Makalani Tour

Reception at the airport with delivery of travel documents and, for self-drive customers, the vouchers of the lodges and the collection of the car. Based on the arrival time, you will choose accommodation in the city in BB, or accommodation located north of the capital, in DBB, immersed in the wild, with the possibility of safari for an exciting first contact with nature and African animals.

Morning transfer to the Namib Desert, one of the most famous attractions of Namibia. We proceed towards the center-west of the country, passing Rehoboth, and then proceed to the central-western plateau, descending from the Spreetshoogte Pass arriving in the Namib Desert. The landscape begins to change, becomes more arid, with scarce vegetation and mountain massifs that delimit the driest western area of the country. As you continue you will discover one of the oldest deserts on earth, entering Naukluft Park, arriving in Sesriem where there is the entrance to the Sossusvlei park. Accommodation in DBB. Distance km 380.

In the heart of the desert, discovering the highest and oldest sand dunes in the world, with explorations on foot of the famous Duna 45, of which you can reach the top, of the Dead Vlei (Dead Valley) among its ghostly ongoing acacias of fossilization, and of Sossusvlei, between arcane silences and unique landscapes, in constant change of shapes and colors. Visit to the Sesriem-Canyon: about 30 meters deep, it creates a humid environment rich in plants and animals in the heart of the desert. Accommodation in DBB. Optionally, possibility to admire this unique show in a hot air balloon or helicopter (advance booking is required).

Departure for the Atlantic coast, destination Swakopmund. The route is very beautiful and varies continuously; you will meet uncontaminated savannah dotted with rare acacia plants, the “Tropic of Capricorn” and two spectacular mountain passes, the Gaub and the Kuiseb, up to Swakopmund, a picturesque town reminiscent of the German cities of old Europe. Here the hot desert meets the cold Atlantic currents of Benguela, giving rise to fogs, saline humidity and sudden changes in temperature that envelop the town in a sometimes surreal atmosphere. Afternoon: a choice between relaxation, a visit to the town and its Kristal Galerie, or a visit to the “Valley of the Moon” with its ancient specimens of the Welwitschia mirabilis plant, a true living fossil and an exclusive rarity in Namibia. Accommodation in BB. Distance about Km 370.

Daily activity, with a morning boat trip to Walvis Bay for close encounters with sea lions, dolphins, sea birds and sometimes even whales. At the Waterfront, transfer to a 4×4 that will take you across sand dunes and along the beach to Sandwich Harbor, another isolated lagoon, an unspoiled paradise of fauna where various species of birds find refreshment. Lunch included with sandwiches and very fresh oysters from the area. Overnight in the same hotel BB. Free dinner. Distance between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay about 30 km.

Another beautiful region of Namibia characterized by splendid mountainous landscapes, ephemeral rivers almost perpetually dry. Meetings with small villages of the Damara ethnic group, with possible visits by bringing gifts of food and economic aid by purchasing their characteristic souvenir products. In this area, unique in all of Africa, live the rare “river elephants” so called thanks to their peculiarity of digging with their front legs in the dry river beds until they find water. In the afternoon we will go on a 4×4 safari with an expert guide, in search of these pachyderms that have adapted to living in such a poor area of water. Accommodation in DBB. At night, for fans, observation of the incredible southern sky, with an expert equipped with a telescope. Distance about km 315.

Visit to the Twyfelfontein site, where you can admire the most spectacular rock art gallery in Namibia, one of the largest in the world: over 2000 petroglyphs engraved by the ancient San and since 2007 declared a “World Heritage Site” by UNESCO . Accompanied by an expert local guide, you will enter the heart of prehistoric art by discovering techniques and meanings of the diversified figures traced in the sandstone. After the visit to the site, we continue north, passing Palmwag and Sesfontein, between fairytale landscapes, large dry river beds and expanses of euphorbias, we enter the mountains of Kaokoland, one of the last wild regions of Africa and kingdom of the Himba. In the late afternoon, I arrive in Opuwo (in the local language it means “the end”), the last small town in the north-west of Namibia. Accommodation in DBB. Distance about km 340.

