Namibian Wilderness & Safari Tour With Cultural Discovery In South Africa

Arrive Windhoek and check into hotel. There is some free time today for sightseeing in the Namibian capital, with an opportunity to visit the National Museum or perhaps a half day Katatura Township tour.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)

Departing Windhoek we spend the day driving south-west into the Namib Desert, to the edge of the Namib-Naukluft National Park and our lodge near Sesriem. The Namib is the oldest desert on earth, distinguished as being home to some of the strangest flora and fauna on the continent.

Overnight Lodge (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we drive into the Namib-Naukluft National Park and travel down the Tsauchab Valley to Sossusvlei to watch the sun cast its shadows over the red dunes. Sossusvlei has some of the world’s most spectacular sand dunes. The area itself is a vast depression or clay pan, towered over by sand dunes up to 300m high. In the early morning, the first rays of the sun light up the dunes with a deep orange glow – a photographer’s delight. It is a wild, beautiful and romantic spot, with sparse vegetation edging a few water courses which flow in from the Tsauchab river. Here springbok and ostrich are often seen. We’ll also explore the cool passageways of the Sesriem Canyon on foot. The canyon is small but very picturesque – many plants grow in the shade and shelter offered by the canyon, and water pools attract several species of birds and animals. Sesriem means ‘six thongs’; which refers to the six lengths of rawhide rope (from a wagon) needed to make a line long enough to lower from the rim of the gorge to the stream below, in order to haul up a bucket of water.

Overnight Lodge (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

An optional early morning balloon ride is an excellent way of gaining a unique perspective of the vast desert landscapes of this stunning region of Namibia. Drifting silently over the dunes, keep your eyes open for desert wildlife foraging for food. Travelling via Solitaire and through the Kuiseb Canyon, we then pass aweinspiring landscapes as we head across the Namib gravel flats to Walvis Bay. Here a large spit forms a natural deep-sea harbour that attracted the first navigators in the late 1400’s. The shallows, located where the spit joins the mainland, are home to a diverse collection of birds, the most spectacular being flamingos and pelicans that feed here seasonally. It’s a short drive from here to the coastal town of Swakopmund.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Swakopmund is one of the world’s best examples of German colonial architecture, and served as the German’s port into wha was then, German South West Africa. Like any port town has a colourful past. Today, there may be time to visit the town’s excellent museum, or visit a local township, participate in one of the numerous activities on offer, or just relax! This evening you have the chance to watch the sunset at the nearby coastal dune belt.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Travelling north towards the Atlantic coast we visit the memorable Cape Cross Seal Colony where between 80,000 and 100,000 Cape fur seals bask in the sun or swim playfully in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The seals are natural indicators of fish stocks in the ocean. If the fish stocks are healthy, then the seal numbers are high. If the fish stocks are poor, then the seal numbers will be low. The seals are quite big, an average male weighingin at anything up to 187kg (501 lbs.). The females give birth to a single pup around late November to early December. After our visit we head inland, passing the majestic Brandberg Mountain (2,573m and the highest point in Namibia) as we enter the southern part of Damaraland. This afternoon we see the Bushmen paintings and engravings at Twyfelfontein. The massif of Twyfelfontein contains a spectacular record of the rock art of the Khoisan people, painted and incised into the sandstone of the mountain over a thousand years.

Overnight Lodge (H++) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we will travel to the extraordinary Petrified Forest, with its huge fossilised tree trunks was declared a National Monument in 1950; it is estimated to be about 200 million years old, and both the bark and the tree rings are perfectly preserved. The Etosha National Park offers, arguably some of the best game viewing in Africa, and Okaukuejo is one of the three rest camps situated within the park where we can stay.

Overnight Rest Camp (H++) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We continue our safari through Etosha National Park to our second base at Namutoni. Etosha is an immense, saline desert, covering over 12,400 square miles, and the habitat for 114 species of animals and 340 species of birds. It has been described as the best game reserve on the African continent. Our programme of game drives will depend entirely on the interests of the group, and is left as flexible as possible. We should see elephant, rhino and hopefully lion. The terrain ranges from dense bush to large open plains where animals roam freely. We drive along the network of gravel roads that criss-cross the Park, visiting the various viewpoints and the permanent waterholes around which animals congregate. There is something enigmatic in the vast silent greywhite pan that covers the reserve.

Overnight Rest Camp (H++) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We continue with game drives today. Numerous waterholes and underground springs attract large herds of animals including springbok, zebra, wildebeest and giraffe. At its very heart is the Etosha Pan, which geologists believe was formed some 12 million years ago from an inland lake about the size of Holland. Shrunk to its present dried-up size, it is now a gigantic depression in the ground – flat, saline and silvery, a mysterious place of mirages and dust-laden images.

