TRAVEL ITINERARY Your Perfect Hideaways
Namibia and South Africa
Robert Usdan and Amy Yenkin
4 September to 26 September 2024
The Olive Exclusive
4 September, Wednesday
Welcome to South Africa, the beginning of your African safari!
INTERCONTINENTAL OR TAMBO, JOHANNESBURG
OR Tambo Airport
King Junior Suite: Bed and breakfast
In 4 out 5 September
Johannesburg - Windhoek - Intercontinental
• You will arrive on flight UA188 at 17:45 on 4 September 2024 (own booking).
• Once through customs, exit the arrivals area, following exit and car hire signs.
• Walk out of the ground floor exit of the airport. Look across the road and you’ll see the Intercontinental
5 September, Thursday
THE OLIVE EXCLUSIVE, WINDHOEK
Premier Suite: Bed and breakfast
In 5 out 6 September
OR Tambo International Airport to Windhoek:
Johannesburg - Windhoek - The Olive Exclusive
• After overnighting at the Intercontinental at OR Tambo, you will walk back across the road into International Departures (Terminal B) for your flight to Windhoek. Check in closes 08:15.
• Flight: South African Airways SA74 departs OR Tambo at 09:05 arriving Hosea Kutako International at 11.00 (own booking).
• You will be met by your driver from Omahuka Transfers.
• Private transfer to The Olive Exclusive Boutique Hotel, Windhoek (30 mins).
• Lunch and dinner are for your own account and the hotel are expecting you for an early check-in.
• Your tour of Windhoek is with Namibian Tracks and Trails and you will be collected at approx. 14:30 from Olive Exclusive after lunch (time to be re-confirmed with the hotel and they will let you know on arrival).
• Dinner is booked at 7pm, and Simon and Eliana land at 20:25, so will only be at the hotel at around 21:30 (they will have a pre-ordered, light meal waiting for them on arrival).
Kwessi Dunes
6 September, Friday
KWESSI DUNES, SOSSUSVLEI
Fully inclusive in 6 out 9 September
Windhoek - Kwessi Dunes, Sossusvlei
Kwessi Dunes is a Sossusvlei safari camp located deep in Namibia’s striking NamibRand Nature Reserve, a vast desert wilderness of over 200,000 hectares. With its rolling desert plains and backdrop of craggy mountains and iconic red dunes, this is a place where time seems to stand still and the space is never-ending. Here, it’s not about chasing big game but rather soaking up the beauty of the colourful landscape, admiring the antelope that scatter the sand, and gazing at the stars that light up the night sky.
At Kwessi Dunes, you’ll find 12 cool and comfortable (and air-conditioned) chalets all with canvas walls and thatched roofs. Each bedroom has a separate ‘star gazer’ room, completely open to the sky, and the perfect spot from which to watch the celestial theatre show above. Views from the rooms, the main area and the swimming pool are of the vast, desert vistas and when you can bear to tear your eyes away, enjoy quad biking, scenic drives and walks, hot air ballooning, helicopter flights, horse riding and day trips to Sossusvlei.
Transfers and flight info:
• Private transfer from The Olive Exclusive (estimated departure 07.30) to Eros Airport to arrive 08:30 for your flight to Kwessi Dunes. Fly Namibia will reconfirm flight times the day before with the hotel but your flight is currently departing at 09:00.
Windhoek to Kwessi Dunes flight:
• Fly Namibia* – Windhoek Eros - Windhoek International - Kwessi Dunes
• Flight departs at approx 09:00.
• Flight time is approx 30-45 mins, with a 30-45 min drive from airstrip to the lodge.
We received an update: you are flying with Fly Namibia* (not Desert Air) on this leg now.
• Aircraft changed to Caravan or a 406 (larger than Cessna C210).
• This is a shared flight (hence the Caravan) and as a result, you may be collecting two more guests at the International Airport on the way.
Accommodation at Kwessi Dunes:
Includes:
• Luxury Tented Camp: Twin Luxury Tent
• Fully inclusive, with two drives and three meals a day
• Hot-air ballooning x 3 included and paid for. (Simon, excluded for now*)
• Quad biking or nature drive optional for Simon
• Kwessi Dunes Conservation, Community, Reserve fees, Airstrip transfers
• WiFi in the lodge
Excludes:
• Premium brand beverages
• Discretionary tips/gratuities
• Items of a personal nature
Special activity:
Hot-air ballooning with Namib Sky Balloon Safaris is planned for 8 September x 3 (Amy, Rob and Eliana), but is weather dependent.
* At this point in time, Simon may still join the hot-air ballooning trip. This would be own account, to be settled at the lodge.
