Namibia desert elephant expedition
| country: | Namibia |
| departures: | 2008: 6 Sep |
| price: | From £2395 (21 days) including flights from the UK. Price includes accommodation, meals and transport. Local Payment of R2500 |
the amazing things you'll be doing
21 days working on an elephant community project and exploring the national parks of Namibia
After years of absence, the desert elephant has returned to an area which they have not inhabited for over 60 years. The resulting conflict with local people is putting both people and elephants under threat. This pioneering project is working to ensure both can live in harmony together.
Desert Elephants in Damaraland
From Swakopmund we visit Walvis Bay Lagoon and the thriving Cape Cross Seal Colony, before entering southern Damaraland.
The first week on project we work with the local subsistence farmers, building protective walls around their water points and teaching them the skills needed in managing the conflict with the resident elephant populations. In the second week we spend days out in the desert on patrol; following and monitoring the movements of these elephants; camping wild and living close to the earth, elephants and people.
Etosha & the Waterburg Plateau
In terms of game viewing, many consider the Etosha National Park as the very best in Africa and during our exploration we observe the prolific birdlife and some of the 114 species of animals which thrive here. Our itinerary finally takes us to the Waterberg Plateau Park, home to the elusive dik-dik, and the Cheetah Conservation Fund project at Okonjima.
After years of absence, the desert elephant has returned to an area which they have not inhabited for over 60 years. The resulting conflict with local people is putting both people and elephants under threat. This pioneering project is working to ensure both can live in harmony together.
Desert Elephants in Damaraland
From Swakopmund we visit Walvis Bay Lagoon and the thriving Cape Cross Seal Colony, before entering southern Damaraland.
The first week on project we work with the local subsistence farmers, building protective walls around their water points and teaching them the skills needed in managing the conflict with the resident elephant populations. In the second week we spend days out in the desert on patrol; following and monitoring the movements of these elephants; camping wild and living close to the earth, elephants and people.
Etosha & the Waterburg Plateau
In terms of game viewing, many consider the Etosha National Park as the very best in Africa and during our exploration we observe the prolific birdlife and some of the 114 species of animals which thrive here. Our itinerary finally takes us to the Waterberg Plateau Park, home to the elusive dik-dik, and the Cheetah Conservation Fund project at Okonjima.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London - Windhoek. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Windhoek; drive Swakopmund. |
| Day 3: | In Swakopmund; visit Walvis Bay; optional acitivities. |
| Day 4: | Drive via Cape Cross Seal Colony to Damaraland. |
| Day 5-14: | Desert elephant conservation project. |
| Day 15: | Drive via Petrified Forest to Etosha, PM game drive. |
| Day 16-17: | Game viewing in Etosha NP. |
| Day 18: | Early game drive; drive via Cheetah Conservation Fund project to Waterberg Plateau Park. |
| Day 19: | Optional plateau game drive and walks; drive Windhoek. |
| Day 20: | Fly London. |
| Day 21: | Arrive London. |
a taste of volunteering trip - what's it all about?
This type of trip is ideal for people who are unable to take very long periods off work but who are interested in volunteering to work with communities in need, or in wildlife conservation. These shorter trips combine volunteering with an opportunity to see the main sights in destinations. Find out more about 'taste of volunteering'award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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On this pioneering project, we will be helping to reduce conflict between elephants and people through learning about elephant movements and enabling local people and government make plans and take action to protect their livelihoods. This involves both research and practical action; building walls to protect local people’s homes and farms. This is an ongoing project which volunteers make happen.
We also spend time at the Cheetah Conservation Fund Project to see how this organisation is working to conserve Namibia’s threatened cheetah population.  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. |