This tour features a unique mobile camp with a variety of other locations and accommodation, to provide an intimate, insightful encounter with the country or region.
At the Kulala Adventurer Camp you will stay in a spacious walk-in dome tent. The comfortable interior has canvas bedrolls, crisp cotton sheets and duvets set out on GI stretchers, complemented with old-fashioned tin finishes, recreating a sense of simple style under canvas. Shared toilets and bucket shower enclosures open to the sky and inviting dining areas offer an atmosphere of understated, serviced camping.
Camp life features lively campfires, camps lit by hurricane lanterns and a range of exciting and diverse activities, creating a pure wilderness camping experience with a warm atmosphere and camaraderie.
Day 1 Windhoek-Etosha | Meals: LDAt the Kulala Adventurer Camp you will stay in a spacious walk-in dome tent. The comfortable interior has canvas bedrolls, crisp cotton sheets and duvets set out on GI stretchers, complemented with old-fashioned tin finishes, recreating a sense of simple style under canvas. Shared toilets and bucket shower enclosures open to the sky and inviting dining areas offer an atmosphere of understated, serviced camping.
Camp life features lively campfires, camps lit by hurricane lanterns and a range of exciting and diverse activities, creating a pure wilderness camping experience with a warm atmosphere and camaraderie.
Transfer by comfortable charter flight to Namibia's big game country: Etosha and its environs. Here, the diverse flora and fauna is experienced in a variety of activities, from game walks to game drives and visits to hides both on the property and in the famous Etosha National Park.
Andersson's Camp
Family-friendly Andersson's Camp takes its name from Charles Andersson, the Swedish explorer who first 'discovered' the Etosha Pan.Set in the private Ongava Game Reserve, Andersson's Camp looks over a large waterhole which attracts plenty of thirsty wildlife.
This former farmstead has been tastefully rebuilt to modern-day standards and combines comfort with eco-friendly living.The old farmhouse forms the main area of Andersson's Camp with 18 elevated tents, including two family suites, radiating outwards into secluded mopane woodlands. Tents are a mix of calcrete stone cladding, canvas and wood, with a small veranda.
Highlights
- The Ongava Reserve is famous for its good populations of both white and black rhino
- The world-renowned Etosha Pan is in easy driving distance from this camp
- Andersson�s waterhole hide is ideal for photographing a plethora of wildlife
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Day 2 Etosha | Meals: BLD
Andersson's Camp is surrounded by plains teeming with wildlife and situated close to Etosha (the vast expanse of savannah and salt pan, the largest in Africa, 'discovered' by Sir Francis Galton and Charles Andersson in 1851. Each of the 20 tented guest units are raised on decks for an enhanced view. Within Etosha on game drive we'll visit numerous springs and pans, in search of lion, leopard, elephant and black rhino, as well as plains game.
Andersson's Camp
Family-friendly Andersson's Camp takes its name from Charles Andersson, the Swedish explorer who first 'discovered' the Etosha Pan.Set in the private Ongava Game Reserve, Andersson's Camp looks over a large waterhole which attracts plenty of thirsty wildlife.
This former farmstead has been tastefully rebuilt to modern-day standards and combines comfort with eco-friendly living.The old farmhouse forms the main area of Andersson's Camp with 18 elevated tents, including two family suites, radiating outwards into secluded mopane woodlands. Tents are a mix of calcrete stone cladding, canvas and wood, with a small veranda.
Highlights
- The Ongava Reserve is famous for its good populations of both white and black rhino
- The world-renowned Etosha Pan is in easy driving distance from this camp
- Andersson�s waterhole hide is ideal for photographing a plethora of wildlife
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Day 3 Palmwag Concession | Meals: BLD
After an early breakfast, we travel to the Palmwag concession, famous for the desert-adapted elephant and elusive black rhino. The camp consists of 5 Meru-style tents, built on individual, wooden platforms and offering a great scenic view of the surroundings and also the desert-adapted elephants when they visit the area.
