13 Day Namibia Discovery

Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm on Day 1. Please look for a note in the hotel lobby or ask the hotel reception where it will take place. For those with time here before the trip starts, highly recommended excursions include catching the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain, taking the ferry across to Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years), or the day trip down to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope Peninsula.

Accommodation Hotel (1 night)

Included Activities Complimentary Airport Arrival Transfer

Optional Activities Cape Town - Table Mountain Hike - ZAR720 Cape Town - Table Mountain Aerial Cable - ZAR250 Cape Town - Robben Island tour - ZAR260 Cape Town - Harbour cruise - ZAR200 Cape Town - False Bay by train and lunch Urban Adventure - USD59 Cape Town - Taste of Woodstock Urban Adventure - USD72 Cape Town - Salt River Street Art Urban Adventure - USD59

Meals Included There are no meals included on this day.

Special Information An airport arrival transfer is included. This transfer is only valid if arriving on day 1 or if you have booked pre-trip accommodation through Intrepid. Please provide your flight details at the time of booking, or at a minimum 60 days prior to travel (note - we may not be able confirm request made within 60 days of travel). Once you have provided your details a transfer representative will be booked to meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.

Depart Cape Town and travel along the west coast to the small seaside town of Lamberts Bay (265km approximately 4-5 hours). Its white beaches, lobsters and incredible wildlife earned this place the nickname ‘diamond of west coast’. It's also simply a quaint fishing town tucked into the western Cape Province, best explored by foot. You'll visit Cape Gannet Island today. At the right time of the year, you might be lucky enough to view the spectacular flocks of gannet, which make use of the spot for breeding in August and September. For birdwatchers, the colony at Lambert's Bay is the most accessible of the six gannet colonies in South Africa and Namibia. They are a spectacular sight in their tightly packed community, and it’s an awesome experience to see them wheel, land and settle into their designated positions. Sit down to a delicious feast at a local open-air restaurant, where the amazing ocean views are sure to dazzle.

Accommodation Hotel (1 night)

Included Activities Lamberts Bay - Cape Gannet Island

Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Farewell your coastal retreat as you cross the border into Namibia (500km approximately 7hrs). You should reach your destination on the banks of the Orange River by mid-afternoon. The border crossing and a few photo stops could delay this arrival a little. This is the longest river in South Africa, running from high up in the Drakensberg mountain range and on to the Atlantic Ocean. The river is significant for its role in transporting diamonds which in turn leaves deposits that are found along the Namibian coastline.

Accommodation Lodge (1 night)

Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Special Information Today we drive 500km, approximately 7hrs

Kick things off with a half-day canoe adventure along the Orange River today. You will wind through the ancient Richtersveld Mountains. The canoe trip will be done in 2 man canoes with a local guide. It is a slow paced trip covering approximately 10km and we should be travelling down stream for most or all of the trip. After you have returned to land you'll venture to the Fish River Canyon (200km approximately 5hrs), one of the biggest canyons in the world. Along the way you will stop at various lookouts, all great opportunities to catch this beautiful and gigantic gorge on camera. Look out for some exotic birdlife while you’re here: plovers, wagtails, hammerkops and herons. You might even catch a glimpse of a baboon or an antelope at dusk if you're lucky.

Accommodation Lodge (1 night)

Included Activities Fish River Canyon - Canyon entrance Orange River - Canoe trip

Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Today is a long travel day. We head to the eastern edge of the Namib Desert today (610km approximately 9hrs). This region of the world's oldest desert is known for its array of geological features. Take in the diversity and sprawling beauty of the scenery as you drive to your lodgings for the night. Accommodation

Guesthouse (1 night)

Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Today you will make an early morning visit to Sossusvlei, which lies at the end of an ancient riverbed. If you find yourself in the mood, a climb to the top of Dune 45 will reward you with unparalleled views of the region. After breakfast head to Dead Vlei. A clay pan well known for the iconic postcard like images taken here by many. The pan is surrounded by some of the highest dunes in the world, "Big Daddy" or "Crazy Dune" average about 350m. If you'd like to avoid a long walk in the sun you can opt to pay for a 4x4 transfer from the 2x2 car park out to the Dead Vlei entrance point. This will cost approximately 180ZAR per person. In the afternoon you will visit Sesriem Gorge, tranquil natural corridor you can walk through and explore. The canyon was caused by water erosion over thousands of years. The people who lived in the area used to pull buckets of water up from the depths with six knotted belts. Therefore, the canyon was named after the Afrikaans word “Sesriem” meaning “six belts”.

