Itinerary Highlights
  • Experience Etosha, Damaraland, Namib and Kalahari by driving a 4x4 through Namibia's wide open spaces

  • Enjoy wildlife encounters with the likes of lions, springboks and oryx

  • A cruise off Walvis Bay to watch dolphins and sea lions

  • You'll have access to our additional services, including our local Concierge

Contact one of our Namibia specialists + 44 (0) 20 3958 6120

THE SANDY WILDS OF NAMIBIA



Namibia is a place for experiencing limitless freedom, with enchanting beauty in the heart of wild nature, with tracks running in straight lines for hundreds of miles, two deserts, the stunning spectacle of dunes plunging down into the Atlantic, and herds of wild animals. Far from the hustle and bustle of the world, alone in a 4x4, driving along desert tracks, through a landscape of red rocks or pink dunes you'll have plenty of opportunity to reflect and feel close to nature. Etosha, the largest wildlife reserve in the country is home to hundreds of giraffes, lions and rhinos. In Damaraland, enjoy the privilege of seeing the last desert elephants and black rhinoceros, plus rock art dating back five or six thousand years, depicting the everyday life of the first hunter-gatherers.
In Walvis Bay, head out to sea to spot dolphins and fur seals, before arriving at Sandwich Harbour, and the magical fusion of sand dunes and Atlantic rollers. Then, continue on to the Namib Desert, the oldest desert on the planet - thought to be 80 million years old - with dunes dotted with acacias and populated with solitary oryx. It's hard to imagine an environment more hostile to life, and yet it's home to 'Welwitschia mirabilis', an extraordinary plant, and one of the most beautiful ancient plants imaginable, drinking from the desert mists through its broad strap-shaped leaves - some plants are more than 2,000 years old. Then enter the Kalahari, a vast mineral expanse with limitless horizons and enchanting dunes. The place is home to countless animals, and not just in the national parks: elephants, cheetahs, oryx, rhinoceros, impalas, gazelles, blesbok, giraffes, kudu, zebras and flamingos call this place home, plus sea lions and dolphin of the Namibian coast.



YOUR JOURNEY


We've ensured that you'll have a wonderful combination of activities and relaxation during your adventure to Namibia. You'll receive a warm welcome upon arrival at the airport and get assisted through customs and transferred to your hotel. You'll be riding in a 4x4, or SUV in the dry season which is essential to navigate over the few rough sections of road. At each stage, we have selected guesthouses, lodges and camps for their excellent location as charming little havens for taking in the stunning majesty of the surroundings.

Route

Everything is 100% tailored to you
DAY 1

International flight to Windhoek

Your overnight flight to Windhoek will leave the UK this evening, arriving the next day.

DAY 2

Windhoek

Arrive in the Namibian capital this morning and find yourself surrounded by arid mountains. Receive a personal reception at the airport and collect your hire vehicle. Check-in early at your accommodation for the night, an elegant guesthouse with friendly staff, located in the Windhoek uplands. To recover from the flight there is an airy and well-kept indoor garden and a few pool-side deckchairs, where you can laze around to your heart's content in this secluded haven.

DAY 3

Windhoek - Otjiwarongo

Drive to Otjiwarongo, midway between the capital and Etosha Park. Enjoy overnight accommodation in a charming lodge decorated with traditional crafts of the Ovambo people. We love the Lapa deck, a vast outdoor restaurant set in the savannah around a large fire, perfect for dining under the stars and watching the animals drink at the watering hole.