For the next four nights you'll explore this arid environment through walks, tracking and game drives concentrating on a variety of topics from birds to insects, medicinal uses of plants and viewing wildlife. In addition, we travel through regions with an exciting array of exposed geological sequences, ranging in age from "young" 130 million-year-old igneous shale through to 850 million-year-old schist formations.
Palmwag Lodge
Day 4 & 5 Kaokoland
With an early start, our journey continues by road towards the ephemeral river of the Hoanib Valley. Please note that this is a long nature transfer, giving guests a unique opportunity to see some of the most rugged and "hard to get to" areas within Namibia's remote North West. Here, in an area seemingly parched and desolate, we enter one of Namibia's richest desert wildlife areas.
The rugged mountains and canyons of the Hoanib River provide a last refuge for some of the continent's most unique wildlife; this is the home of the legendary desert-adapted elephant and the last free-roaming black rhino population on Earth. While here, we have the opportunity to explore this area on game drives and walks. Possibly, we can visit one of the nomadic Himba villages if they are in the region at the time.
Our Discoverer-styled tented camp close to the Hoanib River is a relaxed haven from which we explore this wild land on foot, or from the comfort of one of our safari vehicles. The camp is powered by solar-powered inverter systems and there are no generators or pumps running whilst guests are in camp. There are 5 guest walk-in hexagonal Meru-style tents with en-suite and flush toilet and bucket shower bathrooms in a separate portion of the tent. Each tent is furnished with necessary comforts and styled with burnt orange interiors, wood and brass, effectively recreating a sense of the early explorers.
Hoanib Camp
Day 6 Damaraland
Departing early, we travel east to Sesfontein and we end this road journey at the award-winning Damaraland Camp.
Damaraland Camp is situated on the northern face of the Huab River valley and looking south toward the imposing Brandberg Mountain. The camp accommodates guests in 10 comfortable tented rooms (with en-suite facilities including flush toilets and showers) with endless vistas as views. The dining room and pub are combined under canvas, and an open fire is enjoyed on calm evenings.
Early morning mists generated by the clash between the icy Atlantic Ocean and the warm desert air of the Skeleton Coast, drift inland along the river sand canyon, providing sustenance to the flora and fauna of the region. Although wildlife is not concentrated, we are situated where the rare desert-adapted elephant roams, alongside gemsbok (oryx), springbok, Ostrich and other hardy desert animals. Rare succulent plants eke out an existence in this harsh countryside.
Damaraland Camp
Damaraland Camp is a rare venture which integrates communities, the environment and sustainable wildlife and is rated as the most successful ecotourism venture in Namibia. Located on the north bank of the Huab River Valley, 90 kilometres inland from Torra Bay on Namibia's Skeleton Coast, the camp presents endless vistas across stark plains, ancient valleys and soaring peaks. The brooding mass of the Brandberg provides a focal point, almost 100 kilometres to the south. Early morning mists, generated by the meeting of the icy Atlantic and the warm land mass along the Skeleton Coast, drift inland along the river line, providing sustenance to varied life forms. The river flows only once or twice during the short rainy season, seldom breaking through the dunes to the ocean.
Damaraland Camp was rated as one of the top destinations of the 'Ultimate Safari' in the March 1999 issue of Conde Nast Traveler.
Camp Description Nine large comfortable walk-in tents with doors. All tents have valley views and each has en suite facilities and a covered veranda. The main living area made from local rock and canvas combines the dining room, lounge and bar. A feature of the camp is a stunning rock plunge pool tucked away in a mini gorge behind the camp. Dinner can be enjoyed in an open air "kraal" under a million stars.
Game Viewing The natural laws of food and water availability dictate the movement and cycles of the rare and endangered desert Elephant, Black Rhinoceros, Oryx, Kudu, Springbok and other species that have come to terms with life in a desert environment. Even Lion and Cheetah move in and out of the area occasionally.
