11 Days / 10 Nights Spectacular Namibia

Arrive/Windhoek – Namib Desert – Swakopmund – Twyfelfontein – Etosha South – Etosha East – Okonjima Nature Reserve – Windhoek/Depart

Introduction

Accommodation preview	Destinations	Start	End	Basis	Duration
Sossusvlei Lodge	Namib Desert	Day 1	Day 3	D,B&B	2 Nights
Strand Hotel Swakopmund	Swakopmund	Day 3	Day 5	B&B	2 Nights
Doro Nawas Camp	Twyfelfontein	Day 5	Day 7	D,B&B	2 Nights
Etosha Oberland Lodge	Etosha South	Day 7	Day 8	D,B&B	1 Night
Mushara Outpost	Etosha East	Day 8	Day 10	D,B&B	2 Nights
Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp	Okonjima Nature Reserve	Day 10	Day 11	B&B	1 Night

Key
B&B: Bed and Breakfast
D, B&B: Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

DAY 1: SOSSUSVLEI LODGE, NAMIB DESERT

Namib Desert

The Namib is the world’s oldest desert, and although it stretches along the entire length of Namibia’s coastline, the Namib commonly refers to the vast sea of sand from Luderitz to Swakopmund.

For a big sandy desert the scenery is remarkably varied, with the giant red dunes of Sossusvlei being the most famous part. Because of how old it is the Namib is home to numerous species that don’t occur elsewhere and although no humans live in the desert an amazing array of flora and fauna manages to survive here.

Famous species include the Welwitschia – a living fossil plant, endemic chameleons, fur seals along the coast, brown hyenas, jackals and remarkably one of Africa’s largest antelope the Gemsbok. The name Namib is of Nama origin and means “vast place” and vast it certainly is.

Day Itinerary

Upon arrival at the international airport you will meet with your Namibian guide.

Your journey starts by travelling south into the heart of the Namib Desert, an area with awe-inspiring landscapes and majestic dunes. Arriving at your lodge, situated near the entrance to Sesriem, the remainder of the day can be spent at leisure.

Directions – Hosea Kutako International Airport [WDH] to Sossusvlei Lodge

Distance: 345.43km Travel Time: 4:32hours

Overnight: Sossusvlei Lodge

Situated at the Entrance Gate to the Namib Naukluft Park, Sossusvlei Lodge offers direct access to the towering red sand dunes, the famous pan of Sossusvlei, the scorched black trees of Dead Vlei and the remarkable depths of the Sesriem Canyon.

The 45 individual luxurious accommodation units at Sossusvlei Lodge are carefully laid out to perfectly blend in with the magnificent surrounding natural environment. Each fully air-conditioned unit has a patio, en-suite bathroom with shower and a spacious bedroom under canvas with adobe-style plaster walls to give the visitor a distinctive sense of being close to nature.

Experience the true art of Hospitality with the thoughtful touch of attentive staff to contribute to a truly memorable experience. Facilities include a sparkling pool, bar, beer garden and an al fresco terrace where one can enjoy exquisite food, award-winning wines and magnificent views of the floodlit waterhole. The Sossusvlei Lodge Adventure Centre provides a range of activities including Quad-Biking, Guided Excursions, Sun-downer Trips, Hot Air Ballooning, Scenic Flights and much more to explore the area’s natural beauty.

Basis

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

DAY 2: SOSSUSVLEI LODGE, NAMIB DESERT

Day Itinerary

The morning demands an early start. A cup of coffee or tea before departure and our day’s adventure beckons, as we want to experience the day awakening offering grand views onto the dunes en-route to Sossusvlei. Even a morning grouch will be delighted by what is to follow.

Entering the Namib Naukluft National Park with your guide and vehicle shortly after sunrise, the first rays of sunlight paint the mountains of sand into a colour variety of apricot, red and orange, contrasted against a crisp blue skyline, enrapturing our senses, and providing an opportunity to capture this awesome landscape on film.

You will be captivated by the surreal Deadvlei surrounded by some of the highest dunes on earth and Sossusvlei, where the dry Tsauchab River ends abruptly amongst dunes. Take the opportunity to walk up one of these majestic dunes to admire the desert landscape beneath. The mostly dried white vleis compete in dramaturgy with the red dunes and deep blue skies, with gnarled and weathered camelthorn trees in Deadvlei providing the essential contrast.

After it went upwards onto the dunes we decent down rocks into the Sesriem Canyon. Who is not aware of this canyon being here, would easily miss this at some places 30 meter deep and one kilometre long canyon carved out by the Tsauchab River.

Early settlers had to bind six (Ses) Lether straps (rieme) together to reach the water at the bottom of the canyon. Speaking of water – a welcoming keyword in this desert heat! A welcoming and refreshing pool or a cooling drink filled to the rim with ice cubes awaits us back at the lodge. Back at the lodge we unwind and recapture the day’s experiences.

