Namibia is unlike any other African destination. Namibia is the ultimate African road trip destination for intrepid adventurers, with its almost otherworldly dune landscapes, ancient deserts, and amazing game viewing opportunities.
| COST & VALIDITY | From ZAR 7 200.00 1st March 2021 – 31st October 2021 |
| WHAT TO BRING | Comfortable shoes Warm jackets Sunhat and sunglasses Sun cream Cameras Personal belongings Personal medication |
| IMPORTANT NOTE | Namibia emergency number: +264 81 127 0564 |
| INCLUDED | 22 nights in a standard room 22 x breakfast 16 x dinner (excluding Windhoek, Lüderitz and Swakopmund) Information package with detailed route description and itinerary 15% Vat 2% Tourism Levy |
| NOT INCLUDED | Flights to and from Europe and Windhoek Personal expenses such as souvenirs, phone calls, etc. Visa fees if necessary Meals and all drinks not mentioned Tips Travel insurance |
Drive to the capital after arriving in Windhoek. Windhoek, Namibia’s largest city and political, economic, and cultural hub, has a population of 450,000 people. The city is situated between the Auas Mountains in the south, the Eros Mountains in the northeast, and the Khomas Highlands in the west, at an elevation of 1 650 meters.
You have the choice to explore the city after checking into Hotel Thule. You may also book a city tour, where you will undoubtedly learn a great deal about Windhoek, Namibia, and its past. The city tour includes stops at Christ Church, Alte Feste, the Ink Palace gardens, and the Klein Windhoek district, as well as Katutura, the Bantu-speaking population group’s district. You’re also going down Independence Avenue (formerly Kaiserstraße), Windhoek’s “boulevard.”
You have the rest of the day to yourself.
Hotel Thule – Breakfast and Overnight
Today you depart the capital after a leisurely breakfast and travel south. The Kalahari Anib Lodge, on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, is the first stop on your itinerary. This region encompasses a significant portion of eastern Namibia and stretches for about 500 kilometers north to south. Because of its porous and sandy soil, which prevents water from being absorbed, the Kalahari is generally referred to as a desert. However, it is a very busy wilderness, with vast herds of antelopes and other animals grazing on sparsely vegetated grassy plains.
You have the option to explore the area after check-in and room occupancy. There are a number of excellent hiking trails in the area (self-guided). Another choice is to go on a sundowner game trip. Kalahari Anib Lodge – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
In the Kalahari Desert, you have another day on your hands. Morning game drives are also available, giving you a chance to explore the Kalahari’s wilderness.
Kalahari Anib Lodge – Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Today’s journey will take you to the Fish River Canyon. However, you will first drive through Keetmanshoop, where you will have the opportunity to visit the Quiver Tree Forest and the Giant’s Playground just outside of town.
A few kilometers northeast of Keetmanshoop is the Quiver Tree Forest. The tree aloes normally stand alone, but there are over 250 specimens here, creating an odd “forest” between the black dolerite rocks. Some of the big plants stand up to 5 meters tall and are thought to be 200 to 300 years old.
The Giant’s Playground is a strange, rocky setting. The piled-up dolerite rocks appear to have been made by giants, but they were actually formed by block weathering. Basalt, a volcanic rock, makes up the rock blocks.
Canyon Village – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
You have the whole day free today. The lodge offers a variety of activities, giving you a great opportunity to explore the city.
The Fish River Canyon is the world’s second largest canyon and one of southern Africa’s most significant scenic attractions. The canyon can be up to 27 kilometers wide and 500 meters deep in some areas. In the barren landscape, only a few plants and animals can thrive. The camel thorn rose, a few euphorbias, and wild tamarisks and hawthorns grow at the bottom of the gorge, in addition to quiver trees. Mountain zebras, kudu, oryx, and hyrax are occasionally seen, and with luck, a leopard may be spotted.
Canyon Village – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
You pass through Garub on the way to Lüderitz. This is a watering hole where a herd of wild horses (approximately 150 animals) can be found. They trot back and forth between the scattered pastures and the waterhole near Garub, adapting to the harsh desert conditions.
Continue to the Lüderitz Nest Hotel, which is situated directly on the beach, once you arrive in Lüderitz.
