Back to Africa with Lex Hes: Safari to Namibia, Botswana, Zambia
February 2, 2013 - February 22, 2013Priced from: $19,880
Below please find the day-by-day itinerary for this expedition. Unless otherwise noted, daily excursion options are included in the cost of the trip. We do our best to adhere to the scheduled itinerary, but in the spirit of our expeditionary style of travel we may deviate slightly to take full advantage of encounters with the destination and its people, culture, and wildlife.
February 2 USA
Depart on your flight to Namibia.
February 3 Windhoek, Namibia
Arrive Windhoek and transfer to the Hotel Heinitzburg. This evening we gather for cocktails and dinner.
Feb 4 - Feb 6 Windhoek / Desert Rhino Camp, Damaraland
After breakfast we transfer to the airport to board our chartered aircraft to Desert Rhino Camp. Located in a million-acre reserve, the camp boasts an outstanding wilderness experience in comfortable accommodations. The reserve’s harsh countryside is punctuated with a number of fresh water springs that support healthy populations of desert-adapted black rhino and elephant, as well as large populations of the rare Hartmann’s mountain zebra, oryx, and kudu. Predators are also numerous, with the largest populations of lion, cheetah, leopard, and brown and spotted hyena found outside Etosha National Park. Many of Namibia’s endemic bird species are found here, as well as succulent plants uniquely adapted for life in this desert. While at Desert Rhino Camp we have the opportunity for walks and drives in one of the best wilderness areas in Namibia.
Feb 7 - Feb 8 Desert Rhino Camp / Serra Cafema Camp
After breakfast, we depart for Serra Cafema Camp. Arguably the most remote camp in all of southern Africa, it overlooks the Kunene River—the only permanent water source in the region, creating a lush oasis along its banks surrounded by rugged mountains and sand dunes. This region is also home to the Himba tribe, one of the last nomadic people in all of Africa. Our encounters with the Himba are among the most memorable experiences of our days in Namibia. Himba families live in proximity to Serra Cafema, giving us an opportunity to visit and learn more about their lifestyle and traditions. Other activities include game drives to view herds of oryx and springbok, boating on the Kunene, hiking, and birding. For the more adventurous, one of the highlights of Serra Cafema is guided quad-bike excursions allowing us to visit the massive sand dunes near the camp.
Feb 9 - Feb 10 Serra Cafema / Ongava
Our next destination is an ideal location for our activities in and around Etosha National Park. Ongava Tented Camp is situated along the southern boundary of Etosha in a privately owned reserve. Etosha, “the place of dry water,” offers one of the great wildlife experiences remaining in Africa. Covering over 8,000 square miles, the park encompasses a vast salt pan 80 miles long and is Namibia’s premier game-viewing destination. Ongava is one of the few private game reserves in southern Africa where we may see white and black rhino, and the area holds good populations of lion, eland, mountain zebra, black-faced impala, a number of other antelope species, and a host of birdlife. In addition to our daytime activities, we enjoy game walks and nighttime game drives.
Feb 11 - Feb 13 Ongava / Vumbura, Botswana
After breakfast we depart Ongava by charter flight to Vumbura Plains Camp via Grootfontein and Maun. Vumbura lies in the extreme north of the Okavango Delta. The Okavango Delta’s waters allow us to explore the camp’s flood plains via mokoro (dug-out canoe) guided by polers from the BaYei tribe, who have been using them as their traditional form of transport for hundreds of years. Water levels permitting, boats take us into the larger and deeper areas of water while 4x4 vehicles allow us to get in proximity to animals in the savanna areas. This is possibly the only area in the Okavango where one can see red lechwe from a mokoro in the morning and a sable antelope from a vehicle in the afternoon. Other wildlife sightings may include lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and various species of antelope.
Feb 14 - Feb 15 Vumbura / Chief’s Camp
After a morning activity and brunch we depart Vumbura by private charter to Chief’s Camp, located on Chief’s Island, one of the many islands created by the seasonal floodwaters of the Okavango. We spend two days exploring the area’s wide, expansive plains. All the major predators—lion, leopard, cheetah, and wild dog—can be seen close to camp. Elephant, buffalo, and various species of antelope are also abundant here. You’ll see profuse birdlife, including pelicans, storks, and cranes, as well as Dickinson’s kestrels, pink-throated longclaws, and Meyer’s parrots.
Feb 16 - Feb 17 Chief’s Camp / Kings Pool Camp
Following morning activities and brunch we travel to the Linyanti area and spend two full days at Kings Pool Camp. Our accommodations overlook the Linyanti River and oxbow-shaped lagoon, providing a rich backdrop for resident birds and mammals, which come and go throughout the day. The Linyanti Reserve, 776 square miles of wilderness, is uninhabited by humans. It supports a wide variety of species, but is most noted for its very large elephant population. The area is also home to large numbers of lechwe, kudu, sable, roan, waterbuck, and buffalo. All of the major predators, including lion, leopard, cheetah, and hyena are also regularly sighted. Explore by water (water levels permitting), 4x4 vehicles, and occasionally on foot. Take day and night game drives in open 4x4 vehicles along the Savuti Channel and the banks of the Linyanti River.
Feb 18 - Feb 20 Kings Pool Camp / Chichele Lodge, Zambia
After brunch and one last excursion in Botswana we depart for our final destination and country—Zambia. Our home base for exploring the impressive variety of terrain and intense concentrations of wildlife is the elegant Chichele Lodge. Excursions bring us into proximity with the park’s 60 animal species, including two species found nowhere else on the planet: Cookson’s wildebeest and the graceful Thornicroft’s giraffe, and at least 400 species of birds. South Luangwa’s leopard population is the densest in Africa, sustained by antelope species such as bushbuck, puku, and kudu. Nighttime drives give us a chance to search for nocturnal animals such as genet, civet, serval, hyena, and bush baby.
Feb 21 - Feb 22 Lusaka / USA
After brunch board our charter flight to Lusaka to connect with your homeward flights. Arrive in the USA the next day.
