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Namiba

Namiba

25 days in Namibia
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Get itinerary · FREE
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Activities
Map
Day
1
 
7am  
Hosea Kutako International Airport
Hosea Kutako International Airport (also known as HKIA) (IATA: WDH, ICAO: FYWH)
Hosea Kutako International Airport (also known as HKIA) (IATA: WDH, ICAO: FYWH) is the main international airport of Namibia, serving the capital city Windhoek. Located well east of the city, 45 km (28 mi), it is Namibia's largest airport with international connections. From its founding in 1965 to the independence of Namibia in 1990, it was named J.G. Strijdom Airport. The name of the airport after its renaming in 1990 is in honor of Namibian national hero Hosea Kutako.
4pm  
Windhoek
Windhoek (, Afrikaans: [ˈvəntɦuk], German: [ˈvɪnthʊk]) is the capital and largest city
Windhoek (, Afrikaans: [ˈvəntɦuk], German: [ˈvɪnthʊk]) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 2020 was 431,000 which is growing continually due to an influx from all over Namibia. Windhoek is the social, economic, political, and cultural centre of the country. Nearly every Namibian national enterprise, governmental body, educational and cultural institution is headquartered there. The city developed at the site of a permanent hot spring known to the indigenous pastoral communities. It developed rapidly after Jonker Afrikaner, Captain of the Orlam, settled there in 1840 and built a stone church for his community. In the decades following, multiple wars and armed hostilities resulted in the neglect and destruction of the new settlement. Windhoek was founded a second time in 1890 by Imperial German Army Major Curt von François, when the territory was colonised by the German Empire.
Day
2
 
4pm  
Bagatelle Kalahari Lodge
Day
3
 
10:30am  
Kokerboomwoud
4pm  
Mesosaurus Fossil Camp
Day
4
 
4pm  
Klein-Aus Vista Desert Horse Campsite
Day
5
 
9:30am  
Kolmanskop Entrance
2:30pm  
Garub Desert Horses
4pm  
Kanaan N/a’an ku se Desert Retreat
Day
6
 
9am  
NamibRand-Naturreservat
2:30pm  
Sesriem Canyon
Sesriem is a small settlement in the Namib Desert, in the Hardap
Sesriem is a small settlement in the Namib Desert, in the Hardap Region of Namibia, close to the southern end of the Naukluft Mountains. It is especially known because the "Sesriem gate" is the main access point to the Namib-Naukluft National Park for visitors entering the park to visit the nearby tourist attraction of Sossusvlei. As many "settlements" in the Namib, Sesriem is essentially a filling station with basic services such as public telephones and a couple of small kiosks where travellers can get general supplies such as food and water. In the surroundings of Sesriem there are several accommodations, such as a few lodges (e.g., "Le Mirage Desert" and the "Sossusvlei Lodge") and 24 campsites.By the Sesriem gate, hot air balloons depart in the early morning, providing scenic flights over the Sossusvlei dunes.
4pm  
Sesriem Oshana Camp
Day
7
 
7am  
Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei (sometimes written Sossus Vlei) is a salt and clay pan surrounded
Sossusvlei (sometimes written Sossus Vlei) is a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes, located in the southern part of the Namib Desert, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park of Namibia. The name "Sossusvlei" is of mixed origin and roughly means "dead-end marsh". Vlei is the Afrikaans word for "marsh", while "sossus" is Nama for "no return" or "dead end". Sossusvlei owes this name to the fact that it is an endorheic drainage basin (i.e., a drainage basin without outflows) for the ephemeral Tsauchab River. The Sossusvlei area belongs to a wider region of southern Namib with homogeneous features (about 32.000 km²) extending between rivers Koichab and Kuiseb. This area is characterized by high sand dunes of vivid pink-to-orange color, an indication of a high concentration of iron in the sand and consequent oxidation processes. The oldest dunes are those of a more intense reddish color. These dunes are among the highest in the world; many of them are above 200 metres, the highest being the one nicknamed Big Daddy, about 325 metres high, however the highest dune in the Namib Desert, Dune 7, is about 388 metres high. The highest and more stable dunes are partially covered with a relatively rich vegetation, which is mainly watered by a number of underground and ephemeral rivers that seasonally flood the pans, creating marshes that are locally known as vlei; when dry, these pans look almost white in color, due to the high concentration of salt. Another relevant source of water for Sossusvlei is the humidity brought by the daily morning fogs that enter the desert from the Atlantic Ocean.
4pm  
Sossus Oasis Camp Site
Day
8
 
