Namibia Highlights Guided Drive (11n) – Classic

Your trip starts with an overnight stay in the Namibian capital of Windhoek, in the scenic Central Highlands region. On touching down at the city’s international airport, you’ll be met by your private guide, who’ll drive you to Am Weinberg Boutique Hotel. 

Just half an hour from the airport, Am Weinberg has a lovely location within Klein Windhoek, a serene suburb. As soon as you arrive, you can relax in any of three stylish lounge spaces – the Sky Lounge, perhaps, which offers panoramic vistas over the city! Other communal facilities include two restaurants, a spa, and a delicatessen. You’ll stay in a Courtyard Fountain Room, enjoying a host of amenities, an en-suite full bathroom, and access into the hotel’s exquisitely presented courtyard. Windhoek is an attractive city, surrounded by rolling hills and with a relaxed and cosmopolitan feel.

Board basis and activities:
Accommodation at Am Weinberg is booked on a B&B basis, with your evening meal arranged by your guide. We can advise you on the best activities, excursions, and restaurants in the area, and we suggest asking one of our consultants for their recommendations.

On Day 2, you’ll leave Am Weinberg and your guide will drive you south-west out of Windhoek. You’ll pass through the spectacular Naukluft mountains and into the iconic Sossusvlei area, located in the Namib Naukluft National Park. 

Your home for this part of your trip is Hoodia Desert Lodge, situated at the end of a long sweeping driveway at the base of the Naukluft mountains. It has 11 luxurious thatch-and-canvas chalets, each set a good distance from its neighbours to ensure privacy. The lodge is owner run and offers exceptional service delivered with a personal touch. It’s just 20 minutes’ drive from the Sesriem Gate, so is ideally placed for access into Sossusvlei’s dune fields. This region is truly breathtaking, with towering orange sand dunes stretching as far as the eye can see, all set under a cloudless blue sky.

Board basis and activities:
Your accommodation is booked on a full-board basis, and we can advise you on the best activities and excursions in the area – just get in touch with one of our consultants for their recommendations.

The next stop on your Namibian adventure is the quaint seaside town of Swakopmund. Your private guide will drive you here from Hoodia Desert Lodge, and you’ll stay at The Strand Hotel. Opened in October 2015, The Strand Hotel is a fabulous option on the Swakopmund beachfront. It’s surrounded by ocean on three sides and has a contemporary style that’s very much in keeping with the rest of the town. While it’s on the large size with 125 rooms, it does offer guests a great alternative to guesthouse accommodation if preferred and has a stunning seaside location. You’ll stay in a Luxury Room, which features plenty of modern conveniences, an en-suite full bathroom, and sliding doors out onto a private balcony! 

Sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the Namib Desert, Swakop (as it is known locally), is a vibrant little town with a lot to offer.

Board basis and activities:
Accommodation at The Strand Hotel is booked on a B&B basis, with your guide arranging both lunch and dinner for you. We can advise you on the best activities, excursions, and restaurants in the area, and we suggest asking one of our consultants for their recommendations.

After a few days on the coast, it’s time to head back into Namibia’s vast interior. This time, your guide will drive north along the coastline, before cutting eastward into the semi-desert wilderness of Damaraland. During your time here, you’ll stay at Mowani Mountain Camp. This is a stylish property, in the eastern region of Damaraland. Its communal areas include a chic dining area, a pleasantly secluded sundowner spot, and an inviting swimming pool! Your accommodation will be a Superior View Room, which boasts spectacular vistas from a private veranda, as well as a comfortable bedroom complete with smart en-suite. 

Mowani is within easy reach of the UNESCO World Heritage site at Twyfelfontein, famed for its ancient rock art. The camp is also the ideal base from which to track the area’s permanent herds of desert-adapted elephant.

Board basis and activities:
Accommodation is booked on a full board basis, and we can advise you on the best activities and excursions in the region – please ask one of our consultants for their recommendations.

Leaving Damaraland behind, you’ll continue your journey up to the Ongava Game Reserve, which lies along the southern border of Etosha National Park. Until 1991, the reserve was a collection of unproductive cattle ranches. During that year, several families invested in the future by working to turn the area into a private reserve. With 30,000 hectares of land, Ongava is now a haven to large concentrations of wildlife and offers visitors a truly memorable safari experience. 

Your guide will drive you to Andersson’s at Ongava. This is a high-quality camp, featuring very pleasant communal spaces such as a lounge/bar, library, and indoor/outdoor dining areas. There’s also an adventurous fire-pit and a sparkling infinity pool! Guest accommodation consists of eight chalets, each offering a spacious bedroom, well-appointed washing facilities including an outside shower, and sliding doors out onto a private deck with 180-degree views over a waterhole and beyond.

Board basis and activities:
Andersson’s is booked on a full-board basis. We’re happy to advise you on the best activities and excursions in the area, and we suggest contacting one of our consultants to request their recommendations.

Continuing your safari, you’ll leave Ongava and enter Etosha National Park through the Andersson gate in the southern sector. Travelling through the heart of the park, you and your guide will set the pace of your game drive, stopping for as long or as often as you like at the many waterholes that act as a mecca for the numerous species of mammals and birds for whom the park is home. 

Your home here is Onguma – The Fort, which has been built to make the most of the surrounding views. Overlooking the beautiful Etosha pans, it is particularly magical at sunset. Accommodation features 11 generously proportioned Bush Suites, which is the category we’ve chosen for you. With a design resembling the turrets of a fort, every suite gives the property a very North African feel. The Fort offers guests luxury with a twist, ensuring a memorable stay in Etosha.

Board basis and activities:
The Fort is booked on a full-board basis, and we can advise you on the best activities and excursions in the area – do get in touch with one of our consultants for their recommendations.

The last stop of your Namibian road trip is the Okonjima Nature Reserve, which is home to the AfriCat Foundation. It’s located among the Omboroko Mountains, halfway between Etosha and Windhoek. Set in 220 square kilometres of pristine bushland, AfriCat, a family-run non-for-profit organisation, is dedicated to the protection and long-term conservation of all large carnivores in Namibia, and it offers guests a unique insight into the lives of these animals. With five different camps and lodges on the reserve, there is something to suit all budgets and preferences.

Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp has just eight luxury thatched chalets and one honeymoon suite. Spaced far apart to ensure maximum privacy, all are equipped with two queen-size beds, a large comfortable lounge area, and huge glass windows offering beautiful unobstructed views. While staying at Bush Camp, guests have the opportunity to take guided excursions across the reserve to track both cheetah and leopard. 

On Day 12 of your trip, you’ll be up early for one last activity before leaving Okonjima Luxury Bush Camp. Your private guide will drive you back to Windhoek, and you’ll arrive at the international airport in good time for your flight/s home.

Board basis and activities:
The camp is booked on a full-board basis, and we’re happy to advise you on the best activities and excursions in the area. We suggest asking one of our consultants for their recommendations.