You will be collected from your accommodation within the Windhoek city limits or the airport by 07.15 and transferred to for a short pre-departure meeting. We are heading west, to the port town of Walvis Bay. Walvis Bay lagoon is renowned for its birdlife, in particular we are here to see the flamingos. We complete the final leg of our journey into Swakopmund and we check into our accommodation at the centrally located Hotel A La Mer.
Swakopmund offers many opportunities to keep us busy. The town centre is small and easily explored on foot, you can do scenic flights over the desert, or, for the more adventurous, perhaps try sky diving or quad biking over and in the Namib dunes. Our guide will discuss all the options with you.
Dinner tonight is for your own account, Swakopmund boasts some truly excellent restaurants.
Driving time: ~4 hours
Morning
Lunch & dinner
Today you'll leave Swakopmund at 11:30 am so we can enjoy an optional activity. For the adrenaline junkies, this could be flying down a sand dune head first at 60km/h on a sandboard, exploring the dune field on a quad biking tour, or discovering the “old city” of Swakopmund on a fat bike (e-bike option available).
Whatever you choose, you'll depart Swakopmund no later than 11:30 am and drive through the Namib Desert via the Kuiseb Pass, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, stopping briefly in Solitaire, and arriving at your camp late afternoon. You'll set up your tents and enjoy the sunset over the Namib Desert while listening to the barking geckos. There is a pool and bar available, and our guide prepares dinner. An early night is recommended.
Driving time: ~5 hours
Sunrise in the Dunes is the game's name this morning, which means a pre-dawn start. Your first stop will be at Dune 45. The best time to photograph the dunes is at sunrise and sunset. After a quick breakfast, you'll carry on for the last few kilometers before entering the ancient Tsauchab Riverbed.
You will visit Dead Vlei, an ancient pan surrounded by sand, strikingly populated with dead, skeletal camelthorn trees. You will have time to explore the area on foot and to climb one of the highest dunes in the world, some towering 300 m above us, the views are breathtaking.
You will drive back to Sesriem for lunch and perhaps a dip in the swimming pool. In the afternoon, you'll take a short excursion to see the Sesriem Canyon.
We have a scenic drive today through ever changing desert scenery, mountains and open grassland. We are continuing our long drive south and our destination is the tiny community of Aus, located in the Aus Mountains above the plains of the Namib Desert.
Our actual destination today is Klein Aus Vista located just outside Aus and just inside the private Gondwana Sperrgebiet Rand Park. We aim to arrive in the early afternoon and set up camp, giving us time to stretch our legs on the unguided hiking trails on the property. The landscape is wide open vistas and we are hoping for a spectacular sunset.
Driving time: ~5 hours
Afternoon
After an early breakfast we make our way from Klein Aus to the ghost town, of Kolmanskop, situated 15km outside of Luderitz.
After our tour we continue our adventure to the small town of Luderitz, situated on the rocky shores of the Atlantic Ocean and well known for its unique and colourful colonial-style buildings.
We stop at Diaz Point, the famous site of the Original Diaz Cross and enjoy a picnic lunch. On return to Aus, we keep our eyes peeled for the wild horses of the Namib Desert that roam between Luderitz and Klein Aus. We arrive back at camp late afternoon and can relax before enjoying another incredible sunset over the Aus Mountains. Dinner tonight is prepared by our guide.
Driving time: ~3 hours
We enjoy another early start this morning as we pack up camp and head east. Our first official stop is at the well-known Hell`s Bend viewpoint of the Fish River Canyon. Here we have the opportunity to overlook the second largest canyon in the world. After lunch we continue our adventure heading to our last destination; The Quiver Tree Forest. It is located just north-east of Keetmanshoop and here approximately 250 quiver trees can be found.
The last night on our adventure is spent camping under the stars with meals prepared by our guide. This is an excellent location for photographing the stars should you be an avid photographer (permits are available for night photography of the quiver trees at additional cost).
Driving time: ~2 hours
Morning
Afternoon
We head north today, and about 150 km into our long road journey, we will pass a signpost to a place called Gibeon. In ancient prehistoric times, the area was subjected to a Meteor strike.
We stop along the road for a light lunch and aim to be back in Windhoek in the late afternoon.
Driving time: ~5 hours
Note: We recommend that departure flights are not scheduled for today.