9am  
Solitaire
Solitaire is any tabletop game which one can play by oneself, usually
Solitaire is any tabletop game which one can play by oneself, usually with cards, but also with dominoes. The term "solitaire" is also used for single-player games of concentration and skill using a set layout tiles, pegs or stones. These games include peg solitaire and mahjong solitaire. The game is most often played by one person, but can incorporate others.
11am  
Tropic of Capricorn Sign
2pm  
Dune 7
Dune 7 may refer to: Dune 7, working title of the seventh book
Dune 7 may refer to: Dune 7, working title of the seventh book in the Dune series by Frank Herbert, eventually written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson as two books: Hunters of Dune (2006) Sandworms of Dune (2007) Dune 7: Cartea Brundurilor (1997) a novel by Sebastian A. Corn Dune 7 (Namibia), a very large sand dune and tourist attraction at Walvis Bay
4pm  
Swakopmund
Day
9
 
8am  
Pelican Point Kayaking
12:30pm  
Sandwhich Harbour
4pm  
Swakopmund
Swakopmund (German: Mouth of the Swakop) is a city on the coast
Swakopmund (German: Mouth of the Swakop) is a city on the coast of western Namibia, 352 km (219 mi) west of the Namibian capital Windhoek via the B2 main road. It is the capital of the Erongo administrative district. The town has 44,725 inhabitants and covers 196 square kilometres (76 sq mi) of land. The city is situated in the Namib Desert and is the fourth largest population centre in Namibia. Swakopmund is a beach resort and an example of German colonial architecture. It was founded in 1892 as the main harbour for German South West Africa. Buildings in the city include the Altes Gefängnis, a prison designed by Heinrich Bause in 1909. The Woermannhaus, built in 1906 with a prominent tower (Damara tower), is now a public library. Attractions in Swakopmund include a Swakopmund Museum, the National Marine Aquarium, a crystal gallery, and spectacular sand dunes near Langstrand south of the Swakop River. Outside the city, the Rossmund Desert Golf Course is one of only five all-grass desert golf courses in the world. Nearby is a farm that offers camel rides to tourists and the Martin Luther steam locomotive, dating from 1896 and abandoned in the desert.
Day
10
 
8am  
Catamaran Charters - Booking and Check-in Office
3pm  
Spitzkoppe
The Spitzkoppe (from German for "pointed dome"; also referred to as Spitzkop,
The Spitzkoppe (from German for "pointed dome"; also referred to as Spitzkop, Groot Spitzkop, or the "Matterhorn of Namibia") is a group of bald granite peaks or inselbergs located between Usakos and Swakopmund in the Namib desert of Namibia. The granite is more than 120 million years old and the highest outcrop rises about 1,728 metres (5,669 ft) above sea level. The peaks stand out dramatically from the flat surrounding plains. The highest peak is about 670 m (2,200 ft) above the floor of the desert below. A minor peak – the Little Spitzkoppe – lies nearby at an elevation of 1,557 m (5,108 ft). Other prominences stretch out into a range known as the Pontok Mountains.Many examples of Bushmen artwork can be seen painted on the rock in the Spitzkoppe area. The Spitzkoppe Mountains were also the filming location for 2001: A Space Odyssey in the "Dawn of Man" sequences.
4pm  
Spitzkoppe Camping
Day
11
 
7am  
Spitzkoppe
The Spitzkoppe (from German for "pointed dome"; also referred to as Spitzkop,
The Spitzkoppe (from German for "pointed dome"; also referred to as Spitzkop, Groot Spitzkop, or the "Matterhorn of Namibia") is a group of bald granite peaks or inselbergs located between Usakos and Swakopmund in the Namib desert of Namibia. The granite is more than 120 million years old and the highest outcrop rises about 1,728 metres (5,669 ft) above sea level. The peaks stand out dramatically from the flat surrounding plains. The highest peak is about 670 m (2,200 ft) above the floor of the desert below. A minor peak – the Little Spitzkoppe – lies nearby at an elevation of 1,557 m (5,108 ft). Other prominences stretch out into a range known as the Pontok Mountains.Many examples of Bushmen artwork can be seen painted on the rock in the Spitzkoppe area. The Spitzkoppe Mountains were also the filming location for 2001: A Space Odyssey in the "Dawn of Man" sequences.
12:30pm  
White Lady Felszeichnungen
1:30pm  
Brandberg White Lady Painting
4pm  
Brandberg White Lady Lodge
Day
12
 
1pm  
Zeila Shipwreck Namibia
2:30pm  
Cape Cross Seal Reserve
Cape Cross (Afrikaans: Kaap Kruis; German: Kreuzkap; Portuguese: Cabo da Cruz) is
Cape Cross (Afrikaans: Kaap Kruis; German: Kreuzkap; Portuguese: Cabo da Cruz) is a headland in the South Atlantic in Skeleton Coast, western Namibia.
4pm  
Cape Cross Lodge
Day
13
 
