Day 1 & 2 – Arrival and Namibrand (Wolwedans Dune Camp)

Upon arrival at the Windhoek International Airport you will be met by your private pilot/guide and taken to your aircraft. Flight to the NamibRand nature reserve where you will spend the next 2 days doing activities and exploring the spectacular landscape with your knowledgeable guide showing you the hidden treasures of the desert.

Positioned on the edge of a 250-metre high dune, the Dune Camp sleeps a maximum of 12 guests in a totally unspoilt setting. Guests stay in comfortable tents, which are pitched on wooden platforms. A spacious deck, allowing for safe sleep-outs under the stars and a private bathroom make for a rather civilized camping experience. The lapa is comprised of a lounge, dining area and an open-plan kitchen, which allows guests to chat to the chef while he prepares a sumptuous dinner. The sundowner deck with its fireplace is the central meeting point of the camp, making for a cozy and relaxed ambience.

Whilst the lodge aims at accommodating those guests in need of relaxed comfort and space, the camp provides a more down-to-earth experience. Its rustic but unique atmosphere courts the young and more adventurous traveller. The charm of the camp lies in its tranquil, intimate atmosphere, capturing the romance of a bygone era. Dune Camp requires a minimum stay of two nights and a day-safari with picnic lunch enroute is part of the package.

Wolwedans provides the perfect base from which to explore vast stretches of undisturbed nature. Our personal and informative scenic drives in open Landrovers reveal the wonders of the wilderness. You will learn about small and large desert dwellers and their quest for survival in this harsh and unforgiving environment, and you’ll discover a diverse flora, ranging from resilient beauty to hardened survivor – not to mention NamibRand’s fascinating geology. Sundowner drives are of about 1-2 hours duration travelling about 10 km into the dunes where drinks will be served to enhance the wonderful sunsets. The return drive is in the dark and brings you back just in time for dinner. Try out one sunset in the dunes and one at the lodge/camp.

Morning or afternoon drives cover a distance of about 40-50 km and take 3-four hours. Afternoon scenic drives are often combined with sunset in the dunes.

A day drive is a truly memorable excursion. Covering a distance of about 120 km it offers the highest degree of diversity as well as a better understanding of the dimensions of the NamibRand Conservancy. Also a delicious picnic lunch is served in the middle of nowhere! The day drive leaves after breakfast and returns approximately an hour before sunset.

Day 3 – Swakopmund (Swakopmund Boutique Hotel)

Early morning flight to Sesriem where your guide will pickup your private vehicle and make an excursion to Sossusvlei. Here you will visit the highest sand dunes in the world. Enjoy a picnic breakfast in the dunes before you return to the aircraft. Scenic flight over the desert, via the diamond camps, coastline, shipwrecks to Sandwich Harbor. Continue to Swakopmund. Dinner will be enjoyed at a local restaurant.

Graciousness meets contemporary chic at the new Swakopmund Boutique Hotel and Pension, a luxurious boutique hotel in the historic heart of Swakopmund and Namibia’s premier holiday destination. Situated in the middle of “sleeping beauty”, nickname for Swakopmund, this intimate boutique hotel offers direct access to the city’s vibrant street life, quaint architecture, shopping, fine dining and long walks on the beach.

Each of our 21 rooms is custom-designed, and our 12 sea-view rooms offer space with a private balcony and breathtaking views.

The wine cellar, with its enchanting ambience offers impeccable vintage wines from some of South Africa’s most renowned wine estates. Our Garden Roof Terrace is an inviting area where you can relax and enjoy sundowners as you take in the spectacular sunsets over the Atlantic Ocean.

Day 4  and 5 – Damaraland (Mowani Mountain Camp)

Morning transfer to Walvis Bay in time for a fun filled Marine Cruise. Here you will go on open ski boats into the Walvis Bay harbor area, visit the oyster platforms and the seal colony at pelican point. Experience wild seals being handfed and maybe have the opportunity to see dolphins as well. A light lunch with fresh oysters and sparkling wine is served before you return to the harbor. Return to the aircraft and scenic flight to Damaraland. The next 2 days at Mowani Mountain Camp you will spend exploring the area in search of the elusive desert-dwelling elephant, as well as visiting the Twyfelfontein Bushman engravings.

