Simply the best - Namibia’s luxury Safari Lodges (Self-Drive)

With their slim frame and slender tail you can watch these highly social animals from a short distance while exploring with a nature walk. Early mornings they warm their bellies in the sun, sometimes showing off their little ones.

Meerkat Experience Credit: Laureleye_ & Motion_Mike

Meerkat Experience Credit: Laureleye_ & Motion_Mike

Meerkat Experience Credit: Laureleye_ & Motion_Mike

Meerkat Experience Credit: Laureleye_ & Motion_Mike

Meerkat Experience Credit: Laureleye_ & Motion_Mike

Meerkat Experience Credit: Laureleye_ & Motion_Mike

Meerkat Experience Credit: Laureleye_ & Motion_Mike

Meerkat Experience Credit: Laureleye_ & Motion_Mike

A game drive can be enjoyed in the morning, which then includes a coffee stop, or in the late afternoon with a sundowner, both overlooking the endless Kalahari landscape. You will be able to view over 35 different species of game and more than 95 species of birds. Should you wish to learn more about cattle farming in Namibia, this can gladly be arranged as well.

A few walking trails give you the option to enjoy a nature walk, either on your own with a bird book and binoculars in hand, or with a guide accompanying you. There are also hides along the way that provide the ideal place for game and bird viewing.

The Namibian clear skies make stargazing an unforgettable and rewarding experience for both the experienced astronomer as well as the first time stargazer.

For the more actively minded, we have a small, but modern gym with weights, a treadmill, cross trainer and Recline Forma exercise bike. There is a sauna to detox and relax, and a 20m long swimming pool to enjoy a swim or cool off in.

Situated on a neighbouring farm, the Arnhem Cave – at 4,5 km long –is the largest cave system in Namibia and the 5th largest in Southern Africa. The cave is still in its natural state and home to the largest bat population in Africa. You will be able to view six recorded bat species and also discover a host of other interesting wildlife, including spiders, scorpions, beetles and musk shrews living in the cave. The cave is only a 15 minute drive from Otjimbondona, so a day visit can easily be arranged.

Fat bikes are off road bicycles with large tyres that enable riding on soft terrains. There are plenty of trails and roads which are ideally suited to explore the surrounding areas on a bike.

A Cessna 210 is parked nearby and ready to take you on a scenic flight over the farm or surrounding area. If a flight to Sossusvlei to view Namibia’s majestic dunes or a delicious lunch of locally harvested Atlantic oysters and fish in the enchanting coastal town of Swakopmund are what you are after, we are happy to take you wherever your heart desires.

We have provided fly-in Safaris throughout Namibia and its neighbouring countries since 1991. You can find more information about our fly-in Safaris here . We would love to create a tailor-made package to suit your needs and provide you with optimal exposure to our beautiful country and region.

Enhance both your physical and mental strength and flexibility with our group yoga session. Follow the lead of our specialised yoga instructor and relief your anxiety or tensions. Routines are designed with the novice in mind, to ensure broad base participation and appeal. Connect with your inner-state as you move through several poses, feeling the light, warmth and freedom of the desert become synonymous with your being.

This forty-five minute Group Yoga Activity will be held on demand, usually near the pool either before the breaking of the new day at sunrise or at the end of the afternoon at sunset.

Depart Zannier Hotels Sonop at any time of your choosing. Fill your water bottle at one of our hydration refill stations (one is located near the e-bike shelter), read our simple, easy to follow e-bike operating instructions, points of advice in the shelter and you are ready to depart, following one of our clearly marked (Sonop) cycling and walking trail routes. Choose the White easy-peasy route… or choose the
Orange medium exertion level route.

Like normal cycling, just the return is so much greater. Cycling with a turbo attached. We have selected several routes that will lead you outward alongside our fabulous red dune and return you back down the ancient river-course, if you have selected the White Route. Alternatively take the more strenuous, longer and technical Orange Route and return ridge-side bordering the NamibRand Nature Reserve.

