7 Day South - Accommodated
Mariental – Fish River Canyon – Luderitz – Sossusvlei
7 Days / 6 Nights
The South is nothing short of a magical experience. Here you will experience the true heart of Namibia and see unique landscapes that will colour the rest of your life. The seven day Southern Swing has been designed to give you a short but comprehensive safari around the main highlights of Southern Namibia. First night of the tour is spent in the Kalahari area of Namibia before we continue to the mighty Fish River Canyon. Visit the small town of Aus where you will have the opportunity to visit the Ghost Town of Kolmanskop and Luderitz before ending with 2 nights in the world’s oldest desert, where you will stroll among the world’s highest sand dunes.
| Start | Accommodation | Destination | Basis | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Kalari Anib Lodge Gondwana Collection Namibia | Mariental | D, B&B | 1 Night |
| Day 2 | Canyon Roadhouse Gondwana Collection Namibia | Fish River Canyon | FB | 1 Night |
| Day 3 | Luderitz Nest Hotel | Luderitz | B&B | 1 Night |
| Day 5 | Sossusvlei Lodge | Sossusvlei | FB | 1 Night |
Key
B&B: Bed and Breakfast
D,B&B: Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
FB: Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch
Included:
- All transport
- Three meals a day (Unless differently specified)
- Accommodation as per itinerary
- Park entrance fees
- Pick up & drop off from accommodation in Windhoek
Excluded:
- Alcoholic
- Soft drinks & bottled water
- Personal travel insurance
Day 1: Kalahari Anib Lodge Gondwana Collection Namibia, Mariental
Day Itinerary
Windhoek – Kalahari (270 Km)(LD)
You will be collected at your Windhoek accommodation between 09H00 & 09h30
We start our journey south on the main highway, traveling through the thin strip of Kalahari Desert that protrudes onto the eastern side of Namibia. Stopping at small towns along the way including Rehoboth, traditional home of the Baster people and on to Kalkrand where you bid the main road farewell and head off into the Kalahari. The Kalahari Desert often surprises people when they first see it. It is very different from the Namib. First of all, remember that the Kalahari is not a desert. It receives more rain than a true desert should. The Kalahari is a fossil desert. Don’t expect to find tall Sossusvlei-style dunes devoid of greenery here. The Kalahari’s dunes are very different. They are often equally beautiful, but usually greener and less stark – and with this vegetation comes its ability to support more flora and fauna than a true desert.
Overnight: Kalahari Anib Lodge Gondwana Collection Namibia
Kalahari Anib Lodge is located 30 km northeast of Mariental on the C 20 (Kalahari).
Savour the Kalahari Desert at this easily accessible lodge. 30 standard rooms flank a shady courtyard, with another 22 comfort overlooking Kalahari savannah. Stretch legs on the walks and join the afternoon drive to experience the red Kalahari sands aglow with an inner fire.
Basis
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
Day 2: Canyon Roadhouse Gondwana Collection Namibia, Fish River Canyon
Day Itinerary
kalahari – Fish River Canyon area (400 Km) (BLD)
An early morning departure to the town of Mariental and south to Keetmanshoop. Just outside the town you have the opportunity of visiting the Mesosaurus Fossil Site.
We travel via the town of Keetmanshoop for overnight on the Fish River area. Here you have the opportunity of seeing the Quivertree. Quiver trees are not in fact trees, they are a type of aloe, (Aloe Dichotoma), so called because the branches fork “dictomously”. These weird looking plants dot the landscape in this part of the world and are locally common, however they are one of the world’s rarest flora species.
Fish River Canyon
Carving out an epic rocky wonderland in the south of Namibia, the Fish River has created Africa’s largest and the world’s second largest canyon. Hot, dry and stony, the Fish River Canyon measures a whopping 160 kilometres in length, at times 27 kilometres in width and 550 metres in depth. The awe-inspiring natural beauty of this ancient geological marvel draws visitors from around the globe. For those looking for adventure, the intense 85 kilometre Fish River Hiking Trail through1.5 billion years of geological history will definitely thrill avid adventure enthusiasts, and for visitors looking to relax, head over to the canyon’s southern end to enjoy a soak in the mineral waters of the renowned hot springs of Ai-Ais, or take in the spectacularly scenic views from Hobas Restcamp as well as numerous other viewpoints along its rim. Other popular activities include: scenic chartered flights, horse riding, nature drives and seasonal kayaking.
