Wilderness Dawning is a privately-owned safari company based in Maun, Botswana and Johannesburg, South Africa.
15 DAY SAFARI – NAMIBIA, BOTSWANA & VICTORIA FALLS
A Journey From Desert Sand to Delta Waters…
THIS 15-DAY GUIDED SAFARI IS A JOURNEY OF EXTRAORDINARY CONTRASTS – FROM THE COOL ATLANTIC COASTLINE AND TOWERING RED DUNES OF NAMIBIA TO THE ANCIENT LANDSCAPES OF DAMARALAND, THE WILDLIFE-RICH PLAINS OF ETOSHA AND THE WATERWAYS OF THE OKAVANGO DELTA. IT CONTINUES NORTH THROUGH BOTSWANA TO THE ELEPHANT-FILLED BANKS OF THE CHOBE RIVER, BEFORE ENDING AT ONE OF AFRICA’S GREATEST NATURAL SPECTACLES – VICTORIA FALLS.
Along the way there is time to slow down and experience these places properly. Walk among ancient rock engravings, search for wildlife around Etosha’s waterholes, wake to the call of fish eagles from the deck of a houseboat and spend evenings beneath vast African skies. This is a journey for travellers who want more than a conventional safari. It brings together some of southern Africa’s most iconic landscapes, while also taking you into quieter, more remote places where the wilderness still feels wonderfully wild.
Private departures – a private, exclusive-use vehicle and guide throughout, minimum 2 and maximum 12 guests, with 14 nights of combined lodge accommodation. The safari starts in Swakopmund, Namibia and ends at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
DAYS 1 – 6
Swakopmund, Sossusvlei and Damaraland
Day 1 – Walvis Bay to Swakopmund
Your adventure begins on Namibia’s Atlantic coast. From Walvis Bay we make our way to the laid-back coastal town of Swakopmund, where the cool Atlantic air meets the desert sands. With its historic architecture, palm-lined streets and unmistakable German influence, Swakopmund feels worlds away from the wilderness that lies ahead. Settle in, explore the town or simply enjoy the slower pace before the real adventure begins.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Organic Stay or similar
Days 2 & 3 – Sossusvlei
An early start takes us into the dunes while the morning light is at its most beautiful. Sossusvlei is one of Namibia’s defining landscapes, immense red dunes rising around a stark white salt and clay pan. Nearby Deadvlei is even more surreal, where ancient camel thorn trees stand black and skeletal against the pale earth, preserved by the extraordinary dryness of the desert. There is also time to explore Sesriem Canyon, carved over millions of years by the Tsauchab River. These days are all about scale, silence and light – and discovering just how beautiful a desert can be.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Desert Hills Glamping Camp or similar
Day 4 – Sossusvlei to Swakopmund
We travel back towards the Atlantic, returning to Swakopmund and the very different atmosphere of the coast. After the vast silence of the desert there is something wonderfully refreshing about returning to this little seaside town. The afternoon is yours to relax or explore, with the option of enjoying some of the adventure activities Swakopmund is known for.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Organic Stay or similar
Day 5 – Swakopmund to Twyfelfontein
Today we head north into Damaraland, where the landscape becomes increasingly rugged and remote. Our destination is the beautiful Malansrus Tented Camp, set beneath mopane trees beside a sidearm of the Aba Huab River. It is the kind of place that makes you feel properly immersed in the bush – comfortable, peaceful and wonderfully removed from the outside world.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Malansrus Tented Camp or similar
Day 6 – Damaraland and Twyfelfontein
Today we explore one of Namibia’s most fascinating cultural and archaeological landscapes. Twyfelfontein is home to thousands of ancient rock engravings created by hunter-gatherer communities over thousands of years. We explore the site with a guide, discovering engravings of animals, people and symbolic figures etched into the dramatic sandstone.
