Trip Itinerary
Windhoek
Arrive in Namibia, where you’ll spend your first night at The Elegant Guesthouse in the capital, Windhoek. A small, sleek boutique hotel in a quiet residential area, you’ll be welcomed by an attentive team who’ll make you feel right at home while you acclimatize after the journey. There’s ample space to relax in the well-kept gardens or out on the deck, and you can always cool off in the plunge pool and take shade under a parasol during the hotter hours. By night, grab a drink from the honesty bar and head outside to the firepit. Though dinner isn’t served at the hotel, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from in the city, and the staff will gladly help with reservations. The next morning, enjoy a delicious homemade breakfast buffet in the open-plan kitchen before heading off to start your adventure.
Sossusvlei
Your Namibian safari begins in one of the world’s most ancient deserts, with a two-night stay at Desert Homestead. This comfortable, good-value lodge sits between the Naukluft Mountains and the red Namib Sand Sea, where thatched chalets come with panoramic mountain views. There’s a pool with plenty of shade for staying cool on hot desert days. The lodge also has well-developed walking trails, allowing you to take in the rugged landscapes of Namib-Naukluft National Park on foot. A guided 6-hour 4×4 excursion departs before dawn, placing you at Sossusvlei for a dramatic sunrise before climbing the mighty ‘Big Daddy’ dune and visiting stark Deadvlei nearby. For an additional cost, you can also choose to soar above the desert on a sunrise hot air balloon flight. For those with children over the age of 12, at an additional cost, there is the option to join an overnight horse-riding and sleep-out excursion. You’ll ride according to your experience, crossing dry riverbeds and open plains with the rugged Nakuluft Mountains as a backdrop. Back at camp, enjoy fine bush cuisine beneath the desert stars before returning to the lodge the next morning after breakfast.
Swakopmund
Break up the long journey from Sossusvlei to Damaraland with a two-night coastal stay by the Atlantic Ocean. Swakopmund is a charming colonial town, where you’ll experience a completely different pace to the remoteness of the desert – this part of the trip provides the perfect opportunity to step out of the safari vehicle. Your base for the next two nights is Cornerstone Guesthouse, a small, friendly, owner-run hotel located just a 5-minute stroll from the seafront. The bustling town centre is even closer, so you’re in a great spot to access the cafés, shops, and restaurants. However, the main highlight here is the incredible choice of adventure activities. A full-day Shipwreck Sandwich Harbour excursion is included in your trip, taking you on a scenic drive along the rugged coastal landscape. Please note that this area offers endless adventures, and we can change this activity to suit you and your family. Some other activities include heading to Walvis Bay for dolphin and seal cruises, leisurely kayaking, exploring the coastal dunes on dune buggies, and desert wildlife tours.
Damaraland
Your adventure continues in the otherworldly landscape of the Doro Nawas Conservancy on the edge of the dry Huab River Valley. Here, Wilderness Doro Nawas focuses on cultural immersion in a dramatic setting, offering 360-degree views across rugged terrain rich in geological phenomena. However, the real highlight is heading out with your guide to track the region’s desert-adapted wildlife and witness unexpected signs of life in this stark and unforgiving environment. Game drives and guided walks provide insight into a unique range of species, including desert-adapted elephant, gemsbok, springbok, and, occasionally, even a black rhino or cheetah. Culturally, you’ll have the chance to visit the ancient San rock art engravings at Twyfelfontein alongside marvels like the Burnt Mountain and Organ Pipes. By night, head out on an exciting guided walk to find scorpions that glow under UV light, perhaps coming face-to-face with a bat-eared fox or black-backed jackal, before opting to sleep on your private veranda under a zero light-polluted sky and a canopy of Namibian stars.
Etosha National Park
After three nights in Damaraland, head to Etosha Oberland Lodge, conveniently situated just 10 kilometres from the Andersson Gate. This puts you in a great position for self-guided game trips into Etosha National Park, with guided trips available at an extra cost. Etosha is a flat, dry wilderness where waterholes and open plains allow for close-up sightings of elephant, rhino, giraffe, and lion. The wildlife spectacle is particularly intense during the dry season, when the waterholes provide a lifeline to a vast array of species. The lodge itself is in a private reserve, where you can escape the main park for guided nature walks (available at an additional cost), which will give you a closer look at the birdlife and the medicinal uses of local plants. Chalet-style suites look out to the savanna and are spaced well apart for maximum privacy, so you won’t see a neighbour on either side! Between game drives, enjoy some downtime at the large infinity pool overlooking the plains and two active waterholes.
Etosha National Park
Next up is a two-night stay at Mushara Bush Camp. This is another great base from which to explore Etosha National Park and is a great family-friendly option. The camp’s location on a private reserve, just outside the national park, is a ‘best of both worlds’ set-up, giving you the option to relax in the property’s tranquil surroundings or venture into Etosha on guided game drives (available at an additional cost) during your stay. As mentioned already, Etosha’s waterholes are a hive of activity during the dry season, and it's a fantastic time to see lion, elephant, giraffe, rhino, springbok, and more. Back at camp, embrace the down-to-earth bush camp atmosphere. Tuck into homemade meals on the veranda with many ingredients coming straight from the Mushara Garden, wind down next to the pool during the day, and share stories around the campfire in the evenings.
Okonjima Nature Reserve
The last leg of this journey takes you to Okonjima Plains Camp, located at the base of the Omboroko Mountains in Namibia’s central highlands. The camp’s en-suite rooms offer stunning scenic views over the surrounding landscape and the Barn is a spacious dining and lounge area where guests can unwind. There are also swimming pools in which to cool off after a day of safari excursions in the nature reserve. A major draw of Okonjima is that it’s home to the AfriCat Foundation, which works to conserve Namibia’s wildlife, particularly cheetah and leopard. During your stay, you’ll have the unique chance to see the resident big cats and other carnivores during special wildlife tracking experiences on the reserve, with leopard tracking and pangolin tracking included in your stay at Okonjima. Beyond these exciting wildlife experiences, choose to explore the reserve on optional guided day and night game drives, hikes, birding excursions, and nature trail walks, all available at an additional cost.