In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to visit Namibia’s capital, Windhoek. It is the birthplace of old South-West Africa and exudes a laid-back atmosphere. Lüderitz is built on bare granite cliffs and has maintained much of its early twentieth-century charm. Strolling through the streets provides a taste of the traditional German atmosphere. The Goerkehaus on Diamantenberg is one of the city’s most striking structures.
Lüderitz Nest Hotel offers bed and breakfast.
You have the choice of going to Kolmanskop first thing in the morning. Lüderitz is about 12 kilometers from the former diamond settlement. In 1908, a black railroad worker discovered the first diamond while working on the track here, and diamond fever ensued. There were 300 professionals with their families and several thousand black workers in Kolmanskoppe during its heyday. Many of the buildings are now silted up to the second floor, while some, including the gymnasium, are still in excellent condition, complete with gymnastics equipment.
After that, take the D707 country lane. This route is widely regarded as Namibia’s most scenic.
Koiimasis Ranch – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
Continue to the region of Sossusvlei. Take a quick detour along the way to see Duwisib Castle. The Saxon Baron von Wolff, who commissioned Berlin-born architect Sander to construct Duwisib Castle in 1908, was the project’s initiator. The security forces’ forts in Namutoni, Gibeon, and Windhoek served as inspiration. Apart from the building blocks, the building materials and furniture are all imported from Germany. There are 22 rooms arranged around a lovely inner courtyard. Stonemasons from Italy, carpenters from Scandinavia, and construction workers from Ireland all contributed to the project. The castle is decorated with antique furniture, paintings, and arms dating from the previous century.
Continue to Sossus Dune Lodge, where you can relax for the rest of the day.
Sossus Dune Lodge – Dinner, Bed, and Breakfast
You leave early in the morning for Sossusvlei. This is a wide, drainless clay soil depression surrounded by dunes that reach heights of over 300 meters. The valley is usually dry, but on wetter years, when the Tsauchab runoff brings enough water, it enters the valley and forms a lake. From the dunes, one can see the Namib Desert’s dune shore, which is almost surreal in its beauty.
Following that, you have the choice of exploring the Sesriem Canyon. It is possible to complete it on foot.
The Sesriem Canyon’s gorge is especially impressive. The Tsauchab runoff has carved a bed up to 30 meters deep through layers of rubble accumulated here 15 to 18 million years ago during the Namib’s wetter period. It took 2 to 4 million years for the canyon to develop.
You have the whole afternoon at your disposal.
Sossus Dune Lodge – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
It’s worth stopping in Solitaire on your way to Swakopmund to sample the bakery’s delicacies. The bakery’s apple strudel is well-known in the United States and even in South Africa. Then travel to Swakopmund along the coast through the Gaub and Kuisebpasses.
After checking in at Swakopmund Guesthouse, you have the rest of the day to yourself.
Swakopmund is a tiny, tidy coastal town with many lovely buildings from the German colonial period. The Hohenzollernhaus, the Woermannturm, the landing stage, the pier with the lighthouse and the naval monument, as well as other Art Nouveau structures, can all be found here. Many people speak German, and the small coastal town has a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere thanks to its numerous promenades, palm alleys, and parks. Take a walk along the kilometer-long secluded Atlantic beach or browse the wood carving market near the lighthouse. You might also pay a visit to the fascinating local history museum, maritime museum, or crystal gallery.
Swakopmund Guesthouse – Bed and Breakfast
There are a variety of events in and around Swakopmund and Walvis Bay that you can participate in. Boat trips on the Walvis Bay lagoon, quad bike rides in the sand dunes, Walvis Bay kayak tours, and the fascinating Living Desert Tour are only a few examples.
Swakopmund Guesthouse – Bed and Breakfast
We’re going back inland today after a few days on the coast. You can still travel along the coast to Henties Bay and then to Uis from there. From Uis, travel to Damaraland’s Vingerklip Lodge. The dry northwestern Namibian regions of Damaraland and Kaokoveld are part of the mosaic of ethnically diverse regions that make Namibia so varied and interesting. Damaraland was a secluded area until recently, with little change in the lives of the people who lived there over the centuries. It’s a land of stark contrasts, with high peaks, grasslands, and steppe. Those who are able to put up with the hot weather and bad roads will be rewarded handsomely in this hostile environment.
