Photo Credit: Namibia Tourism Board

Come journey with us into this unusual land that time seems to have ignored. This is one of Africa’s last refuges of the Bushman, a land of grand vistas, spectacular scenery and few people. Here we shall soon find that nature rules and man is but an observer.

Once known only as South West Africa, this was a German colony prior to the last World War. Today we still see vestiges of that heritage in the cities and villages, but it is in the wilderness that Namibia shines.

Namibia is a land of contrasts and harsh reality, where the desert meets the sea and Bushmen still roam across the barren Kalahari Desert. Sparkling sand seas spread to the horizon with dunes that rise a thousand feet into the blue skies. Ageless trees that appear as mere shrubs cling to life on the desert floor. Vast salt pans in the interior that spring to life during the short wet season draw game hundreds of miles across the desert in search of food and water. This is nature at its very best and worst.

We have just 26 places available on this incredible adventure - if you are interested, we urge you to enroll early.

INCLUSIVE FEATURES

Return economy airfare from Canadian cities listed

First class hotels and lodges as indicated or similar

Extensive sightseeing throughout, including all admissions plus five game drives

37 meals included as noted in the itinerary (B - 14 breakfasts, L - 11 lunches, D - 12 dinners)

Services of our Canadian escort plus a professional local guide

All gratuities, surcharges, taxes and fees for included services

Airport transfers in Canada or equivalent value with purchase of group airfare

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Discover the magical beauty of this remote land - the mountains, the desert and the sea

Meet Bushmen in the Kalahari Desert

Experience the vast sand seas and dunes of the Namib Desert

Visit the lonely coasts of Namibia from Walvis Bay up to the desolate Skeleton Coast

Explore the prehistoric rock paintings and engravings at Twyfelfontein and Damaraland

Some of the finest game viewing in all Africa at Etosha

Relaxed colonial lifestyles in the capital, Windhoek

TOUR ESCORTS

We are pleased to have award winning photographer Jon Gurr and his wife Susan to escort this exciting adventure to Namibia. For over 30 years, Jon and Sue have been travelling the world and capturing photographic images of their destinations. Some of Jon’s photographs are displayed in the National Archives, numerous publications and calendars as well as in galleries in Muskoka. Over the years they have travelled in Britain, Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, India and China. Jon hopes to teach some photographic skills and both plan to share their love of travel on this adventure.

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Your health, safety and security are our top priority. Best

practices to combat the spread of COVID-19 are ever-

evolving (see website for more information). For peace of

mind, your deposit for this journey is fully refundable until:

May 29, Saturday Depart Canada Tour members from across Canada fly overnight to Africa.

May 30, Sunday Addis Abba / Windhoek We arrive mid day in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital and largest city. On arrival we will be met by our guide and be transferred to our hotel. Namibia’s capital is a small but bustling city, set in an airy basin in the central highlands. Our resort hotel is surrounded by a golf course, spacious gardens and an outdoor swimming pool. Enjoy an extensive buffet dinner at our hotel. Windhoek Country Club (1 night) D

May 31, Monday Kalahari We depart the capital this morning and head south. On our way we make a stop at the Heroes Acre, a memorial to fallen soldiers. We arrive at our lodge for lunch and time to rest before we enjoy a sundowner safari by 4x4 vehicles. Intu Afrika Kalahari Reserve (1 night) BLD

June 1, Tuesday Sesriem / Sossusvlei After an early morning walk into the desert with a Bushman tracker, who will introduce us to some of their ways, we return to the lodge for breakfast. Travel across Southern Namibia; a vast, arid region with landscapes ranging from the desolate Namib in the west to the rolling Kalahari dunes in the east. Although stark and forbidding, this magical terrain of fascinating geological features will enchant us. Arriving in Sesriem we can see the beginnings of the vast sand sea of the Namib Desert, where the dunes rise skyward a thousand feet and the sands of Sossusvlei stretch westward over 50km to the sea. We spend the next two nights at our exceptional half-tented lodge. Soussusvlei Lodge (2 nights) BLD

