ReitSafari HorseTrails Namibia - Namibia's Southern Highlights

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Riding Namibia's Southern Highlights

Due to demand and development ReitSafari comes up with something totally different: a tailormade combination of Namibia´s best riding outfitters, as much luxury as can go with riding holidays and riding only as much as you want – with your “private” riding guide tour operator going with you all the way! Since Namibia is such a vast country (four times as big as the United Kingdom with just under 2 mio. people) distances are incredible and you can only do either the northern or the southern highlights.

This option is equally spectacular in landscapes and riding experience to our very popular Namib Desert and Africa's Greatest Canyon Trails, but far more relaxed with more sightseeing along the way. It features the Naukluft Mountains, Sossusvlei (those famous dunes), Sesriem Canyon, Southern Namib Desert, Wild Horses of the Namib, Succulent Karoo Desert, Fish River Canyon (Africa’s greatest canyon), Nama Karoo Desert and the Kalahari Desert.

Optional:
- an extra day for ghost town Kolmanskuppe in the Restricted Diamond Area and Lüderitzbucht
- an extra day at Gocheganas wellness centre after your riding trip!

Details

Windhoek - Windhoek: 10 days, 9 nights. 3 sundowner rides, 3 sunrise rides (optional), half day ride, 3 full days riding, 1 day excursion to Sossusvlei / Sesriem Canyon, sundowner excursion to Wild Horses, visit the Fish River Canyon and the Quiver tree forest, sunset and/or sunrise game drive in the Kalahari Desert.

Itinerary

Day 1: Your guide will meet you at the airport or wherever you stay in Windhoek. Since this is a tailor made tour we accommodate your flight arrangements and are ready to organize accommodation in Windhoek on your own account and to your liking, before or after the flight.
Leave after breakfast or during the morning for driving to Büllsport (Central Namibia at the Naukluft Mountains) - some sightseeing along the way. Enjoy their swimming pool and coffee or tea in the afternoon as well as a sunset ride.

Day 2: The difficult terrain that faces us means we start out early, following zebra paths on horseback high up into the Naukluft Mountains. We follow the Tsondab River, meeting kudus and baboons amongst the huge acacias. After a short climb out of the river bed we marvel at the vista over the Tsondab River catchment’s area. Then onto the plateau. Our horses follow the steep paths that the zebras have carved out over decades. Every now and then, we need to dismount and lead our horses up paths that are too steep or narrow for them. Short lunch from saddle bags and back to farm to arrive early afternoon for swim, coffee or tea.

Day 3: After a relaxed breakfast we drive a relatively short way south from Büllsport to Desert Homestead on the outskirts of the Namib Desert. Here we have a light lunch before mounting for a half-day ride into the marvellous African sunset.

Day 4: We depart early with breakfast packs in hand to the famous Namib sand dunes. A short drive brings us to the entrance of the Namib Naukluft Park, followed by a scenic 60 km drive in the valley between the dunes, a short adventure of 5 km - 4x4 driving through sand - brings us to Sossusvlei. After spending the morning between the dunes we visit Sesriem Canyon around lunge before driving back to Desert Homestead for a short siesta and a Sundowner Ride.

Day 5: After a relaxed breakfast we leave Desert Homestead to drive further south to the eccentric Duwisib Castle and then all along the Namib Sand Sea to our next destination Klein-Aus Vista. Here we have the opportunity to go for a Sunset drive to view the Wild horses of the Namib in their desert home and learn more about their existence in such a harsh environment.

Day 6: In the morning find your Mount and ride on a rocky trail built by German soldiers through the Aus Mountains. We have different options of where to ride and will choose the route according to the moment. You could see Kudu, Klipspringer, rock hyrax, birds of prey as well as several interesting succulent plants and wild flowers during the ride.

Day 7: (Sunrise ride optional) Drive on after breakfast through the Nama Karoo to enjoy the world famous Amarula Cheesecake at Cañon Roadhouse with refreshments and lunch before visiting the spectacular formations of the Fish River Canyon. After everybody is cured from possible vertigo we drive to one of Gondwana Park's Lodges where we nestle into cosy chalets between huge granite boulders and an optional Sunset Ride.

Day 8: We set off after breakfast on a day ride across wide open plains, dotted with big Euphorbia bushes and clusters of Quiver trees and most likely meet up with a herd of oryx, springbok or even mountain zebra. Lunch will be somewhere out there before we head back to the Lodge in the early afternoon to once again enjoy a swim in the pool overlooking the canyon landscape.

Day 9: You may sleep in or go for another early morning ride before a leisurely breakfast and then we head north again. Driving past the town of Keetmanshoop and visiting the Quiver tree forest around lunch before we continue to our last stop-over in the Kalahari Desert. We stay at Gondwana Desert Collection's Anib Lodge where we will participate in game drives rather than rides, the Kalahari is most famous for its red sand and prolific numbers of game.

Day 10: Maybe another game drive before breakfast and then we depart on a three hour drive to Windhoek. Be taken to the airport to match your flight arrangements.

Alternatively you could stay another night at Gocheganas Wellness Centre (20km south of Windhoek), spoil yourself with some massages and view game like rhino, giraffe, water buck and others.

Conditions

Fitness, good health, some experience in horse riding and handling horses are essential. We also offer to handle or help with other travel arrangements around our country. Since this is a rather tailor made tour you are welcome to come up with suggestions. Non-riding company is welcome to join. (see General Information).

Departure Dates

Trail Dates for 2009

on request

Costs

€ 3,650.00 - Group with 2-4 persons (includes 15% Value Added Tax)
€ 2,750.00 - Group with 5-10 persons (includes 15% Value Added Tax)
Extra days: € 200.00

NB: SADC citizens may ask for a generous rebate. Must be able to provide proof of citizenship!

Included: transfer from Windhoek to Windhoek, full board at lodges, lunch packs where applicable, park entrance fees at Sossusvlei / Sesriem and Fish River Canyon, excursion to the Wild Horses, game drives at Anib Lodge, all riding activities.

Excluded: bottled and canned drinks at lodges and homesteads; souvenirs; tips for local guides. Extra excursions and activities.