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This is the moment you’ve been waiting for, your safari is about to start and there’s so much to look forward to. We’ll welcome you, give you a taste of what lies ahead, and then get ready to set out and enjoy so many remarkable safari experiences.
Experience the empty horizons, piercing blue desert skies, and incredible sunrises and sunsets as you explore Namibia’s Kalahari Region. Part of a desert that extends into Botswana and South Africa, and the largest desert in southern Africa, the Kalahari is the homeland of the San, and wildlife (including sable) is also a possibility here.
Your Crisscross Namibia Safaris guide will meet you at the Hosea Kutako International Airport and take you on a short sightseeing tour of the capital city of Windhoek before heading south to Bagatelle Boutique Farmhouse. The drive time from Windhoek to Bagatelle is approximately 3 hours on good paved roads with only the last 20kms on graded gravel roads. You will have the option to enjoy lunch in Windhoek or upon arrival at Bagatelle in the early afternoon.
The remainder of the afternoon and evening is at your leisure. You can opt for activities offered by the lodge including, a sundowner nature drive (US$ 45.00/person), or a night drive (US$ 27.00/person) or a star safari from the observatory (US$ 15.00/person) These would be for your own account and can be booked upon arrival at the lodge.
This morning you will walk with the San, indigenous people of the Kalahari to their demonstration village and learn about the ancient traditions and secrets of their ancestors, get to know their survival skills and keep the past alive with them. On the walk, you will be shown how to collect water in ostrich eggs, how to set traps, which plants are suitable for medicine and how to make pearl and ostrich jewelry. This is a truly unforgettable experience, and a fantastic way to touch African culture.
When you return to the lodge, there will some time for relaxation and lunch before your late afternoon sundowner drive and cheetah excursion.
Sundowner Drive & Cheetah Excursion
You will board one of the lodge’s game drive vehicles with a professional guide to experience the thrill of spotting wildlife amid magical red dunes, and then enjoy a sundowner atop one.
The cheetah excursion gives you the chance to get up close and personal with the fastest land animal on Earth. You’ll have an opportunity to shoot unforgettable photos of these gorgeous, graceful predatory cats. The Bagatelle Lodge, in collaboration with the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), is a recognized site for the conservation of this species.
The Bagatelle Boutique Farmhouse offers plenty of space, comfort, great views and a fantastic safari experience. Located on the edge of the southern Kalahari in the mixed tree and shrub savannah, the lodge is crisscrossed by huge red sand dunes.
The owners of the lodge attach great importance to the preservation of nature and its living beings, so you can experience numerous species of animals and plants up close, including antelopes, springbok, zebras, ostriches, meerkats and cheetahs. You can also let the authentic Bushmen introduce you to their ancient traditions.
Your Accommodations: Luxury Room at the Bagatelle Boutique Farmhouse
Immerse yourself in the wonder that is Sossusvlei. There is no more beautiful sea of sand dunes anywhere in southern Africa. There are so many possible vantage points from which to enjoy the view: from high atop one of the dunes that line the valley, from the valley floor near sunrise or sunset, or where an orange dune towers above the iconic silhouette of a lone acacia.
This morning after breakfast at Bagatelle Farmhouse, you will join your private guide for a 30 minute drive southwest to the town of Mariental. Here you will board a private charter flight that will take you to your next destination, Sossusvlei. Flying time is approximately 50 minutes. You will have a birds-eye view of the scenery and desert. You will land at Geluk airstrip, where you will be met by Le Mirage personnel, who will transfer you to Le Mirage Resort & Spa. Your Crisscross Namibia Safaris guide will rejoin you at Le Mirage with the bulk of your luggage before lunch, due to the luggage weight limit of 15 kgs per person for the flight. Please be sure to take with you essentials you may need before you reconnect with your Crisscross Guide. These essentials must be packed in soft, duffel style bags.
After lunch and check-in, the rest of the afternoon is at your leisure. The lodge has a spa that offers massages and other pampering treatments or you can opt for a scenic quad bike excursion, or a nice afternoon relaxing by the pool. You won’t want to miss the magical Namibia sunset from the outside sundowner bar and fire pit!
After an early morning breakfast, we will leave for Sossusvlei. Drive time to the Sesriem gate, entrance to the dune belt, is approximately 30 minutes. The gate opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. Scenery and color changes of the dunes are spectacular as the sun moves from east to west during the morning. We will visit Dune 45 for great pictures of the surrounding desert area, and Deadvlei with its towering sand dunes, which some say are the highest in the world. Deadvlei is a white clay basin with petrified trees estimated to be over a 1000 years old.
Walking distance from the parking area to Deadvlei is about 1.2 kms after driving the very sandy gateway. Hats, water, sunglasses and comfortable walking shoes are recommended. You can spend as much time here as desired. We recommend leaving the dunes just before noon as it gets very hot very quickly. On the way back to the Sesriem entrance keep your eyes open for oryx and the stray ostrich.
Back at the resort, you will have time for lunch and a bit of relaxation before we head back out this afternoon to visit the Sesriem slot canyons just inside the Sesriem entrance gate. We will arrive back at Le Mirage Resort & Spa in time for sunset and a sundowner drink.
