Travel and Sport blog

DETAILED PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

DAY 1-24 JUNE

PORT ELIZABETH- KIMBERLEY

Morning

Afternoon

Early morning departure to Kimberley (Approximately 750km’s)

Arrive in Kimberley where you will overnight.

Kimberley is synonymous with diamonds. How the Colesberg Kopje, a small hillock, was dug into by almost 3000 men into becoming a mine and in time, the world renowned Kimberley Mine or “Big Hole”.

From 1817 to 1914, almost a century, the hole was dug with picks and shovels, making the “Big Hole” the deepest man made hole with only using man power.

Nowadays, Kimberley is a tourist mecca and game farm sanctuary. From guided tours for bird watchers, the “Ghost Trail” for history fans to going down into one of the dormant mines and visiting the monuments and memorials to name only a few. Kimberley is also the economic giant of the Northern Cape, hosting two large shopping centres, loads full of restaurants, dynamic schools, private hospitals and home of the Griqua Rugby team.

Accommodation

Kimberley Greatbatch Guest House- Room only

DAY 2-25 JUNE

KIMBERLEY- WITSAND NATURE RESERVE

Morning

Afternoon

Continue your journey to Witsand Nature Reserve for overnight. (Approximately 280 km’s)

The rest of the day is spent exploring the Witsand Nature Reserve.

Few eco-destinations in the Northern Cape are as scenic as Witsand Nature Reserve. Witsand Nature Reserve is a scenic park, teeming with bird life, including the Namaqua sandgrouse, sociable weaver and Africa’s smallest raptor – the pygmy falcon.

The park offers sensual, flowing white dunes – twenty to sixty metres high – surrounded by copper-red Kalahari sand, Acacia woodland and the Langberg Mountain range. Home of the famous ‘Brulsand’ or Roaring Sands of the Kalahari. Under the right conditions, these dunes utter an eerie rumble when disturbed. Although the dune vegetation is generally-speaking sparse, it is complex and not easy to identify the different plant communities. On the plains surrounding the dunes, the vegetation is characteristically Kalahari Thornveld invaded by Karoo-type vegetation.

Accommodation

Witsand Nature Reserve- Room only

DAY 3-26 JUNE

WITSAND NATURE RESERVE-AUGRABIES FALLS NATIONAL PARK

Morning

Afternoon

Depart to Augrabies Falls
National Park (Approximately 280km)

Arrive in Augrabies Falls where you will overnight.

The Augrabies Falls is a waterfall on the Orange River, South Africa, within the Augrabies Falls National Park. The falls are around 60m in height. The original Khoikhoi residents named the waterfall Ankoerebis, “place of big noises”, from which the Trek Boers, who settled here later on, derived the name Augrabies.

The falls have recorded 7,800 cubic metres (280,000 cu ft) of water every second in floods in 1988 (and 6,800 cubic metres (240,000 cu ft) in the floods of 2006). This is over three times the average high season flow rate of Niagara Falls of 2,400 cubic metres (85,000 cu ft) per second, more than four times Niagara’s annual average, and greater than Niagara’s all time record of 6,800 cubic metres (240,000 cu ft) per second.

The gorge at the Augrabies Falls is 240 m deep and 18 km long, and is an impressive example of granite erosion.

Accommodation

Augrabies Falls Backpackers- Room only

DAY 4-27 JUNE

AUGRABIES FALLS NATIONAL PARK-FISH RIVER CANYON (Namibia)

Morning/

Afternoon

Early morning departure towards Fish River Canyon (Approximately 485 km’s).

Follow the N14 and R358 – enter Namibia at the Velloorsdrif Border post.

Continue to Fish River Canyon- Canon Mountain Camp where you’ll be accommodated for two (2) nights.

The Fish River Canyon in Namibia is reputedly the second largest canyon in the world (the largest being the Grand Canyon). There is a lot of debate as to whether or not this is indeed the second largest canyon in the world, most of the arguments seem to hinge on how one actually measures the ‘size’ of a canyon. Regardless of its ranking in the world of big canyons the Fish River is absolutely magnificent and breathtaking in its immensity.

