Namibia Family Trip

Day 1: Windhoek
You will be met in the arrivals hall of the Hosea Kutako International airport by your local representative who will transfer you to the Rivendell Guesthouse. Located in Namibia's capital city Windhoek, Rivendell caters for guests who enjoy homely, comfortable accommodation and is regarded as"the last homely house before the wilds".

Day 2: Windhoek - Maerua Park (B & D)
This morning you will be transferred to the Desert homestead which lies approximately 32km southeast of Sesriem. The wide grassy valley is sheltered by the Nubib, Tsaris and Naukluft mountains with a view reaching the distant dunes of the Namib Desert in the west. In this exquisite position, you will have simple but stylish accommodation in thatched chalets.

Day 3: Maerua Park - Sossusvlei (B & D)
After breakfast you will enjoy a guided tour by 4x4 vehicle to the magnificent sand dunes at Sossusvlei. We recommend an early departure, before sunrise to appreciate the outstanding colours of the sand dunes. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the dunes before returning for dinner and accommodation.

Day 4: Maerua Park - Swakopmund (B)
After breakfast you will depart for Sandfields Guesthouse, an intimate and sophisticated family-run boutique guesthouse in Swakopmund, Located a few minutes' walk from the sea and a short drive from the town centre. Free afternoon.

Day 5: Swakopmund (B)
After breakfast you will embark on a Catamaran Dolphin Cruise in Walvis Bay Lagoon. Here you can view dolphins, seals, a variety of sea birds and you may even be fortunate enough to see whales, leatherback turtles or sun fish. Snacks included before returning to Swakopmund.

Day 6: Swakopmund (B)
After rising early, embark on the Living Desert Excursion, a unique 4x4 adventure which specializes in bringing the desert to life while sharing the awesome beauty of the Namib Desert. The coastal dune belt may seem barren and lifeless to many people, but in fact it is alive with a fascinating variety of little desert adapted animals, which are able to survive on the life-giving fog which consistently rolls in from the cold Atlantic Ocean. Come see the Dancing White Lady Spider (Carparachne aureoflava) cartwheel 44 turns per second down a dune to escape the enemy. Admire the transparent Namib Dune Gecko (Pachydactylus rangei) with webbed feet that are equivalent to snow shoes. Learn about the different beetles and insects and how they survive in the dune desert. Follow in the tracks of a legless Lizard (Fitsimmon's Burrowing Skink), observe Sand Diving Lizards (Meroles Anchieta) dancing on the hot sand, Sidewinder Snakes (Perinquey's Adder), Desert Chameleons and many more fascinating creatures. Learn about the geology, structure and formation of the desert, and admire the vast and beautiful landscapes while enjoying a scenic dune drive combined with fun and adrenalin. Return to your hotel.

Day 7: Swakopmund - Damara Mopane Lodge (B & D)
After breakfast, transfer to the Damara Mopane Lodge some 20km east of Khorixas. Surrounded by the African savannah with shrubs and acacias, sandy dry riverbeds, massive granite mountain tops and table mountains are characteristic of the wildly romantic scenery of Damaraland. Namibia's original inhabitants carved animals and mysterious symbols into the reddish-brown sandstone at Twyfelfontein, now a World Heritage site. The Vingerklip rock stack of solidified sediments, the Organ Pipes of basalt and the tree trunks of stone on the other hand are nature's works of art. Springbok and oryx antelope graze in the savannah; the famous desert-adapted elephants move through the dry riverbeds. Built in the wattle and daub style under Mopane trees and connected by a labyrinth of paths, the main building and chalets of the lodge look like an African village. The walls are adorned by copies of the rock engravings at Twyfelfontein. Each of the 55 doubleroom chalets (with air conditioning) sits in a vegetable and herb garden surrounded by a low wall.

Day 8: Damara Mopane Lodge (B & D)
Today, enjoy a bush drive out to find the Desert-adapted elephants in the the western regions of Damaraland. These beautiful animals move mainly around dry riverbeds, surviving and living on the foliage of trees and shrubs provided by rivers and seasonal rains. Return to the lodge for accommodation and dinner.

