Namibia Photo-Adventure Safari with Jason & Emilie

Ultimate Safaris Guides:

Your Ultimate Safaris’ guides will have an intimate knowledge of each area and camp / lodge that you visit, allowing them to share the local highlights whilst adding continuity and depth to your safari. It goes without saying that they know exactly what a “True African Safari” is all about. Not only are our guides highly qualified, each has a specific area of expertise. Together they possess the breadth and depth of knowledge to allow them to answer questions and satisfy the particular interests of each of our guests. Your Ultimate Safaris’ guides will turn your safari into an experience of a lifetime!

The Safari Vehicles:

The specialised safari vehicles are perfectly equipped for photographic safaris, being kitted out with custom made stackable bean bags for use at each window (and when using the pop top roof) as well as inverters and sockets for charging electronic equipment and batteries. The large windows and spacious interior ensures plenty of space and “photographic opportunity” for each participant.

Day 1: Arrival in Windhoek

After landing at Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport, about 40km outside the city, you will be welcomed by an Ultimate Safaris representative who will transfer you into town and on to Galton House where you will stay overnight in their beautifully designed rooms. The rest of the day is at leisure to relax and recuperate from your flight. Jason & Emilie will meet up with you at your guesthouse and will be joining you for dinner as well as to brief you on any administrative arrangements and to answer any questions you may have about the program.

Windhoek Capital City:

Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, nestles among rolling hills, bounded by the Eros Mountains in the east, the Auas Mountains to the south and the Khomas Hochland in the west. It is a meeting place between Africa and Europe, the modern and the old. In the capital’s main street, well-preserved German colonial buildings are in sharp contrast with modern architectural styles, while Herero women in their traditional Victorian dresses mingle with executives dressed in the latest fashions. Centrally located within Namibia, Windhoek is an excellent starting point for an adventurous holiday for many visitors to the country and an ideal base from where to explore the rest of the Namibia.

Day 2: Drive Windhoek to Erindi Private Game Reserve

This morning your Ultimate Safaris guide/s will collect you from Galton House after breakfast. You then depart Windhoek in your safari vehicles and drive north through the small town of Okahandja towards the sprawling Erindi Private Game Reserve to experience its incredible wildlife, arriving in time for lunch. This afternoon you head out on your first game drive with one of Erindi’s dedicated guides, returning in time to freshen up for dinner.

Erindi Private Game Reserve:

Erindi Private Game Reserve is situated between Okahandja and Otjiwarongo. This 71,000ha of pristine wilderness is in a malaria free area and has varied landscapes; from mountains to savannah to open grassland. The reserve supports more than 12,000 head of game which includes lion, rhino as well as elephant along with large numbers of antelope and other ‘plains game’.  In addition to the species one might normally expect to find, there are hippo and crocodile in the dam in front of the lodge as well as waterbuck on the reserve. There is also a pack of wild dog which can often be seen during a stay on the Reserve.

Day 3 : Drive Central Namibia to Eastern Border of Etosha National Park

After a morning activity and scrumptious breakfast you continue north with your Ultimate Safaris guide/s towards the massive expanse of the Etosha National Park as you make your way to the eastern side of the park today to stay over at Mushara Lodge, tucked away in the bushveld surrounds. This afternoon you head out to the park with your guide/s and specially modified vehicle/s with pop-top roofs to explore the eastern side of the park with its open plains and waterholes. Head back to the lodge just before sunset for a sundowner drink and dinner.