June 2, Wednesday Sossusvlei Sand Dunes After an early breakfast we depart the lodge in 4x4 vehicles through the inhospitable terrain of the dune sea along a gravel road bounded by spectacular sand dunes. Witness the color transformation of the dunes as the sun rises. Enjoy the vlei, a greyish-white clay an that is virtually surrounded by towering orange sand dunes that we can attempt to scale. We return to the hotel via the Sesriem Canyon where the Tsauchab River has exposed millions of years of geological history. BLD

June 3, Thursday Swakopmund Travel via the Kuiseb Canyon, a wild landscape crisscrossed by a maze of dry river beds, to the coast, where the desert meets the ocean. Visit Swakopmund with its distinctive German colonial atmosphere. Discover the charms and German heritage of this city through its historic buildings that date from the early 1900’s, including the Swakopmund railway station (1901) and Hohenzollernhaus (1906) with its high mansard roof, elaborate moldings and statue of Atlas. The Hansa Hotel (2 nights) BL

June 4, Friday Walvis Bay A short scenic drive will bring us to Walvis Bay this morning, lying on a sheltered lagoon and hemmed in by the Atlantic Ocean and the golden-yellow dunes of the Namib. Depart from the waterfront on a marine cruise skimming the harbour and lagoon to Pelican Point. Possible sightings include dolphins, seals, whales, sunfish and an abundance of birdlife. Disembark onto the Lighthouse Jetty and boarding 4x4 vehicles we enjoy a beach and dune adventure to Sandwich Harbour with a picnic lunch in the dunes. We return to our hotel in the late afternoon. Tonight you may want to enjoy some local seafood. BL

June 5, Saturday Skeleton Coast / Damaraland Learn more about the Namib as we follow the fascinating Welwitschia Drive and discover the geology, lichens and

interesting plants. View the ‘Moon Landscape’ before travelling north up the desolate Skeleton Coast, a strip of treacherous foggy coast that has claimed many ships to its graveyard. Heading inland, we travel through the Erongo region characterized by colourful volcanic landscapes, ancient rock art and strange geological phenomena. Enjoy a sundowner walk to take in the view of the sun setting over the highest peak in Namibia, the Brandberg massif. Twyfelfontein Lodge (2 nights) BLD June 6, Sunday Damaraland This morning examine some of Africa's finest prehistoric rock art at Twyfelfontein - paintings and engravings dating back some 5,000 years. This treasure house of rock engravings left by stone-age artists is regarded as one of the richest collections in Africa. This is stunning country and our journey is broken up by opportunities to stretch our legs, examine interesting stones, plants, bugs and other creatures, and to photograph the amazing landscape. See the Organ Pipes, a mass of basalt slabs in a ravine gouged out by a river, the Burnt Mountain, a small inselberg proclaimed national monument in 1956 and the Petrified Forest, an accumulation of enormous fossilized trunk trees where we can also view some welwitschia, a strange looking tree reputed to live for over 1,000 years. BD

June 7, Monday Kamanjab / Etosha Our drive today will take us into the heart of northern Namibia. Everywhere we look are interesting rock formations, unbelievable colours, and unique plants, birds, and other fauna. Our guide will bring to life the natural and human history of this otherworldly and remote corner of the planet. A highlight will be a visit to a village of Himba people, a local tribe who live a semi-nomadic lifestyle while retaining their traditions. This offers us the opportunity to observe how they live in this harsh unforgiving environment. Etosha Taleni Camp (1 night) BLD

June 8, Tuesday Etosha National Park The best game viewing in Namibia is to be found in Etosha National Park in northern Namibia. Etosha means ‘the great white place of dry water’. The Etosha Pan is a vast depression where water gathers and evaporates, leaving salty plains that attract such game as zebra, springbok, blue wildebeests, and their predators. Here the large game abounds and the sky is ablaze with birds. Our day will be spent driving through the park, stopping at rest camps and enjoying the wildlife en route. Our destination is our lodge, which features comfortable rooms, two pools, a spa, tennis, games room and more. Mokuti Game Lodge (2 nights) BD

June 9, Wednesday Etosha National Park Today enjoy an early morning game drive in specially designed 4x4 open vehicles into Etosha in search of game. During the heat of the day, we will have leisure time at the

