Travel Wild - Best of Namibia, HS Rack Rate

Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge offers a multi-day hike through the dunes of the Kalahari landscape with one night in the lodge and one night in a luxurious tented camp. The hike will take place with an English speaking nature guide for one up to four participants.

Day 1 – Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge
Relax after your journey – watch animals at a waterhole, take a dip in the pool, enjoy an a la carte dinner and take part in a scenic drive to get some first impressions of the Kalahari region.

Day 2 – All-day hike through the Kalahari, accommodation in a luxury tented camp
Make an early start to enjoy the fascinating Kalahari sunrise from a dune sofa. You will watch the sun come up on the horizon while sipping freshly-brewed coffee in the pleasantly cool morning temperatures. The hike will take you over infinite chains of red dunes that keep crossing a vast tree savanna. Giraffe and oryx can often be spotted here. After lunch and the mid-day rest in a dune valley with lots of game to be spotted, the hike will go on into the depths of the Kalahari.

Taking advantage of the numerous camel thorn trees’ shade, you will climb red sand dunes and cross valleys. In the afternoon, the new dune camp will be reached, a small oasis on one of the impressive red sand dunes. Enjoy a rest on a thatched terrace with a prepared buffet, small swimming pool, cosy sofa and sun loungers. Two cabin tents with thatched roofs and an impressive view of a waterhole offer comfortable accommodation in the bush. The awesome sunset can be watched from the lookout dune right by the camp. Afterwards, a campfire and the sounds of the African desert will be waiting. Enjoy a night in the open in a bed on the dunes, or retreat to the tent whenever you prefer.

Day 3 - End of hike
Shortly after sunrise the day begins with breakfast on the terrace of the camp, where you may again see antelope and giraffes at the waterhole. A short hike takes you back to Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge for you departure.

For the most intense Kalahari experience, immerse yourself in the luxury of solitude. Relax and enjoy almost 10,000 acres of pure African wilderness. The lodge offers guided and unguided hikes of 5 – 20km. All hiking trails are clearly marked and drinking water is available at designated stops.

Top your day off wonderfully with a sundown drive. Enter the sunset in the lodge's open off-road vehicle and enjoy your nature drive with expert guidance. Immerse yourself in the most beautiful time of day in the Kalahari Desert.

Enjoy almost 10,000 acres of pure Kalahari Desert during a morning game drive. Climb red dunes that reach up to 30 meters high in the lodge's open off-road vehicle, and watch the spectacular animals and vegetation. Experience the Kalahari Desert in its' pristine natural state.

This is the only access route by vehicle into the Fish River Canyon. As you journey into the depths of the canyon, you will witness first-hand the millions of years of geological upheaval when the earth’s continents separated and tectonic movement resulted in the formation of the canyon. Petrified rippled mud and glacial deposits, dramatic fault lines, rough limestone and shiny quartzite are but a few of the features you will see along the way. Guides will point out evidence of rhino that once navigated the gorges and pairs of territorial klipspringers as they feast on succulents. The drive ends at the permanent rock pools. Lunch is served before heading back to the Lodge. The duration of the excursion is approximately 7 hours.

Departure time from the Lodge – between 06h00 and 07h00 after an early breakfast | Minimum 2 guests per excursion, maximum 9 per vehicle | 50% discount for children under 12.

These easy unguided walks along the rim of the canyon are best taken early in the morning and late afternoon when the canyon’s shadows and colours are at their most dramatic. Have a closer look at the plants and the birdlife and marvel at the vastness of the landscape and the skies. There are few places left in the world where you can truly be alone and have clean air to breathe and time to reflect. Alone on the rim of the canyon – seize the moment!

Guided walks are also available on request depending on availability of guides.

The late afternoon drive will take you along the top of the plateau with stops at two different viewpoints for you to take photographs and experience the canyon at its most dramatic. Our guide will also explain the geology, flora and fauna along the way before you catch a glimpse of the meandering Fish River below at the last stop. Drinks and snacks will be served.

Departure: 17h00 in winter, 18h00 in summer | Minimum 2 guests per excursion – maximum 9 per vehicle | 50% discount for children under 12.

Full Day Canyon Day Hike

Our guide will help you navigate ‘jelly legs’ gorge from the rim to the upper part of the canyon below. After traversing the rock strewn slopes there is a further descent to permanent rock-pools in the river. A refreshing swim through the craggy gorge gets you well and truly into the heart of the canyon. A picnic lunch is served before hiking back up to the Lodge.

This is a strenuous hike and requires a high level of fitness.
Departure time for this hike of 8-10 hours varies according to the season.

Trainers or hiking boots and a daypack are essential.

Half-Day Canyon Hike
The Half-Day hike takes hikers from the viewpoint into the canyon to a second view point and back up again.
Departure time for this hike of 4-5 hours varies according to the season.

