Namibia Desert Safari

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Windhoek
(Namibia)

Windhoek
(Namibia)

Can start any day

SUITABLE FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS

Suitable for all ages

Can be customised

Overview
Cost
Activities & Transport
Travel Advice
Map
Images

This safari visits Namibiaā€™s famed desert sands including the iconic sites of Dead Vlei, Sossusvlei and the surrounding arid landscapes, and also includes a private excursion into the dunes with a specialist desert guide.

This is a private journey that can be customised. You can increase/decrease the number of days you wish to travel and include other destinations, such as Etosha National Park. You travel in a comfortable 4×4 vehicle with our local guide/driver. The cost includes all on-road expenses (fuel, entrance fees, guide accommodation & meals etc).

There are daily flights to Windhoek from the regional hubs of Cape Town, Johannesburg and Victoria Falls, from the East African hubs of Addis Ababa and Nairobi, and from the European airport of Frankfurt. There is also a thrice-weekly flight from the Botswana safari hub of Maun.

The cost of this safari is subject to a number of factors, including the time of year and the number of travellers.
Please contact us for a quote so we can provide you with the most relevant, up-to-date cost.

Children under 12 receive a discount.
The cost excludes flights to/from Windhoek. We can book any regional flights that you may require.

COST INCLUDES:

  • Fully escorted safari with private guide/driver including all on-road costs
  • All accommodation (en-suite)
  • Most meals (as noted in itinerary)
  • N/aā€™an ku sĆŖ Wildlife Sanctuary ā€œCarnivore tourā€
  • Sossusvlei & Dead Vlei guided excursions with Compass Odyssey guide
  • Namib Desert guided excursion with specialist local guide
  • All entrances, Conservation levies and National Park fees
  • All local taxes

COST EXCLUDES:

  • International flights to/from Africa
  • Regional flights to/from Windhoek
  • Personal travel insurance and (if required) visa
  • Items of a personal nature, such as drinks and laundry (unless specified)
  • Tips for all guides, drivers, domestics, porters and wait staff

ACTIVITIES

  • N/aā€™an ku sĆŖ Wildlife Sanctuary ā€œCarnivore Tourā€ game drive.
  • Sossusvlei & Dead Vlei excursion with Compass Odyssey guide.
  • Guided excursion in the Namib Desert with a specialist guide

The N/aā€™an ku sĆŖ game drive may be shared with fellow lodge guests. The Namib Desert excursion is with a private guide.

TRANSPORT

  • Airport transfers and all road travel in an air-conditioned 4×4 SUV vehicle.

WHEN TO VISIT

Namibia lies in the southern hemisphere with summer from December to February and winter from June to August.Ā  The climate is generally very dry and pleasant all year round, however it depends on your location as to the specific weather you can expect while on safari.

The country receives most of its rain in the hot, humid summer months between October and March, then cools down and becomes drier between April and September.

In Namibiaā€™s drier regions to the south of the country which includes the iconic Namib Desert sights of Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei, the summer months are very hot but lack the high humidity and rainfall experienced in the savannah regions to the north. It can be considered the best time for photography as there is less haze and dust. However, the winter months are the peak season for visitors simply because the daytime temperatures are more pleasant and mild.Ā  Itā€™s worth noting that the winter evenings and early mornings can be exceptionally cold.

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ARRIVAL REQUIREMENTS

Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the end of your time in Namibia, and it is a good idea to bring a few photocopies in case you lose the original. In addition to a passport, children under 18 years of age entering Namibia with only one parent or with parents who have a different surname are required to produce additional documentation upon arrival. See here for further information about travelling with children.

Although most visitors are not required to obtain a visa before entering Namibia, this is not applicable to all nationalities. Compass Odyssey does not issue visas nor can we complete visa applications for our travellers. While we will obviously assist our travellers with the documentation required for any visa applications, it is the responsibility of our travellers to investigate the visa requirements for their journey and to complete any necessary applications.

An immigration form needs to be completed when entering and departing Namibia. This form requests information such as passport and birth particulars, as well as contact details within Namibia. Prior to your safari, you will be sent a Safari Dossier that provides addresses and contact information for all your accommodation in Namibia.

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TRAVELLERā€™S HEALTH

YELLOW FEVER and MALARIAĀ  are the two other major health considerations for travellers coming to Southern Africa.

Yellow Fever is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, and approximately 200,000 cases occur each year with the vast majority of these occurring in parts of Africa and Central/South America. Ā A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is not required for entering Southern Africa unless you are coming from ā€“ or you are in airport transit for more than 12 hours within – a country deemed to be infected with Yellow Fever. The World Health Organisation lists the southern African countries of Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe as being free from Yellow Fever. For further clarification on Yellow Fever, refer to tables 4-23, 4-24 and 4-27 on this page of the website for the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Malaria is present in the far north and north eastern regions, where Namibia borders Angola and Zambia. There is low to no risk of malaria in all other areas. See here for further information. A number of other tropical diseases are present in Southern Africa but generally the biggest health risk you will face on your safari is usually an upset tummy (often caused by dehydration) or a cold. For complete peace of mind, we of course recommend you visit your local GP or Travel Health Clinic.

