Trekking in Namibia

Day 1:

Depart from country

Day 2:

Hosea Kutako International Airport – Windhoek

(100 km, on tar road; 2 hours of city tour, from most of it is walking)

You will arrive at Hosea Kutako International Airport, where your guide will meet you. The airport is almost 40 kilometers outside Windhoek, a short drive into the capital city of Namibia, Windhoek.

Windhoek lies more or less on top of the central highland which is formed by the Khomas Hochland, the Eros and the Auas Mountains. It lies in the middle of Namibia at the geographical position of about 22’35 south and 17’05 West and at an average altitude of about 1650 meters above see level.

 A short city tour will be done of Windhoek’s most important buildings: Christus Kirche-The German Lutheran Church; Tintenpalast; Alte Feste.

Your first dinner under the star lights of Africa and time to learn each other know.

Dinner

Camping at Windhoek

Day 3:

Windhoek – Rehoboth – Bullsport – Naukluft Park

(295 km, 4 hours driving on tar and gravel roads)

After breakfast we take the road towards Naukluft Mountain via Rehoboth via Bullsport. If everything goes well we will be at our campsite in the Naukluft Park around early afternoon. You are welcome if time to do one of the short hikes in the afternoon.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Camping at Namib Naukluft Mountain

Day 4:

Naukluft Park – Naukluft Mountain – Waterkloof Trail

(17 km hiking in the Naukluft Mountain: 8 hours of hiking)

This is a circular trail situated in the Naukluft Park. It takes about 7 to 8 hours to complete the 17-kilometer trail. It starts and ends at the office/campsite. You start by walking upstream in the Naukluft River through some beautiful gorges, often filled with rock pools after the rains. You have great scenery and the chance of seeing animals….

Klipspringer as well as Mountain Zebra and a variety of birdlife and flora can be seen on this hike. Walking in general is easier than that of the Olive Trail. However, the distance and a steep climb or two make this one more difficult.

Those that would like to explore a bit on there own in the afternoon after getting back at camp are welcome or you can relax while the guide prepare the dinner.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Camping at Namib Naukluft Mountain

Day 5:

Naukluft Mountain – Namib Rand Reserve/Tok Tokkie Farmhouse

(110 km, 2 hours driving on gravel roads)

 (Walking time: morning: 0 hrs / afternoon: estimated 1 hr)

 Upon arrival at the Tok Tokkie farm house, you will be introduced to your guide. Prior to departing on a short scenic drive to the starting point of the trail you will be given a daypack with a water bottle and some raisins and a cup. All you have to do is add your camera, binoculars and a book to read during the heat of the day. Your luggage needed for the duration of the trail will be transferred to your overnight camp by vehicle. From your drop-off point in the sand dunes it is a short walk to your first overnight camp. The dunes are not the massive ones that are encountered at Sossusvlei, but small, vegetated dunes that have a unique beauty of their own. Relax with a sundowner, marvel at the magnificent scenery and start “feeling” the desert. Enjoy a dinner and unwind before falling asleep in the open under a blanket of stars.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sleeping out in the open on stretcher beds

Day 6:

Tok Tokkie Trail

(Walking time: morning: 3 – 4 hrs / afternoon: 2 hrs)

Early morning tea or coffee is served before sunrise followed by a light breakfast so that you can set off in the cool of the early morning. You will be given a lunch pack, as the day heats up it is time to stop at a shady spot. The highlight of the walk is the breathtaking view of the dunes and plains as well as the coming alive” of the desert as the guide allows you to feel, smell, and taste and see the oldest living desert in the world. The “morning news”, as written in the sand of the dunes is always fascinating and with some luck, and the guide’s trained eyes, you may spot some of the desert specials.  To name a few: (Golden Mole, Dancing White Lady, Barking Gecko, Dune Lark, Flightless Wasp to name some). You spend a good part of the morning on the mountain, before descending the other side to a dry riverbed. During the course of the day your guide will explain the wonders of the Namib - how the fascinating desert flora survives by tapping underground water from the riverbed, how insect life, which is prolific, adapts to the harsh environment. Birding is surprisingly good and you may be lucky enough to see one of Namib endemics, the Dune Lark.

Larger animals you might come across includes Bat-eared Fox, Oryx, Springbok and Ostrich.

