Strand Hotel - Intro

Luxury Family Safari in Namibia

Namibia is a vast country, even by African standards, covering an area approximately four times the size of the United Kingdom or twice the size of California, but with a population of a mere 2 million – the second lowest densities in the world giving an amazingly ‘soulful’ feeling of peace and solitude. It is also an ‘ageless land’, visible through our heritage of rock art created by stone-age artists and geological attractions such as the petrified forest where fossilised tree trunks have lain for over 280 million years. Added to the space and silence, these contribute to a feeling of antiquity, tranquillity, and wilderness.

Flexibility is key to a family safari and this family safari affords you the chance to experience this magnificent and memorable country in a very personal way. You will have your own professional and experienced safari guide with each program based around the individual ages of your kids. We stay in camps where staff are accustomed to children, engaging and involving them whenever they can, ensuring they’re kept happy and busy at all times, while parents are able to relax and enjoy a stress-free holiday.

Your Ultimate Safaris guide will have an intimate knowledge of each area and lodge that you visit, allowing them to share the local highlights whilst adding continuity and depth to your safari. It goes without saying that they know exactly what a “True African Safari” is all about. Not only are our guides highly qualified, each has a specific area of expertise. Together they possess the breadth and depth of knowledge to allow them to answer questions and satisfy the particular interests of each of our guests. Your Ultimate Safaris guide will turn your safari into an experience of a lifetime!

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Your adventure starts here

Days

1

Days 1

A meeting place between Africa and Europe

Windhoek, Namibia

Windhoek, Namibia’s capital nestles among rolling hills, bounded by the Eros Mountains in the east, the Auas Mountains to the south and the Khomas Hochland in the west. It is a meeting place between Africa and Europe, the modern and the old. In the capital’s main street, well-preserved German colonial buildings are in sharp contrast with modern architectural styles, while Herero women in their traditional Victorian dresses mingle with executives dressed in the latest fashions. Centrally located within Namibia, Windhoek is an excellent starting point for an adventurous holiday for many visitors to the country and an ideal base from where to explore the rest of the country.

1 Night

Galton House

Galton House is named after the famous explorer Sir Francis Galton. This Windhoek based guest house has a relaxed but efficient style which creates a very welcoming atmosphere. A mere ten-minute drive from the center of town and perched on the edge of Windhoek’s northernmost affluent suburb of Eros, guests staying here will be ensured of peace and tranquility. The seven rooms are all equipped with internet connectivity, satellite television, coffee/tea station and general guest amenities. The communal areas consist of a large lounge, dining room, swimming pool and garden. There is also delightful ‘al fresco’ dining area by the pool, serving freshly prepared and very tasty meals. There are also a number of shops, restaurants and supermarkets within easy striking distance.

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GaltonHouse
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GaltonHouse (2)
Days

2-3

Days 2-3

Brimming with life

Etosha National Park, Namibia

Departing Windhoek after breakfast we head north to Onguma Fort in the eastern section of Etosha National Park in our specially modified safari vehicle. Time is spent over the next 2 days exploring the diversity of the park on game drives, accompanied by zebra, giraffe, lion and a variety of antelope and birds.

Etosha National Park, translated as the ‘Place of Mirages’, Land of Dry Water’ or the ‘Great White Place’, covers 22,270km², of which over 5,000km² is made up of saline depressions or pans. The largest of these pans, the Etosha Pan, can be classified as a saline desert in its own right. The Etosha Pan lies in the Owambo Basin, on the north-western edge of the Namibian Kalahari Desert. Until three million years ago it formed part of a huge, shallow lake that was reduced to a complex of salt pans when the major river that fed it, the Kunene, changed course and began to flow to the Atlantic instead. If the lake existed today, it would be the third largest in the world. Etosha Pan is the largest of the pans at 4,760km² in extent. It is nowadays filled with water only when sufficient rain falls to the north in Angola, inducing floods to flow southward along the Cuvelai drainage system.

2 Nights

Onguma the Fort

Positioned to give guests unrivalled views of the spectacular Namibian sunset, Onguma Plains is a unique refuge in this vast landscape. Overlooking the beautiful scarceness of the Etosha Pans, the Fort gently enfolds guests within massive, cool raw walls and uncompromised luxury. This unique lodge comprises eleven, completely private mini-suites and a fort suite – the latter situated within the spectacular 12m high main tower. Each suite offers sprawling views of Etosha and Fisher’s Pan, as a spacious bathroom with both an indoor- and a private outdoor shower. From every corner of your room, wooden decks and sun-loungers invite you to come out and play. At Onguma Plains the diverse wildlife can be enjoyed from the comfort of your suite, on a sunset game drive or from the main tower – offering unparalleled views of this unique landscape.

