family safari Namibia with Kids

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1 Namibia with Kids DAY BY DAY ITINERARY family safari Wilderness Safaris OVERVIEW: NAMIBIA WITH KIDS Namibia is home to towering dunes, swirling red-orange sand, gorgeous coastline, and amazing desert adapted wildlife. Its parks and reserves host a variety of captivating animals including the Big Five, as well as desert species such as klipspringers, oryx, carcal, and desert elephant. Our safari will take you on an unforgettable journey beginning in the capital of Windhoek an onwards to the dunes of Soussvlei, the beaches and marine environment of Swakopmund, and finally, the arid plains of Etosha National Park. This is a safari full of discovery and adventure. Children will learn from some of Namibia s best safari guides and animal caretakers, who will educate them on animal behavior, natural history, and conservation. Each camp and lodge has been selected for its family friendly atmosphere and exciting activities available for young explorers. Na ankuse, Solitaire, and Okutala all serve as wildlife rehabilitation and care centers. Accompany caretakers as they feed giraffes, walk alongside cheetah, and care for endangered rhinos and elephants. Family Safaris with Deeper Africa From aardvark to zebra, our family safaris create a rich learning experience for young people and everyone lucky enough to travel with them. Our guides are parents themselves, and are experts in experiential learning. This is education at its most fun. Your safari guide is at once a teacher, translator, and a tracker. They ll keep you safe, comfortable, and entertained throughout your entire journey.

2 DAY 1 NA ANKUSE LODGE WINDHOEK Namibia Tracks & Trails Arrive at Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek, Namibia where you will be met by your Deeper Africa guide. Look for him holding a Deeper Africa sign with your family s name on it. From there, you will be transported to Na ankuse Lodge and Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located close by on the outskirts of Windhoek. Na ankuse is a truly unique lodge situated on former farmland that now houses a center that cares for injured or orphaned animals. The center s patients include baboons, meerkats, mongoose, and African wild cats which are all cared for by volunteers from around the world. The center also rehabilitates larger predators. You and your family will have the opportunity to take a carnivore feeding tour and watch as caretakers feed lions, leopards, wild dogs, baboons, caracals and cheetahs. They ll answer all your questions about the animals and how they came to be at Na ankuse. Wifi In the evening, you can also take a nature walk with your guide around the lodge s 3,500 acres (14.16 kilometers), where you will most likely spot one of the many meerkats or antelope that call Na ankuse home.

3 DAY 2 SOLITAIRE GUEST FARM SOSSUSVLEI Depart from the capital of Windhoek for a journey through the Khomas Hochland Highlands and into the low plains of the Namib Desert. En route to your destination at Solitaire Guest Farm & Desert Ranch, enjoy a picnic lunch and views of Namibia s amazing geology, rolling hills, and desert sands. Keep your eyes peeled for roaming springbok and gemsbok herds. Solitaire is a privately owned guest farm located at the foot of the rugged Rand Mountain Range which overlooks the vast Namib Desert. The guest farm is dedicated to eco-tourism, and has partnered with the Na ankuse Foundation to create space for a carnivore rehabilitation center which returns cheetahs to the wild. This afternoon, your family can undertake a cheetah tracking safari with the Namib Carnivore Conservation Centre. You ll be given a presentation and then you will drive out to the ranges where the cheetahs roam. Cheetahs are located by center biologists using radio-telemetry. Once within about 100 meters (328 feet) of these animals, you ll accompany the biologists safely up to the cheetahs on foot. This is a fantastic opportunity for photographs. You can also view the cheetahs through an open top vehicle, which allows you to follow them, should they choose to sprint off. Solitaire Guest Farm

4 DAY 3 SOLITAIRE GUEST FARM SOSSUSVLEI Today you will visit Sossusvlei, a place which contains some of the highest sand dunes in the world. No part of the Namib Desert is more visually stunning. The highest of these dunes is said to reach over 1,000 feet. The sand has colors ranging from pale apricot, to brick orange, to deep red, all which contrast vividly against the dazzling white surfaces of the clay pans at the base of the dunes. The Namib Desert may be the world s oldest desert it has existed for at least 55 million years, possibly more. It has no surface water. Thick fogs are frequent along the Atlantic coast, and these fogs are the life blood of the desert. The fogs provide just enough water for highly adapted animal and plant species to survive. This is one of the most unique places on planet Earth. From Sossusvlei, head to Dead Vlei, another white clay pan whose name means dead marsh. Dead Vlei is surrounded by some of the highest sand dunes in the world, including Big Daddy. You ll be able to see dead acacia and camelthorn trees scattered throughout the pan, which make for dramatic photos against the backdrop of the orange sands. If you and your family are feeling up to the challenge, climb to the top of Dune 45 for some spectacular views of the surrounding desert. From there you can spot aardwolfs, cape foxes, gemsbok, springbok, and lanner falcons. African Bush Camps Foundation John Blanton

