Damara Elephant Ride

Damaraland is a very spectacular part of the country, almost inaccessible, with amazing colours and vast open spaces that will blow your mind, ancient craters and remnants from prehistoric times, not to mention the forbidding Skeleton Coast. We may encounter elephant, rhino, cheetah and plains game or be caught by rivers in flood, all of which combines into a tremendous adventure.

Itinerary

Day 1: You will be met on arrival from Windhoek International airport ( Hosea Kutako airport) and transferred to a specified B&B in Windhoek on this day. Here you will meet the rest of your riding group for dinner and a Namibia Horse Safari company representative to brief you about the ride.

Day 2: After an early breakfast the journey starts with a 7 hour transfer, lunch en route, to a camp near Twyfelfontein. Here you will meet the horses and crew, and go on a sunset ride if time permits.

Day 3: We will set off on a morning ride to familiarise you with your mount in the Aba-Huab area where sandy plains invite good canters and interesting rock formations can be visited, the afternoon will include visiting a cultural village, the Twyfelfontein rock engravings and Sundowners at a local view point.

Day 4: We start riding west across endless plains with a good chance of seeing desert adapted game such as springbok and oryx, occasionally we follow Mopani treed dry river beds where kudu and ostrich lurk. We stop for a light lunch along a riverbed and after lunch continue over some rocky and some sandy hills to our camp at De Riet.

Day 5: We continue along the Huab River shaded with huge Ana trees, which provides a favourite food for the Desert Elephants, before we ride across another plain towards Mikberg to have lunch at the ‘cheetah tree’, followed by a long afternoon ride across the watershed with phenomenal vistas. Our camp is pitched at View Point where we enjoy the views and dramatic colours of Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain.

Day 6: From View Point we ride southwest towards the Ugab River. After lunch at Lion Head we set off for a nice long canter. Later we move through a very narrow gorge, pass Soutfontein (Salt Fountain) and arrive at the Save the Rhino Camp near Brandberg West. This is a community run campsite to collect funds for the Save the Rhino project; it is really worth visiting their interesting information centre.

Day 7: We wind our way through reeds and kori bush thickets along the Ugab to Brakwasser, another place of brackish water. We then leave the Ugab River and ride up a deserted gorge with fascinating folded rockwalls. Camp is very enjoyable: shady, sheltered and special!

Day 8: We leave the Ugab tributary and enter another vast open plain with spectacular views of Brandberg. We enjoy some marvellous cantering and have lunch at the Quarry. The afternoon is a long ride across the stony plains towards the coast.

Day 9: We are on our way towards the Messum River and Messum Crater. Again there are open plains and happy canters - and spectacular panoramas.

Day 10: The last ride to arrive on the beach around lunchtime! This unpredictable shore is called the Skeleton Coast and the infamous easterly wind can either cause the temperatures warm enough for a swim or maybe whip up a sandstorm! We then drive to Cape Cross to view the seals and continue to our overnight accommodation at a lovely beach house in Henties Bay.

Day 11: Depart for Windhoek and Windhoek International Airport (a 5-6 hour transfer). Earliest possible flight departure time is 15.00.

Routes can be changed due to unpredictable weather and other unforeseen conditions!

• Stay a few days extra in Swakopmund where activities available include: dolphin cruises, scenic flights over the area which we rode, sand boarding, sky diving, desert tours, quad biking etc.
• Visit Etosha National Park before or after the ride for excellent African game viewing opportunities.
• Visit Sossosvlei sand dunes after the ride.

Please enquire for the option to fly-in to the start point of the ride (Twyfelfontein).
To Avoid the road travelling time to Windhoek at the end of the ride – it is also possible to have special road transfer to Walvis Bay International Airport and fly direct to Johannesburg.

As with our other rides you have to be physically fit as well as fit to ride; you should have a good sense of humour and extensive riding experience. You will spend six to eight hours in the saddle many days; all paces.

• All Riding, accommodation and meals
• All Drinks (except in lodges, restaurants, petrol stations, etc.)
• Ground transfers on arrival day from Windhoek airport to guest house, and from Windhoek B&B to starting point of ride and return transfer to central Windhoek and Windhoek International airport on day of departure.

Any extra transfers (for any reason including flight delays) other than those included in the itinerary – will be for guest’s personal account.

• Additional horses for riders over 85kg in riding gear. Please enquire for rates as varies according to your weight.
• Single supp - will be waived if prepared to share guesthouse accommodation.
• Personal drinks and refreshments at all lodges, restaurants, petrol stations, etc.
• Accommodation and transfers not listed on the itinerary.
• Additional activities and packages. Please see itinerary recommendations.
• Safari staff gratuities. (Recommended pounds 8-10 per day per guest)

	Please download or print detailed intinerary here (PDF, 45 KB)
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