extraordinary namibia
FRIday 8 november-Monday 18 November 2024

Day 1 – friday 8 november 2024: 

Welcome in Wonderland Namibia!

Today you arrive at Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek. Welcome to Wonderland Namibia! Welcome to the Soul Safari Retreat ‘Extraordinary Namibia’! After a warm greeting at the airport, we will drive our jeep to Voigtland Guesthouse, our home away from home for the first night’s stay. Meet the Soul Safari ladies during high tea with the most famous giraffes of Namibia: Sophie, Gustav and Shorty. We enjoy this cosy guesthouse, a nice refreshing dip in the pool and a tasty hearty home-cooked dinner.

Day 3 – sunday 10 november 2024:

Hit the road for the wild

As the rising sun paints the sky in streaks of pink -and citrus colours, we take our seats in our jeep for an encounter with cheetahs in their habitat. A crazy experience! We then visit the AfriCat Visitor Centre and learn more about the conservation and animal welfare of large carnivores and endangered felines in Namibia, as well as the many rescue & release programmes the foundation runs and supports. In the last 17 years, AfriCat has rescued more than 1,000 predators and more than 85% have also been released back into the wild. After a special morning, we enjoy brunch at the lodge. We freshen up, put our bags in the jeep and travel on towards Etosha National Park. A fun fact: Okonjima, in Herero, means ‘place of baboons’. Bet the leopards and cheetahs made an unforgettable impression, much more so than the mischievous baboons. In the afternoon, we arrive at Etosha Safari Lodge, situated at the southern end of the national park. The lodge is the place to open the doors to the mystery and magic of Etosha, ‘Place of Legends’. We stay in cosy chalets lovingly integrated into nature. Have a nice lunch and then it’s time for YOU! Relax and take in the beautiful surroundings by the pool or on your terrace overlooking the savannah. Appointment for a sundowner overlooking the water source where rhinos are regularly spotted. A sundowner? This word you should definitely remember before you leave on Soul Safari Retreat. Have a refreshing gin tonic, wine or beer with tasty snacks and admire a breathtaking sunset together with the Soul Safari Ladies. We warm up by the campfire and discuss on the next day for more safari adventures in Etosha National Park. We feast on a sumptuous dinner and get ready for the night. Nighty night!

Day 5 – tuesday 12 November 2024:

Ultimate freedom and absolute silence

After breakfast, we travel off the beaten track to Damaraland! We continue our route and traverse rough terrain to reach Grootberg Lodge, our home for the next two nights. Along the way, we enjoy wildlife sightings and take in the vastness of the landscape. You’ll feel like you’re on the moon… We’ll also take a peek into the lives of the Himbas, a proud semi-nomadic people who manage to adapt as little as possible to Western civilisation and are one of the last nomadic tribes in Africa. Immerse yourself in their way of life so far removed from ours. Women with their ochre skin and hair stiff with goat fat will show you their village. The Himba women grease themselves; for protection from the sun, with a mixture of goat fat, ochre and spices. This gives their skin its characteristic reddish-brown colour. Afterwards, settle into your chalet, refresh yourself in the pool with a view, sip a cold drink and feel the ultimate freedom and absolute silence. In the late afternoon, we depart on a sundowner drive. We enjoy the mighty play of colours during a sundowner, as the sun slowly disappears behind the horizon and colours Damaraland in beautiful shades of gold, red and pink. Grootberg Lodge’s warm ‘safari magician team’ ensures a perfect stay. We are treated to delicious food and drink in the most fantastic setting. Damaraland is characterised by magnificent table mountains, impressive giant rock formations and bizarre-looking vegetation. The landscape has been shaped by erosion and wind, water and geological forces that have formed rolling hills, dunes, gravel plains and river washes. The beauty and serenity of Damaraland will reward and amaze you anyway. Be stilled by the wide-open phenomenal landscapes. Your ‘wildest’ expectations will be exceeded overnight.

Day 7 – thursday 14 november 2024:

