NAMIBIA

NEW YORK – WINDHOEK

Arrival at 09:05 at Hosea Kuto International Airport in Windhoek and meeting with the guide.

Transfer and accommodation at the 4 * Hotel Avani. Allocation of reserved rooms. Lunch

light in the city. City tour. Dinner at the hotel and overnight.

WINDHOEK

Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, has about 250,000 inhabitants, most of whom are speaking

afrikaners. Surrounded by high hills, it has a very healthy semi-desert climate, with hot days

and cool nights. Surrounded by gardens and parks filled with hibiscus, jasmine, bougainvillea and mangoes, it is

perpetually decorated with colorful and fragrant flowers. Everything is neat and shiny: streets, gardens and

including houses. Bavarian architecture prevails, even if the center is crowded with buildings

modern. The skyscrapers, never too high, do not block the view of the hills surrounding the city.

Beyond the shopping area is the Christuskirche (Christ Church), the landmark of the

city, the Alte Feste (Old Fortress), the oldest building in the city, the Independence Memorial

Museum and the historic Tintenpalast (ink palace), seat of parliament. Strolling through

the Kaiser Strasse, now Independence Avenue, where the best and most famous shops are located

restaurants, Herero women with characteristic costumes meet and curious buildings can be seen

German style dating from the early 20th century

WINDHOEK - OJIWARONGO - ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

Breakfast and in the morning we leave for Etosha National Park with a stop along the

route to Ojwarongo where we will have lunch with locally sourced foods and above all there will be a visit

to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, an organization that for years has made its utmost commitment to

safeguarding cheetahs. At the end of the visit, continue to Etosha National Park.

Accommodation for the first night at the Etosha Safari Lodge. Dinner and overnight.

CCF - CEETAH CONSERVATION FUND

Cheetah Conservation Fund is a one-of-a-kind place. Located near the city of Ojiwarongo,

CCF is a large-scale conservation NGO working to save the cheetah and his

ecosystem. The large and modern Education Center houses the Museum, which it provides to visitors

and students the opportunity to learn more about the behavior and biology of

cheetah, on the Namibian ecosystem which is home to the most endangered feline species in Africa.

The excellent graphics and interactive displays placed in the Center allow visitors to retrace

the history of the cheetah, from prehistoric times to modern times, explaining how their number over time

both decreased and their habitat reduced

ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

Breakfast and dinner in the lodge, lunch in a restaurant. The day will be dedicated to safaris following the tracks

indicated by being immediately surrounded by countless gazelles and zebras.

ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

Etosha is one of the parks with the largest number of animals. Large herds of antelope are sighted

(kudu, zebras, wildebeest, gazelles), many elephants and giraffes, cats often meet. Created in 1907

Etosha Park is one of the first parks created for the protection of fauna and flora and, originally,

it included a strip of territory up to the Skeleton Coast on the Atlantic Ocean.

Currently the reserve covers an area of ​​22,570 sq km, the center of which is the "pan", basin

perfectly flat, about a hundred kilometers long and about forty wide. The pan was, in the times

remote, a lake connected to the Kunene River system, but is now dry and its surface is clay

and salt shines in the sunlight. Paradoxically, this whitish nudity offers protection to

more vulnerable animals since the absence of vegetation leaves no hiding places for the dangerous

predators. A different and extremely “photogenic” park both for the landscapes and for the fauna and the

flora: following dirt tracks you go in search of groups of elephants gathered around the pools

of water, herds of herbivores in constant movement among the groves of acacias, giraffes, felines ...

The scarcity of water basins necessitates a curious respect for the hierarchy of animals

who drink; in order of importance: elephants, predators, herbivores and then birds. Everyone waits

impassive his turn, arranging himself in a group around the pool.

Overnight at the Etosha Safari Lodge. After dinner it will be possible to watch the sighting

nocturnal animals around the illuminated pool of the camp.

ETOSHA SAFARI LODGE

Located inside, near the entrance to Andersson's Gate and surrounded by woods of

mopane, is in the perfect position for visiting the great Etosha Park, one of the reserves

most important fauna in Southern Africa. It has 65 bungalows, harmoniously furnished

with extensive use of local materials including precious woods, stones and ceramics molded by the hands of

expert local artists

ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

Second day dedicated to safaris in Etosha National Park. Breakfast and dinner in the lodge, lunch in

restaurant. Overnight at King Nehale Lodge.

KING NEHALE LODGE

Located in the plains of Andoni, just one kilometer from the King Nehale entrance gate results

perfectly located for visiting the large Etosha Park, one of the most wildlife reserves

important in Southern Africa. It has 40 chalets, harmoniously furnished with extensive use of

local materials paying homage to the rich cultural heritage of the area. Each chalet is spacious and equipped

of private swimming pool that allows guests to contemplate the boundless horizons of the plains of

Andoni. But this lodge has a surprise: private access to a secluded waterhole:

Ontalelo Outpost located inside the Etosha Park. This pool of water allows guests

of the lodge to immerse yourself in the tranquility of nature and observe the rich diversity of the kingdom

animal.

ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK - OPUWO (Kaokoland: Himba people)

After breakfast departure north for the Kaoko region. It is a wild territory and

primitive, arid and rocky of immense beauty. I then arrive in Opuwo, a border town

built in bulk.

KAOKOLAND

Officially known as "Kaokoland", this region is located in the far northwest of

Namibia, on the border with Angola. The Kunene River, which forms the border between these two countries, has given

the name of the area. It is the last outpost for every supply need, one point

important for gasoline for those arriving from Angola. Meet the first Himba in the streets,

at the supermarket, among the stalls. One of the central points of a visit to Namibia is the possibility of

interact with some of the most traditional ethnic groups in the entire country. The Kaokoland is the seat of the

Ova-Himba tribe, a tribe of semi-nomadic shepherds descended from the Herero that was not

influenced by other cultures and whose way of life has remained unchanged over the centuries. You can see them

while grazing their animals or while carrying water to the village. Himba women are

known for their beauty, enhanced by intricate hairstyles. Minimally dressed, only with a

loincloth, the Himba paint their bodies with an ocher mixture which, in addition to giving a splendid

red color to their skin, it protects them from the sun. Their houses are simple sapling structures a

cone-shaped, tied together with palm leaves and plastered with mud and dung. The isolation

geography of the Himba, combined with a shy and conservative character, helped to maintain

the lifestyle, the ancient traditions and the daily customs are almost intact. One particular is useful

attention in the approach to this population which, due to sometimes invasive tourism, runs

however, the risk of becoming homologated towards a money-based economy. Such a change

it could subvert the values ​​and spirit of solidarity still so evident in each community.

Around Opuwo there are some villages whose inhabitants lend themselves to being photographed in exchange

of sugar, salt, butter and flour delivered to their boss. Accommodation at Opuwo Country Lodge.

Full board.

OPUWO COUNTRY LODGE

Located in the northwest of Namibia, in the Kaokoveld region in a remote area south of the

Kunene River, home of the Himba people, Opuwo Country Lodge has officially opened

in August 2005. The hotel provides 28 Luxury rooms and 12 standard all luxurious accommodations,

refined and comfortable with air conditioning. The property offers a swimming pool for relaxing moments

at the edge of which you can enjoy a glass of wine and admire the panorama and the sunset of

this beautiful land.

OPUWO - TWYFELFONTEIN

After breakfast we continue to Damaraland and Twyfelfontein or the "Sorgente Dubbia", because

some time ago it was doubted about the presence of water in this place. Gradually the desert did

transforms into savannah but the spectacle of nature is always surprising. It is a wild territory,

arid and rocky of immense beauty, with spectacular gorges and rocks with particular conformations.

Plants of the Damara region have evolved to survive in an environment that is almost devoid of

water. Picnic lunch. Visit the Petrified Forest, a clearing strewn with petrified logs

measuring up to 34 m in length and 6 m in circumference, dating back to 260 million years.

Accommodation at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge, one of the richest areas of rock carvings in

Namibia. Dinner and overnight.

DAMARALAND

After breakfast the visits to Damaraland continue. In the area around Twyfelfontein there are between

the oldest engravings and cave paintings on the continent, made by San hunters around 6,000 years

does. Visit of the Dolomite columns known as Organ Pipes, unusual granite formations

reminiscent of organ pipes and Burnt Mountain, an expanse of volcanic slag that it seems

ravaged by flames. In the afternoon, excursion with rangers in search of elephants from

sand, unique to Namibia. It is an unforgettable experience along dry and sandy between small rivers

green oasis where these animals find natural springs. I'm going back to the hotel. Full board

DAMARALAND - SWAKOPMUND

After breakfast at the hotel, you will ride along a stretch of the track along the Skeleton Coast. Traveling

through the National West Coast Recreational Area, it skirts the Brandberg massif. Break

to Cape Cross for a visit to the 100,000 seals diving into the Atlantic waves. Lunch in

restaurant. This place was first discovered in 1486 by a Portuguese explorer, Diego

Cao, who erected a cross in honor of John I of Portugal. In addition to being a place of interest

Historic, Cape Cross is home to a colony of thousands of sea lions, mostly during the time of the

births and mating. The landscape is absolutely desert up to the beach beaten by

strong winds and powerful waves, only stunted lichens manage to survive clinging to the few

rocks emerging from the sand. A truly unique and very delicate ecosystem. This area

it is considered one of the driest on earth, with rains falling a few times in a decade. There

costa, as we know it now, is the result of a totally exceptional climate, in which the

Benguela cold current, coming from Antarctica, plays a determining role: the

water temperature near the coast is about 12 ° while offshore is 18/20 ° and, when

the warm-humid air of the open sea reaches the shore, the mixture of air masses at different temperatures

causes a great condensation and a persistent fog that covers the region for more than 250

days a year. The phenomenon is accentuated during the night and early in the morning when the thick fog

it can sometimes cover the desert even up to 50 kilometers inland. Accommodation at the Delight Hotel

4 *. Dinner in a restaurant and overnight at the hotel.