Onguma - Details 3
Onguma - Hero
Days

4

Days 4

Brimming with life

Etosha National Park, Namibia

Today is spent game-viewing in the Etosha National Park from your private safari vehicle. We make our way through the breadth of the National Park, stopping at selected waterholes to observe the game gathered there along the way, and then leaving the park through the southern Anderssons Gate to arrive at Ongava Lodge in the mid to late afternoon. The rest of the afternoon can be spent relaxing at the lodge, which is usually welcome after a long day of game driving.

1 Night

Ongava Lodge

Ongava Lodge is situated on the slopes of a rocky outcrop within the private 30,000ha Ongava Game Reserve, which shares a common border with Etosha. Ongava Lodge offers guests the full Etosha experience whilst providing superb accommodation and service, as well as night drives and nature walks on the reserve. At Ongava Lodge guests are accommodated in luxury air-conditioned thatched chalets with private veranda, all with en-suite bathroom. The main lounge, dining and pool area is situated on the foothills of the Ondundozonanandana Range, overlooking a floodlit waterhole and a vast plain.

Ongava - Details 4
Ongava - Details 1
Days

5-7

Days 5-7

A breath-taking mountainous region

Damaraland, Namibia

Today after breakfast we set off on our journey to the Damaraland region where you will spend the next 3 nights at Onduli Ridge. The Damaraland is typified by displays of colour, magnificent table topped mountains, rock formations and bizarre looking vegetation. The present day landscape has been formed by the erosion of wind, water and geological forces which have formed rolling hills, dunes, gravel plains and ancient river terraces. It is the variety and loneliness of the area as well as the scenic splendour which will astound you, giving you an authentic understanding of the word ‘wilderness’.

Here we will head out for scenic nature drives or walks to explore this vast and astounding ecosystem searching for the special desert adapted elephant, elusive black rhino and giraffe. We’ll also visit the nearby geological site of Twyfelfontein, a world heritage site which hold some 2500 prehistoric engravings. We’ll also have an option to visit Doro’s crater where we can hike to the top of the crater rim while a leisurely e-bike ride in the afternoon will ensure little souls sleep restfully  under the stars if you choose to roll your bed out onto your deck.

3 Nights

Onduli Ridge

Onduli Ridge, named after the resident giraffe of the area, is built at the base of two south facing granite outcrops which are connected by a ridge. This location allows for magnificent views of Namibia’s highest mountain, the Brandberg, to the south and the dispersed cathedral-like granite inselbergs to the north. The six suites are hidden amongst the granite boulders that nestle the camp and the more temperate climate of central Damaraland allows for naturally ventilated suites, partial open-air bathrooms and largely open communal areas.

The camp is designed to maximize the views of this most extraordinary landscape and every space becomes a viewpoint whether from the bed, the desk or the bathroom. Louvered shutters can be opened completely, blurring the lines between the indoors and nature, or closed for complete privacy if required. A king size bed cooled by its own ‘climate conditioner’ (Evening Breeze) is also the perfect place for afternoon siestas and the bed can be rolled out onto your private deck for a night under a billion stars as required. The camp exudes character and meticulous attention to detail meeting all requirements, from large rooms to libraries, rain showers, infinity pool and plenty of places to laze. Food to tantalize the palate after enjoying exceptional activities combines a genuinely unforgettable stay with exceptional quality while blending effortlessly into the natural surroundings.

Damaraland
Onduli Ridge - Details 2
Plains Of Damaraland (1)
Onduli Ridge - Details 1
Days

8-9

Days 8-9

The traveller’s meeting place

Swakopmund, Namibia

The drive today takes you south past Namibia’s highest mountain, the Brandberg which peaks at 2,573 m above sea level and west to meet the coast at Henties Bay. You then continue south to the coastal town of Swakopmund where you can enjoy the pleasant seaside location and cooler coastal air for two nights.  There will be time this afternoon to wander around town and along the waterfront on foot if appeals, before heading off for dinner at the popular Tug Restaurant by the jetty which specializes in fresh Namibian seafood. Swakopmund is a charming family friendly destination, offering a choice of things to see and do including camel rides, collecting seashells on the coast and go shopping at colourful craft markets. The ocean however is quite rough and the sea quite cold, so Swakopmund is not a traditional seaside resort but offers plenty of adventure for the entire family.  The peculiar little Swakopmund museum is well worth a visit, exhibiting some curious artifacts.

