Overview
Namibia is one of the most hauntingly beautiful safari destinations in the world, brimming with astounding landscapes and rare species found nowhere else. We discover this epic land during the “green season” (January to March) as we track leopards at AfriCat and explore Etosha National Park from its less-traveled eastern gate. Heading into Namibia’s far northwest, we search for desert-adapted elephants in ethereal Damaraland, then discover Kaokoland’s remote Hoanib River Valley, which teems with resident desert-adapted wildlife in a vast, mountainous, and wild landscape. We’ll visit a Himba settlement while we’re in this luminous land and learn about their nomadic culture. Our grand finale finds us at exclusive Shipwreck Lodge, perched right on the dunes of the legendary Skeleton Coast. We enjoy all this with an expert Trip Leader who is one of Namibia’s best known naturalist guides. The green season is Namibia’s summer, a time of bounty, bringing the desert to life to reveal carpets of buttercup-yellow devil’s-thorn flowers and swaths of yellow and pink cleomes. It is calving season for plains game such as springbok and zebra, peak birdwatching season for flocks of migratory species, and an ideal season for photography, with clear, dust-free skies and striking cloud formations. Rain is usually confined to a short and spectacular daily afternoon thundershower, which brings the plains alive with new green grass. To top it off, our journey comes at a savings of more than $1,500 per person compared with safaris in the busy season. Join us to explore the very best places to be during this special time!
Itinerary at a Glance
Days 1-2
Windhoek / Okonjima Bush Camp / AfriCat
From Windhoek, head to Okonjima Nature Reserve, home to the AfriCat Foundation, founded in 1991 and dedicated to conserving Namibia’s large carnivores. At charming Okonjima Bush Camp, set in pristine wilderness, we'll track leopards by vehicle. We might spot them resting in the trees after their night of hunting.
Days 3-5
Etosha National Park
With accommodations in a deluxe tented camp in the less-visited eastern section of Etosha, we head out by 4WD vehicle across vast grasslands and shimmering salt pans. Elephant, lion, giraffe, blue wildebeest, rhino, leopard, and an array of plains game frequent the numerous springs and waterholes of this UNESCO-listed gem, one of Africa’s greatest game reserves. If circumstances allow, we’ll be joined at dinner by the head of a special anti-poaching unit to learn about conservation efforts, and we’ll enjoy a bush walk with anti-poaching rangers.
Days 6-8
Damaraland / Twyfelfontein
Amid the magnificent table-top mountains of Damaraland, we explore by 4WD vehicle along the rugged Aba Huab River Valley on the lookout for elusive desert elephants and desert black rhinos. Hartmann’s mountain zebra and gemsbok can often be spotted, and the utter remoteness and solitude of this area is spellbinding. One afternoon, we visit nearby Twyfelfontein, a treasury of rock engravings on slabs of red sandstone that indicate hunter-gatherers lived here as long as 7,000 years ago.
Days 9-10
Kaokoland / Himba Settlement / Hoanib Valley
Stunning Kaokoland is one of the most remote, wild, and marvelously unique areas of the country. Our scenic drives in this mountainous landscape will more often than not reveal desert-adapted elephant, as well as stately desert-adapted giraffe, and, with good luck, desert lion. Zebra, klipspringer and kudu move freely through the mountains, and we’ll find hardy herds of springbok and oryx, as well as steenbok here. En route to Hoanib, we’ll visit an authentic Himba settlement and learn about the traditions of these very proud people.
Days 11-14
Shipwreck Lodge / Skeleton Coast Park
Shipwreck Lodge in Skeleton Coast Park is an absolutely unique accommodation set in a slice of remote wilderness where relics of ships and towering dunes are swept by the ocean breeze. At this striking lodge, our choices include exploring by 4WD vehicle to marvel at geological wonders and desert-adapted plants and enjoying sundowners atop the dunes. Return to Windhoek on Day 12 and depart on Day 14.
Namibia Green Season Safari
