Desert Luxury Escape (High Season) Accommodated Tour

On arrival at Windhoek International Airport you will be met by a Nali Safaris Representative and you will be transferred to Windhoek city. Enjoy the pleasures of city life and the serene atmosphere of Africa in style in The Weinberg Windhoek. Its iconic styling seamlessly blends old-world splendour with modern lines as well as state of the art amenities.

Spend the day exploring Windhoek. Visit the Christ Church (Christuskirche), the National Museum and the Alte Feste, or take the opportunity to go shopping in one of the modern malls. And don’t forget to try a typical Namibian dish, kapana or biltong, before returning to your temporary home at the end of an exciting day.

This morning, A Tour Guide from Nali Safaris will collect you from your various accommodation establishments. You then depart Windhoek in your safari vehicle with your private guide and heading south of Namibia passing the towns of Rehoboth  and Mariental. We continue to the untouched Namibian desert wilderness, captivating beauty and boundless freedom around you, with adventures from sunrise to sunset.

On arrival at Zannier Hotels Sonop you immediately step back in time, transported to old-world safari. The thrill of adventure is omnipresent. The opulence and finesse of the tented camp, set in Namibia’s southwest corner, immediately recalls the 1920’s era of British explorers. Every object and antique in our ten spacious tents are carefully selected – binoculars and maps, travellers’ tales, telescopes, antique desks and handmade stationary – to ensure that every moment turns into a unique experience. From the reception room to the partially-walled bathroom and vintage bathtubs, and private terrace, everything focuses on the richness of the desert and awe- inspiring views.

The lodge captures the restorative essence of the desert landscape with a spectacular open-air infinity pool, spa, fitness centre and daily yoga, to truly integrate our guest’s wellbeing with the natural world. When desert adventure calls, our guided excursions include horse-riding from our own stables, private dining atop of the sand dunes, electric fat-bike or walking trails, hot air balloon safari and private sunset safaris. The magic continues after dark with a nightly gala-style dinner, open-air cinema and stargazing under the endless African skies.

Zannier Hotel Sonop with it’s majestic surroundings of the desert provide ample opportunities for relaxation and adventure. Breathtaking outdoor excursions offered within the 5,600 ha of the private reserve. You can choose to wake-up with a desert yoga experience, where an experienced teacher will guide you of all levels. At any time of the day, you can decide to explore the desert by foot, electric bike, or horseback, accompanied by an experienced guide who will provide unique insights on the local wildlife. Night walks are also available upon request.

Zannier Hotels Sonop is equipped with its own stables, where experienced riders offer guests the opportunity to learn horseback riding, as well as ride into the desert to explore the scenic surroundings. Comfortable game viewers will allow guests to discover the light blue distant mountains.

As night falls, the sky lights up, creating the unique opportunity to discover the stars from the hotel’s numerous telescopes. Prepare to be surprised and delighted as you are guided on an unforgettable discovery of the sky. The open-air cinema will entice all film lovers, who in the comfort of their lounge chairs can enjoy a film while sipping on a cocktail in the middle of the desert.

After breakfast we depart and head west to NamibRand Nature Reserve. Wolwedans is more than a collection of camps. It is a collection of dreams. In this land of blue skies and endless plains you will find beauty to feed your soul, tranquility to clear the mind, and space for your imagination to fly. You may feel completely overwhelmed at first, but then quickly settle into a landscape and immersive experience which is ‘simply out of this world’.

Dune Camp has a unique charm which appeals to travellers looking for a down to earth but stylish experience. The main areas are intimate and the fire pit encourages conversation between guests. The tented and wooden structures are perfectly designed for the desert, with canvas sides that can be opened to capture the cool breeze in summer, and rolled down in winter to keep you warm. We seat our guests at a long shared table for dinner, but private tables can also be requested.

Wolwedans is an experiential getaway from reality and what it is all about. Opt from a range of activities that will ensure you have a completely immersive experience.

Scenic drives that will make your heart sing.
Breath and take in the crazy array of colours to be found in the vast plains, mountains and sand dunes of the NamibRand reserve. You will also learn about small and large desert dwellers and their quest for survival and you’ll discover a diverse flora, ranging from resilient beauty to hardened survivor – not to mention NamibRand’s fascinating geology.

Sundowners are an essential and daily indulgence.
Every day we gather at a scenic point to bid farewell to another magical day at Wolwedans. Sometimes we meet up with other guests at one of our sundowner decks and at other times it’ll be just you on a sand dune. That said, sundowners are by no means mandatory and if you’d prefer to be back at camp this can be arranged as well.

Get on e-bikes. Gliding along, up and down over the dunes has never been easier.
Follow our winding roads through the reserve over hills, sand dunes and vast plains. You can cycle till your legs want to drop off, to a little desert picnic spot or just down to the village. There’s a happy medium for everyone when it comes to e-biking.

