Brown Hyena by Sean Braine

Main Tour Dates: Monday 26th July – Saturday 7th August (Walvis Bay to Windhoek)
Tour Price: £5,399pp plus flight
Estimated Flight Price: London to Walvis Bay and out of Windhoek approx. £900 return
Deposit: £700 per per person
Conservation Donation from Wise Birding: £250 – £300
Minimum Number: 6 people
Maximum Group Size: 6 people

Target Mammals:
Heaviside’s Dolphin, Cheetah, Lion, Leopard, Bat-Eared Fox, Cape Fox, Aardwolf, Aardvark, Brown Hyena, Honey Badger,  Cape Porcupine, Black Rhino, Gemsbok, Klipspringer and many more! Even a chance of Temminck’s Ground Pangolin.

Target Birds:
This is not a bird focused tour, but we will of course see a great selection of African birds whilst looking for mammals.
Some of the more range-restricted or speciality species that we might see during this tour include Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, African Oystercatcher, Chestnut-banded Plover, Damara Tern, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Blue Crane, Secretarybird, White-tailed Shrike, Rockrunner, Rufous-eared Warbler, Rosy-faced Lovebird, Pink-billed Lark and many many more!

Tour Summary
This Namibia wildlife itinerary has been carefully designed with a primary focus on nocturnal mammals, placing particular emphasis on repeated night-drive opportunities across some of the country’s most productive wildlife areas. We start the tour on the coast at Walvis Bay which gives us a nice introduction with chances for marine mammals too. We then travel inland and spend much of our time exploring the vast Etosha National Park with numerous night drives where the mammal potential is always exciting with every night drive being different. We then move onto the private reserve at Okonjima. This site has become one of the most reliable places to see Brown Hyena in recent years. Our itinerary gives multiple nights at key sites, increasing chances to find the rarest species and offering a great opportunity to observe animal behaviour at night when much of Namibia’s wildlife is at its most active. This tour includes night drives on 9 of the 12 nights. **Nights drives are strictly controlled in Namibia. They will often be in larger open-sided trucks sometimes with other people staying at our accommodation.**

ACCOMMODATION: 12 nights in Namibia including 7 in Etosha NP
2 nights Walvis Bay, 1 night Erongo Mountains, 7 nights Etosha NP and 2 nights Okonjima.
Inclusive Meals: Full board from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 13
Inclusive Activities: All Game drives and night drives listed below.

DAY 1: Arrival Walvis Bay
Resting on Namibia’s spectacular coastline just south of Swakopmund, Walvis Bay (Whale Bay) is a thriving town, Namibia’s principal harbour and one of the country’s most popular tourist centres. It is known for its natural lagoon, striking orange sand dunes and wealth of wildlife. We should arrive into Walvis Bay airport during the afternoon and will be met by our local guide and we will begin our birding around the famous lagoon. Here, the sheer numbers of waders are impressive and in addition to a vast array of familiar Palearctic waders we should also find other species such as African Oystercatcher, White-fronted and the very smart Chestnut-banded Plover. A look off the coast should reveal a nice mix of  terns including Great Crested and the localised Damara Tern. There will certainly be plenty of variety to keep us busy for our first easy afternoon of birding. We will spend the night at a wonderful hotel which has beautiful views over the lagoon where spectacular sunsets and Flamingos welcome us!. Overnight Lagoon Lodge

DAY 2: Walvis Bay Coast and Dunes
This morning we head out on a guided boat cruise along the Walvis Bay coastline, one of the best places in southern Africa for close encounters with marine mammals.
Our cruise will focus on Heaviside’s Dolphin which are frequently encountered in these nutrient-rich waters, often bow-riding close to the boat. Large colonies of Cape Fur Seals are also seen at Pelican Point, with seals frequently approaching the vessel at close range. Other sightings may include Bottlenose Dolphins and a good variety of seabirds all set against the dramatic backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean and desert dunes. The afternoon will be spent exploring the sand dunes or around the salt pans depending on the target species. Overnight Lagoon Lodge 