Swakopmund resembles a small, German coastal resort nestled between the desert and the sea. It boasts a charming combination of German colonial architecture blended with good hotels, shops, restaurants, museums, craft centres, galleries and cafés. Swakopmund had its beginnings as a landing station in 1892 when the Imperial Navy erected beacons on the site. Settlers followed and attempts to create a harbour town by constructing a concrete Mole and then iron jetty failed.  The advent of World War 1 halted developments and the town sank into decline until half a century later when infrastructures improved, and an asphalt road opened between Windhoek and Swakopmund. This made reaching the previously isolated town quicker and easier and it prospered once again to become Namibia’s premier resort town. Although the sea is normally cold for swimming there are pleasant beaches and the cooler climate is refreshing after the time spent in the desert.

2 Nights

Strand Hotel

The Strand Hotel has a prime location on the well-known “Mole” beachfront and with its extensive, unique and creatively entertaining Restaurants, Bars, Deli, Lobby-Lounge, Sea Facing Terraces, Beach Kiosk and state of the art Conference & Banqueting Center, all set on the Mole, a historic and iconic site surrounded by Ocean on three sides, the Strand Hotel Swakopmund is a social epicenter and destination in itself for all visitors to and residents of Swakopmund.  The hotel is in walking distance from the center of town, and has long, sandy beaches right on its doorstep with a total of 125 rooms of which 90% have beach and sea views and 10% garden and park views. Each room is elegantly furnished and feature en-suite bathrooms, complimentary internet Wi-Fi access, Air Conditioning, Electronic Door Locks, Hairdryers, Safes, Direct Dial Telephones, LCD Television with Satellite TV Channels, Tea/Coffee Stations, Stocked Mini-Bars and Working Desks with 220v International Plug Points for Europe, UK and South Africa.

The Delight Swakopmund - Details 4
Days

10-11

Days 10-11

Chic desert-inspired minimalism

Sossusvlei, Namibia

The fascinating drive today takes you south-east through awesome and ever-changing desert landscapes via the impressive Gaub and Kuiseb canyons to meet the dunes at the settlement of Solitaire. A picnic lunch will be had en route and you will continue to Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, where you will spend your final two nights of your safari. Arrival should be in the mid to late afternoon with enough time to acquaint yourself with the surrounding and enjoy a hot shower before dinner.

2 Nights

Sossusvlei Desert Lodge

  • Set amongst the dunes, outcrops and gravel plains of the Namib (the world’s oldest living desert)
  • Bordering the International Dark Sky Reserve of the NamibRand Nature Reserve, the celestial skies are breathtaking
  • Safari suites feature frameless glass panels that fold away to reveal unobstructed desert vistas 
Sossusvlei Dune Portrait
Days

12-13

Days 12-13

An eclectic mix of cultures

Windhoek, Namibia

This morning, after breakfast you will depart for Windhoek, having a picnic lunch en route. You arrive in Windhoek in the late afternoon to spend the last night of your safari at the Galton House. You enjoy a farewell dinner this evening at the guesthouse with your guide, reminiscing about the adventures just passed.

1 Night

Galton House

Galton House is named after the famous explorer Sir Francis Galton. This Windhoek based guest house has a relaxed but efficient style which creates a very welcoming atmosphere. A mere ten-minute drive from the center of town and perched on the edge of Windhoek’s northernmost affluent suburb of Eros, guests staying here will be ensured of peace and tranquility. The seven rooms are all equipped with internet connectivity, satellite television, coffee/tea station and general guest amenities. The communal areas consist of a large lounge, dining room, swimming pool and garden. There is also delightful ‘al fresco’ dining area by the pool, serving freshly prepared and very tasty meals. There are also a number of shops, restaurants and supermarkets within easy striking distance.  

Namibia with a Naturalist Guide_Ultimate en-route to Himba Village
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Your Adventure Ends

Hot Air Ballooning Over Sossusvlei Area (2)
Namibia with a Naturalist Guide_Ultimate exploring Damaraland near __Huab Under Canvas
The Delight Swakopmund - Details 4
  • VIP meet and greet on arrival
  • Transportation in a luxury air-conditioned safari vehicle 
  • 12 nights accommodation with selected meals
  • Services of a registered and experienced safari guide experienced in family travel
From $7445 per person (family of 4)

Trip Summary

Day 1
A meeting place between Africa and Europe

Windhoek, Namibia

Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, is a meeting place between Africa and Europe, the modern and the old.

Days 2-4
Brimming with life

Etosha National Park, Namibia

Discover Namibia’s most famous national park.

Days 5-7
A breath-taking mountainous region

Damaraland, Namibia

Strewn over a hillside amongst flat-topped mountains of red sandstone, Twyfelfontein’s boulders and slabs of red sandstone hold some 2,500 prehistoric engravings.

