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Andersson Group

Fish River Canyon - Aus - Southern Namibia - Namib - Swakopmund - Damaraland - Etosha National Park - Etosha National Park - Waterberg Plateau National Park - Windhoek16 Days / 15 Nights0 Persons12 October 2017 - 27 October 2017

Overview

Accommodation

Destination

Nights

Basis

Canyon Village, Gondwana Collection Namibia

Fish River Canyon

2

D, B&B

Bahnhof Hotel Aus

Aus

1

D, B&B

Helmeringhausen Hotel

Southern Namibia

1

D, B&B

Hammerstein Lodge

Namib

2

B&B

Beach Hotel Swakopmund

Swakopmund

2

D, B&B

Damara Mopane Lodge, Gondwana Collection Namibia

Damaraland

2

D, B&B

Epacha Game Lodge & Spa

Etosha National Park

2

D, B&B

Namutoni Resort

Etosha National Park

1

D, B&B

Waterberg Resort

Waterberg Plateau National Park

1

B&B

Haus Sonneneck

Windhoek

1

B&B

KeyRO: Room onlySC: Self CateringHB: Half BoardB&B: Bed and breakfastB, B&L: Bed, breakfast and lunchD, B&B: Dinner, bed and breakfastFB: Dinner, bed, breakfast and lunchFB+: Dinner, bed, breakfast, lunch and activities dailyFI: Fully inclusive

Day 1: Thursday,12OctoberCanyon Village, Gondwana Collection Namibia, Fish River Canyon

Namibia, a timeless Adventure

In south western Africa lies a land of compelling fascination, a land for those who worship at the shrine of Africa at its most resplendent, but also at its most unconventional. This is Namibia. Described by the bushman as the Soul of the World, Namibia is rugged, natural, soulful and liberating. Whilst nature has been fierce and unforgiving, it has also been bountiful. In this cauldron of heat and unforgiving forces, God has created landscapes that are paralleled only in their beauty by the most exquisite diamonds that are found here. As all of Africa, Namibia has abundant wildlife. The Etosha National park has over 114 mammal species, several of which are rare and endangered whilst others are endemic to northwestern Namibia and southwestern Angola only. About 340 bird species occur in the Park of which a third are migratory. Namibia also has large tracts of land declared as parks, or made available to the local communities, which lay unfenced and unfettered for wildlife to traverse. Together with its diverse environments, from bushland savannah across semi deserts to the oldest desert on earth, Namibia has flora that will beguile the avid botanist. For example, the succulent Karoo region is home to more than 5,000 higher plant species, nearly 40 percent of which are endemic, and 18 percent of which are threatened. It has the richest succulent flora in the world, harbouring about one-third of the worlds approximately 10,000 succulent species. But it is its landscapes that Namibia is best known for, compared against its African sister countries. Image huge canvasses, uninhibited by mans limitations, splashing swathes of colour of the vegetated undulating dunes of the Kalahari desert contrasted against the awe-inspiring star shaped dunes of the Namib Desert. The surreal Salvador Daliesque Deadvlei, with its white clay pans, the red dunes and blue skies. The monumental mountain ranges in Damaraland, formed by the forces deep within the earth, similar to the Alps in Europe. Namibia has sights, sounds, aromas, tastes and emotions in abundance waiting for you to experience. Namibia provides you with a full African experience that arouses all your senses. Namibia is a daytime destination. Each day brings more moments that will be forever treasured. The expanse of the country will thrill your senses, invigorate the soul, but tire the body. And as night replaces day, surrender to the achy physical pleasure that only complete satisfaction can bring. The country is liberating in its harsh natural beauty. Like a rough diamond waiting to be discovered in its ethereal magnificence, Namibia waits for its travellers and explorers to uncover its haunting beauty. Some things cannot be explained; they must be experienced to be understood. Namibia has a timeless appeal for all those that live here, engendering a passion beyond logical reasoning, and a yearning to share this awesome land with others. It also time and again grows on travellers - even explorers found themselves drawn to return in spite of all they had suffered. Before long, the spell of the country holds the traveller, and he can never forget what he has experienced and seen. With nostalgia he will always recall the awesome, haunting soulfulness of the desert, the vast expanses of the country, the vivid people and the abundance of the wildlife.

