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This is the moment you’ve been waiting for, your safari is about to start and there’s so much to look forward to. We’ll welcome you, give you a taste of what lies ahead, and then get ready to set out and enjoy so many remarkable safari experiences.
Windhoek, Namibia’s main international gateway, is a relaxed, modern city that’s much quieter than many other big African cities. It’s filled with museums, colonial architecture, good restaurants, and plenty of shops.
Your Crisscross Namibia Safaris guide will meet you at the Hosea Kutako International Airport and transfer you from the airport to the AM Weinberg Hotel. Drive time to the hotel is approximately 45 minutes.
Depending upon when your flight arrives, this afternoon you have the option to do a Windhoek City Tour with a private guide to get a local’s perspective.
Your first night’s stay is at the Am Weinberg Boutique Hotel in Windhoek. The hotel’s elegant architecture wraps around a heritage building which forms the heart of the Am Weinberg Estate. It also features restaurants of different culinary styles. It’s a great place to relax and get ready for your safari.
Your next stop, Mount Etjo Safari Lodge, is located in the heart of the Okonjati Game Reserve. One of the first private game reserves established in Namibia. It was founded by world-renowned conservationist Jan Oelofse. Experiencing wildlife activities and enjoying nature in the Okonjati Game Reserve is memorable and everlasting. The Okonjati Game reserve is 36,000 hectares large, all pristine natural land, offering over 10,000 mammals sanctuary.
This morning your Namibian adventure begins! We will drive through the capital city of Windhoek with a stop in Okahandja to visit the woodcarvers’ market. Refreshments or an early lunch can also be enjoyed in this area before driving further north to Mount Etjo Safari Lodge. Drive time is about 3 hours on paved roads, except for the last 20 km on a good gravel road.
This afternoon after check-in and settling into your rooms, you will be treated to your first guided game drive from 4-7 pm in an open-sided 4×4 safari vehicle with one of Mount Etjo’s professional guides. It’s exciting to imagine what you might see! You will return to the lodge for dinner and then you will have an exciting opportunity to watch some magnificent big cats up close! You will view lions feeding from a permanent blind structure at 9:15 pm. It’s the perfect way to end the day at Mount Etjo.
You’ll be heading down more safari trails in search of animals in Okonjati Game Reserve when you take another guided morning or afternoon game drive with a Mount Etjo professional guide. No one day on safari is ever the same! The anticipation of what animals you may see is always exciting.
If you are up for it this evening, the lion feeding takes place again at 9:15 pm, and you are welcome to join the fun!
Home to over 8,000 animals and a impressive variety of bird species the Okonjati Wildlife Sanctuary is a true Conservation Area. This historic lodge deservedly carries the name “Etjo,” meaning place of refuge. Mount Etjo Safari Lodge is where the most important Declaration towards Namibia’s Independence was signed in 1989 (The Mount Etjo Declaration).
Your accommodation at Mount Etjo for the next two nights is a luxury villa partially located on an island, with an extraordinary 180 degree view of the waterhole where animals come to quench their thirst. The villa is the pearl of Mount Etjo Safari Lodge. The villa offers privacy, exclusivity, luxury and a special ambience with a private swimming pool, mini-bar, satellite television, a large lounge, two king-size beds, private dining facilities and a personal chef (on request).
An exceptional opportunity for all-day game viewing from the comfort of the grandest accommodation, the villa is an African dream come true.
Etosha National Park is a true haven for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers. This magnificent park is renowned for its vast salt pan, which stretches for miles and creates a unique and other-worldly landscape. Etosha is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, and numerous bird species. Visitors can embark on thrilling game drives and witness these incredible animals in their natural habitat.
After breakfast at Mount Etjo, we will head further northwest through the towns of Otjiwarongo and Outjo, arriving at Etosha Safari Lodge around lunch time. The drive is approximately 2 hours 45 minutes on paved roads.
Come with us this afternoon for a game drive in Etosha National Park to look for lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffe and lots more as you begin to explore waterholes and woodlands. We love showing off the landscapes and wildlife of Etosha National Park, and part of the excitement is about never quite knowing which animals are going to appear. We will return to the lodge just in time for another magical Namibia sunset.
You’ll be heading down more safari trails today in search of animals in Etosha National Park when we take you on another guided game drive exploring different parts of this vast park. Notice the ever-changing scenery as we venture into new territory! Hopefully, we’ll find lots of animals. Lunch can be enjoyed at one of the camps in the park. We will return to Etosha Safari Lodge in the late afternoon or at your discretion.
Stay just outside the southwestern corner of Etosha National Park at Etosha Safari Lodge. It’s a lovely place to stay, with rooms made from brick and wood, and with plenty of light and space. The lodge has a swimming pool, a restaurant and a bar, and you can be looking for wildlife inside the park within minutes of leaving camp.
