Namibia – A Comprehensive Tour of the Dunes, the Desert, the Wildlife and the People – 1st October 2017
Namibia – A Vast Country
In February 2016, I completed a 24-day recce to Namibia. The country is huge and the best venues are usually far apart. If you tried to see everything I saw into two weeks, then you would spend more than 50% of of your time travelling from place to place. That is not my idea of a successful holiday. I have therefore tailored our tour to include all of the main wildlife highlights of my trip into a two-week safari with a minimal amount of travelling. I will also to offer an intimate time with the Himba Tribe as an optional add-on. This does involve a fair amount of travelling, but our venue is really remote and has rarely been visited by people from the UK. It is a very special, totally authentic, experience that you will greatly enjoy. With comfort in mind, we will travel between venues in spacious 4 x 4 vehicles with a maximum of 3 clients in any one vehicle.
Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei is one of Namibia’s most spectacular landmarks with its red dunes and white saltpans. It is possibly Namibia’s best-known attraction. Some dunes are almost 400 metres high and offer incredible photographic opportunities, particularly in late afternoon light. The dunes can only be reached using 4 x 4 vehicles and we will have a huge advantage over the vast majority of visitors to the area. We will be staying at the only lodge situated inside the park. This will give us the privilege of starting our photography one hour earlier, and finishing our photography one hour later, than most people visiting Sossusvlei. The main dunes we will photograph will be Dune 45, Big Daddy and Big Mama. The contrasting colours between the shaded parts of the dunes and those that are lit by the golden rays of the setting sun are something very special. We will have two sessions at the dunes.
Deadvlei
Deadvlei is a white clay pan located near the famous saltpan of Sossusvlei. For me, this is an even greater attraction than the dunes. Deadvlei is characterized by dark, dead camel thorn trees contrasting against the white pan floor. The pan was created when the Tsauchab River flooded, enabling the camel thorn trees to grow. Some time later the climate changed. The sand dunes encroached onto the pan and blocked the river from reaching the trees. They died and, although they are now approximately 900 years old, they have not decomposed. This is due to the extremely dry climate – Deadvlei has virtually no rainfall whatsoever. It is an absolute paradise for photographers. The contrast between the pitch-black trees, the bleached-white pans, the rusty-red dunes and the deep blue sky will make for some incredible images. Deadvlei is just over a kilometre’s walk from the parking area so an early morning start is required. As with the dunes, we will have two sessions at Deadvlei. Different lighting conditions will produce very different results. Deadvlei is best photographed from the moment the very first shafts of the morning light begin to hit the dunes, to the time when they are fully illuminated. By about 8.15 the light becomes too harsh. This is exactly the time the visitors staying outside the park begin to arrive.
Swakopmund Living Desert Tour
This, for me, was one of the real highlights of the tour. My pictures do not do this justice. I photographed for one day while feeling unwell and missed the second day altogether. The desert is alive. To a stranger it appears a totally barren place where nothing could possibly survive. We will be in the hands of local desert experts who will reveal what lives, out of sight, just inches below the surface of the sand. With a little luck we should be able to see the following; Dancing White Lady Spiders, Namib Dune Geckos, Legless Lizards, Sidewinder Snakes, Desert Chameleons and various other fascinating creatures. We will learn how each species survives in this ultra-harsh environment. It is absolutely fascinating to listen to, and the tour would not be the same without this marvelous insight into life in the desert. We will have two separate full morning tours in two separate desert areas with two different guides. This should maximize our chances of seeing all/most of our chosen subjects.
Cape Cross Seal Colony
We will visit the seals one afternoon during our stay at Swakopmund. It is just 1.5 hours away. There are a couple of shipwrecks to stop at en-route as we travel along the Skeleton Coast. More seals breed at Cape Cross than anywhere else in the world. Numbers are typically around 100,000, but during the breeding season in November and December, there may be up to 210,000 Cape Fur Seals at Cape Cross. Photographs are either taken from a 200-metre walkway or from behind an extensive low stone wall. Some seals are wary as you first approach but soon begin to return once they establish that you are not a threat to them. There are some great shots to be had from the walkway as the larger waves crash right over seals perched on the rocks, often knocking them into the foaming sea below.
