This upmarket safari offers budget-conscious travellers a comfortable African adventure at an excellent price. Highlights on the well-priced small group safari include:
Accommodation is at well-selected 3 to 4 star lodges providing unique locations, excellent service and exciting game viewing activities. Transport is in a custom-built 4x4 Land Cruiser, limiting the tour size to eight clients at most.
__large.jpg "Etosha lion & giraffes")
This Namibia, Botswana & Vic Falls Lodge Safari begins in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. At 08h00 your safari guide provides a short tour briefing on the journey ahead and then we set off towards the south.
Windhoek is located on the central plateau of Namibia, in the middle of the country, and is surrounded by the Khomas, Auas, and Eros mountains. Leaving the city we travel south through undulating hills, descending the escarpment to the plains of the Namib Desert.
Our drive takes us via Solitaire, where we pause to taste the apple tart (own expense) that put this small desert town on the map. In the afternoon we reach our first comfortable lodge surrounded by wide-open desert landscapes. Sit back and relax, soaking up the tranquillity of this vast, still desert environment.
The next morning we are up early for our exploration of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, encompassing large tracts of the Namib Desert and the Naukluft Mountains. Namib-Naukluft Park covers nearly 50 000 km², making it one of the largest reserves in Africa. Entering Namib-Naukluft, we make our way to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, two of the most striking and memorable sights in Namibia. Explore the salt pans on foot, absorbing the surreal scenes of the contrasting clay ground, silhouetted trees and red-orange dunes. After spending time in the mesmerizing pans and the tall dunes of Sossusvlei, we stop at Sesriem Canyon to see the layers of sedimentary rock exposed through erosion by the Tsauchab River over millions of years.
At the end of the day, we witness another glowing sunset over the Namib Desert, one of the oldest deserts in the world. Enjoy stargazing at night, as the night skies out here in the desert are incredible!
Next up, Swakopmund on the Atlantic Ocean coastline.
Driving northwest from the baking hot sea of sand dunes to the icy ocean, we cross gravel plains and arid hills to reach the historic town. A strongly German-influenced African town with old colonial buildings and palm-lined avenues, Swakopmund is a charming seaside destination.
This afternoon you are free to engage in optional activities of your choice - adventure activities, historical and sightseeing tours, and more. Scenic flights over the Namib Desert and Skeleton Coast are a popular option, offering stunning views. Alternatively, you can walk around the town center, admiring the old architecture, visiting historical monuments and other places of interest, or stopping to enjoy German-style pastries at one of the quaint sidewalk cafés.
Brandberg Mountain, the tallest peak in Namibia, is our destination on day four. Traveling northeast we head inland into the Erongo Region, formerly part of southern Damaraland.
Driving across the deserted, open plains we see Brandberg rising up in the distance, standing more than 2600 meters above the surrounding flat landscapes. At sunset this granite massif often glows in intense red-orange hues, hence the name Brandberg, meaning 'fire mountain'.
While in Erongo we explore the Tsisab Ravine at the base of Brandberg and the remote Tsiseb Conservancy. Joining a local guide we walk along the ravine to see some of the approximately 45 000 examples of San rock art found here! Our 40-minute walk culminates with viewing the famous White Lady rock painting. In the Tsiseb Conservancy, we embark on a 4x4 game drive with a local guide. We go in search of desert-adapted elephants and other wildlife, taking in the uncrowded, wild bush habitat.
We spend two nights at a comfortable lodge in the dry Ugab River valley, exploring the rugged and secluded Brandberg area from here.
On day six of our Namibia, Botswana & Vic Falls Lodge Safari we continue north-east through the Kunene region of Namibia to Etosha Park. The next few days are all about game viewing in the dramatic wilderness area of Etosha, staying over at rest camps inside the national park. Look forward to an unforgettable wildlife adventure in Namibia's leading game park and one of Africa's finest wildlife havens - Etosha National Park.
Thousands of years ago, a large inland lake covered much of the Kalahari Basin where today Etosha Pan is found. The Etosha Pan spans about 4 800 km² of salt-encrusted dry earth, intermittently filled with shallow pools of water after rare heavy rains. This vast expanse of salty earth appears greenish-white and desolate, hence its name, meaning 'the Great White Place'. We visit the pans to look out over the barren landscapes with their shimmering mirages and easily spot any wandering animals out in the open. Most of our time is spent exploring the grasslands and wooded areas of Etosha, inhabited by grazers and predators. Our game drives take us to natural springs and watering holes where wildlife and birds congregate to drink, bathe, and hunt.
