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Nature Photography Safari

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Nature Photography SafariErongo Mountains - Etosha South - Etosha National Park - Onguma Game Reserve - Waterberg Plateau National Park

- Okonjima Nature Reserve - Windhoek11 Days / 10 Nights

0 PersonsDate of Issue: 13 December 2017

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Introduction:

Namibia's ever changing landscapes give way to a wide diversity of fauna and flora. From private reserves to National Parks, there are many ways to explore these ecosystems. This itinerary will give you the chance to do just so with the help of your guide, who is also a trained biologist and ethologist. We have mixed both walking trails and vehicle based safaris so that you can get the best photos of every wild detail.

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Overview

Accommodation Destination Nights Basis Room Type

Erindi Old Traders Lodge Erongo Mountains 2 FB 1x Double Room

Okaukuejo Rest Camp Etosha South 2 FB 1x Double Room

Halali Resort Etosha National Park 1 FB 1x Double Room

Onguma Bush Camp Onguma Game Reserve 1 FB 1x Double Room

Waterberg Valley Lodge Waterberg Plateau National Park

2 FB 1x Double Room

Okonjima Lodge Okonjima Nature Reserve 1 FB 1x Double Room

Hotel Heinitzburg Windhoek 1 FB 1x Double Room

KeyB&B: Bed and breakfastFB: Dinner, bed, breakfast and lunch

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Day 1: Erindi Old Traders Lodge, Erongo Mountains

Erongo MountainsConveniently located only a few hour’s drive from Namibia’s capital city of Windhoek, the Erongo Mountain Range stretches across the plains between the towns of Omaruru and Karibib, and is home to a remarkably rich natural heritage. This expanse of rugged wilderness serves as one of Namibia’s most popular tourist drawcards, attracting visitors with its spectacularly scenic landscapes, magnificent caves and rock painting sites, and its impressive array of wildlife species. These include, among others: rhino, elephant, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, wildebeest, impala, blesbok, waterbuck, kudu, warthog, mountain zebra, oryx, eland, springbok and over 200 species of bird. Visitors can look forward to enjoying a variety of adventurous activities such as hiking, rock climbing, games drives, horse riding safaris and mountain biking.

Overnight: Erindi Old Traders Lodge Erindi Game Reserve is a jewel in the heart of the wild Namibian landscape. The reserve of 70 000ha is situated 40km east of the town of Omaruru. Old Traders Lodge provides the accommodation at Erindi Private Game Reserve. This impressive lodge comprises the main dining room and viewing deck as well as 35 well appointed suites that all have views of a water hole. The spacious suites include; comfortable double or twin single beds with crisp linen and warm blankets, air-conditioning, en-suite bathroom with bath and shower, in-room safe, satellite TV, hairdryers, fridges and kettles.Erindi falls within the Nama Karoo biome and is arid to semi-arid characterized by scattered low dwarf shrubs interspersed with grasslands. Erindi consists of an amazing array of diverse landscapes including mountains, riverine thickets, inselbergs ("island mountains") and grassland savannahs for as far as the eye can see.

IncludedFull Board

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Day 2: Erindi Old Traders Lodge, Erongo Mountains

Notes:Erindi Game Reserve is the best place to kick start your safari with two game drives per day to see a wide range of antelopes and predators such as the rare wild dog (lycaon pictus). The Lodge also offers many other activities from walking safaris to Pangolin tracking. Or if you just want to stay in one place, settle down at the restaurant’s deck and set up your tripod over-looking their large water point – one of the few places in Namibia where you can see both crocodiles and hippopotamus.

IncludedFull Board

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Day 3: Okaukuejo Rest Camp, Etosha South

Etosha SouthLocated just south of the boundary of Etosha National Park in northwestern Namibia, Etosha South makes up the southern region of this wild paradise. Ogava Private Game Reserve shares the southern boundary with Etosha National Park and offers an array of luxury lodges overlooking picturesque landscapes dotted with abundant wildlife. The national park can be accessed via the southern entrance at Andersson’s Gate. Visitors can catch a glimpse of a variety of wildlife including: lion, giraffe, elephant, white and black rhino, and a multitude of plains game. Popular activities include: game drives, tracking rhinos on foot, guided nature walks, or watch the sunset over this magnificent landscape.

Overnight: Okaukuejo Rest Camp Famous for its floodlit waterhole Okaukuejo Rest Camp is also the administrative centre of Etosha. Most visitors travel though this camp with its characteristic stone tower and Etosha Ecological Institute is also situated within the camp.

The rest camp was formerly a military outpost founded in 1901 and the tower was added in 1963. Located in the south of Etosha National Park, Okaukuejo is only 17 km from Anderson Gate. Okaukuejo offers a wide range of accommodation as well as all the necessities such as a petrol station and a shop. The restaurant and bar offer refreshments and delicious meals, while the swimming pool offers relief on hot days. The waterhole is a hub of animal activity starting in the early hours of the morning. Especially during winter diversity of game congregate in close proximity to the camp to quench their thirst.