On the one side, there is Namibia’s highest point, the Brandberg, and on the other, there are various rock paintings, including the famous White Lady. In Twyfelfontein, there is another open-air gallery to enjoy.
It houses one of Africa’s largest collections of rock carvings.
You have the choice of visiting the Vingerklippe in the afternoon. The rock itself is about 35 meters thick and has a diameter of 44 meters at its base. The tip of this formation is 929 meters high. Erosion of 30 million-year-old limestone layers formed the finger cliff.
Vingerklip Lodge – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
Make a detour to Twyfelfontein today before driving to Khowarib Lodge. You will have the chance to see one of Africa’s largest collections of rock engravings. They’ve been meticulously cut into the stone slabs that litter the flat mountain’s slopes. The “dancing kudu,” which is surrounded by various geometric patterns, is the focal point.
Khowarib Lodge – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
Your journey today will take you north to Opuwo. In this small town, meet the Himba and Herero women. Go on to Swartbooisdrift via Ruacana and Ruacana. Your camp will be set up on the banks of the Kunene River in the evening.
Khowarib Lodge – Full Board
This morning, you’ll pay a visit to the Dorsland Trekkers’ Memorial before continuing along the river. There’s a chance to see crocodiles and a variety of birds. The camp will be set up near the Epupa Falls, and we’ll have a sundowner with a spectacular view of the falls.
Khowarib Lodge – Full Board
Explore the area and stop by a Himba village to learn more about the Himba people’s culture and way of life.
Khowarib Lodge – Full Board
Today’s route takes you through Okongwati and Opuwo. You have the rest of the day to relax after arriving at the cabin.
Khowarib Lodge – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
After breakfast you leave the Khowarib Lodge and drive to the southern border of the Etosha National Park today. Here you will spend the night in the interesting Etosha Safari Camp.
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Etosha Safari Camp
The Etosha National Park is open to visitors today. This park in northern Namibia is one of Africa’s most stunning natural reserves. Governor von Lindequist proclaimed Etosha a nature reserve in 1907, covering an area five times the size of today’s national park. Etosha National Park is currently 22 270km2 in area. The national park is home to large herds of springboks, impalas, zebras, and wildebeests, as well as elephants, giraffes, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, and black rhinos, as well as a variety of birds and reptiles.
Etosha Safari Camp – Dinner, Bed, and Breakfast
In Etosha National Park, you have one more day at your disposal. You leave the park near Namutoni in the late afternoon and travel to Mushara Bush Camp on the eastern frontier.
Mushara Bush Camp – Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Today you slowly but steadily return to Windhoek. There are, however, a few interesting stops along the way. The Cheetah Conservation Fund can be found on the way to the Waterberg Plateau. This is an organisation that looks after Namibia’s endangered cheetahs. Cheetahs are either fired or caught because they cause significant harm to commercial farmers. The organization seeks to prevent this by providing the cheetahs with a natural habitat in which they can capture their prey.
After that, proceed to the Waterberg Plateau Lodge.
Waterberg Plateau Lodge – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
You have the whole day to yourself. The Waterberg Plateau is one of northern Namibia’s most spectacular landscapes. The national park’s plateau stretches for 50 kilometers and is about 16 kilometers high, towering 200 meters above the surrounding area as a table mountain. The national park’s arid plateau is covered in tree and bush savannah, but the vegetation at its foot is extremely diverse. Several varieties of acacia, tiger lilies, and the coral tree are among the flora, in addition to wild fig trees.
Several breeding pairs of the uncommon Cape vultures, ibex, klipspringer, sable and eland antelopes, as well as other mammal and particularly bird species, have been relocated here, in addition to water buffalo and leopards. The decisive battle in 1904 between the imperial security force and the rebellious Hereros made the region historically important. The military cemetery at the base of the mountain bears witness to the events of the time.
Waterberg Plateau Lodge – Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
Today, after a leisurely breakfast, you’ll travel to Windhoek, where you’ll spend your final night at the Hotel Thule.
Hotel Thule – Bed and Breakfast
Today, you’ll drive to Hosea Kutako International Airport in time for your flight home.
PLEASE NOTE
Accommodation is subject to availability. If we are unable to book accommodation as stated, we will look for a similar alternative and advise you accordingly.
General Terms
Seek your doctor’s advice with regards to vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis.