Opuwo / Ovahimba Excursion

Opuwo / Ovahimba Excursion

 Early morning low-level scenic flight from Swakopmund airfield past the Brandberg, over Damaraland and Kaokoland to Opuwo. In Opuwo accompanied by a Guide and translater, you will be driven to an Ovahimba village in the area. Spend the morning with the Ovahimbas in their ‘kraal’. The Ovahimba are a tribe of semi-nomadic pastoralists who still live and dress according to ancient traditions. They are tall, slender and statuesgue people, characterised by their proud yet friendly bearing. The women are noted for their unusual sculptural beauty, enhanced by intricate hairstyles and traditional adornments. The Ovahimba rub their bodies with red ochre and fat to protect their skin against the scorching sun. Lunch will be served at the Opuwo Country Lodge. Relax at the poolside. Afternoon further flight along the Uniab Riverbed in search for the desert elephants, rhino’s, giraffes, mountain zebras and other game up to the rivermouth area, turning southbound. Flight along the treacherous Skeleton Coast. The Skeleton Coast Park is about 40km wide and covers 16 390km2. The park in the northern Namib Desert stretches from the Ugab River in the south to the Kunene River, which forms the northern border with Angola. This region is generally cold and windy with mist in the mornings and evenings. The Skeleton Coast is littered with whalebones, shipwrecks and remains of sailors and explorers. Further flight past Torra Bay, Palgrave point, Toscanini to Cape Cross seal reserve. During the November/December breeding season as many as 200 000 seals gather at Cape Cross. It was also here that the Portuguese navigator, Diego Cao, erected a stone cross in 1486. Continue flight coastwise from Cape Cross passing Henties Bay, the saltworks north of Swakopmund on our way to Swakopmund.