Example Itinerary:
Desert, Dunes, and Coast
Desert, Dunes, and Coast
Start your adventure in the capital of Namibia, learn about the history of the country on a city tour and have a lovely local or German cuisine dinner.
To kick off, we head south to Fish River Canyon – the second largest canyon in the world at 160 km long, up to 27 km wide, and almost 550 m deep. Amazing scenery, beautiful photo opportunities. Visit the main viewpoint and from Kooigoedhoogte Pass, experience the acrid smell of the sulphur springs, dip into the hot springs.
We head north toward Naukluft National Park to explore the beauty of the oldest red dunes in the world. The Namib desert, which means “vast place” in Nama, has the second-highest dunes in the world, with the tallest named “Big Daddy” being 325 m tal, salt pans that stretch for ages contrasted with the read dunes at Deadvlei, and dunes over 1 billion years old that have solidified into rock. Walk through Sesriem Canyon shaped by the Tsauchab River, marvel at Dune 45, enjoy some solitude at Hiddenvlei.
Swakopmund hosts the biggest beach in Namibia with beautiful sand at the edge of the Skeleton Coast. Learn about the history of Namibia, the German influence, and stroll through the town and the old pier. Swakopmund is also the base for a wide range of adventure activities – skydiving, quad biking, fat biking, and sand boarding in the desert, or take a dolphin cruise, catamaran, fishing trip, or kayak out on the water. Dine in a tugboat on some fresh seafood, see the famed welwitschias, and have some famous apple strudel.
Today, visit Namibia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area has been inhabited for over 6000 years and is considered sacred to the indigenous people due to the fresh water spring (the “fontein”), so was used as an area of worship. Ove 2500 rock paintings are found in the surrounding area and, if lucky, you might come across the desert elephants and a variety of other wildlife that has become adapted to the harsh desert conditions.
Of all the cheetahs in Africa, 20% are in Namibia, and of those, 90% live on farmland. When cheetash attack farm animals, the farmers shoot them. This camp rescues the beautiful spotted cats and is also a working farm. See the cheetahs fed and have a close-up ethical experience with these powerful and graceful cats.
Named after the massive salt pan in the middle of the park visible from space, Etosha means “White Place”, and is famed for its wildlife that congregates around waterholes, almost guaranteeing sightings. Stunning camps set within the rock, in the bush, or near waterholes, some of which are floodlit at night. Go seek the wildlife on a 4x4 game drive!
Situated on the eastern edge of the Kalahari Desert is a massive table mountain where the Department of Conservation has reintroduced rare endangered species, including the Black Rhino. See the edge of another famous desert and the area where the reintroduction program has been very successful. Take a guided drive to the plateau, and catch a glimpse of the black and white rhino, buffalo, and sable and roan antelope. There are hiking trails, both guided and unguided, and short trails from the camp, perfect for bird viewing.
Arrive back in the capital, where the journey ends. Cap off your adventure with a lovely celebratory dinner and one of the city’s many restaurants.