Discover the remote and beautiful world of Kunene in Namibia’s northwest. This region encompasses a biomass of landscapes neatly arranged parallel to one another. On the west is the forbidden Skeleton Coast, a region of rocks, fog, shipwrecks and desolation, washed by the waters of the Benguela current, which brings Antarctic cold to desert heat. The region’s administrative capital is Opuwo.
The Kunene region covers an area of 115,293 square kilometers of the total Namibian land. It is the second largest region after the Kharas region. It represents 4% of the Namibian population.
This morning after breakfast, we will travel about 3 hours 30 minutes west from Etosha Safari Lodge to Grootberg Lodge via Kamanjab. Watch for the dramatic scenery changes and the stray Himbas!
After arrival and check-in at Grootberg Lodge, you can enjoy some lunch and take in the spectacular views.
This morning after breakfast, join your Crisscross guide for a nature drive on the way to Palmwag for lunch at Palmwag Lodge. Cross your fingers, maybe you’ll spot some desert-adapted elephants!
When you return to Grootberg Lodge this afternoon, after catching your breath, you will embark on a scenic sundowner drive on the plateau with lodge personnel and then return to the lodge for dinner.
Later in the afternoon, you can go for a guided walk that takes you out on the plateau into wildlife habitat – you’ll enjoy seeing Namibia from a whole new perspective. If you are interested in doing this walk, you will need to check with the front desk upon arrival. It cannot be booked in advance because it depends on lion activity in the area.
It can be really hard to take your eyes off the views when you stay at Grootberg Lodge, which is in Damaraland, close to Palmwag. Each of the stone-and-thatch cottages has a private deck that looks out over the spectacular Klip River Valley, and the lodge is part of a conservancy that supports local conservation and community projects.
Damaraland is sure to be one of your favorite areas in Namibia. You’re in one of Namibia’s most beautiful corners as you explore the northern region of Damaraland. Apart from the beautiful and rugged landscape, where brown mountains shelter numerous prehistoric rock art sites, you might see desert-adapted elephants, giraffes, rhinos, or even lions, especially in the river valleys.
There’s so much for you to enjoy here, from the stirring scenery of barren mountains and fertile river valleys to wildlife.
You will be traveling a short distance today from Grootberg Lodge to Mowani Mountain Camp on a scenic road through the mountains and the Huab River Valley. We will arrive around noon in time for lunch.
Your 2-night stay at Mowani Mountain Camp includes all meals and two activities each day, so what will you do this afternoon and tomorrow (Day 9)? It’s up to you! There’s lots to choose from:
Visit Twyfelfontein (UNESCO World Heritage Site – Rock Art), Burnt Mountain and Organ Pipes with a lodge guide.
Damara Living Museum Excursion with your private Crisscross Namibia Safari guide. The Damara people will entertain you with historic cultural activities and dances.
Join a lodge guide for an Elephant/Nature Drive departing at 6:30 a.m. to search for desert-adapted elephant and other wildlife. This drive lasts 4-6 hours and includes drinks.
Huab River Adventure – Join your Crisscross guide for an off-road adventure exploring the dry Huab River bed in search of desert-adapted elephants. Keep your eyes open for giraffe, ostrich, oryx, and springbok. These animals also frequent this area.
During your stay at Mowani, your Crisscross guide is always available for an off-the-beaten-track adventure in Damaraland as well. The lunar-like landscape is intriguing and should not be missed!
Are you feeling active today or are do you feel like relaxing? Either way, you are in the right place! Choose from the list of activities offered during your stay (see Activity Day 8 on the previous page) or take time today to relax by your splash pool and reflect on your safari experiences.
A fantastic base for exploring the world-famous rock engravings of Twyfelfontein, Mowani Mountain Camp has bungalow-style rooms that blend in beautifully with the rocky hills of Damaraland. The camp has a swimming pool, a restaurant and a bar, all of which take advantage of the camp’s terrific location.
Here you will enjoy a luxury room situated behind large boulders. This west-facing room consists of a thatch roof, partly canvas walls, an air-conditioned room with king size bed, en-suite facilities and its own private deck with splash pool overlooking the valley below. Wi-Fi and private dining are available in-room or on the deck.
Renowned as one of the largest settlement of these animals in the world, the colony of Cape fur seals at Cape Cross marks the spot where the first European explorer set foot on the coast of Namibia in 1486. Originally marked by a cross erected in honour of the king of Portugal by explorer Diego Cao, the spot just north of the fishing haven of Henties Bay is now home to a thriving colony of more than 200 000 seals.
