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Namibia, Where Wishes Come True
Namibia, on the southwest coast of Africa, features the oldest desert in the world, awesome mountains made of sand, hidden canyons, exotic animals and an Atlantic coast filled with aquatic life, as well as the remnants of numerous shipwrecks. But these are only some of the reasons it became the fantasy vacation destination of one special family.
When Ron Frank and his son Hugo, a 12-year-old cancer victim, approached the Hudson, New York chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation with Hugo's dream of being up close and personal with a cheetah, Family Travel Forum's trip-planning staff was contacted to help.
Now, meeting this family's needs would have been a real challenge for any travel planner. Deciding on the best itinerary, choosing a knowledgeable guide, finding lodging, and deciphering local transportation are among the many questions that all travelers ask of the tour operators and organizations which are experts in the chosen destination. With more than 10 years' experience in planning family adventures to the Americas, Mediterranean, Middle East, New Zealand and Antarctica, plus expert guided tours of Africa, Wildland Adventures (800/345-4453) was FTF's first choice to assist the Frank family when they decided to make their wish reality.
Africa Pros Fulfill a Wish
After FTF got in touch, the professionals at Wildland discussed the Franks' needs and Namibia was proposed. Wildland offers three standard itineraries in Namibia and will work with each family to modify them according to special interests. While the seven-day-long "Best of Namibia" and the 13-day-long "Namibia Explorer" cover some of the same ground including the Namib Desert, the tremendous dunes at Sossusvlei; the historic town of Swakopmund; the Skeleton Coast (referring to the many shipwrecks found here) and the game reserve at Etosha National Park, the nine-day-long "In the Footsteps of Giants" itinerary focuses on tracking desert elephant and the rare black rhino.
Wildland again listened to the Franks' feedback, then came up with a customized plan. Writes Hugo Frank, "Thank you so much for this trip. I really loved it, and had a fantastic time. I saw so much wildlife and met a lot of nice and fun people including locals."
The Frank family also asked Wildland to provide extra staff to meet Hugo's physical limitations, and the ensuing adventure exceeded all expectations. Wrote Hugo, "I saw giraffes, lions, rhinocerous, elephants, desert adapted elephants, many different kinds of antelope, cheetahs, and much, much more. The Namibians are some of the most friendly people I have ever met in my travels."
Read on for a father and son's tales and memories of their journey.
A Father & Son's Namibia Journal
Ron Frank: "I can't say enough about the extraordinary experience we had on our Wildland Adventures safari in Namibia.
"[We spent our first night at] Little Kulala Camp, in Sossusvlei, a beautiful resort where the staff were warm, intelligent and attentive. [Here we were adjacent to the Namib Desert where] our first big adventure was scaling 'Big Daddy,' supposedly the tallest dune in the world. This was quite a challenge, and the scenery was spectacular.
"We were accompanied by a lovely family from France as well as our Wildlife guide (Anton, if I remember correctly) who willingly accompanied us on our trek and even carried a couple of extra water bottles.
"We flew over Sossusvlei to the Atlantic and up the Skeleton Coast to Swakopmund. On route we saw pods of seal, flocks of flamingo, shipwrecks and an abandoned diamond mine. We spent the afternoon walking the beach and shopping at the outdoor markets where we bargained with local artisans for some lovely sculptures we purchased as gifts.
"The next day we went dune boarding [akin to snowboarding on sand] which was fun if a bit intimidating the first time - the dunes are steep! Huge adds, "I hiked up the biggest dune in the world, which the locals call 'Big Daddy.' My dad did it with me. I went sand boarding in Swakopmund where you get speeds up to 50+ mph."
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