Best of Namibia Wings Safari - Namibia Reservations

SUMMARY

Guaranteed departures every day. No minimum number of guests. The aircraft, usually a Cessna 210 or a Cessna 402 for larger groups, and the pilot stay with the group throughout.

ITINERARY

DAYS 1&2

Depart Eros Airport, Windhoek by light aircraft to Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp for two nights. Departure is in the morning at a time best suited to the guests and their incoming flights. All guests coming off international flights will be given enough time to connect off the incoming flight without overnighting in Windhoek, if they so wish. It is one hour's flight down to Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp. Activities include a safari down to the very end of the Tsauchab River and the heart of Sossusvlei for those wonderful dune scenes. The nature drives will take place in 4x4 vehicles, and will also include a visit to Sesriem Canyon. Nature trails on the reserve highlight the unique Namib flora and fauna.

DAYS 3&4

The flight takes you over the dunes of the Namib and over Sossusvlei itself for an alternative view from the air and then due westwards to Meob Bay on the Skeleton Coast. From here on up the coast there is spectacular desert and Skeleton Coast scenery, where the dunes and the desert meet the Atlantic Ocean. The flight up the coast takes you over the site of the Eduard Bolen shipwreck, past Conception Bay and the wreck of the Shaunee, over Sandwich Harbour and its famous lagoon, past the flamingos of Walvis Bay and up to Swakopmund. Here you are met and transferred to the Walvis Bay Harbour where they set out on a dolphin and seal cruise with the opportunity to see leatherback turtle, sunfish, penguins, dolphins, seals, flamingos, cormorants and other sea birds. We will then stop for a seafood lunch. After lunch we will cruise back to the wharf and be transferred by road to Swakopmund for a short city tour and onto Swakopmund Airport for departure at approx. 1500.  (included in the cost). In the afternoon you depart from Swakopmund for a scenic flight further up the Skeleton Coast, past the Cape Cross Seal Colony, before turning east to fly up the Huab River to Damaraland Camp for two nights. Highlights of the stay at Damaraland Camp are nature excursions into the rocky desert in search of the rare and endangered desert elephant and rhino. This is an area where the chances of encountering the elephants is very high. Damaraland is one of the few really good tented camps in the country. All tents have en-suite bathrooms with flush loos, even though the area has water shortages.

DAYS 5&6

Fly by light aircraft from Damaraland to Ongava Lodge or Ongava Tented Camp for two nights. Highlights are the game drives into Etosha and the night actives, walks and hides on the private reserve.

DAY 7

Depart Ongava for flight back to Windhoek, arriving during the afternoon.

HIGHLIGHTS

Sossusvlei, The Skeleton Coast from Meob Bay to the Huab River, Swakopmund, The Damaraland Camp and Ongava.

INCLUDED

Chater flights Windhoek to Windhoek All accommodation on a shared basis All meals All game drives and activities except ballooning All park fees House wine at dinner

EXCLUDED

Scheduled flights to and from Windhoek and the transfer to Eros Airport Insurances Alcoholic Beverages (except house wine at dinner) All items of a personal nature

Getting Around Namibia

Getting to Namibia is easy as it is so well connected. Air Namibia is the National Carrier and receives flights from London Gatwick and Frankfurt. With daily flights from neighbouring South Africa and Botswana, it incorporates easily into any Southern African itinerary. You may even consider combining it with time in Victoria Falls. Namibia also has a fantastic Charter Flight network connecting the various lodges and areas, enabling us to provide luxury fly in safaris throughout the country.

  Fly or  Drive?
When it comes to planning your trip to Namibia the first thing that you need to discuss with your Namibia Reservations consultant is whether you plan to utilize the Charter Flights around Namibia or whether you plan to self drive. In this section we address the advantages and disadvantages of both of these options. 

