This wonderful 3 day trip is one the world’s greatest wildlife-viewing venues – the Etosha National Park. This great, white expanse is a place of shimmering mirages, and being able to see large herds of game in this setting makes Etosha a unique experience in Africa.
Duration & Fees
Start Dates
This trip departs every Tuesday morning.
Payment
£180 deposit at time of booking – balance payment of project fee due 12 weeks before departure
What's Included
- Fully equipped expedition vehicle
- Accommodation
- Meals as indicated
- Park fees and excursions as detailed in the itinerary
- Service of a trained guide and an assistant
- Pre-departure pack and support and advice from Amanzi Travel staff and trip leaders
What's not included
- Travel insurance
- Flights
- Visas
- Optional excursions
- Restaurant meals and drinks
Start and end points: Windhoek, Namibia
Countries visited: Namibia
Departure Point: Anywhere in Windhoek
Collection Time: You will be collected from your hotel between 8.00 to 8.30am
Itinerary
DAY 1 Windhoek – Okaukuejo, Etosha National Park (450 km) (Lunch / Dinner)
It is a long drive today. On our way we will stop in Otjiwarongo to fill up with petrol and provisions. We will have a picnic lunch along the way and arrive in Okaukuejo and set up our camp in the afternoon. We will have time to explore the surroundings and enjoy the swimming pool before a late afternoon game drive. After dinner, a visit to the floodlit waterhole is strongly recommended as there are good chances to see rhinos and lions come to drink.
DAY 2 Okaukuejo – Namutoni, Etosha (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
Today we will spend most of the day game driving. We will visit a number of waterholes and make a stop at the Etosha Pan, the “place of dry water”. The Pan is an extensive flat depression of about 5,000 km2. This great, white expanse is a place of shimmering mirages, and being able to see large herds of game in this setting makes Etosha a unique experience in Africa. We may stop at Halali middle camp to have lunch before we continue our game drive to Namutoni. We have time to relax at the swimming pool in Namutoni or at the waterhole before a late afternoon game drive. The game viewing is usually excellent with close views of springboks, zebras, impalas, giraffes, gemsboks and plenty of birds. If we are lucky we may also have some close encounters with elephants and lions. In the evening we may enjoy a glass of wine and experience a fabulous sunset from the tower of the old German fort before dinner .
Day 3 Namutoni – Windhoek (Breakfast / Lunch)
After a morning game drive, with the chance to get some more pictures of Etosha's wildlife in the soft morning light, we head back to the city. We will travel on the main road, passing through farmland and small towns, with time to stop in the small town of Okahandja with Namibia’s largest wood–carving market. We are likely to arrive back into the city at around 16:30 and you will be dropped off at your accommodation on our return.
These are camping trips, and spacious two-person tents with sewn in ground sheets and a separate fly sheet are provided.
Namibia
Why visit Namibia?
Namibia is one of those dreamlike places that makes one question whether something so visually fabulous could actually exist. It is characterised by vast open spaces, with breathtaking scenery and great contrasts – ocean, dunes, mountains and deserts. A predominantly arid country, Namibia can be divided into four main regions. The Namib Desert and vast plains of the Skeleton Coast in the west; the eastward-sloping Central Plateau; the Kalahari desert along the borders with South Africa and Botswana; and the densely wooded bushveld of the Kavango and Caprivi regions – a magical undeveloped oasis of waterways and wildlife, providing abundant game and birdlife viewing opportunities. Despite its harsh climate, Namibia has some of the world’s grandest national parks, ranging from the wildlife-rich Etosha National Park, to the dune fields and desert plains of the Namib-Naukluft Park. The Namib-Naukluft Park is superb for hiking, with a number of spectacular trails. It is also home to the renowned dunes of Sossusvlei - said to be the highest in the world - and the fascinating Sesriem Canyon. Windhoek is the country’s geographical heart and commercial nerve centre, with an ethnic mix of people, while surfers, anglers and beach-lovers won’t want to miss Swakopmund, with its lively entertainment and sporting activities.
Highlights
- Etosha National Park is one of Africa’s finest parks, both in size and diversity of wildlife.
- The Namib-Naukluft Park is the largest conservation area in Namibia and one of the largest in the world.
- Two spectacular deserts - the Kalahari and Namib - each with distinctive wildlife and scenery.
- The Namib, at 80 million years, is the world's oldest desert. Namib means “open space”.
- The Namib and Damaraland offer remarkably clear skies for astronomers and keen star gazers.
- Stunning Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world, after the Grand Canyon – it is 161km long, up to 27km wide and 550m deep.
- Sossusvlei are said to be the highest sand-dunes in the world.
- Superb birding and good fishing is available from the banks of the Kavango and Kunene Rivers on the northern border.
- Popular self-drive destination with excellent infrastructure.
- Largely malaria-free.
- More than 300 days of sunshine per year.
Climate
| Seasons | Max | Min |
| Summer/wet (October - April) |
40 °C |
20 °C |
| Winter/dry (May - September) |
25 °C |
0 °C |
| Rainfall: October – December “little rains”, January to April more stormy period |
The winter months (May - September) range from 25 to 30°C during the day but night temperatures may drop to below freezing. June to August is the dry season with very little rain. This can be a good time for game viewing as wildlife converge at the waterholes.
The summer months (October - April) can reach highs of over 40°C and nights in the 20°C range (in the arid central Namib Desert temperatures can fall to below freezing during the night). This is a summer rainfall area, but overcast and rainy days are few and far between. Welcome thundershowers may occur in the late afternoon, bringing relief to flora and fauna. In October and November, large herds of blue wildebeest, zebra, springbok and oryx migrate from the Namutoni area to Okaukuejo, where they remain until May.
Rainfall is heaviest in the northeast, which enjoys a sub-tropical climate, and reaches over 600mm annually along the Okavango River. The northern and interior regions experience ‘little rains’ between October and December, while the main stormy period occurs from January to April.
Key Facts
Population – 2.1 million
Capital - Windhoek
Currency - Namibian dollar
Language – official language English; most widely spoken is Afrikaans; half of all Namibians speak Oshiwambo as their first language. German is also widely spoken, plus some Portuguese.
Namib – means “open space”
Etosha – means “great white place”
Time difference – GMT +2 hours
Telephone – country code 264, international access code 00
The overland trip was excellent - really well run. The guides were fantastic, the campsites great, and the food excellent. This has got to be the best way to see Africa in a short period of time ...
Amanzi Travel are excellent - professional, informative but with a real personal service ... The cheetah volunteer project was an absolutely fantastic experience, and the Overland trip was brilliant.
Jennie and Stuart, Sweden, 32 and 34 (Cheetah Volunteer Project and Overland Trip)