• Quad biking and/or a nature drive is optional for Simon, included already.
• Your team at Kwessi Dunes will coordinate with you on arrival, if there are any changes.
Shipwreck Lodge
9 September, Monday Kwessi Dunes, Sossusvlei - Shipwreck Lodge,
SHIPWRECK LODGE, SKELETON COAST
Fully inclusive in 9 out 12 September
Uniquely designed around the enigmatic shipwrecks that line the nearby coast, there’s nowhere on the continent quite like Shipwreck Lodge, our Skeleton Coast safari lodge. In fact, there’s nowhere on the continent quite like the Skeleton Coast. It’s a raw, rugged and impossibly remote slice of African wilderness, where towering dunes and wind-swept plains roll as far as the eye can see, buffeted by the icy Atlantic seas.
But there’s much more to the area than simple isolation. Stay at Shipwreck Lodge and game drive in search of desert-dwelling fauna; discover the enchanting desert flora (succulents and lichens); sit atop the dunes as the sun sinks below the horizon; spend the day beach-combing for whale bones and debris from centuries of shipwrecks; and marvel at the geologically-remarkable Clay Castles. Really, there’s nowhere like it on earth.
Transfers and flight info:
• You will be transferred back to the Kwessi Dunes airstrip 45 mins from the lodge.
• Lodge will confirm the time with you the night before departure but it will probably be at around 10:15.
• Today is a full day of travel taking you over some of the world’s wildest and most desolate landscapes, magnificent when viewed from the air. Kwessi will make you a packed lunch.
• If there are any changes to these flights, I will let you know, but at the moment this is your guideline:
Kwessi Dunes to Swakopmund: flight
• Fly Namibia – Kwessi to Swakopmund.
• Flight time: 11:20 arrives 12:10 Swakopmund (40 min flight) Swakopmund to Twyfelfontein: flight
• Fly Namibia via Swakopmund to Twyfelfontein.
• Flight time: 12:50 arrives 13:30 (40 min flight)
Twyfelfontein to Shipwreck Lodge: flight
• Desert Air - Twyfelfontein to Shipwreck Lodge airstrip.
• Flight time: Change planes and depart approx 20 mins later at 14:00, arriving 14:45 (45 min flight).
• Your Desert Air pilot will be staying over at the camp (in separate pilot accommodation) so that he can fly out with you on 12 September.
Upon arrival you will be met by your driver and take a two-hour transfer by road to Mowa Bay (leaves at 15:00) to the lodge. This is scenic route - you can see Suiderkus and Karimona shipwrecks, plus a seal colony on this route - or you can do this on departure. It might take a little longer if you stop for viewings! You’ll arrive at lodge for sundowners at about 16:45.
Accommodation:
Includes:
• Standard Luxury Room
• Twin accommodation
• Shipwreck Lodge Conservation, Community, Reserve fees are all included
• Airstrip transfers, all meals, daily activities, local drinks, laundry
• Road transfers from Mowe Bay are included
• WiFi in camp
Excludes:
• Premium brand beverages
• Discretionary tips/gratuities
• Items of a personal nature
Activities:
• Sundowner drives to the Roaring Dunes*
• Full day 4x4 Hoarusib River excursions, including the Clay Castles and wildlife spotting
• Beach lunch (*weather permitting)
• Sand boarding
• Quad biking (mornings only, pre-book)
12 September, Thursday Shipwreck Lodge, Skeleton Coast - Hoanib Valley Camp
HOANIB VALLEY CAMP
Fully inclusive
in 12 out 15 September
In a country jam-packed with vast, spectacularly beautiful landscapes, Kaokoland may just be the most incredible of them all. Deep in north-western Namibia, the area is a melee of towering mountains, sand dunes, and huge expanses of desert, scattered with unique wildlife and nomadic Himba settlements. It’s also one of Namibia’s most remote and wild environments, and one that not many will get the chance to discover in a lifetime… unless you stay at Hoanib Valley Camp.
A joint venture including the local communities and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, the world’s only Africa-wide giraffe conservation organisation, the camp is an elegant, intimate affair that immerses you into the wilds of the desert. The six rooms blend seamlessly with the environment, offering a simple aesthetic that matches the rugged landscape down to a tee. Days are spent tracking endangered rhino, desert-adapted elephant, and of course desert-adapted giraffe, before retiring to your private verandah to marvel at the magnitude of your surroundings.
Transfers and flight info:
• On 12 September, you will depart with your Desert Air pilot from Shipwreck at 09:00 and drive back to Mowe Bay (2 hours).
