17/05/2027 Australia – Johannesburg
Depart from your chosen Australian airport on an overnight flight to Johannesburg.
18/05/2027 Johannesburg – Windhoek (LD)
This morning we board our connecting flight to Windhoek.
Depart Johannesburg Airlink 4Z124, 10.40
Arrive Windhoek, 12.50
On arrival in Windhoek, we transfer to the Windhoek Country Club which is approximately 10kms out of town. On arrival we have lunch and then check in. In the evening enjoy a welcome dinner.
Windhoek Country Club
Windhoek
19/05/2027 Windhoek – Okonjima (BLD)
After breakfast we head north into the Waterberg region and on to Okonjima, which is situated about halfway between Windhoek and Etosha National Park. This is home to the Africat Foundation – a non-profit organisation committed to the long term conservation of Namibia’s large carnivores. Set in a 200 square km nature reserve, Africat provides an environment for previously non-releasable large carnivores to hone their hunting skills and learn to become self-sustaining, which gives them the opportunity to return to their natural environment. On arrival, we check into our first-class lodge and later participate in one of the many activities on offer such as radio tracking leopard from a game viewing vehicle.
Okonjima Plains Camp
Okonjima
20/05/2027 Okonjima (BLD)
We visit the Africat’s Information & Carnivore Care Centre where we learn about the organisations history and operations. Enjoy an afternoon game drive.
21/05/2027 Okonjima – Etosha National Park (BLD)
Leaving Okonjima we travel 250km north to the world famous Etosha National Park entering the reserve through the southern entry-point, the Andersson Gate which is named in honour of the explorer Charles Andersson who, together with explorer Francis Galton, became the first Europeans to record the existence of Etosha Pan in 1851. The park is a sanctuary for large herds of typical plains animals such as springbok, blue wildebeest and elephant, and it has the largest black rhino population in Africa. In the afternoon we enjoy a game drive before returning to the rest camp for dinner. Our Accommodation is in chalets overlooking the waterhole.
Okaukuejo Rest Camp
Etosha
22/05/2027 Etosha National Park (BLD)
Early this morning we set out to begin our exploration of the Etosha National Park which owes its unique landscape to the Etosha Pan, a vast shallow depression of some 5,000 square kilometres – so large it can be seen from space. The park is home to 114 species of mammals several of which are rare and endangered. Travelling east through the reserve towards the Von Lindequist Gate, we arrive at our home for the next two nights.
Mushara Lodge – Outpost
Etosha
23/05/2027 Etosha National Park (BLD)
Today we enjoy another full day in this incredibly diverse national park where we have the chance to see an abundance of wildlife. Etosha also has some 340 species of birds of which one third are migratory. Among the migratory species, the European bee-eater is possibly the most popular sighting. The game reserve is also home to the world’s largest bird, the ostrich, and the heaviest flying bird, the kori bustard.
24/05/2027 Etosha – Ondangwa (BLD)
After breakfast we travel through the Park, exiting at the King Nehale Gate, before continuing north-west to Ondangwa, 80km from the border with Angola. Ondangwa is a bustling town and one of the two main centres in the Oshana Region of northern Namibia. One of the highlights today is a visit to the Ongula Traditional Homestead, a village of the Ovambo people, the largest ethnic group in the country accounting for just over half the population. We have the opportunity to interact with the villagers and learn about their traditional customs and life style. We are treated to a traditional lunch.
Protea Hotel
Ondangwa
25/05/2027 Ondangwa – Opuwo (BLD)
Today we head west through the dramatic scenery of the Kunene region to Opuwo.
Opuwo Country Lodge
Ruacana
26/05/2027 Kunene River – Epupa Falls (BLD)
This morning we drive westwards to Epupa, one of Namibia’s prime tourist destinations. The Epupa Falls, 190km upstream of the Kunene River mouth in an area known as Kaokoland, is a breath taking sight. Here the river fans out into a number of channels before cascading into a deep gorge. Nowhere else in the world do you find a waterfall contrasted with such wild and arid desert landscape. Watching the Epupa Falls and its white mists of water against the red colours of the surrounding desert and mountains is likely to be one the most beautiful and memorable experiences of our tour.
Omarunga Lodge
Epupa
27/05/2027 Epupa Falls (BLD)
The Kaokoland area is also home to the Himba people, a tribe of nomadic pastoralists who still cling to their traditions. The beautiful Himba women are noted for their intricate hairstyles and traditional jewellery. As Himba men and women wear few clothes, they rub their bodies with red ochre and fat to protect themselves from the sun, which gives their skin a rich red colour. Today we continue exploring the Kaokoland area, with its richly coloured rock walls, variety of trees and perennial water, and one of the major highlights is a visit to one of the many scattered Himba settlements.
28/05/2027 Epupa Falls – Khowarib Gorge (BLD)
Leaving Epupa we commence our journey south through the spectacular scenery of the Kunene region to Sesfontein, which derives its name from the six fountains in the vicinity. From here we continue on to our lodge nestled on the banks of the Hoanib River in the spectacular Khowarib Gorge.
