Day 1:
London/FRANKFURT/WINDHOEK
Depart Heathrow to Frankfurt and onwards,
arriving Windhoek the following morning.
Day 2 - 3: auas
mountains
Following our flight from London
Heathrow via Frankfurt, we arrive Windhoek early a.m. where we are met and
greeted by local driver/guide. Transfer by comfortable 24-seater bus to Auas
Safari Lodge, approximately 45 mins from the airport. En route, we should see
the first Fork-tailed Drongos and Lilac-breasted Rollers. The rest of the day,
for those with remaining energy, we will explore some trails around this
excellent lodge or alternatively you may wish to simply relax in the tranquil
gardens. Expect your first views of Groundscraper Thrush, Crimson-breasted
Shrike, Familiar Chat, Scaly-feathered Finch and Black-faced Waxbill amongst
the fantastic array of passerines. The grounds are patrolled by raptors
including Gabar Goshawk and Pale Chanting Goshawk. This is such a good site
that we have planned a whole day of gentle strolls plus a game drive enabling the
extensive grounds to be explored to the full. The grounds include excellent reservoirs
which are magnets for a range of birds including cormorants, African Darter,
Three-banded Plover, Wood Sandpiper and Hamerkop. Your list of new species
should grow considerably here with Marico Flycatcher, Short-toed Rock Thrush,
Red-eyed Bulbul and Mountain Chat with the additional likelihood of several
Namibian “specials” such as Ashy Tit and Monteiro’s Hornbill. An impressive
array of mammals includes Steenbok, Greater Kudu and Waterbuck. Overnights:
Auas Safari Lodge.
Day 4 - 5:
auas/waterberg
Our journey will take us north
today along excellent roads to the Waterberg Plateau where we will spend two
nights. Our beautiful lodge nestles into the very plateau itself and provides
an unexpected break from the dry thornveld, a perennial fountain giving rise to
larger woodlands. Both Red-billed and Hartlaub’s Francolin can be seen here
plus Purple Roller, Bearded Woodpecker, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Little Sparrowhawk,
Ruppell’s Parrot and Pearl Spotted Owl. Higher on the escarpment we will be
looking for Bradfield’s Swift, Carp’s Tit and African Hawk Eagle. The following
day we will have another chance to fully explore the beautiful grounds of the
lodge including a nearby lake and drinking pool for Bateleur, Black-shouldered
Kite and Secretary Bird plus a myriad of passerines such as Black-faced and
Violet-eared Waxbills plus Green-winged Pytilia. Overnights Waterberg
Wilderness Lodge.
Day 6:
waterberg/etosha
After an early morning walk around the grounds of the lodge we will head
for Etosha National Park, stopping off at Lake Otjikoto en route which can be
good for some of the heron species plus sunbirds and whydahs. We will be
staying for one night at Namutoni, just a few miles into the reserve from the
Von Lindquist Gate in the east. The rest camp is set around an old German fort
and includes a thatched seating area where the nocturnal antics around a
floodlit waterhole can be enjoyed. Red-necked Falcon and gangs of Banded
Mongoose regularly patrol the grounds.Overnight Namutoni.
Days 7 - 8:
etosha – mokuti to halali
Our journey today takes us midway
across the reserve via various waterholes to the restcamp at Halali. Predator
enthusiasts should be in for a treat here with the possibility of Lion and
Leopard as well as raptors galore such as Lanner, Red-necked Falcon and Gabar
Goshawk hunting the thousands of Red-billed Quelea swirling around. On top of
this there are mammals everywhere from Springbok to Elephant and we may even
see the secretive Black Rhino. On the open plains we will scan for
Double-banded Courser, Kori Bustard, Secretary Bird, Blue Crane and the very
scarce Cheetah. Birdwatching is also excellent in the grounds of Halali with
Bare-cheeked Babbler, Golden-breasted Bunting, Groundscraper Thrush, Carp’s Tit
and a number of roosting owl species including African Scops, Southern
White-faced Scops and Barn. The waterhole at the restcamp is one of the best,
regularly attracting Black Rhino, Spotted Hyena and Leopard. Overnights Halali.
Days 9 - 10:
etosha – halali to okaukuejo
We then head on to Okaukuejo our
final stop in Etosha and en route we will explore a number of the best areas
for the big cats including Lion and Cheetah, as well as checking carefully the
various larks which are seen along the road. Okaukuejo is another excellent lodge
with probably the best waterhole in the park, a magnet for birds and mammals
alike. One of the great spectacles is an elephant herd heading at a serious
pace from the horizon to the water. At dusk hundreds of Double-banded Sandgrouse
come to drink, sometimes overlooked by the enormous Verreaux’s Eagle Owl and
this has also been a favourite site for Black Rhino which have been seen
gathering in numbers up to 8 at a time. Birdwatching in the grounds is also
very fruitful with readily viewable Sociable Weavers (plus attendant Pygmy
Falcons), African Hoopoe, Common Scimitarbill, Chestnut-vented Tit-babbler, and
Kalahari Scrub-robin to name a few. Overnights Okaukuejo.
Day 11- 12:
etosha
/ erongo
After an early game drive, we will
depart Etosha and head south-west to the Erongo Mountains, a stronghold for a
number of key Namibian Species including Rockrunner, White-tailed Shrike,
Monteiro’s Hornbill and Carp’s Tit, all of which can be seen around our
beautiful lodge which is surrounded by wilderness and close to rock paintings
dating back thousands of yeas to the bushman era. Klipspringers pirouette on
the rocks while Dassies (Rock Hyrax) take cover from the stunning Verreaux’s
and African Hawk Eagles which regularly patrol the edges. During our stay here we
will leave the vehicle for a whole day giving us a chance to wander the tracks,
relax and witness the sun disappearing from the big African sky revealing crystal
clear stars as Freckled Nightjars hawk for moths around the buildings.
Overnights Ondudu Lodge.
Day 13 - 14:
erongo
Walvis Bay
Today our visit to this land of
contrasts will take us, appropriately, to the coast. The journey then takes us
through increasingly arid country bordering the desert, where, with luck, small
groups of Gray’s Lark, Ruppell’s Khorhaan, Temminck’s and Double-banded Courser
can be spotted. We finish the day in the company of the massed gatherings of
Greater and Lesser Flamingo along with Eastern White Pelican at Walvis Bay. The
following day will give us the chance to really explore the fabulous wetland
sites in this locality for a wide range of waders (some in summer livery) and
endemics such as the diminutive Damara Tern, plus, in total contrast, a visit
to the nearby dunes. Overnights at the perfectly situated and very comfortable
Pelican Bay Hotel, on the edge of the lagoon.
Day 15:
Walvis
Bay/auas
Our last full day takes us full circle, back across the gravel plains and thornveld to the Auas mountains again for a welcome overnight stop. Situated a mere 29 kilometres South East from Windhoek on a hilltop overlooking a spectacular landscape, Gocheganas is a luxury lodge offering top quality accommodation and set in a 6000 hectares of wilderness. As well as a delightful and relaxed final stay, this will give us a final chance to see, once again, some of the typical birds of the central region including Mountain Wheatear, Short-toed Rock Thrush, Orange River Francolin and Martial Eagle to name a few, plus of course a variety of mammals and other fauna.
Day 16:
auas/travel
Our early evening flight will give us time to enjoy a relaxed
morning and some last wildlife watching before our return flight to the UK via Frankfurt.
Day 17:
arrive
uk