The FishRiverCanyon is located in the northern part of the Nama Karoo. It is the second largest canyon on earth, featuring a gigantic ravine that measures in total about 100 miles (160 km) long, up to 27 km wide and in places almost 550 metres deep. The FishRiver is the longest interior river found in Namibia, but its flow at present is a trickle compared with the immense volume of water that poured down its length in ages past. It cuts deep into the plateau that is today dry, stony and sparsely covered with hardy drought resistant plants such as succulents, euphorbias and lonely quiver trees. The river flows intermittently, usually coming down in flood in late summer, and when it ceases to flow it becomes a chain of long narrow pools on the sandy rock-strewn floor of the chasm. At the lower end of the Fish River Canyon, the hot springs resort of Ai-Ais provides an oasis in the desolate rocky wastes. Guided and unguided walks into the canyon are possible during April to September, it is however strictly forbidden to climb into the canyon as a day visitor. In the canyon you may encounter several species of mammals, such as wild horses, Mountain Zebra (Hartman Zebra), Kudu, Klipspringer, Leopard, Steenbok, Baboon and Springbok. The most common rodents include mice, rats, dassies, and dassie-rats. Bird life includes surprises like Pelicans, Black Eagles, Fish Eagles, Kingfishers, Lovebirds, Wild Ostrich and various species of waterfowl and wading birds, like Herons. In the natural pools of the Fish River are found an abundance of fish, such as barbled catfish and yellow fish.

Overnight: Canyon Village, Gondwana Collection Namibia

Canyon Village lies at the foot of a sweeping rock face in Gondwana Canyon Park. Well-appointed cottages in the Cape Dutch style afford views of the vast canyon scenery. The thatched main building is built right into the massive granite boulders and houses a restaurant and cosy bar. With the famous Fish River Canyon just 20 km away the village is a perfect starting point for exploring the canyon. Dozens of murals depict the history and culture of the Bondelswart Nama, the earlier inhabitants of this area. Relish the peace and quiet and enjoy the views at the 'pool with a view'.

Included

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 2: Friday,13OctoberCanyon Village, Gondwana Collection Namibia, Fish River Canyon

Included

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 3: Saturday,14OctoberBahnhof Hotel Aus, Aus

This region is typified by the Succulent Karoo. The distinctive climatic characteristics of the Succulent Karoo make it different from all other deserts in the world. Rainfall is reliable and predictable, falling mostly in winter, and prolonged droughts are rare. The Succulent Karoos botanical diversity is unparalleled by any other arid region on earth and is the worlds only plant hotspot that is entirely arid. This ecoregion is home to greater than 5,000 higher plant species, nearly 40 percent of which are endemic, and 18 percent of which are threatened. It has the richest succulent flora in the world, harbouring about one-third of the worlds approximately 10,000 succulent species. Other unique features include the diversity of miniature succulents (435 spp.) and geophytes (bulb-like plants 630 spp.). The ecoregion is also a center of diversity and endemism for reptiles and many invertebrate taxa, especially monkey beetles (Rutelinae: Hoplinii). The Namib Desert ecoregion to the north is characterized by extremely low and variable summer rain (less than 50 mm per year), and extremely sparse plant cover, dominated by ephemerals. To the east lies the Nama Karoo ecoregion, a low open shrubland with variable grass cover and highly variable rain that falls mainly in the late summer months.

Overnight: Bahnhof Hotel Aus

21 en suite twin rooms with 44 beds, elegant and tastefully decorated, inclusive of 1 wheelchair friendly unit and one 4 bed family room. The small town of Aus has an astonishing rich history dating back to German colonial times. This charming village was once the hub of many Oxen-wagon transporters and traders. Remains of the POW (prisoners of war) camp can still be seen today followed by many stories of hardship, bravery, diamond rushes and the coming of the railway. The hotel has 21 immaculate clean rooms, elegantly yet frugally decorated, each with en suite facilities. The hotel serves a large variety of outstanding cuisine, cakes and beverages throughout the day. Day tours to historical sites and the Huib Park reveal some of the most gripping and breathtakingly beautiful landscapes on our planet. Awards - consecutive HAN Bronze medal winner from 2007 through to 2010; Silver medal in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Directions - Canyon Village, Gondwana Collection Namibia to Bahnhof Hotel Aus

Head northwest toward C37/D324 (1.7 km)

Slight right onto C37/D324 (5.7 km)

Turn right onto D601 (29.9 km)

Turn left onto C12/M28. Continue to follow C12 (76.4 km)

Turn left onto B4 (168 km)

Turn left onto C13. Destination will be on the right (0.7 km)

Included

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 4: Sunday,15OctoberHelmeringhausen Hotel, Southern Namibia

Southern Namibia offers a harsh but beautiful environment, from the Orange River up to the Central Namibian highlands and between two deserts Southern Namibia is epitomised by vast, slowly changing landscapes.

