Namibia safari
| country: | Namibia |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 2 Apr, 30 Apr, 4 Jun, 18 Jun, 2 Jul, 16 Jul, 23 Jul, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, 27 Aug, 10 Sep, 24 Sep, 8 Oct, 22 Oct, 5 Nov, 17 Dec 2011: 25 Mar |
| price: | From £1849 - £2399 (15 days) including flights from the UK, from £1049 - £1149 excluding flights. Single supplement £55. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
introduction to Namibia safari
Namibia has an extraordinary variety of scenery. Every step of the way we are rewarded with stunning vistas from the deserted Atlantic Coast to the game-rich national parks. We can enjoy standing on the world's highest sand dunes at Sossusvlei, as well as surfing down them (a fun optional extra). The seal colonies at Cape Cross are an amazing (if smelly) sight, and Etosha National Park will give us the opportunity to see elephant, giraffe, lion and an abundance of plains game. We visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund, where you can get close to these fascinating big cats and learn about the efforts to save the fastest land mammal on earth. All this is with a backdrop of striking Namibian landscapes and gorgeous African sunsets.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart London. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Windhoek; transfer to farmstead. |
| Day 3: | Drive through spectacular Namib-Naukluft Park to Sesriem. |
| Day 4: | Explore highest sand dunes in the world; afternoon visit Sesriem Canyon. |
| Day 5: | To the little German town of Swakopmund, via Walvis Bay. |
| Day 6: | Full day in Swakopmund with the option of quadbiking, dolphin watching, sandboarding and flight over Skeleton Coast. |
| Day 7: | Along the Skeleton Coast, visiting the seal colony at Cape Cross. |
| Day 8: | Through the desert of Damaraland, visiting petrified forest and rock paintings at Twyfelfontein. Camp by Aba Huab River. |
| Day 9: | To Etosha N.P. |
| Days 10-11: | Two full days in Etosha, one of the best parks in Africa, rich in rare species, plains game and hundreds of varieties of birds. |
| Day 12: | Morning game drive in Etosha followed by a late brunch; drive to Otjiwarongwe area where we spend the night. |
| Day 13: | In the morning we visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund before driving south to Waterberg Plateau Park. |
| Day 14: | To Windhoek; depart. |
| Day 15: | Arrive London. |
traveller reviews for Namibia safari
The most memorable part of the holiday was spotting the leopard. We would have missed it & driven on, but the leaders saw it & we went back. We had to be patient because the leopard hid in a culvert, but eventually came out. (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. award winner
This tourism business won an award in our 2004 Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical, Magazine of the Royal Geographical Societyhow this holiday makes a difference
|
As a part of our continued commitment to responsible tourism, we operate this trip in a way that aims to reduce impacts and to give as much back as possible to the local community. We are able to use some campsites that are owned by the local community. For example we stay at the Aba Huab campsite near Twyfelfontein, which is owned by the Dama people so by staying here we are directly supporting the local community. Projects like this are supported by NACOBTA (Namibia Community Based Tourism Association) – a non-profit membership organisation that supports local communities in developing tourism enterprises in Namibia.
This trip is predominantly camping and leaders ensure that we minimise impact as much as possible by such things as clearing up camping areas after use and limiting water usage. The campsite at Sesriem has introduced a recycling system which clients are encouraged to use. Guests of the locally run hotel in Swakopmund are asked to limit water usage as they are in a desert environment where water is limited. We also limit the group size to 12 to reduce cultural and environmental impacts. Twenty-five percent of all park entrance fees paid are reinvested by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Namibia through the Game Products Trust Fund into essential infrastructure and services related to tourism in the country’s parks. When we visit sites such as Twyfelfontein a local Dama guide is employed helping the local community to benefit directly from tourism. We have had a long-term relationship with our operator and we have helped train their staff in all aspects of their jobs. The operator runs an annual workshop with it’s leaders that includes Responsible Tourism training. We have at our offices worked to reduce our carbon footprint through a reduction of energy use and energy conservation measures. We also actively try to reduce the waste produced by having active reduction and recycling policies in place. We run annual staff workshops on Responsible Tourism. Global warming is a reality and to help you make a difference by reducing the carbon dioxide that is produced when you travel we offer a chance to carbon balance your flights. We encourage all our clients to do this and do so for all our staff travel. Go on do your bit! |
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. |
check out similar holiday ideas...