• Flight timings for Shipwreck Lodge to Hoanib Valley (Orutjandja airstrip): departs approx 11am from Mowe Bay and lands at Orutjandja Airstrip (Hoanib Valley) at around 11.30am. Kindly note this is an estimate from Desert Air but exact duration and landing time will be advised within 48-24 hours prior.
• At this point, the Jacobs’ will fly on to Windhoek and you will take the road trip to Hoanib Valley Camp.
• There is a further journey by road from Orutjandja Airstrip to Hoanib Valley Camp (2 hours).
• Total journey time is approx 4.5 hours.
Accommodation:
Includes:
• Luxury Tented Camp
• All tents have standing fans and are ensuite with a separate loo and indoor showers
• Hoanib Valley Conservation, Community, Reserve fees are all included
• Airstrip and road transfers, all meals, daily activities, local drinks, laundry
• WiFi in camp
Excludes:
• Premium brand beverages
• Discretionary tips/gratuities
• Items of a personal nature
Activities:
• Morning and afternoon desert game drives
• Learn about the giraffe research conducted in the area
• Spending a morning with the Herero and Himba communities
• Nature walks
• Track the desert-adapted rhino of the area on foot
Serra Cafema Camp
15 September, Sunday
SERRA CAFEMA CAMP
Fully inclusive
in 15 out 18 September
Hoanib Valley Camp – Serra Cafema Camp
Retreat to Namibia’s extraordinary desert and discover an astonishing landscape in one of Earth’s most secluded safari destinations. Against the backdrop of the vast Hartmann’s Valley and its spectacular geology, redefine your concept of natural beauty. Gaze upon the lush Kunene riverine vegetation and look out for a multitude of wildlife, from desert-adapted oryx, to tiny desert chameleons.
Under verdant trees on the river banks and set in an ancient landscape, Wilderness Serra Cafema is place to disconnect, to unwind to the sound of rushing water, and take in the silence of the desert. Explore the home of the Himba, Namibia’s last semi-nomads, and be amazed by huge crocodiles in the river.
Transfers and flight info:
• On 15 September: you will depart by road to travel to the Wilderness Reserve at Hoanib Valley.
• Drive time from Hoanib Valley Camp (Natural Selection) to the Hoanib Skeleton Coast airstrip (permission has been requested and granted by Wilderness Safaris, provided that you are met by the Wilderness team at President’s Waterhole to be driven to the airstrip). This transfer is approx 40 mins.
• From here, you will be accompanied into the reserve to the airstrip where your flight to Serra Cafema awaits.
• Flight time: departing 10:50 for a 1h20 flight from Hoanib Skeleton Coast, arriving 12:10 at Doro Nawas to refuel.
• Flight time: Depart Doro Nawas at 12:25, landing at Serra Cafema at 13:40 (approx 1h15).
• Drive time: 1-1.5 hours to the camp: approx timing as this is a scenic route - usually wildlife sightings along the way.
Accommodation:
Includes:
• Luxury Tented Camp
• Swimming pool
• Serra Cafema Conservation, Community, Reserve fees are all included
Excludes:
• Premium brand beverages
• Discretionary tips/gratuities
• Items of a personal nature
Activities:
• Massages
• Himba community visits
• Quad biking
• Boating
• Guided nature walks
Namibia to Cape Town, South Africa
Transfers and flight info:
• On 18 September, you will depart Serra Cafema very early (time to be confirmed with lodge, closer to the time) for your flight to Windhoek, leaving camp at approx 06:45 for the 1h15 drive to airstrip.
• Flight time: 08:00 but flight times are to be confirmed closer to the time.
• Wilderness Air Namibia Private C210 charter collection at Serra Cafema and arrival at Windhoek is timed to dovetail with the checkin for Cape Town commercial flight from Windhoek.
• Flight: departing 08:00 and landing at Doro Nawas at 09:15 (approx. 1.15m flight) to refuel at Doro Nawas. • Take off from Doro Nawas at 10:00 and arrive Hosea Kutako International Airport, Windhoek at 11:10, to connect with Airlink flight to Cape Town. The total journey time is around 3h10 (incl refuel).
• Check-in for your flight to Cape Town as soon you land.
• Flight: Airlink 4Z327 departs Windhoek Hosea Kutako International airport 13:45, arriving Cape Town International 15:55 (own booking).
• On arrival in Cape Town, you will be met by your private driver from Samsara and transferred to Dorp Hotel in the Bo-Kaap.
• Check in, relax and enjoy sundowners before an early dinner at Dorp Hotel.