At a charge, this is a shared experience that takes place on the main deck. In arguably the darkest sky on our planet, you are naturally transported alongside and amongst the trillions of awe-inspiring celestial bodies. Surrounded by a swathe of a myriad stars and the Milky Way - so clear, so defined and so immense, you find few words to describe your first evening at Sonop and the experience of the
night sky above you.

Zannier Hotels Sonop, located in the NamibRand Nature Reserve is actually in one of just 16 designated International Dark Sky Reserves in the World.

Your horse, carefully chosen for its even temperament and suitability to the terrain, expertly led by your horse guide, take you from our state of the art stables on one of our bespoke trails. Ascend the ridge of a red sand dune and walk its ridge, feeling the cool breeze in your face whilst you become one within the grand desert vista. Pause in wonder as the light and sun changes the patterns and colours of the plain below. Disembark your horse as your guide prepares and hands you a steaming cup of freshly-filtered single-origin aromatic African coffee, which helps you find your centre within this place, the most ancient desert in the World.

Having refreshed both body and soul remount and follow your guide descending the dune, homeward bound into the ancient river course, interspersed with desert hardened ancient Acacia
Erilobas, some festooned with the World’s largest avian dwellings – the communal nests of the sociable weavers.

If you are not yet an experienced horse rider, private horse riding lessons are possible
at Zannier Hotels Sonop.

Be transported back to the timeless age of outdoor cinematography whilst you experience a classic movie, carefully selected masterpieces chosen for one purpose: to enthral you. Some in monochromatic, some in vivid technicolour, all wonderful. Facing the desert immensity, by the pool, enjoy the beauty of outdoor cinema on a large screen (4,5 meters wide). State of the art HD image and surround sound by Bose. Relax, settle down, be transported into a world of desert fantasy, with a box
of homemade hot popcorn (salted, buttered or caramelized) and maybe your favourite bottle of beer, all the while within a setting never to be forgotten.

Note that movies can be seen in multiple languages, with or without subtitles. This excursion is included in the all-inclusive rate

Twice daily, a non-private morning and afternoon nature drive are included in the all-inclusive rate. This desert safari is all about the subtleties and wonder that surround us; witness the transformation of light and shadow within everything your eyes rest upon; witness the stirring and activity which the new day brings to the many sociable weaver colonies in and around their seemingly chaotic jumbled hay-stack nests; witness the prehistoric-looking quiver trees, silhouetted against the bluest of morning skies. Listen as your expert guide unravels the intricate and fascinating stories, as he reveals the wondrous tapestry of life that this ecosystem supports.

Our guides will invite and entice you out of the vehicle to walk with them as they reveal to you the life of the beetles and insects or show you some long-forgotten cave within a chaotic jumble of granite boulders, littered with the tools and life-supporting implements left behind for our wonder by the ancient San Bushmen.

Departing camp at four thirty in the morning, to arrive at the oldest and largest sand dunes on earth within the “golden time” just after sunrise, makes the inconvenience of the early start a distant memory. As you effortlessly glide, cosseted in your leather and high-quality burled coachwork sound-attenuated interior of Sonop’s exclusive luxury full-size 4WD, you have precious time to allow your thoughts, dreams and mind to wander over and within the spectacular desert landscape.

You enter the Namib Naukluft Park, home to both Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. Your breath is sure to catch as you become immersed in the beauty and enormity of the rich-red dunes, with the younger and lighter taupe-yellow coloured sand merging from their base on either side of the road.

After ensuring that you have sufficient hydration, sun protection and your essential camera plus extra batteries and storage, you don your backpack or sling and walking with your guide you begin your pilgrimage up the snaking razorback. Slow steady small strides are the order of the day. After recovery and sufficient time to pay your respects to your place within this extraordinary place, you descend the back of the dune.

After a short while exploring your immediate surrounds and maybe capturing the moment on your camera, your Chef invites to you to sit and replenish your now growing appetite. A setting, an adventure, an experience such as this deserves to be celebrated and so an iced glass or two of Champagne adds its weight to the event.

