Okavango and Etosha


	The Okavango Delta [Full Image]

This varied itinerary has been specifically designed for people who want to see as much as possible in a limited time - without rushing unduly or missing out on the best that these countries have to offer. Namibia is developing an excellent reputation as one of the finest places to see game in Africa. Botswana on the other hand offers the very special wilderness habitat of the Okavango Delta - a freshwater paradise of vegetation and wildlife. You'll visit the "big three" - the Okavango Delta, Etosha National Park and the World's highest sand
dunes at Sossusvlei in Namibia. En route you experience the dramatic Kalahari, see ancient San bushman art at Twyfelfontein as well as stopping by a seal colony at Cape Cross.

Details

Price Includes

(MT-5208-P)

Flights

Accomodation

14 breakfasts, 14 lunches and 11 evening meals

Price Excludes

Local Payment Â£150, Optional Excursions, 14 breakfasts, 14 lunches and 11 evening meals are
included. Vegetarians can be catered for. You must pay for all other meals yourself (you can eat quite well for Â£20 per day).

Countries / Places Visited

Namibia, Botswana.

Suitability / Level

Easy

Max Group Size

Itinerary & Highlights

DAY 1 - FLY TO WINDHOEK

DAY 2 - GHANZI: On arrival at Windhoek international airport, you rendezvous with your group leader. You leave
immediately, heading due east on a flat, wellsurfaced road through the Kalahari Desert to the border with Botswana. En route you pass Gobabis, the administrative centre for the Tswana people and the main settlement of the Namibian Kalahari at the heart of Namibia's cattle country. On crossing the border you continue to your campsite shortly before the town of Ghanzi. Here, you relax after your journey (6-7hrs). On this first night of your adventure, you camp beneath the countless stars of a desert night sky. Camp - 1 night (LD)

DAY 3 - OKAVANGO DELTA: From your campsite you head into the nearby town of Ghanzi where it?s possible to change money and shop for any last minute supplies before you continue across the vast plains of the northern Kalahari. Later in the day the dry desert recedes and you see palms and other larger trees as you
approach the watery haven of the Okavango Delta. Before reaching Maun you turn off the main road to head up the western edge of the delta. Leaving the vehicle behind, you travel the last few miles by 4WD to Guma where you camp for the night. (6 hours driving) Camp - 1 night (BLD)

DAY 4 - OKAVANGO DELTA: Taking only what you will need for the next two nights, this morning you transfer into a motor boat for the 30-minute crossing of the Okavango River and enter the peace and quiet of the delta. En route you will start to spot some of the delta's prolific wildlife including ibis, several species of kingfisher,
stork, egret and perhaps even crocodile! You meet your Tswana polers and prepare for the journey: you have to learn how to load and balance your mokoro. These traditional dugout canoes of the delta were originally cut by hand from a single log though nowadays they are moulded from fibreglass to conserve the precious stock of local hardwoods. Although a mokoro looks anything but stable, in fact it is an extremely safe and reliable
craft. You set off two people to a mokoro - poled by a skilled Tswana who will act as your eyes and ears until you attune to this unfamiliar watery environment. You navigate the maze of creeks and narrow channels, slipping silently through the beds of reed and papyrus, past islands covered with palm trees. As you travel, you'll see numerous birds and may encounter red lechwe or even elephant browsing in the water. Over the next few days you get used to being without the trappings of city life; you are not without all comforts though, you can take a bush shower, and swim during the heat of the day. You fall asleep to the sounds of frogs
croaking and may hear the distinctive sound of hippos "laughing" in the distance. Bush Camp - 2 nights (BLD)

DAY 5 - OKAVANGO DELTA: The day unfolds with an early awakening to catch the dawn. This is a magical time of day - cool and still, with the merest rustle of breeze - although the cacophony of birdcalls can be almost deafening! After a quick breakfast, you set out on a long game walk - the animal kingdom is at its most active in
the early morning and this is the best time to take full advantage. Your experienced guide helps you to seek out game, which may include elephant, hippo, buffalo, warthog, and baboon - seeing big game on foot is an unforgettable experience! After working up an appetite, you return to camp for brunch - everything quietens down during the heat of the day, and you too can relax in camp and enjoy the peace. Late in the afternoon, as the temperature drops, head off for another walk to watch animals and see the sunset, returning before
darkness falls for dinner around the campfire. (BLD)

