Specialized Conservation Tour

16 days—AfriCat, Cheetah Conservation Fund, Etosha South, Hobatere Concession, Desert Adapted Lions in Hoanib River, Palmwag, Skeleton Coast, Namib Desert.

$9880-11700 USD

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Safari summary

Namibia was the first country in the world to include environmental protection in its constitution. Approximately 17% of its surface area is protected either as a national park, game reserve, conservancy exceeding the 10% prescribed by IUCN. The Marine Protected Area stretches 400km along the coast and 30km offshore. Protection of the Black Rhino in western arid regions has resulted in Namibia being one of the few countries in Africa with growing populations within as well as outside national parks. In private sector, several Non-Governmental Organisations assist the government in conservation and development. These include the Namibia Nature Foundation, Save the Rhino Trust, Cheetah Conservation Fund, AfriCat Foundation and the Namibian Association of Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Support Organisations (15 NGOs and University of Namibia). A total of 161 private game reserves are registered with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. During this 16-day tour we will be visiting some of the prime conservation areas, including game reserves and Organisations, getting to experience some conservation work while enjoying wildlife and scenery.

About this tour

	Tour type	Custom, tailor-made, private
	Main focus	Game drives
	Activity level	Moderate activity
	Best months	All months
	Countries	Namibia
	Parks	Etosha Namib-Naukluft

Fine details

Safari highlights

Boat, canoe, dhow, kayak, mokoro safari
Walking safari—with armed guard
Wildlife sanctuaries

What’s included?

Accommodation
Meals
Park fees
Private vehicle and driver

What’s not included?

Alcoholic beverages
All drinks
Hot air balloons
Internal flights
International flights
Laundry
Premium alcoholic beverages
Spa treatments
Tips and gratuities
Visas

Itinerary

Okonjima and AfriCat Foundation

After meeting your Specialist Guide, you will drive to Okonjima Nature Reserve, which is the home to the AfriCat Foundation. Founded in 1993, the AfriCat Foundation is primarily dedicated to conservation of large carnivores. We will visit the center to learn more about Namibia’s carnivores, their fight for survival, the Human-Wildlife Conflict challenges, conservation awareness through environmental education and wildlife research. We will see their ambassador Cheetahs during this tour.

Okonjima Plains Camp

Okonjima and AfriCat Foundation

We will go for White Rhino tracking. These Rhinos are constantly monitored by the anti-poaching team. On this activity, guests we will do a walking safari where we will approach the rhino on foot. The activity is more of a game drive first with high chances of encountering one of the collared leopards that are wild and free roaming. In the afternoon, we will go for Pangolin tracking. The reserve has a healthy population of this elusive and endangered mammal, and they are conducting research.

Okonjima Plains Camp

Etosha South

After breakfast we will head towards Etosha, past the Cheetah Conservation Fund. CCF was established in 1990 with the aim of securing habitats for the long-term survival of cheetah and their ecosystem through multi-disciplined and integrated programs of conservation, research and education. We will learn how they breed the Anatolian shepherd and Kangal dogs to become livestock guard dogs. After lunch we will make our way to Etosha and do the afternoon game drive in the Etosha National Park.

Etosha Safari Lodge

Etosha South

We have a full day in the Etosha National Park, with a lunch/siesta break in between. It is a 22 270 km2 park with 114 mammal species and over 350 bird species. It was declared a game reserve in 1907 (approximately 100 000 km2) covering the current park and most of Kaokoland. The aim was to stem the rapid depletion of the animals in the area and protect all of the land through which seasonal migrations passed. It was reduced to 60 000 km2 in 1958 and to the current size in 1970.

Etosha Safari Lodge

Hobatere Concession

We have another full day in the Etosha, driving from the southern part to the less visited western Etosha, visiting waterholes. Hobatere is outside the park on the western side and belongs to #Khoadi//Hoas Conservancy. The primary objective is to increase the benefits to the local community, reducing human-wildlife conflict and also conservation of the area. After dinner we will go for a night drive in search for nocturnal animals like Aardvark, Bat-eared Fox, Aardwolf, Small Spotted Genet.

