HIGHLIGHTS
GREAT FOR
Families – Flights shorten travel hours, allowing more time on safari
Honeymooners – A great way for nature lovers to celebrate married life
Photographers – This itinerary maximises time at lodges for more photo opportunities
AVAILABLE ACTIVITIES
Game drives
Horse riding
Animal interaction
Sundowners
BEST TIME TO GO
High Season⊕: July to October
Green Season⊕: November to March
OVERVIEW
Namibia is a large country and distances between wildlife areas can be vast. This itinerary replaces long drives by road with quick flights between destinations, meaning you can not only see its exquisite topography from the air but you also get to spend far more time at the lodges and camps. This allows for greater relaxation and, if you’re travelling with children, less time in a vehicle.
Your safari kicks off immediately with time at a renowned wildlife sanctuary before you fly to the immense red dunes of Sossusvlei and a conservancy in the Kaokoveld. Then it is onto a private concession in Damaraland, which borders the inimitable Skeleton Coast, before you end with a night in the capital, Windhoek.
TRIP SUMMARY
DURATION
9 Nights / 10 Days
DESTINATIONS VISITED
Naankuse Foundation Wildlife Sanctuary, Greater Windhoek, Namibia
Kulala Wilderness Sanctuary, Sossusvlei, Namibia
Hartmann Valley, Marienfluss Conservancy, Kaokoveld, Namibia
Palmwag Concession, Damaraland, Namibia
Windhoek, Namibia
ACCOMMODATIONS VISITED
DAILY ITINERARY
Usually, a first night in Namibia is spent in Windhoek. But in this special wildlife-focused itinerary, you go directly from Hosea Kutako International Airport to Naankuse Lodge on the Naankuse Foundation Wildlife Sanctuary, which specialises in rescuing and rehabilitating big cats like lion, cheetah and caracal on its private reserve.
To stretch your legs after a long flight, saddle up a horse or take to the self-guided nature trail before heading to dinner and a good night’s sleep.
Why we love Naankuse Lodge:
- On a private reserve near the airport
- Stylish chalets or large villas to choose from
- See cheetah, caracal and other predator
Wishing the staff at Naankuse well, you are driven to the airport for your flight to Geluk Airstrip in the Kulala Wilderness Sanctuary. ‘Geluk’ means happiness or luck in Afrikaans, and hopefully you’ll be feeling both as you touch down.
Kulala Desert Lodge is your home for two nights, where each thatched tent has its own starbed on the roof. Every night, you can drift off to the incredible Milky Way above. By day, visit Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and Sesriem Canyon.
Why we love Kulala Desert Lodge:
- Private, exclusive-use gate to reach Sossusvlei
- Every room has a rooftop starbed
- Mountain biking and hot-air ballooning
- Night drives through the private reserve
By now your ‘desert eye’ should be in so you can spot oryx, springbok and Hartmann’s mountain zebra. Your flight lands at Serra Cafema Airstrip and your guide will drive you to the lodge. Unusually for Namibia, it is built in riverine forest on the Kunene, one the few places you might see crocodiles and go on a boating safari.
The Himba are custodians of the Marienfluss Conservancy and you may be able to encounter their semi-nomadic way of life.
Why we love Serra Cafema:
- Built on the Kunene River
- Seasonal boating – look out for crocodiles!
- Learn more from the Himba themselves
- Quad biking through the conservancy
Today you fly north to the Sesfontein Community Conservancy in the Kaokoveld. This little-visited place is a breath-taking collection of valleys, rocky mountains and huge dunes. It is traditionally home to the Herero and you may be privileged to spend time with the community.
At Hoanib Valley Camp it’s easy to feel detached from the strains of the rest of the world. Just six tents are in this remote area and you may be lucky to see a rare desert-adapted giraffe from camp.
Why we love Hoanib Valley Camp:
- Track desert-dwelling prides of lion
- Very intimate camp with limited tents
- Benefits the Giraffe Conservation Foundation
- Rare chance to see mountain zebra
Desert Rhino Camp is aptly named as the Palmwag Concession is a centre point for the conservation of highly threatened black rhino. Once again, the drive from the airstrip to the camp acts as a mini-game drive so look out for spotted hyena, desert giraffe and elephant. The concession covers 550 million hectares so there is ample land to explore.
Tents are comfortable and simple, reinforcing the instant connection to nature. With luck, you may be able to approach rhino on foot.
Why we love Desert Rhino Camp:
- Go in search of desert black rhino
- Very productive birding
- Classic safari camp with Meru tents
- Bush dinners by lantern light
All good things must come to an end and so a last light aircraft flight wings you from Damaraland over Namibia’s innumerable plains, valleys, mountains and passes back to Windhoek. A driver-guide will be waiting to hear all about your safari sightings and take you to the Belvedere Boutique Hotel.
Situated in the upscale neighbourhood of Klein Windhoek, the Belvedere has some unusual features that will appeal to sporty guests like a tennis court and artificial putting green!
Why we love the Belvedere Boutique Hotel:
- Putting green to stay in practice
- Tennis court for a few sets
- Cosy ‘home away from home’
- Set in large manicured gardens
You awake in a well-appointed room at the Belvedere on your final morning in Namibia. After breakfast and depending on your schedule, you may have time to see sites like Heroes’ Acre, the Christuskirche cathedral, Alte Feste (Old Fort) and the Independence Museum. Or perhaps you need to stock up on gifts and souvenirs!
The drive back to Hosea Kutako will evoke memories of how your safari started at Naankuse just over a week ago and how much you’ve experienced since then…
INCLUDED*
EXCLUDED*
* Subject to change. Your personal consultant will confirm all the details with you while helping you plan your safari to Africa so you have a full understanding of costs with no surprises.
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