The Mother & Daughter Adventure
21st - 30th August 2025
Connection
An amazing opportunity to explore with your daughter and absorb the beauty of Namibian nature first hand, track desert elephants, build fires, sleep under the stars, learn about the incredible geology of the region, share precious experiences and create a lasting bond with your daughter before she fully grows up.
Wonder
Elephant herds are a wonderful representation of that close mother daughter relationship, and being in an environment, far from the technology of our every day lives we get to experience more keenly the importance of this relationship, and wonder at the world around us.
Fun!
Sliding down sand dunes, making cakes in the desert, singing songs with local children, tracking desert elephants and helping out at the school - all in a day’s work!
Conservation
Desert adapted elephants are unique and endangered - with the help of EHRA (Elephant Human Relations Aid) learn more about these incredible animals, the risks that face them and what can be done to help protect them and the people who live with them.
Culture
Meeting members of the three distinctly different cultures here in Namibia, the Himba, with their traditional dress and ancient customs, the Herero, with their brightly coloured Victorian style clothes and triangular hats, and the Damara with their click language. We will also trek through beautiful landscapes to visit an ancient site where early civilisations painted signs upon the rocks, learning about the history of this incredible place.
Day 1
Transfer from the airport, arrive in Swakopmund and settle in at Swakopmund Luxury Suites nestled in the heart of town beside the Atlantic ocean. Meet for an evening meal, and start to get to know each other. Get a good nights sleep, ready for the adventure ahead!
Day 2
After breakfast, head off to base camp on the Ugab River and meet the EHRA (Elephant Human Relations Aid) team who work tirelessly to help conserve desert adapted elephants. Go through risk assessments, wildlife safety briefings, and overview of the week. Take an orientation nature walk through the red granite landscape, identifying animal tracks with our expert tracker. Enjoy a communal dinner round the camp fire then sleep on the tree platform under the stars.
Day 3
After dawn yoga and breakfast, start our cultural day learning about a Herero lifestyle, visiting a farmstead and seeing what daily life entails. Our next enquiry is into is our Damara culture where again we visit a traditional home, learn how people make their living and enjoy asking lots of questions. After lunch we head out to a traditional Himba settlement and witness a people who stood by their traditions and chose to live a culturally rich life in tune with nature. Tonight we spend another night on our tree platform and wait for elephants.
Day 4 - 8
Today we set out on our elephant tracking! Due to the unpredictable nature and unknown location of the desert elephants, and in the spirit of true adventure, our next few days on expedition will combine trekking on foot and vehicle patrol, and will take us through areas of outstanding natural beauty as well as farmsteads and villages where we will have a chance to view elephants, and learn about their interaction with the local community. In addition to collecting valuable data, we will also have the chance to talk to visit the school, and learn a little about the children’s lives. To stretch our legs we will hike to an historic site of ancient cave paintings, getting a flavour of how Namibia’s lived in ancient times. Each night we will make camp in the wilderness, eat around a camp fire, sing, share stories and sleep out under the stars.
Day 9
After watching the sunrise, and final bush breakfast, pack up camp and wend our way back to Swakopmund. Meet for final celebratory dinner at a secluded restaurant, and congratulate yourself for meeting all your challenges head on!
Day 10
Final day - spend a while exploring the quaint town of Swakopmund. Head back to the airport and begin your journey home...
Mothers £2,150 ~ Daughters £1,850
What’s included
All expedition costs including:
~ 7 nights sleeping under the stars
~ Delicious meals cooked on the campfire
~ Experienced elephant tracking team from EHRA
~ 4 x 4 transport in Landcruisers
~ Insight into conservation practice
~ Daily dawn yoga and mindfulness sessions
~ Meeting with Namibian women & children – hearing their stories
Airport transfers
2 nights’ hotel accommodation in Swakopmund
2 evening meals and breakfasts in Swakopmund
Not included
Flights
Personal travel insurance
Beverages other than tea, coffee and water
Lunches whilst in Swakopmund
Site fees for cultural & archeological visits
Tips for local staff
Cathadventure is partnered with Inspired Ventures who specialise in adventure travel to support social and environmental projects around the world. Inspired Ventures is a UK travel company that ensures our trip has all the necessary insurance and complies with the necessary standards and laws in the UK. The Matriarch Adventure benefits from ABTOT bonding.