Between the Ugab and Huab Rivers in Southern Damaraland lies a vast and unspoilt wilderness. This area boasts magnificent desert scenery, fascinating geological formations, archaeological sites and a unique variety of desert fauna and flora.

It’s also the Southernmost roaming ground for the rare black rhino and desert elephant. This is where you will find the Twyfelfontein Conservancy and the Mowani Mountain Camp. Mowani is taken from the word M’Wane, meaning “Place of God”, and it is here, that you will find the true meaning of peace and tranquillity.

The luxury tented accommodation is built unobtrusively, so as to ensure minimum impact on the natural environment. The stilt-like supports of the tents ensure that very little excavation was needed in order to create this special oasis. Much care has been taken with the design of the public areas, creating the impression of an African Village, with dome-like thatched structures that blend in with the imposing boulders which are scattered around the outcrops.

Day 6 and 7 – Etosha East (Mushara Outpost)

Flight to your lodge on a private game reserve bordering the Etosha National Park. Arrival in time for lunch. Spend the next days going on game drives to the Etosha National Park. Etosha, meaning “Great White Place”, is dominated by a massive mineral pan. The pan is part of the Kalahari Basin, the floor of which was formed around 1000 million years ago. The Etosha Pan covers around 25% of the National Park. The pan was originally a lake fed by the Kunene River. However the course of the river changed thousands of years ago and the lake dried up. The pan now is a large dusty depression of salt and dusty clay which fills only if the rains are heavy and even then only holds water for a short time. This temporary water in the Etosha Pan attracts thousands of wading birds including impressive flocks of flamingos. The perennial springs along the edges of the Etosha Pan draw large concentrations of wildlife and birds.

A San legend about the formation of the Etosha Pan tells of how a village was raided and everyone but the women slaughtered. One woman was so upset about the death of her family she cried until her tears formed a massive lake. When the lake dried up nothing was left apart from a huge white pan.

The game viewing in Etosha National Park is excellent, the best time being from May to September – the cooler months in Namibia. Visitors to Etosha Game Reserve can expect to see numerous antelope species, elephant, giraffe, rhino and lions. More fortunate visitors might spot the leopard and cheetah.

Situated in the same reserve as the Mushara Lodge and Villa Mushara, is Mushara Outpost. It is set 2km from Mushara Lodge, has it’s own entrance way and is completely separate from both the lodge and Villa. This small, intimate lodge, has 8 guest units that were built up on raised platforms to provide a unique perspective of the surrounding bush.

The Outpost’s main area is a vast open room. It has been constructed in the style of an old Namibian farmhouse, with high ceilings and a corrugated iron roof and large wrap-around veranda. Inside though, stylish furniture, large plant pots and grand light fittings have been set out to create various sitting areas, together with a lounge and dining area.

Accommodation is nestled amongst the trees of a dry river bed, also known as an omuramba. It has been designed and constructed with a unique combination of canvas, wood and glass. Each room has large glass windows and the doors slide open onto a private deck, enabling you to view the surrounding bush. The ensuite bathroom includes a shower with glass walls from floor to ceiling. A room with a view, bringing the outdoors inside!

Every tented room has a mini bar, air conditioning, small safe, coffee station, telephone, hair dryer and mosquito net. There is also a fairly spacious veranda with sitting space in which to relax.

Dinner is enjoyed under the African stars. Breakfast and lunch can be taken on the veranda or in the house. The wide refreshing pool is a welcome relief after a hot day in the Etosha Park where the focus of the day’s activities take place. Guests often comment on how The Outpost is such a comfortable place to stay after driving around Etosha all day!

The Mushara Outpost offers game drives into the park with talented local guides who are truly passionate about sharing the wonders of Etosha. There is also a small waterhole with a bird-watching hide.

Day 8 – Return to Windhoek

Depending on your departure flight details, you will do a morning game drive to the park before you return to the aircraft. Private flight to Windhoek International Airport to check you in, in time for your outbound flight.

Important to Know

• This tour can’t be booked by solo travelers.
• Rates are per person and exclude the international flight from/to your home country.
• Rates include a fixed budget for flights during this tour. Flights may cost more, depending on travel dates. If so, your quote will reflect this.