Namibia Untold

Etosha, Damaraland & Sossusvlei

Namibia Untold

Etosha, Damaraland & Sossusvlei

  • Weekly departures
  • 11
  • Windhoek, Namibia
  • Windhoek, Namibia

Discover Namibia’s vast beauty – from the towering red dunes of Sossusvlei to desert-adapted elephants in Damaraland. With wide skies and dramatic landscapes, this is Africa at its most raw and unforgettable.

Welcome to Namibia – a land of striking contrasts, vast horizons, and a silence so profound you can almost hear the desert breathe. Covering an area four times the size of the UK yet home to only around 2 million people, Namibia is a place of wide-open spaces and raw, unspoiled beauty.

Imagine joining Save the Rhino Trust rangers to  track the world’s last free-roaming black rhinos on foot in the rugged wilderness of Damaraland, watching desert-adapted elephants stroll across a dry riverbed, or drifting off to sleep beneath a blanket of stars in the Namib Desert. Perhaps you’ll catch a glimpse of a leopard, slipping silently to a waterhole in front of your tent. These are the moments that make your Namibia Untold safari unforgettable.

From the iconic red dunes of Sossusvlei to the shimmering Etosha salt pans teeming with wildlife, and from ancient San rock art to remote desert lodges, this journey reveals the soul of one of Africa’s most extraordinary countries. Your qualified local guide will travel with you from Windhoek, sharing deep knowledge, stories, and insights that bring each place to life.

Namibia Untold is not just a safari – it’s a journey through timeless landscapes and living history, one that leaves you with a sense of wonder long after you’ve returned home.

Highlights

  • Climb some of the world’s highest free-standing sand dunes at Sossusvlei.
  • Track the endangered black rhino in conjunction with Save the Rhino Trust
  • Search for desert-adapted elephants in the ephemeral river systems of Damaraland.
  • Experience memorable game drives in Etosha where the many waterholes are teeming with wildlife
  • Look for leopards and cheetahs on game drives in the private Ongava Game Reserve
  • Visit the world-renowned AfriCat Foundation and learn about conservation initiatives involving Africa’s large cats.

Pricing

NZD8,889

Limited single rooms available (surcharge applies).

Group Size

Max. 7

Trip Dates

Weekly departures

Starting Point

Windhoek, Namibia

Ending Point

Windhoek, Namibia

Included

  • Arrival & departure transfers
  • All meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 11
  • Transportation in a luxury air-conditioned safari vehicle.
  • Mineral water on board the safari vehicle.
  • All Park and Private Concession fees
  • Entrance fees and excursions as described in the itinerary

  • Two game drives in open safari vehicle with lodge guide in Ongava Game Reserve 

  • A registered and experienced naturalist English-speaking safari guide
  • Welcome pack.

     

     

Not Included

  • International airfares, airport taxes and visa fees (if applicable)
  • All beverages with the exception of mineral water on board the safari vehicle.
  • Travel Insurance (mandatory)
  • Hot air balloon flight over the Sossusvlei dunes (weather-dependent, book with your guide)
  • Laundry (laundry service available at lodges at extra cost)
  • Any entrance fees and excursions not included in the above itinerary such as scenic flights.
  • Tips & gratuities

Independent arrival at Windhoek International Airport where you will be met and transferred to your accommodation in the city. Meet your guide and fellow travellers over dinner tonight.

On your way to the Ongava Game Reserve  you will visit Okonjima which is home to the AfriCat Foundation, a wildlife sanctuary which focuses on the research and rehabilitation of Africa’s big cats, especially injured or captured leopard and cheetah.

You will arrive in time to embark on an informative game drive and tour of the centre. Here you will learn about the function and vision of the AfriCat Foundation and will also get to meet some of the Foundation’s special captive carnivore ambassadors.

After the excursion you will enjoy a light lunch before continuing your journey north to the Ongava Game Reserve. You arrive in time for an afternoon game drive in an open game viewer with an Ongava ranger, on shared basis with other lodge guests.

Today you will be treated to an exciting morning guided game drive into the Etosha National Park, to see more of the wide variety of game and bird species that are to be found there. There is then time to relax by the refreshing swimming pool before you head out again for an afternoon game drive into Etosha, leaving the park before sunset.