 The advantages of Flights around Namibia
The network of charter flights in Namibia as well as our fly-in safaris provide a quick and easy way to explore the country. They allow you to discover great distances in a relatively short period of time. Flying over Namibia gives one a true understanding and appreciation of its size.
The disadvantages of Flights around Namibia
The first and most obvious disadvantage of flights in and around Namibia is the cost. The great distances involved and the exclusivity of the lodges mean that the planes are small and therefore only take a few guests at a time. The other distinct disadvantage of air flights is that you miss the opportunity to actually explore the country by road and to get a true understanding of the distances and the enormity that is Namibia.

The advantages of road travel around Namibia
The most obvious advantage of road travel around Namibia is the affordability, compared to flights, road travel allows you to explore Namibia at a fraction of the cost. Traveling by road allows you to completely immerse yourselves into the scenery, discover and stop at little places.
The disadvantages of road travel around Namibia
 Picking up a car, driving into the desert, miles from anywhere, with no cell phone contact and only yourselves for company can take a bit of nerve.  The roads are often poorly maintained and travelling between the popular tourist destinations can often require you to travel huge distances in one day which eats into your precious time enjoying the places you came to see.

 

For more information follow the links below:

 http://www.namibiareservations.com/namibiatraveltipse.html

 

http://www.namibiareservations.com/tourofferse.html

 For car rental:

 http://www.namibiareservations.com/carrentale.html

For accommodation: 

http://www.namibiareservations.com/accommodatione.html

 

NAMIBIA RESERVATIONS - JUST A MOUSE CLICK AWAY

 

The New "Digital Elite"

Who are the new “Digital Elite,” and how are they different from less-connected travelers?  Following is an overview of insights from the new report:

• A BURGEONING MARKET: The “Digital Elite” are defined as travelers who either own or access the internet on both a smartphone and tablet. Smartphone usage among active travelers has nearly tripled in just two years – from 23 percent in 2011 to 62 percent in 2013. Tablet adoption has been even more rapid, with only seven percent of travelers using them to access the internet in 2011, up six-fold to 43 percent this year.
• FAMILY MATTERS: Half of the “Digital Elite” have children in their household (50 percent), compared with just 37 percent of less-connected travelers, consistent with their younger age, and revealing a discernible family focus. They are also much more likely to have traveled with their kids (51 compared to 38 percent) – and their kids have greater influence on practically all family activity decisions than in other households. For example, the “Digital Elite” are significantly more likely to agree that their children influence the actual selection of vacation destinations (78 vs. 70 percent).
• DIGITAL TRAVELERS HAVE MORE FUN: Perhaps surprisingly, while on vacation the “Digital Elite” are considerably more likely to try to relax while staying in touch with the office (40 vs. 30 percent). As such, they desire more time to relax and unwind (86 vs. 81 percent), and engage in “relaxing” activities more on vacation than they do at home, including drinking alcoholic beverages (53 vs. 43 percent), making love (41 vs. 35 percent), sleeping (38 to 32 percent) and reading (38 to 34 percent).
• HAVE DEVICES, WILL TRAVEL: During the past year, the “Digital Elite” took significantly more leisure trips than their counterparts – 4.1 compared to 3.7 – including weekend trips (2.1 vs. 1.8) and long trips (1.4 vs. 1.2). They were also much more likely to take a last-minute trip (31 vs. 22 percent) and a staycation (31 vs. 23 percent). These travelers also spent far more – an average of $4,988 compared to $3,812 than less-connected travelers – and intend to spend an average of $5,210 on leisure travel in the year ahead, compared to just $3,690 for their counterparts.
• INTERNATIONAL INTERESTS: “The Digital Elite” are significantly more inclined to travel internationally, with more than half (53 percent) having taken at least one leisure trip outside the continental U.S. during the past year, compared with only 38 percent of less-connected travelers. Among them, six in 10 took a long-haul trip where the flight time exceeded eight hours (61 percent), while only 55 percent of travelers who own and use fewer devices have done so. And they are more likely to have visited Western Europe (39 vs. 29 percent) and the Caribbean (34 vs. 29 percent).
• SOCIAL CONNECTIONS: The online social activities of the “Digital Elite” paint a far different picture than that of less-connected travelers. Eight in 10 are on Facebook (81 percent) compared to just 70 percent of those who own and use fewer digital devices, and nearly half are on LinkedIn (48 percent vs. 28 percent). More than three in 10 are active on Twitter (33 percent) compared to just 19 percent of their counterparts, and nearly one quarter (23 percent) is on YouTube (versus 19 percent) and Google+ (23 vs. 13 percent). Twice as many are on Pinterest (19 percent vs. 9 percent).
• KEY TRAITS: Beyond their use of these devices, their personalities differ, too – the “Digital Elite” are significantly more likely to say they are “happy” (82 percent) than travelers who own and use fewer digital devices (72 percent). They are also much more likely to describe themselves as “fun” (54 vs. 46 percent), “confident” (52 vs. 47 percent) and “sociable” (47 vs. 40 percent). More describe themselves as “healthy” (50 percent) and “fit” (32 percent) than less-connected travelers (44 and 25 percent, respectively), and many more plan to “become healthier” (62 vs. 56 percent) and “improve their appearance” (42 vs. 34 percent) in the coming year.
• SHOPPING HABITS: When it comes to finding the best prices for travel services, the “Digital Elite” more often turn to an online travel agency (OTA), with 53 percent doing so compared to 45 percent of less-connected travelers. The same goes for booking travel services, with significantly more of the “Digital Elite” believing that OTAs provide the most convenient way to arrange travel plans (49 percent) – significantly more than their travelers with fewer digital devices (43 percent).
• PUSHING FOR BETTER WEB EXPERIENCE: The “Digital Elite” are driving the demand for better web content from the travel industry, with nine in 10 having made travel reservations online last year – 10 percent more than less-connected travelers. They are highly likely to find more sophisticated content, often designed specifically for the web shopping experience, as desirable. For example, think interactive maps that explore the destination (65 vs. 60 percent); downloadable coupons for savings on air tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars and vacation packages (62 vs. 56 percent); user-generated reviews or commentary from past visitors (58 vs. 47 percent); websites optimized for mobile (57 vs. 31 percent) and virtual tours of the area (56 vs. 52 percent). They are also significantly more likely to want an easy-to-use booking feature (76 vs. 72 percent), photos of the area (76 vs. to 72 percent) and the ability to preview room locations (74 vs. 65 percent).

