The Route: calendar, hotels and accommodation regime
on: Accommodation only. BB: Includes Breakfast. BBD: Breakfast and dinner
- 13 June. Windhoek. BB. Hotel
- 14 June. Namibian Kalahari BBD. Lodge
- 15 and 16 June. Galagadi Park, South Africa. on. P.N Bungalows.
- 17 June. Fish River Canyon. BBD. Guest House
- 18 and 19 June. Sossusvlei. BBD. Lodge/Bungalows
- 20 and 21 June. Swakopmund. BB. Guest House.
- 22 and 23 June. Damaraland. BBD. Lodge.
- 24 June. Opuwo. BB. Guest House
- 25 June. Epupa Falls. BBD. Lodge/Bungalows.
- 26 June. Ruacana Falls. BBD. Guest House
- 27 and 28 June. Etosha National Park. BB. P.N Bungalows.
- 29 June. Regreso a Windhoek
The Route explained day by day
13 June. Windhoek
The capital of Namibia is undergoing a transformation and improvement in recent years. The 13 June is a day of arrival and rest to prepare for the route. The pick-up of travelers will be at the airport itself since it is planned to transfer to the city. We stayed in a hotel attached to a practical leisure and shopping area where to finalize preparations and rest for the demanding and already exciting day that follows. Travelers who wish can take a tour of the city. In the vicinity of the Lutheran Church of Christuskirche is the Independence Museum, with a viewpoint cafeteria on the top floor, and a small shopping area with gardens that has a pleasant walk.
14 June. The Namibian Kalahari: 541 km/ 6 hours
We got up very early and headed to our first stop., the town of Rehoboth. Our endeavor is to give a journalistic varnish to the route. There we will meet the tribe of the Bastards (bastard). And 2021 We were working with them on a series of reports. This is a very peculiar mixed tribe, who call themselves bastards with pride, and that serve as an example of many of the social problems that occur in the south of the continent.
After knowing his story, We take the cars and a long route awaits us to the beautiful red dunes of the Namibian Kalahari along the spectacular and empty roads of Namibia. The proposal is to stay in one of the lodges next to the South African border and enjoy a first dinner in the middle of nature under the starry African sky..
15 and 16 June. South African Kgalagadi. 136 km. Full day safari
After a short early morning safari through the red lands of the Kalahari, We are heading to one of the most beautiful borders that exist, the one that connects the Namibian Kalahari with the South African. There, after passing the controls, We enter through the Mata Mata camp and head to the Twee Riverien camp., where we spent the next two nights. Kgalagadi is a very special park, in the desert, with herds of wildebeest, Zebras, gazelles or giraffes, and a complete collection of felines.
The park is famous for the number and variety of birds of prey it houses., have a large colony of friendly meerkats, and for its certain ease to contemplate lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Hyenas, wild cats or honey badgers, that are part of the fauna of this beautiful and inhospitable place. But on a safari you can never count on seeing animals that live in freedom.. In our own experience we have done safaris in this park where we have seen felines and we have also spent days where none have appeared and we have enjoyed other animals and its beautiful landscape.
Only in the camp where we slept is there a restaurant, so we have to stock up on supplies at the supermarkets to have breakfast in our bungalows first thing in the morning and eat at one of the park's picnic areas with our own supplies.. We will spend the whole day contemplating the fauna and landscapes of Kgalagadi.
17 June. Fish River Canyon. 430 km. 5 hours (+ border crossing)
We leave very early for Namibia. The travel time will depend on how long it takes us to cross the border., what is unpredictable. We stopped for lunch near the Fish River Canyon. After that, we make a Visit to the viewpoint to take a walk and contemplate its spectacular sunset. Then, We returned to sleep in a guest house.
18 and 19 June. Namib desert. 589 km. 6.45 hours
There are few roads in Namibia that are not worth spending hours traversing., perhaps this route is one of the least attractive, especially in the first part. We will stop to eat at a peculiar restaurant and village that exists halfway along the road and that claims to have the best and authentic apple pie in Namibia. (the fight is with Solitaire, where we will also stop to judge who we give the title to). But every effort has its reward and finally we reach the outskirts of the Namib, perhaps the most beautiful desert on the planet and surely the oldest. We will have dinner and sleep under a blanket of stars to prepare for the visit of Sossusvlei.