Overnight: Helmeringhausen Hotel

The Helmeringhausen Hotel lies in the tiny settlement of Helmeringhausen in Southern Namibia. Hotel Helmeringhausen boasts a warm, cosy restaurant with exquisite meals and a refreshing swimming pool. Enjoy a cold beer or a glass of Cape Wine in the well-stocked fully licensed restaurant, whilst you catch up on all the local news or exchange travel information with fellow guests. There is also a cosy lounge with comfortable sofas and inviting fireplace. A hearty buffet breakfast, fresh farm produce for lunch and a three-course, set dinner menu are served in the restaurant.

Directions - Bahnhof Hotel Aus to Helmeringhausen Hotel

Head north on C13 toward B4 (0.7 km)

Turn right onto B4/C13 (4.2 km)

Turn left onto C13 (105 km)

Turn right onto C14. Destination will be on the right (0.3 km)

Included

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 5: Monday,16OctoberHammerstein Lodge, Namib

The Namib is the worlds oldest desert, and although it stretches along the entire length of Namibias coastline, the Namib commonly refers to the vast sea of sand from Luderitz to Swakopmund. For a big sandy desert the scenery is remarkably varied, with the giant red dunes of Sossusvlei being the most famous part. Because of how old it is the Namib is home to numerous species that dont occur elsewhere and although no humans live in the desert an amazing array of flora and fauna manages to survive here. Famous species include the Welwitschia a living fossil plant, endemic chameleons, fur seals along the coast, brown hyenas, jackals and remarkably one of Africas largest antelope the Gemsbok. The name Namib is of Nama origin and means "vast place" and vast it certainly is.

Overnight: Hammerstein Lodge

Hammerstein Lodge is a gateway to the Namib in close proximity to the beautiful red dunes of Sossusvlei (60km from Sesriem). The area is renowned for its rocky outcrops of massive granite boulders and the lodge gets its name from one enormous rock that is shaped like a hammer. Hammerstein Lodge & Camp offers sundowner drives into the mountains, sightseeing flights as well as 4x4 trips to Sossusvlei on request.

Directions - Helmeringhausen Hotel to Hammerstein Lodge

Head northwest on C14 toward C13 (0.3 km)

Turn right to stay on C14 (120 km)

Turn left (7.7 km)

Continue straight onto C19 (70.2 km)

Included

Bed & Breakfast

Day 6: Tuesday,17OctoberHammerstein Lodge, Namib

Included

Bed & Breakfast

Day 7: Wednesday,18OctoberBeach Hotel Swakopmund, Swakopmund

With palm-lined streets, seaside promenades and fine accommodation for all budgets, Swakopmund is Namibias most popular holiday destination, and its pleasant summer climate and decent beaches attract surfers, anglers and beach lovers from all over Southern Africa. Thanks to its mild temperatures and negligible rainfall, Swakopmund generally enjoys grit in the oyster. When an easterly wind blows, the town gets a good sand-blasting, and almost perpetual drizzle. The fog rolls up to 30km inland and provides moisture for desert-dwelling plants and animals, including 80 species of lichen. For better or worse, Swakopmund feels overwhelmingly Teutonic indeed, it has Germany but for visitors, its a Namibias adrenalin capital, and offers a wide range of gut-curdling activities from sand boarding and quad-biking to skydiving and camel riding. Note, however, that it gets especially busy around Namibian school holidays in December and January, when temperatures average around 25C.