Day 9: Damara Mopane Lodge - Etosha Game Reserve (B)
After breakfast transfer to the Etosha National Park and Okaukuejo. It is the oldest tourist camp in Etosha and it currently functions as the administrative hub of the park as well as being home to the Etosha Ecological Institute. It is situated at the western end of the Etosha Pan. The main attraction of this camp is that it overlooks a permanent waterhole, which is floodlit at night. Here a wide diversity of wildlife congregates and interacts. The spectacle starts at dawn, with animals coming in large numbers to quench their thirst. The excitement continues throughout the day and deep into the night. In the early evenings, it is not uncommon to have black rhinoceros, elephant and lion, all drinking at the same time.

Day 10: Etosha Game Reserve (B)
Today you will enjoy two game drives around Etosha. Game viewing is best done in the cool of the early morning or late afternoon stopping at the various waterholes en-route. Etosha National Park is one of Southern Africa's finest and most important Game Reserves and declared a National Park in 1907,covering an area of 22 270 square km. It is home to 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species and, surprisingly, one species of fish.The game viewing in Etosha National Park is excellent, the best time being from May to September - the cooler months in Namibia. Visitors to Etosha Game Reserve can expect to see many buck species, elephant, giraffe, rhino and lions. More fortunate visitors will see leopard and cheetah. There is a network of roads linking the three campsites and subsidiary roads lead to various waterholes.

Day 11: Etosha Game Reserve(B)
We will stay in the Etosha Game reserve but move to the Halali Family Chalet, strategically located halfway between Okaukuejo and Namutoni. Halali is situated at the base of a dolomite hill, amongst shady Mopane trees, and provides an ambiance of tranquility and space. It is surrounded by some of the most popular waterholes in the park. A flood-lit waterhole which is viewed from an elevated vantage poilt within the camp provides axceptional wildlife viewing throughout the day and into the night. Accommodation is provided in secluded self-catering family chalets, with elevated patios overlooking the surrounding landscape; two- and four-bed bush chalets.

Day 12: Etosha Game Reserve(B & D)
Again we will stay in the Etosha Game reserve but move to the Mushara Bush Camp. The Bush Camp offers a more down-to-earth tented camp experience. The 16 custom-made luxury tents are built from a combination of canvas and local limestone. They are all equipped with an en-suite bathroom and shower, (and oversized window to view the bush) a fan, mosquito nets, tea/coffee station and an in-room safe. Every tent has it's own 8 square meter private verandah, with roof to floor window. The brushed cement floors and lime stone walls, are designed to keep the rooms cool from the hot afternoon sun. 4 of these tents are ideally suited for families, as they have a sleeper couch, ideal for two small children. Activities at the camp centre around morning and afternoon game drives into Etosha National Park.

Day 13: Etosha Game Reserve - Waterburg Camp (B)
Your last day in the wilderness will be at the Waterberg Camp, nestled along the base of the cliffs of the Waterberg Plateau, inside the National Park of the same name. It towers some 200m above the surrounding landscape, and the plateau with its sheer cliffs and fascinating rock formations, serve as a breeding area for endangered animal species.

Day 14: Waterburg Camp - Windhoek (B)
After breakfast, transfer back to Windhoek for your return flight home.

Day 1: Windhoek
Day 2: Windhoek - Maerua Park (B & D)
Day 3: Maerua Park - Sossusvlei (B & D)
Day 4: Maerua Park - Swakopmund (B)
Day 5: Swakopmund (B)
Day 6: Swakopmund (B)
Day 7: Swakopmund - Damara Mopane Lodge (B & D)
Day 8: Damara Mopane Lodge (B & D)
Day 9: Damara Mopane Lodge - Etosha Game Reserve (B)
Day 10: Etosha Game Reserve (B)
Day 11: Etosha Game Reserve(B)
Day 12: Etosha Game Reserve(B & D)
Day 13: Etosha Game Reserve - Waterburg Camp (B)
Day 14: Waterburg Camp - Windhoek (B)

• Accommodation at indicated hotels, lodges and camps (all children friendly).
• All meals as per itinerary.
• English speaking guides in the game drives and tours.
• All entrance fees to the sites .
• All applicable taxes and service charges .

• International flights to Namibia.
• Personal expenses.
• Any drinks and meals not mentioned.
• Health and travel insurance.
• Tips