Bokmakierie Birding Safari
Day 1 - 3 - Walvis Bay
Arrive in Windhoek where your guide will meet you and then continue to drive west to Walvis Bay. Driving time is about four hours.
The Walvis Bay Lagoon is a RAMSAR site and home to thousands of flamingos and numerous other species that gather at these rich feeding grounds. Altogether some 80,000 wading birds can be seen on the lagoon.
Birds to spot:
Dune Lark, all the Cormorants, Cape Gannet, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Dabchick, numerous Petrels, Greater and Lesser Flamingo, Damara Tern, Hartlaub’s Gull, South African Shellduck, Rosyfaced Lovebird, White-backed Mousebird and Gray’s Lark.
Spend three days exploring the area with your guide. We will do an excursion to look for the Dune Lark at Rooibank, which is situated on the banks of the Kuiseb River. Extra optional activities include dolphin cruises, pelagic trip, scenic flights over the Skeleton Coast, visit Sandwich bay, quad biking and fishing.
Accommodation: Esplenade Bungalows
Meal arrangements: None included
Day 4 - Spitzkoppe
We leave the coast and drive east for an hour to the Spitzkoppe Mountain, which rises 600 meters above the surrounding plains. Its resemblance to the famous Swiss mountain earned it the name of the Matterhorn of Africa.
The Spitzkoppe is the one place where the endemic Herero Chat should be seen with certainty. Rainfall in the arid Namib is extremely variable and this has an enormous effect on the birds that appear in this area.
Birds to spot:
Ostrich, Admin’s Stork, Whitebacked Vulture, Lappetfaced Vulture, Tawny eagle, Booted eagle, African Hawk Eagle, Martial eagle, Blackbreasted Snake Eagle, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Ludwig’s Bustard, Ruppel’s Korhaan, Northern Black Korhaan, Burchell’s Courser, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Doublebanded Sandgrouse, Monotonous Lark, Longbilled Lark, Spikeheeled Lark, Redcapped Lark, Stark’s lark, Gray’s Lark and Greybacked Finchlark.
Accommodation: Luxury camping, Spitzkoppe
Meal arrangements: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5 - Omaruru
We continue east to the town of Omaruru, which is a charming and picturesque town with tree-lined avenues situated on the bank of the dry Omaruru River.
Accommodation: Stäbe Hotel, Omaruru
Meal arrangements: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 6 - Etosha National Park
The drive to Etosha National Park is about 250km of paved road and we will arrive at the enormous 22,000sq km park in the late afternoon. Herds of Burchell’s zebra, springbok and numerous other antelope species provide continual hunting opportunities for the lion prides.
Etosha is famous for its elephants and also has healthy populations of black rhino, damara dik-dik and black-faced impala. Some 340 species of birds have been recorded including many uncommon members of the hawk and vulture families.
Birds to spot:
Melba Finch, African Hoopoe, Giant Eagle Owl, Glossy Starling,Yellowbellied Eremomela, Burntnecked Eremomela, Forktailed Drongo, Cape Shoveller, South African Shellduck, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Blue Crane, Burchell’s Sandgrouse, Redcrested Korhaan, Northern Black Korhaan, Kori Bustard, Secretary Bird, Rüppell’s Parrot, Meyer’s Parrot and Alpine Swift.
Characterised by its thatched rondavels (hut-shaped bungalows), Okaukuejo is Etosha’s oldest and most popular rest camp.
Accommodation: Okaukuejo Rest Camp
Meal arrangements: Full board
Day 7 - Etosha National Park
Halali Rest Camp is a short drive from Okaukuejo through the park. The lodge is at the foot of dolomite hill half way between Okaukuejo and Namutoni in the east.
Overlooking a waterhole and surrounded by several more, the game viewing is always good a trail up the hill yields a fantastic view of Etosha Pan.
Accommodation: Etosha - Halali
Meal arrangements: Full board
Day 8 - Etosha National Park
Today we head through the park to Namutoni Rest Camp, the most easterly camp in the park. Namutoni was developed around a German fort built in 1902 and now houses a museum and accommodation units of various sizes.
The lodge overlooks a floodlit waterhole and it has a game-viewing hut and lookout tower. Several waterholes in the area make for excellent game drives.
Accommodation: Etosha - Namutoni
Meal arrangements: Full board
Day 9 - Waterberg Plateau Park
The Waterberg Plateau Park was created as a sanctuary for rare and endangered species of the Caprivi, and is one of Namibia's most diverse parks in terms of flora and fauna.
The park covers over 40,000ha and the plateau is 48km long with a width that varies from 8km to 16km. Several hikes have been laid out in the park that will take you right up the plateau.
Game such as roan and sable antelope are likely to be found when you join a game drive on top of the plateau. Many bird species and a diversity of mammals are to be found in the varying habitats of this scenic park.
Another fascinating aspect of the Waterberg is its interesting geology and it is, therefore, not surprising that the conservation of a representative area of the geologically important Etjo Sandstone Formation is one of the management objectives of the park.
Activities include game drives – operated by the park's rangers as an optional extra – and hiking trails accompanied by your guide.
Accommodation: Waterberg bungalows
Meal arrangements: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 10 - Windhoek
After breakfast we explore the area one last time and depart for Windhoek to be in time for your flight. En route we can visit the wood carving market at Okahandja and we can also visit the Windhoek water works to catch up on any missed species.
Meal arrangements: Breakfast
*Please note that this outline itinerary is a guide, helping you to plan your holiday. Our helpful consultants will be happy to assist you planning your own and personal tailor-made itinerary which addresses your specific interests and needs.
