NAMIBIA

Luxury Namibia Safari Tours Namibia Safaris

Namibia – a country blessed with beauty, abundant sunshine, and vast areas of unconfined space. Unspoiled landscapes and a large variety of game draw an increasing number of visitors each year from various parts of the globe make it the ideal destination for luxury Namibia safari tours.

Namibia has a rich and colorful history. In the mid nineteenth century, German missionaries opened up the interior, paving the way for traders who would arrive later. Annexation of the country by Germany in 1884 accounts for the distinctive German architecture and traditions still found there today.

Germany, Great Britain (via the Cape Colony) and, more recently, South Africa have governed Namibia or parts of it at various stages of its history. The country became independent at long last on March 21, 1990. Over the past decade, Namibia has matured and developed a distinct character of its own.

A luxury Namibia safari tour will afford you the opportunity to experience its starkly contrasting landscapes. The brooding, desolate Sossusvlei area of the Namib Desert , said to be the oldest in the world, has fantastic high dunes that are sure to inspire a sense of awe. Visit the central plateau which offers visitors thorn bush savannah and rugged mountains, rising abruptly from the plains and leading to the majestic Fish River Canyon in the south.

In the northern region of the country, landscapes range from dense bush to the open plains of the great Etosha National Park, to woodland savannah and lush riverine vegetation. Take your dream Namibia safari tour to a whole new level and visit Dinosaur footprints preserved in the sandstone, pre-historic rock art, and ancient fossil plants which bear witness to “the ageless land”.

Damaraland  is a huge rugged untamed area  and is prime desert adapted elephant territory, where herds traverse the Aba Huab riverbed seasonally in search of water and vegetation. Consequently, wildlife viewing concentrates along the riverbed and valleys.Be sure to include The Hoanib Skeleton Coast in your tailor made safari itinerary remotely located in

a broad valley at the confluence of two tributaries of the Hoanib River in the northern part of the private Palmwag Concession. Your luxury Namibia safari tour would not be complete without a stop in the nation’s capital Windhoek which lies amidst clusters of hills and the impressive Auas and Eros Mountains. The climate is typical of a semi-desert country, with hot days and cool nights.

Serra Cafema Skeleton Coast – Wedged between the mountain ranges of the escarpment in the east and the Skeleton Coast in the west, the conservancy stretches north to the Kunene River, the border with Angola. It is in this area of Namibia that you will find the Himba, one of the last true nomadic people in Africa.

Wilderness and modern amenities co-exist happily in this land of vivid contrasts. A thoughtfully organized tourist infrastructure and a genuine desire to welcome visitors to this special place and unique regions and landscapes make Namibia an ideal luxury safari destination.

Luxury, budget or on a shoe-string, we take care of it all! Call Karell so that one of our Africa safari experts can start crafting a luxury Namibian safari tour for you.

Why Safari in Namibia?

Upon her return from her first trip to Namibia a client of ours exclaimed ” I felt like I had fallen into a spectacular oil painting”! That pretty much sums Namibia up.

The beauty of Namibia is unsurpassed. From “Big Daddy”, the highest dune in Sossusvlei in the southern Namib Desert all the way up to the Hoanib Skeleton Coast you will be stunned by the extraordinary beauty of all the dramatically different landscapes.

The most popular safari vacation in Nambia by far is the self-drive. Take your time and explore every nook and cranny at your own leisure and pace.  Or  fly in on a winged safari tour either scheduled or custom designed to your very own desires and interests. This is not necessarily the least expensive way to see this glorious country but if you are pushed for time it is certainly the answer. A flight up the Skeleton Coast (the name is derived from the whale and seal bones that once littered the shore and the skeletal remains of shipwrecks that were caught off guard by rocks and fog.

A flight up the Skeleton Coast (the name is derived from the whale and seal bones that once littered the shore and the skeletal remains of shipwrecks that were caught off guard by rocks and fog.

On your luxury Namibian safari adventure experience the thrill of hot air ballooning over the dunes. Track endangered  black rhino in Damaraland Game Reserve and desert adapted lion at Hoanib Skeleton Coast.

