13 Day Wild & Crazy Family Adventure Safari
The 13 day Family Adventure is a safari that has been specially
designed for families with small children. The minimum age on this
itinerary is 5 years and there is a discounted price for all children
under the age of 13. We have tried to keep the driving distances
down to a minimum, (not easy in a huge country like Namibia and
there are still a few long drives), and we have tried to include
as many sites as possible that will appeal to Adults and children
alike.
The itinerary is semi accommodated and the camping nights are fully
assisted comfortable camping.
We start with a “Township Tour, (depending on arrival time
in Namibia), and the first night is in a quality Windhoek Guest-House
to allow you time to relax and acclimatise. Day 2 will see you travelling
north, south & west you will visit the Africat Foundation at
Okonjima to meet and learn about Africa’s Big Cats. Then on
to Etosha National Park for some concentrated Big Game viewing.
The Himba village at Oase brings us in touch with some of Namibia’s
ancient traditions before travelling into the desert proper to spend
the night at The Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain and
an ancient Bushman spiritual site. Swakopmund on the Skeleton Coast
offers time to relax or time for some adventure sport adrenaline
followed by two nights with the awesome sand dunes at Sesriem &
Sossusvlei, the world’s tallest dunes in the world’s
oldest desert.
The last night is spent back in Windhoek at a guest house to allow
you to relax and provides some quality shopping time in Namibia’s
capital city, (depending on departure flight times).
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The price is virtually fully inclusive of everything you will
need whilst travelling with us. Collection time is between 08:00
& 08:30 from anywhere within the Windhoek city limits.
Prices in South African Rand
Price per person:R13,200
Price per child 12 years or under R11,700
Price per person as of 1st April 2009:R15,800
Price per child 12 years or under R14,000
Minimum of two people
Maximum group size is 14 travellers
Transport for up to 8 people will be in a minibus or a Land Cruiser.
For more than 8 a specially converted safari truck will be used.
Itinerary is assisted comfortable camping with participation limited
to only helping with the tents.
Guaranteed departures selected Saturdays of the year, with
a minimum of two people.
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Namibia
Safaris include:
All transport
3 Meals a day (unless differently specified)
Tap drinking water
Tea & coffee in camp
All camping equipment
Park entrance fees
Camping fees
Professional guide
Camp Assistant
Pick up & drop off from accommodation in Windhoek
Safaris exclude:
Sleeping bag (can be hired)
Visas
Alcoholic beverages
Soft drinks
Personal travel insurance
Useful to bring with you:Towel, torch, water bottle, hat.
Guide Itinerary
Safari Tour Details
Day 1
After arriving in Windhoek and settling into your guest house, you
have the day to yourself where you can relax at the guest house,
laze by the pool, visit the museum or take a stroll through town.
Dinner this evening in not included in the price of the safari
and will be for the client’s own account.
Day 2
We will travel north, stopping at small towns along the way including
Okahandja, where we have time to visit Namibia's largest wood carving
market. The market is operated on a local co-operative basis and
is one of the best places to shop for truly Namibian souvenirs.
Continuing north, passing through farmland, we aim to arrive at
Okonjima during the middle afternoon, giving us time to set up our
camp and to relax in the shade for a while before heading out on
to the property to take part in the afternoon's activities.
Okonjima is the home of the Africat Foundation, a specialist conservation
concern that centres it's operations around the African Big Cats,
particularly cheetah. This afternoon specialised guides will take
you on a tour during which you will be able to meet, close-up-and-personal,
some of the cheetah, and other Big Cats, that are going through
the Africat rehabilitation programme.
Most of the animals currently living at Okonjima have been rescued
from various desperate situations, being orphaned or caught in a
trap, and the aim of the rehabilitation process is to attempt to
re-introduce them into the wild.
After our educational tour we will return to camp and prepare for
dinner under the African stars.
oon we will take a short excursion to the Sesriem Canyon.
Day 3
Heading north on the main road and passing through small towns along
the way. We will make a short stop for fresh supplies in the northern
community of Outjo where we can also get coffee and sticky cakes
at the local bakery, before continuing on to Etosha's premier resort,
Okaukuejo.
We have time to make our camp and to relax in the shade by the swimming
pool before heading out into the park in the cool of the late afternoon
on our first game drive. Etosha forms the main game viewing section
of our safari and the Okaukuejo area offers us some of the best
waterholes in the park and the best chance to see some Big Game.