5 DAY 4 SOLITAIRE GUEST FARM SOSSUSVLEI Solitaire Guest Farm Get ready for a day of wildlife viewing in Namibia s arid climate. You ll be exploring today through the desert brush in your Land Cruiser alongside your Namibian guide. Along the way, your guide will explain the importance of wildlife and environmental conservation to his country. Namibia was the first African country to enshrine conservation in its constitution. Its empowerment of local communities to manage their wildlife resources is visionary. Keep your eyes peeled for mountain zebra, springbok, kudu, oryx, and klipspringers during the day. At night, predators including bat eared foxes, caracal, and leopard may be on the prowl. At Solitaire there are many hiking trails into the mountains, with stunning views and the chance for wildlife sightings. Tonight, you can walk with your guide or drive to the top of Sunset Hill and watch the brilliant orange sun descend below the horizon. Your guide will make sure to point out some of the circular imprints in the ground called fairy circles. He ll leave it up to you to debate whether these designs are of natural or supernatural origin.

6 DAY 5 BEACH LODGE SWAKOPMUND John Blanton Set out after breakfast for the Atlantic Coast. Along the way, you ll get to see some of Namibia s most vivid landscapes. You ll drive through the Moon Landscape, an area of granite rock which was pushed upward through the earth s crust 500 to 400 million years ago, and has since eroded to create an otherworldly scene. The Moon Landscapes is a regular location for film shoots because it looks like an entirely different planet. Stop for a picnic lunch, before heading to another location: the Welwitschia Plains which are host to an ancient desert plant: the Welwitschia. This is one of the most remarkable plants in the world, as it can live up to 2,500 years. This plant was on the planet during the Jurassic period and can now only be found in the unique climate conditions in Namibia s coastal dunes. Wifi Arrive at Beach Lodge by evening, situated right on the coast outside of Swakopmund, with beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean. Fall asleep tonight to the sound of waves crashing on the shore and get ready for tomorrow s adventures.

7 DAY 6 BEACH LODGE SWAKOPMUND Beach Lodge Today you ll be on the water for a guided marine cruise on the Walvis Bay Lagoon. The Walvis Bay Lagoon is considered one of the richest and most important wetlands in southern Africa. The nutrient-rich deep-water of the lagoon breeds phytoplankton, which then fuels the very productive food chain of zooplankton, marine invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals that inhabit its waters. Bottle-nosed and heavy-side dolphins and whales often enter the lagoon July through November. Preventing them from being beached or stranded in shallow waters is a constant concern for conservationists. You can also find Cape Fur seals swimming and sunning themselves on the rocks in the afternoon. They may even pop out of the water next to your boat to ask you for an afternoon snack. Wifi Bird life in the lagoon is spectacular. Flocks of pink flamingos can be seen wading along the shallower edges of the lagoon. More than 50 species of birds can be found here including sea gulls, the chestnut-banded plover, damara terns, pelicans, and cormorants.

8 DAY 7 BEACH LODGE SWAKOPMUND Today you will have some choices all equally attractive options. If you are feeling adventurous, opt for an excursion to the desert dunes for some sand sledding and sand boarding like a ski resort, minus the snow. For a more relaxed morning, spend some quality beach time playing in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. You can also take a trip into Swakopmund, an old world town situated between the beach and the desert. The Germanic architecture is left over from German colonization here in the 19th century, and a small German speaking population remains to this day. For kids, the National Marine Aquarium of Namibia may be of interest. While the aquarium is small, it is home to a variety of colorful fish, local shark species, and friendly stingrays that you can reach in and pet. Wifi Don t forget to catch a breathtaking sunrise on the Atlantic Coast. Namibia Tracks & Trails