Overnight Rest Camp (H++) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We leave Etosha and travel via the Cheetah Conservation Foundation at Otjiwarongo to the Waterberg Plateau Park. The CCF is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and education on cheetahs and their eco-systems with an extensive visitor’s centre which encourages visitors to learn more about these beautiful cats and the efforts being made to save them. Later we will continue to the Waterberg Plateau. The Waterberg is a sandstone mountain which rises over 200m from the surrounding plains and is Namibia’s only mountain game park. There are various trails to walk along searching for the elusive Damara Dik-Dik and a good variety of birds.

Overnight Lodge (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning you could choose to explore some of the walking trails on offer or take an optional game drive in the national park. We will then head south and return to Windhoek. We have the chance to stop off en route in Okhandja and visit the local craft market.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Arrive Cape Town and check-in to our hotel. Cape Town embodies the feeling of energy and hope that South Africans feel for the future of their country with its spectacular natural assets, modern high-tech city centre and mixed population living peaceably together and at the same time retaining their own customs. Cape fur seals can often be seen playfully frolicking in the harbour waters of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Today is free for you to enjoy the diversity of Cape town. There are optional activities such as visiting the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, the District Six Museum, Robben Island or take one of the sightseeing buses around the city limits

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

We spend the whole day enjoying a comprehensive sightseeing tour of the many points of interest on the Cape Peninsula. We drive to Hout Bay, an attractive fishing port once flanked by dense forest with a dramatic backgroup. Here you can take a short optional boat trip out to Seal Island. The island is home to about 1000 Cape fur seals and is guarded by the impressive ‘Sentinel’; a towering mountain that guards the harbour. One of the highlights today is a visit to the Cape of Good Hope, first seen by a European in 1488 when Diaz sailed round it on his search for a sea route to the East Indies. A century later Sir Francis Drake described it as ‘the fairest cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth’. But it was another century before the Dutch East Indies Trading Company established a permanent settlement to supply ships with cattle and water traded from the indigenous Khoi who reared livestock on the land around the coast. We climb up to a viewpoint and watch the reputed turbulent clash of the warm Agulhas current from the Indian Ocean meeting the cold Benguela current from the Atlantic. If you’re feeling active, a short trail leads down to Cape Point. Boulders beach is worth a stop to see an amazing resident African penguin colony, one of the only places in the world where this sea bird resides! Then, passing perfect sandy beaches we return to Cape Town city.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we plan to ascend Table Mountain. You may choose to take a 3-4 hour hiking trail up to the top accompanied by your Tour Leader (if the weather is clear). Alternatively, an aerial cableway runs frequently to and from the summit. This is our first encounter with some of the unique and colourful flowers from the Cape Floral Kingdom. This plant kingdom has more indigenous plant species per square metre than anywhere else on earth! Views from the top are simply stunning. A network of trails criss-cross the plateau that provide a variety of vantage points. Later in the day we’ll head out of Cape Town to stay on a guest farm in the Stellenbosch region. The Stellenbosch region produces some of the finest ‘New World Wines’. Wines that have been honed over several centuries by the Afrikaans wine growers, so we’ll make sure we sample some of the latest vintages!

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

To the north and east of Cape Town are the Cape Winelands, whose rugged mountains, rise sheer from rolling green valleys, neatly planted with vineyards and dotted with white washed manor houses. This is an image more reminiscent of a central European fairy tale than ‘Darkest Africa’! Stellenbosch is one of the most beautiful and heritage-rich towns in southern Africa. Entering the town via historic Dorp Street is akin to stepping into the pages of a history book. A settlement was first established here in 1679 following the discovery of a river running through a fertile, green valley by Simon van der Stel, then Governor of the Cape. There is an opportunity to stroll through this historic town and take in the distinct architecture that reflects South Africa’s rich and diverse history. You can choose to explore on your own following selfguided trails or take an optional guided tour. If you are feeling energetic, you may like to take a walk on the Helderberg Mountains just behind Stellenbosch.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

We start early on our scenic journey into the Little Karoo as there are several points of interest worth visiting en route. Located in the heart of the verdant Breede River Valley (the largest of the Western Cape’s fruit and wine producing valleys), Worcester is home to the Karoo National Botanical Garden – a haven for rare or endangered plants. A short walk around the centre of town allows a glimpse of the fine Victorian town buildings. We continue our drive through the stark and arid landscapes of the Little Karoo heading east through Barrydale & Ladismith. Finally, we reach our accommodation close to Oudtshoorn in the traditional centre of South Africa’s ostrich farming industry.

