AT A GLANCE
On this 8-night/9-day photographic tour of Namibia we will be focusing our photographic attention on some of the most iconic and picturesque landscapes that the diverse country of Namibia has to offer.
Starting and ending in Namibia’s capital city of Windhoek our voyage will take us through the remarkable mountain ranges of the central escarpment, where we will spend a night photographing the rocky landscapes of the Giant’s Playground dotted with the majestic Quiver Trees both at sunset and sunrise as well as under the incredible Namibian night skies.
We will journey down the rugged escarpment to explore the beauties of our planets oldest desert home to the world’s tallest sand dunes as well as the mesmerizing ephemeral pans of Sossusvlei and the ghostly Deadvlei, dotted with the black skeletal remains of camelthorn trees from a bygone era.
Following the remote gravel roads north we will spend a restful night in Swakopmund, a sleepy seaside town along the desolate Skeleton coast, where we will have the option of seeing large congregations of pink flamingos at Walvis Bay as well as the world’s largest cape fur seal colony at Cape Cross.
Steering inland, we will be heading to photograph another unique landscape – the towering granite inselbergs (“island mountains”) of Spitzkoppe, where we will be spending 2 nights before ending our photographic expedition back in Namibia’s capital city of Windhoek.
Photographic Focus
On this 8-day photo-safari of Namibia we will be honing our attention on photographing some of the incredible and unique landscapes that the arid country of Namibia has to offer.
Take note: Although this itinerary has been based on the beautiful landscapes of Namibia we may have a few opportunities to photograph a few of the special fauna and flora species which we may encounter along the way.
Tour Highlights:
– Sunset and sunrise photography of the Quiver Tree Forest and dolerite stacks of Giant’s Playground, as well as astrophotography of the Quiver Trees against the outstanding Southern Hemisphere milky way (weather permitting)
– Explore and photograph the iconic attractions of the Namib Naukluft park including the world’s tallest sand dunes; Sossusvlei and deadvlei; as well as the unique desert adapted micro-fauna
– The impressive towering granite inselberg of Spitzkoppe
– Professional photographic guidance and training as well as photo-editing demonstrations in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
– Sunset and sunrise photography of the Quiver Tree Forest and dolerite stacks of Giant’s Playground, as well as astrophotography of the Quiver Trees against the outstanding Southern Hemisphere milky way (weather permitting)
– Explore and photograph the iconic attractions of the Namib Naukluft park including the world’s tallest sand dunes; Sossusvlei and deadvlei; as well as the unique desert adapted micro-fauna
– The impressive towering granite inselberg of Spitzkoppe
– Professional photographic guidance and training as well as photo-editing demonstrations in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
Itinerary: Remarkable Landscapes of Namibia
Duration: 7-nights/8-days
Day 1: Welcome to Namibia: Airport pickup and transfer to overnight accommodation.
Shortly after landing at Hosea Kutako International Airport you will be welcomed by your photographic guide and driven to your overnight accommodation on the outskirts of Windhoek, Namibia’s capital city. This evening we will be sitting down to dinner as a group where we will have a chance to become acquainted with one another and discuss the coming days exciting travel itinerary in more detail, answering any questions that you may have.
Day 2: Let the Adventures Begin: Travel from Windhoek to the Quiver Tree forests of Keetmanshoop.
After a good night’s rest and an early breakfast, we will depart Windhoek and set off on our much-anticipated photographic journey. The first day’s travels will take us roughly 500km south from Namibia’s mother city and take approximately five and a half hours, arriving at our over-night’s accommodation for lunch. It will be a long day on the road, but we will make regular stops and there will be terrific scenery to be enjoyed.
After a brief check-in and lunch, we will have a moment to recover and to prepare our photographic gear for a late afternoon excursion to photograph the Giants Playground with its unique quiver trees in golden afternoon/evening light. After our sunset photo session, we will return to the lodge for dinner, after which we will have a second photoshoot of the quiver trees under the incredible Southern Hemispheres night sky.
Day 3: Photograph the Quiver Tree Forest at sunrise and travel to the Namib Naukluft Park.