The 19 June, We will enter first thing in the morning at the park gate to go first to Sossusvlei. That is a magical place, where tall red dunes surround a salt flat with some petrified tree trunks. Those who wish, they can climb the dunes, walk along its apex to the so-called Big Daddy, a dune of 325 meters, from which one can drop to the ground sliding through the red sand. After enjoying this corner of the Namib, On the way back we will stop at other famous dunes, as 45, and observing the park's fauna. Then, at the door, A good beer and food awaits us in the legendary bar of the Sesriem NWR camp. An unforgettable day.
20 and 21 June. Swakopmund. 351 km. 4.30 hours
The morning 20 June, We have the first of the two optional activities of the trip and that must be booked in advance personally by the participants with companies outside of VAP. Those who wish to try balloon flight over the desert can do so by clicking this link. If four people do it, One car would stay waiting and the other would decide among the participants whether to go to Swakopmund or make a new visit to the Namib National Park.. Balloon flight is an expensive but highly recommended activity that we tested in 2008.
In case no one is interested in doing the balloon flight, we will leave quietly, this time without getting up early, road to the capital of the namibian ocean. Before, We will stop to have a snack at Solitaire, and from there we will cross the desert. We will pass the Tropic of Capricorn, some narrow canyon and dunes that were on the sides, along a road that is not forgotten for its beauty and serenity.
And Walvis Bay, We will stop to look for the flamingo colonies, and that night we will have dinner and have a drink in the most "bustling" and modern city of the trip: Swakopmund. It is also the perfect place for those who want to shop among its numerous craft stores..
The morning 22, have second option of personal activity of the trip. For those who are interested, can do the spectacular excursion of the Sandwich Harbor dunes. You need to reserve in advance this activity, (It can be with this company or any of the ones that do the route). You must use special cars and have a lot of driving skills to take an excursion in a unique landscape. The vehicles go between the beach and the high dunes of the desert through which the 4 climb and descend.×4. We carry out the activity in 2021, hiring with a local company, and we loved it.
If there are people who do not want to do that excursion, we can go to Spitzkoppe, a mountain that we would all know together. We have never been there because from Damaraland to Swakopmund we have always gone through Costa Esqueletos. So it's a good option, which they spoke to us very well about last year, to do some hiking through a special landscape (they assured us).
22 and 23 June. Damaraland. 445 km. 6 hours
This is another one of those long days on the road.. The car is part of the trip because what is behind the window is a spectacle. We will leave at 8.30 to reach the 10 in the morning to Cape Cross, where we will contemplate a spectacular nature reserve with thousands of seals. After an hour of visit, we have a long journey ahead of us, entraremos, dependerá del horario en la mítica Costa Esqueletos, o decidiremos ir por dentro, la parte más agestre de Damaraland. We will take advantage of the sea to our left in the first kilometers to stop to contemplate the remains of a sunken ship, y luego nos adentraremos en las vacías carreteras de la zona. Along the way we will find one of the longest-lived and most resistant plants on the planet., the Welwitschia. Once again it's time to eat something in the car, to finally reach Damaraland, one of our favorite landscapes in Namibia. There we will sleep in a special lodge.
The next morning, We will leave with an expert in search of the desert elephants. This is an arid land where the fight for water becomes a fight for survival between animals and humans. We'll chat about all those challenges as we try to locate the largest land mammals on the planet., who have developed there a special ability to survive. Finding them or not is a conditional, You must always remember that wildlife is not a zoo, but the environment, almost martian, It is unique and a perfect example of many of the globe's climate challenges. We have been there for several years and the landscape can be very changeable. And 2021, After a very long drought, it coincided with the fact that we arrived together with some intense rains. Everything turned green and we contemplated a unique landscape very different from that of other years.. The photo on the left is Damaraland in 2021 and the one on the right is 2024.
24 June. Opuwo. 255 km. 4 hours
This time we don't have to get up early. We will leave after breakfast and cross Palmwag and detour towards the town of Opuwo. We take a completely empty road but with a spectacular landscape. Little by little, We enter the true lands of the Himbas, the photogenic and peculiar "clay tribe". End, We arrive at the fictitious capital of this nomadic tribe that faces so many challenges to survive..
Opuwo is a peculiar place where one can stumble at the gas station, restaurant or supermarket with half-naked himbas or with the elegant herero, cousins of the Himbas who in the times of the German colony decided to dress to avoid extermination (we will have time to talk about it). With the help of a local guide, Maybe we can visit a first town with the idea of understanding more than just photographing. We have almost 20 years working with that tribe and on each visit, in every interview, we learn new things. That night we slept in a guest house in the city..