As the day heats up it is time to stop at a shady spot where you can enjoy your lunch pack and 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 you start walking – on and through the dunes to your second overnight spot. The scene in front of you is an endless dune sea and “fairy circles” with a backdrop of magnificent mountain scenery. Photography is spectacular as the shadows on the dunes create an ever-changing palette of colors shortly before sunset. A delicious dinner after a long and enjoyable day is indeed welcome. The sound of barking geckoes, the occasional cry of a hyena, the hoo-hoo of spotted eagle owls, and more likely than not, the silence accompanies you through the night.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sleeping out in the open on stretcher beds

Day 7:

Tok Tokkie Farmhouse - Near Sesriem Area

(Walking time: morning: 1 hr / afternoon: 0 hrs at Tok Tokkie Trail)

(200 km, 3 hours driving on gravel roads)

Once again you are woken in the soft light shortly before sunrise. Coffee and breakfast is served before you set off through the dune field. The soft and rolling dunes are interspersed by camel thorn trees, which provide welcome shade for a rest. Today’s walk is easy and you arrive at Tok Tokkie farmhouse at approximately 10:30.

From here we will drive to our camp site that will be near Sesriem area. After puting camp up, you can relax a bit, because tomorrow we start very early to go in to Sossusvlei. If time permits we will visit the Sesriem Canyon today.

Sesriem Canyon:At the entrance to Sossusvlei is Sesriem Canyon, where centuries of erosion have incised a narrow gorge about 1km in length. At the foot of the gorge, which plunges down for 30m to 40m, are deep pools of water, which become replenished after good rains. Sesriem derives its name from the time when early pioneers tied six lengths of rawhide to  Hongs together to draw water from these pools.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Camping near Sesriem area

Day 8:

Sesriem Area - Sesriem – Dune 45 – Sossusvlei – Sesriem Area

(270 km, 3 hours driving on gravel roads, small part on tar road)

(10 km walk in the dunes: 4-5 hours of walking)

Very early morning departure to Sossusvlei, the last 5 km we will walk in. Those of you that feels like climbing dunes, Big Daddy is waiting for you. Then on to Sossusvlei after Dooie Vlei.

Sossusvlei: This is a dune wonderland, with towering dunes up to 300m high surrounding a huge, dried-up pan. Dunes extend as far as the eye can see and their rich tints vary from pale apricot to vivid reds and oranges. During a good rainy season, the Tsauchab River flows into the pan, this creates a heaven for water birds. Even during the dry season, Oryx, springbok and ostriches can be seen feeding off the sparse vegetation along the watercourse.

You will have the opportunity to climb the most well known dune, Dune 45 in the afternoon. We will spent the day climbing dunes and explore the desert all around us.

Brunch, Dinner

Camping at Sesriem Area

Day 9:

Sesriem Area – Solitaire – Swakopmund

(400 km, 6-7 hours of driving on gravel road)

We will start to make our way towards Swakopmund. A welcome stop at Solitaire for Apple Pie, by Moose.

En-route we drive through the heart of the Namib Desert. Experience the majesty and mystique of Namibia’s ‘Living Desert’, the Namib. Here, you will find bountiful sunshine, endless open spaces, and scenic beauty. Rust-red dunes are covered with golden long-stemmed grasses, and the myriad animals, birds and insects the desert supports provide endless fascination and wonder

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner own account

Fix accommodation

Day 10:

Swakopmund

Today is at own leisure in Swakopmund. There are many activities on offer, which you can book. Eg Flights over the Skeleton Coast/Sossusvlei etc, quad biking in the dune, intensive desert tour and many more. (All at own cost.) Remember to book in advance, the guide will tell you a bit more a few days before.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at own account

Swakopmund fix accommodation

Day 11:

Swakopmund – Spitzkoppe – Usakos

(220 km, 3 hours driving on tar road mainly)

You had a day of  leisure in Swakopmund, hope you enjoyed it. We will have to start early in the morning,  for you to have  enough time to climb the Spitzkoppe.

Spitzkoppe: The Gross Spitzkoppe together with the Pontok Mountains and the Klein Spitzkoppe represent a landmark in Namibia with a height of 1728 m.

We will sleep in the area of Usakos.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Camping in the area of Usakos

Day 12:

Usakos –Uis – Dara-!Nawa Conservancy

(320 km, 5 hours driving on gravel road)

After breakfast we will depart from Usakos. We will make our way via Uis. In the afternoon do a wild camp in the Dara-!Nawa Conservancy

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Camping wild

Day 13:

Dara-!Nawa Conservancy – Burn Mountain – Organ Pipes – Aba-Huaba

(22km hiking, auto moves 45 km; 9 hours of walking)

After breakfast and packing the vehicle, we will walk in Damaraland, towards the Burn Mountain.

Burn Mountain: was of course never in flames, but in its formation, high temperatures played an important role. Huge amounts of basaltic magma were pushed into an adjacent layer of shale of the Ecca-Group because of the intensive Post-Karoo Volcanism in Damaraland about 125 million years ago.

If luck is on our side we can maybe see the Desert Elephant in a distance. From there on visit the Valley of the Organ Pipes that is hidden in a small river bed.

