|
WILDERNESS |
|
WILDERNESS |
"Spirit of the Namib" (10 Days)
|
An Adventurer Safari"
|
|
On Adventurer Safaris, a philosophy of partially serviced camping exists with tin styles, thus setting the tone for an adventurous but comfortable wilderness experience. Each large 3m x 3m Dome Tent is fully furnished with comfortable camp stretchers and bedrolls (with pure cotton linen), a bedside table (with 12v electricity) and two small luggage racks. Each camp has two separate flushing toilet systems and two hot water bucket shower systems. Amenities and towels are also provided. Camp is lit with hurricane lanterns and has a 5m x 5m dining area, set with metal director chairs and tables with linen tablecloths. Experience an old-style serviced camping safari, which recreates a sense of pure adventure for the traveller seeking an authentic safari. Wilderness’ Adventurer Safaris provide fully serviced spacious tents, styled to provide elegant comfort in the ultimate wild camping game safari. |
| Meet the Namib: the oldest desert in the world; Damaraland: where the largest free-roaming population of black rhino resides; Cape Cross: a bewildering cacophony of Cape fur seals; Etosha: a blinding whiteness that is home to a surprising variety of wildlife. This is an all-encompassing safari that explores the spirit of this wide-open land – Namibia’s most special wild places, its people and culture. Exposed and diverse landscapes with desert wildlife, scenic, jagged mountains, endless skies, and so-called ‘barren’ deserts that hide a multitude and variety of life. |
 |
FEATURES OF THIS SAFARI
 |
Sossusvlei, Etosha, Skeleton Coast and Damaraland are all enthusiastically explored via a range of private areas, campsites, flights and lodges. Impressive range of activities, whether by day, night, sea, or land, by air or vehicle – as well as meeting local Topnaar and Damara people (dependent on their movements) – reveal the encompassing beauty of Namibia’s people and land. Wonderful variety of accommodation, from an old farmhouse to dome tent camps, hexagonal meru tents, superlative lodges and quaint hotel. At Aonin Dune Camp, experience an ancient date palm oasis with views of immense red sand dunes. Travel by land when the journey is enhanced; otherwise travelling is done by air. The Adventurer style of accommodation takes you back to the great days of African exploration. Pure cotton linen bedrolls (with duvets) on GI stretchers, bedside table with silver lantern and mini luggage benches complement the atmosphere in pristine, wild camping areas. Separate toilet and shower ‘bathrooms’ with old-style tin bucket showers and basins and all amenities create simple serviced comfort. |
|
Days 1 & 2: Ongava Homestead, Etosha Region Transfer by comfortable charter flight to Namibia’s big game country: Etosha and its environs. Here, the diverse and varied flora and fauna is brought to life in a variety of activities, from game walks to game drives and visits to hides on the property and into the famous Etosha National Park. Within Etosha we’ll also visit numerous perennial springs and pans, encountering lion, leopard, elephant and black rhino as well as plains game. We stay the night at Ongava Homestead, a renovated old farmhouse, with en-suite bathrooms, and a farm kitchen overlooking its own waterhole, floodlit at night to watch nocturnal visitors, from the timid genet to big game such as elephant, lion, leopard and a host of antelope come to drink. Simple safari furnishings create a wonderful atmosphere in which to make friends and enjoy good company throughout the Exploration. |
 |
 |
Days 3 & 4: Palmwag Adventurer Camp, Damaraland After an early breakfast, we depart westwards by road in the direction of Palmwag concession. Here, on the concession and in the surrounding areas the desert-adapted elephant, the careful feeder and gentle giant of Damaraland thrives. Special activities include tracking and searching for this wonderful mammal on foot and by vehicle. In addition, our guides expose the sheer magnificence of nature’s survival strategies in this arid environment, through walks and game drives concentrating on a variety of topics from birds to insects, medicinal uses of plants and viewing wildlife. Our Adventurer campsite is set in a private setting with magnificent views of the surrounding mountains and vast, wide-open landscape. |
|
Day 5: Damaraland Camp, Damaraland Departing early, we travel to Twyfelfontein where we take a guided walk via a number of routes, with local San (Bushman) people to view the petroglyphs - ancient rock etchings strewn over the rock face. After a quick stop at the “Burnt Mountain” a place where the mountainside glows as if on fire, when the red-orange shales catch the morning and evening sunlight. We end the journey at Damaraland Camp, set in the heart of the largest free-roaming population of the critically endangered black rhino on Earth. Damaraland Camp accommodates guests in 10 comfortable tented rooms, with en-suite facilities including flush toilets and showers with hot and cold running water. The dining room and pub are combined under canvas, and an open fire is enjoyed on calm evenings. A feature of the camp is its unique rock pool. In the late afternoon, we search on foot or on a game drive for the black rhino, hoping to have a glimpse of this prehistoric-looking animal that survives today in these desolately beautiful areas. |
 |
 |
Day 6: Beach Lodge, Swakopmund We cross-country westwards and
out of the concession along the ephemeral game-rich Ugab River, where we begin
to encounter the extraordinary Welwitschia plants and “wandering lichen” en
route to the life-filled Atlantic Ocean. Arriving at Cape Cross Seal colony, we
make our way through the mass of life on the shore – including the only
mainland-breeding site of Cape fur seals.
