5 Day Namibian Skeleton Coast Family Vacation

Arrival / Skeleton Coast

Guests are met and welcomed at a location of their choice in Johannesburg. After completing a few formalities, you’ll be transferred to OR Tambo International Airport. There, you’ll board a regional flight to Walvis Bay in Namibia, close to the famous Dune 7 and not far north of the vast Namib dune sea. As the flight arrives, you’ll enjoy the unique opportunity of observing the Namib landscape from above. The flight passes over the ephemeral Kuiseb River, bordered to the south by some of the world’s tallest dunes and to the north by a barren, rock-strewn plain, rich in minerals but almost completely devoid of surface water. On arrival, you’ll be transferred to your overnight accommodation in Swakopmund, where the remainder of your day is spent at leisure. Included in your stay are two separate day tours. The remainder of your time may be spent relaxing, exploring the village with its quaint German colonial influence, or participating in one of the many activities on offer, easily booked at a local activity center.

LIVING DESERT DAY TOUR

This unique 4x4 adventure drive takes place amongst the dunes surrounding Swakopmund. Driving in the dunes is an incredible experience in itself - but on this tour, you’ll see a lot more than sand. Your tour takes you from the vegetated, life-rich eastern side of the dunes, right through to the Atlantic Ocean on the western side of the dune belt. Your knowledgeable guide will introduce you to some of the fascinating hidden life in this apparently barren landscape, which forms part of the Namib Desert. You’ll see creatures endemic to the Namib, like the Sidewinder or Peringuey's Adder, and the Palmato Gecko with its transparent skin and beautiful colors. You’ll also track the large Namaqua Chameleon and watch as it enjoys brunch. The swift Sand-diving Lizard is another creature you might encounter, as well as the FitzSimons' burrowing skink, a legless lizard. Other characters you might encounter in the dune belt include the 'dancing' White Lady Spider, the Parabuthus Villosus black scorpion, the occasional Horned Adder or sand-snake, desert wasps, fish-moths, crickets, and several beetle species – to mention a few. You’ll also discover how the area’s plants and animals survive in this harsh climate. At the end of the tour, weather permitting, you’ll experience a 'roaring' dune. Your tour will be educational, fun and unforgettable. The tour departs at 08H00 and returns at approximately 13H00.

SKELETON COAST & CAPE CROSS SEAL COLONY

After breakfast, we say goodbye to civilization for the morning as we travel north towards the Skeleton Coast on the coastal ‘salt road’. This northern coastal region of Namibia is one of the most remote locations on the planet. While the landscape is barren and almost completely devoid of any feature, the adjacent cold Atlantic Ocean is rich in nutrients and supports a great diversity of wildlife. Passing the coastal settlement of Henties Bay, the last village along the entire coastline, we continue north to Cape Cross, arriving around 10H30. The Portuguese navigator-explorer Diogo Cão, in his search for a sea route to India and the Spice Islands, placed a stone cross here in the 1480s. Today a replica of the cross is on display at this location.

Cape Cross is a protected area and home to the largest colonies of Cape fur seals on the African continent and one of the largest seal colonies in the world, numbering at least 80 000 individuals. Time is spent at your leisure viewing the seals and, if you’re fortunate, black-backed jackal and possibly even brown hyena, both of which scavenge for food amongst the colony. Later in the day, your tour returns to Swakopmund.