Activities

Sossusvlei

Dead Vlei

Sesriem Canyon

Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei’s rich ochre sand dunes offer one of the most mind-blowing sights you will ever experience. Their oscillating crests rise to an astonishing 320m and, with their air of timelessness, create an unforgettable wilderness in the heart of the world’s oldest desert.

Dwarfed by the sheer size of the highest dunes on earth, your ascending footprints look like insect trails leading into infinity. The solitude is immeasurable and your place in the great scheme of life takes on a curious insignificance. The white vleis (clay pans) contrast sharply against the red sand and vast blue sky, while fog-dependent animals and plants seek shelter from the sweltering heat underneath the sand and age-old camel thorn trees.

One of these pans, referred to as Dead Pan, is a large ghostly expanse of dried white clay, punctuated by skeletons of ancient camel-thorn trees, carbon-dated as being between 500 and 600 years old. During this time the flow of the Tsauchab River into the pan was stopped by the formation of a dune belt – hence the trees died, now forming part of Namibia’s own Salvador Dali “painting”.

Dead Vlei

This ancient clay pan was once an oasis, studded with acacias and fed by a river that suddenly changed course, leaving the earth to dry up along with the trees it previously supported. So dry were the climatic conditions that the trees never decomposed – instead they were entirely leached of moisture so that today, 900 years later, they remain as dessicated, blackened sentinels dotting the pan’s cracked surface. Surrounded by the red-pink dunes of the Namib Desert, they create a surreal spectacle that is a photographer’s dream.

Sesriem Canyon

Sesriem Canyon, a deep chasm carved through the rocks by water, is a striking natural feature of the area that is best explored on foot. Stony walls rise up sharply on both sides of the canyon, while birds roost in its crags and lizards dart along the ledges. The canyon’s name was coined when early settlers used it as a water source, using six lengths of leather (‘ses riem – six thongs) tied together to lower buckets into the water at the base of canyon.

Basis

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

DAY 3: STRAND HOTEL SWAKOPMUND, SWAKOPMUND

Swakopmund

With palm-lined streets, seaside promenades and fine accommodation for all budgets, Swakopmund is Namibia’s most popular holiday destination, and its pleasant summer climate and decent beaches attract surfers, anglers and beach lovers from all over Southern Africa.

Thanks to its mild temperatures and negligible rainfall, Swakopmund generally enjoys grit in the oyster. When an easterly wind blows, the town gets a good sand-blasting, and almost perpetual drizzle. The fog rolls up to 30km inland and provides moisture for desert-dwelling plants and animals, including 80 species of lichen. For better or worse, Swakopmund feels overwhelmingly Teutonic – indeed, it has Germany – but for visitors, it’s a Namibia’s adrenalin capital, and offers a wide range of gut-curdling activities from sand boarding and quad-biking to skydiving and camel riding.

Note, however, that it gets especially busy around Namibian school holidays in December and January, when temperatures average around 25ºC.

Day Itinerary

Today the journey continues to the coast. On our way, we Visit the Welwitschia plains and the aptly named Moon landscape, two of the attractions during this scenic drive. After arriving in Swakopmund you can explore the town at your leisure.

Activities

Welwitschia Mirabilis

Historic Swakopmund

In the late nineteenth century, a small group of hardy settlers arrived on the Atlantic shore of the Namib Desert. They brought a piece of Germany with them. Today, this facet of history survives in the town’s colonial architecture, while details of its social and natural history are captured in exhibits at the Swakopmund Museum.

Welwitschia Mirabilis

Friedrich Martin Joseph Welwitsch (1806 – 1872) was the distinguished figure destined to bring to the attention of the world one of the most extraordinary curiosities of all living organisms. This plant would arouse more interest and produce more surprises than any of the other 375’000 species known to man. It seems to bear kinship only with a prehistoric flora known today as fossil remains. Yet somehow it still survives….an anachronism…. a relic of flora long past… a LIVING fossil!! No less unique is the phenomenon of the Welwitschia’s habitat. It occurs in isolated colonies confined to the Namib Desert, generally within a narrow 100km-wide coastal belt and nowhere else in the world! Individual Welwitschia plants are estimated to be upwards of 2,500 years old, have crowns of more than 3 feet (1m) in diameter, and leaves that stretch up to 6 feet (2 m) long. With leaves that curl into fantastic shapes along the ground, this plant is considered to be the longest-living member of the plant kingdom.