Activities
- Mesosaurus Fossil Camp
Mesosaurus fossil Camp
Mesosaurus Fossil Camp boasts rustic accommodation chalets, a barbecue lapa and 6 campsites. The accommodations feature three twin bed chalets and one family chalet with three single beds and one double bed, equipped for self catering guests. All chalets have en suite bathrooms with shower and mosquito nets. For those desiring even greater solitude, there is a bush camp available in an isolated valley.
Overnight: Canyon Roadhouse Gondwana Collection Namibia
Canyon Roadhouse is located 20 km east of the Fish River Canyon on the C 37.
Fill up with smiles at this innovative lodge that celebrates the good old days of the automobile. It offers peaceful slumber in 24 spacious rooms and boasts a pool, a campsite, a fuel station, an inviting terrace and the most extraordinary restaurant in southern Namibia
Basis
Full Board
Day 3: Luderitz Nest Hotel, Luderitz
Day Itinerary
Fish River area – Luderitz (430 km) (BL) (Accommodation)
The Fish River Canyon in Namibia is (allegedly) the 2nd largest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon. The immensity of this magnificent landscape is truly breath taking. The towering rock faces and deep ravines were formed by water erosion and the collapse of the valley due to movements in the earth’s crust over 500 million years ago. Today the canyon measures 160km long up to 27km wide and almost 550m at its deepest. It is fair to say that when you arrive at the canyon though, its exact location is a bit of a mystery as the 500m vertical drop from the flat dry plateau is completely out of view.
Early morning, we head to the main view point where we can see how impressive this canyon actually is. This is an ideal opportunity for photos and to spend some time experiencing this amazing sight. Viewing from the top we can see the river sparkling in the sunlight far below us, and can barely imagine how many millennia it took for the forces of erosion to carve such a magnificent vista.
Time to pack up camp and move on to our next destination, the coastal town of Lüderitz where its colonial-style buildings cling to the rocks overlooking the bay, on some days a deep iridescent blue, on others grey and stormy, the crisp fresh climate, fishing boats bobbing up and down on the Atlantic horizon, penguins and seals diving beneath the waves, give the town a curious other-worldly allure.
We aim to arrive at our guest house during the late afternoon. Dinner will be at client’s own expense tonight.
Luderitz
Sandwiched between the rugged and stark Atlantic Coast and the arid Namib Desert, the town of Luderitz is set in an incredibly unique geographical setting. This seaside town is something of an anomaly frozen in time – a piece of 19th-century Bavaria bordering the pinkish sand dunes of the Namib Desert. Lutheran churches, German bakeries, and colonial buildings boasting German art nouveau architecture are dotted about the settlement, while its windswept beaches are home to flamingos, ostriches, seals and penguins. The nearby ghost town of Kolmanskop, which has been taken over by the desert dunes, is one of the most fascinating area attractions, located approximately 10 kilometres from Luderitz central. Visitors can also take a trip to discover the wild desert-adapted horses located near the small town of Aus.
Activities
- Fish River Canyon
Fish River Canyon
Carving out an epic rocky wonderland in the south of Namibia, the Fish River has created Africa’s largest and the world’s second largest canyon. Hot, dry and stony, the Fish River Canyon measures a whopping 160 kilometres in length, at times 27 kilometres in width and 550 metres in depth. The awe-inspiring natural beauty of this ancient geological marvel draws visitors from around the globe. For those looking for adventure, the intense 85 kilometre Fish River Hiking Trail through1.5 billion years of geological history will definitely thrill avid adventure enthusiasts, and for visitors looking to relax, head over to the canyon’s southern end to enjoy a soak in the mineral waters of the renowned hot springs of Ai-Ais, or take in the spectacularly scenic views from Hobas Restcamp as well as numerous other viewpoints along its rim. Other popular activities include: scenic chartered flights, horse riding, nature drives and seasonal kayaking.
Overnight: Luderitz Nest Hotel
The Lüderitz Nest Hotel enjoys a superb on the rocks and sea location, with far reaching uninterrupted views. The hotel’s private tidal beach with walk-on jetty, unique in Namibia, allows the guest to get close-up to the sea. All rooms and suites have direct sea views. The outdoor sparkling residents’ pool with sun-loungers and parasols is surrounded by verdant gardens. Facilities include free Wi-Fi throughout, complementary full-buffet breakfasts, free sauna and free secure parking. The hotel delivers a friendly service in a relaxed environment.
Since 1998, management and staff have hosted guests from around the world and very much look forward to welcoming you. Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) Excellence Awards 2016 winner.
Basis
Bed & Breakfast
Day 4: Luderitz Nest Hotel, Luderitz
Luderitz (B)
There is time to join an optional extra excursion, a marine trip, take a cruise around Luderitz bay and, weather permitting, to Halifax Island to see the Jackass Penguins. N.B: The boat cruise is subject to availability and, if undertaken, will be for the client’s own risk and expense.
