Windhoek - Cape Town

An overland safari covering the undeveloped western parts of Namibia and South Africa. This is specially planned to include game viewing, the Namib Desert, Sossusvlei with the highest dunes in the world, the Richtersveld, Namaqualand with the veld flowers, the West Coast with its famous cuisine, the Cape Peninsula with all the world famous sites.

Complete Itinerary:

Day 1: We meet you in Windhoek airport at about 10:00h. We depart for the city centre where we do some shopping and have something to eat. Depart for the campsite on a game lodge not later than 16:00h. By 17:00h we should be on our camping site where the guide's) start preparing supper. You will have time to do some game viewing. After supper, you can either turn in to bed early or spend time around your first campfire in Africa. We travel about 120 km for the day.

 Day 2:  After a leisurely breakfast, we break camp and drive via the Gamsberge down into the Namib Desert. This is a magnificent drive with beautiful view over the Khomas Hochland and the Namib Desert. Lunch we eat picnic style on the road to make our camp near the Sossusvlei National Park not later than 17:00. The distance is about 360 km.

 Day 3: Up long before day-break to break camp and drive to the entrance gate of Sossusvlei National Park. Sunrise should catch us entering the dunes to enjoy one of the most wonderful views in the world. We have a late breakfast right amongst the dunes and then we slowly make our way back. Our southwards road takes us along the Rooi Rante Mountains with spectacular vistas over the desert. In the Tiras Mountain Conservancy area we make our camp on a secluded and very unique campsite. 350 km

 Day 4: After a lazy breakfast we pack a picnic and go on a desert tour of this magnificent part of the Namib. We explore the geology, ecology and some aspects of the history to return by late afternoon to our secluded campsite. Tonight we do the "star gazing" thing after the campfire has burned low. (50 km)

 Day 5: After breakfast we break camp and travel southwards through the Tiras Mountains to Aus. If we have time and you are interested, we drive the 20 km westwards to try and find some desert horses. Then on towards Rosh Pinah and eventually the South African border at Sendelingsdrift. After entering the Richtersveld, we make our camp and enjoy our first campfire along the Gariep River and in South Africa. 360 km

 Day 6: We travel through a part of the Namib biosphere which is dry, hot, isolated, mountainous and undeveloped. We take a 4x4 route into the Richtersveld National Park. Depending on available campsites, we make our camp somewhere in this most unique biosphere. Even though it is only about 80 km, we will probably spend about 6 hours to complete the trip for we need to drive very slowly. We prepare all the meals. (80 km)

 Day 7: Depart for the town of Alexander bay - this is a diamond-mining town. Then on south along the Diamond Coast to Port Nolloth where we'll have lunch. Depending on the weather we can either drive through Namaqualand and view flowers or we'll follow the coast to Klei0nsee and Hondeklipbaai. If weather allows, we do some fishing or even scuba diving along the way and if our luck prevails, we cook our own fish or crayfish for supper. Book into a cottage at Hondeklipbaai or at the town of Garies. 350 km

Day 8: Again depending on the rainfall and the weather, we visit the most famous wildflower site in the world – “Skilpad”. Or we drive south along the Diamond Coast along a 4x4 route. Lunch will be a picnic. During the afternoon, we drive further south towards Klawer where we have our head-quarters on the farm “De Brug”. You will be accommodated in a lovely cottage right on the banks on the Doring River. The farm is situated in the world famous Cederberg Mountains and we are the last inhabited farm before it is totally mountainous. Tonight we’ll have a home-cooked meal typical of the Afrikaans tradition where the family joins in. 260 km

 Day 9: Depart for a winery. Our area has become famous of its unique wines and has won many an award. We eat something light at a wine cellar. We then proceed to Lamberts bay with its famous Bird Island with thousands of aquatic birds. Spend the afternoon visiting the quaint little fishing town and walking on a breakwater to the bird island. Depart for Muisbosskerm, the most famous open-air restaurant in Africa for a dinner that you will never forget. Return to De Brug guest farm. The distance we covered is about 220 km.