Discover the delicate life-pulse of the desert through the sole of your boot. Your expert guide will demonstrate our many wonderful highlights, some obvious and others less so, educating you as to the many fascinating facets which make up the web of life which surrounds us at Zannier Hotels Sonop. Observe the geology and topography transition from one zone to the next, bringing with
them their associated ecosystems.

Guided walking trails of a two-hour duration can be arranged for the cooler times of the day, in both the early morning or late afternoon. This excursion is included in the all-inclusive rate.

This private excursion takes place from 7am -
depart camp with your guide on an informative journey following a desert track, hemmed between an ancient riverbed on the left and a long red-sand yellow-grass dune on your right. After watching the micro life shake themselves awake with the warming sun, your guide will stop the vehicle and show you the way as you ascend the dune to the top. Turn a full sweep at the apex of the dune in awe, as you drink in an elevated and unimpeded 360° panoramic view of the desert plains, dune and mountains beyond.

Your personal Chef awaits to prepare a range of fare, ‘à la minute’, that would befit an aristocratic luxury 1920 safari. No breakfast of this nature would be complete without freshly squeezed orange juice and a bottle of desert-dry Brut Champagne. A uniquely desert gastronomic experience.

This private excursion takes place from 8pm -

Romance, drama, intimacy, imagination and grandeur are all emotions that you will experience in large doses during your privately curated dinner. Carefully chosen in site to allow for complete discretion and privacy, so that apart from the period setting paraffin hurricane lanterns hanging from the ancient branches of the Acacia Eriloba to the side of you and the candelabra on the table, no other human-created light can be observed. The immense Galaxy above you sets the dramatic stage in its incredible intensity, from which your grand style safari table takes its lead. Tastefully adorned with all that you would expect whilst on an extended luxury safari during the early twentieth century. After being comfortably seated by a white-gloved waiter, served water and the wine of your choice (pre-selected and prepared to perfection) your private Chef takes you on an epicurean journey: four courses, inspired by the menu one would expect on an aristocratic African safari.

Wake-up call at quarter to four in the morning, for a departure at four fifteen, sharp. Glide effortlessly over the desert tracks and roads, cocooned in oversized leather seats within the Sonop luxury full-size 4WD. Be enveloped by a carefully curated classical playlist on the premium quality multi-speaker sound system. After a peaceful journey in superlative luxury arrive at the balloon launch site, where you meet your pilot who briefs you on the safety aspects pertaining to your flight. Feel your excitement mount as you climb up and into the sturdy basket, which you share with seven other chosen ones and your pilot.

Capturing magnificent photographic memories are the order of the day and you would do well to ensure you are well prepared. After being airborne for a full forty five life-changing minutes, your pilot will prepare everyone for the landing. After safely coming to a stop, disembark taking additional photos then walk a short distance to a long communal table where the tastiest full-English breakfast and ice-cold champagne will be served. After breakfast and receiving your Certificate of Flight, embark on your camp-bound journey within the exclusive Sonop luxury full-size 4WD.

Experience the wild and scenic Namibian beauty by air. Go across the thousands of miles of no man’s land and explore Namibia differently, up to 10,000 feet. A unique opportunity to admire the pristine ecosystem from above, and to realize your dreams of soaring like a Golden Eagle over deserts, bushes, mountains, rivers and backcountry.

Several routes & durations are available as follows:
• Sonop – Omaanda or Omaanda – Sonop (4,5 hours from base)
• Sonop – Deadvlei – Sonop (2,5 hours)
• Sonop – Lüderitz – Sonop (3,5 hours)
• Sonop – Coastal Trip over Dunebelt – Sonop (3,5 hours)
• Sonop – Fish River Canyon – Sonop (5,5 hours)
• Sonop – Fish River Canyon – Lüderitz - Sonop (6 hours)
• Sonop – Swakopmund – Sonop (6 hours)
• Sonop – Dune picnic – Sonop (2,5 hours)

Discover the fossilised dunes, the red dunes above the plateau and the many other wonders of the Namib Desert on this drive around the Gondwana Namib Park

Experience the Namib Desert on foot on our self-guided walks of 3km, 5km and 7km. Please enquire at the reception.

