ACTIVITIES AND TOURS

Activities and Tours

Quick links to sections below…
Activities at Ozondjahe Safaris →
Namibia Tours →
Otjiwarongo Half Day Visit →
Cheetah Conservation Fund Center Half Day Visit →
Waterberg Plateau National Park Half Day Tour →
Etosha National Park One or Two Day Tour →
Windhoek Full Day or Overnight Visit →
Tiger Fishing on the Okavango River Four Day Tour →
Swakopmund Three Day Tour →
Sossusvlei Three Day Tour →

Activities at Ozondjahe Safaris ←

At times when not accompanying the hunting party, we encourage our non-hunting guests and family members to fully enjoy their own safari experience; we provide a variety of activities at Ozondjahe to choose from that are included in the guest daily rate. You may indulge in sunbathing or relaxing in the shade under the new lapa sipping a drink served to you beside the inviting swimming pool.

Take a chauffeured open-vehicle sunrise or sunset game drives and see several hundred animals of various species in a single outing.

You can also visit our ancient Bushmen rock engravings and prehistoric animal tracks in the stone.

For the best photographic and video opportunities enjoy game viewing from a blind situated at a waterhole or on an open grassy plain.

For something extra special our old fashioned wagon pulled by horses is a memorable experience as well as being an original and fun way to view game.

Horseback riding is available for experienced riders.

Ozondjahe Hunting Safaris is a veritable bird watching paradise with Namibia being home to over 350 varieties of bird species.

Familiarize yourself with our African landscape on a guided nature walk and for the more adventurous at heart you can take the one hour hike up our very own mountain range, Ozondjahe Peak to avail yourself of the breathtaking panoramic view, truly worth the effort.

Namibia Tours ←

Many of our hunters and their guests like to take the opportunity while in Namibia, usually following the hunting safari, to see more of our beautiful country. We would be happy to arrange an itinerary and guide your customized tour, according to your interests and time availability, from several half-day and one day excursions to more extensive tours of the country.

Every detail will be planned and taken care of during your private excursions and tours. All travel will be made in a comfortable and reliable vehicle. Or to save time reaching some of the more remote destinations it may be preferable to charter an aircraft. Anything is possible, just ask! Rest assured, whatever the itinerary you choose we always accommodate our guests with quality, convenience and experience in mind. Although the sightseeing opportunities in Namibia are too numerous to list, you will find a brief description below of the most popular destinations. Please contact us for a quote.

Otjiwarongo Half Day Visit ←

Enjoy a few hours visiting Otjiwarongo, our nearest small town only a 30 minute drive from Ozondjahe. In Otji (pronounced oat-gee) as the locals refer to it, you can do a bit of souvenir/curio shopping, buy postcards and other essentials, experience a working Crocodile farm or bring a donation to the local community preschool that Ozondjahe hunters have been generously supporting.

Visit to Peri Naua Pre-primary School in Otjiwarongo
Many hunters and their guests have been enriched by taking time out from their adventures at Ozondjahe Safaris to deliver generous monetary donations, school supplies, books even Safari Club International (SCI) SafariCare Program “Blue Bags” to the Peri Naua Pre-Primary School in Otjiwarango.

This school is attended by approximately 40 very needy children from 3 to 6 years of age, and it is designed to provide the basics in preparation for primary school, which begins at ages 6 to 7. The founders of the school believe that education is the only way to break the cycle of poverty.

Here is the experience of a hunter from Ozondjahe who was a member of a group who brought SCI Blue Bags to the school.

After our initial greetings and introductions, we shared the contents of each bag with the teachers and children. The bags included items that the hunters and others from our contingent had gathered while still in the United States such as: felt-tip markers and paint sets, books, blankets, California grown rice, clothes and games. Upon completion, teachers and the entire class expressed their gratitude in several songs that they performed for us! It was uplifting to see their enthusiasm and appreciation as they let us know that our combined efforts would contribute to the quality of their schooling experience. One of our party, Laurel, has a background in teacher preparation at California State University, Chico and hopes to return to work with the teachers at the school for a month next year!

We certainly hope that our visit, which was facilitated by Monique Escurat, who co-founded the school along with Peri Naua (a French Association), as well as Christine Van Der Vyver from Ozondjahe Safaris, was as rewarding for all involved as it was for the three of us! Hunters and SCI through SafariCare can definitely make a difference, and we encourage other hunters to get involved in the “Blue Bag” program! Greg Mensik

For more information…

Peri Naua School
www.peri-naua.com

Safari Club International Foundation
Humanitarian Services Manager
www.safariclubfoundation.org

Cheetah Conservation Fund Center Half Day Visit ←

Visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) for a half a day tour which is about an hour and fifteen minute drive from Ozondjahe, outside of the town of Otjiwarongo.

