7 Day Namibia Lodge Safari (Comfort) – Airconditioned Vehicles

Day 1: Hilton Hotel, Namibia

Upon arrival at Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport, you will be met and transported to the Backpackers Lodge near the city’s center. For those who arrive in Windhoek before 12:00 midday will have the opportunity to participate in an exciting and informative excursion after they have checked in and had some time to relax.

On the way out, we will visit the N/a’an ku se Wildlife Sanctuary, which is an internationally recognised wildlife sanctuary. Approximately 50 kilometers east of Windhoek. As a sanctuary for sick, injured, and orphaned animals, N/a’an ku se serves as a rehabilitation facility. Ultimately, the goal is to return these sometimes rare and endangered species to their natural habitat so that they may live a free and wild existence. It is unfortunate, however, that this is not always possible. In their native environment, some of the animals that come to N/a’an ku se would have no chance of surviving on their own. As an alternative, they retire early and reside at N/a’an Ku Se on a permanent basis. There may be baboons, caracals, lions and cheetahs among the species we encounter. We can also observe wild dogs and leopards at N/a’an ku se, as well as a variety of smaller mammals.

Later in the afternoon, we will return to Windhoek. It is your responsibility to arrange dinner tonight. However, your guide will be able to make reservations and recommend excellent restaurants in Namibia’s capital city based on your preferences.

Day 2: Halali inside Etosha National Park, Namibia

A short pre-departure meeting will take place at 7:00am at the Head Office after you are picked up at your accommodation within Windhoek city limits.

Our journey north from Windhoek begins with a brief stop at Otjiwarongo, where we pick up some last-minute supplies before continuing on to Etosha where we have a light lunch pack while “on the move”. Upon entering Etosha National Park, we will take a game drive to Halali Camp, where we will spend the night.

Located in Namibia, Etosha has an area of over 22,000 square kilometers and is home to 114 species of mammals, 350 species of birds, 110 species of reptiles, untold numbers of insects and, somewhat bizarrely, one species of fish. During our tour of the park, we will stop at various waterholes along the way in an attempt to observe many of these different creatures. As a rule, all guests must be in camp by sunset, and we aim to arrive at our lodge at Halali just before sunset, which will give them time to settle into their rooms, which include en-suite bathrooms and coffee and tea making facilities. Halali takes its name from a bugle refrain used during European sport hunting. To indicate the end of the hunt, the bugler would sound the Halali. Within the boundaries of Etosha National Park, hunting of animals has been prohibited for all time.

In Etosha, the ‘game show’ does not end with the setting sun. Floodlit waterholes are available at all Etosha camps for an enhanced opportunity to view wildlife. There is a water hole near our accommodation called Moringa, after the moringa trees that grow here in abundance. We recommend a visit to Moringa during the night, as many species are known to visit this watering hole during the night, including elephants and critically endangered black rhinos.

Meals: Breakfast, Snack Pack, Dinner
Accommodation:  Halali Camp

Day 3: Halali – Taleni – Etosha Village Near Anderson Gate, Namibia

As we have the entire day at our disposal, we want to make the most of our time in Etosha. In order to be on our way just as the sun breaks the horizon, we will meet at the park gates at sunrise. Generally, game viewing is most productive early in the morning, as big cats are returning from hunts first thing in the morning.

After breakfast, we drive back to Halali to load our vehicles and begin the search for big game once again. There are few natural resources available in Etosha due to its desert landscape. As a result, our game driving approach involves taking in as many of these waterholes as possible, both natural and manmade. As thirsty animals approach for a much needed drink, we hope that the game will come to us. While we are on our way to Etosha Pan today, we will make a stop to take a closer look at it. There is no adequate name to represent the immensity of Etosha, which translates as ‘great white space’. More than 4,700 square kilometers of sparkling white mineral pan are visible from space. The Anderson Gate is where we exit Etosha near sunset, and we will be at our accommodation shortly thereafter in a comfortable double room with en-suite bathroom. You will find it an ideal place to relax, unwind, and take in the beauty of the surrounding environment. This evening, our guide prepares a delicious dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation:  Etosha Village

Day 4: Hotel A La Mer, Swakopmund, Namibia

We have an early breakfast today and leave our lodge at 7:30am. Our journey will take us along the scenic route to the Skeleton Coast and begins on the main road as we travel south, passing the small town of Outjo, before we travel west and pick up the gravel road as we travel through the Damaraland region.