Ready for a thrilling but safe experience? Join our guided night walk (3km) with UV light and a laser pointer after dinner. May only be booked directly at the lodge.

Enjoy a guided half-day excursion to highest dunes on Earth at Sossusvlei. They form part of the spectacular Namib Sand Sea, which was declared a World Heritage site in 2013. Including brunch, prebooking is essential.

With over 6 km of sandbank waiting to be explored, there is plenty to see at close quarters. Stroll

2.5 km to the end of the peninsula and discover intriguing small desert dwellers, the huge flocks of playful seals, chanting seagulls and curious jackals sniffing around. A shorter walk leads to the old rusty jetty for a different slant on the seals and birds, and perhaps a picnic lunch. And at the end of the day, watch the dying sun drop ever more rapidly below the horizon in a blaze of glory. Take the opportunity of a lifetime and broaden your understanding and appreciation of the natural world

around us.

Walk to the old Jetty to observe seals and the birdlife and to photograph their activities, or to witness the changes in the scenery of the Bay and the distant dunes as the day progresses.

Explore this ancient and arid landscape with your guide on the Nature Drive. Departing early in the morning, the guide will show you that this harsh, dry environment is alive with desert-adapted flora and fauna, and perhaps, if lucky, discover the desert-adapted elephant.

Usually departs at 06h30 and will go out for +/- 4 – 6 hours.
Drinks & snacks are included.

Departing mid-afternoon your guide will take you to explore this diverse landscape of ancient Damaraland, filled with geological wonders and other surprises.

Learn about the fascinating geological formations of Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes, and discover Namibia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Twyfelfontein - known for being one of the largest and oldest collections of San rock art engravings in the world!

Usually departs at 15h00 and will last for +/-2 hours. along with seeing Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes.

Explore the local area around Mowani Mountain Camp by taking one of the short walking trails around the lodge. There are information points with short paragraphs explaining the nature along these trails, including flora and geological formations.

Should guests want to explore further afield on a longer walk, they are welcome to ask the guides or management - this is dependent on availability.

Sit atop a large rock.

Make yourself comfortable.

Order your drink of choice, or choose from one of the best cocktails or mocktails in Namibia.

Enjoy tasty snacks.

Relax and watch one of the most spectacular and memorable sunsets ever!

The Dream Cruiser is Onguma's newest and most unique under the stars sleep-out experience.

Arriving in time to enjoy sundowners and take a tour of your overnight accommodation, this sleep out in the wilderness of the reserve is on our custom built Land Cruiser, featuring a full bathroom on the lower deck and a bedroom with lounge area on the upper deck.

A night on the Dream Cruiser calls for al fresco picnic-style dining is delivered by our chef for you to enjoy as the evening turns to night and the stars dance in all their glory.
A ranger is on call via a two-way radio, so make the most of this time and relax in the safety and complete comfort of this unique space.

After a good night's rest, you can enjoy morning tea/coffee with homemade rusks before being collected for breakfast at the lodge.

Onguma's fabulous new water-level hide affords guests a great opportunity to calmly sit and enjoy nature unobserved. Amateur and professional photographers alike love the angles and light from this equipped hide.

There is a small ablution facility nearby, benches from which to view the surroundings and lots of windows and vantage points for creative camera angles.

Onguma Nature Reserve consists of 34 000 hectares of Namibian wilderness & is home to numerous plains game, more than 300 bird species ​and even 4 of the Big 5. ​The Reserve boasts over thirty different animal species. Plains game roam freely on the Reserve and predators although not always easy to spot, are nevertheless common residents of the area. Lions and Cheetahs are frequently seen and often heard. There is a healthy black rhino and leopard population and hyenas are also often seen and heard.

Etosha is a 22 750km² wildlife sanctuary in Namibia – one of Africa’s most stable and accessible countries. Etosha, meaning ‘place of dry water’, and refers to a flat calcrete depression (or pan) of about 5 000km². The ‘Pan’ (overlooked by the Onguma Reserve) provides a great, parched, silver-white backdrop of shimmering mirages to an area of semi-arid savannah grassland and thorn scrub. The pan itself contains water only after very good rains and sometimes for only a few days each year, but is enough to stimulate the growth of a blue-green algae which lures thousands of flamingos.