We continue further north, again experiencing a different Namibia, arriving at the Epupa falls created by the Kunene River which marks the border with Angola. Thanks to the waters of the river, the landscape is greener, the area is surrounded by large baobabs and Makalani palms. Among the activities; admire the waterfalls from the top of the hill overlooking the falls, an unforgettable encounter with Himba and Demba, a proud ethnic group of shepherds who preserve intact the traditional lifestyle, centered on the beloved and indispensable livestock, from clothes to food to religious cults; legendary the beauty of women, unmistakable for the mixture of red ocher and animal fat that also covers the elaborate hairstyles. Accommodation in DBB. Distance about km 180.

Return to Opuwo and then continue to the land of the Owambo, the largest ethnic group of Bantu lineage in Namibia, organized into family clans with collective ownership of the lands. The road is dotted with typical kraals, gated villages with thatched-roof huts. Stop for lunch in Outapi. Visit to a majestic Baobab, which houses a small consecrated church inside. Accommodation in DBB. Distance km 370.

You enter the Kavango region which to the north still borders Angola, this sprint bounded by the Kavango River, a mighty river that in Botswana will give life to the great internal Okavango delta. The homonymous Kavango ethnic group subsists with agriculture in the fertile alluvial plains and with fishing, practiced with their typical pots and boats “called mokoro”. Accommodation in DBB with a scenic boat trip on the river, admiring the sunset with your favorite aperitif. Distance km 480.

Visit the local villages, with their typical mud and straw huts, to learn about the life and secrets of the river and fishing. Visit to Rundu and, for those who wish, to the community supported by volunteering. We leave towards the south, skirting the west part of the Kalahari Desert, where in the afternoon we will visit a Bushman village (San); here the most ancient people on Earth will show the techniques of gathering herbs and roots, hunting and all the secrets to survive in the difficult environment of the Kalahari: the most intense cultural experience of Namibia face to face with our origins. DBB accommodation. Distance 195 km.

In a short time you arrive in the Etosha park, considered among the most beautiful and rich in animals in all of Africa, characterized by the PAN, dry salt lake, sacred place of the San ethnic group, which in their language means “the great white place” . After the entrance, the safari begins with your own car, wandering between a pool of water and the other where the animals go for watering, ensuring close-up and impressive photographs. Accommodation in one of the park’s resorts in BB, or in an off-park lodge in DBB. Distance about 260 km.

Full day dedicated to safari in Etosha, which ensures exciting close encounters with elephants, giraffes, zebras and antelopes of all species and their predators, such as lions, leopards, hyenas. Also of great interest is the vast range of environments, dominated by the vast depression of the Etosha Pan, and the avifauna, rich in colorful species including countless birds of prey. Accommodation in one of the park’s resorts in BB, or in an off-park lodge in DBB.

From Etosha to the park of the Waterberg Plateau the singular plateau rises isolated with mighty red sandstone bastions, between which a path climbs that leads to Mountain View, on the flat top of the plateau, among centuries-old wild figs and other peculiar rock plants. From the top of the Plateau, you have a view as far as the eye can see on a panorama without limits. Possibility of safari with guide and vehicle from the resort, with the possibility of sighting rare species such as the roan antelope, the black antelope, the two species of rhinos and, unusual in Namibia, buffaloes. Accommodation in BB. Alternatively, accommodation in DBB, in a lodge with private reserve, where in the afternoon you can have a last safari in 4×4 and expert guide. Distance: about 220 km.

Return to the capital Windhoek and compatibly with the departure time of the return flight, short visit of the city. If self-drive, release of the car at the rental agency and transfer to Hosea Kutako airport with the agency’s vehicle. Distance about km 230.