Overnight: Beach Hotel Swakopmund

Whether you are on a business trip, visiting our charming town Swakopmund, having a conference, a romantic weekend or holiday trip, Beach Hotel Swakopmund is a perfect place to stay and to feel comfortable. The ideal location of Beach Hotel Swakopmund, just 50 m from the Atlantic Ocean and within walking distance to the centre of Swakopmund, allows you to experience the flavour of our charming town, while providing you the opportunity to explore the surrounding areas. Beach Hotel Swakopmund offers the larges ranges of categories at the Namibian coast. From an upper market luxury apartment to an economically family unit! All rooms have a balcony and only 4 without sea views. Facilities on site include our Restaurant, "Anchor Point" which is open all year round as well as a lounge with Sundowner bar, a roof terrace with panoramic view and where you can enjoy some Sundowners or relax in the swimming pool. After a long day out you can enjoy a professional massage or head to the gym for the fitness enthusiasts.

Directions - Hammerstein Lodge to Beach Hotel Swakopmund

Head northwest on C19 (31.2 km)

Sharp right to stay on C19 (1 m)

Sharp left to stay on C19 (97.3 km)

Turn left onto C14 (230 km)

At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto B2 (1.0 km)

Continue straight (0.2 km)

Continue onto B2 (31.0 km)

Turn left onto Cordes St (0.1 km)

Turn left onto Hendrik Witbooi (0.1 km)

Hendrik Witbooi turns right and becomes Swakop St (0.4 km)

Turn left onto Am Zoll/Strand St. Destination will be on the left (0.2 km)

Included

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 8: Thursday,19OctoberBeach Hotel Swakopmund, Swakopmund

Included

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 9: Friday,20OctoberDamara Mopane Lodge, Gondwana Collection Namibia, Damaraland

Huge, untamed and ruggedly beautiful Damaraland is an exceptionally scenic landscape of open plains and spectacular rock formations. The major attractions are Spitzkoppe, the Brandberg, Twyfelfontein, Vingerklip and the Petrified Forest. Damaraland, one of the least populated places on earth, shows no fences nor boundaries in the vast, stony desert landscape. It is marked by endless vistas across stark plains, ancient valleys and brooding, distant mountains which bring the traveller as close to nature as is comfortably possible. In Damaraland, plants and animals have over millennia evolved side by side with the harsh environment, creating unusual geological features, which together with a wealth of rock paintings and engravings, a population of desert-adapted elephant and rhino, combine to form the unique attraction to this region. Damaraland was once an area occupied primarily by the Damara people, but over time became home to other tribes such as the Hereros and the displaced Riemvasmakers of South Africa. Today, many residents of Damaraland are thus of mixed heritage, but most consider themselves Damara. The Damaraland community comprises a unique group of people who recognised the value of the wildlife on their land and formed a Community Wildlife Conservancy to protect it. Until 1981, Damaraland was unprotected and open to poachers, mostly from outside of the of the Damaraland area. In the interests of the Damarland wildlife a game guard system was eventually formed with people from the community and the welfare of the wildlife increased. Today it is one of the last places in southern Africa where game still roams freely like it did thousands of years ago a true wilderness..

Overnight: Damara Mopane Lodge, Gondwana Collection Namibia

Built in the wattle and daub style under Mopane trees and connected by a labyrinth of paths, the main building and chalets of the lodge look like an African village. The walls are adorned by copies of the rock engravings at Twyfelfontein. Each of the 60 double-room chalets (with air conditioning) sits in a vegetable and herb garden surrounded by a low wall. The gardens supply fresh ingredients for supper, which consists of a starter followed by a delicious buffet. There is a swimming pool for chilling out and a viewing point for relishing sunsets. The lodge at the gates of Damaraland is ideally suited for excursions to Twyfelfontein (130 km), the Petrified Forest (70 km) and the Vingerklip rock pillar (50 km).

Twyfelfontein Rock Art

Twyfelfontein is a World Heritage Site boasting one of the richest rock art concentrations in Africa. Thousands of tourists come to this site each year to view some 2, 500 Stone Age rock engravings. The area is home to 17 rock art sites, which collectively encompass 212 engraved stone slabs. There are an additional 13 sites displaying rock paintings.

