Namibia Classic

Day 1

On arrival at the Windhoek Airport you will be welcomed by a company representative and assisted onto your charter flight. Departure by charter flight on route to the western Kalahari region and the Intu Afrika Kalahari Game Reserve. Conduct a late afternoon nature drive excursion in open safari vehicles. Overnight accommodation at INTU AFRIKA GAME RESERVE on a full board basis.

As the fading sun paints the dunes with fiery hues, a peace descends upon the land.  Respite for the desert from the furnace of day.  A time when all life moves easy, in the cooling calm;  a time to graze, a time to prey a time to scavenge. The desolate wastes of the Kalahari are the last home of the true indigenous people of Southern Africa.  Today, only a handful of nomadic Bushmen live in this wilderness, surviving by hunting and gathering.  The Bushmen community was encouraged to join hands with Intu Afrika to develop eco-tourism.  Explore the Thirstland in open 4×4 vehicles.  Marvel at desert sunrises and sunsets;  be seduced by the charms of an alluring landscape; get up close to lion, oryx, springbok, giraffe. Wildebeest, zebra and other smaller desert mammals.  Learn about our predator re-introduction programme.

Aircraft used:  Cessna 210 Single engine

Flying time:      50 minutes

Day 2

Conduct an early morning guided walking excursion through the parallel dunes of the Kalahari dune belt with a local “San” Bushmen tracker including a visit to a Bushmen community to discover the art of tracking and craft making handed down from generation to generation by the “Khoi San” Bushmen. Late morning departure from the Kalahari Region by charter flight crossing the western escarpment towards the Namib Desert and the LE MIRAGE DESERT LODGE & SPA. Midday arrival, including lunch, before conducting a late afternoon nature drive excursion in safari vehicles.

Overnight accommodation will be at Le Mirage Desert Lodge & Spa on a full board basis.

Located only 21km from Sesriem, Le Mirage Desert Lodge & Spa is a harmonious blend of luxury and nature.  Guests are accommodated in 27 luxury rooms with en-suite facilities, air-conditioning, a safe, mini-bar and coffee & tea facilities.  Each room offers a spectacular view of the Namib Desert.  A spacious restaurant where superb cuisine is served shelters guests  against the harsh desert climate.  The highlight at the lodge is its wellness center, which specialises in massages, pedicures, manicures, aroma massages, Thai massages and de-stress treatments.  In the large courtyard guests can relax around the swimming pool surrounded  and sheltered  by an oasis of palm trees.  Guests are offered quad-bike tours, nature drives on Le Mirages private domain and nature drives to Sossusvlei, scenic flights and hot-air ballooning.  The lodge offers guests a luxury home after a day in the desert

Aircraft used:  Cessna 210 Single engine

Flying time:      1 hour

Day 3

Conduct an early morning excursion in safari vehicles to the Namib Naukluft Park to the famed Namib Sand Sea and to the magnificent Sossusvlei dunes. Once in the desert optional excursions are conducted on foot to photograph the dune landscape and the desert ecology or to climb some of the highest known dunes in the world. A light breakfast is served under the spreading Camel thorn acacia trees (Acacia eriloba) before returning to the lodge. Afternoon nature drive activities in safari vehicles are conducted on the reserve.

Day 4

After a leisurely breakfast continue via private charter flight crossing the Namib Sand Sea on route to the coastal town of Swakopmund. This route includes a scenic flight along the “Skeleton Coast” viewing the “Edward Bohlen (1909)” and “Shaunee (1976)” shipwrecks and the Sandwich Harbor wetland. On arrival in Swakopmund you will be met by a company representative and transferred to your local hotel.

The following two days will be spent in Namibia’s premier coastal resort town, Swakopmund. Founded in 1892 during the period of German colonial rule it served as the territory’s main harbor for years. Today this quaint town nestled between desert and ocean is enhanced by lush green lawns, palm trees and carefully tended gardens. There is a good selection of restaurants and coffee shops selling traditional German cakes and pastries.

Overnight accommodation will be at the SWAKOPMUND HOTEL (similar) on a bed and breakfast basis only.

The Swakopmund Hotel is a four-star luxury establishment built in and around the impeccably restored historical station building at Swakopmund. This stylish up market hotel complex is undoubtedly Swakopmund’s most splendid facility. From the light and airy hotel foyer to the 90 spacious bedroom units and two Presidential Suites, all with en-suite facilities. Guests are hosted in luxurious surroundings with a winning combination of the friendly hospitality for which Namibia is renowned.

Aircraft used:  Cessna 210 Single engine

Flying time:      1 hour 20 minutes

Day 5

Mid morning charter from Swakopmund  along the northern “Skeleton Coast” before crossing the fascinating geological formations of the Ugab Basin. Arrival at Mowani Mountain Camp is during the early afternoon.