DAY 6 - OKAVANGO DELTA: After packing up camp this morning there is time to further explore this fascinating habitat on foot and study its abundant bird life, there are seven species of heron alone plus hornbill, eagle and a selection of brightly-coloured bee-eaters, rollers, hoopoes and parrots. Many live here because of the rich diet of fish they are able to find. Mid-morning you pole back - with more possibilities of seeing wildlife as you travel - to your base camp. This afternoon is left free. You may like to just sit and relax on the verandah which looks out over the Okavango River, keeping an eye out for passing wildlife or you could opt to take a fishing trip or go horse riding. This evening there is the option of taking a boat trip to spot crocodile by torchlight
before returning to camp for your final night in the delta. Camp - 1 night (BLD)

DAY 7 - RUNDU: Your route takes you back into Namibia at the western end of the Caprivi Strip via the tiny
Mahango Nature Reserve, where over 300 bird species have been recorded - many of them waterbirds, as well as buffalo and some species of antelope not found in Etosha. From here you cross Namibia's Kavango province, following the line of the river. Near Rundu you stop for the night at a campsite blessed with a pleasant view over the river. From here there are a number of optional activities including a guided walk to see some local villages, horse riding or a boat trip on the Okavango River. Tonight you can dine in the comfort of a
restaurant (not included). Camp - 1 night (BL)

DAY 8 - ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK, NAMUTONI: A short drive brings you to the town of Rundu itself where there is time to explore the local market before continuing down through the Kavango Region. There are a few breaks along the way at various kraals to see the local crafts, woodcarvings and fine basketwork. You then travel west across farmland and enter the Etosha National Park, just as the sun is setting. Etosha, Namibia's highly renowned, premier game park is huge - almost the size of Belgium, and has excellent facilities. The
whitewashed ramparts of Namutoni's old German fort - originally built to control and subdue the Wambo people, but now restored - are an evocative reminder of Namibia's past. Namutoni also has a floodlit waterhole that allows you to view game during the evening and late into the night if you choose. Camp - 1 night (BLD)

DAY 9 - ETOSHA NP, OKAUKUEJO: Today you head off across Etosha in search of a multitude of animals and birds. At the park's heart is the enormous Etosha Pan, a shallow, salty depression that once may have been a lake-bed, but now only fills with shallow water in exceptionally wet years. Around its perimeter numerous perennial waterholes attract great concentrations of wildlife. Five endangered species live here: black
rhinoceros, black-faced impala, Hartmann's mountain zebra, roan antelope and the tiny damara dik-dik.
You'll stop for lunch at Halali, another camp within the park, set in a unique area of rocky limestone outcrops. This also gives you the chance to cool off in a pool. In the afternoon you continue to add to your growing list of species spotted: elephant, giraffe, zebra, springbok, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest, gemsbok, kudu, eland, plus the carnivores: lion, cheetah, possibly leopard, spotted and brown hyena, and black-backed jackal. The long bird list includes more than 320 species - from ostrich and flamingo to the rare Wahlberg's eagle, and the
Klaas' cuckoo. You carry on to the western camp at Okaukejo. Once the site of another fort, it's now the
administrative headquarters of the park and the views at sunset from the top of its circular tower are renowned; it's possible to see as far as the unpronounceable Ondundozonananandana Mountains! Camp 2 nights (BLD)

DAY 10 - ETOSHA NP, OKAUKUEJO: Today you have a full day in the western side of the park. You'll fully explore the area in search of wildlife with game drives in the morning and evening. A highlight of your last night in the park will be the chance to see nocturnal animals down by the camp's waterhole. (BLD) Please note that the distribution of night stops in Etosha can vary due to park conditions and the whereabouts of the game.

