Tailormade Holidays in Namibia

Etosha covers an area of 22,270 square kilometres and is one of the finest national parks in the whole of Africa. The word ‘Etosha’ means ‘big white place’, and the present pan is simply the floor of a 100-kilometre wide, shallow inland lake, which has long since dried up. Permanent waterholes are plentiful along the southern edge of the pan and these attract large concentrations of Etosha’s mammals such as Black-faced Impala, Damara Dik-dik, Southern Giraffe, Elephant, Black Rhino and hundreds of Springbok. Attentive predators and scavengers shadow the game and also rely on these same waterholes to drink. Some of these are relatively easily viewed such as Lion, Spotted Hyena and Black-backed Jackal, while Leopard and Cheetah sightings require more luck. The birdlife of Etosha is equally superb, with over 300 species recorded. Raptors are particularly numerous, and include Red-necked, Lanner and Pygmy Falcons, whilst other birds of note include Kori Bustard, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, White-tailed Shrike and the beautiful Blue Crane. Then, from dusk onwards, Rufous-cheeked and Fiery-necked Nightjars take to the wing to hawk for insects around the waterholes, and the occasional Honey Badger ventures down to the water’s edge to drink. Excitingly, it is now possible to take night safaris in Etosha, opening a window to the park’s intriguing, and rarely seen, nocturnal world.

The Tsauchab River – which rises periodically in the Naukluft Mountains – would empty into the South Atlantic were it not for the world’s highest sand dunes that lie in its path in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Thus, on the rare occasions that there’s sufficient rainfall for the river to flow, the waters eventually run into this impenetrable sand dune barrier and flood the alluvial pans or ‘vleis’ for which the area is known, attracting flamingoes and other waterbirds from far and wide. The most famous of these seasonal pans are Sossusvlei and Deadvlei which fill with water only every decade or so and are surrounded by towering brick-red sand dunes, the colour of which changes throughout the early morning hours as the sun rises and light intensifies. Quite simply, this is one of the most spectacular landscapes in the whole of Africa and a photographer’s paradise; the combination of dead ‘skeletal’ trees against the orange hues of the imposing dunes is a sight that’s unique to Namibia. At first glance it might appear that the entire area is devoid of life, but a wide range of hardy creatures eke out an existence in this inhospitable environment, such as Gemsbok, Springbok, Ludwig’s Bustard, Burchell’s Courser and Dune Lark. Tenebrionid beetles scamper across dunes and Shovel-nosed Lizards are a common sight as they lift their feet alternately off the hot desert sand. A visit to Sossusvlei works extremely well at the start of a Namibian tailormade itinerary, but make sure you get down into the dunes for dawn to enjoy the colours at their very best.

Damaraland is a spectacular region whose landscape is composed of 250-million-year-old table-top mountains. The area is famously home to herds of ‘desert-adapted’ Elephants which have learnt to survive in this harsh environment. These hardy mammals eke out an existence in the dry river valleys, such as the Huab, where the groundwater is close enough to the surface to support a green corridor of trees through an otherwise parched landscape. The ‘Desert Elephants’ share these valleys with a variety of other game including Springbok, Steenbok, Gemsbok and the rare Black Rhino. Ostriches are a common sight here, whilst other birds to look out for include Monteiro’s Hornbill, the beautiful Bokmakierie Shrike, and for those seeking an identification challenge, a variety of larks such as Sabota, Long-billed and Stark’s. The area is also well known for its prehistoric rock art paintings, the most impressive of which are at Twyfelfontein.

The old German colonial town of Swakopmund, perched on the edge of Namibia’s ‘Skeleton Coast’, is a good base from which to explore this unique region. Walvis Bay lies just to the south and its coastal lagoons and mudflats offer some excellent birding, especially between November and March when they host one of the highest concentrations of wintering waders in the whole of southern Africa. Numerous Curlew Sandpipers and Little Stints share the mudflats with Terek and Marsh Sandpipers, as well as resident species such as Chestnut-banded and Kitlitz’s Plovers and African Black Oystercatcher. Hundreds of Greater and Lesser Flamingoes feed in the shallows, whilst White Pelican, South African Shelduck, Cape Shoveler and seven species of tern – including the local Damara Tern – may also be seen. We also recommend taking to the water either by kayak or on one of the offshore pelagic cruises to observe obliging Cape Fur Seals and, with luck, Bottlenose and the rare Heaviside’s Dolphins. African Penguin, along with various albatrosses, shearwaters and petrels, are also possible further out to sea. Finally, a few hours’ drive up the Skeleton Coast to the north, lies the huge Cape Fur Seal colony at Cape Cross – a spectacular (if pungent!) site that is well worth visiting.

The Caprivi Strip is a thin strip of land that projects east from the far north-eastern corner of Namibia, sandwiched between Botswana to the south and Angola and Zambia to the north. Much of this land is protected within wildlife reserves including the Mahango Game Reserve and Caprivi Game Park, which, in stark contrast to the rest of the country, are clothed in dense riverine forest, tall teak woodlands and vast floodplains. The wildlife here is extraordinarily diverse and common mammals include Hippopotamus, Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Red Lechwe, Common Reedbuck, Blue Wildebeest and Impala. Rarer species such as Roan and Sable Antelope and Sitatunga are also possible. The Caprivi Strip is well known for its superlative birdlife, with over 430 species recorded including Wattled Crane, Slaty Egret, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Giant Kingfisher, Broad-billed Roller, Southern Carmine Bee-eater and even the localised Greater Swamp Warbler. Since the Caprivi Strip extends eastwards in a narrow ribbon of land, it often makes sense, in terms of an itinerary, to continue from there to Botswana, perhaps spending a few nights in the Okavango Delta, or to finish off your holiday at the impressive Victoria Falls.

Conveniently located halfway between Namibia’s capital of Windhoek and the Etosha National Park, the Okonjima Game Reserve is home to The AfriCat Foundation. This is an excellent place to stay for a night to break your journey and learn about the plight of some of Africa’s top predators such as Cheetah, Lion and Leopard. The AfriCat Foundation has a successful rehabilitation programme; it also seeks solutions to human-wildlife conflict and conducts research to this end. There is excellent accommodation at the reserve itself and a choice of guided activities on offer. 

Erindi is a privately owned, protected wildlife reserve covering an area of just under 800km². Careful management of the reserve over the course of the 21st century has resulted in a local resurgence of nationally rare and endangered species. Thanks to the reserve’s participation in several conservation initiatives, including those to preserve Leopard (which have long been considered a ‘pest’ in Namibia), Cheetah, Wild Dog and Pangolin, the area now boasts a healthy and varied population of predators and herbivores alike. Megafauna is abundant and easily seen, and the opportunities for birdwatching are equally mouth-watering, with over 300 resident species recorded. Erindi is around a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Windhoek. Alternatively, the reserve also has an airstrip which can be reached by a private charter flight.