WALVIS BAY

After breakfast, about thirty kilometers separate Swakopmund from Walvis Bay, until a few years

makes South African enclave. The path winds between the ocean and huge yellow sand dunes that you

forgiveness in the Atlantic. There is a pleasant cruise among dolphins, flamingos, pelicans, cormorants,

seagulls, seals jumping in the boat. A good snack on the boat based on oysters, champagne and small

other canapés. The boat crosses the entire lagoon. After the cruise, continue in 4x4 cars on the other

part of the bay on a strip of sand where seals love to sunbathe and with a gymkana in between

the dunes almost reach Sandwich Harbor. For those who like to walk, you will be able to walk a

beautiful stretch along the coast before returning to Swakopmund by car. A whole day

dedicated to the beautiful wild coast. Snack on the dunes. Return to Swakopmund. Dinner in a restaurant

and overnight at the hotel.

SWAKOPMUND - NAMIB DESERT - SESRIEM

After breakfast departure for Solitaire, a very small outpost located in the middle of nowhere

absolute, through the "gravel plains" of the Namib Desert. We leave behind the dunes of the coast and

the ocean, continuing in a south-easterly direction and penetrating along the eastern border into the plains

of the Namib Desert Naukluft Park dramatically characterized by impressive scenery and by

strong contrasts.

DESERT OF NAMIB

This desert, whose name derives from a Hottentot word meaning "place without anyone",

it consists of a relatively narrow and long coastal strip, the Namib in fact extends for about

1,900 km long and 80-140 km wide. The estimated age is about 80 million years, possibly the

oldest desert. The national park was created precisely to protect the delicate ecosystem

environmental, a unique universe in the world: lizards that can store water to them

necessary for two months, beetles that are positioned in the upper part of the dunes to collect

all the humidity of the morning fog, the oryx antelope which has developed a particular system of

cooling of the blood in the nostrils, the squirrel uses to protect itself from extreme heat

the tail as a parasol. Among the many curiosities hidden by this magnificent desert there are some

also some more properly geological such as the "Moon Valley" - a canyon carved by the river

Swakop - and the huge monoliths of rounded granite rock scattered almost everywhere. Then there is the

Plain of the Welwitsche. This hard-to-pronounce name indicates an endemic plant, altogether

unique and very particular, the "Welwitschia mirabilis". This is a tree that produces just two

ribbon-like leaves that sometimes reach more than 5 meters in length and retain moisture; but

even more surprising is the age of some specimens, evaluated with the dating method of

carbon 14, more than 2,000 years old. Along dirt tracks that cross various types of desert we will have

the chance to meet groups of oryx antelopes, zebras and ostriches. In fact this desert varies

continuously its appearance offering a variety of images: from steep cliffs to high ones

mountains to the grassy plains where sudden canyons such as the Gaub and the Kuiseb open up.

Lunch and in the afternoon arrival in the Sesriem area. Accommodation for two nights in Desert Grace

Lodge. Dinner and overnight.

DESERT GRACE LODGE

Lodge opened in 2018, built entirely using sandbags instead of bricks,

this not only for greater respect for the environment but also for greater yield in terms

of insulation of the rooms themselves which remain cooler. A quirky twist in the middle of the

desert and an inspiration from Wes Anderson's 1960s films will welcome you in a unique experience.

NAMIB DESERT

Breakfast; departure for an excursion near the ancient river of Tsauchab, visiting the

Sossusvlei, the dune 45 and the Deadvlei.

SOSSUSVLEI

Many say that there is no other part of the desert more impressive than the Sossusvlei, of the

its monumental dunes and the shadow of their sinuous ridges that change continuously in

function of the solar inclination. Star-shaped sand mountains reach up to 325 meters

in height. The warm shades of the sand, ranging from apricot to orange to get right up

to red, they contrast in an incredible way with the white of the clay of the depressions at the base of the

dunes. The sea of ​​sand of the Namib Desert stretches for more than 400 kilometers. This is a

immense erg that covers an area of ​​34,000 sq km and is mostly made up of dune cords

parallel, about 1.5 / 2.5 Km. away, forming an immense palisade of sand more than 50 wide

Km. Among these huge dunes there are some basins relatively close to each other,

perfectly round, flat and smooth, of a dazzling white. They are the "vlei", the beds of ancient lakes by now

dried up. A real paradise for photographers and more.

In the afternoon also visit Sesriem Canyon, a small and picturesque canyon eroded by the river

Tschaub over millennia. I'm going back to the hotel. Full board.

NAMIB DESERT - KALAHARI DESERT

After breakfast, departure for the Kalahari desert, crossing the mountain range

leaving the plateaux. The journey is not long and most of it is still on an asphalted road. Only the last ones

a few kilometers are on a sandy track. Upon arrival, accommodation at the Kalahari Anib Lodge and game drive

in the desert in open jeeps with an aperitif at sunset. A beautiful journey between dunes and river beds

buckets where ostriches like to run freely. Full board.

KALAHARI DESERT - WINDHOEK

Breakfast. Today we will leave the desert to return to the city, to Windhoek. Lunch in a restaurant.

Transfer to the airport in time for the check-in and boarding operations

Lufthansa flight LH4357 at 20:00 to Frankfurt.

WINDHOEK – NEW YORK