NAMIBIA FOR THE FAMILY

An adventure designed around the curiosity of Audley clients Val and Leslie's 13 year old grandson Liam

By Audley Travel

November 22^nd, 2017

choosing namibia

World travel has always been important to us. As educators, our now 47 and 44-year-old children always looked forward to our 'radical sabbaticals' year-long chances to learn about another country's culture and appreciate the natural beauty of an unfamiliar destination in Central America or Southeast Asia.

Now, as 74-year-old grandparents of four, we have offered each grandchild a trip of their choice to anywhere in the world. When he or she nears 13 a case must be made for their chosen destination. After a year of contemplation, our oldest grandchild, Liam, decided he wanted to go to Africa because of his interest in photography. He chose to focus on Namibia based on its excellent wildlife-viewing and stunning landscapes, including the oldest and highest sand dunes in the world (which he also wanted to sandboard down!).

designing a trip for all

I worked with Jack Morris, Audley Africa specialist extraordinaire, to plan a 12-day trip to Namibia. Jack had invaluable suggestions and shared my Lonely Planet travel philosophy of staying in simple but clean (and sometimes unique) lodging and getting off the beaten track. During the research phase of planning the trip, Liam and his grandfather, Val, gave input as to activities they wanted to do and landscapes they wanted to visit.

All three of us like to document travel experiences through photography, so the dramatic and colorful dunes of Sossusvlei were a high priority. (Liam, consistently a good sport, got up with us at 4:30 a.m. in order for us to drive to Namib-Naukluft Park, just in time for the gate opening at sunrise with ideal lighting for photos.) We had many exciting wildlife-viewing opportunities on our trip. Staying inside Etosha National Park and exploring the Etosha pan, a vast, flat saline desert, was a real treat. We could come and go from Okaukue Rest Camp and quietly watch, day or night, a variety of antelopes, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and lions drinking at waterholes. We alternated between self-drives and observing from a safari vehicle with a guide. Although our accommodations were relatively modest, being inside the park (gates close at 6 p.m.) provided exceptional viewings in one of Africa's largest game parks.

learning on the road

Jack had many good ways for Liam to learn about the desert and to experience the unique star-shaped dune facets where sandboarding and quad bike rides are permitted. Val bravely participated with Liam while I opted for less adrenaline, exploring unique shops such as Peter's Antiques in Swakopmund. In my other searches for artistic treasures from Namibia, I found an impressive 5-foot tall giraffe carved by a member of the Kavango tribe, along with beautifully carved ironwood bowls and superbly woven baskets by other Kavango artists.

Other physical activities included kayaking with playful young Cape Fur seals in Walvis Bay, and hiking with guides at the Living Museum near Twyfelfontein to observe rock art engravings and paintings. We also took a Living Desert Tour and watched our guides find unusual fauna hidden beneath the sand. Tracking elephants and threatened cheetahs with knowledgeable guides were also enlightening activities.

The sand dunes of Namibia photographed in the afternoon sun

Grandpa Val partaking in a bit of quad biking

We rank our Namibia trip as one of the top 3 trips we have ever taken, thanks to the outstanding logistical planning by Jack, and to his willingness to tailor-make a trip suited to our interests. We also wish to thank Liam for contributing most of the photos and captions for this testimonial. We couldn't have asked for a more agreeable, flexible and focused travel companion!