Jan
min : 20°C
max : 28°C
We Love —
- Visit a land of striking natural beauty on this immersive tour to some of Namibia's must see sights.
- On this 14-night self-drive tour, you'll experience some of the best game viewing in Africa at Etosha National Park, visit unique treasures such as the Kalahari Desert and the stunning sand dunes at Sossusvlei.
- Stay in a selection of rustic lodges and charming hotels on the tour and enjoy the services included car hire and various meals along the way!
New Voyage Privé —
Carefully selected by our experts especially for you
Your Destinations —
This tour visits all of Namibia's hot-spots including Etosha National Park, the country's greatest wildlife reserve. At various waterholes zebra, wildebeest and gemsbok drink to the trumpeting of elephants and roaring of lions.
On to Swakopmund with its colonial architecture, atmospheric streets and delicious seafood, then to Sossusvlei in the heart of the Namib Desert and home to the world's tallest sand dunes, some of which tower over 300 metres high. Watching the changing mood and colours at sunrise and sunset is one of Namibia's highlights.
Namibia
To properly appreciate this extraordinary country, you will have to venture out of the cities to explore the remarkable natural landscapes Namibia has to offer. These include: the impressive Fish River Canyon; the vast Etosha National Park teeming with abundant wildlife, such as lions, desert-adapted elephants and the Hartmann's Mountain Zebra; the hauntingly beautiful Kalahari Desert; and of course the Namib Desert stretching for over 2000 km along the magnificent Atlantic Coast. Namibia is an ideal destination for travellers seeking an unforgettable African experience in a uniquely beautiful untamed wilderness.
Our Offer —
14-Night Extraordinary Namibia Fly-Drive Tour
Your Itinerary In Brief —
Day 1: Arrival into Windhoek
Day 2: Windhoek
Day 3: Windhoek - Kalahari Desert
Day 4: Kalahari Desert - Namib Desert
Day 5: Namib Desert
Day 6: Sossusvlei
Day 7: Namib Desert - Swakopmund
Day 8: Swakopmund
Day 9: Swakopmund - Damaraland
Day 10: Damaraland - Etosha National Park
Day 11: Etosha National Park
Day 12: Etosha National Park
Day 13 : Etosha National Park - Otjihavera Mountains
Day 14: Otjihavera Mountains
Day 15: Otjihavera Mountains - Windhoek
Your 14-Night Itinerary —
Upon arrival at the international airport you will be met by a Sense of Africa consultant who will go through all details of your trip and answer any questions you may have. They will also help with collection of your hire vehicle and give you your Travel Planner/Information Pack that provides you with maps, itineraries, routings etc. You then proceed via mountainous terrain to Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia. Your accommodation is situated in a quiet suburb and close to the city center with its afro-european flair and peaceful atmosphere. In the evening enjoy typical Namibian cuisine in one of the numerous restaurants in the city. Overnight at Elegant Guesthouse.
Day 2: Windhoek
After breakfast, explore the town centre at your own leisure. Situated in Central Namibia, the cosmopolitan city of Windhoek serves as the capital of the country. It is home to an international airport and a plethora of restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and accommodation options. The city is clean, safe and well-organised, with a colonial legacy that is reflected in its many German eateries and shops, and the widespread use of the German language. Windhoek has an interesting mix of historical architecture and modern buildings, many of which are worth a look, including the Alte Feste an old fort, the 1896 Christuskirche Christ Church, and the more contemporary Supreme Court. Overnight at Elegant Guesthouse.
Leave Windhoek heading south and drive over Rehoboth and the Tropic of Capricorn. Soon you will be able to spot the reddish glow of the Kalahari Desert in the distance. Here, the green acacia trees and the yellow grass stand in stark contrast to the blue sky and the red sand dunes of the Kalahari Desert stretching for hundreds of kilometers. These stretch over 9 different African countries and thus embody the largest and longest sand sea in the world. On the dunes and in the valleys, also called "streets", live animals such as springbok, oryx and ostrich as well as jackal, spoon dog, spring hare and porcupine. Other attractions in the area include the huge Settlers' Nests nestled in some of the ancient camel thorn trees. Your accommodation is set amongst the red dunes and juts out like a green oasis from the otherwise red face, punctuated by expansive loamy patches. From the lodge you can take part in a variety of activities, including wildlife tours and beautiful walks, where you can get to know some of the many animals and plants.