Burnt Mountain

The mountain belongs to a 12 km long mountain range lying from east to west. The mountain rises some 200m out of the barren landscape and shimmers starkly and uninvitingly during the heat of the day. During the early morning and late afternoon, before being shadowed by the surrounding higher mountain range, it presents a kaleidoscope of beautiful colours. The mountain was formed by doleritic lava that intruded an underground cave consisting of limestone and shale. Upon impact the latter was instantly metamorphosed, releasing hydroxides and oxides, giving the mountain an amazing range of colours red, orange, purple, black, grey and white. An interesting feature at the end of the mountain is a heap of shale (shale consist of organic plant and animal particles) that underwent drastic changes when it was intruded by dolerite, now resembling ash and clinker. As the area is extremely susceptible to compaction, please heed the request not to walk around on the mountain.

organ pipes: The name aptly describes these vertical stands of dolerite rock that can reach a height of 5m and are found in a valley some 100 meters in length. They were formed by an intrusion of a dolerite sheet into an area consisting of shale (they are situated only a few hundred meters away from the Burnt Mountain). When the dolerite cooled down and shrunk, neatly splitting into angular columns that we see today. It was subsequently eroded by the river cutting its way through the dolerite sheet. It is advisable to visit this geological phenomenon during the early morning or the late afternoon due to the intense heat build up in the valley.

Organ Pipes

The name is an apt description of these five- to seven- sided perpendicular dolerite columns, some of which reach 5 meters in length. They are found standing exposed in a 100-meter long gorge that forms part of a deeply eroded dry riverbed. It is advisable to visit this geological phenomenon in the early morning or late afternoon, as the heat during midday becomes unbearable, especially during summer time.

Directions - Beach Hotel Swakopmund to Damara Mopane Lodge, Gondwana Collection Namibia

Head north on Am Zoll/Strand St toward Swakop St (0.2 km)

Turn right onto Swakop St (0.3 km)

Turn left onto Tobias Hainyeko (2.0 km)

Turn left onto Henties Bay Rd/Nordring (0.6 km)

At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Henties Bay Rd/Nordring/C34. Continue to follow C34 (74.5 km)

Turn right onto C35/M76 (115 km)

Turn left to stay on C35/M76 (15.4 km)

Turn left onto D2319 (41.5 km)

Turn left onto C35 (50.8 km)

Turn right onto C39 (13.2 km)

Turn left (3.2 km)

Included

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 10: Saturday,21OctoberDamara Mopane Lodge, Gondwana Collection Namibia, Damaraland

Included

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 11: Sunday,22OctoberEpacha Game Lodge & Spa, Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park is the parade ground of the beasts, a kaleidoscope of creatures bewildering character and variety. It was proclaimed as Namibias first conservation area in 1907 by the then Governor of German South West Africa, von Lindequist. He demarkated an area of over 100'000 km, creating the largest game reserve on earth and expelling thousands of indigenous people from their traditional and ancestoral dwellings to stay outside the park. Present day Etosha National Park was pared down due to political considerations in the 1960's by the Odendaal Plan and now covers a modest but still very impressive 22270 square kilometres. Despite the massive size of Etosha, only the southern edge of the pan is accessible to casual visitors. In the central and eastern region there are over 30 water holes - ideal places to sit and wait it out for an unbelievable 114 different game and over 340 different bird species.The Etosha Pan dominates the park. The salt pan desert, which is nearly completely enclosed by the park and is lined by numerous watering holes, is roughly 130 km long and as wide as 50 km in places. During Etoshas notorious dry spells the pan is a deathly place, lying parched and cracked under the molten African sun. At such times it is utterly barren, an austere playground for heat and wind which conjure up their characteristic atmospheric tricks. Glassy mirages dissolve the horizon and tremble over the blindingly flat surface while graceful dust devils carry out their swirling dances over the plains. When the waters do eventually come, the pan undergoes a miraculous transformation. From a vacuous stillness it springs into living paradise awash with life. Out of the blue in their thousands come migrant flamingos, splashing the sky with plumage which eventually condenses on the horizon in undulating lines of crimson, pink and white. Guided by an uncanny faculty for navigation they come to the pan for a short breeding season from as far as Walvis Bay how they know of the water 500 miles north stays a mystery. Such thrills are part of the earthy encounters with nature which give Etosha and other Namibian wilderness areas a dimension which goes beyond the simpler interpretations of nature. These sanctuaries have become sources of human well-being, where man can shake off his metropolitan afflictions and can recharge the batteries of sanity and perspective which have run down in the course of powering the locomotive of progress.

