Namibia – Desert-adapted Elephants of Namibia Photo Tour 2023

Today is an arrival day in Namibia, with your routing taking you to Hosea Kutako International Airport, located just outside the Namibian capital. After landing and customs and baggage formalities, you will be transferred into Windhoek by a representative of ORYX Photo Tours. Tonight you will meet your ORYX Senior Photo Tour leader during dinner whereby your tour ahead will be discussed.

After breakfast and at a time to be advised, you will be collected for your flight to Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp. Our camp is scenically located in a broad valley at the confluence of two tributaries of the Hoanib River in the northern part of the private Palmwag Concession. Its location thus straddles the Palmwag area and the iconic Skeleton Coast National Park, in one of the most remote areas of the Kaokoveld.  This afternoon will be the commencement of our first game drive in Namibia.

We have three full days to explore this wonderful area, and will be able to access both inland and coastal habitats. Here the landscape is dominated by the form of the Hoanib River, a swathe of sand that meanders through rocky gorges and past arid sandy plains.  The highlight of our safari here will be to seek out, track, and photograph the Desert Elephant.  Desert-dwelling Elephant survive in one of the harshest drylands where water and vegetation is scarce. These Elephant have adapted to their hot environment through various means and behaviors. One such physical adaption is that they appear to have bigger feet due to their extended footpads. As they can walk for hundreds of kilometers at a time in search for food and water, the added surface area allows these giants to walk on soft and sandy surfaces without sinking. 

This morning we will say our farewells to the amazing Skeleton Coast and head north–east to the most famous of all of Namibia’s National Parks, fabulous Etosha!  We will be staying at the Ongava Game Reserve situated on the southern boundary of the park. This prolific 30 000ha (74130 acre) private concession is a haven for large concentrations of wildlife: notably Elephant, Lion, Cheetah, Black and White Rhino, Springbok, Gemsbok, Blue Wildebeest, Burchell’s Zebra, Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra, Waterbuck, Red Hartebeest, Giraffe, Eland and the largest population of the endemic Black-faced Impala outside of Etosha. 

We will spend the next three days exploring the legendary Etosha National Park in search of their Elephant. Etosha remains the highest density wildlife area within Namibia; its worldwide fame justly acknowledged. The salt pan (the largest in the world) is speculated to be a remnant of an ancient glacial lake, and is today maintained by scouring winds across its surface and sporadic ephemeral flooding. Springs along the edge of the pan attract and quench the thirst of a dense and varied conglomeration of wildlife, mixing savanna and desert species like Impala and Springbuck.  We have the options of full day game drives into Etosha, exploring the southern roads of Etosha Pan from Okakeujo through to Halali. These waterholes and springs attract a multitude of wildlife from grazers to predators. Our highlight will be seeking out and photographing the “white” African Elephant. Many of the Elephant in Etosha appear to be white in colour due to their bathing and dusting off in the white clay soil. 

After a final morning of exploring the wonderful Etosha and at a time to be advised we will depart Ongava on scheduled light aircraft back to Windhoek.  Upon arrival you will check in for your international flight. Here your photographic journey with ORYX Photo Tours and Penny sadly comes to an end.