Directions – Sossusvlei Lodge to Strand Hotel Swakopmund

Distance: 346.4km Travel Time: 4:31hours

Overnight: Strand Hotel Swakopmund

The Strand Hotel Swakopmund is located directly on the mole (promenade) in Swakopmund, surrounded on three sides by the Atlantic Ocean, with direct access to the main beach. On the fourth side it’s backed up by the historical town of Swakopmund. A short five minute walk leads you to the historic centre of this charming, German, Victorian era colonial seaside town, with all its shops, cafés, restaurants and bars.

Strand Hotel Swakopmund offers unique and creatively entertaining restaurants, bars, deli, lobby-lounge, sea facing terraces and shops, set on this historic and iconic site. Its architectural inspiration finds its roots deep in Namibian German colonial history and reflects this in a tasteful contemporary manner. The interiors are residential in nature, and the brief to all designers involved was to create a non-hotel.

One as charming and welcoming as the town it is in. Simply very warm and comfortable, and as they say in German: “gemütlich” with a genuine “sense-of-place” Every aspect of the Strand Hotel Swakopmund was developed according to international four-star standards.

Basis

Bed and Breakfast

DAY 4: STRAND HOTEL SWAKOPMUND, SWAKOPMUND

Day Itinerary

Swakopmund is often fondly referred to as the “playground of Namibia”, it has numerous activities ranging from, adventure to exploring the fascinating features of the Namib Desert and the animals and plants that occur and survive here. Embrace the relaxed pace of this idyllic coastal town whilst enjoying coffee and freshly baked pastries in one of the many café’s.

Alternatively explore the rugged, sweltering desert on a day tour, or view this awesome, environment from the air on a scenic flight. Find your inner child and push adrenaline to its limits with extreme adventures such as skydiving over the desert or quad biking and sand boarding on the dunes.

Take time to get the feel of this quaint town with its historic buildings, museums, shopping arcades and beach bar that has transformed into its own personality by the vibrant use of color and the bohemian lifestyle.

Activities

Marine Dune Day

The popular Marine Dune Day (9h00-16h30) is a combination of both, a morning marine cruise and a Sandwich Harbour 4×4 afternoon excursion. During the marine cruise you have a chance to see pelicans, seals, dolphins, the Walvis Bay Harbour, oyster farms and Pelican Point with the old lighthouse. Your 4×4 guide will be waiting for you as soon as you are back to take you to Sandwich Harbour, the Saltpans, the Kuiseb River Delta and – if weather and tides allow for it – the Sandwich Harbour Lagoon. You have plenty of time to stop and take pictures, and enjoy the beautiful and unique scenery of one of the most spectacular areas in Namibia. The roaring dunes and lookout spots are a highlight of every tour.

Basis

Bed and Breakfast

DAY 5: DORO NAWAS CAMP, TWYFELFONTEIN

Twyfelfontein

This National Heritage site confers yet another distinction to Namibia: that of one of the foremost centres of artwork in the world. It counts as the largest open-air art gallery in Southern Africa, its name reflecting a farmer’s incredulity that the unreliable spring (Afrikaans: Twyfelfontein) could have supported the Stone Age hunter and its prey for thousands of years.

The reddish sandstone boulders seem to glow in the fierce heat, yet ancient man sheltered from enemy and spied on game from these surreal rock formations. Here he assiduously carved away at the intractable rock surfaces to imprint his indelible creations. Today, you can browse amongst these selfsame boulders and slabs of sandstone and marvel at the grandest spectacle of rock engravings in Africa. The area is also home to the geological phenomenon of Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes.

Day Itinerary

Heading further north, we travel via the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain (2.579m), into the Damaraland, one of the least populated and geologically diverse areas in Africa. This harsh, rocky environment is home to the rare desert elephant, the black rhino and free-roaming antelope species.

On route with your guideand vehicle you will visit the Himba Village, he Himba, one of the last tribes in Namibia still attempting to preserve and live their customs and traditions. The challenge of how to let a Bronze Age culture survive in our modern world without people living in museums is not a simple task.

This proud nation, especially the regal women may just be up tp this task. Their appearance is not accidental, each aspect either having practical reasons or represent age or status.

Activities

Himba Village Visit

The Himba, one of the last tribes in Namibia still attempting to preserve and live their customs and traditions. The challenge of how to let a Bronze Age culture survive in our modern world without people living in museums is not a simple task. This proud nation, especially the regal women may just be up tp this task. Their appearance is not accidental, each aspect either having practical reasons or represent age or status.

The daily life explained on your visit is fascinating, each facet reflected in their striking appearance. But beware, your visit may not be a one-sided affair, you too could be asked questions, your answers and their reactions will give you a greater understanding of who the Himba are.