In the extreme northwest interact with the majestic nomadic Himba People and learn about their lives, traditions and culture.

No visit to Namibia would be complete without a visit to Etosha National Park. Etosha National Park in Northern Namibia offers excellent game viewing in one of Africa’s most accessible venues.

Zebra and springbok are scattered across the endless horizon, while the many waterholes attract endangered black rhinoceros, lion, elephant and large numbers of antelope.

Top Reasons to Visit Namibia

• Fly over The Skeleton Coast • Drive in the Skeleton Coast area • The Nomadic Himba People • Quad biking on sand dunes • Climb the world’s biggest Sand Dune “Big Daddy” in Sossusvlei • Vast open spaces with endless horizons • Etosha National Park • Photographers paradise • Hot Air Ballooning over the sand dunes

Best Time to go to Namibia

If you are looking for a Namibia Safari Tour and wanted to know what would be the best time to go to Namibia; here is some information about Namibia’s climate by months. NAMIBIA’s climate is typically semi-desert with hot days and cool nights. The cold Benguela Current keeps the coast cool and free of rain most of the year. In fact, NAMIBIA averages about 300 days of sunshine annually. The rainy season lasts from October to April, while the rest of the year is dry and cloudless.

JANUARY – MARCH

Peak of Summer & Rainy Months – Hot days with afternoon cloud build up and possible showers (generally short-lived) Wildlife can disperse during this time in search of new grazing. Northern NAMIBIA and the Caprivi usually receive most of NAMIBIA’s annual rainfall.

APRIL – MAY

Morning temperatures start to drop and the evenings become cooler. Rainfall is limited and wildlife start to congregate more at perennial water sources.

JUNE – AUGUST

The early part of June sees very cold mornings and evenings, occasionally even dropping below zero, continuing through the end of winter in August. Days are typically sunny and pleasant. Warm clothing is recommended for the evenings and early mornings. Game viewing can be excellent in the dry winter months in some areas.

SEPTEMBER- DECEMBER

Spring starts in September. Days are much warmer with occasional cool evenings and mornings. From October we experience very warm sunny days with warm evenings. Sporadic rain does occur, though larger showers are usually limited to around December.

Wildlife sightings vary depending how early the rains have started. December is the hottest months of the year, averaging  95°F to 105°F in the shade. Cooler temperatures occur along the coastline thanks to the ocean breeze, with low rainfall and fog prevailing from late until mid-morning.

Make no mistake, in the winter months the evenings and early mornings can be bitterly cold. If you are on safari during this time, you will need to take very warm clothing especially for early morning game drives.

Damaraland

Damaraland” was the 19th century name given to the north-central part of what later became Namibia by outsiders referring to the indigenous Herero-speaking people as “Damaras.” Damaraland’s landscape ranges from boulder strewn plains to curious rock formations surrounded by sand dunes.

Damaraland is a huge rugged untamed area  and is prime desert adapted elephant territory, where herds traverse the Aba Huab riverbed seasonally in search of water and vegetation. Consequently, wildlife viewing concentrates along the riverbed and valleys.

Damaraland’s arid environment is home to gemsbok, springbok, and a variety of other species, including occasional black rhino and cheetah.

Birdlife is excellent with several Namibian endemics such as Monteiro’s Hornbill and Ruppell’s Korhaan.

A luxury Damaraland safari tour is enhanced by this spectacular landscape and very different wildlife. A luxurious safari tour in Damaraland is by no means  traditional in the true understanding of an African Safari.

The emphasis is on the beauty of Namibia’s magnificent landscapes once described by a client: “It’s as if we were flying in to an oil painting”.

As part of you luxury Damaraland safari tours you can visit Africa’s largest collection of petroglyphs (prehistoric rock engravings) and San rock art found at nearby Twyfelfontein, Namibia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Please follow this link to see Damaraland National Park Camps and Lodges

Etosha National Park

In central-northern Namibia the flat landscape is dotted with a number of large salt pans, slight depressions created by wind action. The most famous of these formations is Etosha Pan, which resides in the eponymous Etosha National Park, a vast reserve spanning 7700 square miles.