Tour Cost in Canadian Dollars per person

Land Only (Join / Leave Windhoek) .......................... $8,195 Toronto ...................................................................... $9,995 Montreal ................................................................... $10,095 Ottawa ...................................................................... $10,095 Halifax / St. John’s / Moncton .................................. $10,245 Winnipeg .................................................................. $10,295 Regina / Saskatoon ................................................. $10,395 Calgary / Edmonton / Vancouver ............................ $10,345 Victoria ..................................................................... $10,395 Single Supplement ..................................................... $1,545

*Land Only price is based on joining and leaving at the hotels in Windhoek, with all current related taxes and fees. Airfares from other gateways are available on request. Preliminary Air Pricing: Air inclusive prices are estimated (subject to confirmation). Final pricing will be advised once flights are confirmed. Group to be escorted with a minimum 20 group members. Price is based on sharing a twin-bedded room. Prices are also based on a minimum 15 members and on rates, taxes and fees effective January, 2020 and are subject to change due to factors beyond our control. Prices DO NOT INCLUDE the cost of insurance which is available and is highly recommended. Premiums vary with the cost, length of the trip, and the traveller’s age. For passengers up to and including 74 years on departure date, premiums will start at $450 to $518 pp plus applicable taxes. Cost supplements for travellers aged 75-85 will range from $670 to $952 pp plus applicable taxes. This insurance is effective from the date of purchase and carries limitations on pre-existing medical conditions. Please discuss your insurance coverage prior to booking. Check our website for the most current information. Refer to the enrollment form for general information and conditions.

Deposit Payment is $700 per person. Final payment will be due on February 24, 2021.

To reserve your spot on this tour, complete the enclosed enrollment form, indicating the tour you wish to join and your home city, and forward it with your deposit to:

lodge to enjoy the pool or to enjoy a walk in the private reserve. Late this afternoon we shall once again venture into the park, again in 4X4 safari vehicles, in search of both wildlife and birdlife. BD

June 10, Thursday Etosha Park / Okonjima Private Reserve Enjoy a leisurely start to the day and then make our way to Tsumeb, an area once important in the mining industry. Later we continue to the very scenic private reserve south of Otjiwarongo. This 16,000 hectare private reserve is the home of the Africat Foundation, dedicated to conserve and protect threatened cheetah, leopard, and other wild carnivores of Namibia. It is home to a large number of cheetah and leopards, living in their natural habitat. Late this afternoon we will be taken on a 4X4 game drive using radio tracking to find leopards and other big cats. Okonjima Plains Camp (2 nights) BLD

June 11, Friday Okonjima Private Reserve Enjoy a full day in the reserve with morning and afternoon excursions. This morning we will visit the Africa’s Carnivore Care Centre where various big cats are treated and prepared for introduction back into the wild. In the afternoon we shall experience the life of a Bushman, including an easy walk through the bush during which we will learn about the art of making traditional artefacts and how the San adapt and survive in the unforgiving wilderness environment. At the nocturnal hide this evening we may view nightlife such as porcupine, honey-badgers, caracal and more. BLD

June 12, Saturday Central Namibia / Windhoek Early this morning those willing can join an optional walking excursion (extra cost) using radio tracking in search of rehabilitated cheetahs, hyena and wild dogs. En route to Windhoek, we will stop in Okahandja with its huge outdoor woodcarvers market. We will arrive in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, in the early afternoon and we will have the balance of the afternoon and evening to explore on our own. Our deluxe hotel is located in the centre of the city within a few minutes walk of excellent shopping and historic sites. Windhoek Hilton Hotel (2 nights) BL

June 13, Sunday Windhoek This morning we will enjoy a city orientation tour including a visit t the National Museum of Namibia in Alte Feste. Following a free afternoon for independent exploration and shopping, we will gather for our Farewell Dinner. BD

June 14, Monday Windhoek / Home All too soon our journey draws to a close as we transfer to the airport to catch our return flights via Addis Abba to Canada. B

June 15, Tuesday Arrive Canada We arrive in Canada and transfer to our home cities.

CT RATING 3 - Moderately Challenging: This tour features some long travel days into remote parts of the country over rough and/or dusty roads with limited facilities. Visits may include some bush walks over uneven ground. Temperatures will vary from warm days to cool nights. Members should be fit and physically active to fully enjoy this tour.

REV05AUG20 Climb the Sossusvlei Sand Dunes - Credit Janet Williams

Visit a big cat reserve at the A

fricat Foundation