Namibia Fly-Drive Highlights, 11 nights

Our Namibia Fly-Drive Highlights itinerary offers guests the chance to experience Namibia’s vast Namib Desert and Skeleton Coast landscapes from the air before self-driving the north of the country.  Combining flying with driving between lodges allows travellers to cover a lot of ground while keeping the overall price affordable.  This spectacular safari covers Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Twyfelfontein & Damaraland, the famous Ongava reserve located on the border of Etosha National Park, and Okonjima/ AfriCat.

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Day 1

You will be met in the arrivals hall of Windhoek Hosea Kutako Airport by one of our chauffeur drivers who will transfer you into town in an ATI luxury vehicle.  After taking some time to shower, relax (and maybe have a quick nap), one of our representatives will meet you at your guest house or hotel around 4pm. If you’re landing late in the day, we will meet you around 8am the following morning. We will offer a thorough briefing of your whole holiday and go through your marked road map, vouchers, and itinerary with you. We’re also on hand to book a restaurant for tonight, should we not have already done so.

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Day 2 – 3

One of our chauffeur drivers will collect you this morning and transfer you back to the airport in time to meet your pilot. Your pilot will escort you to the domestic terminal and through security to your light aircraft. Your flight will be shared with other passengers. Enjoy a beautiful flight over Namibia’s central plateau and the Naukluft Mountains, before landing near the Namib Naukluft National Park close to Sesriem & Sossusvlei. Enjoy two nights here taking part in activities including a guided trip to Sossusvlei, nature drives, or guided walks. You may also like to take a unique hot air balloon trip for an additional fee.

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Day 4

Climb aboard a plane again today for your flight to the coast and Swakopmund. Enjoy some amazing desert views along the way. Your hire vehicle will be delivered to the hotel this afternoon.

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Day 5

Today you have time to explore the town of Swakopmund, maybe enjoying an ice cream or coffee at one of the many cafes. We also love the aquarium which has a walk-through viewing tunnel and daily feeding  in the large tank at 15h00. On Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays the feeding is done by a diver which is great to watch, especially for children. Other attractions include the snake park, a brilliantly informative way to learn about Namibia’s reptiles, and the ‘Kristall Galerie’ which houses one of the world’s largest quartz crystals. And at the end of a busy day, we recommend champagne and oysters on the deck of The Jetty restaurant to watch the sunset.

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Day 6 – 7

Today you will continue by self-driving your hire car along the coast and then inland, past the majestic Brandberg Mountain and into Damaraland. The drive  will take around 5 hours excluding stops. During your two nights here, you can take part in inclusive guided activities such as desert elephant tracking, and a guided visit to the World Heritage site of Twyfelfontein.

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Day 8 – 9

Today you will drive northeastwards from Damaraland to southern Etosha, Namibia’s wildlife highlight. The drive should take you around 4.5 hours excluding stops and your destination is the Ongava Reserve bordering Etosha National Park, Namibia’s prime wildlife area. During your time here you may enjoy optional guided game drives into Etosha and on the private Ongava reserve, guided walks, wildlife viewing at the lodge waterhole, and perhaps a visit to the fascinating Ongava research centre to learn more about the important scientific work being done here.

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Day 10

Today you will drive southwards from the southern side of Etosha to Okonjima. You will travel through the towns of Outjo and Otjiwarongo which both offer opportunities for lunch or a quick break. The drive should take you around 3 hours excluding stops.

During your inclusive afternoon game drive, experienced guides will entertain you with their knowledge, sharing interesting and enlightening information about the history of the Okonjima Nature Reserve and the research gathered over the past 30 years of conservation on Okonjima. On this trail, no telemetry device is used to track any of the carnivores researched by the AfriCat Foundation. Wildlife is the focus of the drive. Visitors are offered insight as the guides attempt to foster a general appreciation of the natural habitat of the Nature Reserve.

Morning activities (seasonal times): Departure 06:00 / 06:30 AM; Return 09:30 / 10:00 AM.

Afternoon activities (seasonal times): Departure: 15:30 / 16:00 PM; Return 19:00 / 19:30 PM.

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Day 11

The Leopard ‘experience’ will take you out into the Okonjima Nature Reserve and will allow you to spend more time with the experienced guides whilst participating in the research data collection for the long-standing leopard project and newly introduced brown hyaena program. Some of the adult leopards are radio collared which enables the guides to track them with a specialised telemetry device. Although this significantly increases the chance of an excellent sighting, it cannot ever be guaranteed as they are wild free-roaming predators.

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Day 12

You will continue your drive, ending at Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport to drop your hire car off in time to connect with your onward flight.  The drive to the airport from Windhoek city centre takes around 45 minutes, and you should arrive no later than 2.5 hours before your flight departs in order to drop your car off and check in.

Included

Transfers and seat in plane flights between lodges as specified

4×4 vehicle hire as specified

Accommodation on the meal & activity basis specified

Tourism levies, VAT, Park Entry fees, & community conservation contributions

24/7 on the ground support

Excluded

International flights

Vehicle fuel

Personal insurance

Any drinks, meals, or activities not specified in the itinerary

Any visa costs

Gratuities and personal items

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