Etosha National Park:

Etosha National Park covers 22,270km², of which approximately 5,000km² is made up of saline depressions or pans. The largest of these pans, the Etosha Pan, can be classified as a saline desert in its own right. The Etosha Pan lies in the Owambo Basin, on the north-western edge of the Namibian Kalahari Desert. Until three million years ago it formed part of huge, shallow lake that was reduced to a complex of salt pans when the major river that fed it, the Kunene, changed course and began to flow to the Atlantic instead. If the lake existed today, it would be the third largest in the world. Etosha is the largest of the pans at 4,760km² in extent. It is nowadays filled with water only when enough rain falls to the north in Angola, inducing floods to flow southward along the Cuvelai drainage system. Explorers Charles John Andersson and Francis Galton were the first Europeans to record the existence of the Etosha pan on 29 May 1851. The explorers were traveling with Ovambo copper ore traders when they arrived at Omutjamatunda (now known as Namutoni). The Etosha pan was discovered when they travelled north upon leaving Namutoni. The name Etosha comes from Oshindonga word meaning Great White Place referring to the Etosha pan. The pan is also known as Chums which refers to the noise made by a person’s feet when walking on the clay of the pan. The Park consists of grassland, woodland and savannah. Game-viewing centers on the numerous springs and waterholes where several different species can often be seen at one time. The park boasts some 114 mammal and over 340 bird species. Wildlife that one might see includes elephant, lion, giraffe, blue wildebeest, eland, kudu, gemsbok (Oryx), zebra, rhino, cheetah, leopard, hyena, honey badger and warthog, as well as the endemic black faced impala.

Day 4: Etosha National Park

Rise early to enter the Etosha National Park just after sunrise as you head in to explore the many roads that snake through the park. You will spend the day on wildlife photography as you slowly make your way to the southern part of the park to stay over at Okaukuejo Camp, one of 5 rest camps located inside the park. Stop over at Halali, the central rest camp of the park, for lunch and continue onwards to arrive at Okaukuejo just before sunset.

Okaukuejo:

Okaukuejo was founded as a German South-West Africa military outpost in 1897 in an effort to control spread of foot-and-mouth disease. It later served as a police station and it was formally opened as a rest camp in 1955. The Okaukuejo tower was built in 1963 modelled after the old police station tower in the area. Okaukuejo has a restaurant, a post office, souvenir shops, two swimming pools and a tourist information centre where visitors can record their daily observations. There is an observation deck at the Okaukuejo waterhole, which is floodlit at night for the benefit of tourists staying overnight, to observe nocturnal wildlife at the waterhole.

Day 5: Etosha National Park

Traverse the vastness of the Etosha National Park once more today with your guide. If all guests are in agreement, you could opt to spend the whole day out in the park or return to Okaukuejo for lunch and a short siesta before heading out again in the afternoon.

Day 6 & 7: Drive Etosha National Park to Spitzkoppe

Leave the expanse of the bushveld behind today as you make your way west towards the oddly shaped Spitzkoppe, driving through parts of Damaraland with the Brandberg in the background. For the next two days you will explore the peculiar inselbergs and their surroundings which offer spectacular scenic photographic opportunities.

Brandberg:

The name Brandberg is Afrikaans, Dutch and German and means Fire Mountain, derived from the mountains glowing color which is sometimes seen in the setting sun. The Damara name for the mountain is Dâures, which means ‘burning mountain’, while the Herero name, Omukuruvaro means ‘mountain of the Gods’. The Brandberg Massif or Brandberg Intrusion is a granitic intrusion, which forms a dome-shaped plateau. The geology of the area is typical of Damaraland, which is littered with eroded mountains, hills and koppies (small hills), which are made up of granite boulders. The imposing Brandberg massif is Namibia’s highest mountain, its highest point is ‘Kings Rock’ or Konigstein with an elevation of 2,574m. The remaining circular inselberg has a diameter of about 25km. In addition to the interesting geology of the area, the mountain provides an oasis to a variety of flora and fauna including Namibia’s only endemic acacia, the Acacia montis-usti. The rocks also provided temporary shelter to indigenous nomadic people who left behind a mosaic of rock paintings totalling around 45,000 figures – making this one of Africa’s largest open-air rock art galleries. The most famous, and controversial, rock painting found here is known as the ‘White Lady’.