Africa takes on a new perspective when you experience it on foot as the first explorers did. A bush walk is a unique physical, mental and spiritual adventure through nature. Experience the sights, smells and sounds of the Namibian bush by conducting an early morning leisurely walk accompanied by one of our experienced armed rangers.

​Johan, our resident therapist, is a professional massage therapist with over 15 years experience, having lived and worked at renowned Wellness Centres in Asia and Africa. His passion for and dedication to massage therapy originated in the East, where he was trained and educated from the best teachers in their respective fields. Having the opportunity to spend considerable time with monks in Thailand, has also led him to incorporate focused awareness into his massage therapies.

We offer:
- Therapeutic Full Body Massage - 60 min – N$ 850 / 90 min
- Lymphatic Drainage Massage - 60 min
- Back Neck & Shoulder Massage - 45 min – N$ 600 / 60 min
- Head & Face Massage - 45 min
- Thai Foot Massage - 45 min
- Unique Combination of Therapeutic Massage & Thai Yoga Massage - 90 min

The Okonjima Nature Reserve sprawls over 200 square kilometres of undulating plains, mountainous outcrops, and riverine thickets, and it is here that leopard (Panthera pardus), the most adaptable of all the wild cats, thrive. Read more about our Leopard Research.

These intelligent, solitary predators occur in high density in the expanse of Okonjima Nature Reserve’s multi-faceted topography. The Reserve’s predator research programme has spanned three decades, and its findings have provided great insight to leopard behavioral patterns as well as offered an upbeat prognosis for a sustainable future for the species in today’s Africa.

A two-day Okonjima stay offers the best chance to view wild leopard in Namibia, as well as those collared for research purposes, in their natural habitats.

The Okonjima Nature Reserve, a huge protected area set amongst the rugged commercial farmlands of central Namibia, comprises a diversified ecosystem representative of both the larger and small mammals of Namibia, as well as most of the country’s endemic birds.

Game drives and guided bush walks offer visitors an intimate, up-close perspective of Namibia’s wildlife and, especially, its most protected species.

The Okonjima Nature Reserve is home to, and runs extensive research projects on rare and endangered species, big and small.

LEOPARD TRACKING

The Leopard ‘experience’ will take you out into the Okonjima Nature Reserve and will allow you to spend more time with our experienced guides and participate in the research data collection for our long-standing leopard project and newly introduced brown hyaena programme. Some of our adult leopards are radio collared which enables the guides to track them with a specialised telemetry device contributing to frequent viewing, giving visitors an opportunity to observe these magnificent predators in their natural habitat and experience the fascinating behaviour and interactions between these two species while they compete for food. Although this significantly increases the chance of an excellent sighting, it cannot ever be guaranteed as they are wild free-roaming predators.
Morning activities (seasonal times): Departure 06:00 / 06:30 AM; Return 09:30 / 10:00 AM.
Afternoon activities (seasonal times): Departure: 15:30 / 16:00 PM; Return 19:00 / 19:30 PM.

THE AfriCat FOUNDATION CARNIVORE CARE & INFORMATION CENTRE (ACCC)

During the visit to AfriCat, visitors will have the opportunity to spend some time at the Carnivore Care & Information Centre, which provides valuable insights into the Foundation's work.
The visit will include a short guided drive to the AfriCat Carnivore Care Centre, where visitors can meet some of the ambassador cheetahs. Our knowledgeable guides will answer questions, explain the Foundation's work with carnivores in Namibia, and help position the vehicle for that perfect photo opportunity.

Morning activities (seasonal times): Departure 06:00 / 06:30 AM; Return 09:30 / 10:00 AM.
Afternoon activities (seasonal times): Departure: 15:30 / 16:00 PM; Return 19:00 / 19:30 PM.