18 September, Wednesday Serra Cafema, Namibia - Windhoek - Dorp Hotel, Cape Town
CAPE TOWN
Dorp Hotel, Bo-Kaap
Rose Cottage
Bed and breakfast in 18 out 21 September
Occupying land like a grand Provençal last-century dame, settled into the slopes of Signal Hill, overlooking the ocean, the city, its harbour, the mountain and the mountains beyond that, Dorp Hotel furtively escorts you to a land far, far away, on African soil. You’ll discover clusters of intertwining suites and garden cottages, private pools and roof terraces. You are booked into the delightful Rose Cottage overlooking characterful Bo-Kaap and Table Mountain.
In the garden, rugged gravel pathways meander a wild-bedded oasis of ancient olive trees, overgrown grasses, lemon, fig, guava and verbena trees, potted succulents and creeping tomato vines. Dorp Hotel feels much like a country club, yet less of the country and more of the gritty city with sincerity. Dorp Hotel is like no other in the city.
Accommodation:
Includes:
• Private accommodation in Rose Cottage
• Own pool and roof terrace with views
• Breakfast
Excludes:
• Lunch, dinners, drinks
• Discretionary tips/gratuities
Activities hosted by Samsara private tours and guides:
19 September:
Private guided tour day: Cape Town (10 hours)
Full day: Robben Island, Zeitz MOCAA, Silo Hotel lunch, Fyn Pescatarian dinner
Morning: Early collection by driver and guide at 08:15 to get to the harbour at the V&A Waterfront for the Robben Island ferry (weather dependent). Passports are required for the sea journey. This is a private tour with a dedicated vehicle on the island (Toyota Quantum) and a guided tour.
Return to the V&A Waterfront harbour approx 4 hours later. Suggest you visit the AAFRICAA store before lunch, with its beautifully curated lifestyle collection of designer African fashion and homeware.
Plan b for inclement weather: Tutu Foundation Museum.
Lunch: (own account): The Granary at the Silo is booked for a light lunch at 1pm so that you have a view of the harbour and Table Mountain (hopefully!). The afternoon will be spent at Zeitz MOCAA gallery with your guide (2-4.45pm) and you will end the tour at Southern Guild, adjacent to Zeitz MOCAA gallery.
Dinner: is confirmed with a deposit at 7pm at Fyn Restaurant (Pescatarian menu by request). Uber back to Dorp Hotel at own expense.
20 September
Private guided tour day - Cape Town/Winelands (10 hours)
Morning: Collection time to be arranged with the guide the day before but the suggestion is to visit the Tutu Foundation early morning, before heading out to the Winelands, if you still wish to see it.
This tour day includes two wine tastings and one non-wine related activity and you will begin at the world-renowned Babylonstoren Wine Farm, after which you will explore Franschhoek.
Lunch: is confirmed with a deposit at Oku, in Franschhoek.
Dinner: is confirmed with a deposit at 18:30 at Pot Luck Club in Woodstock. Your private driver will either bring you directly from the Winelands to the restaurant, or, if you’re back in the city early enough, you can return to Dorp Hotel to freshen up.
21 September, Wednesday Dorp Hotel, Cape Town – Tintswalo Atlantic, Chapman’s Peak
Tintswalo Atlantic, Chapman’s Peak, Cape Town
Luxury Island Suite
Bed and breakfast
In 21 out 23 September
Hailed locally as the most dramatic and romantic destination in Southern Africa, Tintswalo Atlantic has eight luxury suites taking inspiration from some of the most interesting islands from around the world, each with ocean views.
Chef’s Warehouse at Tintswalo Atlantic is a contemporary restaurant offering dining on a large expansive deck with the shimmering ocean right next to your table. This eatery welcomes resident guests, as well as casual diners for lunch and dinner, with an experienced team of Chefs Warehouse at the helm. The dining concept features fresh, seasonal cuisine that will makes it a memorable dining experience with the best view in the world!
Accommodation:
Includes:
• Luxury Island Suite with private deck and ocean views
• Welcome bottle of wine on arrival
• Breakfast and cocktail of the day
• Conservation levy
• Fireplace and air conditioning
Excludes:
• Unspecified meals (lunches and dinners)
• All other drinks
21 September
Half day guided tour (6 hours)
Morning: Collect from Dorp Hotel (9am) and potentially do Table Mountain (fast-track tickets) if the weather is good. Alternately, a hike up Lion’s Head or along Signal Hill or the Pipe Track, with wonderful views of the Atlantic Seaboard, or, you could do a hike up the back of the mountain from Constantia Nek. It depends on the weather and you can confirm your preference closer to the time.
