Namibian Desert Safari and Tour
Basic travel information
Embark on an incredible and varied landscape safari and nature adventure in Namibia.
Highlights of Namibia’s tour include The barren scenery of the Namib desert and climbing the giant dunes of Sossusvlei. Sossusvlei is one of the most scenic destinations in all of Africa. In addition, we do safari rides in Etosha National Park, one of the best wildlife safari destinations in southern Africa, and follow flamingos on the west coast of Namibia. The area of this sparsely populated southern African country is almost three times that of Finland, so there is really enough to see and experience in Namibia.
Itinerary
DAY 1 – HELSINKI – WINDHOEK
Overnight flights to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.
DAY 2 – WINDHOEK
We arrive at Windhoek Airport and transfer to the hotel. In the late afternoon, we will take a city tour of Windhoek to explore the main attractions of the Namibian capital. We walk amidst historic buildings, shops, cozy bars and restaurants. This is an African City break at its best!
ACTIVITIES
CITY TOUR
ACCOMMODATION IN
GUESTHOUSE TERRA AFRICA OR SIMILAR
DAY 3 – WINDHOEK – NAUKLUFT
After breakfast, we head towards the Namib Desert, one of the oldest sand deserts in the world. After a long drive we spend the night in the eastern part of the desert, next to the Naukluft mountains. (UNDER)
ACCOMMODATION IN
AGAMA RIVER CAMP OR SIMILAR
DAY 4 – SOSSUSVLEI, SESRIEM
We head towards Sossusvlei, the world’s largest moving dunes. At their best, these dunes can rise to heights of over 300 meters! The sand of the dunes originates from the Kalahari Desert and is millions of years old. We take a hike in Sossusvlei and Deadvle. We climb the dune to admire the rugged beautiful scenery as well as the orange-shaped sand formations shaped by the forces of nature over millions of years. In the afternoon we will visit Sesriem Canyon before returning to our accommodation. (UNDER)
ACTIVITIES
WALKING
ACCOMMODATION
AGAMA RIVER CAMP OR SIMILAR
DAY 5 – WALVIS BAY, SWAKOPMUND
Today we travel to the Atlantic coast, to the Walvis Bay area where we admire flamingos. We travel to the coastal city of Swakopmund, built during the German colonial rule, where we spend the afternoon. (A)
ACCOMMODATION
HOTEL A LA MER OR SIMILAR
DAY 6 – SWAKOPMUND
A day off that can be spent exploring Swakopmund. The German influence is still visible in the city, and Swakopmund, like all of Namibia, is a weave of African and European culture. Today, it is also possible to make voluntary, paid excursions from Swakopmund, e.g. a dolphin cruise or a scenic flight over the vast Namib desert. (A)
ACCOMMODATION
HOTEL A LA MER OR SIMILAR
DAY 7 – DAMARALAND
After breakfast, we drive through the rugged terrain through the Damaramaa area known for its beautiful scenery. Our journey continues to Twyfelfontein, known for its rock and stone carvings. (A, L)
ACCOMMODATION
DAMARA MOPANE LODGE OR SIMILAR
DAY 8 – ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK
Today we head north to Namibia’s most famous national park, Etosha, one of the most spectacular places on our planet to explore wildlife. On the way, we stop in the traditional village of Himba. We take a walk with a guide to get to know this ancient tribe and their fascinating lifestyles. We stay next to Etosha National Park. (UNDER)
ACTIVITIES
WALKING
ACCOMMODATION IN
OKAUKUEJO CAMP OR SIMILAR
DAY 9 – ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK
We do morning and afternoon safari rides in Etosha National Park. We meet a variety of wildlife such as wildebeest, antelopes, zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, spawners, leopards, lions and elephants. One of the biggest attractions of the national park is the huge salt pool, which can be seen from space. (UNDER)
ACTIVITIES
SAFARI DRIVING
ACCOMMODATION IN
OKAUKUEJO CAMP OR SIMILAR
DAY 10 – WINDHOEK
After breakfast our trip south to Windhoek. On the way, we stop at Namibia’s largest market in Okahandja, where you will find the country’s best wood carvings and much more. Joint farewell dinner at Windhoek. (OH)
ACCOMMODATION IN
GUESTHOUSE TERRA AFRICA OR SIMILAR
DAY 11 – WINDHOEK –
Airport transfer and overnight return flights to Finland. (A)
DAY 12 – – HELSINKI
Arrival in the home country.
