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Red Sands of Namibia
10 days / 9 nights
Windhoek, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Damaraland (Twyfelfontein), Etosha (Ongava)

DAY 1: ARRIVAL > WINDHOEK
Arrival into Windhoek International Airport, meet your English Speaking Driver (ESD) and transfer to the hotel. Meet your English Speaking Driver / Guide (ESD/G) and depart on your Windhoek city tour. The city centre is characterised by a proliferation of German style buildings, a lasting reminder of Namibia's early colonial history. Early buildings such as the Alte Feste (old fort), Christuskirche and Tintenpalast (the parliament buildings) are of particular historical interest. Other notable buildings in Windhoek include St Mary's Cathedral and the Turnhalle Building.Rest of the day is at leisure

DAY 2: WINDHOEK > SOSSUSVLEI
Breakfast at the hotel. Meet your ESD and transfer to Eros Airport for your charter flight to Sossusvlei Airstrip. Depart Eros Airport. Arrival into Sossusvlei Airstrip, meet your lodge safari guide and transfer to the lodge. Afternoon activities as per lodge. Dinner at the lodge

DAY 3: SOSSUSVLEI
Breakfast at the lodge. Sossusvlei Excursion This incredible half-day adventure will take guests to the awe-inspiring sand dunes of Sossusvlei, one of the Namib Desert’s most scenic attractions. The dunes form part of the Namib Sand Sea, an endlessly undulating mass of orange, amber and ochre that makes up the biggest dune field south of the Sahara. The tour includes a stop at Sesriem to watch the morning sunrise dance across the sand fields and a journey through an imposing funnel shaped gap created by the rare phenomenon of the flooding of the Tsauchab River. The experience culminates at Sossusvlei, stopping in the midst of an untouched desert playground, where guests can lose themselves amongst waves and waves of silky smooth sand. A breathless climb to the top of the massive ‘Big Daddy’ rewards with a spectacular view over the peaks and troughs of the sand sea. Guests can also choose to walk to Deadvlei or visit the Sesriem Canyon. This adventure is a must for nature and photographic enthusiasts.
Quad Bike Excursions (Only 18 years and older)
Set out on a quad bike trail through the dunes, led by an experienced guide. Enjoy the solitude and majesty of the desert as the trail winds over the dunes and rocky outcrops. As the day winds to a close, stop to enjoy a chilled sundowner as a dazzle of stars slowly comes to full, blazing life in the velvety night sky.
Nature Drives
Set off on a scenic drive to the fascinating petrified dunes, a frozen landscape of endless undulating waves or choose to explore the massive boulders of Bushman’s Koppies, haphazardly strewn one on top of the other like a giant’s building blocks. Stop to admire the thousand hues of a desert sunset before returning to the lodge in the evening. Scenic drives offer an opportunity to encounter a variety of desert-adapted animals such as gemsbok, zebra, springbok, bat-eared fox, aardwolf and jackal.
Stargazing (Subject to availability of the astronomer)
The lodge’s observatory provides the ideal place to gaze in awe at the wonders of the clear desert sky, with the resident astronomer on hand to point out the brightest and most beautiful constellations.
Dinner at the lodge


DAY 4: SOSSUSVLEI > SWAKOPMUND
Breakfast at the lodge.Meet your lodge safari guide and transfer to Sossusvlei Airstrip for your charter flight to Swakopmund Airport. Depart Sossusvlei Airstrip. Arrival into Swakopmund Airport, meet your ESD and transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure

DAY 5: SWAKOPMUND
Breakfast at the hotel. 07:30 After breakfast meet your ESG and depart on your Living Desert tour. This Desert tour concentrates on exploring the local dune belt between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. We take special care not to damage the gravel plains and cause any unnecessary damage to the dune eco-system. The gravel plains are protected and home to the nesting Damara Terns, which are endemic to this area. Conservation, geological structure and the reason why we have a Desert will be discussed in detail en route. Plenty of time is available for frequent stops to take photos of the dunes and the surrounding environment.We will stop continuously to look for animal tracks on the dunes (known locally as reading the bushman paper), to determine which animals were active the previous night and wherever possible will try to catch some of them to show you. We take great care to share our knowledge with you on each desert animal and plant, including emphasis on special adaptations and perfect design used for survival in the desert. Time and care is taken to ensure each animal is returned safely to its home.Geckos, rolling spiders, scorpions, lizards, snakes, chameleons, skinks and a variety of beetles and insects are some creatures to be found on this tour.
12:30 Return to Swakopmund for an afternoon at leisure at your hotel or in town to explore the shops, cafés, museums and wander along the waterfront on foot

DAY 6: SWAKOPMUND > DAMARALAND (TWYFELFONTEIN)
Breakfast at the hotel.Meet your ESD and transfer to Swakopmund Airport for your charter flight to Damaraland (Twyfelfontein).Depart Swakopmund Airport.Arrival into Damaraland (Twyfelfontein), meet your lodge safari guide and transfer to the lodge.Afternoon activities as per lodge (2 Activities are included in a two-night package).Dinner is at the lodge


DAY 7: DAMARALAND (TWYFELFONTEIN)
Breakfast at the hotel.Climb into an open-air vehicle and experience the rush of Africa. Mowani’s local guides share with their guests an intimate knowledge and respect for the land that they have built up over a lifetime. With new insight into local traditions, you will come to fully appreciate the geology, botany and wildlife of the area. Local villagers are welcoming and keen to share their experiences.
- Visits to Twyfelfontein, with its wealth of ancient rock engravings, and the wonders of the Organ Pipes are within easy driving distance of Mowani/Kipwe. (+/- 2 hours in the afternoon)
- Elephant and Dune drives (+/- 4-6 hours in the morning) to explore the area with your knowledgeable guide - searching for the rare desert adapted Elephants
- Nature walks in the areas surrounding the camp to explore the smaller details of the bush up close and personal
Lunch at the lodge
Lounging by the pool, or relaxing on your private deck is also a wonderful ways to enjoy the spectacular surroundings.
Dinner is at the lodge


DAY 8: DAMARALAND > ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK
Breakfast at the lodge. Meet your lodge safari guide and transfer to Damaraland area Airstrip for your charter flight to Ongava Airstrip . Lunch at the lodge. Guided afternoon/evening game drives take place on the private Ongava Game Reserve. Wildlife on the reserve is diverse with especially good lion and rhino populations. Dinner at the lodge

DAY 9: ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK
Breakfast at the lodge. Full- or half-day guided morning and afternoon game drives are available in Etosha, Namibia’s prime savannah wilderness area (with a packed lunch on full day); see the massive saltpan as well as the perennial springs that provide the water required by the Park’s high-density big game population – including elephant.Offered seasonally and subject to an available walking guide, nature walks through the area take in the abundant array of life, small and large; with a chance of potentially tracking rhino.Lunch at the Lodge.A hide is a fantastic place to while the hours away up close and personal with wildlife slaking its thirst at a waterhole. This arid environment where little water occurs makes this a popular drinking spot for game.Dinner at the lodge

DAY 10: ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK > WINDHOEK > DEPART
Breakfast at the lodge.Meet your safari guide and transfer to Ongava Airstrip for your charter flight to Windhoek.Depart Ongava Airstrip.Arrival into Windhoek International Airport, meet your Itravel representative for assistance with check in procedures for your onward flight

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