DAY ONE

Arrive Walvis Bay Airport. We will be met on arrival by our Expedition Leader from The Adventure Boutique, whom will be with us throughout our Namibian experience. They will accompany you through to your transfer to our lodge for the evening, situated on the Swakop River and overlooking the grandeur of the Namib Desert. Close to the town of Swakopmund, we will be staying here for one night, allowing us time to freshen up and rehydrate after our international arrival and as with all of our accommodation, has attentive staff to ensure that you are never left wanting. Your Expedition Leader will give you a briefing in the evening and whet your appetite for the expedition ahead.

DAY TWO

Wake just before dawn with a cup of coffee and a snack to catch the early morning sun rising over the desert. This is an amazing opportunity to capture photos of the changing colours as the sun emerges. We will enjoy our breakfast in the lodge before taking a short flight to the start of our desert trekking experience situated about 500km south of Swakopmund in the NamibRand Nature Reserve. Nothing takes you closer to nature than a walking safari and we will be able to take in the desert’s stunning beauty and discover many secrets of the Namib that cannot be experienced when driving. We will traverse mountainous terrain and sandy dunes; we will encounter fog-basking Tok Tokkie beetles, barking geckos, dancing spiders, bat-eared foxes, and many more – the desert is not deserted at all. Your guide will introduce you to this world then let you relax with a sundowner and enjoy a three-course dinner before falling asleep, on stretcher beds out in the open, under the stars.

DAY THREE

Today Early morning tea or coffee is served before sunrise followed by a light breakfast so that we can set off in the cool of the early morning on this full day in the desert. The highlights of the walk are the breath-taking views of the dunes and plains as well as the “coming alive” of the desert as the guide allows you to feel, smell, taste and see the oldest living desert in the world. The “morning news”, as written in the sand is always fascinating and with some luck and the guide’s trained eyes, you may spot some of the desert specials; golden mole, dancing white lady, barking gecko, dune lark, flightless wasp just to name a few. We walk over a mountain saddle before descending gently to a dry riverbed. During the course of the day our guide will explain some wonders of the Namib to us – how the fascinating desert flora survives, how insect and reptile life adapts to the harsh environment and how mammals can survive here without water. Birding is surprisingly good and you may be fortunate enough to see one of Namib endemics, the dune lark. Larger animals you might come across include bat-eared fox, oryx, springbok and ostrich.

Our lunch stop will be in a shady spot where we can enjoy the treats prepared by our chefs. Fill up your water bottles; there is plenty of time to relax, have a siesta and reflect on all you have seen. As the heat recedes we will start walking again up and over the dunes to our second overnight spot. The scene in front of us is a sea of endless dunes and “fairy circles” against a backdrop of magnificent mountain scenery. Photography is spectacular! The shadows on the dunes create an ever-changing palette of colours that intensify shortly before sunset. A sundowner and a delicious dinner after a long and enjoyable day are indeed welcome. You might hear some barking geckos, owls or your ears may just ring with the incredible silence. With no ambient lights to distract our eyes, and no cloud to obscure our view, a night under the stars of the desert sky is a memory that will stay with you forever. If the sky is clear and moonless, you will quickly understand why NamibRand Nature Reserve is one of the few International Dark Sky Reserves in the world.

DAY FOUR

Once again we are woken in the soft light shortly before sunrise. Coffee and breakfast is served before we set off through the dune field. The soft and rolling dunes are interspersed by camel thorn trees, which provide welcome shade for a rest. The walk today is easy and we will arrive at Tok Tokkie Farmhouse in the late morning. When time allows we visit the Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust (NaDEET), a non-profit, donor sponsored trust, which aims to develop environmentally responsible citizens of Namibia

DAY FIVE

Today we will transfer by plane to Uis; the gateway town to the land of the Damara and home to the Brandberg Massif and Ugab River. Upon landing we transfer to the Brandberg Mountain to start our trek. The Massif is a circular, dome-shaped structure that rises 2573 meters above the flat plains of Namibia and encompasses an area of 650 square kilometers. Its huge size means that it acts as a “rain shadow”, wringing moisture from the clouds and preventing precipitation in the desert. The monolith is described as being over 120 million years old and the remains of a granitic intrusion that “punched through” the Earth’s crust. The area is inundated by cave paintings, the most famous of which being the “White Lady.” We make time to see these and other paintings before continuing our trek to the highest point in Namibia, the Konigstein. We will make our camp along the way and hopefully see the evening light on the mountain give the appearance that the rocks are on fire leading to the name Brandberg. We spend another night under the magnificent African stars looked after by our mobile camp crew.

DAY SIX

We continue onto our trek’s culmination; Konigstein, Namibia’s highest point at 2573m and survey the landscape surrounding us. After congratulations and a group photograph, our helicopter will whisk us off to our evenings accommodation at Sorris Sorris Lodge, north-east of the mountain. Dramatic piles of mesmerisingly balanced granite boulders in a rugged desert landscape set the perfect backdrop for Sorris Sorris Lodge; it encapsulates a modern expression of African architecture, and has an outdoor pool offering panoramic views over the Ugab River and the Brandberg Massif. Rest, refresh, relax.