MEALS: [A] BREAKFAST [L] LUNCH [I] DINNER
Country information :
Finnish citizens do not need a visa for a trip to Namibia for less than 3 months. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the end of the trip.
Check that your basic vaccinations are valid during the trip. Hepatitis vaccines and antimalarial medication are also recommended.
The Namibian currency The Namibian dollar (NAD) is pegged to the South African rand, which is also the current currency in Namibia. We recommend that you bring US dollars in cash for your trip. There are few ATMs along the way.
The most common languages spoken in Namibia are English, which is also the official language of the country, Afrikaans, German, Oshivambo, Herero and Nama.
Namibia’s climate is very dry. The local summer is in the Finnish winter, when the temperature may rise above 40 ° C. The best time to visit Namibia is Finnish spring and autumn, when the temperature is between 20-30 degrees Celsius. The nights are cold in the deserts, while during the day the sun heats up efficiently. The waters off the coast of Namibia are dull due to cold sea currents. Daytime temperatures do not usually rise above 30 degrees Celsius in May-October. Evenings and early mornings may be cool.
The top culture is typical of southern Africa. If the service has been good in the restaurant, you can leave about 10-15% of the total amount of the invoice to the waiters. Safaris tend to leave tips for guides and drivers. The tour guide collects common tips from the group for the local guide.
OUR TARGETS:
Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, is a peaceful and perhaps the safest capital in Africa. There are still some signs of German colonial times. Windhoek is co-inhabited by several different minority peoples of Namibia as well as descendants of Europeans.
Etosha National Park is a national park established in 1907 in northern Namibia. When established, it was the world’s largest integrated nature reserve. Although the size of the park has since been significantly reduced, with more than 22,000 square kilometers, it is still one of the most important wildlife sanctuaries in southern Africa. The park is dominated by a 130 km long and almost 50 km wide salt basin, which fills during the rainy season from watercourses, oshanoes, flowing from northern Amboma, into a vast lake, but gradually turns into a parched, dusty salt plateau during the dry season. After the rainy season, thousands of amingos and pelicans move to the lake to nest from the coast. In addition to these, about 340 species of birds, 114 different mammals and 110 different reptiles are found in the park. Elephants, giraffes, in addition to zebras and several antelope and gazelle species, Etosha is also home to its own native impala antelope species and a rare tapered lip rhino. Etosha is one of Namibia’s most important nature tourism destinations. Movement in the park only takes place by car, and leaving the car for photography, for example, is usually prohibited for safety reasons. The best opportunities to observe and photograph wildlife are in the thirty drinking places in the park.
The desert of Namib is located mostly in the Namibian region and follows the Atlantic coast 50 to 160 kilometers wide and 1,600 kilometers long. The area of the desert is about 50,000 square kilometers. The word Namib means ‘huge’ in the Nama language. Namib is thought to be the oldest of the present deserts; it was born about 80 million years ago when the cold Benguelan stream began to cause cool and dry air to settle in the area. The Namib region rains less than 10 millimeters a year and is mostly deserted. Namib is home to a group of the world’s tallest sand dunes. Dune number 7 is about 340 meters high. One of the only permanent settlements is near the Sossusvlein dune group. On the northern edge of the desert is also the city of Swakopmund. When the moist air from the sea encounters the dry air of the desert, a lot of fog is created on the coast, which condenses into morning dew for the use of sparse vegetation. The fog has also caused several ships to be lost and shipwrecked off the coast; some of the wrecks are now located on land up to 50 meters from the shore due to the gradual spread of the desert towards the sea.
