Namibia and Botswana

NAMIBIA AND BOTSWANA WILDERNESS EXPLORER

A guided 4x4 trip from 20 January to 11 February

After arriving in Windhoek, Namibia we'll spend a night in town and then pick up our fully-equipped vehicles, go shopping and head east into the Kalahari and over the Botswana border.

After a night at Ghanzi we'll spend three nights and four days exploring the Makgadikgadi Pans and it's migrating wildebeest and Nxai Pan where there is often a good chance of seeing a lion kill an impala or springbok and the famous Baine's Baobabs. Both pans also home to giraffe, zebra, hippo, cheetah, leopard, and a myriad of other creatures. Camping at rudimentary camp sites.

Next stop will be Maun to refill our stores and fridges, and enjoy hot showers for a night before heading north for a mokoro trip into the Okavango Delta, with two nights bush camping on small islands and game walks.

After an abundance of greenery, we'll head back accross the Kalahari to the little used border crossing at Dobe, where we will spend time at a San village.

Our route takes us back to Namibia, where we will visit Nyae Nyae COnservation area and Tsumkwe, hoping to learn more about the San before heading towards Etosha National Park. We'll take a coulple of days to cross the home of the world's largest elephants, spending the night at Okakuejo and its vibrant waterhole. Etosha also has an abundance of antilope species and rarer black rhinos. For those hankering after a bed, we can arrange a night in a chalet for an addtional fee.

Leaving Etosha we'll pop into a cheetah sanctuary before heading north again into Koakoland and the Angolan border. At Opowu and Epupa Falls we'll encounter the Himba. Returning south and west we will head to Puros in search of elusive desert elephants before camping at the Abu Huab river and taking in the impressive ancient rock art at Twyfelfontein.  A halt at the Brandberg Mountains will see us on walk to the  mystical White Lady rock painting before we head into the Namib desert and the Skeleton Coast en route to the seaside resort of Swakopmund and the possibility of brick and mortar accommodation for a night.

From there we'll cross the lunar landscape of the Namib-Naukluft, see 2000-year old plants, and head to Sossusvlei to see the highest sand dunes in the world, still in the Namib desert, before returning to Windhoek.  In total It's not far off 4000 KM, but they will be the best kilometres of your life.

Cost: 1700 euros per person (vehicle rental, camping equipment camping, park and camping fees). In addition: food kitty (approximately 100 euros) fuel (about 100 euros too), and obviously international flights. London - Windhoek return £803, Paris - Windhoek return from  €811.

Namibia - Botswana

Namibia - Botswana