- You will be met by the car rental company representative on arrival and transferred to their offices in Windhoek to complete all rental procedures
- You will then meet with our representative to hand over your travel documents
- The remainder of the day can be spent relaxing at your own leisure
- For dinner tonight, you can head into town for a bite to eat at one of Windhoek's well known restaurants
Windhoek – Kalahari 245km - approximately 3 to 4 hours
- After breakfast, you can still pop into town for anything you might need and then depart heading south from Windhoek to the red sand dunes of the Kalahari
- Spend the remainder of the day at leisure in this beautiful setting
- Optional activities here include game and nature drives as well as a Bushman experience
Kalahari – Fish River Canyon 480km - approximately 7 to 8 hours
- Head south via Mariental and Keetmanshoop to the Karas region, the Fish River Canyon area
- Detour en-route to Giant’s Playground and Quiver Tree Forest, a beautiful site where large aloes grow between rocks
- Enjoy the view from the lodge at sunset to end the day
Fish River Canyon – Lüderitz 385km - approximately 5 to 6 hours
- Enjoy a morning canyon view before heading west through harsh but beautiful terrain which changes to wide open desert plains as you make your way to the coast
- Your drive will take you via Aus, where you may be lucky to view the wild desert horses in the area
- 1 full day is set aside to enjoy the historic town of Lüderitz and visit the amazing Kolmanskop Ghost Town
- Lunches and dinners can be enjoyed at any of the local restaurants in town
Lüderitz – Sossusvlei 505km - approximately 7 to 8 hours
- After breakfast, you will depart to the "sea of sand" backtracking to Aus and then heading north via Helmeringhausen
- Wake up early for breakfast (Day 7) and then head to the entrance to Sossusvlei, the Sesriem Gate
- Spend the whole day in the beautiful Sossusvlei area, exploring the highlights: Sossusvlei, Dead Vlei, Dune 45, Big Daddy, Elim Dune and the Sesriem Canyon
- Return to the lodge for lunch or arrange a lunch pack to enjoy in the dunes and return late afternoon for a well-earned rest
- Optional extra activities: Guided Sossusvlei excursion, Hot air balloon safari, Nature drives
Sossusvlei – Swakopmund 350km - approximately 5 to 6 hours
- Depart after breakfast and head north to Solitaire, then west crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, through the Gaub and Kuiseb Canyons via the Namib Gravel Plains to the coast
- Either via Walvis Bay to Swakopmund, or (recommended) detour via Ganab to the Welwitschia Plains and Moon Landscape
- The Namibian coastline is generally known as The Skeleton Coast due to the barren areas, ship wrecks and, in days gone by, whale skeletons left on the beach
- 1 full day is set aside for this lovely area where Swakopmund and Walvis Bay offer a wide range of activities such as: Dolphin cruise, Sandwich Harbour excursion (a real Skeleton Coast experience), Dune quad biking, Sand boarding, Sea kayaking, Lots more…
- Lunches and dinners can be enjoyed at a café or restaurant overlooking the sea
Swakopmund – Damaraland 445km - approximately 7 to 8 hours
- Head north along the Skeleton Coast, via Henties Bay to visit the Cape Cross seal colony. Along the way, stop at the Lichen Fields as well as the ship wreck between the colourful small town of Wlotskasbaken and Henties Bay
- Backtrack to Henties Bay and head inland through wide open plains to Uis, then north to the Twyfelfontein area
- Visit to Namibia’s Open Air Museum, the Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings as well as the interesting Organ Pipes rock formations and Burnt Mountain
- Visit the Damara Living Museum for a hint of culture
Damaraland – Opuwo 340km - approximately 5 to 6 hours
- Depart the Twyfelfontein area and head north via Palmwag, crossing the Hoanib River, up and over Joubert Pass to Opuwo, the centre of Kaokoland
- Opuwo is a small typical African town, where a range of different people live, from the traditional Himba tribes to Herero, Damara and Owambo cultures
- Along the way stop at various villages to interact and photograph the local people
- Depending on arrival time, enjoy a Himba village visit this afternoon. It is recommended to arrange a local guide to go with you (lodge reception can assist with this)
Opuwo – Epupa Falls 180km - approximately 3 hours
- Today takes you way north to the border with Angola, the beautiful Epupa Falls
- 2 nights, a full day is set aside here to visit some authentic traditional Himba villages, view the falls and hike along the Kunene River
- Plan a morning visit to 1 or 2 authentic Himba villages as this is when there is the most activity
Epupa Falls - Etosha (west) 375km - approximately 5 hours
- Depart this morning after breakfast and backtrack to Opuwo before heading east and then south towards the west side of Etosha
- Arrival here will be in the afternoon and if you wish, join an afternoon or evening game drive (optional extra)
Etosha (west) – Etosha (south) a full days game drive through the park
- After breakfast, enjoy a full morning game drive to Okaukuejo and exit Etosha at the southern gate, Andersson gate
- Return into Etosha for an afternoon drive or arrange with the lodge for a game drive (optional extra)
- At Okaukuejo, I suggest you pop in at the local shop to purchase some drinks and snacks and most importantly, a map of Etosha which will show you all the waterholes in the park
- Etosha is one of Africa's great game parks. With 114 species of mammal and 340 species of birds you are sure to see a great variety of wildlife on your safari
Etosha (south) – Etosha (east) a full days game drive through the park
- From one side to the other side of the park is a full day game drive as you head slowly east stopping at numerous waterholes along the way
- Take a slow drive in the morning and then enjoy a packed lunch (optional extra) overlooking one of the waterholes before continuing on through the park to the eastern side
- 1 full day is set aside for game viewing, either all day or alternate with morning and afternoon drives. These are self-drive game drives but you can arrange at the lodge to go with their open safari vehicle and guide (optional extra)
Etosha (east) – Okonjima 315km - approximately 4 to 5 hours
- Head south via Otavi and Otjiwarongo to Okonjima, which is home to the AfriCat Foundation. Aim to arrive here by 14h00 latest in order to enjoy the afternoon tea/coffee and cakes before heading off on your afternoon excursion
- After dinner, an optional visit to the night hide to view some nocturnal animals
Okonjima – Windhoek 225km - approximately 3 to 4 hours
- Early morning rise for a quick snack before joining the morning activity, which will be to visit the AfriCat Foundation or for a drive in the animal enclosure, which is more a game reserve
- Back to the lodge for a hearty Namibian breakfast before departure
- Head back to Windhoek today, where the vehicle is dropped off and your holiday comes to an end
- Transfer to the airport to catch your departure flight. (Keep in mind that you need to be at the airport 2 hours prior and the airport is still a 45 minute to 1 hour drive from town)