DAYS 4 & 5

Etosha National Park

Take the road to the north, with picnic lunch en route, to Etosha National Park. It is one of the largest animal reserves in the world, with an area spanning 14,000 square miles. In the rainy season, the vast salt desert of Etosha Pan is transformed into a lagoon full of flamingos. Its arid plains are home to more than 100 species of mammals. In the dry season, animals gather around the watering holes; in the rainy season, you can even see baby zebras taking their first steps. Spend two nights in the heart of the bush, in the Ongume Private Game Reserve. The lodge is located on the edge of a watering hole. As the lounge and dining room have prime views overlooking the watering hole, it is common to spot the animals coming to drink as you sip a cocktail or enjoy a sumptuous meal. It's a sort of dine-in safari. The bungalows with their grey thatched roofs are quintessentially African. It is discreetly integrated into the surrounding natural environment. The rooms are impeccable, the pool is perfect for cooling off and the staff are attentive and efficient, all enhancing further the fantastic feel of the place.

DAY 6

Etosha National Park

Stay overnight in a camp that was the first to open in the western part of Etosha National Park, an area that has remained wonderfully wild and protected. The camp sits on a hill, surrounded by twisting trees and volcanic formations, and overlooks the Damaraland Plain and Etosha pan from a great height - an ideal vantage point for watching the cloud shadow roll across the vast plain, and for watching the animals with a dizzying sense of freedom. Activities include watching zebras (including the rare Hartmann's mountain zebra), giraffes, antelopes, white and black rhinos, which flock to drink at the many surrounding watering holes.

DAYS 7 & 8

TWYFELFONTEIN AND DAMARALAND

Leave behind the silvery flatlands of the Etosha Pan, for the hills of Damaraland, the stronghold of the black rhino and desert elephants. An austere and wild region of rugged landscapes, one of the last places on the continent where zebras, oryx, giraffes and black rhinoceros live outside the national parks. It's a total change of atmosphere and colour. Enjoy overnight accommodation in a charming lodge, a haven of peace and tranquillity in the heart of the Damaraland mountains, on a rocky outcrop. Enjoy a spectacular view of Vingerklip, a 100ft-high limestone finger emerging out of the Ugab Valley - a breathtakingly beautiful landscape. Other things to see and experience include the petrified forest of conifers fossilised in sandstone, 260 million years old; in their wake have grown stunning 'Welwitschias Mirabilis' plants, several hundred years old - the geological formations of the Ugab River valley and climbing the Vingerklip - a full day to track animals (rhinoceros, elephants, oryx, springbok or ostriches) - a walk to see one of the jewels of the mineral natural landscape - the Twyfelfontain rock engravings, the oldest in southern Africa.

DAY 9

TWYFELFONTEIN - WALVIS BAY

Then take the road south-west through landscapes of plateaus and flat mountains sculpted by time, with an impromptu picnic along the way. Things to see on the road include Brandberg Mountain, the country's highest peak standing at 8,400ft, an ancient volcano that greatly influenced the landscape of the region, a detour to see the famous sea lion colony, and then back on the salt track to the small towns of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. Spend two nights in a hotel in a Cubist architectural design, nestled on Walvis Bay lagoon. Wide bay windows afford ample views of the lagoon from a king-size bed, with front row seats for flamingo and pelican watching.

DAY 10

The Namibian coast

Located in the heart of a former German colony, Walvis Bay has only been part of Namibia since 1994, when the city's sovereignty was transferred from South Africa. The area is rich in marine wildlife, thanks to the Benguela Current which flows here and encourages plankton growth. Already included in the itinerary is a catamaran cruise to explore the lagoon's rich marine wildlife - dolphins, seals and turtles, pelicans, cormorants and flamingos. Then head to Sandwich Harbour, where the dunes of the Namib Desert meet the Atlantic Ocean. Things to see and do include exploring the neighbouring town of Swakopmund, distinctive for its early 20th century Baltic Coast Germanic architecture, its promenades ideal for an enjoyable stroll or the patisseries along Kaiser Wilhelm Strasse - a game of golf between sand and green - an excursion to see the age-old 'Welvitchias mirabilis' plant in the Moon Valley.

