Focus on Namibia - A Luxury Safari Itinerary

Day 1

Depart at 2130 from London's Gatwick Airport on the Air Namibia flight SW386 travelling in Business Class to Windhoek.

Days 2 and 3

Arrive at 0745 and connect with a scheduled light aircraft flight to Wolwedans Boulders Camp where you stay for two nights (inclusive of meals and activities).

On Day 2 you will be taken on a scenic flight over the expansive dunes of Sossusvlei.

The Namib Rand Nature Reserve is one of the most beautiful desert regions in Africa with a marvellous diversity of desert landscapes set in a brilliant range of colours. The reserve seems to have drawn elements of some of Namibias most spectacular scenery within its borders and you can see touches of the apricot-coloured Sossusvlei dunes, the haunting beauty of the Skeleton Coast and the red sands of the Kalahari in this privately owned conservation area. Altogether the area is 180,000 hectares, restricted to thse staying at Wolwedans Lodges.

The Nature Reserve is a conservation area which the owners are careful to protect and within it live a wide range of beautiful creatures inclured bat-eared fox, spotted hyena, mountain and plains zebra, springbok, red hartebeest and African wildcats amongst others. The beautiful ranges of dunes have fascinating desert adapted vegetation and the area has over a 100 species of birds.

Wolwedans Boulders Camp is a remote and extremely exclusive camp, accommodating just eight guests in four huge tented rooms each with comfortable furniture, en-suite bathrooms and spectacular views out across the miles of surrounding desert. the spacious main area has a lounge and dining area and a superb open fireplace where guests can relax and in the evening discussing stories of the days events. The guides at Wolwedans are highly qualified and particularly knowledgeable about the conservation aspects of the Reserve and will take you around it in specially adapted 4×4 vehicles and on nature walks. You can also enjoy a hot air balloon ride at dawn or a scenic light aircraft flight over the spectacular dunes of Sossusvlei.

Days 4 to 7

After your morning activity you will be returned to the airstrip where you board a scenic light aircraft flight to the Skeleton Coast Camp where you stay for four nights (inclusive of meals and activities).

The Skeleton Coast Camp is one of the most remote in Africa, located in the heart of the six hundred thousand acre Skeleton Coast Park which runs south from the Angolan border down the Atlantic Coastline. The camp comprises of seven spacious tented rooms with proper beds, furniture and en-suite bathroom set on "an island" in a beautiful dry river bed. A huge leadwood tree has been used as part of an open air dining room and the landscape around the camp is typical of the wilderness of the area, surrounded by great white dunes. There is a spacious lounge/dining room with a library, big armchairs, historic photographs and a single dining table where guests dine with their guides, recounting the days adventures.

The Skeleton Coast was an area much feared by seafarers who were regularly driven onto the shore by the onshore winds, confused by the dense fogs caused by the cold Antarctic current and as you stand on the utterly deserted coastline as the Atlantic breakers crash in, you can imagine the sense of desolation they must have felt, and can still see the remains of the shipwrecks littering the coastline, together with huge seal colonies. One such colony, at Cape Frio, has 30,000 seals, which line the shores as far as the eye can see.

Although the landscape is utterly remote, the temperatures are consistently between 25 and 30 degrees celcius - very pleasant and as you explore the rich, diverse desert scenery, your expert guides uncover a wealth of natural history.

Each day you will spend most of the day exploring the National Park, on one day travelling north towards teh Angolan border and on another, for example, travelling almost the entire length of the spectacular Hoarusib River Canyon. The scenery is by some margin, the most spectacularly beautiful in Namibia and every hour you will encounter some new scenic marvel. Most of the time you will be travelling inland, passing giant mountain ranges, and at other times being driven across multi-coloured sweeping dunescapes where the different rock minerals have created sands of starkly varying colours at times resembling a "giant whipped cream dessert".

Part of your time will be spent travelling down the Hoarusib River Gorge with its amazing geology; causing dramatic, near vertical fault lines, partially covered in bright yellow sand fringed with vegetation which clings to life brought by the tiny amount of river water.

The sight of majestice desert elephant, giraffe or oryx in this starkly beautiful desert environment seems incongruous and your first thought will be why animals should even attempt to live in such a difficult environment. However, they are in excellent condition and over centuries have learnt to thrive. Part way down the Hoarusib Gorge you encounter astonishing "clay castles" - towering clay deposits which resemble in their shapes and height, cathedrals that have eroded bit by bit at times over the millennia by the 5mm of rain which falls each year.

Days 8 to 10

After your morning activity you will be returned to the airstrip where you board a light aircraft flight to Damaraland where you stay for three nights in the suite at mowani Mountain Camp (inclusive of meals and activities).

The Uniab delta is one of the few rivers running to the Skeleton Coast and is a beautiful green haven for birds and wildlife in tihis otherwise dry desert area. You will be able to explore the delat by vehicle and on foot before heading inland to the fascinating mountain deserts of Damaraland.

