Footloose Adventure Travel: Namibia

Footloose itineraries – Northern Namibia Highlights

NORTHERN NAMIBIA HIGHLIGHTS

A 10 day self drive tour visiting Swakopmund coastal resort, Cape Cross seal colony, Damaraland, Twyfelfontein rock engravings, Etosha National Park, Waterberg Plateau Park. The standard of accommodation can be changed or mixed.

Day 1: Rivendell Guest House, Windhoek, breakfast included

Land at Windhoek International Airport today where you will collect your hire vehicle and drive into the city. A representative of ATI will meet you at Rivendell to go through your itinerary and hand over your map & vouchers. Rivendell Guest House is located in a quiet suburb close to the city centre. Relax around the swimming pool or lounge area, and maybe take the afternoon to explore the shops and restaurants of the city. Facilities include TV lounge, swimming pool, self-catering kitchen & small bar.

Day 2: Okonjima Main Camp, dinner & breakfast included

Drive to Okonjima today and arrive in time for lunch, or for the afternoon activities which begin at 15:00 in winter or 16:00 in summer. Petrol can be purchased on the way at Okahandja where there is also an extensive craft market. Okonjima is home to the Africat foundation which works with farmers and the public to conserve the big cat species of Namibia. The unique optional activities here include lion viewing, nature walks, cheetah & leopard tracking, and bushman walks. After dinner you will also be offered the opportunity to visit a night hide where many nocturnal animals, including porcupine, honey badger and leopard are frequently sighted. Accommodation at Main Camp is in luxurious rooms located in the main farmhouse and surrounded by lush gardens & located close to the main restaurant area. Approx. 3.5 hours drive.

Day 3: Namutoni rest camp, Etosha, dinner and breakfast included

Make your way further north via Otjiwarongo & Tsumeb to Etosha National Park. Etosha in general offers excellent game viewing opportunities by either day while simply driving or by night from floodlit waterholes.

The Park is dominated by the vast Etosha salt pan, and many water holes exist, joined by a network of well maintained gravel roads to enable visitors the best chances of seeing the many inhabitants of Namibia's premier wildlife reserve. Species present in the Park include lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, rhino, giraffe & zebra in addition to many antelope and bird species.

You will need to pay park entry fees of N$80 per person per day and N$10 per vehicle. These unfortunately cannot be paid in advance. The National Park rest camps can be visited for lunch, a swim or simply a quick break, each camp having a restaurant, small shop & petrol station. Care should be taken to be inside the main Park gates and also back in your rest camp before sunset when the Park gates close. Approx. 3.5 hours drive.

Day 4: Okaukuejo rest camp, Etosha, breakfast included

Spend today making your way slowly across the Park to the western most rest camp of Okaukuejo. You may like to stop at the central, Halali camp for lunch and a rest during the heat of midday before continuing later this afternoon. Approx. half day drive through the park.

Days 5&6: Grootberg Lodge, dinner & breakfast included

Perched on the lip of the Grootberg Plateau, with an infinite view down the Klip River Valley, lies the newly developed Grootberg Lodge. This benchmark project in mainstream tourism draws the local Khoadi/Hoas community into the many benefits of the tourism industry. The lodge consists of 11 thatched en suite chalets, with hardwood verandas that project one into the impossible view. Gorgeous feather duvets, polished concrete floors, delicious rooibos and honey soaps, home-grown salads and vegetables and endless, endless views.

The 12 000 hectare exclusive use area that the lodge encompasses boasts a myriad of Damaraland flora and fauna, with Desert elephant, Black rhino and even lion occasionally ghosting an appearance. For travelers making their way between Swakopmund and Etosha, the lodge provides the ideal midway stopover, whilst allowing guests to experience the true wilderness that is Damaraland. Approx. 4.5 hours drive.

Day 7: Twyfelfontein Country Lodge, dinner & breakfast included

Continue your journey this morning, driving towards Damaraland via Outjo & Khorixas. You may like to take a look at the Petrified Forest on your way, a bizarre collection of largely intact gymnosperm trees that have been preserved and transformed into stone by ongoing anaerobic conditions.

Local guides will escort you around this unique geological attraction. Make sure that you only stop at the site marked with an official government brown signpost as the local people have set up many unofficial Petrified Forest sites along this road which don't really offer much apart from a curio stall!

You will arrive at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge this afternoon. The lodge has a scenic bar and restaurant overlooking the dry, boulder strewn plains and you may enjoy relaxing around the swimming pool this afternoon. Alternatively you could take part in the optional nature drive searching for desert elephant, or perhaps hire a mountain bike to explore the nearby area. Maybe make an excursion to the Twyfelfontein rock etchings and paintings today, a local guide will escort you around the ancient hillsides which are open for guests between 08:00 and 17:00. This area is covered in numerous fascinating examples of San rock art and is well worth a visit where a local guide will explain the area to you. The 'Burnt Mountain', an interesting area of volcanic rock, is also close by as are the dolomite 'organ pipes'. Approx. 2 hours drive.

Days 8&9: Sea Breeze Guest House, Swakopmund, twin room, breakfast included

Drive onwards to the coast this morning. The scenery changes from the mountains of Damaraland to endless, gravel plains towards the coast. If time allows, you may like to make a detour to Cape Cross fur seal colony where as many as 100,000 individuals may be seen during breeding season.

Swakopmund itself is a fascinating and intriguing resort town, complete with German half wooden architecture, monuments, historic buildings, well maintained gardens and palm lined avenues, coffee bars and great seafood restaurants. The weather is unpredictable. Temperatures rarely drop below 15C and rainfall is practically zero, the town is subjected to 9 months of morning fogs each year. These damp and grey conditions often result in cool temperatures persisting the whole day, but this mist band, stretching up to 30km inland, gives water and life to the deserts plants & animals giving rise to 80 types of lichen and ancient Welwitschia plants. The many ingenious adaptations to water collection, like the Tok-Tokki beetle which condenses vapour on its raised back, make for fascinating walks and drives in the 'Moon Landscape' or 'Welwitschia Drive', located close to the town.

In addition, there are many adventure activities such as sand boarding, tandem parachuting, fishing & quad biking which can be arranged prior to arrival.

We can also recommend some excellent day trips including the marine sanctuary of Sandwich Harbour, a unique environment comprising towering dunes, a freshwater lagoon and the wild Atlantic Ocean. Alternatively, a half day boat cruise from Walvis Bay may offer the opportunity to see dolphins, fur seals and many species of marine birds.

Please ask us for advice on restaurants, the more popular ones should be booked in advance and we are happy to do this for you. Sea Breeze is a quiet friendly guest house located on the beach front, just outside the town centre. The individually decorated rooms add a personal touch to your base for exploring Namibia's favourite coastal town. Enjoy excellent breakfasts and a relaxing time overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Approx. 4.5 hours drive.

Day 10: Fly out of Windhoek

Make your way back to Windhoek Airport today in time to connect with your return flight. Approx. 4 hours drive.

This itinerary can be changed in any way, so please contact Footloose with your requirements.

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Namibia can be visited at any time of the year. June - September is the coolest and driest period

4X4 hire, Standard accommodation is shown - luxury is a higher quality and full camping equipment is provided for that option, meals and activities as stated plus maps, 24-hour support and instruction.

Meals in the cities, alcoholic beverages, taxes, trips, extras, laundry service, additional tours, insurance, airline tickets (where applicable), sleeping bags, hiking boots and personal clothing and equipment.