Namibia: The Antique Land of Southern Africa
October 22 - November 1, 2024
Namibia is a desert country, often-overlooked, tucked away in the southwestern corner of Africa, but with much to offer the adventure traveler in search of exotic beauty, impressive natural landscapes, free-roaming wildlife, ancient human history, and few other visitors. We traveled there during the best season, when daytime temperatures reach into the 80s and night-times cool off into the high 50s, with our own private air charters and local guides. It was a one-of-a-kind journey into an exotic and antique land, a deep dive into a country still little known to the outside world.
In the Namib Desert, Sossusvlei has some of the highest, and certainly the loveliest sand dunes in the world. We scrambled to the tops of these dunes for views out across the vast desert landscape.
In Damaraland, the exquisite red rock mountains give security to elephants, giraffes, and a host of other wildlife, amid stunning beauty. Giant red-rock boulders guard ancient petroglyphs hidden in caves, surrounded by weird desert-adapted flora. We found there were secrets to unwrap in Damaraland.
Out on the Skeleton Coast, we experienced the shores of the wild Atlantic Ocean with its own extensive dunes housing some of the world's largest population of free-roaming black rhinos. Elephants and giraffes wandered the surprisingly vegetated canyons feeding into the ocean, adjacent to our unique lodge — a luxurious homage to the dozens of ships wrecked along this coast over the centuries.
Up at Etosha Pan, vast herds of wildlife share the wetlands with an explosion of millions of birds in their migratory home. Our gracious tented camp lodge was set in the midst of it all, where we experienced the spectacle first-hand, all day long.
Namibia Itinerary and Accommodations
Namib Desert Homestead Outpost
Flight: Windhoek – Sossusvlei 1 hour & 10 minutes
Met on arrival by our representative for travel document handover
Met our pilot and checked in for the flight and briefing before taking to the Namibian skies
Private charter flight from Windhoek to Sossusvlei flying over the Namib Naukluft Mountain Range
Road transfer to the lodge on arrival
PM Sundowner drive on the reserve
AM Sossusvlei excursion into the park with the lodge
Stay included all meals with the lodge and two camp activities
Highlights: Sossusvlei, Dead Vlei, Dune 45, Big Daddy, Elim Dune and the Sesriem Canyon
Damaraland Mowani Mountain Camp
Flight: Sossusvlei – Damaraland 2 hour 20 minutes (scenic + refuel in Swakopmund)
Road transfer to airstrip for departure flight
Private charter scenic flight along the Skeleton Coast to Swakopmund and then onwards to Damaraland
Highlights: Sossusvlei, sand dunes, old diamond mines, shipwrecks, Langewand & Sandwich Harbour
Road transfer to the lodge on arrival
2- night package included:
- All meals
- Nature drive to search for the desert adapted elephants and other wildlife in the dry riverbed and surrounding areas
- Guided Twyfelfontein excursion to view the Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings, Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain
Skeleton Coast Shipwreck Lodge
Flight: Damaraland- Mowe Bay for Shipwreck 45 minutes
Transfer to the airstrip for flight to Mowe Bay
From Mowe Bay transfer to Shipwreck Lodge by road (about 1.5 hours) this is a scenic drive along the coast and inland. The Namibian coastline is generally known as The Skeleton Coast due to the barren areas, shipwrecks and, in days gone by, whale skeletons left on the beach
2 nights on fully inclusive basis included all activities, meals and drinks
Etosha National Park Onguma Tented Camp
Flight: Mowe Bay – Etosha 1 hour & 45 minutes
Road transfer/ scenic drive to Mowe Bay for flight to Etosha
Private charter flight from Damaraland to Etosha National Park (east)
Road transfer to the lodge on arrival
Included:
- All meals, 2 scheduled game drives per day, local drinks, park entry fees.
Etosha is one of Africa's great game parks, with 114 species of mammal and 340 species of birds.
Windhoek END
Flight: Etosha – Windhoek 1 hour & 40 minutes
Following the morning activity, road transfer to the airstrip for the departure flight
Private charter flight from Etosha to Windhoek International Airport, arriving with 2 hours to spare before the international departure