Heaviside’s Dolphin, Walvis Bay by Sean Braine

DAY 3: Walvis Bay to the Erongo Mountains
After breakfast we will travel North-East towards the Erongo Mountains. The transition from the Atlantic coastline to Namibia’s rugged interior introduces a new and very different mammal habitat. We might get lucky with some mammals en route to our accommodation, so keep an eye out for species such as Hartmann’s Zebra and Klipspringer. Once settled in to our accommodation we can enjoy the views over the surrounding plains and rocky outcrops. We will be staying at the fabulous Ondudu Safari Lodge, nestled amongst the rugged granite koppies (hills) of the lower Erongo Mountains. The lodge is the founding member of the 2,000 square kilometre Erongo Mountain Nature Conservancy, which brings together 30 private landowners in an effort to conserve this diverse habitats of this region.

We will take a sunset drive where we should have excellent chances to encounter plains game and predators becoming active as temperatures cool, while the changing light provides superb photographic conditions. The Erongo Mountains are the best place in Namibia to try and see Black Mongoose and we might just get lucky with this highly sought after species. Following dinner, continue with a night drive, focusing on nocturnal mammals. Species often encountered in this area include Aardvark, Porcupine, Bat-eared Fox, Genets and other small carnivores. Birds in and around the lodge include many specialities of the area such as Rockrunner, Short-toed Rock Thrush and a great chance of Freckled Nightjars at dusk. Overnight Ondudu Safari Lodge, Erongo Mountains

DAY 4: Erongo Mountains to Okaukuejo, Etosha South 
Located just south of the boundary of Etosha National Park, Etosha South makes up the southern region of this wildlife paradise. We will access the park through the southern entrance at Andersson’s Gate. Etosha National Park covers nearly 23,000 square kilometres and is justly famous as one of the finest game reserves in Africa, immortalised in many wildlife films. The name ‘Etosha’ means ‘Big White Place’ in the language of the local Bushmen.

Entering the park, we will enjoy a game drive en route to your camp, introducing Etosha’s vast salt pan landscapes and abundant plains game. After dinner,  there is no need to travel far as the floodlit waterhole at Okaukuejo Rest Camp is one of the finest locations in Africa for nocturnal wildlife viewing.
 Regular night-time visitors include Black Rhino, Lion, Spotted Hyena and Elephant, often allowing for prolonged, close-range observations. Rarer visitors to the waterhole have included Leopard and even Caracal, so it is always worth staying late! Overnight Okaukuejo Resort

Cheetah, Etosha NP by Chris Townend

DAY 5: Okaukuejo to Halali Resort, Etosha Central
This morning we will enjoy a relaxed game drive through central Etosha, focusing on large herbivores and predators that favour this open terrain. Lion, Plains Zebra, Springbok, Oryx and Giraffe are frequently encountered and we will also take time to enjoy some of the commoner birds that we are likely to encounter such as Kori Bustard, Northern Black Korhaan and maybe species such as Red-necked Falcon, Secretarybird and Lappet-faced Vulture. We should arrive at Halali Rest Camp during the heat of the day and we will take time to rest before the evening activity. Our camp is situated at the base of a dolomite hill, nestled amongst shady Mopane trees and is a nice place to spend the hotter part of the day as birds visit the gardens. 
After dinner we will head  out on our first Etosha night drive, moving beyond the waterhole experience to actively search for nocturnal mammals.
 Night drives in Etosha are fairly strictly controlled and always carried out by Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) staff in large open sided trucks, sometimes with other people staying at the lodge. The NWR driver and spotlighting guide will take various routes in the park to try and find different mammals. Possible sightings include Leopard, Spotted Hyena, Porcupine, Aardwolf and smaller carnivores. Once back at camp, for those in need of more nocturnal mammals, the waterhole is also worth a look with sightings of Leopard not infrequent here and Southern Lesser Galagos around the camp. Historically, Halali has been a reliable place to see Honey Badger and although far less reliable in recent years, we are in a great place to try.  Overnight Halali

