Contacts and price from:  FOTOTREKS, Inc.
240 Main Street, Suite 308
Little Falls, New Jersey 07424 USA
http://www.fototreks.com
Toll Free: (877) FOTOTRK (877-368-6875)
Phone: (973) 890-4424
Fax: (973) 890-4324
Email: lucia@fototreks.com or fototreks@fototreks.com 

GAVA EXPLORATIONS DETAILED ITINERARY

02 March 2004 – 15 March 2004 (trip code TM 4-6)

Day 1: 02 March 2004 - Arrive Windhoek
Your guide will collect you from the airport. Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, is an excellent introduction to Africa. Safe, small and friendly, the city is a melting pot of cultures and peoples. We make our way to the craft market, which offers beautiful hand-made artworks – and the best cup of coffee and lunch in town.

Accommodation: Casa Piccolo (full board, alcoholic drinks excluded)

Day 2: 03 March 2004 - Drive to Sossusvlei Area
Our drive takes us through the Khomas Hochland and down the Spreetshoogte Pass.

Accommodation: The Desert Homestead (full board, alcoholic drinks xtra)

Day 3: 04 March 2004 - Sossusvlei
We get up at the crack of dawn to enter the Namib Naukluft Park and travel to Sossuvlei to see the dunes. The Namib Naukluft Park is the largest game park in Africa (40 000 sq. km). The seemingly never-ending sand dunes of Sossusvlei are a truly remarkable sight. The dunes are shaped by the wind and are constantly shifting. They are reputed to be the highest in the world. We spend the day here photographing the shifting sand and forever changing colours.

Accommodation: The Desert Homestead (full board, alcoholic drinks extra)

Day 4: 05 March 2004 – Southern Namib
Many scientists regard the Namib Desert as the oldest desert in the world. About 200 km wide and 2 000 km long, its climate is determined by the cold Benguela current that runs along the Atlantic West Coast of Southern Africa: the hot, tropical sun above the cold sea prevents airborne moisture from falling as rain. The average rainfall in the central Namib is less than 15 mm a year – and during some years, nonexistent. This is a harsh land. Today we try and capture some of these images with our photography.

Accommodation: The Desert Homestead (full board, alcoholic drinks extra)

Day 5: 06 March 2004 – To Swakopmund
After breakfast we head north through the desert. We drive through some of the most scenic landscapes in Namibia. As we approach the central Namib the vegetation thins and lone Acacia trees are silhouetted in the dry river washes. You can almost smell the dryness, the desolation of this unforgiving land. Yet amid this seemingly barren terrain, we will happen across oryx, springbok and large flocks of ostrich. Your guide will show you the incredible variety of fauna and flora that have evolved with remarkable adaptations that allow them to survive in the hostile desert. And you will marvel at nature in all her devious glory. 

As with many other rivers in the Namib, the Kuiseb flows for a brief period during certain years only. Luckily, a subterranean water supply supports the large trees and shrubs, which in turn support a surprisingly large population of animals – many of which you will get to see. 

As the British had already laid claim to Walvis Bay, the Germans established the port of Swakopmund in 1884 to provide access to the interior of the German protectorate of Deutsch-Südwestafrika. The town has a strong German colonial feel – the old buildings have been carefully restored and German bakeries abound where you can sample delicious pastries and other delicacies. Take a walk to the old lighthouse, built in 1903. Or visit the new aquarium with its glimpse into the Benguela Current marine fauna and flora. Or how about the natural history museum, which also makes fascinating visiting. 

It feels strange to be back in civilisation after the immense silence of the desert. You may find yourself falling quiet as your mind strays back to the mighty Namib. You’ll have left a bit of your heart there – we all do.

Accommodation: guesthouse, (full board, alcoholic drinks xtra)

Day 6&7: 07 & 08 March 2004 – To Ameib Ranch, Southern Erongos
Ameib Ranch is best known for its rock paintings and fascinating rock formations. Phillip's Cave is one of the best-known sites in the Erongo for seeing and photographing rock paintings. 

The Bull's party is a famous rock formation that consists of a collection of round granite boulders resembling, with some imagination, a number of bulls engaged in conversation. A nearby outcrop has appropriately been named the Elephant Head, while an enormous 16 m high boulder which seems as if it has just come to rest is unlikely to escape attention. Endless hours can be spend photographing in this area!

