Day 2: Windhoek, Etosha National Park
For this first day of travel in Namibia among the Himba, you will leave for the small towns of Okahandja and Otjiwarongo to reach your camp in Okaukuejo. Lunch en route before arriving at Etosha National Park. This former 5.5 million-acres salt marsh offers immense dry rocky landscapes. It is home to more than 114 species of mammals and more than 340 varieties of birds of all kinds. After settling down, departure on 4×4 for a safari in the park with your guide. [B/L/D]
Day 3: Etosha National Park
After breakfast, depart for the plains of Etosha Park for a full day game drive with the vehicle and tour guide. You can see elephants, zebras, lions, springboks, oryx, etc. Lunch, dinner and overnight at the park. [B/L/D]
Day 4: Etosha, Grootberg
Breakfast and last morning game drive. Morning is the best time to view wildlife in Etosha Park. Your trip to Namibia continues in the Palmwag region. Lunch on the way to the city of Kamanjab which is the last strategic crossing before the Kunene wilderness. Lunch and continuation to your lodge which belongs to the Khoadi/Hoas conservation organization. This establishment is a sensational experience that overlooks the Etendeka Plateau, where Africa has separated from Latin America. Located at the top of the Grootberg Pass, the words to describe the view it offers are nowhere to be found. Settle down for overnight before dinner. [B/L/D]
Day 5: Grootberg (Damaraland)
Breakfast at the lodge. Meet the Rhino Rangers to track desert black rhinos. This stage of your trip to Namibia will be full of surprises. Here, the animals roam freely and sometimes mingle with the local population through these contrasting landscapes of deserts and mountains. Lunch and return to the lodge in the afternoon. Rest then walk at the end of the day to enjoy the magnificent landscapes of the region. You will feel like you are alone in the world! Dinner and overnight at the camp. [B/L/D]
Day 6: Grootberg (Kunene Region)
Breakfast prepared by the guide. Departure to Sesfontein, Purros, then Orupembe. This part of the Namibia journey will take you to one of the most remote areas that can only be reached by 4×4 vehicle or by plane. Picnic lunch prepared by the guide. Travel along the Hoarusib river passing through the Karonda Namanga mountains, a landscape steeped in the “great wild west”. Passage through desolate landscapes, and small Himba villages where only experienced guides can take you. Arrival at the camp at the end of the afternoon for dinner and overnight. You will spend the next three nights immersed in a Himba camp. [B/L/D]
Day 7: Grootberg, Orupembe
Semi-nomadic pastoralists, the Himba move according to the seasons and the rains. During these two days of travel in Namibia among the Himba, you will take the time to share and live as close as possible to this fascinating people. So that your immersion is spontaneous, authentic, and respectful, the visit will be based on the activities. Visit a traditional village near Onjuva, walk to the water point where the shepherds water their animals. To make the trip to Himba land more participatory, you can count on the presence of a translator to better exchange. Return to camp for lunch. Possibility to dine in a Himba village around the fire or to invite them to the lodge for the evening. [B/L/D]
Day 8: Orupembe (Marienfluss)
Breakfast prepared by your guide. Head to the border with Angola for an expedition in the Marienfluss Valley, to the banks of the Kunene River, with spectacular scenery. Himba shepherds live in this breathtaking and remote setting. Picnic lunch by the Kunene River. Return to camp at the end of the afternoon. Possibility to dine in a Himba village around the fire or to invite them to the lodge for the evening. [B/L/D]
Day 9: Orupembe, Purros
Breakfast at the camp prepared by your guide. You will continue your journey through Namibia in one of the most remote areas of Namibia inhabited by a few Himba and Herero herders. Explore the unusual landscapes of this part of Kaokoland, along the Skeleton Coast Park. Lunch, then cultural discovery and meeting with local communities, visit to the primary school and the office of the Community Conservatory of the region. 4×4 ride along the Hoarusib River, an oasis that attracts wild beasts from the Namibian savannah. This is an excellent spot to see the desert elephants coming to quench their thirst. Continue to the camp for dinner and overnight. [B/L/D]
Day 10: Purros, Khorixas (Damaraland)
Departure by 4×4 vehicle to Damaraland. This crossing passes through places where animals move freely. Game and predators live in a completely open and wild space. Picnic lunch on the way. Road to Khorixas and installation at the lodge. [B/L/D]
Day 11: Khorixas, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay
After breakfast take an unforgettable walk in the petrified forest with fossil trees over 125 million years old. Then, continue to Twyfelfontein, in the heart of Damaraland and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site contains hundreds of rock paintings and engravings. After lunch, depart for Walvis Bay, which means “whale bay” in Afrikaans. It is an ideal place to find the sea and practice water sports, after the hundreds of kilometers traveled in the desert expanses. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. [B/L/D]
Day 12: Walvis Bay (Pelican Point)
After breakfast you will embark on a cruise to “Pelican Point”. This marine area is home to families of pelicans and flamingos, sea lions and dolphins. Light lunch on the boat. In the late afternoon, we drive to discover the “Valley of the Moon”, its hostile lunar landscapes and observe the ecosystem. Then, back to Walvis Bay for dinner and overnight at the hotel. [B/L/D]