Attracted by the good fishing provided by the nutrient-rich waters of the Benguela current, the seals congregate on the rocky shoreline year-round, with bull seals arriving in large numbers towards the end of October, ready to fight for their territories and the right to mate with a harem of up to 60 females. The endearing little seal pups are all born in November or December and the shore is covered with a mass of bleating and mewling little bodies. The seal mothers call out for their babies when they return from fishing expeditions, ready to re-establish their bond while nursing their offspring. A variety of other life is attracted to the colony, with kelp gulls skimming the surface of the sea and flocks of cormorant soaring above the waves. Killer whales and copper sharks lurk in the waves, on the alert for unsuspecting youngsters venturing out to sea for the first time, and black-backed jackals and brown hyenas lurk around the outskirts of the colony at dusk and dawn.
Visitors can lose themselves in this noisy hubbub, viewing the captivating interactions of the seal colony from an extensive walkway, separated from the mass of seals by a low wall. Stroll along the breadth of the colony, picking up interesting details about the lives of the seals at information points scattered around the grounds, or gaze up at a modern replica of Diego Cao’s historical.
This morning after breakfast at Mowani Mountain Camp, we will drive directly west towards the remote Skeleton Coast, entering the National Park at the Springbokwater Gate. Continuing south along the Atlantic Ocean coastline toward Cape Cross, we will arrive around lunch time. Scenery changes will be dramatic and you will quickly realize where the name Skeleton Coast came from.
We will visit the seal colony this afternoon or tomorrow morning before we depart for Swakopmund.
Literally metres from the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Cross Lodge presents a unique and serene stop for travellers along this vast untamed and seldom explored wilderness on the Skeleton Coast.
Around this idyllic oasis lies infinite ocean and desert, littered with the eerie remains of man’s past endeavours. Nearby, rocky outcrops provide a perfect playground for a large colony of Cape fur seals.
Swakopmund is the kind of place that you can’t help but fall in love with. It’s a hugely attractive town, filled as it is by German colonial architecture, with everything from Lutheran churches and half-timbered houses to an imposing stone fortress. But Swakopmund’s architecture is just the start. Sand dunes surround the town, and the city is one of the adventure capitals of southern Africa, with so many activities on offer.
Leaving Cape Cross this morning, you travel south along the Atlantic coastline through the town of Henties Bay on the Skeleton Coast. We will stop briefly at a shipwreck near the main road for some photo opportunities, arriving in Swakopmund before lunch for check-in. Your private guide can assist you with dinner recommendations and reservations at one of the great restaurants on the water.
The remainder of the day is at your leisure. You can explore the town of Swakopmund some more or join one of the many activities on offer including taking a stroll on the beach, visiting the rock gallery to see the many precious gemstones found in Namibia, or visiting the Namibia History museum to name a few.
Activities today are at your leisure. If you are interested, your private guide can take you to hike some dunes just outside of town at the Skeleton Coast National Park or you have a choice of various optional activities that you can take part in. We recommend the Dolphin Cruise in Walvis Bay or the Sandwich Harbour Excursion.
Your morning starts with a transfer from Swakopmund to the Walvis Bay Waterfront, where you will experience the amazing riches of the Atlantic Ocean, including an abundance of bird and mammal life, pelicans and seals up close and delight in the sea air, great food with fresh oysters and bubbles – all in a morning!
Sandwich Harbour – part of the Namib Naukluft Park – is a place many have heard of but very few have ever visited. Giant sand dunes run straight into the ocean, creating breathtaking sceneries and unique landscapes, just waiting to be discovered!
When it becomes time to enjoy something to eat, your guide simply finds a suitable place to stop and serves a selection of oysters and snacks with sparkling wine, beers and cool drinks.
Morning half-day starts at 08h30 (check-in at 08h15) and returns at around 12h30.
Afternoon half-day starts at 12h30 (check-in at 12h15) and returns at around 16h30.
Photographers, can join a daily photographic excursion from 16h00 (check-in at 15h45), returning at 20h00. Early morning photography departures on request.
You can spend some time quad biking in the dunes just outside of town. It’s a fun way to take a break from more traditional safari activities.
You’re staying right alongside the beach at Strand Hotel Swakopmund. The bright, modern rooms have views of the ocean or of the gardens, and facilities include a beachside terrace bar and restaurant, a spa and a gym. It’s a Swakopmund classic with a very modern personality, and it’s the perfect place to sit back and relax, as the Atlantic Ocean views seem to go on forever while you enjoy a drink or a meal.
Immerse yourself in the wonder that is Sossusvlei. There is no more beautiful sea of sand dunes anywhere in southern Africa. There are so many possible vantage points from which to enjoy the view: from high atop one of the dunes that line the valley, from the valley floor near sunrise or sunset, or where an orange dune towers above the iconic silhouette of a lone acacia.