The Kalahari is an exceptionally beautiful living desert a large semi-arid sandy savannah draped over a gently rolling inland sea of sand covering most of Botswana and large parts of Namibia and South Africa. It is also the last bastion of the San people with the modern world having enveloped all the other areas they once roamed. Here in Namibia it is typically red sands covered in thin, wispy, mostly golden grass and dotted with acacia trees and wide ranging wildlife including gemsbok, impala, jackals and cheetah. Overnight and dinner at the Camelthorn Kalahari Lodge.
Day 4: Kalahari Desert
After breakfast, embark on your Intu Afrika Kalahari Reserve Bushmen Walk.
The Intu Afrika Kalahari Reserve, situated in Kalkrand, Namibia, offers guests an exciting, hour long bushmen walk in the Kalahari landscape. The walk usually takes place in the morning to avoid the harsh midday sun. The term ‘Bushman’ now referred to as the San people, refers to the nomadic hunter-gatherers indigenous to this area. The San people know the Kalahari Desert better than any other human beings and have survived the dry conditions for generations. They have studied nature and know where to find food and water in the harsh conditions of the unrelenting and unforgiving desert landscapes. They are hunter-gatherers, hunting with bows and arrows, trapping small animals and eating edible roots and berries and they eagerly demonstrate this to guests.
Overnight and dinner at the Camelthorn Kalahari Lodge.
Day 5: Kalahari Desert - Namib Desert
Today the journey goes to the surroundings of the Sossusvlei. In Maltahöhe you can visit the Oahera Cultural Center. Then it goes down the Tsaris Pass and on towards Sesriem. In the afternoon you will reach your accommodation.
The Namib is the world’s oldest desert, and although it stretches along the entire length of Namibia’s coastline, the Namib commonly refers to the vast sea of sand from Luderitz to Swakopmund. For a big sandy desert the scenery is remarkably varied, with the giant red dunes of Sossusvlei being the most famous part. Because of how old it is the Namib is home to numerous species that don’t occur elsewhere and although no humans live in the desert an amazing array of flora and fauna manages to survive here. Famous species include the Welwitschia – a living fossil plant, endemic chameleons, fur seals along the coast, brown hyenas, jackals and remarkably one of Africa’s largest antelope the Gemsbok. The name Namib is of Nama origin and means "vast place" and vast it certainly is. Overnight and dinner at the Elegant Desert Lodge.
The morning demands an early start. Entering the Namib Naukluft National Park with sunrise, the first rays of sunlight paint the mountains of sand into a variety of apricot, red and orange, contrasted against a crisp blue skyline, enrapturing our senses, and providing an opportunity to capture this awesome landscape on film. You will be captivated by the surreal Deadvlei surrounded by some of the highest dunes on earth and Sossusvlei, where the dry Tsauchab River ends abruptly amongst dunes. Take the opportunity to walk up one of these majestic dunes to admire the desert landscape beneath. Thereafter you will visit the Sesriem Canyon, a life sustaining natural phenomenon in the heart of the Namib Desert.
For the most spectacular sunsets, we will take you on a sundowner trip at the edge of the mountains, where you can experience the vast plains spread out in front of you like a blanket. See how the magnificent mountains tower up to the clear blue sky. View herds of gemsbok grazing in the plains of climbing the nearby koppies. (min 2 participants per excursion).
Sossusvlei's rich ochre sand dunes offer one of the most mind-blowing sights you will ever experience. Their oscillating crests rise to an astonishing 320m and, with their air of timelessness, create an unforgettable wilderness in the heart of the world’s oldest desert. Dwarfed by the sheer size of the highest dunes on earth, your ascending footprints look like insect trails leading into infinity. The solitude is immeasurable and your place in the great scheme of life takes on a curious insignificance. The white vleis (clay pans) contrast sharply against the red sand and vast blue sky, while fog-dependent animals and plants seek shelter from the sweltering heat underneath the sand and age-old camelthorn trees. One of these pans, referred to as Dead Pan, is a large ghostly expanse of dried white clay, punctuated by skeletons of ancient camel-thorn trees, carbon-dated as being between 500 and 600 years old. During this time the flow of the Tsauchab River into the pan was stopped by the formation of a dune belt – hence the trees died, now forming part of Namibia’s own Salvador Dali “painting”.
Overnight and dinner at the Elegant Desert Lodge.