Erindi Private Game Reserve
Erindi is the largest game reserve in Namibia and occupies some 70,719 hectares of pristine wilderness. We will stay in Luxury suites at the Old Traders Lodge. It overlooks a magnificent floodlit waterhole, which has resident Hippos and Crocodiles. Southern Giraffes, Wild Dogs, Elephants, Zebras, Adjutant Storks and an often somewhat distant Brown Hyena also regularly visit here. We will have a private vehicle for two morning & two afternoon game drives. We can target whatever species we choose. Better opportunities with Leopards and Cheetahs will be provided at our next destination so we will avoid these at Erindi. They currently have 12 Wild Dogs that usually remain close to our lodge. These can often be viewed at the waterhole as well as from a vehicle. They have Elephants, Ostrich, Eland, Springbok, Waterbuck, Giraffes, Mountain Zebra, Jackal, Spotted Hyena, Brown Hyena, Black Rhino, White Rhino, Lions, Oryx, Red Hartebeest, Impala, Black (white tailed) Wildebeest, Yellow Mongoose, and Blue Wildebeest. We also photographed more “difficult to find” species such as Bat-Eared Foxes, Aardvark, Blesbok and Aardwolf. Other subjects photographed included Red-Crested Khoran, Kalahari Tortoise, Leopard Tortoise, Guinea Fowl, Shaft-Tailed Whydah, Blue Waxbill, Violet-Eared Waxbill, Francolin, Black Kite, Blacksmiths Plover, Wart Hogs, Auger Buzzards, Secretary Bird, Yellow-Billed Kites, Damara Hornbills, Go-away Bird, Egyptian Goose with chicks, Ground Squirrel, Abdims Stork and a Blister Beetle.
Okonjima
This has to be my favourite place of all the ones we visited in Namibia. We made a last minute spur of the moment booking here. It was not on my original list of places to visit. Everyone has heard of Okonjima but maybe (like me at the time) they are not aware of exactly what is on offer here. The only last minute accommodation available were the superior luxury chalets at Plains Camp, with beautiful views over the plains. It is the most luxurious accommodation I have ever stayed in. This safari is all about providing the very best in photographic opportunities, but I just had to make an exception here and also offer the very best accommodation. You will have two nights (four game-drives) in the very same “view rooms” that we used on the recce. Enjoy yourselves. The game viewing in this 20,000 hectares reserve is fantastic. There are various drives that major on specific species. However, we will book a private vehicle and we will be able to be completely flexible in the animals we target. Some of the Leopards, Cheetahs and Wild Dogs are collared which means that we can usually find these animals without too much difficulty. Only one Wild Dog was collared and it was not too difficult to photograph the Leopards from an angle that totally obscured the collar. I thought that Okonjima was just about relocating troublesome animals. It is a lot more than that. It has a wonderful game-viewing park that is larger than Etosha. As well as seeing the regular subjects, we had close encounters with some “new to me” animals as well – Red Hartebeest, Blue Wildebeest, Steenbok, Springbok, Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra, Black Faced Impala, Duiker and the pre-historic looking Black Wildebeest. We had four encounters with Leopards in just two game-drives and also photographed Chanting Goshawk, Graber Goshawk, Bat Eared Foxes, Southern Pied Babbler, Baboons, Southern Giraffes, Swallow Tailed Bee-Eaters, Dikdik, and Warthogs.
