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ITINERARY NAMIBIA 22 Day SAFARI 30 JUNE – 21 JULY 2021

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ITINERARY NAMIBIA 22 Day SAFARI 30 JUNE – 21 JULY 2021 ITINERARY NAMIBIA 22 Day SAFARI 30 JUNE – 21 JULY 2021 DAY 1. Wednesday 30 June International flight – Kasane Arrive in Kasane, via a transfer from Johannesburg (There is a flight every day in the morning) and stay in the Luxury Chobe Safari lodge where you can rest from the jetlag and enjoy the Chobe River with its hippos, crocodiles and its abundant birdlife. Overnight in the luxurious Chobe safari lodge. Lodge dinner at own expense DAY 2. Thursday 1 July CHOBE NP – NUNDA Lodge breakfast included. The Kavango – Zambezi region (formerly called the Caprivi Strip) is a narrow strip of land in the far North Eastern region of Namibia. Approximately 400 km long, it borders Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. The region is also incorporated into the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. It falls within the tropical climate zone and receives the highest rainfall figures in Namibia, mainly between December and March. Four major rivers traverse the region such as the Okavango, Zambezi, Kwando and Chobe rivers, all originating from the catchment areas in Angola and Zambia. We drive today along the Caprivi strip to Nunda Lodge situated on the banks of the Nunda river. Explore the hidden treasures of an untamed land. Capture the spirit of the African bush while sipping sundowners from the lodge’s beautiful overhead deck and experience the thrill of the hauntingly beautiful call of the African fish eagle. * Overnight in our tents on the campground of the lodge. En-route lunch included and Lodge Dinner at own expense. DAY 3. Friday 2 July NUNDA Lodge breakfast included. Those who desire, are free to enjoy a boat ride on the river at own expense. Otherwise, view passing wildlife from comfortable seating along the banks of the river. * Overnight our tents on the campground of the lodge. Lunch and Dinner at own expense. DAY 4. Saturday 3 July NUNDA – KHAUDUM NP Lodge breakfast included. Today we drive off road into one of the least visited and most remote National Parks of Namibia. Khaudum Campsite was privatized and completely renovated in 2015 and offers 6 campsite under shady trees. * Campsite in northern Khaudum. Camp lunch and dinner included. DAY 5. Sunday 4 July KHAUDUM NP Khaudum National Park is an isolated Nature Reserve situated in the Kalahari Desert at the West of the Caprivi Strip in Northeast Namibia. It is a very remote and inaccessible reserve but is home to some magnificent animals such as the lion and the hyena. * Campsite in Southern Khaudum. Camp Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. DAY 6. Monday 5 July KHAUDUM NP - GROOTFONTEIN Camp breakfast included. We negotiate the rough tracks until we reach the tar road leading to Grootfontein. Grootfontein's Herero name is 'Otjiwanda Tjongue' which means leopard’s crest – naturally, the area had a high density of these agile cats. It seems a pity that when formally naming the town it was decided to translate the Bushman’s name of Gei-/ous, into Afrikaans as Grootfontein (meaning large spring). Perhaps the name was influenced by the fact that there is a large spring within the town boundaries where occasionally, leopards were spotted! Grootfontein is the centre for a large cattle farming community, and copper mining is also prevalent. The section of Namibia around Tsumeb, Otavi & Grootfontein is often referred to as the 'Otavi Triangle'. The area receives considerably higher rainfall than parts of Namibia situated further west and south and contains much of the country's best commercial farmland. During spring the Jacaranda trees flower, bathing the town in a swathe of purple. Situated in a prominent position atop a hill is the 'Old Fort Museum'. Originally a Schutztruppe fortress built in 1896 - today the museum houses a replica of a complete smithy, which as it was traditionally used in the production of ox-wagons. Probably the town is best known for being situated 20km's from the Hoba Meteorite, the world's largest meteorite. It is 3M long, 1M wide and weighs around 50 tons and was discovered by Jacobus Hermanus Brits in the 1920s. * Overnight in Stonehouse lodge Grootfontein. Lunch and Dinner at own expense. DAY 7. Tuesday 6 July GROOTFONTEIN (Mariabronn Mission) Lodge Breakfast included. Today we visit the Hoba meteorite and Mariabronn Mission. At the mission some of us may donate any clothes and toys brought along. The mission is run by Catholic nuns and comprises around 300 children, most of which are orphans. The mission was originally built around two springs, to provide good drinking water. German missionaries built the mission in 1930, but after Namibia became independent German support dwindled. The sisters are all Benedictines of the Oshikuku Namibian order, and struggle to be self-supporting. * Overnight