The Fish River Canyon probably formed about 500 million years ago. However was not only created by water erosion, but through the collapse of the valley bottom due to movements in the earth’s crust.

The canyon is part of a nature conservation park. The gate to this park is at Hobas campsite and from here it is a further 10 kilometres to the main viewpoint for the canyon which offers stunning views. When you arrive at the canyon, as you have no idea it is there. It drops vertically by half a kilometre, out of a flat arid plateau without any warning. As with most rivers in Namibia the Fish River is generally dry however in the raining season (January to April) the river can become a raging torrent

Accommodation

Fish River Canyon- Canon Mountain Camp- Room Only

DAY 5-28 JUNE

FISH RIVER CANYON

Morning/

Afternoon

The day is spent hiking in the Fish River Canyon Park

In the canyon you may encounter several species of mammals, such as wild horses, Mountain Zebra (Hartman Zebra), kudu, leopard, springbok, troops of Chacma baboons and isolated groups of klipspringers. Bird-life includes pelicans, black eagles, fish eagles, kingfishers, lovebirds, wild ostrich and various species of waterfowl and wading birds. Bring your binoculars to view rock kestrels and lanner falcons riding the thermals.

Accommodation

Fish River Canyon- Canon Mountain Camp- Room Only

DAY 6-29 JUNE

FISH RIVER CANYON -LUDERITZ

Morning

Afternoon

Today you depart fish River Canyon and travel onwards on the B4 to Luderitz via Aus (Approximately 425km’s)

Aus were established as a prisoner of war camp in 1915 following the surrender of the German colonial troops to the South African forces. The site was chosen for its strategic significance, situated on the railway line between Keetmanshoop and the harbour town of Lüderitz.

Arrive in Luderitz where you’ll overnight.

Nestles between the cold Atlantic Ocean and the dry Namib Desert, Lüderitz was the first German settlement in Namibia and the start of the South African diamond industry in 1908. The town was named after Adolf Lüderitz, a German tobacco merchant, who persuaded Bismarck to place the territory under German occupation in 1884. There is a fine collection of graceful German colonial architecture. As long ago as 1488 the Portuguese navigator, Bartlolmeo Dias, erected a stone cross Padrao on a nearby headland. The original has weathered away and has been replaced by a replica.

Lüderitz is the centre of Namibia’s crayfishing industry and has all the attractions of a seaside resort with lovely views and the ghost town of Kolmanskop.

Visit Kolmanskop’s ghost town

Kolmanskop is Namibia’s most famous ghost town, and is situated in the Sperrgebiet, (forbidden territory) a few kilometers inland from the port of Luderitz. In 1908, the railway worker Zacharias Lewala found a sparkling stone amongst the sand he was shoveling away from the railway line, near Kolmanskop. His supervisor August Stauch, was convinced it was a diamond and when this was confirmed, the news spread like wildfire, sparking a huge, frantic diamond rush and causing fortune hunters to converge in droves on Kolmanskop. Unfortunately for Kolmanskop and its inhabitants, richer diamond deposits were discovered further south, and operations were moved to Oranjemund.

Within a span of 40 years Kolmanskop lived, flourished and died. Today the ghost town’s crumbling ruins bear little resemblance to its former glory. The stately homes have been nearly demolished by the wind, and are gradually becoming enveloped by encroaching sand dunes. In 1980, the mining company

De Beers restored a number of buildings, and established and interesting museum, which has now become a tourist attraction.

Accommodation

Luderitz Huas Sandrose – Room only

DAY 7-30 JUNE

LUDERITZ-HELMERINGAUSEN

Morning

Continue your journey on the B4 and C14 to Helmeringhausen for overnight.(Approximately 250km’s)

Hotel Helmeringhausen lies in the tiny settlement of Helmeringhausen in southern Namibia. It was founded during the German colonial era as a farm by a member of the Schutztruppe. Later it became famous for its Karakul sheep breeding.

