Marula Tour

Reception at the airport with delivery of travel documents and, for self-drive customers, the vouchers of the lodges and the collection of the car. Based on the arrival time, you will choose accommodation in the city in BB, or accommodation located north of the capital, in DBB, immersed in the wild, with the possibility of safari for an exciting first contact with nature and African animals.

We leave for the Namib Desert considered one of the oldest on earth (80 million years). Along the central-western plateau, first impact with the stupendous Namibian landscapes, culminating in the Spreetshooghte pass, with breathtaking views over the Namib plains. Arrival in the Naukluft-Park area, passing through Solitaire, the only refueling point of the Naukluft. In the afternoon, I arrive in Sesriem and at the entrance to the Sossusvlei park. Accommodation in DBB. Distance km 350.

In the heart of the desert, discovering the highest and oldest sand dunes in the world, with explorations on foot of the famous Duna 45, of which you can reach the top, of the Dead Vlei (Dead Valley) among its ghostly ongoing acacias of fossilization, and of Sossusvlei, between arcane silences and unique landscapes, in constant change of shapes and colors. Visit to the Sesriem-Canyon: about 30 meters deep, it creates a humid environment rich in plants and animals in the heart of the desert. Accommodation in DBB. Optionally, possibility to admire this unique show in a hot air balloon or helicopter (advance booking is required.

Along the way you will meet the “Tropic of Capricorn”, where a stop for photos is required, and two mountain passes, the Gaub and the Kuiseb. The panorama is suggestive, dominated by mica rocks, used years ago for the manufacture of irons; with a little luck, you may encounter the rare mountain zebras (Hartmann’s Zebra). We arrive at the Atlantic coast and the beautiful town of Swakopmund with a surreal German atmosphere, where the scorching desert meets the cold waters of the Atlantic. Among the attractions, colonial architecture, the aquarium and the Kristall Galerie, where Namibian gems and minerals are exhibited, including the largest quartz crystal in the world. Lunch and free activities: visit the city, quad-bike on the coastal dunes, fly over the Skeleton Coast, trip to the “Valley of the Moon”, among sidereal landscapes and ancient specimens of Welwitschia Mirabilis, the most famous (and strangest) plant in Namibia , true “living fossil”. Hotel accommodation in BB. Free lunch and dinner in a seaside restaurant. Distance km 310.

Daily activity, with a morning boat trip to Walvis Bay for close encounters with sea lions, dolphins, sea birds and sometimes even whales. At the Waterfront, transfer to a 4×4 that will take you across sand dunes and along the beach to Sandwich Harbor, another isolated lagoon, an unspoiled paradise of fauna where various species of birds find refreshment. Lunch included with sandwiches and very fresh oysters from the area. Overnight in the same hotel BB. Free dinner. Distance between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay about 30 km.

From the Atlantic coast of the Namib Desert to the beautiful mountains of Damaraland. Along the way, one of the most beautiful dirt roads in Namibia, you will be able to observe the gradual reappearance of vegetation, meet the Herero women in their colorful clothes and the typical Damara donkey carts, and admire the Brandberg massif with the highest peak of the Namibia, the Koenigstein. Stop for free lunch in Uis, a small mining village in Damara. Accommodation in DBB. In the afternoon, activities of your choice based on the place of overnight stay: safari with 4×4 cars and guide of the lodge, or visit to the graffiti of Twyfelfontein. Distance km 320.

In the Kamanjab area, unforgettable encounter with the Himba people. The men are dedicated to herding and the women and children remain in the village to guard their few values such as the hut, the sacred fire and the small farmyard animals. Arrival in Etosha park, one of the largest and richest animal parks in Africa: afternoon of self-guided safari and meeting numerous animals that sometimes cross the road, we arrive at the booking resort in BB. Choice of lodge accommodation just outside the park in DBB. Distance km 260.

Full day dedicated to safari in Etosha, which ensures exciting close encounters with elephants, giraffes, zebras and antelopes of all species and their predators, such as lions, leopards, hyenas. Also of great interest is the vast range of environments, dominated by the vast depression of the Etosha Pan, and the avifauna, rich in colorful species including countless birds of prey. Accommodation in one of the park’s resorts in BB, or in an off-park lodge in DBB.

Morning safari in Etosha and then leave again continuing the journey eastwards, crossing the “golden triangle” (Grootfontein-Tsumeb-Otavi), an area of unusual abundance of water that allows the cultivation of fodder for the area’s livestock. Together with some important tin and copper mines, they contribute to making this small area one of the most productive and richest in the country. For enthusiasts, near Tsumeb you can see the largest ferrous meteorite that has fallen on earth, called Hoba. Accommodation in DBB. Distance km 220.

In the morning visit to a Bushman village lost in the arid savannah of the north-west part of the Klahari; demonstration of some hunting techniques, recognition and collection of some herbs, plants and medicinal roots that for centuries have allowed their survival in the Kalahari desert (LIVING MUSEUM). Continue north, entering the Kavango, arriving in Rundu, a small multi-ethnic center bordering Angola. We will discover another aspect of Namibia; thanks to the Kavango river the landscape becomes richer in vegetation, with Makalani palms, marula and ficus plants. Numerous the kraal of small traditional villages of the Kavango ethnic group, Accommodation in DBB with scenic boat trip, at sunset and on the Kavango river. Distance km 200.

Arrive near Mahango Park and booking accommodation in DBB. The area is rich in water: the vegetation is always luxuriant and various types of birds abound for most of the year; here you can easily meet animals that are not found in Etosha due to a lack of marshy environments, such as hippos, buffaloes and crocodiles. Recommended activities: self-guided safari in the nearby small Mahango park, motor boat trip for bird watching or fishing in the waters of the Kawango River rich in tiger fish (analogues of the piranhas of South America). Distance 205 km.

Still to the east, arriving in a couple of hours at the reservation accommodation; day entirely dedicated to stay and safari activities in the parks indicated: safari independently or with 4×4 vehicle and expert ranger, safari / cruise along the canals highly frequented by hippos and elephants. Accommodation in DBB or FB with all included: meals and activities. Distance km 210.

We leave for Botswana and the Chobe park, the first National Park in Botswana and one of the best known in Africa. After customs at Ngoma Bridge (on the Chobe River), you enter Botswana and in half an hour you will arrive in Kasane and the accommodation. During the two days in the Chobe park there will be cruising on the Chobe river, in a motor boat guided by an expert ranger, among hippos, elephants, crocodiles, felines and waterfowl typical of the area: herons, colorful bee-eaters and kingfishers, eagles fisherwomen, etc .. between riparian forests and magnificent water lilies, kingdom of the pygmy geese, the smallest ducks in the world. Visit to local villages, safaris with 4×4 vehicles and expert guides. Accommodation in FB (all inclusive, except drinks). Distance km 150.

In the morning, last safari in Chobe park with a 4×4 vehicle and lodge ranger, in search of the Big Five. In the Chobe park there is the largest community in the world of elephants and very rare “water antelopes”: sitatunga, red lichi and puku. After the safari, in a short time you will arrive in Zimbabwe and in the town of Victoria Falls, where in the afternoon you will visit one of the greatest spectacles of nature: the Victoria Falls. Formed by the Zambezi River and discovered in 1855 by David Livingstone, they generate an impressive mass of water, to be admired along the path that reaches the bridge with Zambia, amidst roaring and a dust of water that creates an unexpected rainforest in the middle to the savannah and gave the waterfalls the local name Mosi-oa-tunya, the smoke that thunders. Accommodation in BB. Free dinner in a restaurant in the town. Distance km 80.