After sunset floodlights illuminate the waterhole. This is the best time and place to see the endangered black rhino. This archaic mammal can often be seen drinking alongside lion and elephant. The number and interaction of the animals is the major drawcard of Okaukuejo Rest Camp in Namibia.

IncludedFull Board

Notes:Let your guide take you into the famous Etosha National Park and start to familiarise yourself with the camp’s large waterhole and find the best place to sit and enjoy the sunset.

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Day 4: Okaukuejo Rest Camp, Etosha South

Notes:Today you can explore the central region of Etosha, along the western and southern borders of the pan. This area boasts some of the best game viewing with many lions prides in the area. Take the day slowly and enjoy the masses of wildlife that accumulate at the water points, especially during the dry season.

IncludedFull Board

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Day 5: Halali Resort, Etosha National Park

Etosha National ParkSituated in northwestern Namibia, the Etosha National Park offers a premier game viewing experience. The park’s diverse vegetation ranges from dense bush to open plains attracting a variety of wildlife. Located in the heart of the park is the Etosha Pan - a shallow depression that covers an area of 5000 square kilometres. Dry and shimmering for most of the year, the pans fill up with water after seasonal rains, making it the perfect habitat for wildlife. In the dry season, the wildlife is attracted to the perennial springs and waterholes that makes for excellent game viewing. Visitors can look forward to world-class game viewing including a variety of large mammals such as lion, elephant, leopard, rhino, zebra, giraffe, a diversity of birdlife such as flamingoes and pelicans.

Overnight: Halali Resort Strategically located halfway between Okaukuejo and Namutoni, Halali is situated at the base of a dolomite hill, amongst shady Mopane trees. A flood-lit waterhole which is viewed from an elevated vantage point provides exceptional wildlife viewing throughout the day and into the night.Accommodation is provided in family chalets, two and four bed bush chalets and double rooms - all converted with large sliding doors to the outside, to allow visitors to experience and benefit from the peace and tranquility of the natural surroundings. Other facilities include a restaurant, bar, shop, swimming pool, kiosk and camping facilities.

IncludedFull Board

Notes:Halali Camp has one of our favourite waterholes with regular sightings of elephants and black rhinos. The waterhole is accessible 24/7 and lit at night. So make sure you get a siesta today so that you can stay up at night and catch some of the nocturnal animals like jackal, porcupine, genets and much more.

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Day 6: Onguma Bush Camp, Onguma Game Reserve

Onguma Game ReserveSituated east of Etosha, bordering Fisher's Pan, Onguma Game Reserve is one of Namibia's best-kept secrets. The reserve offers visitors the opportunity to experience Africa in all her beauty and diversity. Onguma Game Reserve features over 34000 hectares of protected land scattered with a variety of wildlife including plains game, black rhino, kudu, giraffe, zebra, lion, cheetah, leopard and more than 300 bird species. The seasonal rains attract thousands of migrating birds to the Fisher’s Pan wetland area. The neighbouring Etosha National Park is home to a rich array of wildlife, including four of the Big 5. Visitors can enjoy game drives, guided walks and rhino research drives within the private reserve as well as wildlife safaris into Etosha National Park to view abundant game in the largest national park in Namibia.

Overnight: Onguma Bush Camp Onguma Bush Camp is ideal for families who would like to have a base from which they can explore Etosha National Park. Upon your return, relax and cool off around the swimming pool while watching a spectacular sunset... and the children can run around on the lawns as this is an enclosed camp. Dinner is served in the dinning area overlooking a large waterhole. Here you will be treated to an excellent combination of European and traditional African cuisine while watching the game coming to drink. The new water-level hide will provide hours of game viewing opportunities for guests.

IncludedFull Board

Notes:Driving from the centre of the park to the Eastern section you will be surprised just how much the landscapes change. Staying in the East will also allow you to take the only road that goes to the north of the park, where you will find open grass plains after having been through woodlands. Onguma Bush Camp is on the Eastern edge of the park in its own private game reserve. Watch the animals come to drink at the beautiful central waterhole.

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Day 7: Waterberg Valley Lodge, Waterberg Plateau National Park

Waterberg Plateau National ParkSituated in north central Namibia and named for the springs that emanate from its foothills, the Waterberg Plateau National Park is a fascinating geological site featuring compressed sandstone crags, 200-year-old dinosaur footprints, and petrified sand dunes. The area’s 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. Visitors can enjoy a wide selection of activities including: learning about the local Herero culture on an informative village tour, tracking rhino on a guided safari, exploring the Waterberg's 50-kilometre-long and 16-kilometre-wide sandstone plateau, dubbed 'table mountain', and catching a glimpse of the rare and endangered sable and roan antelope.

