WE KICK OFF YOUR STAY WITH A COMMUNITY ROAD TRIP

This tour is the best bonding experience to get to know your new coliving mates before you move into the coliving space in Windhoek.

TOUR INFO
IN A NUTSHELL

DURATION: 4 Days/3 Nights

ITINERARY: Ghost Town & Fish River Canyon

ACCOMMODATION: Cabins & Camping

DATES: 29 August - 1 September

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OPERATED BY BUSCHMANN SAFARIS

SEPTEMBER

13 - 15 September 2024

OCTOBER

4 - 6 October 2024

NOVEMBER

8 - 10 November 2024

DECEMBER

6 - 8 December 2024

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HOW DOES IT WORK?

First, secure your September Coliving month to join this Kick off Road Trip end of August

Next, secure your spot at our September Kick off tour and make sure to arrive latest 28 August

A minimum of 6 guests is needed to make the tour happen, max. 12 guests can join

This tour lays the foundation for strong bondings and the deepening of new friendships

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DIAMOND GHOST TOWN

Kolmannskuppe is a deserted diamond mining town in Namibia, now reclaimed by the desert. Walk through empty buildings filled with sand and get a glimpse of the past. It's a fascinating and eerie spot to explore.

WILD DESERT HORSES

Discover the wild desert horses of Namibia, a unique sight in the vast Namib Desert. These resilient horses, believed to be descendants of German cavalry horses from World War I, have adapted to the harsh environment, offering a rare and captivating experience.

FISH RIVER CANYON

Explore Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world. Carved by the Fish River, this awe-inspiring natural wonder is over 160 kilometers long and up to 550 meters deep. Its rugged, dramatic landscapes offer breathtaking views and unforgettable hikes.

QUIVER TREE FOREST

Visit the Quiver Tree Forest, a unique destination in Namibia. These striking trees, known for their tall, branching structures, are actually aloe plants. Found near Keetmanshoop, the forest is a perfect spot for stunning photos and a serene walk among these ancient giants.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

OUR ACCOMMODATIONS

GHOST GORGE CABIN

QUIVER TREE CAMPING

We stay at "Klein Aus Vista", a family-owned lodge, nestled in the rocky Aus Mountains. There is a touch of magic and intrigue at this rustic ‘Ghost Gorge’ cabin we stay in. Simplistic but exclusive as it hides in a secluded valley, where a rusty bullet-ridden Hudson greets you at the entrance road, a relic from a gunfight between diamond smugglers and police. Their ghosts are said to roam the valley in search of their lost diamonds.

2 Nights

1 Night

20 km north of Keetmanshoop we find a special Quivertree park, where hundreds of Quiver trees (Aloe Dichotoma) grow on and between granit rocks. We will stay right at the forest on a unique campsite. The owner, a local artist, created a campsite full of sculptures made from all sorts of materials. The real magic of the this place starts when seeing the forest when the sun is setting.

PRICE

8.400 N$* per person
(≈ 420 € p.p.)

2x Breakfast
1x Lunch
2x Dinner
Drinking Water
2 Nights Floor Tents
Entrance Fee National Park
English Speaking Guide
Comfortable Safari Vehicle
Sleeping Bag & Pillow

EXCLUDED

Meals not stated
Restaurant visits
Beverages from vehicle fridge
Optional activities at destinations
Personal health/accident insurance
Personal expenses
Tips

INCLUDED

*The tour is paid in Namibian Dollars.

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TERMS & CONDITIONS

All tours operated/booked through:
IO Carstens Touristik cc
trading as Buschmann Safaris

P.O. Box 1463 Windhoek/Namibia

E-Mail: info@buschmann-safaris.de

Terms and conditions of Bushman Safaris apply.

FULL ITINERARY

DAY 1

Departing from Windhoek at noon, we'll travel about 450 kilometers on well-maintained roads to Okaukuejo Camp, centrally located in Etosha. At Okaukuejo Camp, you'll find a waterhole near your campsite, known for wildlife sightings like elephants, rhinos, lions, and various antelope species. After setting up camp, you'll have the afternoon to relax and explore the area. We'll gather for a communal meal after sunset, ready to go on Safari early the next morning.