The area of Damaraland is renowned for its spectacular scenery, including mountains, open grasslands, tall koppies (small hills), pink granite boulders, large open spaces, and a wide sky. Additionally, we will have the opportunity to meet some of the locals since there are several informal shops along our route today that sell locally made, handcrafted souvenirs. Most often, the ladies represented here wear traditional clothing and come from the Himba, Herero, and Damara tribes. It is in this harsh environment that we can interact with some of the colorful local characters. An investment in the local economy can be made by making a small purchase here.

Our journey continues through the beautiful Namibian landscape, stopping for a light picnic lunch beneath the shadow of Namibia’s highest mountain, the Brandberg. An immense monolith shaped by pink-tinged granite, this giant monolith rises 2,573 m above sea level. Following our journey west, we arrive at the coastline and the chilly Atlantic Ocean soon after. With its forbidding mountains and barren beaches, the entire coast of Namibia is known as the Skeleton Coast. As a result of the wind, the waves, and the huge fog banks, ships are pushed onto the beach. It is estimated that thousands of mariners were shipwrecked here in olden times, facing the grim prospect of death by exposure, a lack of fresh water, food, and rescue. It was generally believed that their shipmates who went down with their ship were the ones who were most fortunate.

We will continue south on the coast road until we reach a shipwreck that was discovered more recently. A fishing boat, The Zeila, was beached 15 kilometers south of the small town of Henties Bay in 2008. During this period, she was a scrapped vessel that was under tow. She was caught in the swell and currents, as so many vessels before her, and ended up on the beach as a result of the cable snapping. It is quite easy to photograph her because she lays quite close to the shore.

After arriving in Swakopmund, we check into our accommodation, the centrally located A La Mer hotel. From our central location, we can easily explore the town on foot. Kurt von François, a colonial officer of the German Imperial Army, founded Swakopmund in 1892. The city of Windhoek was also founded by him in 1890. The town is situated between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the mighty sand dunes of the Namib Desert to the north, east, and south. The German language is still widely spoken and colonial German architecture is still evident.

A guide can help you make reservations and recommendations at some of the best restaurants in Swakopmund.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel A La Mer

Day 5: Desert Camp near Sesriem, Namibia

Since we only leave Swakopmund in the middle of the morning, we have the option of having a more leisurely start this morning. You will be notified of the exact time of departure by your guide.

Swakopmund offers many activities to keep us occupied during our morning here if you do not choose to have a lie-in. It is possible to easily explore the town center on foot, but there are many optional extracurricular activities available as well. If you are looking for adrenaline-pumping activities, quad biking and sandboarding are also very popular.

In advance, your guide will discuss all your options with you and be able to facilitate bookings for you.

We depart Swakopmund at 11h30 and head towards the desert in the east. First, we travel through the Namib gravel plains, vast areas of flat land punctuated by huge inselberg-like mountains.

In this afternoon’s trip, we will traverse two mountain passes. First is the mighty Kuiseb Pass. Our road descends steeply from the top of the mountains to a canyon which has been carved over time by the Kuiseb River as it flows towards Walvis Bay, the port town.
Taking the Gaub River, a tributary of the Kuiseb River, we ascend from its banks and cross the pass, passing through the mountain peaks to the second, smaller canyon. At 23.5 south degrees, we cross the Tropic of Capricorn almost immediately after emerging from the mountains. At this auspicious spot, a signpost points the way and we pause to take pictures. Onward again to our destination for today, Desert Camp, near the entrance to the National Park at Sesriem, the gateway to Sossusvlei’s dunes.