From endless empty landscapes to the wild Atlantic Ocean

Today we drive all the way through Damaraland to reach the cool coast of the Atlantic Ocean. We make a stop in Twyfelfontein to explore the ancient rock drawings and engravings of the San (Bushmen). Along the way, we encounter self-service stalls selling gems and minerals found in the region around Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain. Himba & Herero families also sell their souvenirs in roadside stalls. The ideal way to learn more about these special cultures. Like the Himba, the Herero also have a nomadic background. The only difference between the two cultures is that the Herero have adapted to the wishes of the German settlers more than 100 years ago. The Herero ladies were asked to dress in a Victorian style of dress. The ‘special’ hats on their heads refer to the horns of cattle. The style of dress is still passed down from generation to generation. On the way, we enjoy a light lunch at Cactus & Coffee Tea Garden. Near the town of Henties Bay, we continue south to see the rusting remains of the Zeila shipwreck. Now home to perching cormorants and other seabirds. The combination of dense fog, unpredictable currents and a choppy ocean caused many ships to be shipwrecked. An ominous reminder of why this stretch of beach is known as the Skeleton Coast, ships sticking up from the sea or sand dunes like figurative skeletons. We arrive in the coastal town of Swakopmund in the late afternoon, nestled between the desert and the ocean. Swakopmund offers a typical German atmosphere through its colonial architecture with half-timbered houses. Swakopmund is nice to linger in after days in the remote but dazzling nature of Damaraland. We check in in boutique hotel The Delight. You’ll be surprised by the thoughtful touches in the beautifully decorated rooms. We dine at Swakopmund’s best restaurant, The Tug. Fine dining in a boat with ocean views, yummy (sea)food & drinks situated on Swakop’s jetty. Have a tasty evening! 

Day 9 – saturday 16 November 2024:

Oldtimers & apple pie in the namibian sea of sand

After a tasty breakfast, we say goodbye to The Delight and take our seats in our jeep. The drive from Swakopmund to Sossusvlei is a unique route winding through the Namib Desert. We make photo stops at two highlights. The first is at the Tropic of Cancer sign. We then continue our road trip to photo stop number two, Namibia’s coolest petrol station with photogenic vintage cars and apple pie in Solitaire. We will lunch here and depart afterwards to Dead Valley Lodge, our base for the next two nights. The lodge is set against a stunning backdrop of rugged mountains and vast sandy plains. Endless dune vistas await us. A landscape that has remained unchanged for a million years. Enjoy rolling dancing majestic dunes in beautiful terracotta colours that reach into a bright blue sky. Namibia is a desert wonderland! Settle into your desert suite, open the large windows with endless views of an impossibly beautiful desert landscape…. Refresh in the pool, take a cooling shower, enjoy your terrace with wondrous views or if you prefer to stretch your legs for a short walk, the time is yours! Raise a glass to the end of a brilliant day and enjoy a delicous dinner. Stare at the night sky with thousands of glittering stars. Nighty night!

Day 10 – sunday 17 november 2024:

safari in sossuSvlei & deadvlei

Today you will wake up early. Just before sunrise, we start exploring the world’s oldest desert. You will experience magical moments as the soft light colours the dunes and the shadows cast their shapes and their curves on the sea of dunes. The sun and shadow sides seem to represent two separate worlds. We learn more about the origins of the Namib Desert and the fascinating creatures and plants that have adapted to survive in this harsh environment. The wind creates the highest sand dunes, some of which rise more than 350 metres above the desert and are among the highest in the world. Enjoy the sound of silence, the warm wind waves and the stunning beauty of the desert. Empty and endless. Ancient and adventurous. Climb Dune 45, the most photographed dune in the world because of its very specific shape. Located 45 kilometres from the Sesriem gateway, the dune reflects the splendour of the Namib Desert. We visit Deadvlei and the hidden and raw beauty of silhouettes of dead trees. A surreal, impressionable and desolate landscape against the warm-orange sand dunes. The dry, cracked earth is also fascinating to behold. We explore the Namib Desert which means ‘wide open plain’ to our hearts content and enjoy a leisurely picnic brekkie in the shade of a camel thorn tree. In the afternoon, we arrive back at our lodge for lunch. Enjoy YOU time at the lodge and a mesmerising sunset with all its pink, orange and golden hues. Africa will warm your heart and the simplicity of nature will touch you. Dinner time under the stars! The Namib Desert is one of the darkest places on earth, with virtually no air pollution. Admire the various galaxies and the Milky Way with your naked eye. Enjoy wonderful night silence whispering in your ear and realise that nature humbles you.

Day 11 – monday 18 November 2024:

Goodbye land of contrasts and beauty

After emptiness, immense open landschapes and eye-popping natural beauty in the Namibian desert, we set sail for Windhoek. We traverse the Great Escarpment and the picturesque Khomas Hochland. On arrival in Windhoek, we enjoy a farewell lunch at Joe’s Beerhouse. Extraordinary Namibia, the Soul Safari Retreat comes to its end. A life-enriching unique and authentic safari that will leave a deep impression. Safari chic: wildlife spectacle combined with an overwhelming beauty of diverse landscapes and gems of safari lodges. For photography fanatics, Namibia is the place to be. A fantastic backdrop of light & colours, sun & sand, breathtaking landscapes and a wealth of animals. Relax, unwind, breathe deeply in and out & recharge yourself in extraordinary beautiful Namibia. Sometimes you feel like you’re on the moon, other times on Mars. The land of contrasts and beauty to leave you speechless! Namibia will capture your heart and enchant your soul.

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