in Stonehouse lodge Grootfontein. Lunch and Dinner at own expense. DAY 8. Wednesday 7 July GROOTFONTEIN – ETOSHA NP (Halali Camp) Lodge Breakfast included. Etosha National Park is unique in Africa. The park’s main characteristic is a salt pan so large it can be seen from space. Yet there remains abundant wildlife that congregates around the waterholes, giving you almost guaranteed game sightings. At the same time Etosha National Park is one of the most accessible game reserves in Namibia and Southern Africa. It is a site that offers visitors a complete contrast of wide open grasslands, a massive pan that covers 4731km² and large camel thorn trees mixed with Mopani trees. This diverse vegetation accounts for the abundance of wildlife that thrives in the park. The park is malaria free. At night we shall enjoy sitting at a floodlit waterhole to view the wide variety of animals that come to drink. * 2 nights in Halali lodge. Lunch and Dinner at own expense. DAY 9. Thursday 8 July ETOSHA NP (Halali) Lodge Breakfast included. The abundance of game in Etosha National Park is somewhat unexpected, showcasing some of the most common and rarest wildlife species. The areas with thicker vegetation are home to elephant (some of the largest in Africa due to the vitamins and nutrients found in the ground), the endangered black rhino and even leopard. Lions are well camouflaged in the pale- golden grasslands, while giraffe rise- high above most of the dry vegetation. Morning game drive in an open 4wheel drive from the lodge. Night drive also available as an optional extra. * 2nd night in Halali lodge. Lunch and Dinner at own expense. DAY 10. Friday 9 July ETOSHA NP (HALALI – Okaukuejo camp) Lodge Breakfast included. We move further west to Okaukuejo Lodge which is famous for its floodlit waterhole that has become particularly popular with black rhinos. But a diversity of game including lion and elephant also visit the waterhole. The campsite has a number of amenities including a petrol station, shop, swimming pool, restaurant and bar. * 1st night at Okaukuejo where we camp in our tents. Lunch and dinner at own expense. DAY 11. Saturday 10 July ETOSHA NP (Okaukuejo camp) Camp breakfast included. Another day of game drives and wildlife encounters is topped off by an excellent dinner in the lodge * 2nd night at Okaukuejo where we camp in our tents. Lunch and dinner at own expense. DAY 12. Sunday 11 July ETOSHA NP (Okaukuejo Camp) – OPUWO Camp breakfast included. Today we drive via Otsjondeka to Opuwo where ancient traditions and modern times meet, as Opuwo is the centre of the Himba culture. The Himba are independent people and are the last nomads of Namibia. They are also the forefathers of the modern Herero and entered Northern Namibia during the 15th /16th century from Angola. The Kunene Region is also associated with the so-called Kaokoveld (or Kaokoland). The Kaokoveld is a huge, dry region (50,000 km²) in the North-East of Namibia where no agricultural activities take place, however, there is an abundance of wildlife. The town of Opuwo is the only greater town to be found in the Kunene region. * First of two nights at the OHAKANE Guest house. Lunch and Dinner at own expense. DAY 13. Monday 12 July OPUWO Lodge breakfast included. A local guide takes us on a guided tour to a Himba village. Craft, local hair styles and clothing will fascinate. * Second of two nights at the OHAKANE Guest house. Lunch and dinner at own expense. DAY 14. Tuesday 13 July OPUWO – SESFONTEIN Lodge breakfast included. We drive along gravel roads to Sesfontein which derives its name from the six fountains which have their source in the vicinity. The government of former German South West Africa built the Fort Sesfontein in 1896. It served as a control base for poaching, smuggling of weapons and the cattle plague. From the ruins of the Fort, a tourist lodge was later developed. *First of two nights in the Fort Lodge. Lunch and dinner at own expense. DAY 15. Wednesday 14 July SESFONTEIN Lodge breakfast included. We visit the local school and donate some gifts. Later we have a guided safari excursion in an open 4 wheel drive vehicle along the dry Hoanib riverbed, in search of desert elephants and other game. *Second of two nights in the Fort Lodge. Lunch and dinner at own expense. DAY 16. Thursday 15 July SESFONTEIN – UGAB WHITE LADY CAMP Lodge breakfast included. This rustic and remote camp is situated along the bank of the impressive Ugab river, within site of the Brandberg Mountain, Namibia’s highest mountain. The campsite has communal ablutions * Overnight at Ugab White Lady Camp. Camp Lunch and dinner included. DAY 17. Friday 16 July UGAB White Lady CAMP – SWAKOPMUND Camp breakfast included. We travel along the skeleton coast. From the air, the bleak shoreline of the Skeleton Coast looks wonderful -- a deep green sea, fringed with surf, breaks over a shore receding into infinite sand dunes.
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