This morning you will join your Crisscross Namibia Safaris private guide and head southwest from Swakopmund through the Namib-Naukluft National Park with a quick stop in Solitaire, where you can enjoy freshly baked apple pie or other delicious pastries before departing to Le Mirage Resort & Spa. On the way you will cross the Tropic of Capricorn, and drive through the Kuiseb Canyon with always changing scenery where photo opportunities abound. The remainder of your day is at your leisure.
After an early morning breakfast, we will leave for Sossusvlei. Drive time to the Sesriem gate, entrance to the dune belt, is approximately 25 minutes. The gate opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. Scenery and color changes of the dunes are spectacular as the sun moves from east to west during the morning. We will visit Dune 45 for great pictures of the surrounding desert area, and Deadvlei with its towering sand dunes, which some say are the highest in the world. Deadvlei is a white clay basin with petrified trees estimated to be over a 1,000 years old. Walking distance from the parking area to Deadvlei is about 1.2 km after driving the very sandy gateway. Hats, water, sunglasses and comfortable walking shoes are recommended. You can spend as much time here as desired. We recommend leaving the dunes just before noon as it gets very hot very quickly. On the way back to the Sesriem entrance keep your eyes open for oryx and the stray ostrich.
Back at the resort, you will have time for lunch and a bit of relaxation before we head back out this afternoon to visit the Sesriem slot canyons just inside the Sesriem entrance gate. We will arrive back at Le Mirage in time for sunset and a sundowner drink.
Le Mirage offers an afternoon quad bike experience to explore the surrounding area. You may come across oryx and ostrich, as well as great sunset photo opportunities over the Namib Desert!
Book and pay with us before trip.
Take to the sky with us on our balloon safari in Sossusvlei. It will give you an entirely new perspective on the world down below. See how many animals you can spot.
Book and pay with us before trip.
A quaint, almost eccentric property architecturally, located about 20km from the entrance gate to Sossusvlei and the dunes. This fortress-like hotel in the middle of the desert has a pool and spa, and a waterhole frequented by desert oryx and spotted brown hyena.
Discover the Kalahari, southern Africa’s largest desert that extends from South Africa and Botswana deep into Namibia’s west and central regions. This is the land of the San people, and it is a vast and beautiful place of endless horizons, stunning sunsets and sunrises, and some surprising wildlife; there’s a good chance you’ll see sable in some areas.
Driving southeast, you will accompany your guide on a road transfer from Le Mirage Resort & Spa to Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch. This is approximately a 3 hour 30 minute drive. You will arrive midday and have time for some lunch and relaxation before your late afternoon sundowner drive and cheetah excursion.
You will board one of the lodge’s game drive vehicles with a professional guide to experience the thrill of spotting wildlife amid magical red dunes, and then enjoy a sundowner atop one.
The cheetah excursion gives you the chance to get up close and personal with the fastest land animal on Earth. You’ll have an opportunity to shoot unforgettable photos of these gorgeous, graceful predatory cats. The Bagatelle Lodge, in collaboration with the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), is a recognized site for the conservation of this species.
This morning, you will walk with the indigenous people of the Kalahari to their demonstration village and learn about the ancient traditions and secrets of their ancestors, get to know their survival skills and keep the past alive with them. On the walk, you will be shown how to collect water in ostrich eggs, how to set traps, which plants are suitable for medicine and how to make pearl and ostrich jewelry. This is a truly unforgettable experience, and a fantastic way to touch African culture.
Enjoy some relaxation and lunch, and if you would like, you can enjoy either a sundowner nature drive late this afternoon or a night game drive with Bagatelle’s professional guide in an open-sided 4×4 safari vehicle.
Bagatelle Boutique Farmhouse offers plenty of space, comfort, great views and a fantastic safari experience. Located on the edge of the southern Kalahari in the mixed tree and shrub savannah, the lodge is crisscrossed by huge red sand dunes.
The owners of the lodge attach great importance to the preservation of nature and its living beings, so you can experience numerous species of animals and plants up close, including antelopes, springbok, zebras, ostriches, meerkats and cheetahs. You can also let the authentic Bushmen introduce you to their ancient traditions.
Your Namibian safari is over, but we hope it will live long in your memory. We are sad to send you on your way but hope that we will see you again next time you go on safari.
It’s time to say goodbye to your Crisscross Namibia Safari guide, who will transfer you to the Hosea Kutako International Airport in time to make your flight. The drive time to the airport will be approximately 3 hours. We wish you safe travels home.
We are excited to help you personalize your next safari holiday and turn your dreams into memories.
Enquire NowThe owner, André Blaauw, was born and raised in Namibia and has a rich family history and connection to the land.
Our experienced and culturally diverse guides are Namibian born and raised.
André & Michelle are always available to consult with you at any time about your wants and needs via WhatsApp phone or video call, text message or email.
Tailor-made itineraries, accommodations and activities designed specifically for you.
Extensive safety protocols based on over 20 years of on the ground experience.
