Itinerary

The tour will start on the 10th of September 2006 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Note that the cost of the international flight to Johannesburg is not included in the price, however we'd be glad to assist with these travel arrangements. Direct flights from London and Germany are offered by South African Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and so on. Other carriers often offer a cheaper option, but include a stopover in Dubai or Doha for example. For further information feel free to contact us.
Of course you have the choice to travel onwards within Africa or elsewhere before or after your tour, all you need to do is book your plane ticket accordingly and notify us of this.

Day 1 (10 Sept 2006)
Morning arrival at Johannesburg International. Here you will be met by your friendly guide who will be with you throughout your trip. He will escort you to domestic departures, where you will board a plane to the tranquil town of Upington (see location).
In Upington we will take our rooms at a select luxury guesthouse with its lush gardens on the banks of the Orange River. We will have the afternoon to relax and get into the swing of the African vibe. Then in the evening you'll get your first African steak in the acclaimed "Le Must" Restaurant.

Day 2 After a leisurely breakfast we get into the vehicles and start our drive towards Sandfontein. We have approximately 4 hours driving time ahead of us through some stunning desert landscapes, and on arrival at Sandfontein we will probably be welcomed by the local Gemsbok and Kudu. After settling in we will meet the manager's of the farm, a very friendly couple who will help with a lot of our activities and who will prepare our meals. Even though Sandfontein Lodge is luxuriously set up with spacious chalets and all that one could possibly need, electricity runs off a generator (when required) and the real luxury is the opportunity to sit out, in the vast open, and sip on a Gin and Tonic under the great African sky.

Day 3 - Day 10 Excursions to all the different battlefields and fortifications at places such as Hartebeesmund, Sperlingspütz, Umeis, Warmbad, Ramansdrift and Norechab. The group will be accompanied by a historian who will explain the history and how battles were fought in this region. Even after a hundred years there's a lot of evidence of these battles.  Scattered around the slowly crumbling fortifications you'll find old cartridges from the Mauser rifles that were used, old rusted jars and cans, beer bottles and other left-overs from the supply of the Schutztruppe (The Nama themselves lived off the land).

The nearby town of Warmbad, an old mission station that stationed a German detachment of the "Schutztruppe" and which came under attack on numerous occasions, has an interesting museum which we will visit. On the 14th of February 1906 a battle took place on Norechab. We wanted to commemorate those that fell on the 100th anniversary of this battle, but Namibia is too hot at this time of year and it would make sense to have such a commemoration ceremony during an actual tour and when a film crew is there to film the event. Therefore the 16th of September will be dedicated to those that fell on this fateful day.

Other activities will include the likes of game-drives and spending a day on the banks of the Orange River, just taking in the awe-inspiring surroundings. Here you can enjoy the cool shade

of the trees, swimming, canoeing or fishing. The Orange is like an oasis in the middle of the desert, stretching through the harsh landscape with it's vegetation on the banks and clean water which attracts the local birds and animals. There is a lot to keep us busy for these 8 days, and we haven't planned a set itinerary as we feel it's important to be flexible and accomodating to our guests' wishes. This way we can learn each person's interests and preferences and structure the historical tours accordingly as we go along.

Last Day (20 September 2006)

After an early breakfast we slowly make our way back to Upington and fly back to Johannesburg. You have the choice to catch a flight back home that same night, or if you prefer not to fly after the day's travels we can help arrange a hotel room (not included in the tour price).

Further information can be found here.