Hotel Helmeringhausen is the ideal stop-over on the way from Fishriver Canyon or Lüderitz to Sesriem and the Sossusvlei, to the Naukluft.

Accommodation

Helmeringhausen Hotel- Room only

DAY 8-01 JULY

HELMERINGAUSEN- NAMIB NAUKLUFT NATIONAL PARK

Morning

Drive to the Namib Naukluft Park where you will be accommodated for two(2) nights.(Approximately 280km’s)

The Namib-Naukluft Park is Namibia’s most versatile conservation area and one of the country’s major tourist destinations. It is one of the least populated areas in the country where you can experience an intense feeling of vastness and isolation. Here the magical and awe-inspiring beauty of the night skies can be enjoyed like few places on earth.

Agama River Camp is situated on the eastern side of the C19 – specifically 35km South of Solitaire and 45km North of Sesriem. As it is only 45 min from the main gate to Namib Naukluft Park, it is an ideal stopover for self-drive tourists who wish to visit the red sand sea dunes of Sossusvlei or for those going on a hiking trail into the park.

The name of the camp is derived from the small, colourful long-tailed, insect-eating lizard that was the first creature to be seen as the owners opened up the farm gate for the first time.

Sandwiched between two deserts – the Namib in the west and the Kalahari in the east – Namibia’s arid southern region offers breathtaking landscapes.

Accommodation

Agama River Camp- pre-setup tents

DAY 9-02 JULY

NAMIB NAUKLUFT NATIONAL PARK

Morning

Early morning departure to the dunes at Sossusvlei

An early morning rise will be rewarded by the sight of the spectacular dunes at Sossusvlei on your excursion. Make the effort and climb one of the dunes and you may be overwhelmed by the sight of the dynamic and living desert.

Sossusvlei, with its monumental dunes, up to 325 m when measured from the base, is one of the top destinations in Namibia. The star-shaped dunes are a sought after topic for artists and photographers. Formed by strong multi-directional winds, they are at their highest and most spectacular where the west-flowing Tsauchab River empties itself into the vlei. The warm tints of the sand, ranging from apricot to orange, red and maroon, contrast vividly with the dazzling white surfaces of the large deflationary clay pans at their bases. One of these, referred to as Dead Pan, is a large ghostly expanse of dried white clay, punctuated by skeletons of ancient camel-thorn trees, carbon-dated as being between 500 and 600 years old. When it has rained sufficiently in the interior for the Tsauchab River to come down and fill the main pan, flamingoes and other aquatic birds are drawn to the area.

Accommodation

Agama River Camp- pre-setup tents

DAY 10-03 JULY

NAMIB NAUKLUFT NATIONAL PARK- SWAKOPMUNT

Morning

From the Namib Desert continue your journey to Swakopmund where you’ll be accommodated for two (2) nights. (Approximately 240km’s)

Departing from the central Namib Region today’s route continues in a Northerly direction along the Eastern boundary of the Namib Naukluft Park passing through the small settlement of Solitaire on route to the Gaub and Kuiseb Canyons. Continue across the “gravel plains” of the Namib Desert on route towards Namibia’s premier coastal resort town, Swakopmund.

Excursions on route include the erosion feature of the “Moon Valley” and Namibia’s ancient plant species, the “Welwitschia mirabilis”.

Late afternoon arrival in Swakopmund.

Palm-lined streets, seaside promenades, a pleasant summer climate and decent beaches. Welcome to Swakopmund, Namibia’s premier holiday resort and leading adrenaline destination.

Accommodation

Swakopmund Amanpuri Lodge – Room only

DAY 11-04 JULY

SWAKOPMUNT

Morning

Afternoon

The morning is spent on a quad biking adventure

This is one of the best ways to access parts of the Swakopmund sand dunes that even 4×4′s can’t reach. There is a bit of controversy over the use of bikes in the sand dunes as it poses a threat to some of the rare animal species and plant life that make the sand dunes their homes. However, the legitimate companies that make quad biking in the dunes an adventure experience also make conserving their environment a priority.