Day 13: Walis Bay, Namib-Naukluft
After breakfast we drive to Solitaire, passing through Sandwich Harbor, to see Kuiseb Canyon, carved by the Kuiseb River. Do you want wide open spaces and diversity? A must-see in Namibia, the Namib Naukluft National Park, located in the southwest of the country, is the largest park in Africa and the fourth in the world (over 12 million acres). Straddling the Namib Desert and the Naukluft Range, you will see very different landscapes! Have your cameras: mountain zebras, oryx, jackals, hyenas, leopards, snakes or geckos pose! Continue to the Lodge for dinner and overnight. [B/L/D]
Day 14: Namib-Naukluft, Sossusvlei, Sesriem
Breakfast, then discovery of Sossusvlei where you will find the highest dunes in the world (985 feet). On your way you will certainly meet oryx and antelopes which have adapted to the harsh climatic conditions of the desert. You will also go to Deadvlei to admire its dry lake stuck in the middle of the dunes and its landscapes of petrified trees. Lunch, then continue to Sesriem canyon, a 164-feet deep gorge and reach the town of Sesriem to check-in at the lodge for dinner and overnight. [B/L/D]
Day 15: Sesriem, Aus
After breakfast you will take the road towards Maltahohe to visit the medieval Duwisib Castle. This original castle dominating a hilly semi-desert landscape was built at the beginning of the century by architect Willie Sanders, on the orders of Baron Hans-Heinrich von Wolf, a German aristocrat with grandiose ideas. Dominating some deciduous trees, its crenellated towers give it the appearance of a small fortress. The inner courtyard breathes freshness thanks to its fountain surrounded by lawns. Carefully preserved furniture, including a poster bed, reflects the Baron's taste and wealth. The architectural ensemble characterizes the German colonial era. After lunch continue to Aus. Res of the day free. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. [B/L/D]
Day 16: Aus, Fish River Canyon
After breakfast, we are going to see the famous wild horses of the region. Indeed, around Aus, lives a small troop of horses in freedom. It's rare enough to be worth seeing. History has it that these horses were abandoned by German settlers after the construction of the railroad, and that they have since lived independently in this region of the Karas. After lunch, we depart for Fish River Canyon, the 2nd largest canyon in the world. The nuances of color and the river view from here are simply breathtaking. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. [B/L/D]
Day 17: Fish River Canyon, Kalahari Desert
After breakfast, will set off by 4 × 4 to the Kalahari Desert, one of the most hostile regions in the world. This desert, covering an area of 124 million acres, covers south-eastern Namibia and part of Bostwana and South Africa. The lunar landscapes, the baobabs and the varied fauna make the magic of this part of the world. Lunch en route arriving at the lodge in time for an aperitif while admiring the sunset. Dinner and overnight at the lodge. [B/L/D]
Day 18: Kalahari Desert
Fresh water bottle in the cooler bag, and off you go. The trail is well marked. Springboks and kudus roam around. In the distance, the red dunes of the Kalahari are stunning in the morning light. The path is bordered by termite mounds. Here and there burrows. Which are they? Mystery! Walk in the bed of a dry. You may see a herd of lowland zebras at a distance accompanied by blue wildebeest or other mammals. When the sun rises higher return to the hotel for breakfast and a rest by the pool until it’s time for lunch. In the early afternoon the temperature is too high to go on safari. Later, around 4:30 pm the driver will take you for a sundowner game drive. Go deep into the desert where the game is richer. You may see a herd of ostrich, springboks, oryx and zebras. As the sun starts to set, the dunes take on a superb orange color. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight. [B/L/D]
Day 19: Kalahari Desert, Windhoek
Breakfast at the hotel before taking the road to Windhoek arriving in time for an early lunch. In the afternoon take a cultural stopping at places of interest such as the Alte Feste, Reiterdenkmal, Christus Kirche, Tinten Palast and the old cemetery before continuing to the Katutura district. The municipality of Windhoek developed Katutura, an apartheid district in the late 1950s. However, before Katutura was established, most black Namibians lived in the east of Windhoek in the area now known as Hochland Park. The early Katutura was much smaller than the Katutura of today. Windhoek currently has 200,000 inhabitants, 60% of whom reside in Katutura. The main districts of Katutura bear evocative names such as Soweto, Havana, Babylon and Wanaheda. The Penduka Craft Center, quietly located on the edge of a dam, is an association of destitute women, victims of physical disabilities who refuse to be fatal. They sew, embroider and create things of incredible quality! We therefore offer a discovery tour for a few hours in this humanly and historically very rich district, to better understand one of the aspects of Namibian reality. Continue to the hotel for dinner and overnight. [B/L/D]
Day 20: Windhoek, USA
Last day of your organized trip to Namibia. Opportunity for souvenir shopping. At the appointed time you’ll be transferred to Windhoek International Airport for your connecting flight back home. [B]
[D] = Dinner | [B/L] = Breakfast, Lunch | [B/L/D] = Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
