Namibia & South Africa Tour
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Fast Facts
Travelling to:
Windhoek, Mariental, Sesriem, Swakopmund, Twyfelfontein Ongava Private Game Reserve, Okonjima Nature Reserve, Windhoek, Swellendam, Plettenberg Bay. Wilderness, Cape Town, Stellenbosch
duration:
23 Days - 22 Nights
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A trip to Namibia is a once in a lifetime experience and then combined with South Africa is simply epic.
This self drive tour of Namibia shows you the highlights on the country, including the majestic sand of the Namib desert, the cultures and awesome landscapes of Damaraland followed by a variety of wildlife at Etohsa National Park.
Continuing on to South Africa you will take in the sights of the famed Garden Route, which extended with some whale watching at the right time of year - July to November. No visit to South Africa is complete without visiting the Mother city of Cape Town and finally experience some of the finest South African wines in Stellenbosch. This self drive tour runs at a leisurely pace spanning over 3 weeks and directions are provided alongwith a GPS unit.
Highlights
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The Iconic Dunes of Sossusvlei
Watch as the first rays of the morning sun paint the mountains of sand in rich colour, and take the opportunity to walk up one of the dunes to capture the vast desert landscape below.
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Okonjima Nature Reserve
Halfway between Windhoek and Etosha lies the well-known Okonjima Nature Reserve. The 22,000 ha Nature Reserve is surrounded by 96 km of fencing and was finally completed in 2010.
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Cape Town
Cape Town is one of the world’s most beautiful cities and a top international destination. Large numbers of tourists flock to this unique city with its fascinating history, interesting culture, natural beauty, award winning wines and laidback lifestyle.
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Garden Route
One of the most popular attractions in South Africa, The Garden Route spans 300km of the south-eastern coast from Witsand to Tsitsikamma Storms River and bounded to the south by the rugged Indian ocean coast.
Outline Itinerary
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Day 1 - Travelling
Take the flight to Johannesburg, various departure airports are available.
Day 2 - Windhoek
Staying at: The Elegant Guesthouse
Connect in Johannesburg for your flight to Windhoek. After collecting your luggage and clearing immigration, continue to collect your hire car and drive through to Windhoek city. The remaining part of the afternoon is at leisure.
Day 3 - Mariental
Staying at: Zebra Kalahari Lodge & Spa
This morning, depart after breakfast and drive to the Kalahari Lodge. We highly recommend a walk with the San people. It is so interesting seeing how they survived such arid conditions over the years and how they use the earths resources to find food and water in the unrelenting desert conditions. They are hunter-gatherers, hunting with bows and arrows, trapping small animals and eating edible roots and berries and they eagerly demonstrate this to guests.
What makes this phenomenal experience is the click language that the San use to express themselves and with dramatic illustrations, guests are able to communicate with and understand the interesting information the San people share.
Days 4 & 5 - Sesriem
Staying at: Desert Quiver Camp
Another highlight awaits today and you cannot prepre for the enormity of the Sossusvlei sand dunes. It is imperative that you start early after your first night in this area because seeing the sun rise over the dunes a sight to behold forever! The hues that this creates are ever changing and will surely impress.
Days 6 & 7 - Swakopmund
Staying at: The Stiltz Hotel
Continue to travel north today and head for Swakopmund - back to civilisation. We recommend a marine cruise out from Walvis Bay whilst staying in Swakopmund, all being well you will see lots of pelicans along with dolphins who all swim alongside the boat. We won't tell you about the surprise visitor!
Day 8 - Twyfelfontein
Staying at: Camp Kipwe
Continuing your journey and head in land today and you will be greeted by different landscape again. By now you will see that one of the many reason for visiting Namibia is to experience the varied landscapes. To secure space at Camp Kipwe a booking must be recieved well in advance. This magical place is huddled in the rocks and then opens to a vast wilderness area. Here you will have the opportunity to visit Twyfelfontein, Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes. We enjoyed seeing the age old rock art at Twyfelfontein. There is also an popportunity to see the desert elephants and desert black rhino - we recommend having a guide for all these excursions.
Days 9 & 10 - Ongava Private Game Reserve
Staying at: Anderssons At Ongava
Highlight after highlight on this trip and the next stop will not disappoint! The guides will capture your attention with their in-depth knowledge on the flora and fauna. Both the birdlife and wildlife are terrific in this area.
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Days 11 & 12 - Okonjima Nature Reserve
Staying at: Okonjima Plains Camp
Starting your journey south, the next stop is at Okonjima. The work that is carried out at the lodge and being an integral part of the AfriCat Foundation can only be admired. The AfriCat Foundation tries to ensure the survivial of Namibia's predators in their natural environment.
As a guest, you will surely enjoy the experience of seeing leopard and cheetah along with being educated about the habits of these wonderful cats.
Guests are invited on a nocturnal game drive, led by knowledgeable guides as the evening drives traverse the 20 000ha Okonjima Nature Reserve and allows you the opportunity to spot many nocturnal game species that you wouldn't usually see in the day. An example of wildlife that you would usually expect to see are the bat-eared foxes, aardwolves and owls. A highlight would be seeing leopards and brown hyaena go out in search of unsuspecting prey.
Day 13 - Windhoek
Staying at: The Elegant Guesthouse
Return back to Windhoek today and relax for the evening.
Day 14 - Swellendam
Staying at: Rothman Manor
Return your hire car to Windhoek Airport and take the morning flight to Cape Town. After clearing immigration, collect your hire car and make your way to Swellendam, your overnight stop location.
Days 15-17 - Plettenberg Bay
Staying at: The Robberg Beach Lodge
Continue driving the coastal road along the Garden Route today and head for Plettenberg Bay.
There is an abundance of activities to partake in this area and further places to visit. We particularly like Knysna and Tsitsikamma. There are trips to take on the Featherbed Nature Reserve, Bird World, Monkey Land and for the more adventurous a canopy tree top tour of the Tsitsikamma Forest.
Day 18 - Wilderness
Staying at: Dune Beach House
Start the journey towards Cape Town, stopping in the area of Wilderness. Here you will have the opportunity to trek wilderness trails within the Wilderness National Park.
Days 19 & 20 - Cape Town
Staying at: Waterfront Village
On to Cape Town today. There are places that must be on your agenda when stayin gin this vibrant city - Robben Island where the late Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, Table Mountain, Cape Point Nature Reserve, Penguin colony at Boulders Beach, street stalls at Greenmarket Square and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. There are many more but if time is short they are 'must do' recommendations.
Day 21 - Stellenbosch
Staying at: Oude Werf Hotel
After breakfast, make your way to Stellenbosch drop off the car and head straight out on a wine tour. If you like your South African wines then you will relish a visit to this famous wine region. If wines are not your thing then perhaps the art galleries or just a simple stroll around the town will appeal.
Day 22 - Departure
Return your hire car to Cape Town Airport and take your flight to the UK.