Each afternoon you can observe cheetahs being fed. It may also be possible to watch the cheetahs run, take a cheetah safari, or even meet their Cheetah Ambassadors.

CCF is an internationally recognized center of excellence in research and education on Cheetahs. The Education Center provides visitors the opportunity to learn more about the behavior and biology of the Cheetah and the Namibian ecosystem that supports Africa’s highest population of Cheetah. This excursion includes the visit of the museum, observing Cheetahs in enclosures and viewing the daily Cheetah feedings. We need to make prior reservations for this excursion, particularly if you wish to meet their Cheetah Ambassadors.

Waterberg Plateau National Park Half Day Tour ←

Our neighbor, the Waterberg Plateau is one of the most magnificent geological formations in Namibia and is easily seen from anywhere within Ozondjahe Hunting Safaris territory.

The reserve’s dramatic vertical cliffs rise more than 650 feet (200 meters) above the surrounding plains, creating natural boundaries which help protect the rare and endangered species that have been successfully resettled there to ensure their survival.

Since 1972, the 100,000 acre (41.000 hectares) sanctuary has become a prosperous natural breeding environment for the highly endangered Black and White Rhinoceros and home to Cape Buffalo, Roan Antelope, Sable Antelope and Tsessebe to name a few.

For a half-day tour it takes 40 minutes by car from Ozondjahe Hunting Safaris to reach the departure point for the three-hour game drive, guided by Park Rangers. No private vehicles are allowed into the Park. Closed on some days. We need to make prior reservations for this excursion.

Windhoek Full Day or Overnight Visit ←

Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, is the perfect place to finish your safari adventure or take a day off during your stay for some souvenir or luxury goods shopping. The drive to the capital is two and a half hours from Ozondjahe. It is possible to experience the city in one day however plan an overnight stay for a more relaxed pace and to enjoy all that Windhoek has to offer.

For an overnight stay in Windhoek there are a couple large international luxury hotels right in the center of town as well as several very quaint bed and breakfast inns that are well located close to the city center, making them ideal for walking around the center of town, shopping and visiting restaurants.

Windhoek is located at the geographic center of the country surrounded by rolling hills and home to approximately two hundred thousand people. It is an extremely small capital city by most standards however it is also extremely clean and safe by comparison as well.

The centre of Windhoek is characterised by German style buildings, a lasting reminder of Namibia’s early colonial history. The center of town has a European cafe culture vibe; laid-back and eclectic. There are lots of people sitting at the many outdoor cafes and restaurants, which serve traditional German food for the most part, especially beer from the local brewery, which is made respecting high German standards.

On Independence Avenue there are several shops offering luxury goods at prices unavailable in the U.S. and Europe for items like elegant ostrich, crocodile or python skin handbags. There are shops with high quality leather and fur goods from every conceivable kind of animal for every purpose from outerwear to home furnishings. You can find Indigenous swakara lamb skin coats , buffalo or elephant skin wallets and ostrich leg belts. There are a few fine jewelry boutiques featuring many rare and colorful gemstones that are native to Namibia, especially tourmalines and diamonds. You can find loose stones to set in a custom design created for you by your jeweler at home or pieces that have already been in made into stylish modern jewelry. Post Street Mall is a pedestrian only “street” that shoots off from Independence Avenue, the main road through the city center. Post Street Mall is filled with bustling shops and street market stalls filled with curios of every imaginable variety.

Away from the cafes and shopping within the center of town, guided tours are available of many of Windhoek’s main sites of interest. There are several early buildings such as the Alte Feste (Old Fort) which is now Namibia’s National Museaum, in front of  which stands the iconic Reiterdenkmal (equestrian memorial), as well as Christuskirche (Christ Church) the Lutheran parish from 1896 and Tintenpalast (the parliament buildings) which are of particular historical importance. Katutura, is the suburb built on South Africa’s apartheid policy in the 1950’s which is now a crowded mix of people from different cultures living together in peace and harmony. The same can be said of the entire city.

Etosha National Park One or Two Day Tour ←

A tour of Namibia would be incomplete without a visit to Etosha National Park, our most popular excursion destination and one of the world’s greatest game reserves.

A one-day visit is possible due to the park’s close proximity to Ozondjahe Hunting Safaris, leaving early in the morning, with an hour and a half drive to the Southern gate and returning late into the night.

