Namibia Under Canvas

This morning your guide will collect you from your various accommodation establishments in Windhoek. Together you will set off for Eastern Etosha National Park, stopping at the AfriCat Day Center along the way. This wildlife sanctuary on the research and rehabilitation of Africa's big cats, particularly injured or captured leopard and cheetah. Enjoy an informative game drive and tour of the park before continuing onwards to Onguma Private Reserve along Etosha's eastern border. 

Freshen up in your thatched room before enjoying your first "safari dinner" overlooking the camp's floodlit waterhole.  

The next two days are full of exciting game viewing activities within the eastern section of Etosha National Park, with the option to venture further toward Halali or closer to Fischer's Pan in the north. Etosha National Park, translated as the "place of Mirages", covers 22,270 square kilometers and consists of grassland, woodland and savannah. Game-viewing centers around the numerous springs and waterholes, and the park boasts some 114 mammals and 340 bird species. Wildlife that one may see include elephant, lion, giraffe, blue wildebeest, eland kudu, zebra, rhino, cheetah, leopard, hyena and warthog. 

Your final evening outside Etosha concludes with a shared game drive on the private Onguma Game Reserve, culminating with sundowners overlooking Fischer's Pan. The Onguma Game Reserve consists of more than 20,000 hectares of protected land, and is home to a family of black rhinos! 

This morning travel from Etosha National Park toward the Damaraland, traveling through farmlands and small towns along the way. Damaraland is typified by magnificent displays of color, table topped mountains, rock formations and otherworldly vegetation. The variety of loneliness coupled with scenic splendor will reward and astound, giving one an authentic understanding of the world "wilderness". This long day of travel is broken up by a scenic picnic lunch before arriving at Camp Doros, where you will spend the next 3 nights. 

 

Set out on your first full day in Damaraland for an exciting and memorable rhino-tracking adventure. The black rhino population in this area forms part of one of the only free-roaming black rhino populations in Africa, and tracking them in an unfenced and uninhibited environment is an absolute privilege. Return to camp for lunch before heading back out for a scenic nature walk or drive. 

Continue your adventures in Damaraland the following morning, enjoying the freedom to discover the fascinating landscapes with your naturalist guide by vehicle or on foot. The focus today is on tracking the desert-adapted elephant, although other desert-adapted species that may be spotted include giraffe, orynx, springbok and even lion. Return to camp after a delicious picnic lunch to relax and take in the captivating scenery. 
 

Arise early this morning to head south toward the coastal town of Swakopmund, passing Namibia's highest mountain, the Brandberg, along the way. Upon arrival in Swakopmund you are free to enjoy the pleasent seaside location and cooler coastal air for the night. For dinner, head to a popular restaurant specializing in locally harvested seafood as well as other local and international dishes. Settle in this evening at your canvas lodge on the outskirts of town, overlooking the Swakop River Valley and desolate desert landscapes. 

After another early breakfast continue onward toward Sossusvlei. The ever-changing desert landscape is diverse and impressive, and you will witness where the Guab and Kuiseb Canyons meet the dunes at the settlement of Solitaire. Enjoy a picnic lunch en-route, arriving at Sossus Under Canvas with enough time to freshen up with a hot bucket shower before dinner. 

Note: As an alternative to the drive from Swakopmund to Sossusvlei, you may take a scenic light aircraft flight along the Diamond Coast, allowing for a bird's eye view of the Sandwhich Harbor and the Namib Sea Sand, as well as abandoned mining camps and two shipwrecks (optional extra at an additional cost). 

Wake before sunrise this morning for a magical excursion with your guide in the Namib Naukluft National Park. Enter the park by sunrise, while the light is soft and the shadows accentuate the towering shapes and curves of the sand dunes. This area boasts some of the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world, and your guide will give you insight into the formation of the Namib Desert and its myriad of fasinating creatures and plants that call this harsh landscape home. 

Explore Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and surrounds before taking a picnic brunch under the much-appreciated shade of a camel thorn tree. Return to camp to rest before heading out in the late afternoon for a scenic nature drive or walk to further explore this astounding ecosystem. Your day concludes with a memorable final safari sundowner. 

Enjoy a leisurly breakfast this morning before traveling back to Windhoek, arriving mid-afternoon at the establishment of your choice or, if flying home, an additional transfer can be booked to the Windhoek International Airport (please note departure flights must be no earlier than 6pm).