Namibia is a vast country, even by African standards, covering an area approximately twice the size of California and four times the size of the United Kingdom, but with a population of a mere 2 million. This gives one of the lowest population densities in the world. It is also an 'ageless land’; visible through our heritage of rock art created by stone-age artists and geological attractions such as the petrified forest where fossilised tree trunks have lain for over 280 million years. When added to the space and silence, these factors all contribute to a feeling of antiquity, solitude and wilderness.

The climate is typical of a semi-desert country. Days are warm to hot and nights are generally cool. Temperatures are modified by the high plateau in the interior and by the cold Benguela Current that runs along the Atlantic coastline. Except for the first few months of the year, the country is generally dry with very little rain.

This Ultimate Namibia Safari affords you the chance to experience this magnificent and memorable country in a very personal way. You will have your own professional and experienced safari guide who will enhance your enjoyment of this unique country by making it a fascinating and stress-free journey of discovery amidst very dramatic scenery. The knowledge, experience, and character of our guides are critical to a successful safari which is why we ensure that they are both personable and very professional. Your Ultimate Safaris guide will have an intimate knowledge of each area and camp/lodge that you visit, allowing them to share the local insights and highlights whilst adding continuity and depth to your safari. It goes without saying that they all know exactly what a "True African Safari" is all about. Not only are our guides highly qualified, each has a specific area of expertise. Together they possess the breadth and depth of knowledge to allow them to answer questions and satisfy the particular interests of each of our guests. The presence and company of your Ultimate Safaris guide will turn your safari into an experience of a lifetime!

PRE & POST SAFARI ACCOMMODATION & TRANSFERS

Please contact us to arrange all your pre and post-safari accommodation in Windhoek as well as any airport transfers that may be needed. These are not included in the safari fare so they will have to be charged additionally. We recommend the following establishments in Windhoek; Galton House, Olive Grove Guesthouse and Am Weinberg.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel with one of Namibia’s most reputable and well-known naturalist guides.
• Stay in the only camp inside the world’s 4th largest National Park.
• Climb some of the world’s highest free-standing sand dunes.
• Sea kayak with seals and dolphins on the Skeleton Coast (alternative option ski boat).
• Track for desert-adapted elephants in ephemeral river systems.
• Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Twyfelfontein.
• Visit a Himba settlement.
• Memorable and exciting guided game drives within the renowned Etosha National Park, from the vantage point of a specially modified, air conditioned 4x4 with pop tops.
• Explore 2 very different parts of Etosha by spending time on both the Etosha Heights and Onguma Private Game Reserves.
• Sleep in the tree tops overlooking one of the most productive waterholes on the Onguma Private Game Reserve.
• Visit the world renowned AfriCat Foundation and learn more about conservation initiatives involving Africa’s large cats.

Namibia is a vast country, even by African standards, covering an area approximately twice the size of California and four times the size of the United Kingdom, but with a population of a mere 2 million. This gives one of the lowest population densities in the world. It is also an 'ageless land’; visible through our heritage of rock art created by stone-age artists and geological attractions such as the petrified forest where fossilised tree trunks have lain for over 280 million years. When added to the space and silence, these factors all contribute to a feeling of antiquity, solitude and wilderness.

The climate is typical of a semi-desert country. Days are warm to hot and nights are generally cool. Temperatures are modified by the high plateau in the interior and by the cold Benguela Current that runs along the Atlantic coastline. Except for the first few months of the year, the country is generally dry with very little rain.

This Ultimate Namibia Under Canvas Safari affords you the chance to experience this magnificent and memorable country in a very personal way. You will have your own professional and experienced safari guide who will enhance your enjoyment of this unique country by making it a fascinating and stress-free journey of discovery amidst very dramatic scenery. The knowledge, experience, and character of our guides are critical to a successful safari which is why we ensure that they are both personable and very professional. Your Ultimate Safaris guide will have an intimate knowledge of each area and camp/lodge that you visit, allowing them to share the local insights and highlights whilst adding continuity and depth to your safari. It goes without saying that they all know exactly what a "True African Safari" is all about. Not only are our guides highly qualified, each has a specific area of expertise. Together they possess the breadth and depth of knowledge to allow them to answer questions and satisfy the interests of each of our guests. The presence and company of your Ultimate Safaris guide will turn your safari into an experience of a lifetime!