After breakfast we continue our journey approaching the little settlement of Solitaire on the edge of the Namib Naukluft National Park, feeling like you have arrived in the middle of nowhere. Here it worthy to enjoy a cup of coffee with the delightful Apple Pie before travelling via the desolate, rolling hills of the Kuiseb Valley towards the Atlantic Ocean. Reaching the coastal harbour town of Walvis Bay, we visit the shallow lagoon, one of the most important wetland areas on the African continent and a RAMSAR World Heritage Site. Over 80% of the African flamingos feed in this lagoon and present a breath-taking picture when they appear in groups. Continuing along the scenic route amidst dune belt and the Atlantic Ocean we reach Swakopmund, where the rest of the day is spent at leisure. With palm-lined streets and seaside promenades, Swakopmund is a popular holiday destination in Namibia. Its pleasant summer climate and long stretched beaches attract anglers and surfers from all over Southern Africa. For the international guest, Swakopmund is a bohemian mix of German architecture and African rhythms, a laid back attitude with adrenalin activities, misty mornings and desert heat. It is colourful, it is vibrant, but most of all, it is pure fun.
With palm-lined streets, seaside promenades and fine accommodation for all budgets, Swakopmund is Namibia’s most popular holiday destination, and its pleasant summer climate and decent beaches attract surfers, anglers and beach lovers from all over Southern Africa. Thanks to its mild temperatures and negligible rainfall, Swakopmund generally enjoys grit in the oyster. When an easterly wind blows, the town gets a good sand-blasting, and almost perpetual drizzle. The fog rolls up to 30km inland and provides moisture for desert-dwelling plants and animals, including 80 species of lichen. For better or worse, Swakopmund feels overwhelmingly Teutonic – indeed, it has Germany – but for visitors, it’s a Namibia’s adrenalin capital, and offers a wide range of gut-curdling activities from sand boarding and quad-biking to skydiving and camel riding. Note, however, that it gets especially busy around Namibian school holidays in December and January, when temperatures average around 25ºC.
Your accommodation is within walking distance of the town centre, so head out to explore. Overnight at The Stiltz.
Day 8: Swakopmund
Swakopmund is often fondly referred to as the “playground of Namibia”, it has numerous activities ranging from, adventure to exploring the fascinating features of the Namib Desert and the animals and plants that occur and survive here. Embrace the relaxed pace of this idyllic coastal town whilst enjoying coffee and freshly baked pastries in one of the many café’s. Alternatively explore the rugged, sweltering desert on a day tour, or view this awesome, environment from the air on a scenic flight. Find your inner child and push adrenaline to its limits with extreme adventures such as skydiving over the desert or quad biking and sand boarding on the dunes. Take time to get the feel of this quaint town with its historic buildings, museums, shopping arcades and beach bar that has transformed into its own personality by the vibrant use of color and the bohemian lifestyle. Overnight at The Stiltz.
Heading further north, we travel via the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain (2.579m), into the Damaraland, one of the least populated and geologically diverse areas in Africa. This harsh, rocky environment is home to the rare desert elephant, the black rhino and free-roaming antelope species. We visit to Twyfelfontein, a heritage site where Bushman communities engraved and painted over 2500 pictures some 6000 years ago! After a visit to a nearby Living Museum of the Damara we proceed on to the Petrified Forest - a geological phenomenon depicting the creation and evolution of some of the oldest landmasses on Earth. Here we also visit the Welwitschia mirabilis plant – the oldest living desert plant on Earth.
Huge, untamed and ruggedly beautiful Damaraland is an exceptionally scenic landscape of open plains and spectacular rock formations. The major attractions are Spitzkoppe, the Brandberg, Twyfelfontein, Vingerklip and the Petrified Forest. Damaraland, one of the least populated places on earth, shows no fences nor boundaries in the vast, stony desert landscape. It is marked by endless vistas across stark plains, ancient valleys and brooding, distant mountains which bring the traveller as close to nature as is comfortably possible. In Damaraland, plants and animals have over millennia evolved side by side with the harsh environment, creating unusual geological features, which together with a wealth of rock paintings and engravings, a population of desert-adapted elephant and rhino, combine to form the unique attraction to this region.
Damaraland was once an area occupied primarily by the Damara people, but over time became home to other tribes such as the Hereros and the displaced Riemvasmakers of South Africa. Today, many residents of Damaraland are thus of mixed heritage, but most consider themselves Damara. The Damaraland community comprises a unique group of people who recognised the value of the wildlife on their land and formed a Community Wildlife Conservancy to protect it. Until 1981, Damaraland was unprotected and open to poachers, mostly from outside of the of the Damaraland area. In the interests of the Damarland wildlife a game guard system was eventually formed with people from the community and the welfare of the wildlife increased. Today it is one of the last places in southern Africa where game still roams freely like it did thousands of years ago – a true wilderness. Overnight and dinner at the Vingerklip Lodge.