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Africat Experience at Okonjima
Between game drives at Okonjima we will do a two-hour visit to the Africat Foundation. This was so productive that I have included TWO visits here. It is just a few minutes’ drive from our accommodation and is where injured animals are treated on arrival to Okonjima. They are, in most cases, restored to a condition where they can either remain in very large enclosures or can be prepared for release to other parks. None of the animals here are collared and we go inside various enclosures, each one several acres in size. We will feed a leopard in a tree. This event provided some beautiful pictures both before it was fed and while it was in the tree. We then entered a number of enclosures with up to four Cheetahs in each. The enclosures are big enough to photograph the cats in perfectly natural surroundings with no wires or fences in your pictures. Only you will know that you have not photographed these animals totally in the wild.
Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park covers some 22,270 sq. km and is rated as one of the world’s great wildlife-viewing venues. Unlike many other parks in Africa, where you can spend your time looking for animals across the plains, Etosha’s charm is its ability to bring the animals to you. Park your car near one of the many waterholes and watch a host of animals – Lions, Elephants, Rhino, Zebra, Giraffes, Springboks etc. come to you -in great numbers. Etosha is home to some 114 mammal species and 340 bird species. My recce worked like a dream – except for Etosha. It had rained the week before we arrived. Etosha is best visited before the rains come. If you visit after the rains, the animals will have disappeared to better grazing that was previously too far from water. Your visit has been designed to precede the winter rains. There are three camps with their own floodlit waterholes. We will stay at the two more productive locations – Halali and Okaukuejo. We have the option to sit and watch the animals from the comfort of the lodges, or to search for animals at other waterholes.
Himba Experience
No visit to Namibia would be complete without a visit to a Himba tribe. Time and distances prevent us from visiting them in Kaokoland. There is, however, a Himba village not too far from our scheduled route between lodges. It is called the Otjikandero Himba Orphan Project. The village was formed after a local landowner took a Himba lady to be his bride. He moved her from her distant homeland to his land near Kamanjab. The marriage failed and the lady received a parcel of land as settlement. Several Himba families have now also moved away from Kaokoland, and have joined her and settled on her land. They live in their own traditional way and everything you will see is an authentic example of what you would see hundreds of miles away. The Himba are some of the most photographed tribes-people in the world. They wear scanty goatskin clothing, and are heavily adorned with jewelry consisting of shells, copper and iron. The wonderfully distinctive red colour of their skin and hair is a mixture of butter, ochre (otjize) and ash. This affords them protection from the harsh desert climate. Income generated by our visit will help to support the day-to-day existence of the tribe. Any surplus goes into a trust to pay for food, general supplies, medicine, and to take care of orphaned children who are cared for by the owner. These children (now more than 30) have come from various families who were unable to support them. There are some great photographic opportunities to be had here, and we will arrange for some private time with the ladies after the official tour has ended.
Namibia 2017 Itinerary
Saturday September 30th;
Depart UK. Overnight in flight.
Sunday October 1st;
Arrive Windhoek. Drive to Sossusvlei.
PM Sossusvlei dunes trip by lodge vehicle.
Overnight Sossusvlei Dune Lodge. LD.
Monday October 2nd;
AM Deadvlei and PM Sossusvlei dunes (lodge vehicles)
Overnight Sossusvlei Dune Lodge. BLD.
Tuesday October 3rd;
AM Deadvlei by lodge vehicle.
PM Transfer to Swakopmund.
Overnight Swakopmund Hotel. BLD.
Wednesday October 4th;
AM Chris Nel dunes tour.
PM Visit to Cape Cross seals.
Overnight Swakopmund Hotel. BLD.
Thursday October 5th;
AM Charley’s dunes tour.
PM drive to Omaruru.
Overnight Omaruru Hotel. BLD
Friday October 6th;
Morning transfer to Erindi
PM game drive. Overnight Erindi Lodge. BLD.
Saturday October 7th;
AM & PM game drives.
Overnight Erindi Lodge. BLD.
Sunday October 8th;
AM Erindi game drive.
Depart Erindi for Okonjima.
PM Okonjima game drive.
Overnight Okonjima View rooms. BLD.
Monday October 9th;
AM Wild Dog game drive.
11.00 Africat Tour.
PM Leopard game drive.