Accommodation: Ameib Ranch (full board, alcoholic drinks xtra)

Day 8: 09 March 2003 – To the Brandberg
Our journey to the north continues. We drive through more desert and rock landscapes. The name "Brandberg" means "burning mountain", a reference to the glowing reddish-orange colour of the granite in the early morning and late afternoon. This, combined with the black basalt at its base, gave rise to its descriptive name. This oval-shaped massif is the highest point in Namibia and lends itself to great photographic opportunities.

Accommodation: Ugab Camp Chalets (full board, alcoholic drinks xtra)
 

Day 09 & 10: 10 & 11 March 2004 - To southern Damaraland
Our final destination is Damaraland. The area was allocated to Damara people where the Government purchased several farms for resettlement of this ethnic group. Damaraland was an area occupied primarily by the Damara people, but it soon became the home of other tribes such as the Hereros and the displaced Riemvasmakers of South Africa. Today, many residents of Damaraland are thus of mixed heritage, but most consider themselves Damara. The Damara name is derived from the Nama word "Dama", meaning "who walked here". This is because the Damara were known to the Nama people by the footprints they left around waterholes. From their vantage point in the mountains, the Damara were quick to spot resources such as water or animals, on the plains below, and they were therefore able to be the first groups to reach these essential resources. The Damaraland community comprises a unique group of people who have recognised the value of the wildlife on their land and formed a Community Wildlife Conservancy to protect it. Until 1981, Damaraland was unprotected and open to poachers, mostly from outside the area. Eventually, Namibian NGO's formed a game guard system with people from the community, and interest in the welfare of the wildlife increased. After halting the poaching activities, there were many ideas on how to conserve the area and its resources sustainably. Damaraland is one of the most interesting and dramatic regions in the country. This area is a vast unspoilt wilderness of magnificent scenery, where the endangered black rhino and the rare desert elephant roam. Between beautiful unspoilt wilderness and unsurpassed desert scenery, unusual geological formations, archaeological sites and a unique variety of fauna & flora lies Twyfelfontein Lodge. Nestling among rugged boulders at a high elevation, affording panoramic views over the pristine surroundings. 

Some of the surrounding valleys are covered with what is generally recognised in the botanical world as the most ancient and weird of plants: the Welwitschia mirabilis. The Welwitschia plants continue to baffle scientists, as they show characteristics of both advanced and primitive plants, and some of them are more than a thousand years old.

Accommodation: Twyfelfontein Lodge (full board, alcoholic drinks xtra)

DAY 11: 12 March 2004 - Kaokoveld/Damaraland Border - Etendeka Mountain Camp
Today's drive that takes us through a variety of landscapes. Our final destination is the border of Kaokoveld, which offers a wilderness experience where uniquely adapted desert elephant and black rhino roam freely. We arrive at the entrance to the Etendeka concession mid-afternoon where we are privileged visitors to this magnificent pristine wilderness area.

Accommodation: Tented lodge, full board.

DAY 12: 13 March 2004 – Etendeka Mountain Camp
Today we photograph amongst the hills early in the morning and return for lunch before the heat of the day. To capture the red flat-topped mountain vistas while the light is still low is essential. After a well-earned siesta we set out for a scenic drive and sundowners, with the opportunity to view some of the larger mammals. 

Accommodation: Tented lodge, full board.

Day 13: 14 March 2004 - Phantom Farm Lodge
Now, we have to make our way south again. Otjiwarongo (which means pleasant place) is the last town before we reach the farm Phantom. One of the few successful dual game and cattle farms in Namibia. We hope to reach Phantom in time for an afternoon drive that will explain some of the workings of the farm and offer some excellent opportunities for scenic photography. This evening will be our last dinner together. Already sadness touches the group as we prepare to say goodbye – but with so many incredible experiences shared, the bonds between us will not be broken easily. We believe that we’ll see you again – after all, Africa is on your blood now.

Accommodation: Phantom Farm lodge (full board, drinks xtra)

Day 14: 15 March 2004 - To Windhoek to depart
After breakfast we head back to Windhoek in time for your flight out. This concludes your Namibian safari. We hope to leave you with Africa resonating in your soul – and a longing in your heart to return to its desolate beauty, its night skies, its rich sounds and scents.