THE TOK-TOKKIE SAFARI

This 12 day accommodated cross country safari provides a fantastic insight into the stunning landscapes and atmosphere of this remarkable land of barren deserts, rugged mountains and spectacular wildlife. Group size is limited to eight guests and all meals are included. There is no camping on this safari, although there are nights in comfortable permanent tented camps.

The Toktokkie Safari is named after one of the Namib's most hardy beetles. Tenebrionid beetles are ground living beetles and possess no wings. There are hundreds of species in the Namib desert and throughout Namibia: some with white shells to reflect the heat, some with very long legs to raise their bodies off the hot sand, and others with specially shaped shells which allow them to "swim" through the sand. Some members of the family attract a mate by knocking their abdomen repeatedly on the ground, thus the commonly used name Toktokkie. On misty mornings they can be seen collecting moisture by inverting themselves and allowing drops to condense on their bodies which slowly drip down to their mouths.

Days 1 and 2 : The Namib Desert The safari begins early in Windhoek. We depart for the Namib by road and head for Kulala Tented Camp for the full Namib desert experience. On Day 2 we travel along the Tsauchab River bed to see the towering "star" dunes surrounding Sossusvlei. Guests have the opportunity to climb Big Daddy, one of the longest sand dunes in the world. Breakfast is enjoyed in the midst of this dramatic and stunning scenery.

Day 3 : Swakopmund Leaving after breakfast, we travel north west via the Kuiseb Canyon to Swakopmund. We visit Moon Landscape and the Welwitschia plants, and arrival will be late in the afternoon. This charming town has a distinctive old world German atmosphere. Accommodation will usually be at the Hansa Hotel.

Days 4 and 5 : Skeleton Coast & Damaraland Leaving Swakopmund, we travel north up the infamous Skeleton Coast. We visit the Cape Cross seal colony, home to thousands of Cape fur seals. Continuing up the coast past any remaining shipwreck sites, we cross the windswept plains between the icy Atlantic Ocean and the endless desert vistas. Leaving the coast, we travel inland to Damaraland Camp where we have an opportunity to track Desert Elephant.

Days 6 and 7 : Etosha - Ongava Tented Camp From Damaraland we continue to Twyfelfontein and the rock engravings before heading on to Ongava Tented Camp. Etosha, covering an area of 22,000 square kilometres, offers excellent game viewing opportunities and Ongava will be our only chance to see White Rhino.

Days 8 and 9 : Mushara Lodge/Etosha We travel east through Etosha toward Fort Namutoni gate and Mushara Lodge where we spend the next 2 nights. En route, we stop at the numerous perennial springs found along the edge of the pan looking for Lion, Leopard, Elephant and Black Rhino. Mushara Lodge is located on the eastern boundary of Etosha National Park, offering a completely different experience to that of Ongava.

Days 10 and 11 : Okonjima We travel south to Okonjima Guest Farm, situated in the western reaches of the Waterberg Mountains. It is an excellent finish to the safari. Activities here centre around game viewing, bird watching, walks and learning about the AFRICATS project that they have started. For the keen photographer there are excellent opportunities to photograph cheetah and leopard.

Day 12 : Windhoek We depart Okonjima and return to Windhoek by mid afternoon.

NOTES ON TOK-TOKKIE SAFARI
Included is accommodation on a sharing basis, transport by vehicle, all meals, and services of our guide.

Excluded are transfers to or from the airport in Windhoek, drinks, visas, full travel insurance, malaria tablets, excursions not related to the safari, international flights, airport departure taxes, meals or accommodation in Windhoek before or after the safari, gratuities, items of a personal nature, etc.

Age Limits
No children accepted under the age of 12 years. Maximum age accepted is 70 years.

Departure Dates for 2005
2 February to the 13 February
6 February to the 17 February
13 March to the 24 March
10 April to the 21 April
8 May to the 19 May
5 June to the 16 June
3 July to the 14 July
17 July to the 28 July
31 July to the 11 August
14 August to the 25 August
28 August to the 8 September
11 September to the 22 September
25 September to the 6 October
9 October to the 20 October
6 November to the 17 November
18 December to the 29 December

Price Guide

Safari starts and ends in Windhoek, Namibia

Fully inclusive of all accommodation, meals, game activities
and all transfers between camps.

Price Per Person Sharing
from £2,165.00
(Excluding all flights to, from and within Africa.)
valid for departures January to June

For departures from July to October the
cost of the safari is £2,305.00 per person sharing

For departures in November and December the
cost of the safari is £2,235.00 per person sharing

Single Supplement Charge of £295.00 if a single room/tent is requested
Single Supplement is not charged if willing to share (subject to availability)

To check availability for this safari, please contact us on
UK - 01995 679 776International - 44 1995 679 776
Priority is given to people who call us, due to the number of e-mails we receive.
holidays@safari-africa.co.uk

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Safaris subject to availability and prices can change without prior notice.
Additional Accommodation before and after the safari are available upon request.
25% non-refundable deposit is required to secure this safari.

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Pictures in this column were taken in Namibia

To make a booking please contact us with the depature date you would like. We will then check availablility for you.

Flights to, from and many within Africa are not included in the cost of the safari, you can check flight prices On-Line by going to our Flights page or by contacting your local travel agent or flight specialist.

If you need any help please contact us, by phone, e-mail or pop-in to see us in person.