Time to explore Luderitz Town with its traditional German architecture and later we will take a drive out to Diaz Point to see the bird life, hopefully a few seals and the stone cross replica, originally erected by the Portuguese mariner Bartholomew Diaz.
Straight after the marine trip we drive out to Kolmanskop, a desert ghost town about 20 km out of Luderitz. It was built in the 1920’s during the diamond rush and was abandoned when bigger and better diamonds were found further along the coast. The area is still abandoned and the desert has encroached over the entire town, giving an eerie feeling and real meaning to the word “ghost”.
Activities
- Kolmaskop
Kolmanskop
Amongst the sands of the Namib, the crumbling buildings of a small, once-luxurious town emerge from the drifting dunes. This ghost town is Kolmanskop, a reminder of the wealth of a time when diamonds could be picked by hand from the desert, and a remarkable photographic opportunity with few equals anywhere on earth.
Basis
Bed & Breakfast
Day 5: Sossusvlei Lodge, Sossusvlei
Day Itinerary
Luderitz – Sesriem area (125 Km)(FB)(Accommodation)
Turning north, we once again head deep into the ancient southern Namib, travelling on small gravel roads and passing some tiny rural communities along the way. The scenery is harsh, and sometimes forbidding. The process of erosion in these areas is well advanced and we pass time rounded “koppies” arid terrain and outcrops of tortured rock.
Traversing this bleak yet beautiful landscape, the terrain begins to change and we cross some open grass savannah and farmlands before the terrain begins to give way to the immense red sand dune desert of the Namib. We aim to arrive at our lodge during the late afternoon and watch the colours glow and change on distant mountains to the east.
We sleep tonight at Klein Aus Vista, a private reserve, beautifully located in the Aus Mountain Range, (Huib-Hoch-Plateau region). The road takes us through the “forbidden Zone” so named because in years gone by, the alluvial diamonds found in Namibia were simply scattered across the desert and we again have time to enjoy sunset over the mountains.
Sossusvlei
Located in the scenic Namib-Naukluft National Park, Sossusvlei is where you will find the iconic red sand dunes of the Namib. The clear blue skies contrast with the giant red dunes to make this one of the most scenic natural wonders of Africa and a photographer’s heaven. This awe-inspiring destination is possibly Namibia’s premier attraction, with its unique dunes rising to almost 400 metres-some of the highest in the world. These iconic dunes come alive in morning and evening light and draw photography enthusiasts from around the globe. Sossusvlei is home to a variety desert wildlife including oryx, springbok, ostrich and a variety of reptiles. Visitors can climb ‘Big Daddy’, one of Sossusvlei’s tallest dunes; explore Deadvlei, a white, salt, claypan dotted with ancient trees; or for the more extravagant, scenic flights and hot air ballooning are on offer, followed by a once-in-a-lifetime champagne breakfast amidst these majestic dunes.
Overnight: Sossusvlei Lodge
Luxury right at the entrance gate to Sesriem Canyon and the famous Sossusvlei
Situated at the Entrance Gate to the Namib Naukluft Park, Sossusvlei Lodge offers direct access to the towering red sand dunes, the famous pan of Sossusvlei, the scorched black trees of Dead Vlei and the remarkable depths of the Sesriem Canyon.
The Superior Accommodation units at Sossusvlei Lodge feature a patio to enjoy views over the Desert landscapes, a spacious air-conditioned twin-bedded room and a full en-suite bathroom. The Standard Family Units feature two rooms back to back connected by a lockable inter-leading door between the two private bathrooms. An elegant Junior Suite boasts a spacious bedroom, living area, patio with a splash pool, large bathroom and inspiring views.
Experience the true art of Hospitality with the thoughtful touch of attentive staff to contribute to a truly memorable experience. Facilities include a sparkling pool, bar, sundowner deck, beer garden and an al fresco terrace where one can enjoy exquisite food, award-winning wines and magnificent views of the floodlit waterhole.
The Sossusvlei Lodge Adventure Centre provides a range of activities including Guided Excursions to Deadvlei and Sossusvlei, Elim dune walks, Sundowner Trips, Quad Buggy Nature Drives, Hot Air Ballooning, Scenic Flights and much more to explore the area’s natural beauty.