ITINERARY OVERVIEW

DAY 1: Windhoek - Okaukuejo (450km)

DAY 2: Okaujuejo - Namutoni (280km)

DAY 3: Namutoni - Windhoek (640km)

TOUR FACTS

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THE SAFARI CAR

We'll journey together in a rugged Toyota Land Cruiser, equipped with a pop-up roof for optimal wildlife viewing.

THE TENTS

Share a floor tent (2,4 x 2,4m) with a fellow coliving friend. We provide mattresses, sleeping bags, and pillows. Limited Single tents on request.

DINNER SET-UP

Camping is teamwork: We will prepare dinner together and then gather around the campfire, watching the starry night sky.

OUR TOUR GUIDE

One of Buschmann Safaris local Namibian tour guides will safely guide you through Namibia and help in adventurous cases of flat tires & getting stuck.

No specific vaccinations are mandatory for entering Namibia, but consulting your doctor is recommended. Malaria is only present in the northern region. Windhoek and our weekend getaway locations are situated in malaria-free zones. If you do decide to travel further, you can get Malaria tablets in Windhoek during your stay with a prescription.
Yes, this is an option, but we are limited to single tents, due to limited storage space. For the use of a tent as single tent there is an extra charge of 340 N$ (17 €). We allocate single tents to those who request them first.
You can either share a tent with your bestie from the coliving gang or we assign a coliving mate to you with whom you will share a tent. We will only mix gender if it is approved by both sides.
Yes, sleeping bags and pillows are included in the price. We help you color-mark your pillow and sleeping bag for you during the tour.
You like being out in nature, you're looking forward to an adventure, you're aware that camping doesn't mean a pure wellness and relaxation, you look forward pitching a tent under the African night sky. You are fine with making a plan B when needed, pull the car out of the sand, change a tire and at night prefer a campfire dinner with good conversation over a luxury lodge restaurant.

Due to logistic reasons (We need a minimum number of participants) and reserving campsites in time (especially in camping high season) we need you to book your desired weekend getaways 4 weeks prior to the start of your stay with us.
Yes, this is a collective adventure, we are a team helping each other and the tour guide (Pitching tents, cooking, washing dishes). Be kind and help wherever there is something to do.
Yes, the mattresses we provide are about 5 cm thick foam mattresses for a comfortable sleep.
No, the weekend getaways are not supposed to be working days. Please take these days off and leave your laptop in the coliving space. There might hardly be any reception during the tour.

FAQ'S

CHECK OUT OUR WEEKEND GETAWAYS

ETOSHA

SOSSUSVLEI

SPITZKOPPE

DAY 1 - WINDHOEK TO KLEIN AUS VISTA

You will be collected at the Coliving Space at 07:15 and transferred to Chameleon Safaris Headquarters for a short pre-departure meeting.

On this first leg of the journey, you will pass through scenic landscapes and pass through the picture bridge on your way to the first stop, a small town called Rehoboth. This town is well known for its thermal springs and baster culture. Your guide will provide you with additional information regarding the history of Rehoboth and the baster culture.

Leaving Rehoboth, continue on the B1. The landscape will start to transition into semi-arid grasslands. You might see some springboks or ostriches along the way. We stop and have a picnic style roadside lunch. It's time to stretch our legs before we take on the last leg of our journey. The land will get more arid as we get closer to the Namib Desert.

We hope to arrive at Klein Aus Vista in the late afternoon. After checking in at the main reception, we head deeper into the mountain to the Giesterschlucht Cabin, our home for the next two nights. There is a touch of magic and intrigue at this rustic ‘Ghost Canyon’ cabin. It is simplistic yet exclusive, nestled in a secluded valley, where a rusty bullet-ridden Hudson greets you at the entrance road, a vestige of a gunfight between diamond smugglers and law enforcement. Their ghosts are said to roam the valley in search of their lost diamonds.