Spend some time quad biking, a fun way to take a break from more traditional safari activities.
See the sunrise over the Namib Desert and be treated to a champagne breakfast. Afterward, your private guide will pick you up to explore Sossuvlei, Deadvlei and Dune 45.
A quaint, almost eccentric property architecturally, located about 20km from the entrance gate to Sossusvlei and the dunes. This fortress-like hotel in the middle of the desert has a pool and spa, and a waterhole frequented by desert oryx and spotted brown hyena.
Your Accommodations: Oasis Room
Swakopmund is the kind of place that you can’t help but fall in love with. It’s a hugely attractive town, filled as it is by German colonial architecture, with everything from Lutheran churches and half-timbered houses to an imposing stone fortress. But Swakopmund’s architecture is just the start.
Sand dunes surround the town, and the Skeleton Coast National Park stretches for many remote miles along Namibia’s northwestern shoreline and is simply magnificent. It is another world where crashing waves meet seas of sand dunes, with shipwrecks marooned in the sands in many places.
After breakfast at Le Mirage Resort & Spa, you will be transferred to the airstrip for your 1 hour private charter flight to Swakopmund. Upon arrival, you will be met by your Crisscross Namibia Safaris guide for transport to the Strand Hotel.
Your guide will take you on a short tour of Swakopmund to familiarize you with the small beachside town where the dunes meet the sea. Everything is within walking distance from your seaside hotel. Museum, local handicraft market, restaurants and shopping are all easily accessible.
Your Crisscross Namibia Safaris guide is available to take you hiking in the dunes, if you would like, and can recommend and assist with reservations for dinner at one of the excellent restaurants on the water.
Sandwich Harbor 4×4 Excursion, Walvis Bay Sandwich Harbour – part of the Namib Naukluft Park – is a place many have heard of but very few have ever visited. Giant sand dunes run straight into the ocean, creating breathtaking sceneries and unique landscapes, just waiting to be discovered!
When it becomes time to enjoy something to eat, your guide simply finds a suitable place to stop and serves a selection of oysters and snacks with sparkling wine, beers and cool drinks.
Afternoon half-day starts at 12h30 (check-in at 12h15) and returns at around 16h30.
Photographers, can join a daily photographic excursion from 16h00 (check-in at 15h45), returning at 20h00.
At Strand Hotel Swakopmund you couldn’t be any closer to the sea without getting wet. The modern rooms here are well- sized, and look out over the hotel’s garden or the ocean. The bar and restaurant facilities include a beachside terrace where the Atlantic Ocean views seem to go on forever while you enjoy a drink or a meal.
Your Accommodations: Luxury Sea-facing Room
Damaraland is sure to be one of your favorite areas in Namibia. You’re in one of Namibia’s most beautiful corners as you explore the northern region of Damaraland.
Apart from the beautiful and rugged landscape, where brown mountains shelter numerous prehistoric rock art sites, you might see desert-adapted elephants, giraffes, rhinos, or even lions, especially in the river valleys. There’s so much for you to enjoy here, from the stirring scenery of barren mountains and fertile river valleys to wildlife.
After breakfast at the Strand Hotel, you will be transferred to the Swakopmund Airport for your 1- hour private charter flight to the Twyfelfontein Airstrip. You will be met by Mowani Mountain Camp personnel, who will transfer you to the Camp for check-in.
After check-in you can relax and enjoy lunch and all the superb views from this mountain hideaway.
Your Crisscross Namibia Safaris guide will meet you at Mowani Mountain Camp in the early afternoon with the bulk of your luggage. Please take all essentials you may need for the day with you on the flight, and note that you are limited to 15 kgs of soft luggage per person on your flight.
This afternoon if you would like an adventure, you can join your Crisscross Namibia Safaris guide for one or all of the following:
Surrounded by the red boulders and barren hills of Damaraland, Mowani Mountain Camp is a special place to stay. You’re close to the incredible rock engravings of Twyfelfontein, with lots of wildlife opportunities not far away. The camp itself has appealing bungalow-style rooms, a swimming pool, a restaurant and a bar, all of which are designed to maximize the views.
Your Accommodations: Exclusive Mountain Suite – An exclusive, private thatched suite with spectacular wrap-around uninterrupted views, a splash pool, and a lounge with satellite television and sound bar.
Etosha National Park is a true haven for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers. This magnificent park is renowned for its vast salt pan, which stretches for miles and creates a unique and other-worldly landscape.
Etosha is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, and numerous bird species. Visitors can embark on thrilling game drives and witness these incredible animals in their natural habitat.
After breakfast at Mowani Mountain Camp, you will be transferred to the Twyfelfontein airstrip by Camp personnel for your private charter flight to Ongava Lodge. Your Crisscross Namibia Safaris guide will meet you at the Ongava Lodge airstrip and transfer you to Ongava Lodge for check-in.
This afternoon after lunch you can join your private guide for a Game Drive in Etosha National Park to look for lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffe and lots more as you begin to explore waterholes and woodlands, returning to the lodge just in time for another magical Namibia sunset.