Spitzkoppe:

The Spitzkoppe between Usakos and Swakopmund is also described as the “Matterhorn of Namibia”. Rising to an altitude of about 1800m, the Spitzkoppe is by no means Namibia’s highest mountain, however, due to its striking outlines, it is regarded as the most well-known mountain in the country. Situated in an endless, dry plain the island of mountains can be seen from far away. The difference in height between the peak of the mountain and the surrounding land is 700m. Next to the Spitzkoppe lie the “Little Spitzkoppe” with a height of 1584m above sea level and the Pondok Mountains. Despite appearances, it is quite difficult to climb the Spitzkoppe, first conquered in 1946. Only experienced and well-prepared mountaineers with adequate equipment should take this mountain on. In summer, it is out of the question, because the rock gets so hot, you would burn your hands immediately. The granite massif, which is part of the Erongo Mountains, was created by the collapse of a gigantic volcano more than 100 million years ago and the subsequent erosion, which exposed the volcanic rock granite. One can go for beautiful walks in this stunning landscape and climb about between the bizarre rock formations. For those interested in flora, there is a lot to look at, like the yellow Butter Trees and the Poison Tree (euphorbia virosa), which leaks an extremely poisonous white juice; the Bushmen use this to poison their arrows. San (Bushman) paintings can be found in various places, many in the “Bushman Paradise” under an overhanging rock wall.

Day 8: Drive Spitzkoppe to Swakopmund

Today you head towards the cool Atlantic coastline as you pass by the small town of Henties Bay with a stopover at the Zeila shipwreck, a stark reminder of why this area is called the Skeleton Coast. From there you head south towards Swakopmund to stay over at the Desert Breeze Lodge on the southern outskirts of town. The afternoon may be spent at leisure exploring the many streets and shops or the waterfront area with its quaint coffee shops. This evening you head out to dinner at any one of the popular restaurants in town with your guide/s.

The Zeila:

The Zeila was stranded on 25 August 2008 in the early morning hours near “Die Walle”, a popular fishing spot about 14km south of Henties Bay. The old fishing trawler was sold as scrap metal to an Indian company by Hangana Fishing of Walvis Bay and was stranded after it came loose from its towing line while on its way to Bombay, India shortly after it left Walvis Bay. The wreck lies quite close to the beach and is now home to hundreds of resting cormorants and other seabirds.

Swakopmund:

Swakopmund resembles a small, German coastal resort nestled between the desert and the sea. It boasts a charming combination of German colonial architecture blended with good hotels, shops, restaurants, museums, craft centres, galleries and cafés. Swakopmund had its beginnings as a landing station in 1892 when the German Imperial Navy erected beacons on the site. Settlers followed and attempts to create a harbour town by constructing a concrete Mole and then an iron jetty, failed. The advent of World War 1 halted developments and the town sank into decline until half a century later when infrastructures improved, and an asphalt road opened between Windhoek and Swakopmund. This made reaching the previously isolated town quicker and easier and it prospered once again to become Namibia’s premier resort town. Although the sea is normally cold for swimming there are pleasant beaches and the cooler climate is refreshing after the time spent in the desert.

Day 9: Drive Swakopmund to Sossusvlei / Namib Desert

The fascinating drive today takes you south through the breathtaking and ever-changing desert landscapes of the Namib Naukluft National Park, including the impressive Gaub and Kuiseb canyons and you make your way down towards the Sossusvlei area. En route you pass through the small settlement of Sesriem with its world-famous Apple Crumble before continuing to Dead Valley Lodge to arrive in the early afternoon. Here you will stay for three nights whilst you explore the remarkable sights of the Namib Desert with your guide/s. If desired, your guide/s can take you on a sundowner nature drive to Elim Dune or the surrounding area, however if you prefer, you can just relax and soak in the scenic and serene environs at the lodge.

