Combinatie selfdrive & avontuurlijke 4x4 off-road: afgelegen luxe lodges van de Skeleton Coast, 4x4 mobile off-road trip in de Palmwag Concession en de bekendste wildparken

SOSSUSVLEI EXCURSION
• Drive to the Sossusvlei dunes in a safari 4x4 vehicle accompanied by a Guide with in-depth knowledge of the area
• Departure seasonally, depending on national park opening hours. Activity is possible in the early morning or afternoon ( in the morning preferably for photography – departing before sunrise. In the afternoon preferably for experiencing the dunes more in private, fewer visitors will be there)
• Minimum of 2 guests or single supplement applicable; small groups only (maximum of 9 guests per vehicle)
• Activity duration is approx. 1⁄2 a day (approx. 6 – 7 hours)
• Rate includes a picnic in the dunes, guide, water, entrance fees

SUNDOWNER DRIVE
On the Witwater Wilderness Reserve – 7000 ha.
• A relaxing way to end the day and enjoy beautiful views and a sundowner with drinks and snacks
• Starts in the afternoon, and lasts 2 – 2 1⁄2 hours, departure times change seasonally; guests are back at the lodge just before dinner
• minimum of 2 guests or a single supplement applicable, max. 9 guests per vehicle
• opportunity to come face to face with the nature of the Namib in a safari 4x4 vehicle
• Includes sundowner drinks and snacks

OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA

• Quad biking
• Hot air ballooning
• Scenic flights
The staff at Desert Homestead Lodge and Desert Homestead Outpost will be happy to organize all activities of other providers in the area.
An employee of the lodges informs the guests in detail about the start and departure times, depending on the season, as well as about meeting points, equipment, clothes etc. of the activities of the next day during the dinner.
For participation in afternoon activities, check-in is necessary until 2 pm. In the case of a later arrival, it is not possible to guarantee a performance or attendance due to the different start times.

EXPERIENCE THE NAMIB

DESERT ON HORSEBACK

For the more adventurous of spirit, Desert Homestead Lodge offers a unique experience where guests can ride out onto the private reserve and sleep out in nature. The reserve is situated in between the majestic red sand sea of the Namib Desert and the rugged Naukluft mountains.

Leaving the stables and lodge behind, an unforgettable journey set off through wide open plains riding over a varied terrain changing from soft, sandy, stretched open fields, to rockier mountain trails, through dry riverbeds, under social weavers nests and around camelthorn trees.

The experienced guide will eagerly tell more about the environment, fauna and flora. Riders are almost guaranteed to come across a herd or two of grazing Oryx, springbok, or Zebra and some varieties of smaller carnivores, such as Jackal and bat-eared foxes.

Riding takes place at a comfortable pace so that everyone feels comfortable. Slower riders can hang back while more experienced riders go for long stretched-out gallops over grassy plains while winding the way towards the tented Camp, where refreshments await for a truly remarkable sundowner with magnificent views. After watching the sunset over the majestic mountains it’s time to kick off the boots, relax and enjoy the Namibian night skies. While Dinner gets ready on the campfire true Namibian style a refreshing shower awaits.

Dinner is served next to the crackling fire whilst conversation is sure to revert to the days riding. Then it’s time to retire to the comfortable tent or even a stretcher outside, for those who prefer to sleep out in nature under starry skies to get some rest before the next day’s riding.

Riders will wake up the next morning to the smell of coffee brewing and bacon and eggs cooking over an open fire while watching the horses being prepared for the next stretch of riding. After a hearty breakfast, it is time to stretch the legs once again and set off on horses who eagerly await the rest of the adventure.

The Strand Hotel Activity & Adventure Travel Office, staffed by local professional Travel Consultants, will help Guests plan their sojourn 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

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 dangerous beauty of Skeleton Coast
.

Either on your way to the lodge from Möwe Bay or returning from the lodge, you will see what is left of the victims of this treacherous coastline: Decaying ships, the remains of a Ventura Bomber and the abandoned Westies Diamond Mine bear witness to the unforgiving nature of this arid landscape. You will also visit the seal colony.

The music of the Namib.


Embark on a sundowner drive to the Roaring Dunes where the desert’s voice can be heard.