9 DAY 8 OKUTALA AFRICAN QUEST ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK Beverly Joubert Okutala African Quest This morning, a bush plane will take your family to Etosha National Park where you will be staying at the Okutala African Quest Lodge. You ll fly along the beautiful Skeleton Coast, where you can look down and see shipwrecks on your way west. You ll fly across the dunes and into Namibia s rugged back country, with your ultimate destination being Namibia s most famous national park. Like Na ankuse Lodge and Solitaire, Okutala also serves an animal rehabilitation center with a focus on restoring wildlife to their natural habitat. Still, there are some animals that are unable to go back into the wild, so they have become permanent residents of the lodge. Here it is not uncommon to be approached by friendly giraffes while relaxing in the pool, or catch a glimpse of Klippie and Rocky the two resident klipspringers jumping onto the lodge roof. Enjoy a sundowner in full view of the local watering hole where you can spot many species including ostriches and rhinos. In the afternoon, take a tour of the animal enclosures with your guide and one of the lodge caretakers. This evening you can choose which wild resident to serve dinner. Options include hyena, giraffe, elephant, leopard, and cheetah feedings.

10 DAY 9 OKUTALA AFRICAN QUEST ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK Okutala African Quest African Bush Camps Get ready for a full day of traditional safari wildlife viewing. Climb aboard your Land Cruiser for a short drive into Etosha National Park. The park takes its name from the world-famous Etosha Pan one of a number of large salt pans formed by the wind action in this flat region. The Etosha Pan is so massive it can be seen by astronauts in space. This is an ancient place formed over 100 million years ago. The pan itself is extremely salty, but its edges give way to a surprising variety of vegetation types and thus a great diversity of wildlife. Springs feed the waterholes along the southern edge. That means frequent sightings of over 114 species of mammals. Etosha has four of the Big Five. Elephants can be found in the park, along with lions, leopards, and endangered black and white rhinos. Rhinos are seen both in Etosha and the adjoining Ongava Game Reserve. Note that Etosha s elephants have relatively small tusks due to breakage from mineral deficiencies in their diet, as well as genetic defects. Etosha is also one of the most important breeding grounds for greater and lesser flamingos in the southern African region. During rainy season, millions of flamingos congregate on the pan to breed.

11 DAY 10 OKUTALA AFRICAN QUEST ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK Today you ll return to Etosha for more wildlife viewing, while you move eastward away from the pan. You ll be able to watch wildlife at a number of watering holes each one attracting its share of unique creatures. You ll have good sightings of plains game including wildebeest, Burchell s zebra, giraffe, eland, and the black-faced impala. There are lion and leopard in Etosha, as well as jackals and warthogs. Return to Okutala this afternoon for an endangered species tour. View and learn about endangered rhinos and desert elephants, and how conservationists in Namibia are working to create safe havens to protect these animals. Namibia Tracks &Trails

12 DAY 11 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT Okutala African Quest Say goodbye to your guide and any animal friends you have made during your stay at Okutala before departing to Windhoek for your international flight home. Flight #1 Departs: Windhoek, Namibia Arrives: TBD DAY 12 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT Flight #2 Depart: TBD Arrives: TBD

13 ADDITIONAL SAFARI INFORMATION IN YOUR SAFARI Full board accommodations in all lodges and tented camps All meals as specified in itinerary Game drives in private 4x4 safari Land Cruisers All park and entrance fees Experienced and professional safari naturalist guides All in-country transportation Laundry at some lodges and camps Bottled water available at all times Beverages in your 4x4 safari vehicle Extensive pre-departure briefing and materials including health information, reading list, and map EXCLUDED IN YOUR SAFARI Gratuities Certain brands of alcohol and beverages We plan your wildlife adventures in areas where wildlife habitats are known to exist for the season and time you are traveling. Still, animals in the areas you are viewing are not in a zoo. They run freely, and we cannot always anticipate their movements. Also, Deeper Africa uses best efforts to provide the lodging set out in this itinerary, but occasionally there are circumstances that occur in Africa that require lodging substitutions. We reserve the right to make comparable lodging substitutions whenever necessary pricing $6,699 - $7,999 (Adult) $3,999 - $4,199 (Child) 2017 CUSTOM PRICING & DEPARTURES January - October, 2017 Best Value 6 persons: $6,699 USD per person 4 persons: $6,999 USD per person 2 persons: $7,899 USD per person Single Supplement: $299 USD Child under 12 years: $3,999 USD per person November - December, persons: $6,899 USD per person 4 persons: $7,199 USD per person 2 persons: $7,999 USD per person Single Supplement: $299 USD Child under 12 years: $4,199 USD per person All pricing is in US dollars. All arrivals and departures are into and out of Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek, Namibia. Prices do not include international airfare. All itineraries and prices are subject to change Manhattan Circle, Suite 202 Boulder, Colorado fx family safaris