Bat-eared Fox, Etosha by Chris Townend

DAY 6: Halali Resort, Etosha Central
We will spend the day exploring the central Etosha region at a relaxed pace, visiting productive waterholes and scanning for predators resting during daylight hours. This area is particularly good for Elephant, Rhino and Lion activity. As darkness falls, we will enjoy a second night drive from Halali where we will target spices that we have not yet encountered. African Wildcat are not uncommon and Caracal sometimes get seen, though we would be very lucky to see one. Overnight Halali Camp

DAY 7: Halali to Namutoni, Etosha East
Today we will take a slow drive towards  Namutoni where we will explore the eastern side of the park. The subtle change in habitats support strong predator populations and excellent plains game densities. The east side of the park is the best for both Leopard and Cheetah, so we may get lucky en route before arriving at Namutoni Rest Camp. Birds likely to be found en route include Kori Bustard, Burchell’s Courser, Temminck’s Courser, Double-banded Courser and  Double-banded Sandgrouse.  Wherever trees are large enough to support their massive nests, we should find Sociable Weavers and the associated tiny Pygmy Falcons may also occur.

Namutoni Rest Camp lies within the eastern edge of Etosha National Park, framed by Makalani palms and the historic German fort at its centre.  Nearby waterholes such as Fischer’s Pan and Chudob offer opportunities and the grounds also have its own floodlit King Nehale waterhole. After dinner, we will head depart on another night drive and the nearby area is particularly productive for Lion, Leopard, Spotted Hyena, Bat-eared Fox and other night-active species. Overnight Namutoni Rest Camp

Lions of Etosha, by Chris Townend

DAYS 8, 9 & 10: Namutoni and East Etosha area
These three days are deliberately structured as an extended nocturnal exploration block in eastern Etosha, allowing repeated night drives across the same network of roads and habitats. This focus of effort significantly increases the chances of finding the rarely seen nocturnal mammals, as well as understanding individual animal movement patterns over multiple nights.

Daytime activities will be flexible and we will take our time to simply enjoy the mammals that we find. Our time will be focused on key waterholes and predator territories. Lion, Elephant, Plains Zebra, Giraffe and large antelope species. This side of the park gives our best chances for Leopard and Cheetah and we will try hard early and late in the day to get a sighting.
Birds will also be plentiful and although we will not be targeting birds anywhere near as much as mammals on this tour, we are sure to see a great selection over the next few days. Species  include Kori Bustard, Burchell’s Courser, Temminck’s Courser, Double-banded Courser and  Double-banded Sandgrouse. In wooded Acacia and partial scrub we may find  Red-billed Spurfowl, Red-crested Korhaan, Monotonous Lark, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Southern White-crowned Shrike, Kalahari Scrub Robin, Southern Pied Babbler, Bare-cheeked Babbler, Barred Wren Warbler, Burnt-necked Eremomela, Marico Flycatcher, White-bellied Sunbird, Cape Penduline Tit, Pririt Batis, Scaly-feathered Weaver, Violet-eared Waxbill, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Cape Starling and Burchell’s Starling. Wherever trees are large enough to support their massive nests, we should also find Sociable Weavers and the associated tiny Pygmy Falcons may also occur. On one day we will take a run to the plains north of Namutoni and the Andoni plains where depending on water, we may find Blue Cranes as well as Eastern Clapper Lark.