The surrounding area is every bit as compelling, with its rugged geological formations and the possibility of encountering the desert-adapted wildlife that calls this harsh landscape home. Then, as the sun disappears, return to camp, a fire and a sky so full of stars it almost feels like someone has left the lights on.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Malansrus Tented Camp or similar
DAYS 7 – 11
Etosha and the Okavango River
Day 7 – Damaraland to Etosha
We continue east towards Etosha Heights Private Reserve, where the desert landscapes begin to give way to a more wildlife-rich wilderness. The reserve encompasses an extraordinary variety of landscapes, from open savannah and mopane woodland to salt pans and dolomite hills. This diversity supports an impressive range of wildlife, and the waterholes are particularly rewarding places to watch animals come and go.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Safarihoek or similar
Day 8 – Etosha Heights Private Reserve
Today is dedicated to exploring the reserve. Early morning and afternoon game drives give us the best opportunity to experience the wildlife of this vast wilderness, with the possibility of seeing rhino, elephant, lion, giraffe, kudu and a host of other species. There is also time simply to enjoy the lodge and its surroundings, because sometimes the best safari moments happen when you are doing absolutely nothing and an animal wanders into view.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Safarihoek or similar
Day 9 – Etosha Heights to Grootfontein
Leaving Etosha behind, we travel north-east towards Grootfontein. The landscape changes once again as we move through northern Namibia, with time to settle into the slower rhythm of the journey and enjoy the scenery along the way.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Dornhuegel Guest Farm or similar
Days 10 & 11 – The Okavango River and Tsodilo Hills
Wake to the Okavango River, coffee in hand, with fish eagles calling somewhere beyond the reeds. We explore the waterways by smaller boat, looking out for birdlife, hippos and crocodiles as we weave between islands and channels. We also visit the remarkable Tsodilo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s great collections of ancient rock art – more than 4,000 San paintings are found among these hills, which have been inhabited for around 30,000 years. Back on the river, we finish the day with a sundowner cruise before settling down on an island for dinner beneath a blanket of stars.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Okavango Spirit Houseboat
DAYS 12 – 15
Chobe River and Victoria Falls
Day 12 – Okavango River to Chobe
We set off early and travel through Namibia’s Caprivi Strip towards Botswana and the riverside town of Kasane. It is a longer travelling day, but one that takes us into yet another remarkable landscape. By late afternoon we arrive on the banks of the Chobe River, where there is time to relax and enjoy a well-earned sundowner. Chobe is renowned for its extraordinary elephant population, and the riverbanks can be alive with wildlife as animals gather around the water.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Chobe Noka or similar
Day 13 – Chobe River
An early start gets us out into Chobe when the bush is waking up. We head out on a game drive along the southern bank of the river, where wildlife is found in abundance – elephant and lion are among the highlights, alongside antelope and an extraordinary variety of birdlife. After lunch and a chance to escape the midday heat, we return to the river for an afternoon boat cruise. From the water the perspective changes completely as elephants gather along the banks and wildlife comes down to drink. As the sun drops we enjoy snacks and sundowners before returning to camp for our final evening in the Botswana wilderness.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Chobe Noka or similar
Day 14 – Chobe to Victoria Falls
Today we cross into Zimbabwe and continue to Victoria Falls. Known as the adventure capital of the region, there is plenty here for those looking for an adrenaline rush – but the real draw is the Falls themselves. Victoria Falls is one of the world’s great natural wonders. The Zambezi plunges into the gorge in an extraordinary display of power, filling the air with spray and creating rainbows in the mist. After experiencing the Falls, settle into your lodge and enjoy a relaxed final evening in Africa.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Batonka Guest Lodge, Pioneer Lodge or Shongwe
Day 15 – Victoria Falls
After an extraordinary journey from desert to delta, your safari comes to an end. Enjoy breakfast before your onward journey home, or choose to extend your stay and spend a little more time exploring Victoria Falls and the surrounding area. Either way, you will leave with a remarkable collection of landscapes, wildlife and wild places behind you – and, hopefully, a serious case of wanting to come back.
INCLUDED
• Use of specially modified 4×4 vehicles.
• Professional guide and back-up crew.
• Fully serviced, non-participation camping in private campsites.
• Camping equipment.
• Meals as specified (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner).
• Local soft drinks, wine and beer while camping.
• Accommodation on a shared basis.
• Botswana National Parks and Game Reserves entrance fees.
• Open vehicle game drives in all National Parks and Reserves.
• Lodge accommodation where specified.
EXCLUDED
• All international airfares.
• Optional activities in Maun and Victoria Falls.
• Gratuities and personal expenses.
• Visa fees and departure taxes.
• Victoria Falls entrance fee.
• Travel insurance (compulsory).
• Pre and post tour accommodation and transfers.
A Community, Conservation and Reserve (CCR) Fee is charged in addition to the safari rate and applies to all guests aged 6 years and older. The full amount, together with the 1.5% turnover contribution, goes directly towards conservation and community initiatives.
We take a maximum of 12 guests per vehicle. Vehicles have an open roof and sides with roll-down weatherproof canvas, individual bucket seats with seat belts, a first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and a cooler box, and 24-hour radio or cell phone contact is maintained with the operations base in Maun. Roads in Botswana are not always in the best condition, so travel can be slow and bumpy – bring layers, as vehicles get windy.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Wilderness Dawning WhatsApp (+267) 7179 1225
Craig Nesbitt WhatsApp (27) 84 805 4459 & (267) 73 893 671