Welcome to Namibia! Upon arrival at the Windhoek International Airport, clear customs and immigration, and proceed to the arrivals area where you will be met by our local representative (he/she will be holding a sign with your name on it). You will then be driven directly to your hotel for check-in. Settle in and enjoy your first evening in Namibia! (This service is on a private basis.)

Windhoek

Windhoek is the modern gateway city into Namibia's wilderness. With its gardens, parks, buildings and relaxed atmosphere, this well-kept city would not seem out of place in America or Europe. Unlike so many other African cities, tourist-centric shops are confined to a few specific streets, so walking through most of Windhoek can feel like you aren't a foreigner at all, but merely another local taking a leisurely lunch break, or running errands. You may have flown all the way to Namibia to experience expansive deserts, rolling dunes, or African wildlife, but you will definitely need to find your way out of WIndhoek to do it. As an entry and exit point to/from Namibia however, you can't ask for any better.

After breakfast, you will be met by your private guide to begin your journey to Okonjima, located at the foot of the Omboroko Mountains (transfer duration: approximately 3 hours). Upon arrival, you will have lunch before enjoying an exciting afternoon activity offered by the camp.(This service is on a private basis.)

Leopard Activity

Venture out into the ONR (Okonjima Nature Reserve) with one of the camp's experienced guides. Your time will be spent collecting research data for the camp's long-standing leopard project and newly introduced brown hyaena program. Some of the reserve's resident adult leopards are radio-collared which enables the guides to track them with a specialized telemetry device. This contributes to frequent viewing, allowing you the opportunity to observe these magnificent predators in their natural habitat and experience the fascinating behavior and interactions between these two species while they compete for food. Although this significantly increases the chance of an excellent sighting, it cannot ever be guaranteed as they are wild free-living predators. (This service is on a group basis.)

Okonjima Nature Reserve

Okonjima Nature Reserve is famously known as the home of the AfriCat Foundation, an organization dedicated to revitalizing Namibia's wild cat population. Because of this exclusive attraction, there may not be a better destination in the world to ensure wild leopard or cheetah sightings, than here. Halfway between Windhoek and Etosha National Park, Okonjima also serves as a convenient stopping point between these two highlights. If you're feeling particularly brave, walking safaris are available, to truly get up close and personal with the wild cats.

Morning Game Drive

This morning you will embark on a game drive with one of the resident camp guides. This activity allows more time to enjoy and understand the ONR (Okonjima Nature Reserve) as a natural typical ecosystem within Central Namibia. As the Nature Reserve was established primarily to conserve some of the more threatened mammal species, it provides an increased chance to encounter these relatively rare animals. This is once again assisted by the AfriCat Foundation’s research projects on the shy nocturnal Brown Hyena and the severely threatened Ground Pangolin. There are more than 40 mammal species within the Okonjima Nature Reserve, both large and small, including the rarely seen Cape Fox as well as a good representation of the typical flora. At the discretion of your guide, there may be the chance to view some of these mammals, large or small, on foot. (This service is on a group basis.)

After some time to freshen up after your morning game drive, you'll continue your journey onto Onguma, located on the eastern boundary of Etosha (transfer duration: approximately 4 - 5 hours). Check into your new camp and settle into your new surroundings. (This service is on a private basis.)df

Sundowner Game Drive

This afternoon you will embark on a 2-hour afternoon sunset nature drive on the Onguma Reserve! The camp's expert guides will explain the many intricacies of the bush.(This service is on a group basis.)

Onguma Nature Reserve

Onguma Nature Reserve consists of 34 000 hectares of Namibian wilderness & is home to numerous plains game, more than 300 bird species and even 4 of the Big 5. The Reserve incorporates ecological substrata such as savannah, bushveld, omuramba, and dry pan. Age-old and well-worn migration routes, once used by elephant and buffalo wander through Onguma’s three dry riverbeds. The Reserve boasts over thirty different animal species. Plains game roam freely on the Reserve and predators although not always easy to spot, are nevertheless common residents of the area. Lions and Cheetahs are frequently seen and often heard. There is a healthy black rhino and leopard population and hyenas are also often seen and heard.

Full Day Game Drive

Today is dedicated to a full day of exciting game viewing within the Etosha National Park from your private safari vehicle as you make your way from the eastern boundary of the Etosha to the southern boundary of the Etosha. The Park boasts some 114 mammal and over 340 bird species. Wildlife that one might see includes elephant, lion, giraffe, blue wildebeest, eland, kudu, gemsbok (oryx), zebra, rhino, cheetah, leopard, hyena, honey badger, and warthog, as well as the marvelous black-faced impala. (This service is on a private basis.)