Alternatively, you can opt to spend the whole day out in the park and either take lunch at one of the other rest camps in the area, or have a picnic while watching game at one of the many waterholes in the area. Once you are back (gates close at sunset), the rest of the evening can be spent game viewing at the camp’s floodlit waterhole while enjoying dinner, and afterwards.

This morning after breakfast you will continue your safari to the heart of Namibia, remote Damaraland. Damaraland is typified by displays of colour, magnificent table topped mountains, rock formations and bizarre-looking vegetation. The present-day landscape has been formed by the erosion of wind, water and geological forces which have formed rolling hills, dunes, gravel plains and ancient river terraces. It is the variety and loneliness of the area as well as the scenic splendour which will reward and astound you, giving one an authentic understanding of the word ‘wilderness’.

This remarkable region is home to a variety of desert-adapted wildlife and hidden desert treasures. Your camp is deliberately small and intimate, and is located in a core area for desert-adapted black rhino with activities largely focused on tracking black rhino with an experienced and qualified Rhino Ranger team.

The camp is perched on a high bank overlooking a (generally) dry riverbed and groves of Mopane trees in the heart of Damaraland. Protected from the prevailing winds, the camp carries arguably the lowest environmental footprint of any camp in Namibia. The essence of the camp is an immersive exploration of this incredible area.

Today you will spend an exciting and memorable morning out rhino tracking with the assistance of local trackers. It is worth noting that these black rhino form part of one of the only free-roaming black rhino populations in Africa and tracking animals in an unfenced and uninhibited environment is an absolute privilege. You will return to camp for a freshly prepared lunch and with time to relax at camp during the heat of the day. Later in the afternoon you head out again for a scenic nature drive or walk to explore this vast and astounding ecosystem. 

The camp works together with the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) – an NGO that has been has been instrumental in the preservation of the rare, endangered, desert-adapted black rhino. Having barely survived the slaughter in many parts of Africa during the ’80s and ’90s, the black rhino population of Namibia has increased substantially since the formation of SRT.

Today you continue your adventures exploring Damaraland, enjoying the freedom to discover the fascinating landscapes with your private naturalist guide both by vehicle and on foot. Damaraland is a surprising refuge for desert adapted wildlife that may include elephant, giraffe, oryx, springbok and even some predators such as lion.

However, as with any wildlife sightings in Namibia, this depends on many factors including seasonality so specific sightings are never guaranteed. The wildlife roams large tracks of unfenced desert landscapes and finding game can be challenging, but this is all part of the adventure of exploring this wild untouched gem of Namibia. Today’s focus will be largely on searching for the elusive desert adapted elephants in the ephemeral river systems, an activity which will mean spending most of the day out. Your guide will take along a delicious picnic lunch and you will return to camp in the late afternoon.

After an early breakfast the drive today takes you south past the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain (2,573 m above sea level), and west to meet the coast at Henties Bay. You then continue south to the coastal town of Swakopmund where you can enjoy the pleasant seaside location and cooler coastal air for the night. Tonight you enjoy dinner with your guide out at a popular restaurant in town that specialises in locally harvested fresh seafood as well as other local and international dishes.

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 Imperial Navy erected beacons on the site. Settlers followed and attempts to create a harbour town by constructing a concrete Mole and then 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.

After an early breakfast, you depart on a fascinating drive that takes you southeast through awesome and ever-changing desert landscapes via the impressive Gaub and Kuiseb canyons to meet the dunes at the settlement of Solitaire. A picnic lunch will be had en route and you will continue onto the Namib Tsaris Conservancy, where you will spend two nights at Camp Sossus. You will arrive mid to late afternoon with enough time to acquaint yourself with the camp and enjoy a hot bucket shower before dinner.

Camp Sossus is located on the private 24,000ha Namib Tsaris Conservancy. Nestled between the Nubib and Zaris Mountains, this camp is a mere thirty minutes drive from the Sossusvlei gate, the gateway to the ‘Great Namib Sand Sea’ at Sossusvlei, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The camp has eight tents and offers a fantastic alternative to any traditional lodge in the Sossusvlei area. Activities include visits to Sossusvlei with your private guide and general exploration of the private Neuhof Nature Reserve, including nature walks, mountain biking, and star gazing. Camp Sossus provides a convenient base from which to go on hot air balloon or scenic helicopter flights over the local area. It is also a great venue for photographers, offering fantastic landscapes, iconic quiver trees, and the opportunity for nighttime photography which is often very difficult to arrange elsewhere.