The Zambian Kwacha

Zambian Kwacha, has been ‘re-based’. Government decided to remove three zeros from the currency to make it easier for people to understand and to avoid having to carry around large carrier bags full of money.

It is not a ‘devaluation’ and the currency and economy remain stable.

The Kwacha now sits at around 5 to the US dollar. You still need to obtain Kwacha as you enter Zambia to pay for various local taxes and any cash payments whilst you’re in Zambia. However, you can still buy your entry visa in USD as it is not possible to get Kwacha outside Zambia..

It is easy to withdraw cash from ATMs at the airport – Visa and Mastercard both work and most larger retail outlets and lodges can accept major credit cards. We advise guests to let their credit card company know if they are travelling to Zambia so that they don’t stop the card for suspicious use. They can also exchange USD, Sterling, Euros and most major currencies at the airports. 

Amazing JNB-FRA fares from SAA

To celebrate 60 years flying between Johannesburg and Frankfurt, South African Airways is offering discounted fares on direct flights between the two cities for a limited period only.

The offer is available from June 29-July 14 in Germany and from July 6-13 in South Africa.

Passengers starting the journey in Johannesburg will be eligible to fly from November 14 to December 14 and from February 1 to February 28, 2013.



“With these fantastic fares we are inviting our passengers and friends to join us in celebrating 60 years of superb service linking South Africa and its biggest European trading partner, Germany, via the two countries’ key airline hubs, Johannesburg and Frankfurt,” said Theunis Potgieter, SAA’s General Manager Commercial. “In real terms, these are among the best fares ever over the last 60 years between South Africa and Europe.”

Info received from Southern Africa Tourism Update.

For more information please contact us at:info@namibiareservations.com