 Day 10: After breakfast we pack and depart for Cape Town. We travel via Clanwilliam, Leipoldville and the Verlorenvlei to Elandsbaai. We pass beautiful lagoons and marsh areas on the way. We proceed to the quaint little settlement of Paternoster. Here, on this beautiful beach, a sailing ship belonging to the shipping line of Karl Stephan of Hamburg in Germany stranded many years ago and thus the place was named. We book into a self-catering flat for the evening and enjoy a lovely meal at a restaurant. We should not travel more than 280 km for the day.

 Day 11: Up early to enjoy the magnificent scenery and then we depart for Langebaan Lagoon with it’s more than two million marine birds. We slowly proceed south wards along the R27 – the West Coast road to Melkbosstrand where we book into a well appointed guesthouse. After lunch we do a Cape Town City tour including the world famous Table Mountain via the Cable Way. Hopefully we can have a magnificent sunset from the top of Table Mountain. We eat at a restaurant. The distance we travelled is about 200 km.

 Day 12: We travel along the Atlantic Sea Board to the city centre. Then on to Seepunt, Kampsbaai and Bakoven to Houtbaai. Lunch is taken anywhere along the route as our time and tummy’s dictate. Take a boat for a 1-hour cruise to visit the Seal Island. Then on through Kommetjie to the Cape Peninsula National Park. We take the funicular for a ride to the look-out over Cape Point. We spend approximately 2 hours in the Park. We also visit the Boulders Beach which is home to the endangered African Penguin. We then drive via Kalkbaai and Muizenberg to our guesthouse in Melkbosstrand to complete another 200-km drive. Dinner is en route and supper is taken at a restaurant in Melkbosstrand.

 Day 13: Cape Town and surrounds has all sorts of informal settlings which we call “squatter camps” or “townships.” We do a township tour during the morning. We then proceed to the VICTORIAN & ALFRED WATERFRONT with its shopping malls, sea cruises, restaurants, pubs, semi precious stone factory, Aquarium, Craft Centre, Theatre and helicopter flips around the Peninsular. We take our lunch here. The afternoon is free to do some shopping or to visit Robben Island or just to explore the most popular tourist site of Africa. Late in the afternoon, we return to Melkbosstrand to complete this 80-km trip. Supper in Melkbosstrand at a restaurant.

Day 14: We pack our bags and leave for the most famous University in Africa – Stellenbosch. We do a town-tour viewing the University and old historic buildings. Pop into “Oom Samie se Winkel” to buy some real Africana. Afterwards we do a cellar tour and some more wine tastings. Our last lunch is shared on one of the estates. Then to the drop-off point at around 17:00 to complete this last stretch of about 120 km.

Conclusion:

Distance travelled - About 3000 km. Meals supplied - 40. Accommodation -    Mixed. B+B’s or cottages and tents. Includes - All entrance fees, mineral waters, accommodation and meals as per itinerary as well as 5 beers or sodas per day and 2 glasses of local wine. Excludes - Personal items, sweets, tips. Maximum no of guests - 9 guests in 3 vehicles.
Price:  2 persons - R23, 500 p/p. 3 or more persons - R19, 900 p/p. Single supplement -  R14, 200

NB:                                                                                                         1: We prefer to be paid in Rand seeing the volatility of the exchange rate.     2: The vehicles used are luxury SUV's with air-conditioning and CD players.  3: The clients need only to bring clothes and personal medicine and toiletries. 4: Extra for the clients are bottled water, snacks or sweets, own shopping and the activities other than included in this itinerary.                                         5: This same route can be done at a slower pace where you, our guest can determine if you would like to stay longer in a specific area. Naturally this will increase the total price but not with much seeing the fact that all travelling costs has been covered already.                                                                6: The price includes local beers and wine limited to 5 glasses/p/d 

This is an economy type safari and it is expected of the guests to help with the pitching of the tents, the making of beds and some cooking and cleaning.