Overview
With its otherworldly landscape of ochre dunes, salt pans, and jagged peaks under cobalt skies, Namibia is one of the most spectacular countries on the planet. It’s also a land with an amazing story of wildlife conservation, with an unmatched 45 percent of its territory under conservation management. On our extraordinary safari—exclusive to Wilderness Travel and limited to just six participants—we track wildlife in Namibia’s wide range of habitats and have incredible behind-the-scenes access to exciting conservation projects.
We’ll join field biologists of the Giraffe Conservation Center for two special days of tracking and GPS tagging giraffes in the wild. Giraffe numbers have plummeted in Africa, and in the past 30 years, these graceful, gentle animals have become extinct in at least seven African countries. This dramatic loss has gone largely unnoticed—a silent extinction. Our host for this hands-on experience is Dr. Julian Fennessy, Africa’s leading authority on giraffe conservation. Our entire safari will be brimming with thrilling moments, but our time in the field with Julian and his conservationists and vets will be incredible as we help them immobilize giraffe and fit them with GPS tags, working as an integral part of the ground team. At the same time, we will learn about giraffe ecology with a world expert—a life-enriching experience and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Along with our renowned safari guide Jason Nott, we'll track leopard and brown hyena at famed AfriCat, the world’s largest big-cat rehabilitation project, and search for amazing wildlife on the great salt pans of World Heritage-listed Etosha National Park. At our remote camp in stunning Damaraland, we look for desert-adapted elephants and meet with the field staff of the Save the Rhino Trust to track desert rhino in this dramatic wilderness.
Good food and wine are an important part of our overall safari, and our mix of gorgeous lodges and atmospheric camps will keep us comfortable. In our camps, we will be looked after by a caring, warm tribe of “safari magicians” who love what they do and whose main ambition is to ensure that each moment at camp is as perfect as possible.
Very pertinent to current conservation efforts in Africa, this safari promises to engage, educate, and help you participate in becoming part of the solution. A portion of your trip fee goes directly to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation to help fund the tagging operation you will be an integral part of. We invite you to make Namibia’s inspiring conservation efforts part of your story on this unique and adventurous safari.
As a first-time, unique, conservation-oriented trip it was impressive! Julian Fennessy and the GCF team went overboard in their interaction with us—before, during, and after the field work. We never felt we were intruding or hindering them. This positive interaction was a true highlight of the trip.
— David and Audrey N., Albuquerque, NM
Days 1-2, Jul 19-20, 2019
Windhoek / Kaokoveld / Hoanib Expedition Camp
We meet in Windhoek and share a Welcome Dinner with our safari guide. In the morning we catch a flight into Damaraland. We’ll spend the afternoon on a game drive in a mobile camp set up specifically for us in the heart of desert giraffe habitat. The evening will be spent around the camp fire with Dr. Julian Fennessy preparing for the next few days tagging.
Windhoek / Kaokoveld / Hoanib Expedition Camp - Days 1-2
Galton House
Day 1 (1 night),Day 12 (1 night), Windhoek, Namibia
This welcoming nine-room hotel, just a 10-minute shuttle drive from the center of town, offers a personal and informal atmosphere. Guest rooms are decorated in an inviting modern style, with wildlife photography adorning the walls. Communal areas include a large lounge, indoor and outdoor dining areas, and a small swimming pool. The hotel is named after the explorer and polymath Francis Galton, who produced the first maps of Namibia's interior.
Hoanib Expedition Mobile Camp
Days 2 to 4 (3 nights), Kaokoveld, NamibiaOur lightweight mobile camp offers the wonderful experience of falling asleep to the silence and solitude of the desert and waking up to a chorus that announces the start of a new day. Set in utter wilderness, it is fully serviced and equipped to ensure that guests are comfortable. Catering is of a very high standard, with delicious meals prepared using fresh produce and local delicacies where possible. The tents are approximately 10 by 10 feet, with built-in ground sheets and mosquito netting on all doors and windows. Each tent has camp beds with mattress, duvet, pillow and sheets, and a bedside table. The camp has a shared bathroom facility with field toilets and hot “bucket” showers.
Days 3-4, Jul 21-22, 2019
Tagging of Giraffe in Etosha National Park
On a private game reserve adjacent to Etosha National Park, we have the extraordinary—and world exclusive—opportunity to be an integral part of a team performing GPS tagging of giraffe in the wild. We will work alongside them, observing the darting procedures, assisting with tagging, and at the same time, learning about giraffe ecology with pioneering conservation scientist Dr. Julian Fennessy.
Tagging of Giraffe in Etosha National Park - Days 3-4
Hoanib Expedition Mobile Camp
Days 2 to 4 (3 nights), Kaokoveld, NamibiaOur lightweight mobile camp offers the wonderful experience of falling asleep to the silence and solitude of the desert and waking up to a chorus that announces the start of a new day. Set in utter wilderness, it is fully serviced and equipped to ensure that guests are comfortable. Catering is of a very high standard, with delicious meals prepared using fresh produce and local delicacies where possible. The tents are approximately 10 by 10 feet, with built-in ground sheets and mosquito netting on all doors and windows. Each tent has camp beds with mattress, duvet, pillow and sheets, and a bedside table. The camp has a shared bathroom facility with field toilets and hot “bucket” showers.