25 June. Epupa Falls. 179 km. 2.30 hours
Clearly, one of our African weaknesses. They are located on the border with Angola, with the only watershed of the Kunene River. After a dirt road where there are multiple Himba villages on the sides, you reach the waterfall. It is a multiple waterfall in which the river spreads over the rocks in all directions. Hay baobas, literally, hanging on stones, and crocodiles, in the backwaters, resting on the stones. Epupa is wild, it's beauty, and it is the place where they live, sheltered from that water, many traditional himba tribes.
We will visit a town, We will chat with its inhabitants with the help of an interpreter, and we will enjoy the waterfall at sunset and sunrise the next day. There is a small walk that goes next to the flow, ascending, where you feel and see the waterfall in all its splendor. Also, We will go up to Samuel's viewpoint to have a beer. A special place from which to enjoy a complete perspective. We slept in some cabins next to the river.
26 June. Ruacana Falls. Between 2 and 4 hours
Let's honestly explain this journey. Us and you will be the first time we do it. Until not long ago, The D3700 road was in very bad condition and few cars entered it. Being this 2024 and Damaraland, in a lodge where we met at a shared table dinner with Josef, one of the oldest and most experienced guides in Namibia, and the director of the Etendeka conservation area, They both commented that this stretch of road was now in good condition and that it was one of the most beautiful roads in Namibia.. And 2010, They already told us about that route along the Kunene River as something special, but then a 4 was needed×4, a lot of skill and to do it only in the dry season because the flow often overflowed.
After the advice of both of them to do that route if it took a group, I searched information on the internet and indeed several people have done the D3700 without problem. Still I called Samuel, the Himba owner of Epupa's View Point Campsite, travel Guide, that reaffirmed to me that it is possible and worth taking that path. So we have included it in the route and it will be something that we will all discover together. In any case, if there had been heavy rain, Ruacana can be accessed by a normal southern road. Its 320 km and more or less 4 hours of travel if you go slowly (Google Maps por error, as another explains here text from an Epupa lodge, It does not give the option to make the D3700) . If we arrive early as planned, we would visit Ruacana Falls that same afternoon, but since the route along the Kunene seems magnificent and there are options to enjoy it without stress, We'll let the journey decide that.. That night we will sleep in an affordable guest house in Ruacana.
27 and 28 June. Etosha National Park. 350 km. 4.40 hours
early in the morning, We would go visit Ruacana Falls if we hadn't done it the previous afternoon. We will not go to Angola, but we will enjoy the best views that are obtained from the Namibian side. Ruacana is one of the largest waterfalls and carries the most flow on the entire continent..
After visiting the waterfall, We will start the march to reach our last destination: the dazzling and special Etosha National Park. We will sleep in two different campsites in the park: Namutoni y Halali u Okakuejo.
Etosha is very diverse from north to south. Above there are extensive meadows and it is easier to see animals in the distance. It is more of a savanna landscape. While to the south there are more bushes and bushes. It is a park with abundant animal life, including elephants, moose, Zebras, Giraffes… and rhinos (next to the South African Kruger Park, it is the easiest place to see rhinos in all of southern Africa). There is also a significant number and variety of felines.. We will spend hours during the day tracking the beasts and enjoying the landscape, but with the peculiarity that at night or during the day during lunch, those who want to, can enjoy the spectacle that is the Etosha watering holes.
The Park has amphitheaters in all the camps where you can sit and, under daylight or artificial light, wait for animals to arrive to drink as happened in the video above. In these years at the Etosha watering holes we have seen leopards, Hyenas, rhinos or elephants… They say that "fortune favors the bold", in Etosha favors patients and those suffering from insomnia.
Airport or hotel in Windhoek 458 km. 5 hours
After a last morning safari to say goodbye to the lush African nature, we begin the return home. It depends on the time, We can stop to eat something on the way or in the capital. A South African wine, a namibian beer, or a juice for whoever wants it, to provide, hope, for a trip that has been unforgettable for everyone.
Each traveler will be taken to the airport, if they take a night flight 29 June (At this moment there is one scheduled for Lufthansa that leaves at 18.50 hours), or to the accommodation you indicate to us. We advise those staying one more night to stay in one of the cheap guest houses around the airport that offer transportation to the aerodrome.. We have tried accommodations like Etango Ranch, there are others that you can find, and we recommend those options rather than returning to the capital.
Trip cost, payment method, dates and what the route includes
When is the trip?
Travel dates are fixed, of 13 from June to 29 June.
Are there other possible dates?
If there is a group of travelers, minimum 6 and maximum 8, who is interested in making the trip on other dates, Write to us and we will evaluate if it is possible.