ENDANGERED SPECIES NATURE DRIVE

This game-drive allows more time to enjoy and understand the Okonjima Nature Reserve as a natural island bound ecosystem. As the private Nature Reserve was established primarily to conserve some of our more threatened mammal species, it provides an increased chance to encounter these relatively rare animals. This is once again assisted by the AfriCat Foundation’s research projects on the shy brown hyaena, bat-eared fox and rhino. There are more than 40 mammal species within the Okonjima Nature Reserve, both large and small as well as a good representation of the typical flora. At the discretion of your guide, there may be the chance to view some of these animals, large or small.

Morning activities (seasonal times): Departure 06:00 / 06:30 AM; Return 09:30 / 10:00 AM.
Afternoon activities (seasonal times): Departure: 15:30 / 16:00 PM; Return 19:00 / 19:30 PM.

GAME DRIVE:

Experienced guides will entertain you with their knowledge, sharing interesting and enlightening information about the history of the Okonjima Nature Reserve and the research gathered over the past 30 years of conservation on Okonjima. On this trail, no telemetry device is used to track any of the carnivores researched by the AfriCat Foundation. Wildlife is the focus of the drive. Visitors are offered insight as our guides attempt to foster a general appreciation of the natural habitat of the Nature Reserve.
Morning activities (seasonal times): Departure 06:00 / 06:30 AM; Return 09:30 / 10:00 AM.
Afternoon activities (seasonal times): Departure: 15:30 / 16:00 PM; Return 19:00 / 19:30 PM.

Our experienced guides will take guests with our well-equipped open game drive vehicles around the pristine 9,000-hectare reserve, showcasing some of the most incredible wildlife in Africa. Early drives at sunrise are ideal to observe the Namibian plains waking up, while evening drives reveal the elusive beauty of the nocturnal savannah.

All our safaris are conducted in state-of-the-art Land Cruisers, each accommodating a maximum of six guests. During the game driving guests are likely to see a great variety of wildlife including rhinos, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, leopards, ostriches, black-backed jackals, warthogs, various antelopes (kudu, red hartebeest, steenbok, reedbuck, waterbuck, oryx, springbok) and many types of birds.

Drinks and snacks are provided.

Lead by the Head Guide of the reserve, guests can enjoy the luxury of a very personal experience and get close to Africa’s most incredible animals. The guide's exceptional skills and knowledge will make this tour a unique experience. Drinks and snacks to guest's individual taste will further enhance the experience on a culinary level.

Guests get to spend an afternoon with a ranger and tracker in search of rhinos. Rhino tracking offers a great opportunity to learn about the habits and characteristics of this threatened species, the issue of rhino poaching, and on-going conservation efforts.

From 2-6 people, mostly on game viewer, duration 2,5 hrs, drinks and snacks provided

Guests can go on an amazing elephant safari. An encounter with these iconic African animals will teach guests about how intelligent and compassionate they actually are. Besides being a magnificent opportunity to explore nature, guests will also learn much about the issues surrounding elephants’ conservation.

From 2-6 people, mostly on game viewer, duration 2,5 hours, drinks and snacks provided.

Whether they are hidden in the bush waiting for a prey or comfortably basking in the sun, leopards are extraordinary wild animals. Guests will have the opportunity to track these majestic felines on the Zannier Reserve by N/a’an ku sê, appreciate their wonder and gain true knowledge of their characteristics. With a bit of luck, you might spot some of our lions, leopards, cheetahs or

African wild dogs.

From 2-6 people above 16 years old, mostly on game viewer, duration 2,5 hours, drinks and snacks provided

This 5-hour excursion aims to show you the backstage of the Zannier Reserve by N/a’an ku sê. This Behind The Scenes excursion includes a tour of the Shiloh Wildlife Sanctuary, where you will discover the incredible work of passionate vets who are rescuing and taking care of endangered animals. A visit of the Research Center will get you the priviledge of walking with cheetahs and with baboons. Your discovery of the actions undertaken by N/a’an ku sê will continue with the visit of the Clever Cubs School. The tour also features a visit to the anti-poaching unit, where you will get to meet special forces trained to protect the reserve and its natural resources.

Non private tours up to 12 people and exclusive tours from 1 to 6 people, on vehicle & on foot, drinks and snacks are provided.