Or watch the sun disappear into the Atlantic Ocean.

All along the river… Spend your morning exploring the Hoarusib River. Visit the Clay Castles, a striking geological formation. You might even spot the elusive desert-adapted elephants, brown hyenas and lions.

Seaside lunch
...

Weather permitting, enjoy a scrumptious lunch on the vast empty beach.
Feel the crisp sea-breeze tousle your hair and ponder the meaning of life
 as the ocean washes onto the pristine sand in its unending ebb and flow.

Join one of our guides on a scenic drive over the Roaring Dunes . This excursion will only be conducted in an area specifically allocated for the purpose by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to minimise the effects on the environment.
The tour takes approximately 1.5 hours and is for one guest per quad. As a safety precaution the minimum age is 16 years.

For the more adventurous at heart, join us for dune boarding.

This is done by lying down on a polished board while you slide down the dune headfirst. Speeds of up to 80km/h can be reached.

Explore the rugged area on a morning or afternoon game drive learning about its remarkable flora and fauna including the giraffe research that is conducted in this area.

With your guide you can track the elusive desert-adapted black rhino on foot. Available to children aged 12 and over.

Spend time with the local Himbas, understanding their unique cultures. In the case of the Himbas, they represent one of the last true nomadic tribes of Africa

Enjoy a walk with one of our experet guides as you discover the surrounding area on foot.

Full- or half-day guided morning game drives in the Etosha National Park, Namibia’s prime savannah wilderness area, allow you to see the massive salt-pan and perennial springs that provide the water required by the Park’s high-density big game population. Full day activity on request and comes with packed lunch.

Offered seasonally and subject to an available walking guide, the guided nature walks through the reserve will proudly showcase the abundant array of life, from the unusual plants to the arid-adapted animals with a chance of potentially approaching white rhino.

Andersson’s hide allows for unobtrusive game viewing of the camp’s waterhole. Often frequented by plains game including warthog, zebra, giraffe and an array of antelope, the waterhole also attracts larger game such as rhino and sometimes even lions.

Guided afternoon/evening game drives take place on the private Ongava Game Reserve. The reserve is famed for its population of rhino and lion, as well as other game such as the endemic black-faced impala.

Guests can interface with science and research across Anderssons 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.

The Dream Cruiser is a unique sleep-out experience, under the Namibian night skies.

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, 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.

The Namibian Bush takes on a new perspective when you sit quietly and observe wildlife without having an obvious presence.

Sunk into the ground, the Onkolo Hide is at water-level, affording guests one of the best ways to get exceptionally close to animals and enjoy nature unobserved. Equipped with adjustable leather stools, drinks and snacks, amateur and professional photographers alike can take advantage of the unequalled photographic opportunities at this range.

Enjoy your late afternoon drive before stopping at a beautiful spot to enjoy a drink, some snacks and watch the African sun set in a spectacular array of colours painting the sky in shades of orange, yellow and pink tones.

The Sundowner Drive takes place on Onguma Private Nature Reserve, which consists of 34 000 hectares of Namibian wilderness, and is home to numerous plains game, more than 300 bird species ​and four of the big five.

Departing after breakfast or lunch, guests will journey into the world famous Etosha National Park. Being either one of the first to enter the park that morning, or as the day begins to wind down, guests will explore the eastern part of the 22 750 square kilometre wildlife sanctuary with one of our knowledgeable rangers.

Having a good chance of meeting 4 of the ‘big 5’ at a waterhole or in the bush.

Etosha, meaning ‘place of dry waters’ refers to a flat calc depression (or pan) of about 5 000 km2. 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 bluegreen algae which lures thousands of flamingos. There are roughly 114 species of mammals in Etosha, however no Hippo, Crocodile or Buffalo, as it is too arid, but there is enough to explore on your game drive.

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.

An experience in the Namibian wilderness is made complete with the opportunity to pamper ones body and mind at the Onguma Spa, or on our yoga deck.

Spa treatments are at an additional cost.

A fully equipped gym provides you with the opportunity to increase your cardio whilst enjoying views of the surrounding bush.

Hiking as well as mountain biking trails

Game drive to the vulture hotel

Rhino tracking on foot

vulture hotel