Accommodation Guesthouse (1 night)

Included Activities Sesriem - Sesriem Canyon Sossusvlei - Dune 45

Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Depart your desert lodge and travel across the Namib Desert today (280 km, approximately 6 hours), a trip culminating in the gorgeous Atlantic Ocean coastline. The drive goes through a diverse and colourful landscape. You'll see the awesome Kuiseb Canyon along the way, before arriving at the beachside town of Swakopmund, located on the Skeleton Coast.

Accommodation Hotel (1 night)

Meals Included Breakfast Lunch

Special Information Your leader will take you to a local centre where a range of activities will be on offer. We have not risk assessed all activities and only those listed in our itinerary are recommended. If you are unsure please check with your leader. Please note that it is against company policy for leaders to facilitate the booking of any activities that have not been risk assessed or do not adhere to our company’s Responsible Travel policy and ethos. This includes organising transport to and from these activities in our vehicles.

Enjoy some free time in this pretty coastal spot. Your accommodation is within walking distance of town. Perhaps go for a stroll along the beach, explore the open-air markets or visit the local museum. The Namibian National Marine Aquarium is also a good choice. There are plenty of options on offer at the local activity centre, which your leader will take you to.

Accommodation Hotel (1 night)

Optional Activities Swakopmund - Horse riding - USD65 Swakopmund - Swakopmund Museum - USD2 Swakopmund - Fishing trip - USD120 Swakopmund - Seal and dolphin cruise - USD60

Meals Included Breakfast

Get off the beaten track and head into the heart of Damaraland (330km approximately 6hrs). You should arrive at your lodge this afternoon. The ancient landscapes of the Kunene Region are ruggedly spectacular, awesome sunsets and night skies filled with a multitude of dazzling stars await you. This part of Namibia is also known as Damaraland, as it is the ancestral home land of the enigmatic Damara people whose exact origins remain unclear. Also home to the small population of hardy desert adapted elephant as well as a host of other unique flora and fauna.

Accommodation Lodge (1 night)

Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Special Information Many of the roads we travel on today will be untarred and often corrogated. They are some of the worst on this itinerary so be prepared from some extra bumps.

Spend the morning visiting the surrounding sights such as Twyfelfontein Heritage Site and the Petrified Forest. Twyfelfontein has one of the largest concentrations of ancient rock engraving in southern Africa and is a fascinating insight into the past. The Petrified Forest looks back into nature’s history, where 280 million-year-old fossilised tree trunks lie.

We will be accompanied by local guides at both the Petrified forest and the Twyfelfontein sites. The guided walks take between 30-60mins and although not difficult there are some steep rocks and hills at the Twyfelfontein site. It can get hot at this time of day so be sure to have a hat, sunscreen and a bottle of water with you.

Daytime temperatures often peak around 30°C here, so sightseeing is best completed as early as possible, before the thermometer climbs too high. Spend the remainder of the day back at the lodge, perhaps by the pool or relaxing in the shade.

Accommodation Lodge (1 night)

Included Activities Damaraland - Petrified Forest Damaraland - Twyfelfontein Bushman Paintings

Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Special Information Many of the roads we travel on today will be untarred and often corrogated. They are some of the worst on this itinerary so be prepared from some extra bumps.

Depart our lodge this morning and head towards Etosha National Park (220km approximately 5hrs). Namibia has protected its game reserves against poaching, so there are large herds of elephants, antelope and other herbivores here. We head out on a short afternoon Game Drive in our truck on arrival.

Accommodation Lodge (1 night)

Included Activities Etosha National Park - Overland Vehicle Game drives

Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Enjoy a full day of game viewing in the truck.

Keep your eyes peeled for black rhino, Hartmann's mountain zebra, black-faced impala, roan antelope and the tiny Damara dik-dik. Game viewing in the park is relatively easy due to the man-made waterholes and the large, sparsely vegetated pans. The bushland surrounding the pans is hard to see through, but there are enough clearings, pans and waterholes to allow for some sightings. Head back to the lodge this evening.

Accommodation Lodge (1 night)

Included Activities Etosha National Park - Overland Vehicle Game drives

Meals Included Breakfast Lunch Dinner

From Etosha National Park you will head to Windhoek, an old German colonial town, now a cosmopolitan centre (400km approximately 6hrs). The Germanic colonial architecture of this city contributes to its charming feel. You'll arrive in the late afternoon or early evening. Your trip comes to an end here. If you're staying on, the Tintenpalast (Ink Palace), the Christuskirche (church), the gymnasium and the Genossenschaftshaus are all well worth visiting.

Meals Included Breakfast Lunch

Special Information You can fly out today if you wish, but bear in mind that the airport is an hour's drive from town. If you would like to book additional accommodation please speak to your sales consultant.