Namibia Photo-Adventure Safari with Jason & Emilie 2024

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, Galton House

After landing at Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport, about 40km outside the city, you will be welcomed by a 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. This evening your guide/s will meet up with you at your guesthouse to join 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 Namibia.

Day 2 - Drive Windhoek to Sossusvlei / Namib Desert

This morning your safari guide will collect you from Galton House after breakfast where you then depart Windhoek in your safari vehicle and drive southwest through the scenic Khomas Hochland highlands before heading down the Great Escarpment into the Namib Desert below, stopping for a picnic lunch at a scenic location along the way. You arrive at Dead Valley Lodge in the midafternoon where you will stay for three nights whilst you explore the remarkable sights of the Namib Desert with your guide. If desired, your guide 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 tranquil surroundings at the lodge.

Day 3 & 4 - Sossusvlei / Namib Desert

Experience the magical beauty of the Namib Naukluft National Park with your guide 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. 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 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 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 5 - Drive Sossusvlei / Namib Desert to Swakopmund

The fascinating drive today takes you northwest through breathtaking and ever-changing desert landscapes of the Namib Naukluft National Park, including the impressive Gaub and Kuiseb canyons. You meet the coast at the port town of Walvis Bay where you have the option to visit the lagoon to see the interesting mix of pelicans, flamingos and other sea birds, before continuing north to Swakopmund where you can enjoy the pleasant seaside location and cooler coastal air. There will be time this afternoon to wander around town and along the waterfront on foot if appeals, before heading out to dinner at one the popular restaurants in town with your guide.

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 attempted 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 6 - Swakopmund & Walvis Bay

This morning is at leisure and can either be spent relaxing at your hotel, exploring the town of Swakopmund before heading to the harbour town of Walvis Bay from where you will embark on an afternoon sunset excursion to discover the beautiful Sandwich Harbour area with plenty of photographic stops along the way. You will enjoy some beverages and snacks whilst enjoying a beautiful sunset from the top of one of the higher dunes in the area before returning to Walvis Bay where you will meet up with your guides and head to dinner at a local restaurant in Walvis Bay or Swakopmund with your guide.

Walvis Bay:  Walvis Bay is Namibia’s main Port town as well as being the base for a variety of fishing and recreational activities on the Lagoon and out at sea. The town is less of a seaside resort than Swakopmund, but it has a variety of areas that are of specific interest especially to birders, including the Lagoon itself and the area around the salt works on the way out towards Pelican Point.

The Port was a British Protectorate during the years that Southwest Africa was a German Colony and did not immediately become part of Namibia after Independence. In fact, it took almost another five years before that happened.

Sandwich Harbour: Sandwich Harbour is located approximately 80 km south of Swakopmund, beyond the town of Walvis Bay. It is a remarkably beautiful attraction that consists of a lagoon lying between the Atlantic Shore and high dunes of the Namib sand sea. It is a Ramsar wetland site of international importance and is also known to be one of the best spots for birding at the coast. Sandwich Harbour is best explored with a local guide who is skilled in off-road driving as the route to the Harbour has no road and crosses the dunes.

Day 7 & 8 - Swakopmund to Spitzkoppe

Leave the coast and Swakopmund behind today as you make your way east towards the oddly shaped Spitzkoppe. For the next two days you will explore the peculiar inselbergs and their surroundings which offer spectacular scenic photographic opportunities.

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 9 -Drive Spitzkoppe to Etosha National Park

Leave behind the stark desert landscape and make your way today towards the bushveld areas of the Etosha National Park. You enter through the Andersson gate and game drive your way to the Okaukuejo Camp where you will be based for the next two nights. From here you will have the perfect base inside the park to explore all the waterholes and areas on this side of the park, returning just before sunset each evening to freshen up for dinner. Keep a keen eye on the waterhole at Okaukuejo as it tends to be most productive at times.

Okaukuejo Resort: Okaukuejo was the first tourist camp to open in Etosha. It is famous for its floodlit waterhole where visitors can observe, at close quarters, a spectacle of wildlife congregating and interacting. Resort facilities include accommodation in comfortable en-suite chalets located a short walk from the waterhole, a buffet restaurant, bar, swimming pool, curio shop, post office and viewing tower.

Day 10 - Etosha National Park

Continue your exploration of this side of the park via the many roads and waterholes, keeping an eye out for various species of flora and fauna. Lunch may be enjoyed at any of the rest camps inside the park.

Etosha National Park: Etosha National Park, translated as the ‘Place of Mirages’, Land of Dry Water’ or the ‘Great White Place’, covers 22 270 km², of which over 5,000 km² 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 a 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 Pan is the largest of the pans at 4 760 km² in extent. It is nowadays filled with water only when sufficient rain falls to the north in Angola, inducing floods to flow southward along the Cuvelai drainage system. The Park consists of grassland, woodland and savannah. Game-viewing centers around 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 11 - Drive Southern Etosha National Park to Eastern Etosha National Park

Today’s journey takes you through the breadth of the Etosha National Park as you game drive your way east via selected waterholes and the myriad of roads that snake through the park. You may either opt for a picnic lunch at a scenic location or have lunch at any one of the Camps inside the park. You exit the park at the Von Lindequist gate as you make your way to Onguma Bush Camp. Later this afternoon, you embark on an exciting game drive on the private Onguma reserve enjoying sundowner in the veld before returning to the lodge after sunset with enough time to freshen up before dinner. After dinner you can enjoy some additional game viewing at the lodge’s floodlit waterhole.

Onguma Nature Reserve: Situated on the eastern side of Etosha and bordering Fisher’s Pan, Onguma Nature Reserve has more than 20,000 hectares of protected land and wildlife. The nature reserve boasts over thirty different animal species consisting of plains game including kudu, giraffe, eland, oryx, hartebeest, zebra, impala and many more roam freely, as well as predators such as lion, cheetah and leopard, being common residents of the area. Onguma Game Reserve is now also proud to be home to a family of black rhinos! More than 300 bird species can also be viewed at Onguma Nature Reserve.

Day 12 - Drive Etosha National Park to Central Namibia

Today you bid farewell to the bushveld of the Etosha National Park as you make your way towards the central parts of the country, passing through small towns and farming communities along the way. Your destination is the privately owned Erindi Game Reserve where you will arrive in time for a late lunch. Depart this afternoon on a game drive with one of their dedicated guides and return in time for a refreshing sundowner drink.

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 13 - Drive Central Namibia to Windhoek

This morning you head out on a last game drive before returning to the lodge to freshen up before departing back south to the capital city of Windhoek for your last night. Tonight, you head out for a farewell dinner with your guide at any of the popular restaurants in town or in-house at Galton House to reminisce about good memories and experiences.

Day 14 - 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 a 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 luggage and check-in arrangements for your onward flight back home.

This is officially the end of your Namibian Safari; we hope to welcome you back very soon again!