8am  
Skeleton Coast
The Skeleton Coast is the northern part of the Atlantic coast of
The Skeleton Coast is the northern part of the Atlantic coast of Namibia and south of Angola from the Kunene River south to the Swakop River, although the name is sometimes used to describe the entire Namib Desert coast. The Bushmen of the Namibian interior called the region "The Land God Made in Anger", while Portuguese sailors once referred to it as "The Gates of Hell". The name Skeleton Coast was coined by John Henry Marsh as the title for the book he wrote chronicling the shipwreck of the Dunedin Star. Since the book was first published in 1944, it has become so well known that the coast is now generally referred to as Skeleton Coast and is given that as its official name on most maps today. On the coast, the upwelling of the cold Benguela current gives rise to dense ocean fogs (called cassimbo by the Angolans) for much of the year. The winds blow from land to sea, rainfall rarely exceeds 10 millimetres (0.39 in) annually and the climate is highly inhospitable. There is a constant, heavy surf on the beaches. In the days before engine-powered ships and boats, it was possible to get ashore through the surf but impossible to launch from the shore. The only way out was by going through a marsh hundreds of miles long and only accessible via a hot and arid desert. The coast is largely soft sand occasionally interrupted by rocky outcrops. The southern section consists of gravel plains, while north of Terrace Bay the landscape is dominated by high sand dunes. Skeleton Bay is now known as a great location for surfing. Namibia has declared the 16,000 square kilometres (6,200 sq mi) Skeleton Coast National Park over much of the area, from the Ugab River to the Kunene. The northern half of the park is a designated wilderness area. Notable features are the clay castles of the Hoarisib, the Agate Mountain salt pans and the large seal colony at Cape Fria. The remainder of the coast is the National West Coast Recreation Area. The coast has been the subject of a number of wildlife documentaries, particularly concerning adaptations to extreme aridity. There is a 1965 National Geographic documentary "Survivors Of The Skeleton Coast". Many of the plant and insect species of the sand dune systems depend on the thick sea fogs which engulf the coast for their moisture and windblown detritus from the interior as food. The desert bird assemblages have been studied in terms of their thermoregulation, coloration, breeding strategies and nomadism.
11am  
Winston Shipwreck Fishing Area, Namibia
2:30pm  
Damara Living Museum
4pm  
Twyfelfontein Elephant Drives & Campsite
Day
14
 
7am  
Elephants
12pm  
Petrified Forest
Petrified wood, also known as petrified tree (from Ancient Greek πέτρα meaning
Petrified wood, also known as petrified tree (from Ancient Greek πέτρα meaning 'rock' or 'stone'; literally 'wood turned into stone'), is the name given to a special type of fossilized wood, the fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation. Petrifaction is the result of a tree or tree-like plants having been replaced by stone via a mineralization process that often includes permineralization and replacement. The organic materials making up cell walls have been replicated with minerals (mostly silica in the form of opal, chalcedony, or quartz). In some instances, the original structure of the stem tissue may be partially retained. Unlike other plant fossils, which are typically impressions or compressions, petrified wood is a three-dimensional representation of the original organic material. The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried in water-saturated sediment or volcanic ash. The presence of water reduces the availability of oxygen which inhibits aerobic decomposition by bacteria and fungi. Mineral-laden water flowing through the sediments may lead to permineralization, which occurs when minerals precipitate out of solution filling the interiors of cells and other empty spaces. During replacement, the plant's cell walls act as a template for mineralization. There needs to be a balance between the decay of cellulose and lignin and mineral templating for cellular detail to be preserved with fidelity. Most of the organic matter often decomposes, however some of the lignin may remain. Silica in the form of opal-A, can encrust and permeate wood relatively quickly in hot spring environments. However, petrified wood is most commonly associated with trees that were buried in fine grained sediments of deltas and floodplains or volcanic lahars and ash beds. A forest where such material has petrified becomes known as a petrified forest.
4pm  
Twyfelfontein Elephant Drives & Campsite
Day
15
 
4pm  
Okaukuejo Camping Area
Day
16
 
4pm  
Halali Camp
Day
17
 
4pm  
Namutoni Camp (Camping Area)
Day
18
 
4pm  
Chahanic Stud & Safari
Day
19
 
4pm  
Shamvura Camp
Day
20
 
4pm  
Ngepi Camp
Day
21
 
4pm  
Ngepi Camp
Day
22
 
4pm  
Roy's Rest Camp
Day
23
 
4pm  
Waterberg Plateau National Park
Day
24
 
4pm  
Omatozu Safaris
Day
25
 
11:30am  
Hosea Kutako International Airport
Hosea Kutako International Airport (also known as HKIA) (IATA: WDH, ICAO: FYWH)
Hosea Kutako International Airport (also known as HKIA) (IATA: WDH, ICAO: FYWH) is the main international airport of Namibia, serving the capital city Windhoek. Located well east of the city, 45 km (28 mi), it is Namibia's largest airport with international connections. From its founding in 1965 to the independence of Namibia in 1990, it was named J.G. Strijdom Airport. The name of the airport after its renaming in 1990 is in honor of Namibian national hero Hosea Kutako.