Etosha means “great white place” and a safari adventure will allow you to visit this immense salt pan which stretches blinding white across 1900 square miles. Once an ancient superlake, today a few rivers and occasional heavy summer rains fill the pan (in good years attracting over a million flamingos to its salty waters), but for the most part it is parched and dry.

On its edges however there are a number of springs and waterholes, attracting wildlife during the dryer months. Even during the wetter summer they remain active so on your safari you may get to see elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, black rhino, springbok, gemsbok, and the endemic black faced impala as well as their predators.

Bird life is prolific with 340 species documented, amongst them 10 of Namibia’s 14 endemic bird species.

On your luxury Etosha National Park safari tours you may travel to the Ongava Game Reserve, formed in 1991 when the shareholders of Ongava converted four unproductive cattle ranches into a prolific 30,000 hectare private reserve concession, now a haven to large concentrations of wildlife.

The Ongava Game Reserve forms an extension of Etosha National Park, enabling large game such as elephant and lion to move between the two areas.

During the Etosha National Park safaris,  you will have an opportunity to spot springbok, gemsbok, wildebeest, Burchell’s Zebra, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, waterbuck, red hartebeest, giraffe, eland and the largest population of black faced impala as well as black and white rhino.

Contact us now to start planning your Etosha National Park safari adventure tour!

Please follow this link to see Etosha National Park Safari Camps and Lodges

Marienfluss Conservancy, Serra Cafema Safaris

The Marienfluss Conservancy lies in the furthest reaches of an area formerly known as Kaokoveld.

Wedged between the mountain ranges of the escarpment in the east and the Hoanib Skeleton Coast Park in the west, the Marienfluss Conservancy stretches north to the Kunene River, the border with Angola.

The Namib, the world’s oldest desert runs along the coast so named because of the numerous stranded ships and shipwrecked sailors who died as a result. Hence, the name SKELETON COAST.

 It is in this area of Namibia that you will find the Himba, one of the last true nomadic people in Africa.

The Kunene River is the only permanent source of water in this region, and the river creates a lush oasis along it’s banks, surrounded by rugged mountains and sand dunes.

When you are on Marienfluss Conservancy Safari tours you will see the animals (coastal lions though not often), elephant, black rhino, giraffe and plant life that have adapted to the extreme conditions in this area.

There have been a number of documentaries about these animals and their adaptation to this area.

Please follow this link to see Marienfluss Conservancy Safari Camps and Lodges

Sossusvlei

Sossusvlei is situated in the Namib Desert, the oldest in the world. The Namib forms part of the greater Namib Naufluft Park that stretches 250 miles south of Walvis Bay, between the west coast and the escarpment that runs parallel more than 60 miles inland. Its huge red dunes and flat valley floors make up the world famous view of the Namib.

Sossusvlei translates as “the gathering place of water” in the local Nama language. In good years, the seasonal rains in the foothills of the Naukluft and Tsaris Mountains succeed in reaching the the vleis, creating temporary lakes. The seemingly uniform red gold sands have come to be known by another name: the Sand Sea.

Rainfall at the coast averages dramatically less than 50mm a year and further inland it measures 50-100 mm a year.  Despite this lack of water and vegetation, a luxury Sossuvlei safari tour offers a surprisingly diverse array of insects, reptiles and rodents making their homes here, surviving thanks in part to the coastal fog that creeps up from the sea each dawn and penetrates up to 30 miles inland.

Wildlife at Sossusvlei

In addition to the spectacular sand dunes in this area, on luxury Sossusvlei safari tours you may encounter larger desert adapted wildlife such as ostrich, springbok. Gemsbok, bat-eared fox and aardwolf as well as a variety of birds including the aptly named dune lark, who is completely dependent on these sands and thus endemic to the area.

The magnificent dunes of Sossusvlei are, without question, the ultimate draw to this area resulting in a unique unforgettable luxury safari experience.