Days 5-6, Jul 23-24, 2019
Damaraland / Twyfelfontein / Track Desert Elephant
Making our way through Damaraland’s wonderfully diverse landscape, we visit a nomadic settlement on our way to Twyfelfontein, one of the finest collections of petroglyphs in Africa. From our camp set in the Twyfelfontein Conservancy, we take a 4WD excursion along the Aba Huab River to search for Namibia’s desert-adapted elephants.
Damaraland / Twyfelfontein / Track Desert Elephant - Days 5-6
Camp Kipwe
Days 5 to 6 (2 nights), Twyfelfontein, NamibiaSituated in the Twyfelfontein Conservancy, this unique camp is creatively tucked among the dramatic granite boulders of the area. The nine guest rooms are round-shaped rondavels with African-style decor, each one nestled between boulders amid superb wilderness scenery. The enchanting evening pre-dinner ritual is sundowners at the top of the boulders, as you watch an unforgettable sunset over the Namibian desert. The camp’s central area and dining room are also great places to enjoy amazing views. Meals are fresh and delicious and the wine list is excellent.
Days 7-8, Jul 25-26, 2019
Rhino Tracking / Huab Under Canvas
Namibia’s wildlife roams large tracks of unfenced desert landscapes and to behold this vast and beautiful land is as much of a reward as the thrill of seeing wildlife. We visit the semi-nomadic Himba people, then head to our private “under canvas” camp (expect comfort!) in Damaraland. Here we search for rare desert-adapted wildlife including rhino. Wilderness Travel is proud to support the vital anti-poaching work of the Save the Rhino Trust located here. Namibia now has the only growing black rhino population in all of Africa.
Rhino Tracking / Huab Under Canvas - Days 7-8
//Huab Under Canvas
Days 7 to 8 (2 nights), Damaraland, NamibiaLocated in a desert-adapted black rhino area in the //Huab Conservancy in Damaraland, this semi-mobile camp has a wonderfully light environmental footprint. We will have this camp for our exclusive use. Each spacious tent is equipped with camp beds, solar lighting, and a bathroom with a toilet, bucket shower, and washbasin. Solar lighting is provided, and chairs on the patio allow guests to enjoy the surrounding view. Camp catering is of a high standard, with delicious meals prepared using fresh local produce wherever possible.
Days 9-10, Jul 27-28, 2019
Etosha National Park
Explore by 4WD vehicle in magnificent Etosha, one of Africa’s finest game reserves and a haven for an immense variety of wildlife. At Etosha’s springs, fountains, and waterholes, we should see herds of wildebeest, flocks of ostrich, lines of zebra, and other game, as well as Etosha’s large predators, including lion, cheetah, and jackal.
Etosha National Park - Days 9-10
Andersson's at Ongava
Days 9 to 10 (2 nights), Ongava Game Reserve, NamibiaThe newest addition to Ongava Private Game Reserve is the completely remodeled Andersson's at Ongava. Drawing inspiration from the landscape, guest suites and public spaces have natural stone and wood elements, and there are perfectly placed observation terraces and special nooks for photographers to review and edit their photos. Each suite has an en suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers and a private viewing deck, and the main lounge offers complimentary Wi-Fi and is set near a very productive waterhole, where a wide array of animals gather at all hours and can be viewed at very close range.
Days 11-13, Jul 29-31, 2019
Africat Foundation / Leopard Tracking / Windhoek
We head to Okonjima, home of AfriCat, the world’s largest center for the rehabilitation of Africa’s big cats. In the last 20 years, more than a thousand of these predators have been rescued, with over 85 percent released back into the wild. We search for leopard, brown hyena, and rhino, and enjoy remarkably close encounters. We make our way to Windhoek for an overnight at the Galton House on Day 12 and depart on Day 13.
Africat Foundation / Leopard Tracking / Windhoek - Days 11-13
Okonjima Bush Camp
Day 11 (1 night), Omboroko Mountains, NamibiaHome to the AfriCat Foundation, this luxury bush camp features eight thatched, African-style chalets decorated in earthy tones. The chalets are very spacious, have en suite bathrooms, and can be opened wide during the day for enjoying the views and watching birds in the garden right from your room. A secluded swimming pool awaits at the end of a busy day of game viewing. The food is of a very high standard and the staff and guides are terrific.
Galton House
Day 12 (1 night), Windhoek, NamibiaThis welcoming nine-room hotel, just a 10-minute shuttle drive from the center of town, offers a personal and informal atmosphere. Guest rooms are decorated in an inviting modern style, with wildlife photography adorning the walls. Communal areas include a large lounge, indoor and outdoor dining areas, and a small swimming pool. The hotel is named after the explorer and polymath Francis Galton, who produced the first maps of Namibia's interior.
Giraffe Conservation and Safari