Overnight: Epacha Game Lodge & Spa

Epacha Game Lodge & Spa is situated on the 21 000 hectares Epacha Game Reserve. Each of the individually decorated en-suite chalets has its own private balcony, complete with a breathtaking view across the bush. All chalets are equipped with air-conditioning, mini bar, safe, ceiling fan and coffee and tea facilities. In keeping with the Victorian era in Africa, all chalets are furnished with antiques & decorated in subtle, relaxing colors. Guests can spend time relaxing in our lounge overlooking a waterhole. Also in the library, smoking room, billiard room or at our pool bar,be rejuvenated by stress relieving therapies in the Mystique Spa, which offers the following facilities: sauna, Jacuzzi, steam room, splash pool, thelaso therapy room, treatment rooms or outside treatment areas.

Directions - Damara Mopane Lodge, Gondwana Collection Namibia to Epacha Game Lodge & Spa

Head southwest toward C39 (3.2 km)

Turn left onto C39 (109 km)

Turn left onto C38 (69.1 km)

Turn left onto D2695 (23.3 km)

Turn right (4.0 km)

Turn left (3.2 km)

Turn left (30 m)

Turn right (0.4 km)

Included

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 12: Monday,23OctoberEpacha Game Lodge & Spa, Etosha National Park

Included

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 13: Tuesday,24OctoberNamutoni Resort, Etosha National Park

See Above

Overnight: Namutoni Resort

The lodge centres on an old German Fort overlooking the King Nehale waterhole; an elevated decked walkway provides excellent opportunities for enjoying the surrounding scenery, wildlife and the spectacular sunsets. The Fort has been developed into a hub of activity, offering two restaurants, a relaxation lounge, a bar, crafts boutique, curio shop, jewellers and bookstore. Accommodation is provided in comfortable double rooms or bush chalets. Camping is also available.

Directions - Epacha Game Lodge & Spa to Namutoni Resort

Head southwest (0.4 km)

Turn left (30 m)

Turn right (5.6 km)

Turn left (1.3 km)

Turn right (0.4 km)

Turn left (3.4 km)

Keep left (6.5 km)

Slight left (11.0 km)

Turn left onto C38 (164 km)

Turn left (0.7 km)

Turn left at the 1st cross street. Destination will be on the left (0.1 km)

Included

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 14: Wednesday,25OctoberWaterberg Resort, Waterberg Plateau National Park

Named for the springs that emanate from its foothills, the Waterberg Plateau National Park is a fascinating geological site of compressed sandstone crags, 200-year-old dinosaur footprints, and petrified sand dunes. The areas natural water sources make it far more fertile than its environs and the park is blessed with a plethora of plant and animal species, including leopards, rhinoceros, vultures, cheetahs, bush babies, ferns and fig trees.

Overnight: Waterberg Resort

Waterberg Camp is the gateway to the Waterberg Plateau Park, one of the most spectacular features of the northern region, towering some 200 meters above the surrounding landscape, with sheer cliffs and fascinating rock formations. The Waterberg Camp has recently been re-developed. Accommodation is provided in comfortable premier bush chalets, two and four bed bush chalets and double rooms, all nestled along the base of the Waterberg Plateau cliffs, amongst towering trees. The restaurant, bar and kiosk are housed in the historic Rasthaus, originally built in 1908 and used as a police post for several years. The open air swimming pool with a view of the Plateau above is the perfect remedy for the weary guest. The Camp also has a shop and a camping site available.

Directions - Namutoni Resort to Waterberg Resort

Head east (0.1 km)

Turn right (0.7 km)

Continue onto C38 (35.1 km)

Turn right onto B1 (75.9 km)

Turn right to stay on B1 (208 km)

Turn left onto C22 (41.3 km)

Turn left onto D2512 (17.0 km)

Turn left. Destination will be on the left (1.1 km)

