Cape, Desert & Delta

This morning there’s an opportunity to take an optional canoe excursion downstream for a couple of hours (at own expense). The drive this afternoon (500km/6 1/2 hours) takes you to the edge of Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in Africa. Often compared to the Grand Canyon, it is a 161km long, 27km wide ravine with a maximum depth of 550m. The canyon is spectacular; from the rim the gorge falls away in a sheer drop down to the meandering Fish River below. You can explore the area on foot and enjoy the splendid views of this grand, sombre and immensely powerful natural phenomenon. Lodge – 1 night (BLD)

Rising well before dawn you drive in darkness to the heart of the desert to witness an incredible scene. With the first hint of daylight, the dunes flush with colour, which deepens and changes until the first rays of sun strike the quartz sand. The spectacle is breathtaking. The endless expanse of legendary 'walking dunes', sculpted by the wind, has to be seen to be believed. Far from all looking alike, dunes of different areas have distinctive shapes and characteristics. You take a walk to learn about the curious mechanics of this unstable landscape and discover the natural world living within and around it. You walk to Sossusvlei, lying at the end of an ancient river course, on a clay pan set amidst red dunes, keeping a sharp lookout for the striking gemsbok. It's well worth climbing to the top of one of the 300m high dunes (reputedly the highest on earth) for the view. Equally impressive is the silence and the tremendous sense of isolation. (BLD)

Travelling further into Damaraland you drive to Twyfelfontein. This fascinating area is famous for the ancient Bushman site where you can see rock engravings carved into petrified sand dunes. Over 2500 petroglyphs, some of which date back over 6000 years to the early Stone Age, depict a variety of animals, including some no longer found in the region. You walk with a local guide to see the finest examples; it's easy to imagine how life must have been thousands of years ago. In this area you may also see the prehistoric Welwitschia mirabilis, a plant that has mysteriously adapted to life in the desert with such success that it lives for over a thousand years! (BLD) Permanent fixed camp - 1 night

You have a full day to enjoy this fantastic game-rich national park. There is a long list of species that you can hope to see here: elephant, giraffe, zebra, springbok, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest, gemsbok, kudu, eland, plus the carnivores: lion, cheetah, possibly leopard, spotted and brown hyena, and black-backed jackal. There are also more than 320 bird species that can be spotted in the park; from ostrich and flamingo to the rare Wahlberg's eagle, and the Klaas' cuckoo. (BLD)

Leaving the vehicle behind you enter the peace and quiet of the delta. You meet your guides and prepare for the journey; you have to learn how to load and balance your mokoro. These traditional dugout canoes of the delta were originally cut by hand from a single log, though nowadays they are moulded from fibreglass to conserve the precious stock of local hardwoods. Although a mokoro looks anything but stable, in fact it is an extremely safe and reliable craft. You set off two people to a mokoro - poled by a skilled Tswana who will act as your eyes and ears until you attune to this unfamiliar watery environment. You’ll navigate the maze of creeks and narrow channels, slipping silently through the beds of reed and papyrus, past islands covered with palm trees. As you travel, you hope to see numerous birds and may encounter red lechwe or even elephant browsing in the water. Over the next few days you get used to being without the trappings of modern life, enjoying cooling swims during the heat of the day. You will stay in a "wild" campsite in the middle of the bush, but the tents are pitched for you and there will be basic toilet and shower facilities. Camp - 2 nights (BLD)