Namibia Highlights

Arriving at Hosea Kutako International Airport from your departing destination, you’ll collect your AVIS rental vehicle and, using our comprehensive directions and travel notes make your way to Villa Violet (approx. 1 hour) for an overnight stay in the vibrant capital of Windhoek.  Windhoek is the most western thing you'll find in Namibia, a modern, well-groomed city complete with some charming restaurants, African curio shops and office workers wandering around Zoo Park at lunchtime. Enjoy the restaurants and bars and shopping as it will be a while before you have another opportunity. Using the detailed driving directions provided make your way to Villa Violet (approx. 1 hour) for an overnight stay in the vibrant capital of Windhoek.

Today you’ll leave the city behind and travel south through Reheboth, Solitaire and Sesriem, making your way to Desert Homestead Lodge in the Sosssuvlei region (approx. 300km, 4½-5 hours) for a 2 night stay, close to Namib Naukluft Park. Sossusvlei is a mud pan created by an ephemeral desert river that flows through the Namib Desert every 5-10 years. The river drains differently each time as it is dependent on the previous year's mud deposition. It’s this abandonment of the riverbed less travelled that leads to the signature photos of dead Acacia trees in the middle of the desert. The complete lack of moisture means that the dead trees cannot decompose, resulting in a kind of tree graveyard filled with trees that have been dead for centuries. The striking orange-red dunes for which Sossusvlei is famous contrast beautifully against the intense blue of the sky and pure white of the salt pans, adding to the other-worldly atmosphere. The average dune here is over 200m high with the largest, “Big Daddy”, being close to 380m.

After two nights in Sossusvlei, you’ll head past the Naukluft Mountains through Solitaire in the direction of Walvis Bay. The drive along the coastline to Swakopmund is simply spectacular. Swakopmund, known locally as Swakop, is a small city on west coast of Namibia – small being relative, as it’s also the country's largest coastal town. A beach holiday destination beloved by both locals and visitors, it’s the perfect playground to escape the inland heat. The old German Colonial buildings scattered throughout the city hint at the city's German origins and are perfectly complemented by the palm-lined streets, seaside promenades and buzzing restaurants, cafés, art galleries and museums. It’s hard to believe this town is sitting on the edge of the Namib Desert. There's plenty to do within the city, but the real action happens out in the desert. Adrenaline junkies get their fix quad-biking, sand-skiing, parasailing and sand-boarding. Nearby Walvis Bay offers dolphin cruises and kayak tours that perfect for exploring the lagoon. You’ll spend two delightful nights here and we’ll pre-arrange whatever activities you’ve got your heart set on.  A full day's 375km drive (approx. 5 hours).

From the beach you’re off to the rocky, unforgiving environment of Damaraland where you’ll spend 3 nights at Camp Kipwe. This sparsely populated region is home to the majestic Desert Elephant and Black Rhino as well as the highest mountain in Namibia, The Brandberg or ‘Fire Mountain’. An area of endless untamed beauty, it offers a captivating range of landscapes to discover, ranging from vast open grassland plains to mountains and deep gorges, with desert becoming more prevalent as you move further west. You’ll find fascinating rock paintings and engravings in the Brandberg and also in Twyfelfontein, a valley in the Damara highland whose name means ‘Fountain of Doubt’. Around Twyfelfontein there is a host of geological phenomena for you to explore, including the ‘Organ Pipes’, Burnt Mountain and a Petrified Forest of fossilised trees that is over 200 million years old. The conservancy is also not short on wildlife – you can expect to spot ostrich, black rhino, elephant and springbok. A 4-5 hour (300km) drive today.