The Under Canvas camps are designed to offer a true “back to nature” experience with the emphasis being on the experiential aspect of safaris, to go back to the roots of safari, to touch, to smell, to feel and to experience the wild, with one’s feet firmly in the dust that covers Africa. This is an experience that is exclusive in the real sense of the word, as well as being very much away from the pressures of ‘normal’ life!

Since most of the camps are semi-permanent and seasonal, there is a degree of compromise required concerning some of the frills and other ‘add-ons’ that you might expect in a permanent tented camp or lodge, but there is still a strong focus on ensuring guests’ comfort. Those prepared to forego some conventional ‘necessities’, so that they are unencumbered by buildings and all the paraphernalia that goes with them, will be able to go to sleep hearing only the noisy silence of the desert and to wake up to a chorus that announces the start of a new day. It is the kind of intimacy that can only be achieved by taking guests to the most wild, remote and private places, and giving them access to exclusive areas away from the beaten path.

 Trip Highlights

• Travel with one of Namibia’s most reputable and well-known naturalist guides.
• Visit the world renowned AfriCat Foundation and learn more about conservation initiatives involving Africa’s large cats.
• Sleep under canvas in the tree tops overlooking one of the most productive waterholes on the Onguma Private Game Reserve.
• Memorable and exciting guided game drives within the renowned Etosha National Park, from the vantage point of a specially modified, air conditioned 4x4 with pop tops.
• Explore the Damaraland region whilst staying at the exclusive-use //Huab Under Canvas.
• Search for desert adapted elephant in ephemeral river systems.
• Track for the endangered black rhino in conjunction with Save the Rhino Trust. 
• Visit and explore Namibia’s central coastal region with canyons, dunes and lagoons.
• Explore the private Namib Tsaris Conservancy on exploratory nature drives and guided walks whilst staying in the exclusive-use Sossus Under Canvas.
• Climb some of the world’s highest free-standing sand dunes at Sossusvlei and enjoy a magic box picnic in the Namib Naukluft Park afterwards.
• Enjoy spectacular star gazing of the Milky Way on the Namib Tsaris Conservancy.
• Enjoy refreshing moments in desert pools on the Namib Tsaris Conservancy.

Pre & Post Safari Accommodation & Transfers

Please contact us to arrange all your pre and post-safari accommodation in Windhoek, Okonjima or Wolwedans Dune Lodge as well as any airport transfers that may be needed. These are not included in the safari fare so they will have to be charged additionally. We recommend the following establishments in Windhoek; Galton House, Olive Grove Guesthouse and Am Weinberg.

A Note on Mobility

These Under Canvas Safaris have elements that require a degree of mobility in order to get the best out of them. These include tracking for desert adapted black rhino across rough terrain on foot, sometimes for up to three or four hours, and climbing some of the free standing dunes in the Sossusvlei area. If you are not sure you are able to do this, it may be better to look at a less active programme such as our Ultimate Namibia Safari which does not include rhino tracking on foot. Please note that both of these are group departures and your guide cannot change the advertised programme to suit individual needs unless all participants agree, so everyone needs to keep up or risk being left out on occasion. Please therefore make an honest assessment of your fitness levels before deciding to take part. You don’t need to be a marathon runner, but you do need ‘level three’ mobility which means you can walk for two or three kilometres over fairly rough ground where necessary. When you make your assessment, please also consider other medical conditions such as recent injuries to back or neck, or difficulties in hearing, as these can also adversely affect your enjoyment. None of this should be a deterrent to most potential participants, but we feel duty-bound to ensure that guests are aware of what they may need to be able to do before making booking. Assuming all is well with that, you are very welcome to join in, and you are also pretty much guaranteed a great safari experience.