Trainers or hiking boots and a daypack are essential.

The Rim to River Hike and the Canyon Day Hike can only be booked through res2@journeysnamibia.com or fishriver@journeysnamibia.com

The guided route through harsh terrain descends steeply into the canyon via ‘jelly legs gorge’ and up again to the rim. There are no demarcated tracks adding a sense of true adventure to the experience. Whilst this hike requires significant levels of fitness – there is no need to carry heavy backpacks; a canvas bag with your personal belongings will be delivered each day to either Camp Eternity or Camp Edge where you will overnight.

You will pass intriguing desert-adapted quiver trees standing solitary against a fascinating 500 million year old geological fault. Or you might want to stop and watch a herd of the rare Hartman’s zebra as they disappear into a side canyon. On hot days you can cool off in permanent rock pools and swim between the rock faces while a Pied Kingfisher watches from a ledge above.

Camp Eternity and Camp Edge are as evocative as their names suggest. Carefully designed stone gabion shelters merge with the landscape. Meals are served under a trillion stars and when you retire to the comfort of your tent, nature’s elements – either harsh or heavenly – are close by and keep you company through the night.

The Canyon Rim to River Hike includes:

An experienced guide for a minimum of 2 guests and a maximum of 8 guests per group
Breakfast, lunch and dinner plus drinks on the trail
 Nights 1 and 2 at Camp Eternity and /or Camp Edge

This activity caters for visitors who do not overnight at the Fish River Lodge or not satisfied with only a fly over either. Arrive at Canyon Nature Park airstrip from where your guide will transfer you to the lodge for a wholesome breakfast. After breakfast and a short briefing you will venture further out on the plateau towards the main lookout point where there is opportunity for photography and a detailed explanation of the geology and interesting facts about the area. The duration of this activity is between 45 minutes to an hour. Guests not in a hurry to leave are welcome to book lunch on the patio, accompanied by infinite vistas dropping down from the edge of eternity. After your visit you will be transferred back to the airstrip where your plane awaits you.

•Departure time varies according to flight arrival and departing time
•Pre-booking is essential
•Guests chartering in by plane are requested to coordinate their arrival and pick up times with our
Reservations office beforehand.

Six fat tyre bikes are available for hire to guests.
Guided rides are dependent on availability of guides.

Morning Excursion
The 22 km guided cycling excursion takes you along the rim of the canyon and with a loop back down washes and rocky outcrops interspersed with quiver trees.

Duration: ± 3.5 hours
Helmets, water and snack packs are provided.

Sundowner Excursion
This 10 km cycling excursion takes you along the rim of the canyon to a designated sundowner spot where you will be rewarded with refreshments and snacks as you watch the sun set. You cycle back to the Lodge in time for dinner.

Helmets, water, drink and snack are provided.

Experience the wide-open spaces and the thrill of being at the edge of the canyon with a group of friends. Cycling up a remote valley you will feel the spirit of the rhino that once roamed here freely for hundreds of years.

Cyclists overnight on the edge of the canyon at the fully serviced Camp Edge and Camp Eternity, where meals, hot showers and comfortable camp beds are provided.

The 3-day Canyon Mountain Bike Trail includes:

A host at each Camp for a minimum 2 guests and a maximum of 8 guests per group
Breakfast, lunch and dinner plus drinks on the trail
The 3-day Trail does not include mountain bikes. Cyclists should bring their own mountain bikes.

Canyon Mountain Biking Trails can only be booked through res2@journeysnamibia.com or fishriver@journeysnamibia.com

The 37 000-hectare (91 429-acre) private Kulala Wilderness Reserve offers visitors exclusive wildlife-viewing opportunities, which include the likes of gemsbok (oryx), bat-eared fox, brown hyena and birdlife. A highlight is a coffee or sundowner stop in the exceptionally scenic reserve.

Credit: Wilderness

Credit: Wilderness

Credit: Wilderness

This morning you can wake early and take your inclusive guided drive through the Kulala concession private entrance gate into the National Park and onwards towards Sossusvlei, around 70km from the Park entrance.  The huge advantage of staying at Kulala is that you can enter the park before self-drive guests, or guided guests from most other lodges, and the eerie silence of the desert at sunrise is definitely best savoured in complete peace and quiet. The desert can be extremely hot from mid-morning onwards, so please remember plenty of water, a hat and good walking shoes!  Enjoy the amazing scenery of the desert, and maybe take a short walk to Deadvlei, a bizarre collection of ancient camelthorn trees, or climb the nearby dunes.  

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

This fascinating geographical formation is well worth a visit. The result of millions of years of water carving its way into the earth, today Sesriem Canyon is three kilometres long. Views from the top are breathtaking, while walks through the canyon reveal distinct geographical layers which were laid down over aeons.

