Namibia 2023
September 15 - October 2, 2023
Namibia 2023
Wildlife, Landscapes & Much More
This is a self-drive trip for up to 7 where you have only two photographers per vehicle - all for a price that can't be beat. Self-driving gives us the opportunity to spend as much time as we want at all locations without restrictions. Organized game drives have crowded vehicles and time limits at locations and numerous missed opportunities.
Namibia has everything a nature and wildlife photographer could ask for. An abundance of birds and animals at every location. The unique Quiver Tree Forest; huge flocks of lesser and greater flamingos of the west coast; one of the largest seal colonies in the world; the tallest sand dunes in the world in Sossusvlei and Deadvlei; the iconic ghost town of Kolmanskop and Etosha, the renowned wildlife reserve.
On this self-drive photo adventure to Namibia, you will have the opportunity to create some exceptional landscape and wildlife images. The night skies are mesmerizing as Namibia has some of the darkest skies in the world.
Trip Highlights
Learn how best to work with movement and light as you frame exceptional sand dunes; the night sky, herds of elephants, zebra, wildebeest, lions, and birds to name a few. Witness the wildlife and behavior while out on safaris, waterholes, and other activities designed to maximize photographic opportunities.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Windhoek - On your arrival, you will be met at the airport and driven to our hotel in the city. You can settle in and relax. We will meet for dinner in the lobby at 7:00 PM.
Day 2 - After breakfast, we will pick up our vehicles and drive to The Quivertree Forest, with its curious and picturesque trees. You will also see the amazing dolorite rock formations referred to as Giants Playground. After checking in, we will drive to Giants Playground for sunset photos and scout out our compositions for a return after dinner to photograph the night sky.
Day 3 - Early morning, we will go within the camp to photograph the Quiver Trees at sunrise. Optionally you can photograph the resident cheetahs at feeding time (price not included). After breakfast, we can spend some time photographing the cheetahs (if they are outside) as well as different bird species.
We will depart for Luderitz photographing along the way. After we check into our hotel we will go to photograph the flamingos as well as other wildlife after which we will go out for dinner. Oysters are a specialty in the hotel we are staying at.
Day 4 - We will rise very early and go to Kolmanskop, the ghost town. We’ll spend the entire morning shooting the many buildings that the desert has reclaimed. There’s a restaurant here for lunch. We’ll stay as long as everyone is satisfied with their images. After returning to our hotel, we will spend some time downloading and reviewing our images. Early evening we will drive close by to another location to shoot some wildlife. Optional - dinner will be at a restaurant in town.
Day 5 - Sossusvlei - After an early breakfast in Luderitz, we will depart for Sossusvlei. Along the way, we should have plenty of opportunities to shoot spectacular landscapes and some wildlife. We will spend the next three nights at Dead Valley Lodge which is one of the few luxury accommodations situated within Namib Naukluft Park. We will benefit from staying here as we will be able to leave before sunrise and return about an hour after sunset. The luxury chalets each with a panoramic view of the Namib desert with towering red sand dunes, rugged mountain ranges, and arid desert savannah.
After checking in, we’ll drive out to the park to photograph the dunes and any wildlife as the sun is setting and the sky changes to brilliant reds.
Day 6 -This morning, we will pick up a packed breakfast and drive to Deadvlei to photograph the centuries-old camel thorn trees in the white clay pan. We will take advantage of our early departure as this breathtaking area gets crowded later in the day. There are numerous stunning compositions to capture here. As the light progresses, the compositions change against the backdrop of the red dunes. We’ll return to our lodge for lunch and relax, use the pool and download our images. Late afternoon we’ll venture out to the dunes to capture compositions in the late light.
Day 7 - We’ll leave for the dunes before sunrise after picking up our packed breakfast. The dunes we will photograph this morning will be magnificent with the light and shadows allowing us to capture some amazing images. we will return to our lodge for lunch, download our images, and do an image review. After a bit of relaxation, we’ll drive out to different dunes for more spectacular photographs and in the hope of capturing oryx and ostriches against the backdrop of the red dunes.
Day 8 - After another sunrise trip to the dunes, we’ll return to our lodge to check out and then head to Walvis Bay. On the way, we’ll stop for lunch and eat the famed apple pie at Solitaire. Here we can photograph vintage cars and trucks.
After checking into our hotel, we will photograph the flamingos as the sun goes down. Thousands of flamingoes and migrating birds can be viewed from our doorstep. We can then go into town for dinner or optionally, dine in our rooms.
Day 9 - This morning, we can walk across the street to the lagoon to photograph flamingos and other birds and then come back for breakfast. Since the distance to the flamingos varies with the tides, we could photograph them again after breakfast. In the late afternoon, we will go on a safari on the dunes until sunset. Here you will get to photograph the dunes as the ocean waves wash over the base of the dunes. Photographs of the ocean and dunes rising from the water are magical. The changing light as the sun goes down will provide ample opportunities to capture amazing images. We should also be able to photograph some wildlife here. We will have a delicious meal accompanied by either beer or wine on the dunes close to sunset. We’ll return to our accommodations after another magnificent day.