Directions – Strand Hotel Swakopmund to Doro Nawas Camp

Distance: 336.8km Travel Time: 4:34 hours

Overnight: Doro Nawas Camp

Doro Nawas rests on the slopes of a small hill on the edge of the dry Aba-Huab River overlooking ancient plains with glorious views of the rugged Damaraland area. Guests are housed in 16 natural walled units, the design and décor blending in with the surrounding scenery.

Each unit consists of a bedroom, en-suite bathroom and veranda for stargazing or sleep-outs. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas, a residential pool area and a small curio shop. The camp provides an excellent base for exploring the local area in game drive vehicles and on foot, combining a luxury safari experience with economic empowerment for the local community.

Guests can view petro glyphs – prehistoric rock engravings – and San rock art at Twyfelfontein, Namibia’s first World Heritage Site. The combination of Africa’s past and present makes Doro Nawas a fascinating visit. Doro Nawas Camp is a joint venture between Wildernesses, the Doro! Nawas community and a Namibian empowerment company.

Basis

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

DAY 6: DORO NAWAS CAMP, TWYFELFONTEIN

Day Itinerary

After Breakfast, with you guide, you visit to Twyfelfontein. Twyfelfontein is a World Heritage Site boasting one of the richest rock art concentrations in Africa.

Thousands of tourists come to this site each year to view some 2,500 Stone Age rock engravings. The area is home to 17 rock art sites, which collectively encompass 212 engraved stone slabs. There are an additional 13 sites displaying rock paintings.

Activities

Twyfelfontein Rock Art

Twyfelfontein is a World Heritage Site boasting one of the richest rock art concentrations in Africa. Thousands of tourists come to this site each year to view some 2, 500 Stone Age rock engravings. The area is home to 17 rock art sites, which collectively encompass 212 engraved stone slabs. There are an additional 13 sites displaying rock paintings.

Basis

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

DAY 7: ETOSHA OBERLAND LODGE, ETOSHA SOUTH

Etosha South

Located just south of the boundary of Etosha National Park in northwestern Namibia, Etosha South makes up the southern region of this wild paradise. The national park can be accessed via the southern entrance at Andersson’s Gate. Visitors can catch a glimpse of a variety of wildlife including: lion, giraffe, elephant, white and black rhino, and a multitude of plains game.

Day Itinerary

After Breakfast. Your destination today is the wildlife heaven of Namibia – the Etosha National Park. On our way to this wildlife Mecca we stop at the Petrified Forest. The geological phenomenon found here depicts the creation and metamorphosis of wood into stone amongst some of the oldest landmasses on Earth. Here you also see the Welwitschia mirabilis plant – the oldest living desert plant on Earth. Before checking into your lodge located on the border of the Etosha National Park.

Activities

Petrified Forest

The Petrified Forest is a national monument, proclaimed on 1st March 1950, after being discovered by two farmers in the 1940s. The Petrified Forest is situated about 50 km west of Khorixas. The name is a bit misleading as it is not exactly a forest, which turned to stone, but rather an accumulation of enormous fossilized tree trunks about 280million years old.

Scientist found out that these trunks haven’t grown in today’s Namibia but were washed down a river in ancient times when one of the many Ice Ages ended on the Gondwana continent. There must have been a huge flood that carried along the trunks to where they lie today. This flood also carried a lot of sand and mud which covered the trees to such an extent that air intrusion was prevented and consequently no decay took place.

The organic material of the trunks was conserved. Due to enormous pressure and over a period of millions of years even the finest structures of the wood have been dissolved by silicic acid and replaced by quartz, which is silica acid in crystalline state. The result is perfectly conserved and completely petrified trunks.

Thanks to erosion many of these trunks are now exposed and amongst many smaller specimens two fully exposed trees measuring up to 45 m have been discovered. Geologists did some research on the trunks and found out that the trees belong to the family of the Cordaites tree, which grew a long time ago in today’s Europe and was the ancestor of firs and spruces.

Additionally to the petrified tree trunks some beautiful specimen of the Welwitschia Mirabilis can be seen here. The Welwitischia Miralibis is named after Friedrich Welwitsch, a botanist who discovered the plant in the mid-19th century in Angola. The Welwitschia is often called a living fossil due to the fact that they are very long-living plants.

Some Welwitschias are said to be 1500 years old and even older. The plants are endemic to the Namib Desert and only consist of a root a small stem and two leaves. The official Petrified Forest is situated on a plateau and can be reached by normal sedan vehicle.

Directions – Doro Nawas Camp to Etosha Oberland Lodge

Distance: 305.56km Travel Time: 3:17hours

Overnight: Etosha Oberland Lodge

The Etosha Oberland Lodge, 10km away from the southern gate of Etosha National Park opened in March 2020 and is nestled in a private nature park adjacent to the park. The lodge offers an inviting lobby with restaurant and a bar with adjoining lounge with fire pit. To enhance the experience, guests are invited to enjoy a viewing deck and swimming pool as well as free Wi-fi in communal areas.