Our guide prepares dinner over an open fire over the firepit in front of the pool and bar.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation:  Desert Camp

Day 6: Desert Camp near Sesriem, Namibia

This morning’s agenda is sunrise in the dunes, which means a pre-dawn start and an early breakfast. Photographing the dunes at sunrise and sunset is the best time to do so. During this time, towering sand dunes are framed in glowing orange and apricot red on one side, while they are cloaked in shadow on the other. At this time of day, the depth of field is incredible.

After departing Sesriem, we cover a distance of 60 kilometers into the dunes quickly, arriving at the two-wheel drive vehicle parking area where we must park our vehicles. The last 5km stretch to Sossusvlei itself is on the old Tsauchab River-bed. There are only seasonal flows of the Tsauchab River when there is sufficient rainfall, and the riverbed is primarily dry for the most part throughout the year. There was a time when the Tsauchab sometimes received so much water that it flowed all the way to the Atlantic Ocean during these rare floods. With the passage of time and the formation of dunes (around five million years ago), wind-blown sand began to invade riverbeds. As sand constricts rivers, floods become more difficult to pass because of the sand barriers the wind has erected. This morning, we drove along the Tsauchab valley in order to reach Sossusvlei, which has now been declared a permanent water’s end.

There are still times when Sossusvlei floods (perhaps once every decade or two). A good rainfall in the Naukluft Mountains can cause Sossusvlei to become inundated. The lake created by this can last for several months, but the river is unable to make its original journey to the Atlantic Ocean.

Our journey through the sandy terrain of the riverbed will be made possible by a 4×4 shuttle service. The objective of our tour is to visit Dead Vlei, an ancient pan completely surrounded by dunes, which is notably dotted with dead, skeletal camelthorn trees. This landscape has been dominated by these trees for over a thousand years. The Tsauchab River keeps the narrow path leading to Sossusvlei open despite its surrounded by dunes. Our tour includes time for walking through the area and climbing some of the highest sand dunes in the world, some which tower 300 meters above us, the views are breath-taking and deserve the fame they have received.

The journey back to Sesriem is along a single road. We stop at the iconic Dune 45, (named so because it is 45 km from Sesriem. You can climb the dune if you have the energy, or perhaps just sit on the grass.

Driving back to Sesriem we take a short excursion to see the Sesriem Canyon. Only four km from Sesriem, this canyon has been carved out of the landscape by the Tsauchab River. Around two million years ago there was an ice age in Europe. This caused glaciers to form and resulted in a worldwide drop in sea level.
The knock on effect of this at Sesriem Canyon was that it increased the length and waterflow of the Tsauchab River. This greater force of water allowed the Tsauchab to begin cutting through the terrain resulting in the canyon we can see today. We can easily walk into the riverbed, it is usually much cooler in the canyon and we can follow the river for some way along its journey to Sossusvlei.

We head back to Desert Camp in the late afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Desert Camp

Day 7: Windhoek, Namibia

We are on our last day today, but excitement remains high. Upon returning to Solitaire, we board an open vehicle for a visit to one of their local conservation projects, in this case a cheetah conservation project. There are several cheetahs living in Solitaire who are unable to be released back into the wild for various reasons. In addition to learning all about the cheetah and the work that has been done by local conservation projects, we will also have the opportunity to take some incredible photographs of the world’s fastest mammal. A sampling of the apple pie that has become a symbol of this homestead will be provided by our guide after the activity.

On the way back to Windhoek, we pass through some beautiful mountain scenery. Namibia’s central plateau is reached by climbing up and over the road, followed by a brief stop in BellsPort and a short excursion to Rehoboth on the way back to Windhoek. We arrive mid-afternoon where you will be dropped off at your accommodation or taken to the airport.

Meals: Breakfast

For those flying today we do NOT recommend booking any flight departing prior to 17h00 in case there are unexpected delays returning from safari.

Onward Travel Plans

Due to circumstances beyond our control while on tour (such as border crossings, traffic, breakdowns and delays, etc), the end time on the last day cannot be guaranteed. Therefore we strongly recommend you stay the night and fly out the next day. Please consult with your booking consultant.