You have enough time to hike up the nearest mountain and enjoy a beautiful sunset over the Namib Desert.

Meals prepared by your guide over an open fire,

Accommodation is available in a two-bedroom dormitory cabin equipped with bathrooms. Additionally, camping is an alternative if you do not wish to share a dormitory room.

Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Distance: 560 km

DAY 2 - KLEIN AUS - LÜDERITZ - KLEIN AUS

We again start early but with the luxury of a proper sealed tar road today. We travel through grasslands and wide open desert scenery on our easy drive towards the ocean.

Desert adapted horses run wild in this area and we need to keep a good look out for these amazing creatures. Horses are not a part of the true desert ecosystem and their origins here remain open to speculation. Whatever their true history it is a privilege to see these animals in their wild habitat.

We are en-route to the ghost town at Kolmanskop, located about 15 km from the port town of Luderitz. The first diamond mine was called Kolmanskop. Founded in 1908, it was built in the architectural style of a German village and was supplied with the most modern amenities of the age. There was a hospital that boasted the first x-ray machine in the southern hemisphere, a power station, school, ball room and ice factory. The decline of Kolmanskop started around 1920 when the diamonds began to run out. Then in 1928 the richest diamond deposits that the world had, at the time, ever known were discovered 270 km away to the south at the Orange River. Kolmanskop became deserted and so started the slow reclamation of the town by the desert. Still a striking sight today, we will stop at Kolmanskop for a guided tour of the town and the opportunity to photograph this unique and interesting site.

On departure from Kolmanskop we quickly cover the last few kilometres to Luderitz itself, well known for its unique and colourful colonial-style buildings. We drive out on to the Luderitz peninsula and enjoy the scenery on way to the historical monument at Diaz Point. The navigator Bartolomeu Diaz who landed here in 1487 and caused a stone cross to be erected. This time the name given to the area was Angra das Voltas or ‘Bay of Tacks’ with reference to the many times Diaz had to ‘tack’ his ship against the southern gales. Luderitz is still today one of the windiest places on planet earth, so some things at least have not changed over the centuries.

We head back to our accommodation at Klein Aus Vista, taking a second opportunity to see the desert horses and arriving in time for a hike and another sundowner

Accommodation is available in a two-bedroom dormitory cabin equipped with bathrooms. Additionally, camping is an alternative if you do not wish to share a dormitory room.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Distance: 250 km

DAY 3 - KLEIN AUS VISTA - QUIVER TREE FOREST

A long drive today but we take advantage of the tar road for the first part of the morning. We are heading east but we will soon turn south again to complete our traverse of Namibia’s southern region. Our first main stop this morning will be the incredible Fish River Canyon located in the /Ai-/Ais Richtersveldt Transfrontier National Park. We enter the park at the Hobas gate and from there it is only a short drive to the main lookout point over the Fish River Canyon.

Second only in size to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the vistas across this most immense of nature’s sculptures are breath taking. From our vantage point high up on the plateau we overlook the so called ‘Hell’s Bend’ which takes the form of a huge meander along the course of the Fish River. The canyon itself is around 160 km long, 27 km wide at its widest point and in places 550 m deep.

After enjoying lunch at the Canyons edge we journey onwards, turning our heads to once again to the north. A short stop at Keetmanshoop for freah supllies and then on to our overnight camp at the Quiver Tree Forrest. Quiver trees are Namibia’s National Tree and are so named because the San tribes of Southern Africa used to strip the scaly bark from these trees and construct from it a narrow cylinder. From this they would manufacture a quiver in which to keep their poisoned arrows.

This is the last night of our safari and time to reflect on our amazing adventure as we sit around our campfire one last time. Our campsite is in the Quiver tree forest and you have a change for amazing night photography.

Accommodation: Twin share tents, shared ablution at campsite

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Distance: 550 km

DAY 3 - KLEIN AUS VISTA - QUIVER TREE FOREST

We head north today and we have the luxury of the main tar road for our whole journey, no gravel road ‘African Massage ’to contend with, as we head back to Windhoek.

