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THE GREAT NAMIBIAN JOURNEY

This 13-day fully accommodated safari covers a comprehensive and diverse cross-section of Namibia's incredible landscape, wildlife, and culture. All of Namibia's major highlights are explored, from the Sossusvlei dunes to the high deserts of Damaraland, the eery Skeleton Coast, the nomadic Himba people, and the wildlife of Etosha National Park. Activities are many and varied: game-drives, night-drives, nature walks, boating, mountain biking, and village visits all add to the sense of exploration and adventure.

Guests stay at private campsites, most of which are on private concessions, guaranteeing an unrivalled level of exclusivity. Accommodation is either in permanent tented camps or unique 'Discoverer Tents' with real beds, flowing linen, heavy cottons, brass bucket showers, basins, and flush loos (all en-suite).

A combination of overland driving (solid lines on adjacent map) and light aircraft transportation (dotted lines on map) is used to maximize safari time, and provide both a bird's-eye view and an in-depth experience of the contrasting landscapes of Namibia. Group size is limited to eight guests, and a professional guide and camp staff accompany the safari throughout.

[ ITINERARY ] - [ DATES AND RATES 2008 ] - [ DATES AND RATES 2009 ] - [ CONTACT US ]

Days 1 and 2: Kulala Wilderness Camp - Sossusvlei

The safari begins early in Windhoek. Guests meet their guide and are transferred by road to Kulala Wilderness Camp (220 miles), nestled into the side of a mountain. The camp consists of 9 Meru-style tents with en suite bathroom facilities and showers. The tents are linked to the main dinning room, bar, sitting area and swimming pool by stone pathways. The interiors are simple yet stylish and have 220V lighting and solar powered hot water. The main dinning area, bar and reception are built from stone with a canvas roof. There is a fully stocked bar.

On Day 2 we awake very early and travel north along the Tsauchab Riverbed to the towering dunes surrounding Sossusvlei. At Sossusvlei the Tsauchab River is swallowed by a sea of orange dunes, some as high as twelve hundred feet. This early morning drive into the vlei allows one to experience and photograph the morning light on the dunes. We return to Kulala Tented Camp for the night. Afternoon activities are enjoyed on the property; guests can spend time taking in the desert scenery and its unique fauna and flora.

Days 3 and 4: Hansa Hotel, Swakopmund

Leaving the Namib Naukluft after breakfast, we travel north west via the lunar landscape of the Kuiseb Canyon to the eccentric town of Swakopmund. The scenic drive takes us through the Namib's gravel plains and enormous sand dunes, with an opportunity to examine it's extraordinary Welwitschia plants. We arrive in Swakopmund late in the afternoon.

On Day 4 we contrast the desert experience with a private boat cruise along Namibia's icy Atlantic coastline, from Walvis Bay down to Sandwich Harbor (weather permitting). This excursion provides an opportunity to view Namibia's diverse pelagic (ocean-going) birdlife, Cape fur seals, and rare Heaviside's dolphins. We return for a private seafood lunch on the beach, before returning to the Hansa Hotel in the afternoon. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure to explore the historic German-colonial town of Swakopmund before meeting in the evening for dinner.

Day 5: Damaraland Camp, Damaraland

From Swakopmund we travel north up the infamous Skeleton Coast. En route we stop at the Cape Cross seal colony, home to thousands of breeding Cape fur seals. Continuing the journey up the coast, past the few remaining shipwreck sites, we cross the windswept gravel plains with an icy green Atlantic Ocean on one side, and the endless desert on the other. Leaving the coast behind us we travel inland along the dry Ugab riverbed, travelling north past the Brandberg Mountain - the second largest monolith on earth - to Damaraland. En route we visit a petrified forest and the Gai As spring, with its archaeological stone circles. This all-day excursion (175 miles), with a picnic lunch, ends with our arrival at Damaraland Camp.

Situated on the northern face of the Huab River valley and looking south toward the imposing Brandberg Mountain, Damaraland Camp offers its guests endless and dramatic vistas. Activities include walks, mountain biking, and drives in one of the most intriguing wilderness areas in Namibia. Early morning mists, generated by the clash between the icy Atlantic Ocean and the warm desert air, drift inland along the canyons, providing sustenance to the flora and fauna of the region. Although wildlife is not concentrated, Damaraland Camp is situated where the rare Desert Elephant roams, alongside Gemsbok (Oryx), Springbok, Ostrich and other hardy desert animals. Rare succulent plants also manage to eke out an existence in this harsh landscape.

Days 6 and 7: Desert Rhino Camp, Damaraland

Leaving on an early morning game-drive, we depart Damaraland Camp and drive through the Huab riverbed in search of desert-adapted elephants. We proceed north through the stark beauty of Damaraland towards the vast Palmwag Concession.