Etosha National Park

Etosha, meaning "Great White Place," is dominated by a massive mineral pan. The pan is part of the Kalahari Basin, the floor of which was formed around 1000 million years ago. The pan is now a large dusty depression of salt and clay which fills only if the rains are heavy and even then it only holds water for a short time. This temporary water in the Etosha Pan attracts thousands of wading birds including impressive flocks of flamingos. The perennial springs along the edges of the Etosha Pan draw large concentrations of wildlife and birds. Ranking as one of Africa's top wildlife viewing destinations, Etosha is your opportunity for a more traditional game viewing safari in an otherwise nontraditional African travel destination.

Today is dedicated to memorable game drives on the private Game Reserve as arranged by the local camp guide. You can choose from the activities mentioned below.

Morning Game Drive

You leave the lodge early this morning just after the sun has risen on a 2-3-hour drive on the property. You have the option of having breakfast before you leave or after the activity. Chances to see various game species are good and if you are lucky a few not so regular sightings. (This service is on a group basis.)

Afternoon Sundowner Drive

After a light lunch, a dip in the pool or a good book and afternoon tea you will embark on your afternoon activity. You will be looking at a few game trails, spending time with the animals as they come in for their afternoon drink at the waterholes and at the end, just before you return to the lodge, you will find a comfortable spot to relax at, to see how the sun slips away to make way for the night to follow. (This service is on a group basis.)

Night Game Drive

Dinner will be served a bit earlier than usual and after a good meal you will take to the bush once more, but this time under a star filled sky in search of the elusive creatures that embrace the night. Chances are that you might just get a few welcome surprises! Try to book this activity as early in the day as possible.

Venture into the mystery and complete darkness of the game night drive. The only illumination comes from the vehicle lights and spotlight. Night drives give you the opportunity to see the nocturnal realm and the beautiful animals that live in it. You might also be able to to see the aardwolf, hyena, leopard, lion, bar eared fox, honey badger, aardvark, owls, and many more! (This service is on a group basis.)

Today you set off on your journey into the wonderful and diverse region of Damaraland, traveling via the regional center of Khorixas and the settlement at Kamanjab (travel duration: approximately 5 - 6 hours). (This service is on a private basis.)

Himba 'Living Museum' Visit

Soon after the latter, your guide will take you to visit a Himba ‘Living Museum’ where you will be able to meet some of the local community who will be happy to demonstrate elements of their traditional lifestyle. The Himba are one of the last truly traditional peoples of Namibia and they are normally nomadic, but those that have settled here are now firmly established and unlikely to move on. They have little time for conventional practices but welcome visitors who want to learn about the customs and traditions of this very proud nation, and they are very willing to offer insight into their beliefs, way of life and everyday routine.

Once you have seen all you want, and you have enjoyed your picnic lunch which may be served here or elsewhere along the way, you will head to tonight's destination at your exclusive Huab under Canvas.

Damaraland

Central Namibia is dominated by a series of plateaus at its higher elevations, and it's on these plateaus where life has found a way to thrive. Winding rivers and active springs dot the landscapes of Damaraland, attracting giraffes, elephants, zebras, antelopes and even the rare black rhino. The relatively livable environment also allowed for early man to build societies here, leaving behind evidence of their passing via fascinating rock engravings - some of the oldest in the world. Damaraland is one piece of a landscape puzzle that is necessary for a complete picture of Namibia's awesome space and scope.

Rhino Tracking

Your day is off to an early start, you will spend an exciting and memorable morning out rhino tracking with the assistance of local trackers. It is worth noting that these black rhino form part of one of the only free-roaming black rhino populations in Africa and tracking animals in an unfenced and uninhibited environment is an absolute privilege. You will return to camp for a freshly prepared lunch and with time to relax at camp during the heat of the day. Later in the afternoon you head out again for a scenic nature drive or walk to explore this vast and astounding ecosystem. Huab Under Canvas works together with the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) - an NGO that has been having instrumental in the preservation of the rare, endangered, desert-adapted black rhino. Having barely survived the slaughter in many parts of Africa during the '80s and '90s, the black rhino population of Namibia increased substantially since the formation of SRT. (This service is on a private basis.)

After an early breakfast and departure the drive today takes you south past Namibia’s highest mountain, the Brandberg which peaks at 2,573 m above sea level, and west to meet the coast at Henties Bay. You then continue south to the coastal town of Swakopmund where you can enjoy the pleasant seaside location and cooler coastal air for the night (travel duration: approximately 5 - 6 hours). You will be staying on the eastern outskirts of the town, overlooking the Swakop River valley and desolate desert dune landscapes. Tonight includes dinner at a popular restaurant which specializes in locally harvested fresh seafood as well as other local and international dishes. Driving time: 6hrs. (This service is on a private basis.)

