8-Day Namibia Classic Safari

You will leave for Sossusvlei after breakfast. We'll drive through the Khomas Hochland and
down the escarpment into the Namib Desert via one of the scenic mountain passes. This journey
will take approximately four hours, including photo stops. After lunch and settling in at the
lodge, we'll go on a scenic nature drive in the late afternoon.
The Namib Desert is the world's oldest desert, with the highest sand dunes. This area is one of
the most beautiful in Africa. Sossusvlei is the name given to the vlei or pan into which the
seasonal Tsauchab River flows during years of heavy rain. In the early morning light, the
neighboring Dead Vlei, with its ancient dead Camel Thorn trees, photographs beautifully. The
Sesriem canyon is a one-kilometer-long narrow gorge that is also well worth a visit. This area
is home to a variety of desert-adapted wildlife, including oryx, springbok, black-backed jackal,
ostrich, sociable weavers, and a variety of reptiles and small mammals.

The Namib Desert is the world's oldest desert, with the highest sand dunes. This area is one of
the most beautiful in Africa. Sossusvlei is the name given to the vlei or pan into which the
seasonal Tsauchab River flows during years of heavy rain. In the early morning light, the
neighboring Dead Vlei, with its ancient dead Camel Thorn trees, photographs beautifully. The
Sesriem canyon is a one-kilometer-long narrow gorge that is also well worth a visit. This area
is home to a variety of desert-adapted wildlife, including oryx, springbok, black-backed jackal,
ostrich, sociable weavers, and a variety of reptiles and small mammals.
Swakopmund has a lot of great restaurants and bars, as well as good shopping and interesting
architecture. Quad biking, sandboarding, skydiving, beach angling, and scenic flights over the
coastline and Sossusvlei are available for the daring.

After breakfast, we'll embark on an adventure to learn more about the Namib Desert's
fascinating wildlife. We'll be looking for geckos, scorpions, side-winder snakes, lizards, and
beetles, as well as the amazing plant life that survives in this harsh environment.
When we return to Swakopmund, you will eat lunch and then have the afternoon to yourself.
You can spend the day exploring the town or ending it with an optional quad-biking and duneboarding adventure. Scenic flights over the coast and dunes could also be arranged as optional
activities.

We'll continue our safari north along the Skeleton Coast after breakfast. After seeing a
shipwreck, we'll head inland towards Damaraland, passing Brandberg, Namibia's highest peak
at 2573 meters. Later, we'll go to the Twyfelfontein rock engravings (Namibia's only world
heritage site), burnt mountain, and the Organ Pipes rock formation.

We'll leave after breakfast for Etosha National Park, where we'll spend the next three nights
(the first two at Etosha Safari Camp). When we arrive, we'll go on an afternoon game drive.
The next day, we'll go on early morning and late afternoon drives, stopping at various
waterholes known for the large number of animals that drink there.

We will spend the entire day traveling through the park from Etosha Safari Lodge to Mushara
Lodge, stopping for a game drive along the way. The lodge is located on its own small game
reserve just outside the park's eastern boundary. This area of Etosha National Park is known
for its excellent game viewing and lush vegetation. Our final evening will be spent relaxing at
the lovely Mushara Lodge.

After an early morning game drive or a leisurely breakfast, we will depart for Windhoek so
you can catch your connecting flight. We can also arrange for a trip extension to visit the San
Bushmen and possibly spend the night at Okonjima Lodge, home of the African Foundation.
Many of our clients prefer to spend an extra night in Mushara to fully explore and appreciate
Etosha's game-rich eastern section.