Overnight Okonjima View rooms. BLD.
Tuesday October 10th;
AM Game drive.
11.00 Africat Tour.
PM transfer to Kamanjab.
Overnight Kamanjab.
Oppi Koppi hotel BLD.
Wednesday October 11th;
AM Himba Experience.
Drive to Etosha.
PM game viewing in Etosha N.P.
(in park or at waterhole).
Overnight in Halali Game Lodge. BLD.
Thursday October 12th;
AM and PM – Etosha N.P. game viewing
(in park or at waterhole).
Overnight in Halali Game Lodge. BLD.
Friday October 13th;
AM and PM – Etosha N.P. game viewing
(in park or at waterhole).
Transfer to Okuakuejo Rest Camp.
Overnight Okuakuejo Rest Camp. BLD.
Saturday October 14th;
AM – Etosha N.P. game viewing
(in park or at waterhole).
Transfer to Windhoek.
Overnight in flight. BL.
Sunday October 15th;
Arrive UK.
Main Trip Costs –
NAD 109,000 (approx. £6000)
This trip has been calculated in Namibian Dollars to avoid currency exchange rate fluctuations.
Please contact us if you need further advice.
Included:
All meals where indicated. All game drives listed above. Two drives to Deadvlei and two to Sossusvlei. Trip to Cape Cross. Two Africat tours. Himba experience. Two Swakopmund dunes tours. Game viewing in Etosha N.P.
Excluded;
Tips for the drivers and guides. Airport food. International flights. Alcohol and any drinks not included at our accommodation.
Namibia 2017 – Himba Extension
Etosha National Park
This extension will continue on seamlessly from our time in Etosha. There will be no driving back to Windhoek Airport and then retracing our steps. We will say our goodbyes at breakfast-time to those returning home, and our extension will continue with another day in Etosha. During the afternoon our game viewing in Etosha will take us to the western side of the park to Dolomite Camp. Dolomite Camp boasts some of the highest concentrations of wildlife in the park, notably Hartmann’s zebra. These animals do not occur in the eastern part of Etosha.
Travel to Kaokoland
After our overnight stay we will spend all/most of the day travelling to Etaambura Rest Camp in Kaokoland. This is a long trip and there will only be time for limited photography while travelling today. If the moon is absent, there may be excellent opportunities for star trails at Etaambura. The air is totally free from pollution and, if clouds are absent, the clarity of the stars will amaze you.
Our days with the Himba Tribe
We will have both a morning and an evening session with three different villages. This will ensure that we have different subjects to photograph. The manageress of Etaambura will accompany us on our visits. She is of Himba descent and will translate for us. She will arrange for the ladies to sit or stand in various positions for us. The visits are included in your tour and you do not have to pay per shot. You are permitted to take as many photographs as you like throughout the session. The vast majority of the ladies are extremely friendly and quite happy to comply with any reasonable request. A few are a little shy at first. The cost of our time with the Himba is included in this tour. A fairly generous tip to be shared amongst all participants is, however, expected at the end of each session. You will see from my photographs that amazing results can be achieved by photographing the ladies in low light inside the huts. This is my preferred option as the sun rises and the light gets harsher. In the afternoons, the young girls return with herds of goats just before sunset. You can photograph them milking the goats as the sun drops slowly below the horizon. Some of the really young children rush to the goats to eagerly devour the result of their hard work. The ladies prepare the maize “porridge” over a smoky fire. On the last afternoon all the ladies come to one location and perform a traditional Himba dance for us. It is a truly amazing experience that you will never forget. All of this is totally authentic and in a location that only a handful of people ever get to see at any one time.
