$5,335 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateArrival
Arrival
Day 1
The Namibian Atlantic Coast
The Namibian Atlantic Coast
Your guide will pick you up either from the airport or your accommodation establishment in Windhoek. We will drive southwards to the Namibian Atlantic Coast. Upon checking in, we will have time to take a stroll around the Swakopmund city. The city is characterized by German colonial architecture and located at the edge of the Namib Desert. We will then settle for dinner in one of the finest restuarants in the city.
- Main Destination:
- Swakopmund (City)
- Accommodation:
- The Delight Swakopmund
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
The Namibian Atlantic Coast
The Namibian Atlantic Coast
After breakfast, your guide will transfer you to Walvis Bay, where you will embark on a full day Shipwreck Sandwich Harbour Excursion. This activity will take you past Sandwich Harbour further south along the rugged coastline, up to an area where the Namibian Atlantic coast claimed another victim, the Shawnee, which ran aground in 1976. We will continue to Conception Bay. Here we will see the remains of rusted hulk of the Eduard Bohlen is located around 400 m from the Atlantic shoreline in Namibia, surrounded by the sand of the Namib Desert. It definitely contributes to the sense of adventure and danger for which the wild, Namibia's coastline has become famous. Various mammals may be encountered. The area is also a Ramsar Site (Wetlands of International Importance), hence an important birding site. We will enjoy our lunch somewhere in the middle of nowhere, where no one will find you. Enjoy the emptiness of the desert in terms of humans.
- Main Destination:
- Walvis Bay (City)
- Accommodation:
- The Delight Swakopmund
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 3
The Namibian Atlantic Coast
The Namibian Atlantic Coast
The idea of spending more town in the arid part of the Namibian Atlantic Coast is to maximize on excursions this unique biome can offer. After breakfast, we will embark on an exciting Living Desert Tour. As empty as it might seem at first glance, wait until you get taken around the dunes by experienced desert field guides who happen to be desert conservationists as well. Experience some sneaky creatures that have adapted to living in this harsh environment. Either camouflage or agility to faking deaths, helps in serving food on the table or avoid being someone’s meal somehow. If lucky you might see the desert “Little Five”; Shovel-nosed Lizard, Namib Sand Gecko, Namaqua Chameleon, Namib Desert Sidewinding Adder and the Cartwheeling Spider (“Dancing White Lady”). After lunch, we will embark on a Catamaran Tour in Walvis Bay. You might get entertained by Cape Fur Seals and Pelicans. Depending on the time of the year, one might encounter Whales, Dolphins, Leatherback turtle and Seals.
- Main Destination:
- Swakopmund (City)
- Accommodation:
- The Delight Swakopmund
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Skeleton Coast Exploration
Skeleton Coast Exploration
We will leave the Coastal environment, drive inland past a couple of Shipwrecks. This day we will visit the Cape Cross Seal Reserve, which has the largest Seal Colony in the world, with numbers up to 240 000 at a given time. We will then go through the Skeleton Coast National Park. The coast is renowned for its cold and unpredictable Benguela Current of the Atlantic Ocean that contends with the dune and desert landscape. It is described as the world’s largest ship cemetery because of various shipwrecks found along the coast. The name Skeleton Coast refers to visible bones of whales that died when they get stranded on this coastline. This is a rarely visited park in Namibia with eye-catching landscapes that ranges from sweeping vistas of windswept smaller sand dunes to rugged canyons with walls of richly coloured rocks and extensive mountain ranges. Wildlife here includes Oryx, Springbok, Black-backed Jackal, Ostrich, Brown Hyaena, Desert Adapted Elephant, Black Rhino and Lion.
- Main Destination:
- Palmwag (Damaraland)
- Accommodation:
- Palmwag Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Palmwag Concession
Palmwag Concession
An early morning starts with a packed breakfast; we will head out in search of Desert Adapted Black Rhino. We will be taken by local guides and Rhino Rangers. The Namib Desert is home to the last truly wild stronghold of black rhino. This activity involves 4 x 4 driving in a rugged terrain, and walking safari to get to the rhinos if lucky. These mammals are not in a fenced area but in an open ecosystem. It is a joint venture of the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the communities, Save Rhino Trust and other Non-Governmental Organizations in conservation of Black Rhinos. The programme of Community-based Natural Resource Management seeks to empower people living in rural areas to manage and benefit from their natural resources.
This activity might take the whole day, however there is still a possibility of a late afternoon sundowner drive in our own vehicle.
- Main Destination:
- Palmwag (Damaraland)
- Accommodation:
- Palmwag Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Twyfelfontein
Twyfelfontein
After breakfast, we will explore the Huab dry riverbed in search of the desert adapted elephants. The enroute game drive to Twyfelfontein goes past local villages that share the environment with wildlife, so we are not in a designated national park. Various wildlife may be encountered including Oryx, Giraffe, Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra, Springbok, Black Rhino among others. Birding include mostly Namibian Near Endemics, Ruppel’s Parrot, Ruppel’s Korhaan, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Damara Red-billed Hornbill, Benguela Long-billed Lark, White-tailed Shrike, Bokmakierie among others. In the late afternoon, we will visit the Bushman Rock Engravings around Twyfelfontein. This area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 and consists of over 40 000 rock engravings done by the San people 2000 years ago. It is a 45-minute walk conducted by local guides.
- Main Destination:
- Twyfelfontein (Rock Art)
- Accommodation:
- Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp
Wildlife in Damaraland
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7
Windhoek
Windhoek
After a relaxed morning and breakfast, we will make our way to Windhoek, past the Petrified Forest. This is a geological formation that happened 280 million years ago. Huge trees were carried by a river and buried here. Sand was deposited around them, creating ideal conditions for the cells of the wood to be replaced by silica and thus became petrified. It is thought these trees are Dadoxylon arberi, the same tree responsible for coal fields in Europe. This is a half an hour walk done by knowledgeable local guides.
- Main Destination:
- Windhoek (City)
- Accommodation:
- The Weinberg
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 8
Departure
Departure
Your guide will transfer you to the airport for your outbound flight. This marks the end of your Arid Eden Namibian Tour.
- Main Destination:
- Hosea Kutako International Airport (Windhoek)
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