How many people are in the group?
The trip is planned for a minimum of 6 people and a maximum of 8. The final price varies if 6 you 8.
How is the payment?
Bank credit. To confirm the route a first payment is made 600 euros per person. Esa reserva no se devuelve en ningún caso salvo que la ruta se anule por falta de participantes o por causa de VAP viajes. The rest of the payment, for the total, will be carried out 50% restante el 13 April (1450 EUR), and 50% final antes del 1 June (1450 EUR).
Do I get my money back if I don't go or is the trip suspended??
If he 1 de abril no hay apuntadas seis personas, el viaje queda cancelado y se devuelve la integridad del importe.
If the trip is canceled due to VAP, The entire amount is returned at any time prior to the departure of the route.
Yes after confirming the route, the passenger cancels the trip, lose the amount in the following percentages. Between 13 de abril y el 1 May, you lose the 25% of the amount. Between 1 May and 1 June, the is returned 50% del total del importe. After the 1 June, you lose the 100% of the amount.
What does the route include??
Transport, Lodging (in the indicated regime) and the guide-escort drivers. Also includes all entrance fees to the parks and the Damaraland elephant tour and visit to the basters and himbas.
What the route does not include?
International flights, Meals not included in the mentioned packages in the hotels, additional excursions, the hotel of the day 29 June for those who dedicate themselves to staying in Windhoek, and any type of cost that does not appear as included in the previous sectionr.
How much?
The cost for a group of 8 People is 3500 EUR per person. The cost for a group of 6 People is 3750 per person. The traveler accepts both costs at the time of signing up for the route while waiting to confirm the departure with 6 you 8 People.
Total route map: more than 5500 km
trip map Depart Windhoek and return to Windhoek.
General considerations
-VAP routes are author tours for small groups with an adventurous spirit, traveler and journalist. We travel with two cars. Javier Brandoli and Daniel Landa drive the vehicles, They accompany travelers and explain a country they know well as an integral part of the trip. La ruta marcada es orientativa, pero se pueden cambiar algunas opciones o excursiones, sin cambiar los días del viaje y el tipo de alojamiento propuesto salvo por causa mayor. Nuestro espíritu, just, es no hacer viajes organizados, sino viajes vivos en los que en el propio viaje se puedan modificar algunos aspectos por petición de los viajeros o por consideración del director de ruta para llegar antes al punto de destino. También elementos climáticos, de seguridad o sanitarios pueden modificar el recorrido.
–The trip has a journalistic component. We offer our professional knowledge during the route both to record plans, hacer fotografías y encontrar historias.En VAP ofrecemos cursos on line de periodismo, we are journalists, and our activities inevitably have a journalistic component, but this is in any case a traveler's route and not a journalist's trip, something we do specifically plan to do in the future.
-Is a demanding trip in terms of food, road hours and schedules. The route by car will surely add to the total more than 5.500 km. That means many hours in the car on some days.. Maybe sometimes we should have a strong breakfast and grab something quick in your own vehicles to reach the destination in time to enjoy the activity and enjoy a good dinner. This route emphasizes discovering landscapes, fauna and people. We always sleep in shared rooms (two people) so as not to have to set up and dismantle camps that delay us.
-VAP is not a travel agency, if not a website whose directors will propose selected routes every year, formed with their prior knowledge, in which they will take part as drivers and companions. The deadline is 1 May. The expedition will leave with a minimum of 6 people and a maximum of eight. We will go in two 4×4, which means that if 8 we will go five people per car (They are large vehicles and adding a third car exponentially multiplies the costs.).
-The hotels, personally selected and tested, They are indicative proposals, But until we have the trip confirmed, in most cases we cannot confirm reservations without penalties.. The definitive selection of accommodations, that will adhere to what is stated above in terms of qualities, It will not be available until the route is confirmed and will be communicated to each participant. The price will never increase for travelers, It is VAP that assumes a possible extra cost. We can send the accommodation proposal to interested travelers by private message.. There will be complete transparency in this process.
-All Travelers are required to take out international travel insurance covering Namibia and South Africa.
-Before proceeding to the reservation, if there are doubts, We suggest making video calls to clarify any issue that arises.
-We are also open to answer any questions by email: vap@viajesalpasado.com
We would love to have travelers who have understood our travel idea. End, traveling is learning and enjoying. We will try to help bring about this:
Final Note: All videos, except for the section from Epupa Falls to Ruacana, and all the photos, have been made in the last 17 years by Javier Brandoli and Daniel Landa.
