Travel to Namibia: Serra Cafema Extension

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Serra Cafema Extension

			DAYS: 4 GRADE: I-II define PRICE: From $1940 per person HIGHLIGHTS: Himba Culture ACCOMMODATIONS: Deluxe Camp MEALS: As noted  [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch,   D-Dinner] SEASON: Year-round Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services Send to a Friend Print this Itinerary

Extend your exploration of Namibia with a visit up to the far northen border of Angola and the beautiful oasis of Serra Cafema. The camp is built under the trees and in the reeds along the Kunene River and faces the mountain range in Angola from which the Serra Cafema gets its name.

DAY 1 :  SERRA CAFEMA, NAMIBIA

You will be met upon arrival at the airstrip and transferred over the dunes and through the valley to camp. Set amongst ancient albida trees on the banks of the Kunene River, the only permanent source of water in the region, Serra Cafema is one of the most remote camps in southern Africa. Rapids just below camp provide a calming ambiance; guests fall asleep to the sound of rushing water, while by day they explore one of the driest deserts in the world. Serra Cafema gets its Portuguese name from the mountains that dominate the northern skyline in Angola, and shares the area with the Himba people, amongst the last true nomads in Africa.
The camp has spacious eight canvas and thatched chalets on decks, each with its own en suite bathroom, including an outdoor shower looking out over the river. Attention to detail, elevated decks and simple structures of wood, canvas and thatch create an elegant camp that is at one with its surroundings. The sunken lounge, dining room, bar and pool look out over the Kunene River to the mountains and Angola beyond. Overnight Serra Cafema. [LD]

The Kunene River provides lush vegatation and water at Serra Cafema.

DAYS 2-3 :  KUNENE RIVER AND HARTMANNS VALLEY, NAMIBIA

In the extreme and remote north of Namibia, mountains of largely folded metamorphic rock are cut through by rivers, including the Kunene River that forms the border between Namibia and Angola. In rainy years, the large Marienfluss and Hartmann's valleys become grassy expanses, but generally their flat topographies are covered by sand broken only by a few tough grasses, shrubs and mysterious 'fairy circles'. In this isolated region, the Himba people continue their nomadic, traditional way of life. The variety of activities to explore the breathtaking landscape includes informative nature drives that tread lightly on the fragile habitats and boating on the Kunene River, where crocodiles and waterbirds seem out of place in this moonscape environment. Walking in the remote mountain and river valleys are also a highlight, as is a visit to a Himba settlement, should the nomadic people be in the area. The fairy circle phenomenon is best viewed in the Hartmann's Valley.

Serra Cafema Camp is leased from the 300 000-hectare Marienfluss Conservancy which is comprised primarily of local Himba people, one of the last semi-nomadic peoples on earth. The camp has excellent relationships with the local Himba villages and the regular guest visits to these villages are good examples of mutually beneficial and sensitive cultural tourism. Game viewing in this area is limited to herds of gemsbok, springbok and Hartmann's mountain zebra. The Kunene River has a large population of Nile crocodiles, an anomaly in a desert. Burchell's Courser and Benguela Long-billed Lark are among the characteristic bird species to be found in this area. There are also a number of endemic reptiles, the desert chameleon being a particular specialty. Overnight Serra Cafema. [BLD]

DAY 4 :  DEPART

Today you will be transferred to the airstrip for you charter flight. [B]

Questions? Ask Our Program Directors.

. C o n t a c t Julia Nesbitt 1(800)345-4453