Nestling among the rugged boulders on a ridge that provides panaramic views over teh surrounding area, mowani creates the impression of an African village.

Accommodation is in twelve beautifully decorated twin bedded en-suite tents with eco-friendly solar lighting and furnishing designed especially for comfort and convenience. The luxury tents are a great source of relaxation. Comfortably hidden in your own private hide-away, you will be pampered by crisp white linen, en-suite bathrooms and of course, your own wooden deck offering an open view of the wonderful Damara landscape. There is a poll deck lodged between boulders and the boma provides a place for a sundowner or discussions around the campfire.

There are plenty of ways to relax at Mowani Mountain Camp. Discover the pool deck, lodged between the boulders where you can soak up the sun whilst enjoying a refreshing drink and admiring breathtaking views. Adventures and activities available at Mowani include hot air ballooning, drives in search of the elusive desert elephant and black rhino and hiking through magnificent scenery.

Staying at Mowani Mountain Camp, a traveller can easily join in an excursion to explore the historical site of Twyfelfontein. Twyfelfontein is a rare example of Bushmen engravings and paintings occuring at the same site. This wonderful archaeological site offers more than 2,500 engravings as well as various paintings and is probably the finest example of rock engravings in Southern Africa.

Days 11 to 13

After your morning activity you will be returned to the airstrip where you board a light aircraft to The Fort in Onguma Game Reserve where you stay for three nights (inclusive of meals and activities).

The Fort is located on Fishers Pan on the private 20,000 hectare Onguma Nature Reserve just to the east of the Etosha National Park. The reserve is scenically attractive with large expanses of open savannah grassland dotted with desert adapted trees. The permanent waterholes of the reserve provide a sanctuary for a wide variety of wildlife including attractive giraffe with eland, hartebeest, oryx, kudu and impala gathering in good sized herds particulalry at the end of the dry season. The reserve also has giraffe, zebra and pre-historic black rhinoceros which have recently returned to the reserve after an absence of many years. All the plains game and antelope attract the attentions of the local big cats and cheetah, leopard and lion are all frequently seen. In addition to the game viewing on the private reserve which can be carried out with Onguma's expert guides by semi-open vehicle both during the day and at night, and on foot you can also venture into the main Etosha National Park with its shimmering salt pan and abundant wildlife which includes large populations of elephant.

The Fort is the most luxurious property in the Onguma game reserve and accommodates guests in twelve spacious suites wath an en-suite bathroom including an indoor and outdoor shower and a large deck area where guests can relax in between with exciting game viewing activities. Stone features heavily in the decor at The Fort with superb grey and brown furnishings and the rooms and main area at the lodge draw their character from their natural surroundings. In the local Herero language, Onguma means, "the place you don't want to leave" and the combination of natural beauty, exciting game viewing, luxurious accommodation and unparalleled service that guests experience at The Fort leaves them agreeing wholeheartedly with this statement.

Days 14 and 15

After your morning activity you will be returned to the airstrip where you board a light aircraft flight to Serra Cafema where you stay for two nights (inclusive of meals and activities).

Serra Cafema is one of the most remote camps in southern Africa, located right on the banks of the fast flowing Kunene River which forms the boundary between Namibia and Angola whose big black rugged monutains give the camp its name.

Serra Cafema is set in a haven of beautiful old albida trees and luxuriant vegetation and the shade of the trees, the abundant birdlife and the sound of the river rapid create a relaxing and attractive environment from which to explore the fascinating desert landscapes.

You can explore Kunene by boat, you can go walking along the banks of the Kunene and in neighbouring valleys and can take quad bike excursions across the fragile dunescapes, all in the company of highly expert desert guides. To move further afield the camp is equipped with desert adapted four wheel drive vehicles which take you across magnificent multi coloured ranges of sand dunes with razor sharp edges and provide opportunities to visit little oasis where smaller desert adapted animals can be seen. It is also possible to visit one of the statements of Himba tribes' people who for centuries have adapted their lives to survive among these harsh landscapes with their flocks of goats and deep understanding of the ways of surviving and even flourishing in the extreme north of Namibia.

The accommodation at Serra Cafema has been completely refurbished during 2007 and comprise of immensely spacious tented suites, each set on a raised wooden deck with a cooling thatched roof, large bed, comfortable furniture including armchairs on the veranda and full en-suite w.c. and shower. The very attractive setting makes Serra Cafema an ideal place for a relaxing desert hideaway, yet there is also a great deal to do here and it is somewhere you can delve into the fascinating living deserts of Namibia.

Day 16

After spending the day at leisure you will be returned to the airstrip where you board a light aircraft flight to Windhoek. Arrive and connect with the flight SW385, departing at 1940 travelling in Business Class to London's Heathrow Airport.

Day 17

Arrive at 0555 (local time)

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Jane Harmsen is a luxury safari specialist for south africa.
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