Activities Activities revolve around nature drives into the Huab River System in search of Desert Elephants and other specially adapted flora and fauna. Walking in the Damaraland area is spectacular and is highly recommended as an afternoon activity. With prior notice, a trip can be arranged to the famous Twyfelfontein rock engravings located nearby. A full day excursion is available to track the endangered Desert Adapted Black Rhino subject to the availability of a vehicle. Private vehicles for these excursions can be booked at an additional cost subject to availability either prior to departure or directly with the Camp Manager.
The Torra Conservancy Damaraland was voted in the top three of all eco-tourist projects around the world by the British Travel Writers guild. It is situated in the mountainous region in north~west Namibia inhabited by the Damaras and named after them. Originally, it was an area occupied primarily by the Damara people, but it soon became the home of other tribes such as the Hereros and the displaced Riemvasmakers of South Africa. Today, many residents of Damaraland are thus of mixed heritage, but most consider themselves Damara. The Damara name is derived from the Nama word "Dama", meaning "who walked here". This is because the Damara were known to the Nama people by the footprints they left around waterholes. From their vantage point in the mountains, the Damara were quick to spot resources such as water or animals, on the plains below, and they were therefore able to be the first groups to reach these essential resources. The Damaraland community comprises a unique group of people who have recognised the value of the wildlife on their land and formed a Community Wildlife Conservancy to protect it. Until 1981, Damaraland was unprotected and open to poachers, mostly from outside the area. Eventually, Namibian NGO's formed a game-guard system with people from the community, and interest in the welfare of the wildlife increased. After halting the poaching activities, there were many ideas on how to conserve the area and its resources sustainably. In 1996, Wilderness Safaris joined the community's conservation efforts and co-established what is now the most successful community based tourism venture in Namibia. In 1998, the success of Damaraland Camp helped the community to have their land proclaimed as the Torra Conservancy. It is now the leader of four Community Wildlife Conservancies in the country. Today, the Torra Conservancy is one of the most successful in all of Africa. It meets all its management costs and makes a profit which is then re-invested into community projects for their benefit. It is the first community conservancy which is able to sustain itself without donor funding.
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Day 7 Swakopmund
fter an early breakfast, we travel to Twyfelfontein where we take a guided walk with local Damara guides to view the San petroglyphs - prehistoric rock etchings, strewn over the rock face.
After lunch we continue our journey travelling south via Uis en route to Swakopmund. Closer to the coast there are lichen fields strewn over the gravel plains, one of the most fragile ecosystems on Earth.
After a packed lunch en route, we make for The Stiltz Lodge in the quaint, charming town of Swakopmund, arriving in the late afternoon. Swakopmund, with its unique urban atmosphere that is a vibrant combination of Africa and Europe, is a wonderful town in which to end a safari after the experiences of the northern Namibian bush.
The Stiltz, as its name implies, is built on stilts, providing breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, the red iron-rich beach dunes and also the Swakopmund River mouth. Each of the 8 minimalist yet elegantly furnished thatched bungalows is linked by wooden walkways to the main restaurant. The lodge is sited close to the central part of town, allowing for easy access to enjoy the special hospitality, history and cuisine.
The Stiltz
Day 8 & 9 Sossusvlei
After an early breakfast, we drive southwards to Walvis Bay Lagoon. Here in a protected bay, many flamingos, pelicans and other waterbirds amass. On the calm waters of the bay, we experience sea kayaking, a spectacular activity that allows us to approach seals, dolphins and birds at a respectable distance and in their habitat, allowing for some unique photographic opportunities.
Afterwards, we drive inland to the Kulala Adventurer Camp in our private Sossusvlei concession. Here we enjoy access to the Sossusvlei dunes, for walks in the immense moving sands of the Namib, game drives on our concession and stargazing. Photography in the early morning of the dunes is particularly stunning with rich reds and dark shadows completing the extraordinary vista that is the enormity of the Namib Desert.
Kulala Adventurer Camp
Day 10 Windhoek
After breakfast we transfer by road, including lunch overlooking the view of the plains nearby, to Windhoek and bid farewell to the adventure.