Visit Walvis Bay for a sea excursion

Walvis Bay offers an abundance of sea and bird life. From August to April the beaches are full of flamingos, but throughout the year there are lots of other birds, such as pelicans, cormorant, seagulls, terns and many more. Pelicans and seagulls fly alongside the boats which provide opportunities for beautiful photos.

In the Namibian waters there is Bottlenose dolphin which roam the coastline in search of food. Around Pelican Point, which is the end of the sandbank, lives a smaller dolphin called the Benguela dolphin seen almost every day. On the sandbank is a very large colony of Cape Fur seals.

Accommodation

Swakopmund Amanpuri Lodge – Room only

DAY 12-05 JULY

SWAKOPMUND-SPITZKOPPE

Morning

Make your way to the Spitzkoppe for overnight.(Approximately 160km’s)

North-east of Swakopmund is the stark grandeur of The Spitzkoppe (sharp head), one of Namibia’s most recognizable landmarks. It is located in the Namib Desert, between Swakopmund and Usakos. The summit of this imposing granite rock formation (1,728m) was first scaled only in 1946, and its shape has inspired its nickname, The Matterhorn of Africa.

Many examples of Bushman artwork can be seen painted on the rock in the Spitzkoppe area, which is also the remnant of an ancient volcano, formed in the same way as the nearby Brandberg and Erongo massifs. The Spitzkoppe is now a popular mountaineering, hiking and camping destination.

Another notable feature of the area is the dome-like Pondok (grass-hut) mountain. It has a chain at the eastern end, helping visitors to scramble up the steep rock to the Bushman’s Paradise site, a natural amphitheatre that encompasses a splendid floral wonderland.

Unfortunately, the large depository of San art has largely been vandalized; hence The Spitzkoppe is currently a protected MET conservation area, a necessary mandate to save the mountain from increased tourism and abuse. The Spitzkoppe area is run by a woman’s cooperative who maintains campsites throughout the brilliantly coloured rocks. There are often local guides to take the visitor around. Alternatively, visitors can join a day tour from one of the hotels or lodges in the area.

Accommodation

Spitzkoppe Camp- Room only

DAY 13-06 JULY

SPITZKOPPE-WINDHOEK

Morning

Continue on to Windhoek today for an overnight.(Approximately 330 km’s)

Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, is located in a basin between the Khomas Highland, Auas and Eros Mountains. It is 1,680m above sea level, 650km North of the Orange River and 360km from the Atlantic seaboard. Whether due to pure luck or a brilliant stroke of Germanic planning, the city is situated in almost the countries epicenter.

The city centre is characterised by a proliferation of German style buildings, a lasting reminder of Namibia’s early colonial history. Early buildings such as the Alte Feste (old fort), Christuskirche and Tintenpalast (the parliament buildings) are of particular historical interest. In a wonderful display of irony, the Alte Feste Fort, once the bastion of German colonialism, now houses the National Museum which places particular emphasis on the freedom struggle and Namibian independence, right in front of the fort is the iconic Reiterdenkmal (equestrian memorial). Other notable buildings in Windhoek include St Mary’s Cathedral and the Turnhalle Building.

Accommodation

Tamboti Guest House- Bed and Breakfast

DAY 14-07 JULY

*RETURN JOURNEY WINDHOEK-KEETMANSHOOP

Morning/

Afternoon

Early morning departure to Keetmanshoop. (Approximately 550km’s)

Capital of southern Namibia and focal point of the scenic and historic attractions in the surroundings is Keetmanshoop.

The stone mission church, built in 1895, is now a museum with displays depicting the region’s colourful past

Accommodation

Lafenis Game Lodge- Room only

DAY 15-08 JULY

KEETMANSHOOP -UPINGTON

Morning

Early morning departure on the B1 and B3 to Upington, entering South Africa via the Ariamsvlei border post (Approximately 480km’s)

Overnight at Upington.

Accommodation

Afrique Guest House- Room only

DAY 16-09 JULY

UPINGTON-PORT ELIZABETH

Morning

Early morning departure to Port Elizabeth (Approximately 920 km’s)

Arrive back home