Ballooning over the Namib desert is sublime.
You’ll feel like a mere speck in the universe, and a very lucky one at that. Suspended above the Namibrand gives you a birds eye view of the dune landscape montage and our mysterious fairy circles. For the lovers of beauty, colour and pattern this flight will inspire you for years to come.

Maybe it’s at a flat out gallop or a sedate walk, all level of horse riding are welcome.
Watching the landscape go by through a horses ears is magical. The rhythmic pace relaxes your muscles and makes you breathe a little deeper. Book a ride with us and we’ll go as slow or fast (within reason) as what you like.

We understand wanting silence when you come to visit us. That is what brought us here in the first place.
The NamibRand Nature Reserve in the Namib Desert is one of the quietest places on earth. It’s a big claim to make but it is true. Our lives are filled with noise and an activity, we want to facilitate your escape from that. If you’d like your walks or drives to be silent, please let us know.

This morning you will need to rise early before sunrise for a magical excursion with your guide in the Namib Naukluft National Park, normally setting off before sunrise to capture the dunes whilst the light is soft and shadows accentuate the towering shapes and curves. This area boasts some of the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world and your guide will give you an insight on the formation of the Namib Desert and its myriad of fascinating creatures and plants that have adapted to survive these harsh environs. Once you have explored Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and surrounding dune fields to your heart’s content you then return to Sesriem gate to Sossusvlei Lodge’s restaurant for lunch, with the option to visit Sesriem Canyon afterwards.

Sossusvlei: This most frequently visited section of the massive 50,000 km² Namib Naukluft National Park has become known as Sossusvlei, famous for its towering apricot coloured sand dunes which can be reached by following the Tsauchab River valley. Sossusvlei itself is actually a clay pan set amidst these star shaped dunes which stand up to 300 meters above the surrounding plains, ranking them among the tallest dunes on earth. The deathly white clay pan contrasts against the orange sands and forms the endpoint of the ephemeral Tsauchab River, within the interior of the Great Sand Sea.

The river course rises south of the Naukluft Mountains in the Great Escarpment. It penetrates the sand sea for some 55 km before it finally peters out at Sossusvlei, about the same distance from the Atlantic Ocean. Until the encroaching dunes blocked its course around 60,000 years ago, the Tsauchab River once reached the sea; as ephemeral rivers still do in the northern half of the Namib.

Sand-locked pans to the west show where the river previously flowed to before dunes shifted its endpoint to where it currently gathers at Sossusvlei. Roughly once a decade rainfall over the catchment area is sufficient to bring the river down in flood and fill the pan. On such occasions the mirror images of dunes and camel thorn trees around the pan are reflected in the water. Sossusvlei is the biggest of four pans in the vicinity.

Another, famous for its gnarled and ghostly camel thorn trees, is Deadvlei which can be reached on foot over 1 km of sand. Deadvlei’s striking camel thorn trees, dead for want of water, still stand erect as they once grew. They survived until about 900 years ago when the sand sea finally blocked the river from occasionally flooding the pan.

Sesriem Canyon: Sesriem Canyon has evolved through centuries of erosion by the Tsauchab River which has incised a narrow gorge about 1.5 km long and 30 meters deep into the surrounding conglomerates, exposing the varying layers of sedimentation deposited over millions of years. The shaded cool depths of the canyon allow pools of water to gather during the rainy season and remain for much of the year round. These pools were a vital source of water for early settlers who drew water for their livestock by knotting six (ses) lengths of rawhide thongs (riems) together, hence the canyon and surrounding area became known as Sesriem.

After lunch or after visiting the small canyon  you then depart to our place of overnight. The hot sun beats down on the Namib landscapes around the property. As you slip out of the car, your shoes crunch of the white gravel that fills the solar-panel parking lot and you turn to find a wide smile greeting you. A cool face towel and bright pink slushy welcome you to The Desert Grace.

Opening in 2018, this is the first of Gondwana’s lodges to be entirely constructed using sandbags instead of bricks. Not only does this have a positive outcome for the environment, it also makes the 24 rooms on the lodge cooler and very well insulated. As you enter the Reception you are greeted by lavish finishes and quirky character – inspired by Wes Anderson films from the 60’s, this lodge offers a unique experience. The dining room and bar are equally characteristic in their appearance with pink lettering glowing along the wall ‘One night in Namibia’ – surely this is something not to be missed?

Walk through your chalet door to find soft shades of love floating across the canvas – the minibar has that perfect gin and tonic waiting, and your private plunge pool is a sliding door away. ‘One night in Namibia’ – if that is all time you have for this special country, consider spending that night in The Desert Grace, where the rhythm of the desert keeps you company as the sun bids you farewell to rest for the new day.

After a leisurely breakfast, we depart to Windhoek city via the Remhoogte Pass – although this pass is not as steep as the Spreetshoogte, it offers beautiful scenery and only if weather conditions permits. Expect to arrive in the city at around 13:00pm, although please note that times may vary.

END OF SAFARI