HIGHLIGHTS OF NAMIBIA (8 days/7 nights)

DAY 1: ARRIVE SWAKOPMUND
Upon arrival at Swakopmund you will be transferred to your hotel for a two-night stay. After settling in, the afternoon is free for you to explore the town at your leisure. Swakopmund is popular amongst locals and visitors alike, who find themselves charmed by the town's relaxed, old world Bavarian atmosphere. The city's restaurants serve excellent seafood.

DAY 2: SWAKOPMUND
Depart this morning on a seal and dolphins cruise that takes you through Walvis Bay harbor. Continue on to Bird Island, Pelican Point, and back via the lagoon, where a variety of birds such as pelicans, flamingos, and cormorants can be seen. A highlight is wild seals boarding the boat to be fed by hand. Fresh oysters, champagne and snacks are enjoyed at the seal colony where dolphins are frequently seen around the boat. The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy a variety of optional activities such as quad biking or a scenic flight over the dunes and coast. You may also like to visit Cape Cross, whose seal colony is an impressive site. Thousands of fur seals live on the beach in a unique ecosystem. (B)

DAY 3: SWAKOPMUND - SOSSUSVLEI
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Sossusvlei. Set in the heart of the Namib Naukluft Park, the dunes at Sossusvlei are one of Namibia's most awesome sights, soaring up to 600 meters above the desert floor. The changing light on the dunes brings out an artist's palette of colors: glowing apricot, flaming orange, and a deep maroon. Nights are extraordinary, as the desert sky becomes a shimmering blanket of stars, guaranteed to entrance even the most casual stargazer. (B,L,D)

DAY 4: SOSSUSVLEI
Spend a full day exploring the magnificent landscape surrounding Sossusvlei. The nearby Naukluft Mountains are a rugged range of sheer cliffs, deep river valleys, and gentle rolling hills. Here, amid this oasis, are mountain zebra, oryx, springbok and kudu. This is the world's oldest desert, whose flora and fauna have adapted over millennia to cope with the limitations of this stark arid land. (B,L,D)

DAY 5: SOSSUSVLEI - WINDHOEK
After breakfast, transfer to your flight to Windhoek, capital of Namibia. Transfer to your hotel for a night. This afternoon, a walking tour through the center of the city offers excellent insight into the colonial history of the city. The State Museum has an interesting photo display of key historical events in the nation's history, while the State House has very good ethnological exhibits of traditional Namibian life. The Namibia Craft Center and the Nyae Nyae Foundation are both good places to find traditional crafts. (B)

DAY 6: WINDHOEK - ETOSHA
Early this morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Okuti Airport and then transfer to your lodge at Etosha National Park. Etosha National Park covers 22,270 square kilometers of countryside ranging from dense bush to barren plains. The heart of the park is the Etosha Pan, a vast, dry silvery-white shallow depression of shimmering mirages. Along the southern edge of the Pan, perennial springs feed waterholes that attract an abundance of mammal and bird species resulting in rewarding and often spectacular game viewing. Spend two nights at Etosha. (B,D)

DAY 7: ETOSHA
The day is spent game viewing in Etosha National Park. Etosha is one of southern Africa's finest parks. The lack of permanent year-round water supplies drives game to the few constant sources of water, such as the waterhole at Okakuejo, which is frequented by elephant, giraffe, black rhino, and lion. (B,LD)

DAY 8: ETOSHA - WINDHOEK
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Windhoek or Eros, where you will connect with your international departure flight. (B)