

They have adapted to their dry, semi-desert environment by having a smaller body mass with proportionally longer legs and seemingly larger feet than other elephants. Their physical attributes allow them to cross miles of sand dunes to reach water. They have even been filmed sliding down a dune face to drink at a pool in a desert oasis.

They survive by eating moisture-laden vegetation growing in ephemeral riverbeds and with their ability to go several days without drinking water. Sometimes they must travel long distances to reach a water source. By living in smaller than average family units of only two or three animals, they decrease pressure on food and water resources. Researchers have noted that they destroy fewer trees than elephants living in higher rainfall areas in other parts of Africa.

DAY 10+11 ETOSHA PARK - OKAUKUEJO DISTANCE: ± 340 km

* Included: Lunch on arrival and next day, Dinner, bed and breakfast
Activity: Full day game viewing

Okaukuejo is located 17 km from the southern entrance of the park.

Okaukuejo camp is the oldest tourist camp in Etosha and it currently functions as the administrative hub of the park, and the home of the Etosha Ecological Institute. It is situated at the western end of the pan
The main attraction of this camp is that it overlooks a permanent waterhole which is floodlit at night. Here a wide diversity of wildlife congregates and interacts. The spectacle starts at dawn, with animals coming in large numbers to quench their thirst, with the activity continuing throughout the day and deep into the night. In the early evenings, it is not uncommon to have black rhinoceros, elephant and lion all drinking at the same time.

Experience Etosha National Park
In the vast arid space of Northern Namibia lies one of Southern Africa’s best loved wildlife sanctuaries. Etosha National Park offers excellent game viewing in one of Africa’s most accessible venues. Zebra and springbok are scattered across the endless horizon, while the many waterholes attract endangered black rhinoceros, lion, elephant and large numbers of antelope.

Etosha, meaning ‘place of dry water’, is encloses a huge, flat calcrete depression (or pan) of about 5 000km². The ‘Pan’ provides a great, parched, silver-white backdrop of shimmering mirages to an area of semi-arid savannah grassland and thorn scrub. The pan itself contains water only after very good rains and sometimes for only a few days each year, but is enough to stimulate the growth of a blue-green algae which lures thousands of flamingos.

DAY 12 ERINDI/OLD TRADERS LODGE DISTANCE: ± 290 km

*Included: Lunch on arrival, dinner, bed and breakfast
Activity: Afternoon game drive

Far away in Africa, a country exists where it is still possible to wander in a landscape that contains many more creatures than people. Namibia has its fascinating desert, its own canyon, the Etosha pan and endless savannah, but on a vast mountainous plain lie Erindi, translated as "The Place of Water" in local Herero, with more than 12 000 head of game teeming over an unbelievably large game reserve, where even rare and endangered species are being conserved and managed in a manner that allows man to experience what it was once like to live in undisturbed Africa…
Erindi Game Reserve is a jewel in the heart of the wild Namibian landscape. The reserve of 70 000ha is situated between the Erongo Mountain Nature Conservancy and the Omataku Mountains.
The Game Reserve is also involved in leopard research, being eco friendly as well as rehabilitation project.

Old Traders Lodge provides the accommodation at Erindi Private Game Reserve.
This impressive lodge comprises the main dining room and viewing deck as well as 35 well appointed suites that all have views of a water hole.
A short trip takes you to where all the vehicles meet for sundowners. Intense golden hues make the evening surreal as you sip on cocktails and enjoy light snacks. The light softens after a magnificent sunset, as the sun dips behind the horizon, the air cools day transforms to night. Erindi is proud to offer visitors the opportunity to view rare and endangered species like the spotted African Wild Dog and Black & White Rhino. Cheetah, Leopard, Lion, Hippopotamus, Crocodile, Giraffe just to mention a few.

DAY 13 DISTANCE: ± 200 km

Via Okahandja back to Windhoek. The town Okahandja is also an important centre for woodcarvers from the north, who sell their carvings at the craft markets on a co-operative basis, next to the main road at both entrances to Okahandja. This is a good place to pick up that special souvenir or gift to take home.

After a short sight seeing/city tour you will be dropped off at the airport to be in time for check in for your return flight.

Total costing: Guided Namibia Tour - 12 nights / 13 days:

Total of 8 pax: N$28,664.00 per person sharing
N$33,117.00 per person single
Total of 10 pax: N$27,384.00 per person sharing
N$31,748.00 per person single

Included:
•  Meet and greet at the airport
•  Accommodation, meals and activity

•  Icebox filled with soft drinks and water, fruits and chocolates
•  File consists of original documents e.g. Itinerary with route direction, vouchers, map and stationary.
•  13 days professional, experienced English speaking guide and his lodging
•  13 days Coach Rental + petrol

Excluded:
•  Personal insurance
•  Everything not mentioned above
•  Car Rental - Driver registration fees (guide will be the driver)

Please note:
•  This quote is based on 2011 rates
•  No bookings have been made
•  Prices are subject to change due to availability at time of reservation.
•  Any changes are welcome without any extra charges

Itinerary prepared by:
PO Box 100, Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 61 – 2855724
Fax: +264 61 – 225430
Mobile:+ 264 81 242 1502
Email: Isolde@trip.com.na
        Piet@trip.com.na
Contact Person: Isolde or Piet

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