Summary of the Route
This route focuses on the wildlife of Namibia and includes a stay at Okonjima, home of the AfriCat Foundation, and then a safari in the magnificent Etosha National Park.
Depending on the timing of your flights in and out of Windhoek you might choose to add a day or 2 in Namibia's capital at the start or end of your trip.
Okonjima, home of the AfriCat Foundation
Okonjima is much more than a luxury lodge. It is also the home of the AfriCat Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation and welfare of Namibia's wild predators, especially cheetahs and leopards.
The Foundation takes on a large number of cats who are caught on farmlands, including orphaned cubs. The AfriCat Cheetah Rehabilitation project was initiated to give some of the cheetah orphans an opportunity to return to their natural environment, and once they have proved that they can hunt and sustain themselves, they are relocated to private game reserves.
Etosha National Park
The 22,000 km² Etosha National Park in the north of Namibia offers some of the finest wildlife viewing in Africa, and is one of the undisputed highlights of any visit to the country.
The Park is home to 114 different mammal species, including 4 of the Big 5 - leopard, lion, elephant and rhino (both black and white), and has recorded nearly 400 species of bird, and over 110 species of reptile.
Etosha is also home to 3 uncommon antelope species - the beautiful black-faced impala, the roan antelope, and Southern Africa's smallest antelope, the Damara dik-dik, which stands only 40cm to the shoulder as a fully grown male adult.
Getting Home
From Etosha, it is about a 4-5 hour drive back to Windhoek.