Khowarib Lodge
Khowarib
29/05/2027 Khowarib Gorge – Skeleton Coast (BLD)
Today we set out for the Skeleton Coast, so-called because of the whalebones that peppered the shoreline when the whaling industry was booming, as well as, more ominously, the hulking carcasses of sea-wrecked ships buried in the sand and disintegrating in the water. More than 1,000 have met their end on the deadly coast where the vast desert sands come down to meet the sea. Our destination is Shipwreck Lodge located on the coast in the iconic Skeleton Coast National Park. Despite its rugged and remote location the camp has all the luxuries and amenities to ensure we have an unforgettable stay.
Shipwreck Lodge
Skeleton Coast
30/05/2027 Skeleton Coast Area (BLD)
Today we explore the area around the Hoarusib River. We visit the clay castles, a natural geological formation where brown hyena are often encountered. We could also spot desert adapted elephant and lions.
31/05/2027 Skeleton Coast – Damaraland (BLD)
After breakfast we begin our drive through the dramatic landscapes and into Damaraland.
Palmwag Lodge
Damaraland
01/06/2027 Damaraland – Twyfelfontein (BLD)
Staying in Damaraland, we travel about 100km south to begin our two-day exploration of the Twyfelfontein area. Meaning ‘Doubtful Mountain’ this area was the first site in Namibia to be granted UNESCO World Heritage listing, for its remarkable rock engravings estimated to be around 6,000 years old.
Lodge Damaraland
Twyfelfontein
02/06/2027 Twyfelfontein Area (BLD)
Today we visit a massive open air art gallery, which is home to more than 2,000 rock paintings which are the work of San hunter-gatherers who lived in the region long before the influx of Damara herders and European colonists. We also go searching for desert-adapted elephants and lions.
03/06/2027 Twyfelfontein – Swakopmund (BLD)
Leaving Twyfelfontein this morning we continue our journey south towards the coastal resort town of Swakopmund. Travelling along the coast road we arrive at our lodge where we will spend the next three nights. Situated right on the beach with magnificent views of the sea from each room, our lodge also has uninterrupted views of the Atlantic from the exquisite second-floor restaurant, ‘The Wreck’.
Beach Lodge
Swakopmund
04/06/2027 Swakopmund (BLD)
Swakopmund has a distinctly German atmosphere with German colonial-style buildings dating back to the early 1900s still dominating the town. Today we take a leisurely walk through the town which is famous for its hand-crafted jewellery, leather goods and mouth-watering confectionery found in the little cafes. We also take a dolphin cruise out of Walvis Bay, a thrilling half day excursion where we see dolphins leaping from the water and inquisitive seals swimming right up to the boat. There’s plenty of birdlife too, with flamingos, cormorants and pelicans common in the area.
05/06/2027 Swakopmund (BLD)
After breakfast we board 4WD vehicles and head into the dunes on the ‘Living Desert’ tour. We stop continuously to look for animal tracks on the dunes (known locally as reading the bushman paper), to determine which animals were active the previous night and hopefully, to spot some of them. This excursion concentrates on discovering some of the smaller desert-adapted creatures living in the dunes, such as geckos, rolling spiders, scorpions, lizards, snakes, chameleons, skinks and beetles. For the more adventurous, there is the opportunity to go quad bike riding or sand boarding in the dunes.
06/06/2027 Swakopmund – Sesriem – Sossusvlei (BLD)
Leaving Swakopmund we drive south to Sesriem Canyon in the Namib Naukluft Park. The top attraction in the park, and second only to Etosha, is Sossusvlei – renowned for its majestic star shaped dunes the largest of which was measured at 325 metres high. On arrival at Sossuvlei we check into our luxury lodge with unspoilt views of the surrounding area.
Dead Valley Lodge
Sossusvlei
07/06/2027 Sossusvlei Area (BLD)
This morning we visit Sossusvlei and then take a leisurely drive through the area where hopefully we encounter ostrich, springbok and gemsbok on the desert plains. The area is also home to brown hyena, black-backed jackal and bat-eared fox. In the late afternoon we travel out to the Sesriem Canyon, home to Hartman’s mountain zebra, klipspringer and baboons before returning to the lodge for dinner.
08/06/2027 Sossusvlei – Windhoek (BLD)
After breakfast we drive back through magnificent landscapes to Windhoek. On arrival we check into our hotel and in the evening we enjoy a farewell dinner.
Windhoek Country Club
Windhoek
09/06/2027 Windhoek – Johannesburg – Australia (B)
After breakfast we transfer to the airport for our flight to Johannesburg.
Depart Windhoek Airlink 4Z125, 13.35
Arrive Johannesburg, 15.35
In Johannesburg we connect with our onward flight to Australia.
10/06/2027 Arrive Australia
Arrive into Sydney or Perth and connect onto your chosen Australian port.