Etaambura Camp
Etaambura Camp is extremely remote and is situated deep into Kaokoland – the home of the Himba tribe. It is Namibia’s first Himba-owned camp and is situated on top of a hill near the holy plains of Onjuva. Etaambura has five beautifully sited twin-bedded thatch units, each with their own private deck. They have all been built on wooden platforms allowing amazing views over the surrounding landscape. Hunting of wild animals is strictly forbidden in this area, as the Himba believe that ancestral spirits protect the animals on the local plains. The rooms are spacious with lighting, fans and en-suite toilet and shower. There are large patio doors leading onto a large open deck. This is a great place to practice star trails (if the moon is not too bright). Charging facilities are available in the spacious main lounge. The camp (officially) is a self-catering camp. We have a special arrangement whereby we take our food and drinks with us in a large fridge in the back of our vehicle. All our meals will then be prepared and cooked by the lodge staff. This was the case on my recce and the standard of cooking really was excellent -in fact it was no different to eating meals in any other camp/lodge.
The Himba Tribe
The people of the Himba tribe live in the Kaokoland (now called Kunene) region of northern Namibia. There are somewhere between 20,000 and 50,000 Himba people. They tend to live in isolated communities and are closely related to the Herero people –of which there are in excess of 200,000. The Himba and Herero both speak the same language. The Himba raise some cattle and a large number of goats. An extremely severe drought in the 1980s killed almost all of their cattle. Goats are more resilient and are now much more prevalent. Women do the daily chores of milking animals, fetching water, raising children and building homes. During the day, the task of raising the children is often designated to just one lady, leaving the other ladies free to perform other duties. The men are dressed less traditionally and often sport football shirts and shorts. They make themselves scarce during the day, and that leaves us just with the ladies and children. The Himba women wear very few clothes. To protect themselves from the sun they make a paste of butterfat, ochre and herbs, which they rub on their skin on a daily basis. This makes their skin a gorgeous reddish-brown in colour. The Himba rightly think this colour to be beautiful. They believe it unites the colour of earth with the colour of blood, the symbol of life. The hairstyles worn by Himba women are also quite unique. The hair is braided (“weaved”) and covered with an ochre mixture called “otjize”. Girls have just two hair braids until reaching puberty. From December to April, Himba women harvest resin from myrrh (sometimes known as the perfume plant). This is the beautiful fragrance that was made famous by the Bible’s three wise men. They burn the myrrh and other resins, and use the sweet smelling smoke to refresh and clean their bodies. Himba ladies are almost always topless and wear a lot of leather jewelry, often combined with metal bands and shells. Their skirts/loincloths are made from animal skin and they wear beaded anklets to protect them from snakebites. The Himba’s diet is mainly porridge. Each morning and evening they boil water and add flour to it. The flour is usually maize but sometimes they use mahangu (pearl millet) as well. Only on rare occasions such as weddings do they eat meat.
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Namibia 2017 Extension Itinerary
Saturday October 14th;
AM & PM – Etosha N.P. game viewing.
Overnight Dolomite Camp, Etosha. BLD.
Sunday October 15th;
Drive to Etaambura. Overnight Etaambura Camp. BD.
Monday October 16th;
AM & PM Himba photography.
Overnight Etaambura Camp. BLD.
Tuesday October 17th;
AM & PM Himba photography.
Overnight Etaambura Camp. BLD.
Wednesday October 18th;
AM & PM Himba photography.
Overnight Etaambura Camp. BLD.
Thursday October 19th;
Drive to Khorixas.
Overnight Khorixas Country Lodge
(or) Mopani Rest Camp BD.
Friday October 20th;
Drive Khorixas to Windhoek Airport.
Overnight in flight. BL.
Saturday October 21st;
Arrive UK.
Extension Trip Costs
NAD 51,768 (£2900)
This trip has been calculated in Namibian Dollars to avoid currency exchange rate fluctuations.
Please contact us if you need further advice.
Included;
All meals where indicated above. Two daily visits to three different Himba villages. All food and soft drinks for our stay at Etaambura.
Excluded;
Meals where not indicated above. Snacks may be purchased for the long journeys. Tips for the Himba Tribe, drivers and guides. Airport food. International flights. Alcohol and any drinks not included at our accommodation.