Desert Rhino Camp is situated on the 1-million-acre private Palmwag Reserve, between Etosha National Park and the Skeleton Coast. This reserve has a number of freshwater springs that support healthy populations of animals including desert-adapted back rhino and elephant, as well as large populations of the rare Hartmann's mountain zebra, giraffe, gemsbok, springbok and kudu. Palmwag hosts Namibia's highest predator concentration outside of Etosha National Park, including lion, cheetah, leopard, and brown hyaena. Bird life is prolific and diverse, featuring most of Namibia's endemics.

The speciality of the area is its growing population of the rare desert-adapted black rhino - Desert Rhino Camp operates in partnership with the "Save the Rhino Trust" to monitor and protect Africa's largest population of free-roaming black rhino. Tracking these rhino on foot or by vehicle is the highlight of our stay here. The camp itself accommodates guests in seven large 'Meru' tents, each with an en-suite bathroom and a classic bucket shower that is filled with hot water whenever needed. Lights are powered by solar panels and the tented dining room offers uninterrupted views of the desert and mountains.

Day 8 and 9: Ongava Tented Camp, Etosha National Park

Departing Palmwag we drive eastward (220 miles) to Ongava Tented Camp, situated along the southern boundary of Etosha National Park in the 68,000 Acre, privately owned Ongava Game Reserve. Our stay at Ongava is the game-viewing highlight of the safari, and we will enjoy the benefits of staying on a private reserve adjoining Etosha National Park, with easy access into the Park itself.

Accommodation is comprised of large comfortable walk-in tents with en-suite facilities. All meals are enjoyed in the main dining area, which is set under thatch and overlooks an active waterhole. There is a small swimming pool for cooling off. Activities at Ongava Tented Camp include game drives into the Okaukuejo area of Etosha where Lion, Elephant, Cheetah, Gemsbok, Springbok, and Hartebeest can be seen. In addition, walks and night drives are enjoyed on the private reserve. Ongava boasts resident White and Black Rhino, affording guests wonderful opportunities to see both species at close quarters, and perhaps track them on foot.

Day 10, 11, and 12: Skeleton Coast Research Camp, Skeleton Coast National Park

Today we enjoy a scenic charter flight from Ongava, across dramatic desert landscapes, to the Skeleton National Park, where we will be staying on a vast private concession at the exclusive Skeleton Coast Research Camp. Our activities here focus on full day explorations in 4x4 vehicles, with picnics along the way. The Skeleton Coast Park is one of our planet's most inhospitable, but hauntingly beautiful places - it is wild, desolate and uninhabited by humans.

The Skeleton Coast boasts everything from roaring sand dunes, windswept plains, towering canyons, and salt pans to seal colonies, shipwrecks and one of the most productive fishing grounds found anywhere. In addition, fresh water springs permeate through barren sands to create desert oases that sustain a surprising diversity of wildlife. The Etendeka Mountains adjoining the National Park are home to the fascinating Himba people, among the last truly nomadic cultural groups in Africa.

Accommodation at the Skeleton Coast Research Camp is in 6.3m x 3.5m walk-in Meru-style tents. The classically designed tents re-create the early explorer style of accommodation, with a veranda and an en-suite bathroom area (including flush loo, brass bucket shower, basin, mirror, and water jug). Furnishings include leather and teak director chairs, separate bedside tables with 12v reading lamps, canvas hanging wardrobes, bathrobes, and comfortable beds. All amenities (conditioning shampoo, soap, shower gel and body lotion) are elegantly displayed for use. The evening camp is lit by paraffin lanterns and a good campfire. Delicious meals are prepared by the safari staff on a campfire, adding to the atmosphere of adventure. Dining is often under the stars, although a bush dining tent with a fully stocked bar and library is also erected.

Day 13: End in Windhoek

After a final morning activity, we transfer by light charter aircraft to Windhoek International Airport, arriving after 4pm. Bid farewell to the safari adventure, and proceed under your own arrangements.

The overland vehicle

Lunch on the beach

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Dates and Rates - 2008

Minimum of two guests. If you are travelling alone, please contact us as we may already have booked the minimum of two guests.

Single Supplement US$910 per person subject to availability of accommodation. If a guest is willing to share and we can match with another guest of the same sex, the single supplement will not be charged. However, if there is no suitable match, we will have to charge the single supplement.

INCLUDED

NOT INCLUDED

AGE LIMIT

Children from the age of 12 are welcome on all scheduled departures. For groups with children under 12, we recommend a private tailor-made safari, created on request. For guests over the age of 75, a certified medical certificate of full health must be provided.

Dates and Rates - 2009

Minimum of two guests. If you are travelling alone, please contact us as we may already have booked the minimum of two guests.

Single Supplement US$975 per person subject to availability of accommodation. If a guest is willing to share and we can match with another guest of the same sex, the single supplement will not be charged. However, if there is no suitable match, we will have to charge the single supplement.

INCLUDED

NOT INCLUDED

AGE LIMIT

Children from the age of 12 are welcome on all scheduled departures. For groups with children under 12, we recommend a private tailor-made safari, created on request. For guests over the age of 75, a certified medical certificate of full health must be provided.

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To find out more about The Great Namibian Journey, or to make a reservation, call toll-free in the USA 1-888-227-8311 or email us.

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