After a tranquil breakfast, we travel towards the Etosha National Park, famous for its vast amount of wildlife and unique landscape. Once we have reached our camp located just outside of the National Park, we head onto our first safari into the National Park. Together with our guide we explore the various waterholes located close to Okaukuejo and the Andersson gate. Optional and time permitting open vehicle game drives can be booked with the lodge.
Located just south of the boundary of Etosha National Park in northwestern Namibia, Etosha South makes up the southern region of this wild paradise. The national park can be accessed via the southern entrance at Andersson’s Gate. Visitors can catch a glimpse of a variety of wildlife including: lion, giraffe, elephant, white and black rhino, and a multitude of plains game. Overnight and dinner at the Toshari Lodge.
Day 11-12: Etosha National Park
After breakfast, your day will be devoted purely to the abundant wildlife found in the Etosha National Park whilst on your included game drive.
The park is home to 4 of the Big Five - elephant, lion, leopard and rhino. The Park was proclaimed as Namibia’s first conservation area in 1907 by the then Governor, von Lindequist. Despite the size of the Etosha National Park, only the southern edge of the pan is accessible to visitors. Game viewing in the park is largely focussed around the waterholes, some of which are spring fed and some supplied from a borehole, ideal places to sit and watch over 114 different game species, or for an avid birder, in excess of 340 bird species. Popular game species such as giraffe, blue wildebeest, plains and mountain zebra, hyena, lion, leopard, antelopes such as kudu, oryx, eland, as well as some of the endangered species such as Black rhino, cheetah and the black-faced impala are all found here. An extensive network of roads link the over 30 water holes allowing the visitor an opportunity to do a real game viewing safari over the stretch of the park as each different area will provide different encounters. Just before sunset, drive back to the lodge. Overnight and dinner at the Toshari Lodge.
After a leisurely breakfast you leave Etosha behind you and head south back towards Windhoek. Along the way you will pass through towns such as Tsumeb, Otavi, Otjiwarongo and Okahandja. Each has its own individual appeal. You may choose to stop for lunch in Otjiwarongo or even at one of the lodges such as Okonjima Plains Camp. You can also stop in Okahandja at the wood craft markets and pick up a handmade curio made by one of the local craftsmen.
The central Namibian highlands are much cooler and less harsh than the arid lowlands that make up the majority of the country. This is great cattle ranching country and most tourism facilities have their origins in cattle and more recently game ranching. Overnight at The Elegant Farmstead.
Day 15: Otjihavera Mountains - Windhoek (about 100 km)
For your final day in Namibia and depending on your flight departure time you may choose to spend some time exploring Windhoek or doing some last minute shopping before heading to the airport.
Please note: This is a self-drive tour, therefore the itinerary above is suggested and not set, apart from the hotels, locations and included excursions.
Your Tour Hotels —
Our members will stay at the following hotels in a Standard Double Rooms with meals included as per itinerary.
Your Hotels
Windhoek: 2-night stay at Elegant Guesthouse with Bed and Breakfast.
Kalahari Desert: 2-night stay at Intu Africa Camelthorn Kalahari Lodge with Half Board dining.
Namib Desert: 2-night stay at Elegant Desert Lodge with Half Board dining.
Sossusvlei: 2-night stay at The Stiltz, with Bed and Breakfast.
Damaraland: 1-night stay at Vingerklip Lodge, with Bed and Breakfast.
Etosha National Park: 3-night stay at Etosha Gateway t/a Toshari Lodge, with Bed and Breakfast.
Otjihavera Mountains: 2-night stay at The Elegant Farmstead, with Bed and Breakfast.
2 Adults
Your Journey —
Flights: You may choose from Economy, Premium or Business class flights on sectors that they operate, at the next stage of the booking process.
The flights included are with either a scheduled or no-frills airline and are subject to live availability and prices can change. You can choose your preferred departure times during the booking process. Please select your flight options carefully as departure and arrival airports may differ.
Transfers: Meet and greet services are included upon arrival for the delivery of your car rental.
Car Hire: Car hire is included with this offer based on a Renault Duster or similar which will be picked off and dropped off at Windhoek airport. The minimum age 25 years, and CDW, PAI & GPS is included.