Overnight Lodge (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

We head off early this morning to experience the stunning variety of landscapes of this region and start off by exploring the massive limestone caverns of the Cango Caves where guided tours of varying durations run regularly throughout the day (optional). The caves are an underground wonderland of extraordinary structures millions of years old. The combination of dripping rainwater and limestone has led to the creation of some of nature’s most breathtaking natural structures. A local European farmer, by the name of van Zyl, first discovered the caves late in the 18th century. Although, in times past, the local Khoisan sheltered in the cave complex’s entrance but they never ventured any further into the cave complex. When van Zyl, with a single candle, entered the cave complex and its first massive chamber and spoke, he realised from his muffled voice that there was something far bigger and grander than his candle light could show. Ever since then the caves have been enjoyed and explored by professionals and amateurs alike.

Overnight Lodge (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

After leaving Oudtshoorn we travel over the protea-covered on the dramatic Outeniqua pass through the Outeniqua Mountains. These mountains form a very formidable barrier between the dry interior and the lush coastal strip known as the ‘Garden Route’. Knysna was originally a harbour, forestry and mining centre. The setting will give you a real appreciation of how skillful maritime captains of old were to pilot their vessels in, and out of the lagoon. Knysna’s lagoon is the foundation of the town’s wealth. It was here that ships could shelter and victual and valuable raw material like wood could be transported to other centres of industry. It was also home to the reputed illegitimate son of King George III, George Rex. He is considered the main driving force in establishing Knysna as a commercial town. Today it is noteworthy as an artists’ retreat and adventure activity base and has twice been voted South Africa’s favourite town. Later today it may also be possible to take an easy walk on the magnificent Robberg Peninsula. Named after the seal colony found there by Dutch sailors. From here the views of the coastline are fantastic and it is easy to understand why our early ancestors used this peninsula as a home. From the peninsula have a really good chance of seeing seals, dolphins and the Southern Right Whale. During June to late November, the whales come into calmer and warmer waters to calve and nurse their young.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

No visit to the Garden Route would be complete without a visit to the magnificent Tsitsikamma National Park. Tsitsikamma is a marine and forest park, stretching for some 80 km, from a lagoon at Nature’s Valley to the mouth of the Groot River. The lush forest and the sheer cliffs provide an ideal setting for a short walk in the forests to the suspension bridge that spans the mouth of Storm’s River. The rugged coastline with crashing waves and the forest covered cliffs are simply spellbinding. While you are here, you must definitely sample the excellent local seafood available in the area! You will leave the Garden Route promising yourself you will someday come back!

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we have an early start to drive to Botelierskop Private Game Reserve to take a 3 hour game drive. You will be accompanied by a local guide in your open 4x4 safari vehicle in the 3000ha reserve to view African wildlife in its natural habitat. There are around 1800 animals in the reserve including rhino, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, eland, bontebok and black impala. There are also orphaned elephants and in the lion sanctuary a small number of orphaned lions. Following the game drive we will continue to follow the garden route to the farming region of Swellandam, a lovely old town with numerous Cape Dutch buildings, interesting museums and art galleries. Later this afternoon you may choose to visit a local township, considered to be one of the highlights of this tour.

Overnight Guest House (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

On our penultimate day we follow the acclaimed ‘Whale Route’ along the dramatic south coast to Cape Town. Our first stop is wild and dramatic Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point in Africa. It is also the point where the Atlantic Ocean officially meets the Indian Ocean. We then drive on to the small seaside resort of Hermanus that is regarded as one of the premier spots for whale-watching in Africa, if not the world! Every year, between June and December, Southern Right whales spend a few months every year in the Cape, mating and calving. Hermanus is one of the best places to see them as they come very close inshore and the cliff top coastal walk offers many convenient viewing points.The calving and mating is a spectacle not to be missed! Hermanus is the only place in the world to employ a “whale crier”. He keeps everybody informed of the whereabouts of the whales by blowing his kelp horn. The whale crier is as much a part of the whale watching as the whales are. Finally, we return to Cape Town via Betty’s Bay and Gordon’s Bay coast affording spectacular views across both Walker Bay and False Bay. Please note: Final timings of today’s itinerary are flexible and depend on seasonality and the likelihood of spotting whales. Out of whale season we may arrive in Cape Town earlier in the day.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Most of today is left free for personal exploration before the flight to London this evening. You may choose to visit the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. The gardens lie on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain and consist of landscaped gardens of indigenous plants and trees. The gardens are a living display of floral beauty and features 4700 of the estimated 20000 species of indigenous South African flora, and close to 50 per cent of the Peninsula’s floral wealth! You may opt to take a boat trip to visit Robben Island, if you haven’t already visited on Day 1. It has had a dark history serving as a prison. It is here that Nelson Mandela served most of his prison sentence under the South African government. It is now a worthy and powerful symbol of the optimism and hope for the future of South Africa. If this all sounds far too strenuous, you could just soak up the vibrant and colourful atmosphere at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and just wander or do some last minute shopping! You may want to take a short city tour with your tour leader. 

Included meals: Breakfast