The rest camps feature floodlit waterholes which we visit in the evenings to watch for nocturnal wildlife activity. The watering holes at the camps are famous for their excellent nocturnal sightings with black rhino, lion and even leopard making appearances!
Most of day eight is spent in Etosha National Park, enjoying a last bit of game viewing in untamed northern Namibia.
Leaving Etosha later in the day, we drive to our next safari lodge in the Grootfontein area. Along the way we pause to visit the Hoba Meteorite, the largest meteor on the planet, weighing over 60 tons.
Today we travel north-east into the Kavango Region of northern Namibia. This less-visited region is lusher than most parts of the largely arid country, due to the Kavango River flowing down from Angola. The Kavango River, also known as the Okavango River, forms part of the northern border of Namibia, flowing from central Angola through the Caprivi and into Botswana's Okavango Delta. It is the fourth longest river system in southern Africa.
Our next lodge lies on the banks of the Kavango. Enjoy the natural riverside setting at the lodge and watch the abundant birdlife flittering around.
The diverse Mahango Game Reserve is our next off the beaten track destination. We embark on a game drive on the morning of day 10, exploring the compact protected area in our tour vehicle. Along the river elephants, hippos and crocodiles are commonly spotted, and with some luck we may see various antelope and other wildlife too.
After our game drive in Mahango, we cross into neighbouring Botswana via the Mohembo border post. In Botswana, we travel south to our lodge in the village of Nxamaseri, along the Okavango Panhandle section of the Okavango River. Our lodge for the next two nights, serves as the base for exploring the panhandle area of the Okavango Delta by motorboat and by mokoro.
This unspoilt wetland system forms the largest inland delta in the world, emptying into the Kalahari Desert region of northern Botswana. Cruising along the pristine waterways in a mokoro (the traditional dug-out style canoe used in the delta), enables you to get a close look at the flora and fauna, whilst soaking up the peace and wild beauty of this unique estuarine system. Sit back on the motorboat and enjoy the diverse scenery, spotting rare and unusual birds and the occasional animal as you experience the Okavango Delta.
On day 12 we travel back into Namibia, driving through a section of the lush Caprivi Strip region. This long finger of fertile Namibian territory runs eastwards from the Kavango Region all the way to Zimbabwe, sandwiched between Botswana (to the south) and Zambia and Angola (to the north).
This afternoon we take a relaxing boat cruise along the Kwando River, passing through a game-rich wilderness area.
Travelling further east along the Caprivi Strip we cross back into Botswana at the Ngoma Bridge border post, near Chobe Forest Reserve. Entering the far north-eastern area of Botswana we pass through Chobe National Park, en route to our lodge near Kasane town.
On the afternoon of day 13, we enjoy another laid-back boat cruise; this time on the scenic Chobe River, renowned for its outstanding game and bird viewing opportunities. The main water source in the national park, Chobe River draws animals and birds in large numbers, including herds of elephants and buffalos. We may spot a variety of antelopes (kudu, eland, impala, waterbuck etc) and have excellent chances of seeing elephants, buffalos, hippos, crocodiles, baboons, warthogs and more. Listen for the cry of the African fish eagle; which is often sighted, along with other raptors and various waders, rollers, plovers and waterfowl.
Cruising back along the river we usually get to watch a spectacular sunset over the riverine bushveld as we exit Chobe Park.
Leaving Chobe behind, we travel to the far north-eastern corner of Botswana and cross over into Zimbabwe. Once in Zimbabwe we proceed to Victoria Falls, the top travel destination in the country and a must-see in Southern Africa.
We meet up with local guides and visit Victoria Falls waterfall - one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world!
The Zambezi River rises in Zambia before flowing through Angola and along the border of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, before plunging 100 metres over the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls. The spray billowing up from the gorge creates a lush rainforest that surrounds the falls. With our local guides we explore the National Park where we walk to the very edge of the falls and marvel at the power of the water that created this wonder.
This Namibia, Botswana & Vic Falls Classical Lodge Safari finishes after breakfast at the lodge this morning.
We highly recommend spending some extra time at Victoria Falls after this tour, in order to enjoy more of the multitude of optional activities available here.
For up-to-date and confirmed pricing info for optional items, please drop us an enquiry.
This tour does take children.
Children between the ages of 12 and 17 years of age are accepted on group scheduled departures, travelling with an accompanying adult.
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