Day 6: Etosha Safari Camp, Etosha South
Day Itinerary
Sesriem area– Sossusvlei – Sesriem area (FB) (Accommodation)
A pre-dawn start is essential this morning as we want to catch the soft light of the sunrise on the desert. After passing through Sesriem, the gateway to the dunes, we head into the heart of the dune field, reaching Sossusvlei on foot, trekking the last 5 km through the dunes. Landscape photo opportunities abound in the cool of the morning, with dawn’s soft light first illuminating the dunes from crest down the back slope, then blazing orange everywhere, creating a powerful contrasting vista across the whole desert.
We spend the morning in and around Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, also visiting dune 45. Sossusvlei is where you will find the iconic red sand dunes of the Namib. The clear blue skies contrast with the giant red sand dunes to make this one of the natural wonders of Africa and a photographer’s heaven.
As the day wears on we return to Sesriem for lunch, escaping the heat of the afternoon. As the day cools off in the late afternoon, we will take a short excursion to the Sesriem Canyon. Sesriem Canyon, a deep chasm carved through the rocks by water, is a striking natural feature of the area that is best explored on foot. Stony walls rise up sharply on both sides of the canyon, while birds roost in its crags and lizards dart along the ledges. The canyon’s name was coined when early settlers used it as a water source, using six lengths of leather (‘ses riem – six thongs) tied together to lower buckets into the water at the base of canyon.
Return to the lodge for the overnight.
Activities
- Sossusvlei
- Dune 45
- Dead Vlei
- Sesriem
Sossusvlei
Located in the scenic Namib-Naukluft National Park, Sossusvlei is where you will find the iconic red sand dunes of the Namib. The clear blue skies contrast with the giant red dunes to make this one of the most scenic natural wonders of Africa and a photographer’s heaven. This awe-inspiring destination is possibly Namibia’s premier attraction, with its unique dunes rising to almost 400 metres-some of the highest in the world. These iconic dunes come alive in morning and evening light and draw photography enthusiasts from around the globe. Sossusvlei is home to a variety desert wildlife including oryx, springbok, ostrich and a variety of reptiles. Visitors can climb ‘Big Daddy’, one of Sossusvlei’s tallest dunes; explore Deadvlei, a white, salt, claypan dotted with ancient trees; or for the more extravagant, scenic flights and hot air ballooning are on offer, followed by a once-in-a-lifetime champagne breakfast amidst these majestic dunes.
Dune 45
Located in the scenic Namib-Naukluft National Park, Sossusvlei is where you will find the iconic red sand dunes of the Namib. The clear blue skies contrast with the giant red dunes to make this one of the most scenic natural wonders of Africa and a photographer’s heaven. This awe-inspiring destination is possibly Namibia’s premier attraction, with its unique dunes rising to almost 400 metres-some of the highest in the world. These iconic dunes come alive in morning and evening light and draw photography enthusiasts from around the globe. Sossusvlei is home to a variety desert wildlife including oryx, springbok, ostrich and a variety of reptiles. Visitors can climb ‘Big Daddy’, one of Sossusvlei’s tallest dunes; explore Deadvlei, a white, salt, claypan dotted with ancient trees; or for the more extravagant, scenic flights and hot air ballooning are on offer, followed by a once-in-a-lifetime champagne breakfast amidst these majestic dunes.
Dead Vlei
This ancient clay pan was once an oasis, studded with acacias and fed by a river that suddenly changed course, leaving the earth to dry up along with the trees it previously supported. So dry were the climatic conditions that the trees never decomposed – instead they were entirely leached of moisture so that today, 900 years later, they remain as desiccated, blackened sentinels dotting the pan’s cracked surface. Surrounded by the red-pink dunes of the Namibia Desert, they create a surreal spectacle that is a photographer’s dream.
Sesriem
As there is no accommodation at Sossusvlei, visitors to this desert wilderness are likely to end up staying at Sesriem, 65 kilometres away, where camps and lodges serve as a base from which to explore the dunes. Sesriem Canyon, a deep chasm carved through the rocks by water, is a striking natural feature of the area that is best explored on foot. Stony walls rise up sharply on both sides of the canyon, while birds roost in its crags and lizards dart along the ledges. The canyon’s name was coined when early settlers used it as a water source, using six lengths of leather (‘ses riem – six thongs) tied together to lower buckets into the water at the base of canyon.)
Basis
Full Board
Day 7: Etinerary
Sesriem – Windhoek (370 Km)(BL)
After breakfast we begin our journey, over the mountains and along scenic roads, back to Windhoek. We will travel over the Naukluft Mountains and also the Khomas Hochland Range, through beautiful mountain passes on our way back to civilization.
We are due back into the city after 16:00 and you will be dropped off at your accommodation on our return.
End Of Safari