Each night we will of course be taking night drives concentrating on the predator-rich areas and known nocturnal corridors. Target species across these nights include Leopard, Lion, Spotted Hyena, Bat-eared Fox, Aardwolf, Porcupine and possibly something rarer like Aardvark. Overnight Namutoni Camp, Etosha NP

Aardwolf by Sean Braine

DAY 11: Etosha East to Okonjima
After breakfast we will bid farewell to eastern Etosha and travel south toward Okonjima Nature Reserve. The journey marks a clear transition from Etosha’s open, public landscapes to a controlled private reserve environment, allowing for a different style of wildlife viewing and night-drive experience. Okonjima Nature Reserve is located midway between the spectacular Etosha National Park and the capital city of Windhoek.
Some important background to the reserve: The reserve is a 22, 000 hectare reserve home to AfriCAT, a carnivore sanctuary, which gives wild rescued cats a second chance to be released back into the wild whilst they become completely independent hunters in a protected area right in the middle of commercial cattle farmland. It was re-wilded from four former cattle farms which had justified the killing of predators, who had also shot out most of the game and degraded the land. The initial plan was not to fence the Reserve, but to co-exist with all the neighbours which operate as cattle, game or hunting farms it was deemed not possible. Particularly as over time the animals in the Reserve have learned that humans were not a threat on the reserve, but there was a serious risk if animals wandered to neighbouring farms. Therefore it was necessary to fence the reserve to reduce those risks. The electric fencing is well considered in terms of allowing smaller less persecuted species like Pangolins and Pythons to cross freely, but to retain the larger predators and game. Okonjima Nature Reserve is now recognised as one of the premier places to stay to witness carnivores and other endangered species like the Aardvark, Pangolin and Brown Hyena in the wild and a place to educate people about conservation. 

Female Leopard, Etosha by Chris Townend

We should arrive at Okonjima Plains Camp during the afternoon and we will take our time to enjoy the surrounding bushveld habitat. Following dinner we will head out on a night drive within the private reserve. Unlike Etosha, these drives allow for greater flexibility in tracking and observation, often resulting in longer viewing times when animals are encountered. Species that we hope to find include more chances for Leopard (sometimes collared) Cape Porcupine and other small carnivores, but we will be focusing hard to find three very tricky species, Brown Hyena, Aardvark and Ground Pangolin. Okonjima has a very good hit rate with these species, mostly due to the fact that some selected Pangolins and Aardvarks are fitted with radio transmitters for research. Similarly some Leopards also have collars for the same purpose. Overnight Okonjima Plains Camp or similar

DAY 12 Full day Okonjima Nature Reserve 
Our time day is flexible and the morning could involve a bird walk or simply time to relax at camp. During the late-morning we can take a daytime drive to enjoy the plains game and maybe predators if still early.
Our final evening focuses on a second guided night drive within the private reserve, building on observations from the previous night. The flexibility of operating in a private conservation area allows guides to adapt routes and pace based on fresh tracks and recent sightings and of course our priority species. The key reason for visiting Okonjima is for increased chances of seeing Brown Hyena, Aardvark and Ground Pangolin as well as a good selection of other nocturnal species. Overnight Okonjima Plains Camp

DAY 13: Okonjima to Windhoek
We depart Okonjima and travel south for just 3hrs to Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport for onward travel. Here, our journey concludes having explored Namibia’s most productive mammal habitats and good success with finding some of Africa’s toughest and shy mammals.

Please note this is a flexible itinerary which may need to be adjusted slightly dependent on arrival / departure times, weather conditions and the most recent information from our local guides

Leaders: Local guide only
Included in cost: Accommodation in ensuite rooms in good quality hotel/lodge accommodation. All meals, bottled water, all park entrance fees, boat trip at Walvis Bay and night drives as per itinerary. Plus all ground transport & services of leaders.
Not included in cost: International / domestic airfare, travel insurance, drinks other than water and any airport or visa fees.
Single Supplement: £399pp
Transport: 9 Seater Toyota Landcruiser throughout with pop up roof and window seats. Note: night drives are strictly controlled at each location and will be in different larger open-side trucks.
Difficulty: Easy Limited walking as most time will be spent viewing from vehicles.
Climate: Generally very hot and dry with temperature in the mid 30s degrees Celsius.
Tour Start Point: Walvis Bay, Namibia
Tour End Point: Windhoek, Namibia 
Suggested Airlines: British Airways via Cape Town or Johannesburg

Erongo Hills, Namibia