|
|
Days 7 & 8: Aonin Dune Camp, Rooibank, outside Walvis Bay After an early breakfast, we drive southwards to the Walvis Bay Lagoon. Here in a protected bay, many flamingos, pelicans and other waterfowl congregate. On the calm waters of the bay, we embark on a sea kayak trip, a spectacular activity that allows close approach to the avian inhabitants and their habitat and provide some unique photographic opportunities of birds flying low over the bay. We enjoy a seafood lunch served on the beach and afterwards a short leisurely drive inland to the Aonin Dune Camp set under a large date palm oasis, providing welcome shade, sweet water and a special atmosphere. Its walk-in meru tents are situated under a date palm oasis, with spectacular views into the dune fields, wonderfully lit in the early mornings. While in the area, we enjoy walks into the spectacular dunes, environmental drives in the dry Kuiseb River and surrounding gravel plains and also have the opportunity to walk with the Topnaar community (seasonal) who are specialists at survival in this harsh environment. |
 |
 |
Days 9 & 10: Kulala Adventurer Camp, Sossusvlei After an early breakfast, we travel along the Kuiseb riverbed, past old mines, through the geologically interesting Kuiseb Canyon to the Kulala Adventurer Camp in our private Sossusvlei concession. Here we enjoy access to the Sossusvlei dunes, for walks in the immense moving sands of the Namib, game drives on our concession and stargazing. Photography in the early morning of the dunes is particularly stunning with rich reds and dark shadows completing the extraordinary vista that is the enormity of the Namib Desert. |
Day 11: Transfer to Windhoek
After breakfast we transfer by road, including lunch overlooking the view of the plains below, to Windhoek and bid farewell to the adventure.
Routes:
The routes followed on this
safari aim to track the shy, elusive wildlife of the desert, revel in the
abundance of life on the Atlantic Coastline and view the enormous moving dunes
of the Namib Desert. Surprisingly, the seemingly barren desert comes to life
with an amazing plethora of plants and animals that have ingeniously adapted to
their harsh surroundings – and in fact thrive. On this journey there is an
excellent opportunity to find even the largest of mammals surviving here – the
desert black rhino and elephant.
Exclusive experience:
To ensure total privacy and
exclusivity, most areas in which we travel are private concessions in unspoiled,
prime game and scenic locations. All campsites are private and for the use of
Wilderness Safaris guests only.
Guides:
The entire safari is guided and
hosted by professional and passionate trained guides who share their in-depth
knowledge to present a seamless, well-rounded experience.
Transfers:
To maximise guests’ travel time, a variety of transport modes that bring out the best of each area is used: flying in private charters (when the travelling experience is not enhanced by road) and cross-country transfers provide both a bird’s-eye view and an in-depth experience of the contrasting landscapes of Namibia.
2009 Cost:-
| 7 Jan. - 30 June and 11 Nov. - 20 Dec. 2009 | 1 July - 10 Nov. and 21 Dec. - 31 Dec. 2009 |
| USD4,126 | USD4,333 |
| Single Supplement:- USD238 | |
African Safari
Consultants
1042 Willow Creek Road # A101 - 240
Prescott, AZ 86301
| T | O | L | L | F | R | E | E | ( | 8 | 6 | 6 | ) | S | E | E | - | G | A | M | E | ||||||||
| T | O | L | L | F | R | E | E | ( | 8 | 6 | 6 | ) | 7 | 3 | 3 | - |
4 |
2 | 6 | 3 |