Day 10 - After a leisurely breakfast, we will drive to Swakopmund which is a beach resort. It is an example of German colonial architecture. It is the main resort town of Namibia. After checking into our hotel we’ll go to the seal colony. Along the way, we can also photograph a shipwreck. We will return to town for lunch and then back to the hotel to relax and download our images and review our images. The evening is free to discover this amazing re
Day 11 - 16- Etosha. After a leisurely breakfast, we will drive to our next destination— Etosha National Park. Our first stay will be at the Okaukuejo Camp where we will spend 2 nights. The next 2 nights will be spent at Halali Camp, and the final 2 nights just outside the park at a luxury camp Onguma. After we check-in, we will have dinner at the restaurant. We can all meet at the floodlit waterhole for a sundowner while we photograph and watch the endless procession of the animals. As we drive within the park, we will visit numerous waterholes to photograph a multitude of wildlife. Each of the three camps has a permanent floodlit waterhole. A never-ending procession of mammals and birds has ensured Etosha is a most reliable dry-season wildlife destination.
The region provides opportunities to photograph large herds of elephants, black rhinos, and white rhinos, in addition to lions, leopards, and hyenas. Many antelope species, zebra and giraffe, are seen almost everywhere. Porcupines and marsh owls are active at night. Returning to our lodges just before sunset will allow us to photograph wildlife at the waterhole within our camp and then go for dinner. After dinner, we can return to the waterhole for a sundowner and more photography.
On our last night together, we’ll dine and wind down with stories and our experiences of this trip.
The following morning after breakfast, we’ll drive to a waterhole for the last time. After a few hours of shooting, we’ll return to check out and drive to Windhoek where we return our cars and spend the night at the hotel. The next day you will be transported to the airport for your return flight.
Breakfast is included at all locations. Dinner is included at Quiver Tree, Sossusvlei, and Onguma. We reserve the right to change lodging at a similar location if necessary.
Registration
Registration requires a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 participants. The trip fees are $9,600.00 and $9,100 for participants who have registered for the 2023 Tanzania Photo Safari/Workshop. The price is based on double occupancy; a single room supplement is $950, if available. If a guest is unwilling to share and requests single accommodations upon registration, then a single supplement will be charged. If you are a solo guest who is willing to share accommodations, we will do our best to match you with another guest of the same gender. If we are unable to match you with another solo guest of the same gender, then the single supplement will be charged.
Note: Passports, visas, and any necessary immunizations are the responsibility of the participant. Please note: We will attempt to adhere to this itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (political, climatic, environmental, cultural, or wildlife migrations) may necessitate changes in the itinerary. We reserve the right to alter any itinerary at any time, if necessary. We will attempt to notify participants of changes as far in advance as possible. Costs (not expected) incurred by such changes will be the responsibility of the participant.
The fee does not include: Your airfare to and from Windhoek, Namibia, any airport taxes, Passport and visa fees (U.S citizens do not require visas to Namibia), travel insurance (highly recommended). Meals other than those that are indicated. Personal expenses, tips, drinks, telephones, laundry, personal travel if incurred, and incidentals.
PLEASE COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING FORMS - Both forms must be executed.
Release and Assumption of Risk
A deposit of $3000.00 is required to confirm your reservation. A second deposit $3500 00 (plus the single supplement if applicable) is due by April 10, 2023, and the balance is due by June 10, 2023. All prices are quoted in US dollars and must be paid in US dollars. (Please note that if there is a significant increase in the cost of transportation and fuel then we reserve the right to notify you of such increase. You may chose to cancel and all your deposits will be fully refunded). Please make your payments to Shiv Verma and mail them to 652 Dedham Street, Wrentham, MA 02093-1149. Credit cards and PayPal are accepted (a 4% fee applies) please call 617.759.0010 if that is how you wish to pay.
Special Terms & Conditions for the Photo Safari (these terms supersede any terms on the registration and enrollment forms):
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY: Cancellations are only effective upon receipt of written notification signed by the participant/s The initial deposit is used to secure your accommodations, transportation, and guides and is therefore non-refundable unless the safari/tour is sold out at the time of departure. shiv verma | photography hereafter SVP, will do their best to resell your spot and/or return as much of your non-refundable deposit as possible. If the final balance has not been received 90 days before trip commencement, SVP shall be entitled, at their discretion, to treat your reservation as canceled; the deposit shall be forfeited. We understand that conflicts arise, if you need to cancel before the final payment, all efforts will be made to fill your spot. If SVP fills your spot, a refund of your non-refundable deposit, less a 30% administration fee and less any non-returnable air tickets purchased will be issued; there are no guarantees. If written cancellation is received:
Before April 15, 2023, the cancellation fee is 100% of the initial deposit.
Before June 15, 2023, the cancellation fee is 50% of tour/safari/workshop fee.
On or after July 15, 2023, the cancellation fee is 100% of the tour/safari/workshop fee.
In the event you do not join the trip/safari/workshop, join it after departure or leave before its completion, no refunds will be made with the exception of any airfare refunds provided by the carrier when applicable.
CANCELLATION OR CHANGE IN TOUR/WORKSHOP: SVP will make every attempt to operate a tour/safari/workshop once confirmed, but will reserve the right to cancel or change a trip at any time, due to insufficient bookings, and/or reasons beyond its control, such as; strikes, war, acts of God, acts of government, civil unrest or any other cause whatsoever, that may make operation of the tour impossible, illegal or inadvisable. All tour payments received will be promptly refunded, and this refund will be the limit of SVP’s liability. SVP is not responsible for any expenses incurred by tour members in preparing for the tour including non-refundable or airline tickets, airline penalties, special clothing, visa or passport fees, or other tour-related expenses. SVP highly recommends purchasing travel insurance to cover these events and expenses.