Cape Cross Seal Colony - Half Day:

Depart from your hotel in the morning. Your first stop is at the Salt works where spectacular flocks of flamingoes and other waders feed in the nutrient rich waters of the pans. Traveling north you pass through fields of various species of lichen, and ancient plant form.

After a short visit to the angling town of Henties Bay you arrive at Cape Cross where Europeans first set foot on Namibian soil more than 500 years ago. A dolerite replica cross marks the exact spot where Diego Cao, the Portuguese navigator, planted his cross in 1846.

Cape Cross is also home to a colony of 80,000 Cape fur Seals and you spend some time watching the antics of the young pups and the mock fights of the bulls before heading back to Swakopmund.

Namib Naukluft Park and the Welwitschia Plains - Half Day:
 

Clients will be collected at 09h00 at the respective accommodation establishment and after the introduction we head east  on the main road in the direction of Windhoek.

Our first stop is at the "Martin Luther" a steam tractor shipped from Halberstadt, Germany in 1896 to replace the ox-wagons transporting goods from the coast to the interior. Locals named it after the protestant reformer who once said "Here I stand. May God help me, I cannot do otherwise."  A tale of sweat, tears and frustration unfold as we discuss the history of this famous landmark.

Shortly after turning onto the gravel road we cross the Swakop River. The Namas who inhabited the area before the first European settlers arrived, called the river "Tsoaxoub", a reference to the muddy appearance of the river when, in flood, it carries vast amounts of sand to the sea.

Soon after entering the Namib Naukluft Park we turn onto the Welwitschia Drive, which is regarded as one of the best ways of discovering the jealously guarded treasures of the Namib and its gravel plains. On this drive we will examine different species of lichen as well as some of the more common species of plants, enjoy a magnificent view of the "Moon Landscape" with its multitude of eroded valleys, stop at a World War 1 camp site, take a closer look at the geology of the area and visit an abandoned iron ore mine.

We will visit the farm "Goanikontes" which provided fresh produce to the town of Swakopmund after its establishment in 1892. The farm is situated on the banks of the Swakop River and with its tall eucalyptus and palm trees it creates an oasis on the middle of the desert.

The Welwitschia, probably the strangest plant ever discovered, occur in a narrow strip approximately 1000 km long and l00 km wide stretching northwards from the Kuiseb River to Namibia in Angola. We will discuss the origins of the plants, the differences between the male and female plants, the leaf structure and their surprising ability to defy the forces of both the desert and age. We will also share thoughts on how pollination takes place and we can also identify the cunningly disguised predatory insects.

Oyster Sundowner Experience:
 

Depart from you Hotel in the late afternoon to experience a spectacular Namib sunset over the cold Atlantic ocean. While driving over and in between the dunes of the Namib desert your get first hand experience of some of the sites and sounds of the desert. Your drive takes you through the Swakopmund River bed over some smaller and higher dunes, past the Horses Graveyard to finish high up on the Sundowner dune.

Enjoy some fresh Namibian oysters together with Sparkling wine and Orange juice while we savor the beauty of the ocean and the Namib desert.

Swakopmund and Surroundings Tour:
 

Clients will be collected at 09:00 at the respective accommodation establishments and after the introductions we head into town.

We will visit some of the older buildings which were built at the turn of the century in the Art Nouveau
(Jugendstil ) architectural style so popular at the time.

It is because of this that this delightfully beautiful town is often described as a slice of Germany on the edge of a desert.  Some of the buildings which we will visit will be the German Evangelical Lutheran church and parsonage, the St. Antonius Hospital, the Kaiserliches Bezirkgericht and Woermann House.

We will also pay a visit to the well known jetty built in 1904 in order to make the discharging of cargo from ships anchored about half a mile off the coast less hazardous and more efficient.

We visit a dealer in semi-precious stones where we can view all the gemstones mined in Namibia both in the natural form and in the polished form.

We pay a visit to the newly opened Aquarium which is the first of its kind in Africa. The main tank is huge and has a all glass walk-through tunnel.  The main theme depicted is a typical west coast reef and related flora.  Here we can view the fishes and other organisms found in the waters off our coast and learn more about the intricacy of life beneath the waves.  An interesting feature at the Aquarium is the touch pools where we can physically pick up and handle the contents of the pools.

We then pay a visit to Karakulia, a carpet weavery where they produce the most stunning carpets and wall-hangings from the wool of the Karakul sheep.  We will be taken on a guided tour of the different processes which the wool goes through between arrival as a raw product and ultimately  re-appearing as a beautiful carpet.

Our last stop is at the "Martin Luther" a steam tractor shipped from Halberstadt, Germany in 1896 to replace the ox-wagons transporting goods from the Protestant reformer who once said "Here I stand May God help me, I cannot do otherwise" A tale of sweat, tears and frustration unfold as we discuss the history of this famous landmark.

Walvis Bay and Surroundings Tours:
 

Clients will be collected at 0900 at the respective accommodation establishments and after the introductions we head for Walvis Bay.

Upon arrival in Walvis Bay the clients will be briefed on the history of the harbour town and then we will visit the fishing harbour and the dry docks for a brief overview of the Namibian fishing industry and its influence on the economy.

We then proceed to the Walvis Bay Wetland and Nature Reserve, an area of approximately 40 square km, which include the lagoon and the tidal flood plains, etc.  This is one of the 10 richest coastal wetlands in Africa and it is here where approximately 250 000 birds come to feed every year during the dry season, prior to their migration to the interior to breed on pans created by the summer rains.  It is considered to be one of the two best locations in Africa to see flocks of Greater and Lesser Flamingoes and there is always a possibility that one will spot the elusive Damara Tern.

We visit the Salt works, covering an area of 3000 ha, where approximately 500 000 tons of salt are produced annually for export to South Africa where it is used in the chemical industry.

Depending on availability we can taste some fresh oysters at the oyster farming project adjacent to the Salt-works. During our visit to the Wetland and the Salt-works we will discuss the problems and solutions regarding conservation and the environment.

After climbing a solitary dune which offer the energetic a superb view of the Salt -works and the town, we return to town for a visit to the small museum and the civic center where exquisite samples of woodcarving by the people from the Kavango region can be seen.

Driving back to Swakopmund we enjoy the view of the brown dune belt on the right and the ever restless ocean on the left.