Swakopmund

From its name, to its architecture, to its residents, it's hard to ignore German colonization's influence on Swakopmund, and Namibia as a whole. The German tourists that frequent this city certainly feel at home here, and with its seaside promenade and authentically laid back attitude, you certainly will as well. You can spend the day on one of its many beaches, or venture out to partake in one of many available adventure activities. Surfing, sand boarding, sky diving, it's all here in Namibia's adventure sports capital. Lastly, Swakopmund is also the gateway into the Skeleton Coast to the north, making it a likely stop on your way into this fascinating region.

Kayaking in Walvis Bay

Your guide will take you along the scenic coastal road back south to Walvis Bay for a kayaking adventure! After meeting with your kayaking guide, you will drive to the Pelican Point for a visit. Pelican Point has a beautiful lighthouse, stunning beauty, and a variety of birdlife. Kayaking is a great way of seeing Cape Fur Seals, bottlenose dolphins, pelicans, flamingos, and marine birds. If you are extremely lucky, you might see whales, leatherback turtles, and sunfish. Your guide will be talking about the environment and sharing information throughout the day. There will be light refreshments on the beach before heading back to Walvis Bay. (This service is on a private basis.)

If Kayaking does not appeal to you, take a motorized boat excursion to see the seals and the dolphins (optional at an additional cost). You will also get to see Cape Fur Seals, bottlenose dolphins, pelicans, flamingos, and birds. Again, with luck, you might see whales, leatherback turtles, and sunfish. Snacks will be served during the excursion along with local sparkling wine, fresh oysters, before returning back to the jetty around mid-day.

After a fun time in Swakopmund, you depart on a fascinating drive which takes you south-east through awesome and everchanging desert landscapes via the impressive Gaub and Kuiseb canyons to meet the dunes at the settlement of Solitaire. A picnic lunch will be had en route and you will continue onto the Namib Tsaris Conservancy, where you will spend your final two nights of your safari at the exclusive-use Sossus Under Canvas (travel duration: approximately 5 - 6 hours). Arrival should be in the mid to late afternoon with enough time to acquaint yourself with the camp and enjoy a hot bucket shower before dinner. (This service is on a private basis.)

Optional (additional cost): If you don't feel like taking a long drive, you can take a scenic light aircraft flight over Sossusvlei along the Diamond Coast. This will give you a birds-eye view over Sandwich Harbour, salt pans, Namib Sea Sand, and two abandoned shipwrecks/mines.

Sossusvlei

This place, this isolated, dry, epic, desolate place, is why you came to Namibia. Sossusvlei is a sea of red sand unlike any other, seemingly transplanted directly from Mars. Sunrises and sunsets light the sand on fire, and constant wind causes landscapes to change entirely, ensuring that no two visits to Sossusvlei are the same. Any native life one finds here is barely clinging to the term, and long-dead trees are often the only break in landscape. Make no mistake, Sossusvlei is one of the most beautiful places you will ever see, though your definition of beauty may be changed by your time here.

Namib Naukluft National Park Excursion

This morning you will need to rise early for a magical excursion with your guide in the Namib Naukluft National Park, normally setting off before sunrise to enter the park at sunrise and capture the dunes while the light is soft and shadows accentuate the towering shapes and curves. This area boasts some of the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world and your guide will give you an insight on the formation of the Namib Desert and its myriad of fascinating creatures and plants that have adapted to survive these harsh environs. Once you have explored Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and surrounding dune fields to your heart’s content you can enjoy a relaxed picnic brunch in the shade of a camel thorn tree You will return to camp for a late freshly prepared lunch and with time to relax at camp during the heat of the day. Later in the afternoon you head out again for a scenic nature drive or walk to explore this vast and astounding ecosystem and to enjoy a magnificent final safari sundowner. (This service is on a private basis.)

Sadly, this will be the final day of your Nambia safari adventure, however, you'll be leaving with memories to last a lifetime! After a leisurely breakfast this morning you will depart from Sossusvlei and return to Windhoek, driving northeast up the Great Escarpment and through the scenic Khomas Hochland highlands (travel duration: approximately 6 hours). A tasty picnic lunch will again be served en route and arrival in Windhoek should be by the mid-afternoon. Upon your arrival in Windhoek, you will be transferred to your accommodation establishment of choice, or out to the Windhoek International Airport. (This service is on a private basis.)

Please Note: If flying out in the evening - departure flights must be no earlier than 6:00 PM to allow sufficient time for the journey back to Windhoek. Alternatively, a final night in Windhoek can be arranged at an additional cost if required. A final night in Windhoek is highly recommended!

We hope your Safari experience was incredible and wish you safe travels home!