Game driving is not the only way to see the African wildlife at
Okaukuejo. Located right on the boundary of the camp and within
easy walking distance there is a floodlit waterhole for "after
hours" game watching. Okaukuejo is famous for its waterhole,
it has been described as one of the "best game viewing opportunities
in Southern Africa" and black rhino, elephant, lion and numerous
species of antelope are usually seen.
Day 4 Dinner tonight is for the clients own account in
a local restaurant.
Overnight: Swakopmund.Hotel or pension/en-suite facilities.Breakfast,
Lunch and Dinner.
Okaukuejo is our first two-night stop and we go straight out on
an early morning game drive. We visit some of the numerous waterholes
in the area hoping to catch some of Etosha's Big Game out for an
early morning drink. The game drives around the Okaukuejo area are
some of the best in the park and we cover several different terrains
this morning, from wooded areas to open savannah and in the rainy
season, wetland.
Back to Okaukuejo in the late morning and after lunch there is time
once again to relax during the heat of the day. The pool area here
is very good, shaded by palm trees and within easy walking distance
of the waterhole.
As on day three, we take a shorter game drive in the late afternoon,
often driving out to one of the waterholes popular with game and
waiting for the animals to come to us.
The Okaukuejo waterhole "Game Show" is scheduled to start
again at sunset
Day 5
Okaukuejo – Oase Himba Village
Leaving Etosha we begin our journey south with a relatively short
drive to the small town of Kamanjab where we will make a short stop
here before continuing on to find the Himba Tribesmen.
This is the only traditionally functioning Himba community outside
the far north Kaokoland region of Namibia These tribes-people have
migrated here, lifestyle and customs intact, and are following their
traditional way-of-life in their village on a farm. Oase Village
is located about 15 to 20 km outside Kamanjab, the exact location
of the site varies as the Himba occasionally roam to a new location.
During the afternoon we will be invited into Oase Village and will
meet with the locals. We will have a specialist guide for the time
we are there, who will be able to translate for us and will introduce
us to this “alternative lifestyle”. We will learn about
marriage customs, traditional food and the mysteries of the local
religion, “Holy Fire”.
Day 6
Oase Himba village - Palmwag Desert Oasis, Damaraland
From Oase we will travel to the west, heading deeper into the desert
and passing through beautiful Damaraland scenery as we traverse
the small “Groot-Berg” mountain range and we head down
to the Palmwag Oasis.
Located on the banks of a dry river, the Oasis is shaded by huge
makalani palm trees and water comes from a rare desert spring that
attracts a wide variety of wild game, including the rare and elusive
desert elephant and rhinoceros.
There is a swimming pool where you can cool off and chill out or
a self guided sunset walking trail if you are feeling energetic.
Day 7
Damaraland is probabally Namibia's most beautiful area and we drive
through the heart of the region today. Giant granite "koppies"
and open grassland make up the terrain with rare and unusual flora
species dotting the landscape.
Our first main stop today will be the Twyfelfontein valley to visit
the Bushman rock engravings or petroglyphs. Ancient artisans used
tools made from quartz to leave modern generations with the gift
of a fascinating open air museum. The art is carved into the flat
surfaces of a ruined petrified sand dune and a local guide will
introduce us to this important site.
From here we head deeper into the desert and on to Namibia's highest
mountain, The Brandberg, (2573 m). Brandberg Mountain is another
ancient Bushman spiritual site and tonight we will sleep in a community
campsite under the shadow of this giant granite monolith.
Day 8
Starting early to enjoy the cool of the morning we will hike, "into"
the mountain with our guide to see the world famous "White
Lady" rock painting. Attributed to the Bushman artists, the
white lady panel is believed by some to be in excess of 20 000 years
old.
Back on the road and more beautiful Damaraland scenery this morning,
we make our first stop in the small town of Uis, an old mining town,
and one of the best places to buy semi-precious stones, for which
Namibia is famous. Here, rough Amethyst, Tourmaline etc can be found
at bargain prices.
From here we turn directly west and cross the "gravel plains"
on our way to the Atlantic Ocean and the Skeleton Coast. Meeting
the ocean at Henties Bay, we first head north along the coast to
visit the seal colony at Cape Cross where at certain times of the
year there can be as many as 100,000 Cape Fur Seals in attendance.
The next destination is Swakopmund, following the Skeleton Coast
into Namibia's premier seaside town.