At Ongava Lodge, you get the full Etosha wildlife experience but without the crowds. That’s because the lodge is in the exclusive Ongava Game Reserve which is right alongside the park. You’ll sleep in stunning rooms made of thatch and rock, and facilities include a swimming pool, and a bar and dining area. Big waterhole and horizon views are also highlights, as is the service.
Your Accommodations: Luxury King Room
Your stay here is fully-inclusive and includes twice daily activities (such as nature walks, game drives and night drives) and local drinks (excludes premium imported brands and champagne).
Return to Etosha National Park and get to know it even better. Today you will experience the east and northeastern parts of the park.
After breakfast at Ongava Lodge, you will join your Crisscross Namibia Safaris guide for another game drive crossing Etosha National Park from west to east, arriving The Fort at Onguma early afternoon. Lunch can be enjoyed at one of the camps in the park or at Onguma upon arrival.
After check-in you can relax and enjoy the amenities at Onguma. Your stay here is fully-inclusive and includes twice daily activities, such as a sundowner drive on the Onguma Reserve and the onkolo hide. Check with the front desk upon check-in to see what other activities are currently on offer during your stay and reserve your spot.
You can head down more safari trails today if you choose in search of animals in Etosha National Park with your Crisscross Namibia Safaris private guide to explore different parts of this vast park. Game drives never get old! No one knows what animals we may find, but hopefully we’ll find lots. Notice the ever-changing scenery as we venture into new territory! Lunch can be enjoyed at one of the camps in the park. We will return to The Fort at Onguma in the late afternoon or at your discretion.
This evening you will be treated to a Bush Dinner. Dining in the bush is the quintessential safari experience. You will get to experience the unique splendour of dinner under a blanket of a million stars with the distant cries of animals in the air and the smells of a fire cooked meal wafting over from the pop-up bush kitchen. These are the genuine moments that make you feel truly connected to the wilderness.
Upon arriving at The Fort, you will be received by not only friendly staff, but also massive raw walls, stunning stone cladded features and a huge tower with views toward Etosha and Fisher’s Pan. The Fort will surprise you at every corner; a classical African feel combined with a touch of Moroccan and Indian flavours, characterized by a selection of the most beautiful antique windows and doors.
Honeymoon Suite – The Fort Honeymoon suite boasts views across Fischer’s Pan as well as a fireplace, air-conditioning, minibar, with the added luxury of a lounge, TV, inside and outside showers and outside bath. Heaven on earth!
This suite is completely private and about 50 meters from any others. From every area of the room, wooden decks lead you towards the outside seating area and sun loungers for just relaxing and enjoying the extraordinary view.
Your stay here is fully-inclusive and includes twice daily activities, such as a sundowner drive on the Onguma Reserve and the onkolo hide. Check with the front desk upon check-in to see what other activities are currently on offer during your stay and reserve your spot.
Windhoek is one of southern Africa’s more relaxed capital cities, with wide boulevards and lots of German-era colonial architecture. The city also has excellent choices when it comes to eating and shopping, and it’s home to Namibia’s best museums as well.
Your last night’s stay in Namibia is at the Am Weinberg Boutique Hotel in Windhoek. The hotel’s elegant architecture wraps around a heritage building which forms the heart of the Am Weinberg Estate. It also features restaurants of different culinary styles. It’s a great place to relax and get ready for your safari.
Superior Upper Level Room
Victoria Falls town is your gateway to the magnificent falls, and the views from close to town are among the best anywhere. Gaze in wonder at the scale and sheer beauty of Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya (the ‘smoke that thunders’) as locals call it. It’s an incredible experience whether it’s your first time or you’re coming back for more.
This morning it’s time to say goodbye to your Crisscross Namibia Safaris guide, who will transfer you to the Hosea Kutako International airport for your flight to Victoria Falls International airport. We wish you safe travels as you continue your journey with new safari memories to last a lifetime!
Upon your arrival at Victoria Falls International Airport, you will be met by personnel from The Royal Livingstone for your private transfer via Land Cruiser to the hotel.
Activities for today can be booked with the Concierge at The Royal Livingstone Hotel for your own account.
Activities for today can be booked with the Concierge at The Royal Livingstone Hotel for your own account.
You’ll enjoy the Royal Livingstone, which ranks among the few five-star hotels anywhere to boast direct access to one of the seven wonders of the natural world.
Situated on the banks of the Zambezi within Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, this luxurious hotel is a short walk (or golf cart ride) away from Victoria Falls, and the leafy grounds attract wildlife such as giraffe, zebra and various antelope. The large rooms all have a private terrace, and amenities include a riverside spa, a massive swimming pool, and the choice of four classy in- house restaurants.
This is when your safari will come to an end. We hope that you’ve had the most wonderful time, that you have seen all the animals you dreamed of seeing, and that you will return home with beautiful memories. We look forward to seeing you again.
Personnel from The Royal Livingstone will transfer you via a private Land Cruiser to the Victoria Falls International Airport in time for your departure flight. We wish you safe travels home.
