Self drive wildlife safari to Namibia
| country: | Namibia |
| departures: | Departures available throughout the year on a tailor made basis |
| price: | From £2850 (14 days) excluding flights. Price based on 2 people sharing a twin/double, includes car hire, all activities and meals as stated on the itinerary |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
introduction to Self drive wildlife safari to Namibia
Amongst the unique rugged landscape of Namibia lives a diverse and special fauna and flora. This tour takes you not only to world renowned areas such as Etosha and Damaraland, but also gives you the opportunity to experience the Himba people and San Bushman living traditional lifestyles in an ever changing world.
You will start at Okunjima – home to the AfriCat Foundation – where amongst others you will be able to track radio collared leopards and see the feeding of the resident cheetahs. In Damaraland you will be guided through the dry river beds to encounter the uniquely adapted desert elephants. Smaller than their cousins in the north they also have large feet to spread their weight across the shifting sands. Experience the cultural sights of Africa’s unique San rock art at Twyfelfontein as well as the opportunity to participate in cultural tours to the local communities of Himba people in the north.
Following a visit of Etosha National Park and its awesome salt pan. It boasts a wealth of big game to rival any national park in Africa including elephant, rhino and big cats. In the private reserves bordering the park you can track rhino on foot with guides with years of experience and huge knowledge of these magnificent animals.
You will finish in the Nhoma area and spend 2 nights next to the traditional San Bushman village of //Nhoq’ma, offering a genuine bushman experience. Ju/'hoansi bushman have lived in the past and how they still utilize the bush for food and medicine.
You will start at Okunjima – home to the AfriCat Foundation – where amongst others you will be able to track radio collared leopards and see the feeding of the resident cheetahs. In Damaraland you will be guided through the dry river beds to encounter the uniquely adapted desert elephants. Smaller than their cousins in the north they also have large feet to spread their weight across the shifting sands. Experience the cultural sights of Africa’s unique San rock art at Twyfelfontein as well as the opportunity to participate in cultural tours to the local communities of Himba people in the north.
Following a visit of Etosha National Park and its awesome salt pan. It boasts a wealth of big game to rival any national park in Africa including elephant, rhino and big cats. In the private reserves bordering the park you can track rhino on foot with guides with years of experience and huge knowledge of these magnificent animals.
You will finish in the Nhoma area and spend 2 nights next to the traditional San Bushman village of //Nhoq’ma, offering a genuine bushman experience. Ju/'hoansi bushman have lived in the past and how they still utilize the bush for food and medicine.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-2: | Arrive at Windhoek International Airport and pick up a rental vehicle (based on 4x4 Toyota double cab or similar). An approx 2.5 hrs drive north will take you to Okonjima - the home of the AfriCat Foundation. The foundation is set on a private reserve where Kudu and Oryx roam amongst the wild cats that the foundation have rescued and reintroduced to the wild. A particular highlight is tracking the radio collared leopard in the reserve with the AfriCat guides. Overnight Okonjima Main Camp – Waterhole view chalet (FB + activities) |
| Day 3-5: | After breakfast depart for Grootberg Lodge, perched on the rim of the Grootberg Plateau. The Lodge stands sentinel over the Klip River Valley and its 11 rock & thatch chalets gaze out over the gorge, where Black Eagles hunt just below the level of your private deck. From here you can visit Twyfelfontein for the San rock art. We have already included a guided tour to view the regions desert elephants and a guided village tour with the local Himba people. Overnight Grootberg (HB) |
| Day 6-7: | Drive to Etosha’s southern edge, bordering Fisher’s Pan, where you find Ongava Tented Camp. Ongava Private Nature Reserve has more than 20,000 hectares of protected land and wildlife. The reserve boasts over thirty different animal species consisting of plains game including kudu, giraffe, eland, oryx, hartebeest, zebra, impala and many more roam freely as well as predators such as lion, cheetah, leopard, being common residents of the area. The highlight of any visit however is the white and black rhinos who survive here in abundance with thanks to the conservation work at the lodge. Overnight Ongava Tented Camp (FB + scheduled activities) |
| Day 8-10: | Drive into Etosha proper and explore its natural beauty. Here you can stay in three or fewer different locations inside the national park. Overnight at various camps inside the park (B&B). |
| Day 11-12: | Exit Etosha in the east and drive to Nhoma. Here you will spend an unforgettable time with Ju/'hoansi bushman. Overnight Nhoma Camp (FB + scheduled activities) |
| Day 13: | To break up the journey back to Windhoek you will stay in the Waterberg Mountains. Overnight Frans Indongo Lodge (HB). |
| Day 14: | Drive to International Airport and drop off rental vehicle in time for your international flight home. |
don't leave it too late!
Please note that due to the nature of tailor-made trips to Sub-Saharan Africa we need at least 14 days between time of booking and departure. This time is essential for you to sort out passport, visa and health requirements and for us to make all the necessary holiday arrangements.how this holiday makes a difference
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This tour has been designed to introduce tourists to and support the work of various Namibian wildlife conservation projects. Ongava Lodge is an active particpant in the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT). The SRT has established one of the first Community Based Species Survival (CBSS) Projects for the rhino in Africa, with direct community involvement in the conservation of rhino, and benefits received through conservation and tourism going to the local population. Through an innovative public / private sector partnership by the Namibian Ministry of the Environment and Tourism (MET) black rhino (Diceros bicornis bicornis) are placed under the custodianship of Ongava Game Reserve. The lodge owners commitment to research, conservation and community empowerment in Namibia have earned it the right to host these animals at Ongava, but they remain the property of the state. This effectively expands secure black rhino range within the country, while Ongava is able to show its guests an endangered species and to participate in meaningful conservation programmes.
The AfriCat Foundation is based on the lodge at Okonjima in central Namibia. The foundation plays a crucial role in rehabilitating large carnivores captured on farms across the country. A board of trustees meets four times a year to guide conservation and animal welfare priorities, while the daily running of the organization is handled by the director and a small staff. Almost a quarter of the foundations running costs are covered by tourists including Okonjima in their itinerary. The funding of AfriCat's work is dependent on donations from the public and other large welfare organizations. We will adopt an animal from Africat on your behalf for every booking we take that includes Okunjima. As well as helping the foundation this will provide you with a newsletter and history and progress of your adopted animal for the year after your return from your holiday. Grootberg Lodge is a landmark in Namibia for the tourism industry as it is the first middle-market establishment in the country that is 100% owned by the community. The European Union funded the project through the Ministry of Environment and Tourism's Development Programme. At the same time, the private sector has been called in to supply the training and management skills until the community becomes self-sustainable. The purpose of the Lodge is not only to offer a professional service, great surroundings, extremely good food, well-trained guides and exceptionally good local management but, at the same time, to benefit the local community thanks to the revenues generated by the Lodge. The community of Ju/'hoansi bushman (about 40 adults and 80 children) have a contract with Nhoma Camp and are paid a set amount per activity, e.g. games, hunting, dancing, which is increased on an annual basis by at least inflation. The community earned N$130,000 in 2007 and N$140,000 in 2008 from only about 200-250 visitors per year. This does off course not include what they earn from the selling of curios. This community project is ongoing with support being sought for the operation of a school at the village, the management of game in the area and the establishment of agricultural projects |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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