The accommodation comprises of 18 beautifully appointed premium chalets that offer comfortable amenities such as an en-suite bathroom, an outdoor shower, private sun terrace, which is equipped with comfortable chairs. Further facilities include air conditioning, a tea and coffee station with fridge, mosquito nets, a hairdryer and a safe.

Basis

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

DAY 8: MUSHARA OUTPOST, ETOSHA EAST

Etosha East

In the vast arid space of Northern Namibia lies one of Southern Africa’s best loved wildlife sanctuaries. The 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 5000km². 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 blue – green algae which lures thousands of flamingos.

Day Itinerary

Are all camera batteries loaded? Good!

As today with your guide and vehicle, we will experience the Etosha National Park and its abundant wildlife up-close and to its fullest ….. Spotted, striped, dotted, with long neck or short legs… behind each bush and corner there is something new to be revealed.

For more than 100 years Zebra, Elephant, Giraffe, Oryx, Blue Wildebeest, Springbok, Kudu or a selection of other rare animals have been roaming the park in tranquillity. The tourist vehicles that meander across the dusty gravel roads are hardly taken notice of.

The animal kingdom is overwhelming! With some luck you are able to spot the more night active predator’s lion, leopard, hyena or jackal strolling through the bush savannah. But also birders are fully rewarded with hundreds of documented species.

The Etosha Pan itself is a gigantic Saltpan that, depending on the season, flickers dry and dusty during the heat of the midday or after heavy rainfalls it lures thousands of migrating birds. As soon as the sun sets peace succumbs over the park and we depart to our lodge to relax and reminisce our day’s adventure.

Activities

Okaukuejo Water Hole

Etosha Pan

Okaukuejo Water Hole

Etosha National Park boasts numerous waterholes, including both natural springs and fountains and others fed by man-made bore holes. Some of the camps in the park offer the unique experience of floodlit waterholes for night-time viewing.

Overall, these various waterholes tend to offer the park’s best opportunities for both big and small game sightings, especially during the dry winter months, when more animals are drawn out of hiding to drink at the water’s edge. However, each waterhole has its own unique personality and the animals that can be spotted at certain waterholes may vary from, even from season to season.

Okaukuejo Waterhole is right next to the Okaukeujo rest camp. It is floodlit and draws black rhino almost every night as well as numerous elephants, especially between June and December. This is considered by many to be the best place in Africa to see the endangered and solitary-natured black rhino.

Etosha Pan

Aeons ago, Etosha Pan was the bed of a vast lake; today what remains is a glittering, silvery-green salt pan that stretches across roughly 5000 square kilometres.

Etosha is protected by the Etosha Pan National Park surrounded by savannah plains and woodlands supporting large herds of elephants. When dry, the pan sustains little life except for the algae that gives it its distinctive colour, and migratory birds that use it as a pit stop, but with heavy rain it becomes a shallow lake where flamingos breed, pelicans wade and feed, and a variety of mammal species come to quench their thirst, including leopards, lions, white rhinos, hunting dogs and antelopes.

Overnight: Mushara Outpost

The Mushara Outpost accommodates 16 guest in custom made tent like structures, of wood and canvas which are nestled on the banks of an ancient dry river bed known to the locals as an ” omaramba”. The Mushara Outpost is all about old fashioned hospitality with warm, friendly and personalized service on the door step to the magical Etosha Pan National Park. The lodge house is styled on an old farm house, tall walls, corrugated iron roof with a large wrap around veranda. The ambiance is that of a well lived in house, friendly, extremely comfortable with a light feel to it.

Directions – Etosha Oberland Lodge to Mushara Outpost

Distance: 184.07km Travel Time: 3:07 hours

Basis

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 9: Mushara Outpost, Etosha East

Day Itinerary

The entire day is enjoyed game driving in the Etosha National Park with your guide and vehicle.

Activities

Etosha Pan

Aeons ago, Etosha Pan was the bed of a vast lake; today what remains is a glittering, silvery-green salt pan that stretches across roughly 5000 square kilometres. Etosha is protected by the Etosha Pan National Park surrounded by savannah plains and woodlands supporting large herds of elephants.

When dry, the pan sustains little life except for the algae that gives it its distinctive colour, and migratory birds that use it as a pit stop, but with heavy rain it becomes a shallow lake where flamingos breed, pelicans wade and feed, and a variety of mammal species come to quench their thirst, including leopards, lions, white rhinos, hunting dogs and antelopes.

