A Desert Elephant Study Safari
2008 Departures
Friday 5th September to Wednesday 17th September
From £3050 per person including flights to and from the UK.
Explore some of the more remote parts of Namibia, in search of its famous desert elephants
Interact with the local communities who contribute towards the conservation of these animals
Benefit from the specialist knowledge and expertise of a professional, local guide
Experience a highly personal, small group trip, with a maximum of only six people
Extraordinary off the beaten track wildlife safari, to get real insight into what makes Desert Elephants ‘tick’ and the vision for their future.
This mobile journey will include traveling off well-defined tracks and roads, following dry riverbeds and crossing open plains, taking everything that you need with you, in fully equipped land cruisers. Despite the remoteness of the regions visited, this mobile safari is designed to offer a good level of comfort throughout. The camping included in your journey will be ‘serviced’ camping, where your camp will be prepared for you, prior to your arrival. The nights spent around the campfire, with the sound of the night creatures, the smell of the acacia wood smoke, and the dazzling ceiling of the Milky Way, will remain with you for a very long time.
Accommodation will be varied and will include comfortable lodges, community campsites and one night camping ‘wild’ in the pristine and unspoiled 450’000 hectare private Palmwag Concession, ensuring an authentic African experience.
Northwest Namibia is one of the most isolated and scenically spectacular places on the planet, with several mountain ranges adding to the beauty of the area. It is an extremely arid part of the world and forms part of the approximately 15 million year old Namib Desert, one of the oldest deserts on Earth. Throughout this unforgiving land, elephants have adapted to the hostile environment. People have long been part of the landscape in this region, with old human settlements dating back approximately 600 years. Community based conservation has been a modern change in traditional land use practices and in some areas has induced a change of attitude and tolerance amongst communities in regards to wildlife, particularly elephants. During this trip, you will not only have the opportunity to see desert-adapted elephants in their natural habitat, but come to understand the conservation issues surrounding them.
Make an Enquiry & learn more
Dates & prices
Friday 5th September to Wednesday 17th September 2008
Prices
From £3050 per person including flights to and from UK.
Single supplements
We do not charge single supplements if you are happy to share, even if we are unable to find you a suitable room-mate. Should you require a guaranteed single room and tent, the cost for a single supplement is £165
Travelling from outside the UK
We are happy to quote you either in US dollars or Euros excluding international flights to Windhoek. However, owing to currency fluctuations we will quote you separately at the time of your enquiry. Please do contact us for the price.
Includes
International economy Air Namibia flights, all accommodation in lodges and mobile camps, meals where stated, all transfers, qualified naturalist driver/guides and local expertise. Water is provided in the vehicle(s) and at the campsites. Also includes a contribution to Save the Rhino Trust.
Excludes
Visas, vaccination, travel insurance, tips, porterage, gratuities and items of a personal nature
This Trip Supports..
Save The Rhino Trust
This trip helps fund Save The Rhino Trust Namibia, which has been actively engaged in the conservation of the Black Rhino and the rare Desert Elephant since its founding in 1982. Its mission is to assist the Ministry for Environment and Tourism and surrounding communities to promote the protection and sustainable management of the black rhino, elephant, other fauna and their environment in North-western Namibia to ensure that the biodiversity of this unique, arid terrain is conserved. For further information, please visit their website at www.rhino-trust.org.na.
Field Expertise
Caesar Zandberg
Caesar was born and bred in Namibia, where he grew up with his geologist father. Introduced at an early age to the empty unspoiled spaces of the country the call of the wild began a lifelong fascination with the natural world.
A conservationist and expert on Namibian flora and fauna, particularily the Desert Elephants, Caesar has led numerous expeditions throughout Namibia. Caesar’s enthusiasm and understanding of the rugged landscapes and the Himba people of the Kaokoland make him a highly sought after guide in a region that makes most guides and their Land Rovers nervous!
Furthermore Caesar is a great host, an excellent bush cook.
This small group trip is guided and hosted by a professional and passionate guide, Eric Reinhardt, who will share his in-depth knowledge of the country, its wildlife, desert elephants in particular, and its people, the custodians of these magnificent animals.
Namibian born Eric spent eight years guiding in Botswana, before returning to Namibia in 1993, when his passion for the remote Kaokoland and Damaraland area and its people began. In addition to running specialist safaris to this region, Eric also spent a year working for Save The Rhino Trust and managed camps in the remote and spectacular Skeleton Coast Park.
The Kaokoland and Damaraland are where he feels most at home and this is evident in his passion and knowledge.
Our Feedback
Should you wish to get direct feedback from any number of our numerous clients who have enjoyed numerous Namibian journey with us please do contact us and we would be delighted to help put you in touch.
Caesar was the best choice possible
Annie Tobias, October 2007
Northern Namibia is hot and dusty. But it’s also the place of dreams. The scenery is stunning, the people are as hospitable as any I have ever met. They are people with very little apart from the environment they inhabit. And what an environment ! I’ll never forget meeting the Himbas in as a desolate place as there can be in Africa. They sang and danced as if we were the first tourists whom they had ever seen. Perhaps we were!
It was driving back to our campsite from meeting them that I first saw my first true desert elephants. The matriarch was digging with her foot in the dried river bed for water. But probably the highlight for me was tracking black rhino. And finding them!
The trackers were superb, the sightings better than I could have ever imagined. This trip was not only a holiday but more of an exploration, experience and an adventure. And probably even more important, great fun! Thank you Discovery Initiatives.
B Carder