Overnight: Waterberg Valley Lodge Situated on a hill in a wide valley of the Waterberg mountain range, the Waterberg Valley Lodge overlooks the green valley and the red mountain walls. The canvas walls of the affordable Econo Chalets gives overnight accommodation an outdoor-feel; a double ceiling keeps the interior cool. Every chalet has its own brick bathroom and a small patio. Featured at the Waterberg Valley Lodge is a restaurant and a swimming pool.

IncludedFull Board

Notes:Today drive south from Etosha to the lush Waterberg. Ask your guide to stop at the Hoba meteorite and the pretty Otjikoto lake. Upon arrival at the Waterberg Wilderness Reserve take the hike to the picturesque natural spring at the end of the valley. Look out for baboons, dik-diks and dassies.

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Day 8: Waterberg Valley Lodge, Waterberg Plateau National Park

Notes:

Spend the day exploring the beautiful green region that is the Waterberg. You can hike up to the top of the plateau, or stay on the crest of red stone. Enter the NWR National Park to do a game drive on the top and see the wildlife that inhabits the plateau. Waterberg Wilderness also offer rhino drives.

IncludedFull Board

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Day 9: Okonjima Lodge, Okonjima Nature Reserve

Okonjima Nature ReserveMidway between the spectacular Etosha National Park and the capital city of Windhoek, lies the well-known Okonjima Nature Reserve. The 22 000 ha nature reserve is home to AfriCAT, a carnivore sanctuary, which gives the captive cats a second chance to be released back into the wild and become completely independent hunters in a protected area right in the middle of commercial cattle farmland. Visitors can enjoy a stay at a variety of excellent accommodation options including everything from luxury villas to secluded camping. Enjoy thrilling cat tracking guided safaris, leopard-spotting, off-road night drives and learn about local San culture along the Bushmen trail.

Overnight: Okonjima Lodge Situated halfway between Namibia’s quaint capital city, Windhoek, and the Etosha National Park, the private Okonjima Nature Reserve, nestled over 200 square kilometres amongst the imposing Omboroko Mountains, boasts some of the most exceptional accommodation in Namibia, but the unequivocal highlights are the cheetah and leopard safaris.

Okonjima offers a wide spectrum of accommodation options, ranging from well-appointed private camp sites to breathtaking safari lodges. The award-winning Villa and Bush Suite offer an unparalleled luxury safari experience, indulging guests with a private chef, guide, and safari vehicle. Okonjima guarantees a unique African safari to remember.

IncludedFull Board

Notes:Okonjima Bush Camp gives each client a beautiful open bedroom with views over the bush and a separate lounge area with a small water point and food for the birds – perfect for setting up your tripod and getting some great bird shots. The reserve is also home to many leopards and cheetahs – a few of which have collars allowing the guides a much higher chance of finding them. The best leopard sightings in Namibia are always at Okonjima!

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Day 10: Hotel Heinitzburg, Windhoek

WindhoekSituated in Central Namibia, the cosmopolitan city of Windhoek serves as the capital of the country. It is home to an international airport and a plethora of restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and accommodation options. The city is clean, safe and well-organised, with a colonial legacy that is reflected in its many German eateries and shops, and the widespread use of the German language. Windhoek has an interesting mix of historical architecture and modern buildings, many of which are worth a look, including the Alte Feste an old fort, the 1896 Christuskirche Christ Church, and the more contemporary Supreme Court.

Overnight: Hotel Heinitzburg The Heinitzburg offers 16 spacious generously appointed en-suite rooms, each individually decorated, leaving no two rooms looking the same. Each room has individual air-conditioning / heating unit, direct telephone, electronic safe, mini bar, flat screen TV with satellite channels. The superior deluxe rooms have a bath with integrated showers, whilst the deluxe rooms all have a walk in shower.At the hotel's serene garden, guests are welcome to relax in a private atmosphere whilst enjoying the refreshing swimming pool (heated in winter).Hotel Heinitzburg has a variety of dining outlets. There's the gourmet restaurant overlooking the skyline of the city while serving varied cuisine ranging from local to international dishes. The Garden Terrace provides superb view over the city and the surrounding mountains. At the Garden Terrace, meals, coffee and cakes from the patisserie are served throughout the day while snacks and sundowner cocktails are served at the viewpoint with marvelous vistas of spectacular sunsets. There's also the Wine Cellar which houses a large collection of carefully selected South African vintages. The cellar is built into the mountain rock and is an ideal meeting place.

IncludedFull Board

Notes:Take one last game drive in Okonjima to spot the elusive leopard, then make your way back to Windhoek to prepare for your flight the next day.