Your guide is a hiking/birding/fynbos specialist and can tailor-make the day around your interests and the weather on this day. Your route will take you along the beautiful coastal road to Camps Bay, Llandudno, Hout Bay and along part of Chapman’s Peak to Tintswalo Atlantic.
Lunch: to be confirmed on the day, pending walks/activities. You will check in at Tintswalo Atlantic early afternoon (plans for the day are all weather dependent).
Dinner: Tintswalo Atlantic (own account).
22 September
Full day guided tour (10 hours)
Collection at Tintswalo Atlantic early morning (8.30-9am) for a full day of hiking/walking/exploring/birding at Cape Point Nature Reserve. Entrance fees and funicular tickets to the lighthouse are all included.
If rainy, there’s an excellent exhibition inside the reserve about early life in the Cape with insight from leading archeologists and Craig Fraser, of the Oscar-winning My Octopus Teacher, which was filmed nearby. From Cape Point you will continue around the peninsula to Boulders Beach see the penguins at the breeding area near Simonstown. Entrance fees are included.
Late lunch: booked at Harbour House in Kalk Bay Harbour, with time to explore Kalk Bay village afterwards, if you wish, before returning to Tintswalo to relax and enjoy the views across the ocean to Hout Bay and the Sentinel.
Dinner: Tintswalo Atlantic (own account)
Tswalu Loapi Tented Camp
23 September, Monday Tintswalo Atlantic, Chapman’s Peak – Tswalu Kalahari
Tswalu Loapi Tented Camp
Luxury Tented Suite
Fully inclusive
In 23 out 26 September
Tswalu is unique destination safari in South Africa’s largest privately owned reserve. Evoking the pioneering spirit of camping, Loapi is a luxury tented camp with six, individual, tented safari homes for the ultimate private wilderness experience. At all three camps, a private safari vehicle, guide and tracker is guaranteed with each booking. Your guide and tracker will take excellent care of you for the duration of your stay, arranging every aspect of your safari at a pace that allows for an unhurried, immersive journey of discovery into the southern Kalahari’s rare and unusual treasures, from iconic wildlife to rock engravings.
Backed by the foothills of the Korannaberg mountains, Loapi’s guests are assured of solitude and seclusion with a dedicated homathi (house manager) and chef to take care of everything. In Setswana, Loapi means ‘the space below the clouds’, aptly reflected in the camps environmentally sensitive, modular design, combining canvas, glass and steel. Uncluttered, sculptural interiors, enriched by nature’s colours, forms and shapes, optimise the sense of space and evoke the carefree, nomadic spirit of camping.
Transfers and flight info:
• Transfer from Tintswalo at 9.30am (to be confirmed the day before with the driver/guide) to Execujet hangar for chartered flight to Tswalu (check-in at 11h00, for 12h00 departure). Arrival time at Tswalu 14h00.
Accommodation at Tswalu Loapi Tented Camp
Includes:
• Luxury Tented Camp
• Fully inclusive, with two drives and three meals a day
• Dinner at Klein JAN restaurant
• Private game vehicle, guide and tracker
• Dedicated homathi (on-site house manager)
• Fully equipped interactive kitchen with private chef
• Full bar, including a collection of South African wines
• Private study with WiFi
• Spacious tented bedroom suite with indoor and outdoor showers (no bath tub)
• Plenty of shaded outdoor space for dining, and daybeds for relaxing and game viewing
• Plunge pool and fire pit
• In-room spa treatments
Excludes:
• Discretionary tips/gratuities
• Items of a personal nature
Special activities:
• Game drives
• Meerkat sightings
• Rock art
• Horse riding
26 September, Thursday Tswalu Kalahari – OR Tambo International – New York
Transfers and flight info:
• Scheduled flight Tswalu to Johannesburg, departing 10:20 (1.5hr flight), arriving at 11:50 at Fireblade Aviation, OR Tambo International Airport.
• You will be transferred to OR Tambo International terminal for your flight home (own booking).
Bon Voyage and
happy safari-ing!
Contact information
EMERGENCY CONTACTS: NAMIBIA
The Olive Exclusive, Windhoek
Reception +264 61 383 890
Kwessi Dunes, Shipwreck Lodge, Hoanib Valley Camp
Natural Selection after hours: +264 81 141 7874
Office: +264 61 225 616 (Windhoek)
Serra Cafema, Kunene
Wilderness Safaris after hours: +264 82 576 9173
Office: +264 81 1243066
SOUTH AFRICA
Dorp Hotel, Bo-Kaap
Reception +27 21 201 0025
Tintswalo Atlantic, Chapman’s Peak Office: +27 21 201 0025
Tswalu, Kalahari
Lodge/Office: +27 53 781 9211 or +27 71 896 7752