DAY SEVEN

Today we will have another early wake up call and, after a quick breakfast and coffee, we will head out into the wild to locate the desert elephant and other species that have made this dry land their home. We can drive through the area and take walks to stalk the elephant and get up close and personal with these, the largest of the land mammals. Feel the ground shake as the animals communicate with one another using infrasonics; sounds that we cannot hear but can be picked up miles away by other elephants. After the morning spent driving and walking, we will return to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, our local guide will take us on a geological walk; pointing out the way the area was formed and how, over millions of years, certain features have been eroded to reveal the granite core that we have trekked upon. Evening enjoying the luxury of the lodge.

DAY EIGHT

We say goodbye to the gorgeous Sorris Sorris Lodge and head north to the Desert Rhino Camp; remote, exclusive and specialised, the camp is located in the vast Palmwag Concession, a semi-desert reserve of about 5,000km2 between Etosha National Park and the Skeleton Coast. It is one of the best places to see desert-dwelling black rhino and the word “camp” doesn’t do the beautiful accommodation justice. We will be able to visit and interact with researchers working in the area as they track and monitor the rhino; for more than 30 years, the Save The Rhino Trust has been solely responsible for helping to protect the rare, desert-adapted black rhino. There are now reported to be about 120 individuals in Namibia, up from about 40 in the early 1980s, and this area, the Palmwag Concession, boasts the largest concentration of black rhino anywhere outside of a national park. A portion of the revenue from every guest at Desert Rhino Camp goes to the Trust, which has trained local people to patrol and monitor the rhino. It is with these trackers, some of whom are seconded to the camp, that we will go out tracking. In the evening, we will meet with the trackers where they will explain their work and what we can expect during our time with them the following day. We will settle into our accommodation, enjoy a sundowner or two, and dine before a peaceful nights rest.

DAY NINE

We leave camp early in a 4WD vehicle, driving around the reserve and enjoying any wildlife we may encounter. Meanwhile, the trackers are out and about, looking for the rhino. When they find one, they will radio our guide and arrange to meet. From the meeting point we will be heading in on foot, with our guide, at a slow and steady pace. The trackers will always ensure that we stay a safe distance away, but the sheer exhilaration of being within a couple of hundred metres of a rhino whilst on foot more than makes up for the fact that you do not get right up to it. There are other opportunities in the area; there is a rich and diverse birdlife alongside other mammals and reptiles and of course, the bush scenery itself is exquisite. Another sundowner in a beautiful setting and a delicious evening meal end our day. You will be escorted to your “tents” by a member of staff.

DAY TEN, ELEVEN AND TWELVE

Today we will enter the area of the San, or bushmen as they are locally known. We take a morning flight to Nhoma in the heart of the San area; south-west of the Caprivi Strip, close to the border with both Botswana to the East and Angola away off to the North. The San are some of the finest trackers bar none.

In the afternoon we will have an introduction to the community. Any activities will depend on what individual people are doing; cooking, crafting, preparing hides or making hunting equipment such as quivers and arrows. Traditional games may also be played and in the evenings there is a good chance of experiencing various dances.

Over the next two full days, we will be the guests of the San. We will head into the bush with three or four hunters collecting and eating bush foods. If fresh tracks are found, the walk may turn into a hunt; although usually unsuccessful, hunts are always interesting! If any animal is killed, all parts of it are utilised. The finding of a bee’s nest is just as important as hunting an animal and “hunting” for honey will more than likely be on the programme. The medicinal use of plants will also be pointed out along the way. The walk does not follow a fixed route and the intensity/duration of the hunt can be adapted. The making of fire by various methods and other survival techniques, such as making rope and setting traps will be demonstrated during the course of the day. We stay for three nights as it takes time to get used to the place, to get to know the villagers as individuals a little, and for them to get to know you. This kind of connection just doesn’t work if we try to rush in and rush out; this is an experience that we don’t want to hurry.

DAY THIRTEEN

Todays destination is Okonjima, home to the AfriCat Foundation, situated halfway between Namibia’s capital city, Windhoek, and the Etosha National Park. AfriCat’s mission is the long-term conservation on Namibia’s large carnivores and this private 200km² nature reserve is ideal habitat to rehabilitate cheetahs, wild dogs, and hyenas. We will have unlimited opportunities to see these beautiful animals in their natural environment. After our morning arrival we will freshen up, enjoy a freshly prepared lunch and then head into the bush to track the elusive leopard. If conditions are good, we may also have a late evening/night drive to spot nocturnal wanderings of the carnivores and other large mammals.

DAY FOURTEEN

A very special penultimate day in Namibia; we will be tracking cheetah on foot. Heading out by vehicle with our guides, we will aim to intercept the cheetah at some point as it traverses it’s territory looking for game. Hopefully we can spend some time tailing this beautiful lithe cat and, as an extra bonus, there is a good chance of seeing wild dogs at some point. After lunch we will visit the AfriCat Carnivore Care Centre, where we will get to meet some of their carnivore ambassadors up close, and learn about the work that is being carried out to try and save the rapid declining population of large predators.

In the evening we can dine majestically before retiring to the fire pit for one last evening listening to the night sounds of African nature under the immense star filled skies.

DAY FIFTEEN

Today we will say our goodbyes to our Namibian hosts and head back to Walvis Bay for our connecting flights back home.