Set off before sunrise to capture the spectacular dunes whilst the light is soft and shadows accentuate the towering shapes and curves. This area boasts some of the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world and your guide will give you an insight into the formation of the Namib Desert and its myriad of fascinating creatures and plants that have adapted to survive these harsh environs.

After a picnic brunch return to your lodge. Afternoon at leisure (from experience, this is usually welcomed after an exhilarating morning in the dunes.)

After a leisurely breakfast this morning, you will depart from Sossusvlei and return to Windhoek, driving northeast up the Great Escarpment and through the scenic Khomas Hochland highlands. A tasty picnic lunch will again be served en route.

You will arrive back in Windhoek by mid-afternoon and you spend the last night of your safari at Galton House. Dinner can either be enjoyed at Galton’s in-house restaurant or out at one of the popular restaurants in town together with your guide.  After dinner, you’ll bid your local guide farewell.

Your Namibia Untold safari ends after breakfast with a transfer to Windhoek International Airport to join your flight home.

We did back to back Namibia with Mozambique extension and Botswana, with Karen. Each awesome in their own way but the standout impression is that it is definitely worth spending some extra and going off the beaten tourist track into the private conservancies. There is more game, less people, the camp staff are genuinely happy to host us, they are also happy to share what tourism is giving back to their local communities. Sue & Richard Lovett

We have travelled on safari to Africa with Karen 5 times now and just can’t wait to get back there again this year. Africa is THE dream holiday destination and traveling there with Karen is the only way we would go now. Every day is absolutely brilliant – a feast of incredible animals, landscapes, cultures, and gobsmackingly gorgeous food and fabulous camps. Karen is passionate about Africa and she willingly passes that passion on to her clients. She organises her tours in a way that every client’s wishes are catered for. It’s fantastic to be able to say “Karen, we want to go back again. Please organise everything for us”. Just a word of warning though – if you go once, you HAVE to go back again ………….. and again ………… and again ……………. Helen & Patti Ranson

International airfares are not included.

As tour operators (not travel agents), we are not licensed to sell flights. We recommend that you contact your trusted local travel agent to book your flights.

Australian and New Zealand passport holders do not need a visa for a maximum of 3 months within one calendar year if they travel as a tourist.

There are no mandatory vaccinations, however malaria prophylaxis (tablets) is recommended, particularly if visiting northern Namibia (Etosha National Park).

We are happy to arrange accommodation before or after your safari.

We highly recommend adding a couple of nights at Okonjima at the start of your safari to participate in tracking and other activities on offer.

My safaris attract active, adventurous travellers, mainly from Australia and New Zealand, and mostly in their 50s, 60s and beyond, who share a love of nature, wildlife, and authentic travel. You can expect fellow travellers who are friendly, down-to-earth, and excited to immerse themselves in Africa’s landscapes, wildlife and cultures. They prefer authentic experiences over flashy ones, enjoy a little comfort without the need for five-star glitz, and value supporting conservation and local communities while they travel. If you love nature, enjoy good company, and are curious about the world, you’ll feel right at home.

Guests come on their own, with a partner, or with a friend, and what unites everyone is a spirit of curiosity, a sense of adventure, and a desire to experience Africa in a more meaningful way than a “tick-the-boxes” tour. Many become lifelong friends – there’s something about sharing a lion sighting at dawn or a sundowner under the acacia trees that bonds people together!

My safaris attract active, adventurous travellers, mainly from Australia and New Zealand, and mostly in their 50s, 60s and beyond, who share a love of nature, wildlife, and authentic travel. You can expect fellow travellers who are friendly, down-to-earth, and excited to immerse themselves in Africa’s landscapes, wildlife and cultures. They prefer authentic experiences over flashy ones, enjoy a little comfort without the need for five-star glitz, and value supporting conservation and local communities while they travel. If you love nature, enjoy good company, and are curious about the world, you’ll feel right at home.

Guests come on their own, with a partner, or with a friend, and what unites everyone is a spirit of curiosity, a sense of adventure, and a desire to experience Africa in a more meaningful way than a “tick-the-boxes” tour. Many become lifelong friends – there’s something about sharing a lion sighting at dawn or a sundowner under the acacia trees that bonds people together!

Namibia Untold

from

NZD8,889

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  • Best price when you book direct
  • Interest-free payment options
  • Flexible cancellation policy
  • Solo traveller friendly

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