(self-drive)

Synopsis of the tour

This is a synopsis. For the full description of the itinerary, please click here.

With its vast open spaces, low population, clear air, and numerous national parks and reserves, Namibia is a prime location for animal-viewing and bird-watching. The vistas are excellent, the light is clear, the air is unpolluted, and photographic opportunities abound. Whatever your fancy, big or small, fast or slow, Namibia offers a wonderful wildlife experience - all in a country of plenty of sunshine (more than 300 sunny days, on average), open spaces, stunning vistas, and friendly welcomes. Don't miss it!

This is a self-drive tour, for which drivers and guides can be arranged.

ITINERARY FOR THE TOUR

DAYS 1 & 2: Windhoek - As Windhoek is the capital city of Namibia and offers a lot that is of cultural and historical interest, we recommend that you should spend one full day at leisure in the city.

Accommodation: Olive Grove Guest House or Hotel Heinitzburg

Activities: General tour of the city; historical walking tour; township tour; craft centres; places of particular historical interest, such as those connected with the German period, the South African period, and the independence period; browsing the stores and bookshops; relaxing with a coffee or a beer at a cafe in or just off Independence Avenue, absorbing the ambience of Namibia’s capital city.

DAY 3 & 4: Bagatelle Kalahari Game Lodge, which lies on the edge of the southern Kalahari Desert in mixed tree and shrub savanna in an area that is characterised by huge red sands dunes.

Activities: Sundowners on a red Kalahari sand dune offer the perfect way to watch the sun sink away into the distant dunes; visiting the sheep and cattle farming operations to learn about ranching in this unforgiving environment; viewing cheetah at play from a platform overlooking a natural waterhole; walks and hikes.

In association with the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Bagatelle cares for a number of cheetahs. Also view wild ostriches and the amazing nests of the sociable weavers

DAYS 5, 6, & 7: The Namib Desert - Situated south of the Sesriem gate to Sossusvlei lies the private 21 000 hectare Kulala Wilderness Reserve, the closest reserve to Sossusvlei itself. The exclusive Little Kulala Lodge offers magnificent dune scenery to the west and the rugged Namib mountainous escarpment to the north and east.

Activities include early morning guided game drives to the spectacular Sossusvlei dunes through a private gate on the Tsauchab River. Game drives and walks on the reserve offer incredible views as well as the opportunity to view desert game and smaller desert fauna and flora, while the scenic sundowner drive envelopes guests in wonderful colours and views. A water hole in front of the main building attracts oryxes, springboks, bat-eared foxes, aardwolves, ostriches, and jackals.

DAYS 8, 9 & 10: The West Coast Recreation Area - Although Swakopmund is the premier tourist resort on the coast, we recommend that you should stay at Walvis Bay because of the superior birding opportunities that it offers. Swakopmund is close, being less than 40 kms away from Walvis Bay by means of a pleasant coastal drive.

Accommodation: Lagoon Lodge

Walvis Bay is one of the best locations in Southern Africa for greater and lesser flamingos, chestnut-banded plovers, black terns, European oystercatchers, and red-necked phalaropes, as well as numerous other species of marine and coastal birds.

Set between dry desert and fertile ocean, with its German-era buildings and unusual misty climate, Swakopmund is well worth an extensive visit. Stroll along the pleasant beachfront, relax at the chic Mole beach, visit the art galleries, and enjoy the good restaurants, most of which specialise in seafood.

The coast and its adjacent hinterland also offer a host of other sights and activities.

DAY 11: The Cape Cross Seal Reserve is the biggest mainland-breeding seal colony in the world. From nearby Cape Cross Lodge you can self-drive or join a guided tour to the colony with its thousands of seals - young and old, bleating pups, snorting bulls and protective mothers - conducting their teeming communal lives on- and off-shore almost within arm's reach. The common black-backed jackal prowls the edges of the colony at day, whilst the brown hyena is a bolder predator amongst the younger seals. Sea birds abound.

DAY 12: Mowani Mountain Camp is situated close to Twyfelfontein, Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes. The most renowned of these sites is Twyfelfontein, which has some of the best known rock paintings and engravings in Southern Africa. The interesting rock formations of the Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain are nearby, providing awe-inspiring evidence of prehistoric volcanic action.

This vast and unspoiled wilderness is the southernmost roaming ground for the rare black rhino and desert elephant. Take time to ramble amongst the vivid galleries of ancient rock art at Twyfelfontein; visit the impressive sites of Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain; learn about the fascinating environmental and natural features of this unique region.

DAYS 13 & 14: Palmwag Rhino Camp – This apparently arid area has large populations of Hartman's mountain zebras, giraffes, oryxes, springboks and kudus, as well as predators such as cheetahs, leopards, brown and spotted hyenas, and more than 100 lions. Bird life is also prolific. Above all, the concession area, 450 000 hectares in size, is known for its populations of desert-adapted black rhinos and elephants.

Palmwag Rhino Camp, which is run in conjunction with the Save the Rhino Trust, is a luxury tented mobile camp that can be easily moved if game movements make it necessary. Activities include rhino tracking on foot or by vehicle; game viewing; night drives and full day outings (with a picnic lunch) on the concession; visit to a Himba village.

DAYS 15 & 16: Western Etosha National Park and vicinity - Ongava Safari Lodge is situated just outside the Andersson gate, the western entrance to the highly reputed Etosha National Park. Ongava is situated on the 35,000 hectare Ongava Private Game Reserve which shares a common border with Etosha National Park.

Activities: Ongava reserve has a good population of lion, eland, mountain zebra, black-faced impala and a number of other antelope species, but its highlight is that it is one of the few private game reserves in Southern Africa where visitors can see both black and white rhinos. The birding is also superb, with a number of Namibian specials including short-toed rock thrushes, Hautlaubs francolins, white-tailed shrikes, and Ruppels parrots. Guests can also enjoy game drives in nearby Etosha National Park.

DAYS 17 & 18: Eastern Etosha National Park and vicinity - Mushara Lodge is conveniently situated just outside the eastern (Namutoni) gate of the park. The eastern part of Etosha Park receives higher rainfall than other parts and thus has heavier bush cover. Giraffes and elephants are common, while there are frequent sightings of the big cats and hyenas, as well as shyer antelopes such as kudus. The area is also rich in bird life, such as vultures, ostriches, blue and crowned cranes, and red-crested korhaans. During the wetter months, Fischer's Pan, just north of Namutoni Camp in Etosha, has numerous ducks, flamingos, and storks.

DAYS 19 & 20: Okonjima Bush Camp has eight luxury thatched chalets, a minimum of 80 metres apart from each other for privacy. With half of each chalet made from canvas, the entire front can be rolled up at night to allow the cool breeze and sounds of the Namibian bush into the bungalow.

The lodge is well known as the site of the Africat Foundation, which has been in the forefront of the initiative to preserve cheetahs in the wild. Here you can learn more about the fascinating, heartening work of the Foundation and meet some of the cheetahs. Other activities include viewing tame lions, walks and trails, observing game from a night hide, and bird watching. (Over 300 bird species have been identified at Okonjima.)

DAY 21: Travel back to Windhoek and stay overnight at the Heinitzburg Hotel or Olive Grove Guest House.