DAY 11 - TWYFELFONTEIN: Today you leave Etosha and drive through picturesque farm country to Damaraland and its capital, Khorixas, where you stop briefly. Heading on to the fascinating area of Twyfelfontein, you visit an ancient Bushman site to see rock engravings carved into petrified sand dunes. Over 2,500 petroglyphs, some of which date back over 6,000 years to the early Stone Age, depict a variety of animals, including some no longer found in the region. You walk with a local guide to see the finest examples - it's easy to imagine how life must have been thousands of years ago. (driving time 5 hours approx.) Camp - 1 night (BLD)

DAY 12 - CAPE CROSS/SWAKOPMUND: After skirting the granite massif of Namibia's highest mountain, the Brandberg (2,573 m) - so-called because in the setting sun, 'fire mountain' glows red, you cross the gravel plains of the Namib Desert. Soon you see the Atlantic Ocean and stop to visit Cape Cross Seal Reserve which protects up to 250,000 Cape Fur seals (a species of sea-lion). You head south along the Skeleton Coast - this
treacherous, rocky coastline was named by mariners who saw many whale bones washed up on its inhospitable shores. Finally you reach Swakopmund, Namibia's second city, where you may glimpse flamingo and pelican. During this brief return to civilisation, you'll sleep in a real bed, and dine in a restaurant where you can savour fresh seafood from the Atlantic, and Black Forest gateau! For any who have missed the trappings of city life, there is even a casino! (driving time 4.5 hours approx.) Chalets (6-bedded rooms) - 1 night (BL)

DAY 13 - SESRIEM: This morning there is the option of a flight over the barren Skeleton coast and the spectacular dunes at Sossusvlei. (Those choosing this option can, if they wish, choose to have themselves set down at Sesriem, thereby avoiding the long, but rewarding, drive). Those making the journey by land will
witness the scenery changing throughout the day; you leave the seemingly endless lunar landscape of gravel plain, whose horizon is studded with massive granite kopjes and enter an area of mountain desert which then gives way to dunes. Unbelievably, this beautiful but waterless environment is home to many different animals and birds. Although no rain falls, thick sea mists that can penetrate over 100km inland help to sustain a remarkable variety of life. You stop to marvel at the prehistoric Welwitschia mirabilis, a plant that has mysteriously adapted to life in the desert with such success that it lives for over a thousand years! Your destination is Sesriem, gateway to the highest sand dunes in the world, where your campsite is set under enormous camel-thorn trees, with a pool where you can wash off the dust of your trip. Sunsets here are fantastic, and nightfall brings the emergence of a billion stars in the clear skies of the desert. (Driving time ? 5.5 hours approx.) Camp - 2 nights (BLD)

DAY 14 - SOSSUSVLEI/SESRIEM: You rise well before dawn and drive in darkness to the heart of the desert to witness an incredible scene. With the first hint of daylight, the dunes flush with colour, which deepens and changes until the first rays of sun strike the quartz sand. The spectacle is breathtaking. The endless expanse of legendary 'walking dunes' - sculpted by the wind - has to be seen to be believed. Far from all looking alike, dunes of different areas have distinctive shapes and characteristics. You walk with a specialist local guide to learn about the curious mechanics of this unstable landscape and discover the natural world living within and around it. At the end of an ancient river course lies Sossusvlei - a clay pan set amidst red dunes - keep a sharp
lookout for the striking gemsbok. It's well worth climbing to the top of one of the 300m high dunes (reputedly the highest on earth) for the view. Equally impressive is the silence and the tremendous sense of isolation. The heat forces you back to camp where you rest until late afternoon when you visit Sesriem Gorge, a wonderland of rock formation and geology where the desert floor has been cut by the force of water. (BLD)

DAY 15 - WINDHOEK: Today, unfortunately, is the last leg of your safari. You bid the dunes farewell and travel back to Windhoek. (Driving time 5 hours approx.) Hotel 1 night (BL)

DAY 16 - FLY TO LONDON: Most of today is free for you to explore the city and do your last minute shopping before heading out to the airport for your evening flight to London. (B)

DAY 17 - ARRIVE LONDON

(BLD = Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).

Accommodation & Centre Details

Transport & Accommodation
4WD vehicle, dugout canoe, on foot. Camping (12nts), chalets (1nt). Flights (Schedules & airlines can change.) Direct flights with Air Namibia from London Gatwick. Depart UK 21.15, Return UK 04.55. UK domestic add-on available.

Okavango and Etosha

The Okavango Delta

Details

Itinerary & Highlights

Accommodation & Centre Details

Holidays Extras