Credit: Wilderness

Credit: Wilderness

Credit: Wilderness

Walking trails focus on becoming immersed in this remote area, as well as its scenic beauty and the fascinating, and surprisingly, diverse array of insects, reptiles and rodents which make this dry and harsh region their home. The Tsauchab River Trail takes guests on a stroll along the dry riverbed close by the camp.

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Set out in the late afternoon for a nature drive, and complete your excursion in a remote and dramatic spot on the reserve, sipping a gin and tonic while watching the sun set over the distant mountains or sweeping dunes.

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Ideal for introducing your family to the natural wonders of Namibia, take in the sweeping scenery on fat-wheeled e-bikes. A fun way to explore the spectacular open plains with your guide.

Credit: Wilderness

Credit: Wilderness

Credit: Wilderness

Private rooftop area for sleep-outs accessed by a wooden staircase behind each tented guest room. Sleep-out under the twinkling skies in the Namib Desert, and be lulled to sweet slumber by the magical night sounds of Africa.

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

The balloon safari on the Kulala Wilderness Reserve offers a truly unique experience – soaring silently above the magnificent sand sea of the Sossusvlei dunes, with a champagne breakfast served at your landing site.

* This activity is at additional cost on 25 December and 01 January, and from mid-January to mid-February.

Credit: Wilderness

Wilderness Kuala Desert Lodge Credit: Wilderness

Credit: Wilderness

Credit: Wilderness

Credit: Wilderness

Our front Desk, will help Guests plan their activities in Swakopmund ensuring they experience and enjoy all on offer in Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and along this exciting and very unique Southern Atlantic coastline and neighbouring Namib Desert. Their sole objective is making sure that every guest's stay is personalised and filled with interesting, exciting, educational and cultural activities and adventures.

It provides:
* Airline Re-confirmations
* Car & Bicycle Hire
* Transfer Arrangements
* Restaurant Reservations
* Shopping Advice & Information
* Personalised Consultation

Take part in a guided morning nature drive. Large game is not concentrated year-round here, with the natural cycle of rainfall dictating the seasonal movement of wildlife along the Aba Huab River, but there are desert-adapted elephant and other wildlife to be seen and the scenery is stunning.

Learn more about the geology of Damaraland, and of the unique plants, birds and reptiles of this area on a guided nature walk.

After dark, another realm of the Namib awakes. Walks reveal some of these captivating critters such scorpions which fluoresce under UV lights.

Visit the ancient San rock art at Twylfelfontein, a World Heritage Site, as well as the Petrified Forest, Burnt Mountain and Organ Pipes; all incredible geological phenomena.

Back of house tours and camp chats about the Doro !Nawas Conservancy, the Damara/Nama language and traditions offer rewarding insights into the community, while the Damara Living Museum displays the traditional culture of the Damara people.

Sleep out on your veranda under the starry skies of the Namib. and be lulled to sleep by the evocative nocturnal sounds of Africa.

Namibia is known for its clear night skies, and with no light pollution this is the ideal spot from which to learn about the stars and planets that whirl above us.

A number of endemic bird species call Wilderness Doro Nawas’ rocky slopes and seemingly barren valleys home, such as Ruppell’s korhaan or Benuela long-billed lark.

Take part in a guided afternoon nature drive. Large game is not concentrated year-round here, with the natural cycle of rainfall dictating the seasonal movement of wildlife along the Aba Huab River, but there are desert-adapted elephant and other wildlife to be seen and the scenery is stunning.

Guided afternoon/evening game drives take place on the private Ongava Game Reserve. The reserve is famed for its population of rhino as well as lion and other game such as antelope, including endemic black-faced impala. Private vehicles can be booked at an extra cost (subject to availability).

Full- or half-day guided morning game drives in the Etosha National Park, Namibia’s prime savannah wilderness area (with a packed lunch on full day). See the massive saltpan as well as the perennial springs that provide the water required by the Park’s high-density big game population, including its elephant population. Private vehicles can be booked at an extra cost (subject to availability).

Offered seasonally and subject to an available walking guide, nature walks through the area take in the abundant array of life, small and large; with a chance of potentially approaching white rhino.

The hide is a fantastic place to relax and while the hours away up close and personal with wildlife slaking its thirst at the camp waterhole. This arid environment where little water occurs makes this a popular drinking spot for game.

Guests can interface with science and research across the Ongava Game Reserve and part of this experience is an immersion into the world of natural history and science at the new Ongava Visitor Centre. With dozens of in-depth displays that feature information on the geology, animals, plants and ecological functioning of this fascinating region, guests are encouraged to meander through the self-guided exhibition area.

Guided morning game drives take place on the private Ongava Game Reserve. The reserve is famed for its population of rhino as well as lion and other game such as antelope, including endemic black-faced impala. Private vehicles can be booked at an extra cost (subject to availability).