Ghostly Towns & Canyon Vistas - 7D/6N

Ghost walkers - photo courtesy of Thompsons ToursNamibia with its combination of largely untouched vast country and relatively tiny population makes it the ultimate land of discovery and soul-searching. This fully escorted tour of southern Namibia visits the highlights of this region, from the second largest canyon in the world in the far south of Namibia, the Fish River Canyon, to the eerie Ghost Town of Kolmanskop, to the windswept dunes of the Namib Desert. This is a tour of unique sights and vast landscapes. The desolate Fish River Canyon in the south is second only to the Grand Canyon in size and grandeur, and from there it’s a short hop to Lüderitz, where the ghost town of Kolmanskop is a huge source of fascination to visitors. It boomed during the gold rush, but today is partially reclaimed by the surrounding desert.

Swakopmund is a charming, very German coastal town in the midst of desert and dunes. It’s also Namibia’s adventure hub. Take a dolphin cruise from nearby Walvis Bay and you’ll have seals trying to clamber on board your boat for a free ride! Quad bike or sand board over those awesome dunes, then feast on oysters and champagne as the sunset sets the sea of sand aflame. This fascinating and unique country is full of wide horizons, endless stretches of golden desert dunes and unusual rocky plains, as though not of this world. Its vast open spaces are home to a wealth of birds and animals, some rare protected species, and some exquisite plant life, found nowhere else in the world!

Highlights: Spend some time viewing the awesome Fish River Canyon - Experience the ghost town of Kolmanskop - View magnificent sand dunes - Explore the quaint seaside town of Swakopmund.

Included: Accommodation in Rooms with private facilities, on a twin share basis- Tour in an air-conditioned micro-bus - Discover Namibia with our professional English speaking Tour Guides - Meals: 6 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch pack, 6 Dinners - Hotel porterage and Namibian Wildlife Resorts Conservation Levy included.

Not Included: All domestic and international airfare and airport taxes. Tips and expenditure of a personal nature, such as drinks, souvenirs and laundry etc. Other tours & meals not mentioned in the program. Travel & Personal accident insurance.

Departures: Saturdays.

Itinerary Map courtesy of Thompsons ToursDaily Itinerary

  • Day 1 Saturday Windhoek / Kalahari Desert (D) - Depart Windhoek, drive via Rehoboth into the Kalahari Desert. On arrival, depart on a scenic sunset drive in open safari vehicles. Animals that live in the region include brown hyenas, meerkats, several species of antelope and many species of bird and reptile. Accommodation: Auob Lodge or similar.
  • Day 2 Sunday Kalahari Desert / Fish River Canyon (B, D) - Drive through the Kalahari, and visit the Quiver tree Forest near Keetmanshoop. The quiver tree or ‘Kokerboom’ is indigenous to this hot and dry area. Stop for lunch in Keetmanshoop (lunch for own account). Continue via Naute Dam, see the Fish River Canyon’s spectacular northern fringes. Accommodation: Canon Village or similar.
  • Day 3 Monday Fish River Canyon / Lüderitz (B, D) - We travel via Aus today. There is a possibility of seeing the desert adapted horses on entering the Namib Desert. Arrive at Lüderitz around midday, and depart on an afternoon scenic drive around the southern peninsula. Accommodation: Lüderitz Nest Hotel or similar.
  • Day 4 Tuesday Lüderitz / Maltahöhe (B, D) - Visit Kolmanskop, a deserted diamond town and museum. This previously bustling diamond town is now abandoned and fights a constant struggle with the sand dunes of the Namib Desert. We then visit Duwisib Castle in the afternoon. Continue to the Maltahöhe region for overnight. Accommodation: Hammerstein Rest Camp or similar.
  • Day 5 Wednesday Maltahöhe / Namib Naukluft Park (B, D) - Depart early this morning to Sossusvlei. The best time to view Sossusvlei is at sunrise, the colors are strong and constantly changing, allowing for wonderful photographic opportunities. The midday heat is intense and best spent in the shade. Visit Sesriem Canyon en route, past the Naukluft Mountains. Accommodation: Namib Naukluft Lodge or similar.
  • Day 6 Thursday Namib Naukluft Park / Swakopmund (B, L, D) - Drive through Kuiseb Canyon towards the coast. Enjoy a packed lunch. See the Welwitschia Mirabilis plants said to grow older than a 1 000 years. Visit Moon Landscape. The Moon Valley is an eerie and surrealistic landscape of bizarre rock formations of red lava’s and yellow sandstone’s. We then arrive in Swakopmund late afternoon. Accommodation: Hansa Hotel or similar.
  • Day 7 Friday Swakopmund / Windhoek (B) - Travel to Walvis Bay Lagoon and see the seabirds. Continue inland towards Usakos and Karibib, and visit the Henckert’s Centre, Herero graves and the handcraft market in Okahandja. Arrive in Windhoek in the late afternoon, where the tour ends.

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Also tagged with: Adventure Expeditions, Escorted Journeys, Africa, Namibia, Safari, Educational, Cultural, Nature / Ecology, Join-In Tour, Classic Visit, Hosted Tours


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