Namibia is so rich in interesting things that it is impossible drive for any great distance without passing places of interest and there are several worth mentioning along the way today.

After about 80 km from Keetmanshoop, in the distance and off to the west we can see a tall mountain peak. This is Brukkaros, an extinct volcano.

About 150 km into our long road today we will pass a signpost to a place called Gibeon. Gibeon is too far away to be included in this itinerary, but there is an interesting story that is worth telling. Near here, in ancient prehistoric times, the area around what is now Gibeon was subjected to a Meteor strike of very significant proportions. The meteor, when intact, was thought to measure 4 x 4 x 3 meters and we know that it was made of solid metal. As it entered the earth’s atmosphere the metal began to melt and in due course the meteor fragmented in a huge explosion scattering chunks of molten metal across the countryside. Meteor’s from this event have been found as far away as Brukkaros Volcano to the south and as far away again towards the north, but the greatest concentration of meteor material has been found in and around Gibeon.

If you have time in Windhoek after our safari it is worth going to Post Street Mall in the city centre where you will find a public display of Gibeon Meteorites

Still heading ever north our journey today takes us through the small centres of Mariental and Rehoboth and we will stop along the road today for a light lunch. We aim to be back in Windhoek in the late afternoon.

Accommodation: None

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Distance: 500 km

DETAILED TOUR DESCRIPTION

IMPRESSIONS OF OUR KICK OFF TOUR

TOUROPERATOR

All tours operated and paid with:

Chameleon Safaris

8 Ferry Street, Southern Industrial

Windhoek, Namibia

www.chameleonsafaris.com

PRICE

15000 N$ per person
(≈ 750 € p.p.)

Transport in a safari vehicle
Professional English speaking guide & camp assistant
Camping equipment
Meals as mentioned above
Tap water
National Park entry fees
Activities including:
Guided tour at Kolmanskop, Visit to Diaz Point, Visit to Fish River Canyon viewpoint, Visit to Quiver Tree Forest
Pick up and drop off at Coliving Space

EXCLUDED

Meals not stated
Drinks & Snacks
Optional activities at destinations
Tips

INCLUDED

The tour is paid in Namibian Dollars

BOOK YOUR SPOT

Which Visa/Permit is needed
Vaccination Requirements
Apps needed in Namibia
Immigrations process
Best Airport Shuttle Service
Namibian Power Outlets
Packing List
Security Advise

WE KICK OFF YOUR STAY WITH A COMMUNITY ROAD TRIP

TOUR INFO IN A NUTSHELL

BOOK YOUR TOUR

OPERATED BY BUSCHMANN SAFARIS

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

HOW DOES IT WORK?

DIAMOND GHOST TOWN

WILD DESERT HORSES

FISH RIVER CANYON

QUIVER TREE FOREST

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

OUR ACCOMMODATIONS

GHOST GORGE CABIN

QUIVER TREE CAMPING

PRICE

8.400 N$* per person (≈ 420 € p.p.)

EXCLUDED

INCLUDED

*The tour is paid in Namibian Dollars.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

FULL ITINERARY

DAY 1

ITINERARY OVERVIEW

TOUR FACTS

THE SAFARI CAR

THE TENTS

DINNER SET-UP

OUR TOUR GUIDE

FAQ'S

CHECK OUT OUR WEEKEND GETAWAYS

DAY 1 - WINDHOEK TO KLEIN AUS VISTA

DETAILED TOUR DESCRIPTION

IMPRESSIONS OF OUR KICK OFF TOUR

TOUROPERATOR

PRICE

15000 N$ per person (≈ 750 € p.p.)

EXCLUDED

INCLUDED

The tour is paid in Namibian Dollars

Which Visa/Permit is needed

Vaccination Requirements

Apps needed in Namibia

Immigrations process

Best Airport Shuttle Service

Namibian Power Outlets

Packing List

Security Advise

TOUR INFO
IN A NUTSHELL

8.400 N$* per person
(≈ 420 € p.p.)

15000 N$ per person
(≈ 750 € p.p.)