Overnight accommodation at MOWANI MOUNTAIN CAMP on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis.

Between the Ugab and the Huab Rivers in Southern Damaraland lies a vast and unspoiled wilderness. This area boasts magnificent desert scenery, fascinating geological formations, archaeological sites and a unique variety of desert fauna and flora. It is also the southern most roaming ground for the rare black rhino and the desert-adapted elephant. This is where you will find the Twyfelfontein Conservancy and the Mowani Mountain Camp. “Mowani” is taken from the word “Mwane, meaning “Place of God”.  The Mowani Mountain Camp nestles amongst the boulders of this beautiful area on a high spot commanding distant views over the ancient landscape.

An afternoon excursion will be undertaken to explore the superb rock engravings at Twyfelfontein. The site has probably been occupied continuously for thousands of years; some archaeologists say 6,000, others say 3,000. More than 3,000 petroglyphs of animals, human hand and footprints and animal tracks cover several scores of giant boulders strewn at random across a low mountainside.

Mowani Mountain Camp consists of 12 luxury tents, all with en-suite facilities, decorated beautifully in East African style. Comfortably hidden in your own private hide-away with en-suite bathrooms, and of course your own wooden deck offering an open view of the wonderful Damara landscape.  Discover the pool deck, lodged between the boulders where you can soak up the sun. Adventures and activities available at Mowani include guided nature drives in search of the elusive desert elephant and hiking through magnificent scenery.

Aircraft used:  Cessna 210 Single engine

Flying time:      1 hour 25 minutes

Day 6 & Day 7

After a leisurely breakfast continue via private charter flight on route towards the southern boundary of the Etosha National Park. Midday arrival at the EPACHA GAME LODGE & SPA where the following two nights will be spent on a full board basis.  Activities included:  1 guided walk & game drive on Epacha Reserve, 1 game drive to Etosha National Park.

On daily game drives in the Epacha Game reserve you will discover the beauty of the African wilderness. Accompanied with your personal ranger you will drive through the park in open vehicles searching for rhino, eland, giraffe, zebra and other game. Your guide will inform you on the amazing wild animals, their habits and territories and on the abundant and fascinating birdlife. Bordering Epacha you will find the Etosha National Park with its dense game population and a large variety of wild animals. The Etosha National Park has over 114 mammal species, 350 bird species and 21 vegetation types. The most common plains game species encountered include; Burchell’s Zebra, Springbok, Black–Faced Impala, Blue Wildebeest, Oryx Antelope, Giraffe and Red Hartebeest. The Etosha National Park also boasts healthy populations of Lion, Elephant and Black Rhino. Epacha and Etosha will be a unique and unforgettable safari experience.

For those “who truly appreciate luxury, Epacha has larger views!” The Epacha Game Lodge and Spa is an exclusive lodge in the north of Namibia. This five star lodge is located in a 27 000 ha private game reserve and shares a border with the world famous Etosha National Park. Epacha is much more than a safari experience. Guests are accommodated in 18 luxury chalets with twin or double beds, en-suite facilities and private patios. The health centre offers full relaxation, including a Jacuzzi, gym, sauna, massages parlour, facial treatments and much more.

Aircraft used:  Cessna 210 Single engine

Flying time:      50 minutes

Day 8 & Day 9

A short flight takes one over Etosha National Park to the Caprivi region of Namibia and DIVAVA OKAVANGO LODGE & SPA where the following two nights will be spent on a full board basis.  Activities included:  1 boat excursion & 1 game drive to Mahango Park.

Divava Okavango Lodge Namibia’s hidden wildlife paradise in the Caprivi where time stands still.  Divava is nestled amongst majestic trees on the banks of the Okavango River a few hundred metres from Popa Falls.  Fondly referred to by the locals as Paradishi Ghomumbiru; (Little Paradise).  The Lodge offers an exquisite view over the Okavango River with excellent opportunities for bird watching.  The Lodge is only 14km from the Mahango Game Reserve, which is celebrated for its abundance of game species such as elephant, buffalo, sable and roan antelope, bushbuck, reedbuck and tsessebe.

Divava Okavango Lodge offers comfortable chalets, a bush bar, restaurant, swimming-pool and a viewing deck overlooking the Okavango River.  Boat cruises to the Popa Falls to view hippo and crocodile and game-viewing trips to the Mahango Game Reserve.

Aircraft used:  Cessna 210 Single engine

Flying time:      2 hours 30 minute

Day 10

Mid morning board your charter aircraft for the flight back to Windhoek International Airport in time for your outbound flight.

Aircraft used:  Cessna 210 Single engine

Flying time:      2 hours 30 minutes