Namibia’s Untouched North

Arrival at Hosea Kutako Airport no later than midday. Your transfer driver awaits you and takes you to the Elegant Guesthouse in Windhoek, where you have some time to rest and freshen up after your long flight. In the afternoon, you meet up with your guide for a tour of the city. You visit the Christ Church, the Tintenpalast (House of Parliament) and the former Kaiserstraße, now called the Independence Avenue. In the evening, we recommend you having dinner at the well-known Joe’s Beerhouse (own expense).

After breakfast it is time to head north! Along the way you pass vast farmlands and the historic Waterberg Plateau, towering majestically over the surrounding flat plains. As you reach Grootfontein, you take a detour to the Hoba meteorite. It impacted the ground roughly 80,000 years ago and is the largest known meteorite on earth. In the afternoon, you finally reach your accommodation for the night, the Fiume Bush Camp. Sit back, enjoy your peaceful surroundings and look forward to the next day which will be filled with interesting encounters.

An authentic cultural experience with the San, one of the oldest people of the world, awaits you today. Proudly, they give you a detailed insight into their way of life, their customs and their traditions and explain how their ancient hunter-gatherer culture was practiced not too long ago. Go on an informative walk through the bush and try your hand in starting a campfire, in making a bow and arrow or in crafting jewellery as you enjoy some traditional dancing and singing. Take a break from the world as you know it an engage on an equal footing with the San. You spend another night at Fiume Bush Camp.

After breakfast you continue through Tsumeb and along the deep blue Lake Otjikoto, a place where many stories and myths have originated, on your way to Etosha National Park. Your accommodation for the night is situated just outside the park gates. You have some time to relax before you embark on your first game drive in the national park. Etosha (‘Great White Place’) is one of the biggest national parks in Africa and with its diverse wildlife and landscape – from Acacia trees on the wide-open plains to the large salt pan, stretching as far as the eye can see – it is definitely one of the most interesting. Keep an eye out for elephants, giraffes, lions, many antelope species and much more! Sitting around the campfire in the evening you can reflect on the experiences of the day, before enjoying a delicious meal. You stay the night at Mushara Bush Camp.

The following two days are set aside for game viewing in the Etosha National Park. Since you are in no rush, you can explore the central part of Etosha intensely. Especially in the dry months, the waterholes are great places for seeing herds of elephants, zebras, giraffes, wildebeests, oryx, impalas, springboks and with a little bit of luck also lions, rhinos and leopards. Observe the animals and birds as they come to quench their thirst and study their behaviour together with your guide. Before the sun sets, you make your way to the Etosha Village just outside the national park. Get comfortable and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere while two eventful safari days come to an end.

After breakfast, your journey continues to the western part of Etosha National Park, where a full day of exciting wildlife encounters awaits you. You will be amazed by how much you have already learned about the flora and fauna of the area. Keep an eye out for animals you might not have seen these last few days. In the afternoon you leave the Etosha National Park and head to the nearby Hobatere Lodge. Enjoy the drive through the beautiful scenery of the Hobatere concession area as the sun slowly begins to set. After a delicious dinner you can opt to take part in a night game drive in an open safari vehicle (optional) and with a little bit of luck find some of those shy nocturnal animals.

In the morning you leave Hobatere and drive north. Your journey takes you along the western outer edge of the Etosha National Park and continues further north via Ruacana to the Kunene River, which forms the border between Namibia and Angola. Through a spectacular and nearly completely uninhabited landscape, you travel along the river. Your destination for the day is the Omarunga Epupa Falls Camp, only a stone’s throw away from the Epupa Falls. Here, against a breath-taking backdrop, the Kunene River cascades down into a 60-meter-deep gorge – a spectacular sight to behold. Once you are at the camp you have time to relax and enjoy your surroundings. If you would like to stretch your legs, you can always go for a stroll to the Epupa Falls. In the late afternoon, your guide takes you to a nearby viewpoint, where you can enjoy the picturesque sunset and scenic landscape dotted with Makalani palms and Baobab trees. You stay the night at Omarunga Epupa Falls Camp

In the morning, you will visit a Himba village, where you will not only learn more about the culture and traditions of these proud people, but also get an insight into their everyday lives. Most striking is the intense red colour of the women’s bodies. By using a paste of butter fat, ochre powder and wood ash, they dye their hair and protect their skin from the sun. You also cannot help but to admire their intricately braided hair and their gorgeous jewellery, made from iron, copper and shells. In the afternoon, you will join a walk along the Kunene River accompanied by a Himba guide. He will explain the different vegetation found in the region and you might even see a crocodile lounging in the sun. After about 2-3 hours you will head back to the Omarunga Epupa Falls Camp.

Wake up to the gentle sounds of the Kunene… After a leisurely breakfast your journey takes you through the town of Opuwo and continues south along the Joubert Mountains and over the steep Joubert Pass. Your destination is the Fort Sesfontein. This old fortress was built in 1896 as an outpost to guard against poaching and weapons smuggling. It has now been converted to a comfortable lodge, where you spend the night.

Today calls for an early start as you embark on a journey through the Kaokoland. Enjoy the awe-inspiring and diverse landscape as you cross the sandy Hoanib River Valley and drive through shallow grassland and gravel desert. Always keep an eye out for wildlife as you can find desert elephants, giraffes, lone oryx and zebras here. Even lions can be seen from time to time in this inhospitable wilderness. A well-deserved shower awaits you back at the lodge to wash away the dust of the day. You stay another night at Fort Sesfontein Lodge.

You leave early in the morning and make your way past Palmwag to the heart of the Damaraland. You stop along the way at the Petrified Forest to witness the over 200-million-year-old, petrified tree trunks which lie scattered across the site. You also have the chance to more closely inspect the Welwitschia plants, which grow here in abundance. Driving through Khorixas you finally reach the Vingerklip Lodge. Sit back and enjoy the last rays of sunshine as your eyes glide over the picturesque valley with its flat top hills, known as the Ugab Terraces. You have your evening meal and overnight stay at the Vingerklip Lodge.

If you have not yet had the opportunity, you visit the Vingerklip together with your guide in the morning. This remarkable 35-meter-high rock needle resembles a finger, hence the name ‘Finger Rock’. Hiking trails take you up to the Vingerklip, offering great photo opportunities of the valley below. You then continue to Okahandja. Take some time to browse through the well-known souvenir market, where you can find wood carvings, textiles and jewellery to name but a few. You then finally reach the charming Immanuel Wilderness Lodge close to Windhoek. Take your time to sit back and reflect on everything you have seen and experienced over the past days.

After breakfast, you head back to Windhoek. Depending on the rest of your travel plans, we take you directly to the airport or to a hotel of your choice in Windhoek. You say farewell to your guide – totsiens – until next time.