Hobatere Lodge

Hobatere Concession

We will do both morning and afternoon game drives around the concession. We might encounter elephants or local pride of lions, while birding enthusiasts will appreciate the large variety of species. We will learn more about The Namibian Lion Trust that conducts research and monitoring of Lions outside Etosha where coexist with cattle farming communities. Conservation programs including employment of local Lion Guards, GPS collaring and Predator Proof pens to mitigate lion-farmer conflict.

Hobatere Lodge

Hoanib River

After breakfast, we will drive towards the desert into one of the most important conservation ephemeral rivers in Namibia, the Hoanib River. Being 270 km in length, the Hoanib River goes all the way to the sea and borders northern Damaraland and Kaokoland. There are thriving populations of desert Adapted Elephants, Oryx, Steenbok, Springbok, Black-backed Jackals, Small spotted Genets, Southern Giraffe subs. angolensis among others.

Sesfontein Lodge

Hoanib River

We will do a full day game drive in search of desert-adapted wildlife. We will learn more about Desert Adapted Lion Conservation that addresses human-lion conflict and collect baseline ecological data on the population dynamics, behaviour, and movements. With approximately 120 of their kind left, these lions have adapted to survive in one of the harshest, most unforgiving landscapes on earth. With numbers dwindling as human encroachment threaten their future, sightings are few and far between.

Sesfontein Lodge

Palmwag/Grootfontein Area

We will drive after breakfast to Palmwag Concession. It covers 4500km2 wilderness area not bordered by any fence. After lunch we will relax before embarking on a sundowner drive in our own vehicle in the afternoon. We still have chances of encountering desert adapted wildlife both enroute to our destination and during sundowner drive.

Palmwag Lodge

Palmwag/Grootfontein Area

An early morning starts with a packed breakfast; we will head out in search of Desert Adapted Black Rhino. The Namib Desert is home to the last truly wild stronghold of black rhino. This activity involves 4 x 4 driving in a rugged terrain and walking safari to get to the rhinos. The program of Community-based Natural Resource Management seeks to empower people living in rural areas to manage and benefit from their natural resources. This activity might take the whole day.

Palmwag

Twyfelfontein

We will head towards Twyfelfontein, exploring the Huab and Aba-Huab Riverbeds in search for Desert Adapted Elephants. We will learn more about an organization: Elephant-Human Relations Aid (EHRA) whose mission is to implement practical solutions that help combat elephant-human conflict, and thereby secure a future for Namibia’s desert elephants. In the afternoon, we will visit the Bushman Rock Engravings done by the San people 2000 years ago around Twyfelfontein (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Twyfelfontein Country Lodge

Skeleton Coast and Swakopmund

After breakfast we will head to the coast through the Skeleton Coast National Park. The Namibian Skeleton Coast National Park is renowned for its cold and unpredictable Benguela Current of the Atlantic Ocean that contends with the dune and desert landscape. After lunch we will make our way to the Cape Cross Seal Reserve, which has the largest Seal Colony in the world. There is a lot of controversy in terms of conservation of Cape Fur Seals versus harvesting them.

The Delight

Swakopmund

We will do the Living Desert Tour or the Catamaran/Sandwich Harbour Tour. If lucky you might see the desert “Little Five”; Shovel-nosed Lizard, Namib Sand Gecko, Namaqua Chameleon, Namib Desert Sidewinding Adder and the Cartwheeling Spider (“Dancing White Lady”). Birds of interest include Gray’s Lark, Tractrac Chat, Damara Tern among others. You may stroll around the Swakopmund city or take any optional activities that we can arrange for you in advance.

The Delight

Namib Desert and Sossusvlei

We will drive towards Sossusvlei in the morning after breakfast. We will go past Walvis Bay Lagoon for some interesting water birds including Flamingoes. We will make our way to the Namib Desert past scenic Gaub and Kuiseb passes. We will embark on a desert nature drive in the afternoon, on a private game reserve.

Namib Desert Lodge

Windhoek

An early morning start will see us getting into the Namib Naukluft Park, to Sossusvlei sand dunes. We will visit the most photographed sand dune in the area, Dune 45. After a visit to the Deadvlei and Sossusvlei, we will then visit the Sesriem Canyon. After lunch we will make our way to Windhoek.

Hilton Hotel