Organ Pipes: In the Valley of Organ Pipes, you can find a dolerite sill formed by magmatic events which affected large part of Damaraland about 125 million years ago. Although dolerites occur in many parts of the country, this outcrop shows something special to the visitor. The molten magma penetrated into the surrounding rock parallel to the rock layers, thus the dolerite is solidified into a group of homogeneously orientated columns which results in polygonal cross-sections, the “organ pipes”.

Then on to camp that will be in the Aba-Huaba Camp Site, the last bit we will walk next to the road.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Aba-Huaba Camp Site

Day 14:

Aba-Huaba Camp – Twyfelfontein – Dara-!Nawa Conservancy

(18 km hike; vehicle moves 25km; 8 hours of walking)

Early morning pack up camp, having breakfast and starts to walk to Twyfelfontein.

Twyfelfontein: is world renowned for its beautiful rock engravings. The rocks tend to be eclipsed by the engravings and artwork, but they also give evidence of fascination events. It should not be overlooked that the engravings of Twyfelfontein were only made because of the extremely smooth and flat rock surface, which are of course of geological origin.

From here we will walk over a hill into the river where we will later the day meet the auto again for the night.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Camping wild

Day 15:

Wild Camp – Petrified Forest – Khorixas – Kamanjab

(250 km, 5 hours driving on gravel road; 1 hour walk in Petrified Forest)

We will drive again. Our first stop will be at the Petrified Forest.

Petrified Forest: which was discover in the 1940s, consists of fossil tree-trunks, which were imbedded into 270 million year-old sediments of the Ecca Group and which are visible on the surface today. These petrified plants show evidence of vast woodlands, which covered this part of Namibia a long time ago. The interested visitor might wonder whether the trees actually grew here at this arid site where they are now petrified. Geologists, however, have proved that the trees were transported by flowing water before they were deposited. Evidence for this is the lack of petrified anchoring roots. Further proof is that the trunks are lying parallel to each other.  

At the Petrified Forest we will also see the Welwitchia Mirabilis, is a true Namib endemic and extends its range from the Kuiseb River into Namibia in Angola. The plants grow in washes and on gravel plains. It is protected under the Forest Ordinance. Because of its unusual taxonomic status, there are no similar-looking plants; the closest relative is a shrub of the American and Middle Eastern Deserts, Ephedra, which looks very different. The age of theses plants has been another topic of great interest in the scientific world-carbon-dating of medium-sized plants established ages of approximately 400 years, so the largest plants could quite plausible be a thousand years old.

From here we will make our way to Kamanjab, so that we can visit a Himba Village in the afternoon.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Camping at Kamanjab

Day 16:

Kamanjab – Outjo - Etosha National Park

(330 km, 4 hours driving on tar road)

If it happened that we could not visit the Himba Village yesterday afternoon then we have still the opportunity to do this in the morning, because just a certain amount of people is allow visiting the village.

From here the road will take us via Outjo to the Etosha National Park. But first we have to stop in Outjo to get fresh supplies for the days in Etosha National Park. We will stay inside the park, so that we have the opportunities to see the animals at the waterhole in the evenings

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Camping at or near Etosha National Park

Day 17:

Etosha National Park

We will do an early game drive into the park, come back for breakfast and go out again, till around lunch time. Be back in camp till later the afternoon. Go out on another game drive. Hope to see a lot off animals during our drives

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Camping at or near Etosha National Park

Day 18:

Etosha National Park – Waterberg Plateau

(280 kilometer, 4 hours on mostly tar roads; 2 hours hike in the afternoon)

We will break up camp to leave Etosha National Park with all it beautiful animals behind us and make our way to Waterberg, passing through Outjo and Otjiwarongo. We will arrive at lunch time at our camp site at Waterberg Plateau. In the afternoon do a 1 hour hike up to look out point higher the mountain up.

Waterberg Plateau: with its typical rocks, petrified dunes, dinosaur footprints and numerous springs to which it owes its name, is undoubtedly one of the most interesting geological attractions in Namibia. It extends over a length of 48 km in northeasterly direction. The width of the plateau varies between 8 to 16 km. With an average height of 1700m the Waterberg forms the last significant elevation, before the landscape turns into the wide plains of the Kalahari to the east.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Camping at Waterberg

Day 19:

Waterberg Plateau – Okahandja - Windhoek

After a good breakfast, we will make our way back to the capital city, Windhoek. Before reaching it, we will stop at Okahandja at the woodcraft market. The rest of the day, you are welcome to spend the day walking around in Windhoek.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner own account

Fix accommodation

Day 20:

Windhoek - Hosea Kutako International Airport

Together we will have a late morning breakfast. Then you have time to spend in the city at the shops that is open on Sundays. Those of you who would like lunch it will be on your own. Then we will meet again so that we can depart in time for the airport.

Breakfast