Basis

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 10: Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp, Okonjima Nature Reserve

Okonjima Nature Reserve

The 96km fence surrounding the 22 000 ha Okonjima private, Nature Reserve was finally completed in 2010. This fence has created:

– A 20 000 ha reserve for Captive Carnivore rehabilitation (also home to Brown Hyenas and the resident Leopards);

– a 2000 ha ‘safe’ area around Main Camp, Bush Camp, Bush Suite, the Omboroko Campsite and the PAWS Environmental Education Centre.

Although hunting is instinctive in carnivores, many of the cheetahs at AFRICAT lack experience due to being orphaned or removed from the wild at an early age. This inexperience, as well as their conditioning to captivity, makes them unsuitable for release.

The 200km (20.000ha) NATURE RESERVE | PARK, provides captive cheetahs and other carnivores with the opportunity to hone their hunting skills and become self-sustaining and thereby giving them a chance to return to the wild. The captive cheetahs are fitted with radio-collars prior to their release into the reserve, so that their welfare and progress can be closely monitored.

Rehabilitation gives a captive carnivore a second chance to be released back into the wild and to take the time it needs, to become a completely independent hunter – in a protected area right in the middle of commercial farmland!

Day Itinerary

In the early morning we travel back south through the main cattle farming region of Namibia, where the lodge is fittingly situated. In the afternoon you have the option of exploring diversity of game species in an open vehicle drive or self-guided- scenic walk. Spend the day taking part in the many activities that the lodge has to offer. You can choose an afternoon activities including

Recommended

The AfriCat Foundation

AfriCat was founded in 1991 on Okonjima Farm in Central Namibia (though officially registered as a non-profit organisation in 1993) whose mission was to contribute to the long term conservation of Namibia’s large carnivores.

AfriCat was created as a result of information gained on Okonjima when it was still a cattle farm losing calves to leopards and the desire and urgent need of sharing this information with fellow farmers. The consequent contact with numerous farmers and AfriCat’s exposure led to the rescue of many trapped large carnivores.

Since 1993, 1080 of these predators were rescued. Over 85% were released back into the wild. However, despite concerted efforts, few farmers adopted the tried & tested solutions suggested by AfriCat and AfriCat soon became the easy way out – ‘problem’ cheetahs and leopards were caught in cage traps and AfriCat was called to collect!

AfriCat was soon faced with a dilemma – what to do with the cheetahs and leopards taken off these farms? All rescued animals were first carefully examined. The cats that were fit and not too stressed were released as soon as possible if a suitable place was available.

All the others i.e. the orphans, the injured, the weak and the old were taken to the AfriCat Carnivore Care Centre, where, if necessary, a veterinarian was consulted. Over time, the resultant number of ‘captive’ carnivores increased while the options for release decreased!

Food and medical care costs rose to astronomical amounts! Fortunately thanks to Okonjima and AfriCat supporters funding was sourced for their continued upkeep. The problem, however, remained that with the calls from farmers, the numbers of carnivores at AfriCat’s Carnivore Care Centre continued to grow.

In essence, detracting from our mission statement, ‘to keep wild carnivores wild’! AfriCat has grown significantly since its inception and has over the years identified the need to include a focus on education, community support, research and rehabilitation as being essential to accomplishing our new mission: to make a SIGNIFICANT contribution to CONSERVATION through EDUCATION while still striving towards the long term survival of Namibia’s predators in their natural habitat. The newly completed (May 2010) OKONJIMA NATURE RESERVE is now dedicated to environmental education and to the research and rehabilitation of captive carnivores.

Directions – Mushara Outpost to Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp

Distance: 346km Travel Time: 3:35hours

Overnight: Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp

Not only is Okonjima a luxury lodge, but it is also home to The AfriCat Foundation, a non-profit organisation, committed to long-term conservation of Namibia’s large carnivores, especially cheetahs and leopards.

A visit to Okonjima will give you an opportunity to witness some of AfriCat’s work. OKONJIMA’S LUXURY BUSH 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.

Basis

Bed and Breakfast

DAY 11: END OF ITINERARY

Day Itinerary

After breakfast, we travel back to the capital, Windhoek. Time permitting, en-route we may stop at the famous wood carvers market in Okahandja or the craft market in the main street in Windhoek to pick up the last few souvenirs.