Included

Bed & Breakfast

Day 15: Thursday,26OctoberHaus Sonneneck, Windhoek

Pulsing with life, opportunity and a sparkle of adventure, Windhoek is a multicultural city characterised by tranquil co-existence and enough living space for all its citizens, which number 350000. Visitors can enjoy the best of two worlds between the European-style architecture and lifestyle, to the vivid beat of African culture and environs. The first recorded settlements were established because of the springs in the area. In about 1842, the Oorlam Kaptain, Jan Jonker Afrikaner, settled in at the strongest spring in the present Klein Windhoek. At the time, the place was called /Ai-//Gams (Fire Water) by the Namas, and Otjomuise (Place of Steam) by the Hereros, both names bearing references to the hot springs. The German colony came into being with the determination of its borders in 1890. Germany sent a protective corps (the Schutztruppe) under Major Curt von Francois to maintain order; the garrison was stationed at Windhoek, where it was strategically situated as a buffer between the Namas and Hereros, while the twelve strong springs provided water for the cultivation of food. The present Windhoek was founded on 18 October 1890 when Von Francois laid the foundation stone of the fort, which is known as the Alte Feste (Old Fortress). Windhoek has a rich cultural life where activities happily mix and match to produce some interesting combinations.The township of Katutura is an journey for discovering the sounds and smells of Africa. The highlight is a visit to the Tukondjeni Market, which offers services that satisfy many community needs. Its a busy place, where one can purchase supplies and traditional Namibian food such as barbecued meat, dried fish, fried mopane worms (known as omaungu) and other traditional food such as ombidi and dehydrated wild spinach.

Overnight: Haus Sonneneck

Situated in the Eros Hills, it enjoys proximity to Restaurants, a Shopping Centre and the City, while retaining the quiet of a country estate. The spotless rooms are spacious and include every possible comfort for your personal freedom and relaxation. All rooms have en-suite facilities with a cosy and comfortable atmosphere, making your stay most enjoyable. The heart of Sonneneck is the area around the sparkling swimming pool, surrounded by large, shady trees and a lush garden, where you can absorb the warmth of the Namibian sun. Whether you are visiting our capital for business or pleasure, Haus Sonneneck is the perfect stop-over prior to your excursion into our beautiful country.

Directions - Waterberg Resort to Haus Sonneneck

Head southeast toward D2512 (1.1 km)

Turn right onto D2512 (17.0 km)

Turn right onto C22 (41.3 km)

Turn left onto B1 (147 km)

Turn left to stay on B1 (69.0 km)

Take the exit toward B1 (0.8 km)

Turn left onto B1 (0.5 km)

Slight left (0.2 km)

Turn right at Hosea Kutako Drive (0.2 km)

Turn left (0.1 km)

At the roundabout, take the 1st exit (1.2 km)

Turn left onto Heliodoor Street (0.9 km)

Turn left onto Eros Road (0.8 km)

Turn left onto Robyn Street. Destination will be on the right (48 m)

Included

Bed & Breakfast

Day 16: Friday,27OctoberDeparture

Directions - Haus Sonneneck to Hosea Kutako International Airport [WDH]

Head east on Robyn Street toward Eros Road (48 m)

Turn right onto Eros Road (1.5 km)

Turn left onto General Murtala Muhammed Rd/Omuramba Road (0.5 km)

Turn right onto Kuiseb Street (37 m)

Turn left onto Nelson Mandela Ave (2.6 km)

Slight left toward Sam Nujoma Dr (64 m)

Slight left onto Sam Nujoma Dr (1.7 km)

Turn left onto B6 (38.7 km)

Turn left. Destination will be on the right (0.6 km)

Transport

Urgent Contact Numbers

Company Name

Telephone

Email Address

Contact Person

African Tours & Safaris

+46 31 164020

Contact Details & Reference Numbers

Service Provider

Ref. Number

Telephone

Address

Bahnhof Hotel Aus

+264 67 24 0975

20 Luderitz Street, Aus,

Beach Hotel Swakopmund

+264 (0)64 4177 00

Suedstrand Street 1, Swakopmund, Namibia

Canyon Village, Gondwana Collection Namibia

+264-(0)63-693025

Canyon Village Fish River Canyon Keetmanshoop Region

Damara Mopane Lodge, Gondwana Collection Namibia

+264 61 427200

Damara Mopane Lodge Khorixas Region

Epacha Game Lodge & Spa

+264 61 37 5300

District Road D2695, Epacha Private Game Reserve, Outjo, Namibia

Waterberg Resort

+264 61 285 7170

D2512