This morning we will be up before sunrise to catch one last photo shoot of the quivertree forests of Keetmanshoop before setting off to our next iconic destination shortly after breakfast. Today we will be spending another lengthy day on the road on route to the world’s oldest desert where we will spend 3 days photographing one of the most pristine areas on earth, boasting the world’s tallest sand dunes. Due to the distance we are going to be covering today we will stop for lunch on route and depending on how our journey goes, we may or may not reach our next destination in time for an afternoon activity.
Day 4: Explore and photograph the attractions of the Namib Naukluft Park.
Today we will be exploring and capturing the endless horizons and breath-taking landscapes of the Namib Naukluft Park. We will have the opportunity to devote our time to photographing colossal iron-rich sand dunes; the world famous Sossusvlei and Deadvlei; as well as a chance to encounter the incredible micro-fauna specially adapted to survive in this unforgiving desert wilderness.
Day 5: Sunrise hot air balloon excursion and travel to Swakopmund.
Before travelling to the sleepy coastal town of Swakopmund we will be taking to the skies for an unforgettable hot air balloon experience to capture the “living desert” from a different perspective followed by an opulent champagne breakfast. Shortly after, we will embark on our journey to Swakopmund, which will take us approximately six hours including regular stops and lunch along the way.
Day 6: Optional morning photographic excursion before traveling to Spitzkoppe.
This morning we will have an option of departing early to photograph the large congregations of flamingos in Walvis Bay, mingle with the world’s largest Cape Fur Seal colony at Cape Cross, or to just enjoy a relaxing lie-in before making our way to our final photographic destination, the impressive granite obelisks of the Spitzkoppe inselberg (“island mountain”).
Taking us roughly 2 hours, the remote dirt-roads will steer us inland through a remarkable change in landscape and scenery, arriving at our over-night accommodation in time for lunch, a siesta and our first afternoon photographic session of the breath-taking landscapes of the Spitzkoppe mountains.
For the next two nights we will be staying at our lodge lying amidst the gigantic granite boulders offering us direct access to the remarkable landscapes of the Spitzkoppe Mountain Reserve.
Day 7: Sunrise and sunset photography of the Spitzkoppe Mountains.
Today we will be focusing our wide-angle lenses on photographing the towering granite inselberg of Spitzkoppe and the spectacular rock formations carved within them. We will be photographing both the sunrise and sunset session as we as the option of shooting incredible nightscapes and star trails after dinner.
The incredible Spitzkoppe mountains rise sharply out of the flat grassy savannas that border the desolate Namib Desert, towering up to 700 metres higher than the surrounding plains. Dominated by the Gross Spitzkoppe, peaking at an impressive 1,784 metres above sea level, these mountains are characterised by massive vertical walls and huge jumbles of granite boulders dotted with unique plant species such as the Quiver Tree Aloidendron dichotomum, the region’s most famous aloe, as well as the pale-trunked Butter Tree Cyphostemma currorii.
Day 8: Morning photo session of the Spitzkoppe Mountains and travel back to Windhoek to say our goodbyes.
Rising early on our last morning we will head out to have one last photo session surrounded by the breath-taking Spitzkoppe mountains before breakfast and a leisurely drive back to the point where our 8-day journey began, the city of Windhoek, where we will say our final goodbyes before parting ways.
Recommended Gear and Equipment:
◘ DSLR camera with a sturdy tripod and a remote shutter release
◘ A wide-angle lens (larger aperture preferable for low light shots – f/2.8) – Best choices would be a 14-24mm f/2.8 by Nikon/Canon or equivalent.
◘ A mid-range zoom lens – good choice 24-70mm f/2.8
◘ Although this trip’s main focussed is the landscapes of Namibia, a telephoto zoom lens for this trip would be a recommended addition for some of the wildlife that we may encounter along the way. To effectively photograph the wildlife and birdlife of Namibia we would recommend a minimum focal length of 200-300mm. If you are interested in photographing birds, then a minimum focal length of 400-600mm. This can also be achieved with tele-converters.
Do you have a quick question about this Namibia Safari? Speak to a specialist at
info@naturetravelnamibia.com