Windhoek is a cosmopolitan melting pot of European architecture with African culture, with a variety of excellent restaurants to choose from. Your guide will then transfer you to Hosea Kutako Airport for your international departure. End of tour

Basis

Breakfast

Directions – Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp to Hosea Kutako International Airport [WDH]

Distance: 264.2km Travel Time: 2:51hours

Itinerary Terms and Conditions

(1) INTERPRETATION :

1.1 In this agreement, except in a context indicating some other meaning is intended:
1.1.1. The brochure means: the official AMA Safaris Brochure, the full Destination manual and rates and other general information issued by AMA Safaris
1.1.2.“The Package” means the tour which is contracted to by the client or any party on their behalf and includes all tourism services and products included therein:
1.1.4.“The Client” means any party contracting to the services offered by AMA Safaris.
1.1.5.   “The Service” means all tourism related services contracted by Ama Safaris, for and on behalf of the client including, but not limited to accommodation reservations, FIT’s scheduled tours, flying safaris, charters, series, tailor made tours, special interest tours, transfers and chauffeur drivers.
1.1.6.   “The Traveller” shall mean that person utilizing the services contracted for, usually the Client in direct bookings,
1.1.7.   “The Arrival Date” shall mean the scheduled date of arrival of the traveller(s) in the Republic of Namibia.
1.1.8.   “Pax” means passengers travelling
1.1.9.   “Groups or charters” shall mean a booking for a group which is more than 7 pax
1.2   The headings appear for reference only and shall not influence interpretation of this agreement.

(2) SERVICE PROVISION:
African Eagle provides the services to the client who contracts the services on the terms and conditions of this agreement

(3) TOUR PRICES AND PAYMENT TERMS:
3.1 Current prices and services are detailed on the rates provided, as contracted, and are quoted in Namibian Dollars, unless otherwise stipulated. AMA Safaris expressly reserves the right to amend prices quotations in the event of unforeseen increases in supplier tariffs, taxes or other Government levies, tourism levies, fuel prices, other taxes of whatever nature or other factors beyond its control.

3.2 All rates are calculated inclusive of VAT.

3.3 All quotations are valid only to the expiring date stated in the quotation and are subject to adjustment if the services quoted are not available at the time of booking. Quotations are based on itineraries and requirements specified by the client. Upon acceptance, any amendments requested by the client or traveller, which incur extra costs, are for the clients or travellers account, as the case may be.

3.4 A deposit of 35% of the full package/services quoted is due, owing and payable upon confirmation of any reservation. The balance of the price is due, owing and payable no later than 30 days prior to arrival. Where reservations are made within 30 days of date of arrival, payment is due within 72 hours.

3.5 For Group Tours and Charters 25% of the total value of the booking is due 10 weeks prior to the arrival date. The balance is due, owing and payable not later than 31 days prior to arrival. All bookings made and confirmed within 31 days of date of arrival, as well as all additional pax booked within 31 days of date of arrival are due, owing and payable within 72 hours.

3.6. Should any account not be paid on the due date, the client shall be liable to pay interest a tempore morae on the amount outstanding until payment is done at the prime bank overdraft rate as charged by AMA Safaris’s bankers to its favorite corporate customers from time to time.

3.7. AMA Safaris expressly reserves the right to cancel any reservations where payment has not been made on the due date, without prejudice to claim compensation for all possible damages suffered due to the client’s breach and the client hereby expressly accepts such rights.

3.8 For all tours invoiced in Namibian Dollars the payments are to be made free of commission and bank charges (for the transfers/clients account) and without deduction or set-off in the currency that the quotation was accepted, to the following account:

CANCELLATION POLICY:
4.1 All cancellations will become valid on the date of receipt by AMA Safaris of written notice, cancelling the reservation.

In the case of any cancellation, the following cancellation fees will apply:

+60 days prior to arrival date: Admin fee of ZAR1500
60-31 days prior to arrival date: 30%
31-21 days prior to arrival date: 50%
20-8 days prior to arrival date: 75%
7 days and less prior to arrival: 100%
No shows: 100%
4.2. Certain specific suppliers have more stringent cancellation policies, the details of which will be made available on the quotation if applicable and which AMA Safaris general cancellation policy is subject to.

In the event of such more stringent cancellation policy being applicable the client will be liable for such more stringent cancellation policy to AMA Safaris.
4.3. In the event that any client fails to pay
any amount to AMA Safaris on its due date, AMA Safaris is entitled to cancel the booking and claim damages in terms of this cancellation policy.

4.4. Failure on the part of the client to comply with the terms and conditions set out herein shall entitle AMA Safaris in its sole discretion and regardless of reservations and payments already received, to cancel or refuse to accept the client’s booking

BOOKING CONDITIONS:
5.1. AMA Safaris carries extensive passenger liability insurance, details of which will be made available on request. It is strongly recommended that all clients take out comprehensive travel insurance including medical cover, as well as cancellation and curtailment covers, as AMA Safaris does not cover this.