Days 8-9
The traveller’s meeting place

Swakopmund, Namibia

Set on the Atlantic Ocean at the edge of the Namib Desert, Swakopmund is one of those great traveller way stations along the African road.

Days 10-11
Chic desert-inspired minimalism

Sossusvlei, Namibia

Sossusvlei is famous for its towering apricot coloured sand dunes which can be penetrated by following the Tsauchab River valley.

Days 12-13
An eclectic mix of cultures

Windhoek, Namibia

Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, is a meeting place between Africa and Europe, the modern and the old.

Rich

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Guest Testimonials

Discover why our guests select Scintilla for their travel to Southern Africa.

Hi Cuan.  Just wanted you to know we have had an amazing time in Namibia!  What an experience!  Yesterday we stopped off at a bar in a very remote village after tracking elephants and had beers and danced with the locals which was fantastic.  Between the orphanage, stops in many villages, the kids we’ve gotten to meet, the Himba village and of course all the animals it has just been incredible.  You organized quite a trip for us!  And now, Botswana!!!

The Soloman Family, USA

My week in Namibia was sensational and went seamlessly. From the welcoming pickup from the airport to the beautiful accommodations and fascinating road-trip across much of the country, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Of particular note, the food at Hoodia Desert Lodge was impeccable and the al fresco lunch prepared by the guide after the visit to Deadvlei and Sossusvlei was simply magical. The sundowners at both Hoodia and Onduli Ridge were top-notch, each offering breathtaking views and fabulous Namibian gin cocktails and bites. What made the entire journey so easily enjoyable was the daily itineraries and maps presented to me upon arrival and the overall organization and attention to detail. My solo sojourn was truly flawless, and I will recommend it widely!

Sarah Scott, ZA

Cuan, everything going to plan so far with stunning weather and excellent service and amazing wildlife in Etosha!! Thanks again for your professionalism. Everything has been magical, and we have definitely brought some luck with us being the first group to find the elephants only after 10 minutes of looking !! Really appreciate your help, and I will be recommending you to our friends back home.

Tom Last, AU

Our guide Charlene was out of this world. She was charming, intelligent, and fun and she showed us the best of Cape Town while also educating us on the journey Cape Town has taken from Apartheid through today. We were fascinated, engaged, and overjoyed to spend our final days in Africa with her. She is truly outstanding.

Paul & Wendy, UK

The trip was FANTASTIC, and our guide Marcus was absolutely superb! We took all of his recommendations for our last free day in the city and can’t thank him enough for the stellar suggestions.

Thomas & Mary Louise, Canada

Please convey my thanks to the Cape Town guiding teams! Without a doubt our most memorable moment of the trip was our visit to the Cape Peninsula with our guide, Chizzy. A major positive, thrilling time. The penguins, picnic and swim at the reservoir, continual birthday celebrations for Jack’s 18th Birthday were all home runs.

Suzanne, Jack & Family, USA

The most important thing for me to tell you is that we had a fabulous time with James exploring the Peninsula of Cape Town! Along with our visit to the Zeitz Museum, our day with James was a highlight of the time we spent in South Africa. He was friendly and open about discussing his experiences growing up with apartheid which I really appreciated. I enjoyed the towns we visited, the restaurant where we had lunch, our visit with the penguins, and our hike out to the shipwreck. Thank you!!

Emma & Lori, USA

Well, we finished up Cape Town this evening, heading to safari tomorrow. We loved the country tour and winery tour, absolutely amazing. Also, our guide for both days, was one of the best we have ever had. We couldn’t imagine a better time and she couldn’t be more flexible. Thank you for setting up this first part of the vacation and setting us up with the tours.

Cory & Heather, USA

It was great! Everything worked out perfectly! We absolutely loved the Sidecar experience – wow, was that fun! We loved our guide in Cape Town, Josh, he was the BEST! He was so fun. We took him for dinners and played golf with him! We just thought Cape Town was fantastic. Wine Country was great. Fantastic.

Joseph, Marsha & Family, USA

On Saturday, we met our guide, Charlene, who was OUTSTANDING. We had missed the Zeitz Museum, and she was happy to let us rearrange our schedule so that we could tour it as well as taking me to a beautiful craft market to buy gifts.  On arriving in the wine country, we enjoyed an amazing lunch at La Motte.  With Charlene's background in wines, she was able to recommend the best wineries to visit on the winetram, as well as several good restaurants in the area.

William & Constance, USA

Cape Town was so scenic and beautiful.  Had an interesting visit around town and to the houses of parliament with a very accommodating guide James.  James made that whole experience everything it was and deserves a lot of credit. What a great place to visit!  What phenomenal food!  What masters of hospitality they all are in Africa!

Jeffery & Barbara, Canada
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