Family safari to Namibia
| country: | Namibia |
| departures: | 2008: 18 Oct, 22 Dec 2009: 6 Apr, 20 Jul, 27 Jul, 3 Aug, 10 Aug, 17 Aug, 24 Aug |
| price: | From £1799 - £2199 (15 days) per adult and £1599 - £1869 per child including flights from UK, from £1229 - £1329 excluding flights |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Travelling in a specially modified truck, we'll witness the highest dunes on earth, explore dramatic landscapes and see a whole array of land and sea-based wildlife. Three full days are spent game viewing in the pre-historic Etosha National Park - one of Africa's very best wildlife reserves.
We also include two nights on the Atlantic coast at Swakopmund - a mecca for those seeking fine beaches and a choice of diverse activities. And of course no trip to Namibia is complete without a close encounter with a cheetah or two.
High dunes & Atlantic waves
First we head southwest into the Namib Desert, the oldest desert on earth, to explore Sesriem Canyon and the huge sand dunes and pans of the famous Sossusvlei area. There's time for a dawn balloon flight over the dunes before leaving the sands for the sea, as we enjoy a scenic drive to the Atlantic coast. From our base at Swakopmund, we enjoy a boat trip out into the lagoon of Walvis Bay in search of dolphins and seals, plus a range of optional activities. Dune-surfing and quad biking are both available.
Wildlife & salt pans of Etosha
Next we travel north along the edge of southern Damaraland and visit the Cape Cross Seal Colony (home to 100,000 Cape fur seals) on our way to Etosha National Park. At the heart of Etosha lie the sprawling saltpans - once a lake the size of Holland, dating back some 12 million years, it's now a silvery depression of dust-laden mirages. In terms of game viewing, many consider Etosha as one of the very best in Africa (thanks also to an excellent infrastructure), and during our explorations we hope to observe prolific birdlife and some of the 114 species of animals that thrive here.
Cheetah conservation & Waterberg
Entering and leaving Etosha, we pass through Africa's premier region for cheetah conservation. At the Cheetah Park at Otjitotongwe and at the Cheetah Conservation Fund, we'll spend time learning about the world's fastest land animal (which can reach speeds of up to 70 mph). Our diverse itinerary finally takes us to the Waterberg Plateau Park. Rising some 300m from the plains, the plateau provides a natural haven for wildlife and is home to the elusive dik-dik and offers some excellent walking trails.
We also include two nights on the Atlantic coast at Swakopmund - a mecca for those seeking fine beaches and a choice of diverse activities. And of course no trip to Namibia is complete without a close encounter with a cheetah or two.
High dunes & Atlantic waves
First we head southwest into the Namib Desert, the oldest desert on earth, to explore Sesriem Canyon and the huge sand dunes and pans of the famous Sossusvlei area. There's time for a dawn balloon flight over the dunes before leaving the sands for the sea, as we enjoy a scenic drive to the Atlantic coast. From our base at Swakopmund, we enjoy a boat trip out into the lagoon of Walvis Bay in search of dolphins and seals, plus a range of optional activities. Dune-surfing and quad biking are both available.
Wildlife & salt pans of Etosha
Next we travel north along the edge of southern Damaraland and visit the Cape Cross Seal Colony (home to 100,000 Cape fur seals) on our way to Etosha National Park. At the heart of Etosha lie the sprawling saltpans - once a lake the size of Holland, dating back some 12 million years, it's now a silvery depression of dust-laden mirages. In terms of game viewing, many consider Etosha as one of the very best in Africa (thanks also to an excellent infrastructure), and during our explorations we hope to observe prolific birdlife and some of the 114 species of animals that thrive here.
Cheetah conservation & Waterberg
Entering and leaving Etosha, we pass through Africa's premier region for cheetah conservation. At the Cheetah Park at Otjitotongwe and at the Cheetah Conservation Fund, we'll spend time learning about the world's fastest land animal (which can reach speeds of up to 70 mph). Our diverse itinerary finally takes us to the Waterberg Plateau Park. Rising some 300m from the plains, the plateau provides a natural haven for wildlife and is home to the elusive dik-dik and offers some excellent walking trails.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Windhoek |
| Day 2: | Arrive Windhoek; at leisure |
| Day 3: | Drive to camp at Sesriem |
| Day 4: | At Sesriem; explore Namib-Naukluft NP, Sossusvlei and Sesriem Canyon |
| Day 5: | Optional balloon trip; scenic drive to Swakopmund |
| Day 6: | In Swakopmund; dolphin excursion from Walvis Bay |
| Day 7: | Drive to Otjitotongwe Cheetah Park via Cape Cross Seal Colony |
| Day 8: | Drive to Okaukuejo in Etosha NP; afternoon game drive |
| Day 9: | At Okaukuejo; game drives |
| Day 10-11: | At Halali; game drives in Etosha. |
| Day 12: | Drive to Waterberg Plateau Park via Cheetah Conservation Fund |
| Day 13: | At Waterberg; optional plateau game drive and/or walks |
| Day 14: | Drive to Windhoek then fly London |
| Day 15: | Arrive London |
travellers' tales
Most memorable was watching the animals at the water hole at the Okaukuejo camp in Etosha national park. We could have spent hours just sitting there watching them. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
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This tour, surprisingly enough, is all about the Cheetah population of Namibia. We visit two different Cheetah reserves run by responsible organisations, whom we support by spreading interest through our passengers.
We visit Otjitotongwe Cheetah Reserve, who are trying to save the cheetahs in a country where they are not protected outside national parks. By paying our national park fees, we are contributing towards the conservation of all wildlife. On our visit to the Cheetah Conservation fund, we learn all about the fastest land animal on earth and have a chance to contribute to the fund. To give as much as we can to the local economy, we stay in rest camps, whose profits go into the preservation and running of the national parks, or to local families. Our Tour Leaders are all trained by us in the importance of responsible tourism with guidance given on how they can make a difference. This then percolates down through those they deal with. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
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. |