Arrive in Windhoek where your guide will meet you and then continue to drive west to Walvis Bay. Driving time is about four hours.
The Walvis Bay Lagoon is a RAMSAR site and home to thousands of flamingos and numerous other species that gather at these rich feeding grounds. Altogether some 80,000 wading birds can be seen on the lagoon.
Birds to spot:
Dune Lark, all the Cormorants, Cape Gannet, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Dabchick, numerous Petrels, Greater and Lesser Flamingo, Damara Tern, Hartlaub’s Gull, South African Shellduck, Rosyfaced Lovebird, White-backed Mousebird and Gray’s Lark.
Spend three days exploring the area with your guide. We will do an excursion to look for the Dune Lark at Rooibank, which is situated on the banks of the Kuiseb River. Extra optional activities include dolphin cruises, pelagic trip, scenic flights over the Skeleton Coast, visit Sandwich bay, quad biking and fishing.
Accommodation: Esplenade Bungalows
Meal arrangements: None included
Day 4 - Spitzkoppe
We leave the coast and drive east for an hour to the Spitzkoppe Mountain, which rises 600 meters above the surrounding plains. Its resemblance to the famous Swiss mountain earned it the name of the Matterhorn of Africa.
The Spitzkoppe is the one place where the endemic Herero Chat should be seen with certainty. Rainfall in the arid Namib is extremely variable and this has an enormous effect on the birds that appear in this area.
Birds to spot:
Ostrich, Admin’s Stork, Whitebacked Vulture, Lappetfaced Vulture, Tawny eagle, Booted eagle, African Hawk Eagle, Martial eagle, Blackbreasted Snake Eagle, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Ludwig’s Bustard, Ruppel’s Korhaan, Northern Black Korhaan, Burchell’s Courser, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Doublebanded Sandgrouse, Monotonous Lark, Longbilled Lark, Spikeheeled Lark, Redcapped Lark, Stark’s lark, Gray’s Lark and Greybacked Finchlark.
Accommodation: Luxury camping, Spitzkoppe
Meal arrangements: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5 - Omaruru
We continue east to the town of Omaruru, which is a charming and picturesque town with tree-lined avenues situated on the bank of the dry Omaruru River.
Accommodation: Stäbe Hotel, Omaruru
Meal arrangements: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 6 - Etosha National Park
The drive to Etosha National Park is about 250km of paved road and we will arrive at the enormous 22,000sq km park in the late afternoon. Herds of Burchell’s zebra, springbok and numerous other antelope species provide continual hunting opportunities for the lion prides.
Etosha is famous for its elephants and also has healthy populations of black rhino, damara dik-dik and black-faced impala. Some 340 species of birds have been recorded including many uncommon members of the hawk and vulture families.
Birds to spot:
Melba Finch, African Hoopoe, Giant Eagle Owl, Glossy Starling,Yellowbellied Eremomela, Burntnecked Eremomela, Forktailed Drongo, Cape Shoveller, South African Shellduck, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Blue Crane, Burchell’s Sandgrouse, Redcrested Korhaan, Northern Black Korhaan, Kori Bustard, Secretary Bird, Rüppell’s Parrot, Meyer’s Parrot and Alpine Swift.
Characterised by its thatched rondavels (hut-shaped bungalows), Okaukuejo is Etosha’s oldest and most popular rest camp.
Accommodation: Okaukuejo Rest Camp
Meal arrangements: Full board
Day 7 - Etosha National Park
Halali Rest Camp is a short drive from Okaukuejo through the park. The lodge is at the foot of dolomite hill half way between Okaukuejo and Namutoni in the east.
Overlooking a waterhole and surrounded by several more, the game viewing is always good a trail up the hill yields a fantastic view of Etosha Pan.
Accommodation: Etosha - Halali
Meal arrangements: Full board
Day 8 - Etosha National Park
Today we head through the park to Namutoni Rest Camp, the most easterly camp in the park. Namutoni was developed around a German fort built in 1902 and now houses a museum and accommodation units of various sizes.
The lodge overlooks a floodlit waterhole and it has a game-viewing hut and lookout tower. Several waterholes in the area make for excellent game drives.
Accommodation: Etosha - Namutoni
Meal arrangements: Full board
Day 9 - Waterberg Plateau Park
The Waterberg Plateau Park was created as a sanctuary for rare and endangered species of the Caprivi, and is one of Namibia's most diverse parks in terms of flora and fauna.
The park covers over 40,000ha and the plateau is 48km long with a width that varies from 8km to 16km. Several hikes have been laid out in the park that will take you right up the plateau.
Game such as roan and sable antelope are likely to be found when you join a game drive on top of the plateau. Many bird species and a diversity of mammals are to be found in the varying habitats of this scenic park.
Another fascinating aspect of the Waterberg is its interesting geology and it is, therefore, not surprising that the conservation of a representative area of the geologically important Etjo Sandstone Formation is one of the management objectives of the park.
Activities include game drives – operated by the park's rangers as an optional extra – and hiking trails accompanied by your guide.
Accommodation: Waterberg bungalows
Meal arrangements: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 10 - Windhoek
After breakfast we explore the area one last time and depart for Windhoek to be in time for your flight. En route we can visit the wood carving market at Okahandja and we can also visit the Windhoek water works to catch up on any missed species.
Meal arrangements: Breakfast
*Please note that this outline itinerary is a guide, helping you to plan your holiday. Our helpful consultants will be happy to assist you planning your own and personal tailor-made itinerary which addresses your specific interests and needs.
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