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Itinerary
DAY 1-5: NAMIBIA

Day 1Welcome to Namibia

Our local guide, Elvis Nghimutina greets you today at Windhoekā€™s Hosea Kutako International Airport ā€“ named in honour of one of the original opponents to South African rule after WWI – and transfers you to our nearby bush accommodation in the N/aā€™an ku sĆŖ Wildlife Sanctuary, where this afternoonā€™s ā€œCarnivore Tourā€ game drive affords close-up viewing of the sanctuaryā€™s resident lions, leopards, wild dogs and others. During dinner, Elvis will offer a few words of wisdom to help you feel comfortable with being in Namibia, while giving a brief overview of the exciting itinerary that lay ahead.

Staying close to Windhoek tonight allows you to acclimatize and settle into a relaxed, healthy rhythm for the remainder of your safari. This can take a day or two due to the uncomfortable combination of the cityā€™s relatively high altitude (1,660m or 5,440ft) and the long-haul flight most travelers endure to get here.

Accommodation: N/aā€™an Ku sĆŖ Lodge
Mid-range 4-star lodge located in N/aā€™an ku sĆŖ Wildlife Sanctuary

Meals:
Lunch & dinner

Day 2Naukluft mountain range & the Namib Desert

Today you are treated to a wonderful scenic drive to Sesreim and the dunes of the Namib Desert. Traveling mostly on graded, gravel roads you descend down into the Naukluft Valley and its panoramic mountain vistas. The scenery remains stunning as you approach the easternmost edge of Namibiaā€™s famed desert dunes, where sand and savanna meet and free roaming wildlife such as springbok, oryx (also called gemsbok) and ostrich can often be seen from your lodge. Our aim is to provide plenty of time for you to soak up this harsh yet beautiful landscape. We therefore provide a stay of two nights at Sossusvlei Lodge, located at the entrance to Namib-Naukluft National Park which encompasses one of the worldā€™s oldest and driest desert regions.

Accommodation: Sossusvlei Lodge
Mid-range 4-star lodge located at the entrance to the Namib-Naukluft National Park

Meals:
Breakfast, packed lunch & dinner

Day 3Namib Desert including Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei

Today our guide, Elvis takes you to the desert sands overlooking the well-known and photogenic landmarks of Dune 45, Dead Vlei and Sossusvlei. Later today you explore Sesreim Canyon and can visit Elim Dune to marvel at the splendor of an African sunset.

As you travel down the valley of the Tsauchab River to Sossusvlei, you are dwarfed on either side by huge sand dunes. At times, you pass close to groves of dead camel thorn trees, testimony to a bygone era when there was much more water. During the drive you can hope to see oryx, the fabled desert antelope, as well as springbok, ostrich, bustards, jackal, bat-eared fox and hyena. At the end of the tarred road is a short, though at times bumpy, ride along a sandy track to the two iconic vleis of Dead Vlei and Sossusvlei. Vlei is an Afrikaans term for a marsh or pan of water.

Accommodation: Sossusvlei Lodge
Mid-range 4-star lodge located at the entrance to the Namib-Naukluft National Park

Meals:
Breakfast & dinner

Day 4Namib Desert and the "Valley of a Thousand Hills"

You now call in to the home of Gideon David – better known as Boesman and an old friend of Compass Odyssey. Married to Japanese wife Yuri and the subject of an episode of the BBCā€™s ā€œNew Lives In the Wildā€, Boesman is our local bare-footed desert guide and also a keen farmer, and this morning we take an informative tour of his farm and its resident desert dunes. Along the way he shows us that the Namib Desert is alive and thriving with specialized animal and plant life, the great majority of it utilized in some way by the nomadic Bushmen (also collectively called the San people). After this fascinating morning, you travel the short distance to one of Namibiaā€™s best kept secrets (for now), ā€œNamibā€™s Valley of a Thousand Hillsā€. Your lodge is located on a highland offering sweeping views of the desolate Guab Valley, which is literally riddled with thousands of hills and provides a fitting final night in this desert region.

Accommodation: Namibā€™s Valley Lodge
Mid-range 2-star lodge

Meals:
Breakfast, packed lunch & dinner

Day 5Farewell

This morning you travel via the nationā€™s capital, Windhoek and can visit a local craft center for some final souvenir shopping (time permitting). Elvis then returns you to Windhoek Airport for an afternoon flight departure – daily direct flights are available to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Frankfurt among others. There are also direct flights from Walvis Bay Airport (40mins drive south of Swakopmund) to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Windhoek.

During this safari you will witness Namibiaā€™s natural and wild beauty, be exposed to her diverse cultures and history, and experience genuine African hospitality. Thank you for visiting Namibia on this Compass Odyssey safari. ĒƒHaese mugus (ā€œSee you soonā€).

Meals:
Breakfast