DAYS 11 & 12

WALVIS BAY - SESRIEM (Namib Desert)

After the coast it's on to the desert. Head south for the dunes of the Namib Desert, one of the world's oldest deserts, a near-perfect landscape of clean lines, an extraordinary range of colours: the apricot, orange and red hues of the sands and the intense blue sky. Sublime and unspoiled. Admire the immense display of apricot-red sand dunes, which are among the highest in the world (some are over 1,100ft high) and surround an ancient dried salt lake, bordered by beautiful acacias. This is a chance for an encounter with desert animals such as oryx, springboks, ostriches, jackals and other birds. Enjoy a two-night stay in Sesriem, in a magnificent hillside lodge at the entrance to the national park, designed as a viewing point for the endless landscape. Every effort has been made to ensure that the Namib Desert and its petrified dunes remain so forever: the cottages are built on stilts and the beds are raised off the ground, the dark interiors contrast with the intense outdoor brightness. Here, life is lived at the desert's pace, contemplating the changes of light on the red dunes. Small private stone pools, large terraces – another concept of comfort, unostentatious luxury, natural and discreet. Activities include climbing the dunes to survey the apricot-coloured landscapes - spend the day walking the dune corridor between Sesriem and Sossusvlei - encounter desert animals, including oryx, springboks, ostriches, jackals and other birds.

DAY 13

From one desert to the next

Leave the Namib Desert and press on deeper inland towards the semi-arid Kalahari Desert in the east. Bordering Botswana, South Africa and Namibia, this land of the bushmen features vast expanses of red dunes and yellow savannah. There are high dunes, but the area is often shaped into an undulating endless sheet of sand by the wind. Overnight accommodation is on the fringes of the desert: the owner of the renowned guesthouse in the area has set up tents on wooden stilts on top of a red sand dune. Dine at the guesthouse before picking up the keys from reception and driving off in a 4x4 to park up in the middle of nowhere, at the bottom of the dune that is camp for the night. You'll have a wooden deck, terrace with a small table and low armchairs, and a functional safari tent that is simply but charmingly furnished. The location offers breath-taking vistas of the infinite expanse of the grassy plains of the Kalahari and the blue sky. A natural recharge.

DAYS 14 & 15

KALAHARI - WINDHOEK - RETURN FLIGHT

Head back to the capital, return your hire car and catch your overnight flight home, which will arrive the next morning.

A la carte

HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHT OVER THE NAMIB



Morning take-off for a one-hour flight over the desert. It's a new day and the rich mineral hue of the landscape is adorned with pearlescent pink. The perfect silence is broken only by the burner firing. It's a really beautiful moment before you head back on the ground for a champagne breakfast, the air now filled with excited conversation about the heavenly experience.

Option - Half day

A Rough Idea of Price

Dependent on season, accommodation and activities
The estimated cost for this trip starts from £3,750 to £5,000 per person. A fixed price would not make sense for a bespoke journey. The final cost will vary according to several factors, including the level of service, length of trip and advance booking time. The exact price will be shown on your personalised quote. The average starting price for this trip is £4,285 per person.
  • International flights with a scheduled airline
  • Airline taxes and fuel surcharge
  • Welcome and assistance throughout the journey
  • A cooler with refillable ice packs
  • Rental of a 4X4 (or SUV in the dry season) for 12 days
  • Overnight stay in Windhoek in a double room with breakfast
  • Overnight stay in Otjiwarongo in a double room with half board
  • Two-night stay in East Etosha in a double room with half board
  • Overnight stay in West Etosha in a double room with half board
  • Two-night stay in Vingerklip in a double room with half board
  • Two-night stay in Walvis Bay in a double room with breakfast
  • Two-night stay in Sesriem in a double room, half board
  • Overnight stay in Kalkranden in a double room with half board
  • Picnic lunches for the longest stages
  • Small group catamaran cruise on Walvis Bay
  • Our local Concierge service
  • A few of the benefits of travelling with us
    Get in touch
    Our experts have the inside track on the destinations they sell and will tailor-make a holiday to your unique requirements.
    Contact one of our Namibia specialists