5.2. Should the traveller fail to join a tour, join it after departure or leave it prior to completion, no refund will be made and no credit granted. Travellers should ensure that they at all times have appropriate insurance cover.
5.3. AMA Safaris shall not be liable for any loss, damage or expenses of any nature whatever suffered by the client or any traveller arising from:
a)   the loss of or any damage to property;
b)   the cancellation or curtailment of any tour;
c)   Force majeure (acts of God), including but not limited to sickness, quarantine, weather conditions, war, acts of terror, riots, and/ or any other cause outside the control of AMA Safaris.
5.4. AMA Safaris accepts no liability for the death of, or injury to, loss and/ or damage to any person and /or property caused by unusual or unforeseen circumstances beyond their reasonable control.
5.5   Should sickness or accident interrupt a tour AMA Safaris shall not be liable for any;
a). loss, damage or expense arising
therefrom, whether as a result of AMA Safaris negligence or otherwise; and
b). refund either total or partial, of money
paid. AMA Safaris recommends that the client advises travellers to take out the necessary insurance to protect against any eventuality.
5.6. Travellers shall be solely responsible for complying with the formalities required by police, customs, health and other authorities at the point of departure, at the destination and whilst in transit. Whilst AMA Safaris will endeavour to provide the client, prior to departure, with the latest information concerning such regulations and restrictions, AMA Safaris shall not be responsible and does not accept any liability for any inaccuracies or omissions in this regard.
5.7. Travellers may not carry any unlawful articles or substances whilst travelling in the Southern African region. Should any traveller contravene the aforesaid prohibitions, AMA Safaris will be entitled to immediately exclude the offender from the tour and such traveller will be responsible for his or her own repatriation and all costs associated therewith. AMA Safaris will under no circumstance assist any such offender in any dealings or negotiations with any authority.
5.8. AMA Safaris reserves the right to decline to accept or retain any traveller as a member of any group or on any tour at any time as a result of the non-payment of any amount due by the client in respect of such traveller or if such traveller interferes with any other member of any group and/or causes any disturbance or nuisance.
5.9. Should AMA Safaris appoint a tour leader or guide in respect of any tour, then the traveller must accept all reasonable instructions of such tour leader or guide.

5.10. All travel arrangements such as flight bookings, reservations of hotel accommodation, reservation of motor transport and the like, made by AMA Safaris are subject to the booking conditions and cancellation provisions of the supplier thereof.

5.11. AMA Safaris reserves the right to alter or substitute routes, refreshments, meals, accommodations, itineraries, tours, services, vehicles and/or other arrangements should conditions necessitate. AMA Safaris will offer substitutes of equal value and will inform the client of any known changes before departure.

5.12. One standard set of luggage, comprising one suitcase and one overnight bag per person is allowed. Luggage should be clearly marked.

5.13. It is obviously not possible for all travellers to occupy front row seats throughout the tours. So as to have as many passengers as possible enjoy front row seats, AMA Safaris guides and drivers have been instructed to implement a policy of rotation of seats.

5.14. In accordance with international practice and as a courtesy to non-smoking passengers, the traveller’s co-operation is required in implementing a policy of prohibiting smoking on vehicles. At no time and under no circumstance is smoking permitted on vehicles. The guide or driver will ensure that sufficient comfort stops are made to enable travellers to smoke outside.

5.15. Accommodation is as specified in the itinerary or brochure and is based on two people sharing a twin bedded or double room. The use of specific accommodation is subject to availability. AMA Safaris reserves the right to make use of alternative accommodation.

PASSPORTS AND VISAS:
The onus is on the traveller or their agent to ensure that their passports are valid for travel and that they are in possession of valid visas for all countries being visited and that all necessary health certificates for these destinations are in order.

CHILDREN POLICY:
7.1 A child of 12 years will be charged the full adult per person rate on all services provided.

GENERAL

8.1 AMA Safaris shall not be bound by any representation, warranty, promise or the like not recorded herein or agreed to by it in writing. No representation, term, warranty or condition, express or implied, shall be considered to be or to have been made or agreed or implied by reference to any other writing, advertisement or conversation.

8.2. No addition to, variation, or agreed cancellation of these conditions shall be of any force or effect unless reduced in writing and acknowledged by or on behalf of any director of AMA SAFARIS LTD.

8.3. No indulgence which AMA Safaris may grant to any party shall constitute a waiver of any of the rights of AMA who shall not thereby be precluded from exercising any rights against the client and or the traveller which may have arisen in the past or which might arise in the future.

8.4. Any claim or dispute which may arise between the client and AMA Safaris or any travellers and AMA Safaris including any claim for loss or damage due to injury to person or property shall be resolved by arbitration in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Namibia.

8.5. In all matters where it is or may be necessary to have recourse to the courts, the courts of the Republic of Namibia has sole jurisdiction to the exclusion of the courts of any other country and the law of the Republic of Namibia shall prevail.

8.6. Both parties undertake that neither of them will disclose the terms of this agreement or any other confidential information as to the business or affairs of the other which either may acquire through operation of this agreement to any third party other than may be required by law.