13 Days Namibia Family Safari Vacation Holiday
13 Days Namibia Family Safari Vacation Holiday
If you are looking for an intriguing destination that offers exciting wildlife, stunning scenery and exhilarating activities, look no further than a family holiday to Namibia. From the top of the towering sand dunes at Sossusvlei you can watch the sun turn the magnificent Namib Desert crimson. From the rim of the Fish River Canyon you can hike down to the bottom of the second deepest gorge in the world. And from the resort town of Swakopmund you can enjoy adrenaline activities or head to the desolate Atlantic Coast to spot ancient shipwrecks.
Safari highlights
- Naankuse wildlife sanctuary
- Etosha national park
- Damaraland to visit the Himba tribe
- Skeleton coast and Swakopmund
Detailed safari itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Hosea Kutako International Airport
Upon arrival at Hosea Kutako International Airport outside the country’s capital city of Windhoek, a representative will be waiting for your Family with a signboard, after clearing immigration you will be received and your luggage loaded into your private Family vehicle to The Naankuse Foundation Wildlife Sanctuary provides a safe haven and second chance for countless injured, orphaned, and conflict animals. Wherever possible our aim is to release animals back into the wild for overnight.
Day 2: Full day exploration of Naankuse wildlife sanctuary
After Lazily morning breakfast at the hotel, you will join the sanctuary staff for some activities like guided Nature Walk, Ancient San Skills Academy, Bushman Stories under the Stars, Carnivore Feeding Tour, Cheetah Walk and Caracal Walk later enjoy the rest of the evening relaxing at the sanctuary.
Day 3: Drive to Etosha National Park
After breakfast you will start your drive to Etosha will take about 4 to 5 hours, but it is a fantastic way to get to know the “lie of the land” here in Namibia. We will pass through Okahandja before passing close to both Okonjima Nature Reserve and the Waterberg Plateau National Park. The next town we go through will be Otjiwarongo, one of the fastest growing towns in Namibia and home to a large population of German-speaking people.
We will make a few stops along the way to stretch our legs and have a bite to eat. We will reach our lodge just outside the Etosha National Park gate in the afternoon
We will settle in at our comfortable lodge, have dinner and enjoy our first taste of Namibian cuisine, and then have a good night’s rest; there is much excitement to come!
Day 4: Morning and Evening game drives in Etosha national park
After morning breakfast you will meet you ranger guide in an open safari vehicle and visit the park’s most prominent game viewing areas in search of wildlife like lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, giraffe, wildebeest, cheetah, hyena, mountain and plains zebra, springbok, kudu, gemsbok and eland and return to lodge for relaxation and later head out for another evening drive and later in night you will visit the flood-lit waterhole at the resort area to connect better with the surrounding game, usual leopard, and the exhilarating opportunity of rhino. The thrill of spotting rhinos, sometimes, a herd, is a high that will last for a lifetime.
Day 5: Relaxation at your lodge
Today the family will spend the day at leisure at the lodge, you will enjoy swimming in the pool, depending on how you feel you may do small walking activities to find birds around the lodge or visit the nearby village to spend time with the school kids and later return to the lodge for relaxation and overnight.
Day 6: Drive to Damaraland
This morning after breakfast we will make our way to Damaraland where we will spend one night. On our way we will stop at a Himba Village and learn more about their everyday way of life, This beautiful mountainous region is home to an assortment of scientifically important desert adapted wildlife such as African Elephant, Black Rhinoceros and Lion, which somehow survive and thrive in this near-barren landscape. We hope to see some of them; a special treat indeed!
Day 7: Visit the Himba tribe
After morning breakfast you will head to the village to visit the Himba tribe, the Himba are a tribe of nomadic pastoralists who inhabit the Kaokoland area of Namibia. The Himba are actually descendants of a group of Herero herders who fled into the remote north-west after been displaced by the Nama, you will spend half a day with the Himba and later return to the lodge for relaxation and Overnight.
Day 8: Drive to Skeleton Coast and Swakopmund
After morning breakfast you will start your drive to the Atlantic Coast. This route crosses the desolate ‘gravel plains’ of the Namib Desert before arriving at the ‘Skeleton Coast’. After a nice lunch break on the roadside, we reach the ocean and turn northbound, in order to visit Cape Cross and its world famous Cape Fur Seal colony. We will take our time to adequately explore, enjoy and photograph the 80.000 inhabitants of the colony, before we continue south along the coast and make our way to Swakopmund for check in and overnight.
Day 9: Free day at Leisure
Today you will enjoy the beautiful views of the Coast from your lodge and swim in the pool with your family and you may walk to town to look out for Markets and interesting staff or visit a local school in the area.
Day 10: Drive to Sossusvlei
This morning we make our way to iconic Sossusvlei, turning inland and traversing the vast Namib-Naukluft Park. Our entire drive today takes place in the Namib Sand Sea, one of Namibia’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is the only coastal desert in the world that includes extensive dune fields influenced by fog. Covering an area of over three million hectares, the site features gravel plains, coastal flats and rocky hills within the sand sea, a coastal lagoon and ephemeral rivers, resulting in a landscape of exceptional beauty.
It is a beautiful drive of about 4 hours, and if time allows we will stop for the famous Apple Pie in the small desert oasis town of Solitaire, a true Namibian tradition that should not be missed.
We will reach our accommodation as the sun is disappearing behind the horizon, painting the surrounding sand dunes flaming red.
Day 11: Explore Sossusvlei
We will again be up before the sun this morning, and we hope to be close to the world’s highest sand dunes by the time the first rays appear. It is a magical place to be as the sun rises, with incredible photographic opportunities.
From the Sesriem Entrance gate we drive in the ancient dry bed of the Tsauchab river, stopping regularly at all the famous spots, climbing a few dunes, all the while making our way slowly to the world famous Dead Vlei. We will stop for a picnic close to the Vlei itself whilst enjoying the amazing landscape. Our last excursion will be at Sesriem Canyon. It is a narrow gorge of 1km long and up to 30m deep slashed into the earth by the Tsauchab River millions of years ago, and is located near the entrance to Sossusvlei; it will take most of the day to explore this wonderland, so we will only return to our lodge in the afternoon. Once we are back at our accommodation, we enjoy our last dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Drive from Sossusvlei to Windhoek
After a relaxing final breakfast together we will depart for Windhoek. It is a 4 to 5 hour drive northwards to the capital. We will drive through the Namib Desert for the last time. It is the oldest desert and boasts the highest sand dunes in the world.
We will drive up to the Khomas Highland via one of the many scenic mountain passes, and remember to keep an eye out for some wildlife before we reach Windhoek. We might see Common Ostrich, Gemsbok, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Sociable Weavers or even a Greater Kudu on arrival in Windhoek you will be transferred to your hotel for overnight.
Day 13: Transfer to the airport for your onward Journey
Depending on the time of your flight our guide will transfer you to Hosea Kutako International Airport for your homeward flight.
Trip Includes
- Tour is all inclusive and details will be discussed upon making an Enquiry.
Excludes
- International flights
- Namibia tourist Visa
- Travel insurance
- Tips for guides and hotels
- Enroute meals
When to book this family safari
We recommend booking one year in advance bur we do offer favourable cancellation terms.
Best time to visit Namibia for a Family safari
The best time to visit Namibia is in the Dry season from June to October, although it can be visited throughout the year. Wildlife viewing in all parks, but especially in Etosha, is best in the Dry season. The climate is generally dry and pleasant.