Although a two-day tour of Etosha, with an overnight stay at one of the four lodges within the park, is preferable for those who wish to experience the exceptional night game viewing. At the floodlit waterholes it is common to see Elephant, Black and White Rhinoceros, Lion, Leopard, Hyena as well as rarely seen nocturnal species, certainly worth the overnight stay.

This huge sanctuary is home to over 100 mammal species including many rare and endangered animals and is some 8,598 square miles (22.270 square kilometers) in extent with a network of 435 miles (700 km) of gravel roads. Closed on some days. We need to make prior reservations for this excursion.

Tiger Fishing on the Okavango River Four Day Tour ←

For the hunter who likes to fish and enjoys lots of excitement a great extension to your hunting safari is to fish the spectacular Okavango River for the mighty tigerfish as well as largemouth bream, tilapia and catfish during the season from September to December. The Okavango River lies between Namibia and Angola and takes a six hour drive to reach from Ozondjahe Safaris therefore four days are required to enjoy a couple of days of fishing.

Tigerfish are considered the finest and hardest fighting freshwater game fish around. They are ferocious hunters and right at the top of the food chain in the rivers and lakes where they live. With eight large sharp protruding teeth they can grow to over 20 pounds with a females being larger than males. A great catch for someone who is both a hunter and fisherman!

Swakopmund Three Day Tour ←

Visiting Swakopmund, a colonial German town and Namibia’s premier holiday resort, is like stepping back in time. Not only will you be enchanted by its historic European charm, palm lined streets and seaside promenades but delighted by the many diverse points of interest to be explored within the immediately surroundings and the variety of activities available to people of all ages.

Because there is so much to see and do, as well as being a four and a half hour drive from Ozondjahe Hunting Safaris, we require a minimum visit of two nights. While you are there you will be staying at an excellent quality hotel in the heart of Swakopmund. In the evenings you will enjoy delicious meals at nice restaurants many of which specialize in fresh caught seafood, including the local rock lobster and oysters.

Using the city as our hub we can tour the Namib Desert, home to extraordinary landscapes, animals and plant life. Unique to the Desert in this region is the oldest living plant in the world, the Welwitschia Mirabilis, an octopus like giant which can reach 2000 years of age. We can view the “Moon Landscape” created by the mighty Swakop River flowing towards the sea, that has been sculpting and eroding the land for millions of years until it created an unearthly effect, or the spectacular contrast of the orange sand dunes meeting the Atlantic Ocean.

Other impressive sites to see are Cape Cross, a noteworthy historical landmark, located in the midst of the sole breeding colony of 100,000 Cape Fur Seals on mainland. Walvis Bay Nature Reserve, which can be toured by land, boat or kayak, is a wetland bird sanctuary home to, at any given time, as many as 200,000 birds such as Flamingo, Pelican and Sand Piper; it’s really a beautiful sight to see. There is also an opportunity take a dolphin cruise where you can also see seals and sometimes even encounter whales as well.

Some more leisurely time may be spent exploring the quaint town of Swakopmund itself. You can do a bit of shopping, check out the art galleries, cafes, take a seaside promenade on the beach and jetty, visit the local museums, snake park or aquarium.

And while there’s plenty to do within city limits, the real action is happening in the desert surrounding Swakopmund. There is shark and deep sea fishing, shore angling, hot air ballooning, sand dune carting, quad-biking, sand-boarding, sand-skiing, parasailing, parachuting and several other adrenaline inducing guided activities that are available to do.

Sossusvlei Three Day Tour ←

The bright red-orange crescent shaped sand dunes at Sossusvlei are one of Namibia’s top attractions and reputed to be the highest dunes in the world. At around 1066 feet (325 meters) high, these ever changing, wind sculpted giants are truly a spectacular and impressive site. Sossusvlei is so overwhelmingly beautiful that many people say that visiting the undulating dune sea is one of the most memorable experiences of their lifetime.

One would expect this vast sandy landscape to be barren, but to the contrary the Namib is home to a number of specialized animal species, all have adapted to the harsh environment, many by seeking shelter underground to escape the heat, and obtaining their precious water solely from fog condensation. You will be accommodated as well as eat your meals at a very comfortable lodge outside of the Park, from where guided tours will depart.

Due to the long distance (220 miles / 350 kilometers) and some unpaved sections of the road, from Swakopmund to Sossusvlei it is a six-hour drive and may not be possible at certain times of the year. For this trip it is necessary to spend a minimum of two nights and is best done as an extension to the Tour of Swakopmund. If time is limited, an alternative is to charter an aircraft, either from Ozondjahe Hunting Safaris private runway or from Swakopmund airport for an additional charge.