Please follow this link to see Sossusvlei Safari Camps and Lodges

Hoanib Skeleton Coast

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Safari Tours – Rugged, iconic, startlingly life-filled Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp is scenically located in a broad valley at the confluence of two tributaries of the Hoanib River in the northern part of the private Palmwag Concession. Its location thus straddles the Palmwag area and the iconic Skeleton Coast National Park, in one of the most remote areas of the Kaokoveld.

Exclusivity is taken a step further as camp is only accessible by light aircraft and the camp itself consists of only seven twin-bedded tents and one family unit, each comprising stylish en-suite bedrooms with shaded outdoors decks.

Flanked to the east and west by rugged hills, the camp looks out over stunning, starkly beautiful scenery and offers guests all the luxuries and amenities for an unforgettable stay.

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp’s location – close to the Skeleton Coast and within the true Namib Desert – is home to a rich diversity of wildlife, boasting the Kaokoveld’s best viewing of desert-adapted wildlife and access to vast, remote a n d isolated wilderness.

Almost miraculously it seems, in this stark environment, enormous elephant thrive a l o n g with giraffe, lion and brown hyaena. Gemsbok (oryx), springbok, steenbok, scrub hare, and inquisitive ground squirrel are also seen. Entirely different to the rugged mountains and valleys inland, the Skeleton Coast hosts Cape fur seals in their thousands along with black-backed jackals and brown hyaena.

Highlights • One of the greatest concentrations of desert-adapted elephant and lion • Historic coastline, endless horizons, fascinating people • Diverse activities showcase scenic wonders and unique wildlife

Windhoek

The heart of Namibia, Windhoek, possesses a unique charm due to its harmonious blend of African and European cultures and the friendliness of its people.

Windhoek is the social, economic, and cultural centre of the country. Nearly every Namibian national enterprise, governmental body, educational and cultural institution is headquartered there.

The town developed rapidly after Jonker Afrikaner, Captain of the Orlam settled here in 1840 and built a stone church for his community.

However, in the decades thereafter multiple wars and hostilities led to the neglect and destruction of the new settlement such that Windhoek was founded a second time in 1890 by Imperial German army Major Curt von François.

Windhoek has an efficient infrastructure and easy access to tourist destinations in neighboring countries, such as the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, the Okavango Delta in Botswana, and Table Mountain and various game parks in South Africa.

For the business traveller, Windhoek offers all modern amenities such as conference facilities, commuting services, corporate accommodation and catering venues.

Please follow this link to see Windhoek Camps and Lodges

Namibia Annual Weather

Namibia is a low rainfall area and, other than in the Etosha National Park, big game viewing is not necessarily the prime focus of a safari. Across most of Namibia the summer is a really special time to be there especially if there has been rain.

If the country receives good rain then you can perhaps see the desert covered in fine grass and wild flowers. It is a particularly spectacular time and even in summer, a cool wind generally blows off the coast in the afternoons.

At Hoanib Skeleton Coast, for example you may feel hot while driving along the Hoarusib in the morning, and be wearing jackets in the afternoon mist, fishing at Rocky Point on the coast. Desert animals tend to follow the rain and it is possible to see greater numbers of springbok, oryx and Hartmann’s mountain zebra during the summer than during the winter.

The climate is typically semi-desert with hot days and cool nights. The cold Benguela Current keeps the coast cool and free of rain most of the year, Namibia averages 300 days of sunshine a year.

Midsummer temperatures may rise to over 40°C (104°F). Winter days are warm but dawn temperatures may drop to freezing. Along the coast it is cool with low rainfall and fog prevails from late afternoon until mid-morning. The rainy season lasts from October to April. The rest of the year is dry and cloudless. Humidity is generally very low in most parts, but can reach as high as 80% in the extreme north during summer.

The average rainfall is 50mm along the coast to 350mm in the central interior and 700mm in the Caprivi. Guests should pack warm and cold clothing for any visit to Namibia. Those guests self driving must exercise caution when crossing riverbeds and camping during the summer months, as flash floods can occur from the sporadic rains. Despite this threat roads are generally not affected and it is perfectly safe to travel at this time.

For More information about Namibia Weather Please follow this link.