Day 10 & 11: Sossusvlei / Namib Desert

Experience the magical beauty of the Namib Naukluft National Park with your guide/s over the course of the next two days. They will be full of photographic opportunities as you rise early in the mornings for memorable excursions into the dunes with your guide/s. As you are already inside the park you can get into Sossusvlei before everyone else and you would even be able to get there in time to see the sun rise to capture the dunes whilst the light is soft and shadows accentuate their towering shapes and curves. This area boasts some of the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world. Your guide/s will give you insight on the formation of the Namib Desert and its myriad of fascinating creatures and plants that have adapted to survive these harsh environs.

A relaxed picnic breakfast in the shade of a camel thorn tree and returning to Dead Valley Lodge in the early afternoons for a late lunch will cap off thrilling photography mornings. A visit to the fascinating Sesriem Canyon is not to be missed either. The rest of the afternoons will be at leisure (from experience, this is usually welcomed after exhilarating mornings in the dunes), with the option to head out on nature drives with your guide/s later in the day if desired for stunning sunset landscape photography opportunities.

There is also the option of helicopter scenic flights over the seas of sand as prearranged by your tour leader (at extra cost). Gliding effortlessly over the dunes in a hot air balloon would be another option (at extra cost).

Sossusvlei:

This most frequently visited section of the massive 50,000km² Namib Naukluft National Park has become known as Sossusvlei, famous for its towering apricot colored sand dunes which can be reached by following the Tsauchab River valley. Sossusvlei itself is a clay pan set amidst these star shaped dunes which stand up to 300m above the surrounding plains, ranking them among the tallest dunes on earth. The deathly white clay pan contrasts against the orange sands and forms the endpoint of the ephemeral Tsauchab River, within the interior of the Great Sand Sea. The river course rises south of the Naukluft Mountains in the Great Escarpment. It penetrates the sand sea for some 55km before it finally peters out at Sossusvlei, about the same distance from the Atlantic Ocean. Until the encroaching dunes blocked its course around 60,000 years ago, the Tsauchab River once reached the sea; as ephemeral rivers still do in the northern half of the Namib. Sand-locked pans to the west show where the river previously flowed to before dunes shifted its endpoint to where it currently gathers at Sossusvlei. Roughly once a decade rainfall over the catchment area is sufficient to bring the river down in flood and fill the pan. On such occasions the mirror images of dunes and camel thorn trees around the pan are reflected in the water. Sossusvlei is the biggest of four pans in the vicinity. Another, famous for its gnarled and ghostly camel thorn trees, is Deadvlei which can be reached on foot over 1km of sand. Deadvlei’s striking camel thorn trees; dead for want of water, still stand erect as they once grew. They survived until about 900 years ago when the sand sea finally blocked the river from occasionally flooding the pan.

Sesriem Canyon:

Sesriem Canyon has evolved through centuries of erosion by the Tsauchab River which has incised a narrow gorge about 1.5km long and 30m deep into the surrounding conglomerates, exposing the varying layers of sedimentation deposited over millions of years. The shaded cool depths of the canyon allow pools of water to gather during the rainy season and remain for much of the year round. These pools were a vital source of water for early settlers who drew water for their livestock by knotting six (ses) lengths of rawhide thongs (riems) together, hence the canyon and surrounding area became known as Sesriem.

Day 12: Drive Sossusvlei / Namib Desert to Windhoek

Leave behind the Namib Desert today as you return to the capital city of Windhoek, passing through the Khomas Hochland Highlands and small communities on your way. You arrive in the early afternoon to spend your last evening at Galton House. Your guide/s will join you for dinner this evening to reminisce about trip highlights and good memories.

Day 13: Day of departure

This morning can be spent relaxing at your guesthouse, exploring Windhoek, visiting NamCrafts and the Craft Centre or doing some last minute souvenir shopping, if time allows, before an Ultimate Safaris representative collects you from your guesthouse for your transfer out to Hosea Kutako International Airport, getting you there in time to check in for your ongoing flight. On arrival at the airport you will be assisted with your check-in and onward flight arrangements.