The Swakopmund section of the trip is designed to allow people to
relax either with the group, or on their own. Only breakfast is
provided to allow you to plan your time here with as much flexibility
as possible and not to be tied to group meal times. It also gives
you the chance to sample some of the excellent local cafes and restaurants.
The seafood in Swakopmund is superb and your guide will offer to
organise a group meal in a local restaurant for this evening.
Dinner this evening in not included in the price of the safari and
will be for the client's own account
Day 9
Today is a free day. The idea is to allow time for everybody to
do their own thing. Swakopmund is a very pleasant seaside town with
lots of shops, a good stretch of beach (although the Atlantic here
is quite cold) and an open-air curio market. There is also a very
good museum and the Namibian National Marine Aquarium is located
in Swakopmund.
Alternatively, there are various optional activities that can be
arranged. These include aeroplane and microlight flights over the
desert, scenic drives, fishing trips (both from the beach or in
a boat), four-wheel motorcycle (quad bike) trips into the desert
and over the sand dunes around Swakopmund, sand boarding trips (also
in the dunes), skydiving, surfing, bird-watching and many other
activities are available.
Your tour guide will discuss all the possible options with you before
you reach Swakopmund and will offer to make bookings in advance
of your arrival.
(N.B. All extra activities and excursions in Swakopmund are subject
to availability and are made at the clients' own risk and expense
and dinner this evening is not included in the price of the safari
and will be for the client's own account.
Day 10
We first make a stop at Walvis Bay, situated about 40 km south of
Swakopmund. South of the town there is a large marine lagoon which
is home to a vast array of marine bird-life, in particular flamingos.
We will make a short visit to the lagoon to see the birds and a
short visit to Walvis Bay to collect any last minute supplies before
once again heading out into the desert.
The second part of our journey today takes us across more of the
seemingly endless Namib gravel plains. Then the landscape suddenly
changes and we are into the mountain desert.
We traverse both the Kuiseb and Gaub passes, driving both times
to the river beds at the bottom of the canyons and then climbing
the long steep road to the top and the spectacular panoramas the
mountains give us. Again the scenery changes as we make our way
down to the Namib Desert.”
“We cross some open grass savannah and farmlands before the
terrain begins to give way to the immense Naukluft Mountains of
the Namib and from here it is only a short distance to our next
stop, the tiny town of Solitaire. We will stop here for some refreshments
before continuing on through stunning desert scenery.”
We aim to arrive at our camp during the late afternoon and watch
the colours glow and change on distant mountains to the east.
Day 11
A pre dawn start is essential this morning as we want to catch the
soft light of the sunrise on the desert as we drive in. After passing
through Sesriem, the gateway to the dunes, we drive into the heart
of the dune field.
To reach Sossusvlei itself we walk for the last 5 km through the
dunes. The walk is like nothing else, in the cool of the morning,
with soft sunlight just beginning to play over the dunes creating
a sharp light and shadow contrast across the whole desert.
Ancient mineral pans, stunted camel thorn trees and the chance of
seeing a gemsbok or maybe an ostrich make the photo opportunities
perfect.
We spend the morning in and around Sossusvlei, also visiting "Dune
45", and as the day wears on we return to Sesriem for lunch
and to escape the heat of the afternoon. As the day cools off in
the late afternoon we will take a short excursion to the Sesriem
Canyon.
Day 12
Namib Desert Camp – Windhoek City
After breakfast we begin our journey, over the mountains and along
scenic roads, back to Windhoek. We will travel over the Naukluft
Mountains and also the Khomas Hochland range, through beautiful
Remhoogte Pass on our way back to civilization.
We aim to arrive back in Windhoek in the early afternoon. Tonight
we are staying at a guest house in town and there will be time to
wander around town or relax at the guest house before your guide
collects you again in the evening for dinner at one of the local
restaurants.
Day 13
Windhoek
This morning you will be taken on a “Katutura Township Tour”.
Katutura was, during the apartheid years, the original Windhoek
workers “township” and is still today the largest suburb
in Windhoek. The atmosphere is truly African and we will visit all
the areas of local interest including markets and a local bar to
try out the traditional drinks and food. Depending on departure
times for your flight home, the afternoon can be spent shopping
in Windhoek. Not only interesting, this is an excellent opportunity
to check out the markets for last minute gifts and souvenirs.
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