Epic Namibia Adventure (High Season) Accommodated Tour

This morning you will be picked-up at your accommodation in Windhoek city between 8:00AM to 8:30AM by your tour guide then you head south through the hills of Windhoek towards Mariental. An optional gravel route at Kalkrand, via the backroads and gentle hills, gives you a sample of the Kalahari. Travellers opting for the tar can continue southwards, turning off to the east towards Stampriet and the easy 30km drive to Kalahari Anib Lodge. The lodge celebrates the natural elements of earth, wood, and fire in an elegantly stylish display. All activities at the lodge are on client’s own costs.

After a leisurely morning, enjoy a drive to Kalahari Farmhouse to visit the Self-Sufficiency Centre, which supplies Gondwana’s lodges with 70% of its fresh produce, all cultivated in the unusually lush setting. Treat yourself to a wholesome and delicious lunch in the Farmhouse’s peaceful garden. A highlight of a stay at Kalahari Anib is a wonderfully relaxing afternoon nature drive into the Kalahari. Later, toast life from the top of a dune as the sand turns a fiery red. All activities at the lodge are on client’s own costs.

Today we are off to the Namib Desert. Cut across the width of the country from east to west via Maltahöhe and Büllsport (or take the more scenic route from Maltahöhe via the Tsaris Pass), and make your way to Namib Desert Lodge at the foot of a range of impressive 20-million-year-old fossilised dunes. Don’t miss the afternoon drive to a pristine spot on the crest of a fossilised dune for a view of the awe-inspiring desert landscape. All activities at the lodge are on client’s own costs.

This relaxed lodge is the perfect base from which to explore the area around Sesriem, 60km to the south. Leave early, to be at the Sesriem gate at sunrise to catch the cooler weather and magnificent morning light. Entrance fees are paid at the office near the gate. Sesriem is the gateway to the famed star dunes of Sossusvlei, a further 60km into the desert. The road crosses over the Tsauchab riverbed, marked by lush camelthorn trees, and continues through a corridor of majestic dunes.

As we drive in our 4×4 tour vehicle, we drive through soft sandy road which is accessible only to 4×4 vehicle. We reach at the 4×4 parking and we take a short walk of 1.1km leading to the Deadvlei, where ancient skeletons of camelthorn trees reach heavenwards from the chalky pan. Deadvlei is one of the most striking sites in Namibia and a photographer’s dream. Be sure to wear closed shoes and take a small bottle of water with you – for your own comfort on this incredible walk through the dunes. Sossusvlei is best appreciated from a height, so take a stroll a few paces up the dune. If you’re feeling energetic, climb the adjacent Big Mama dune to best appreciate the beauty of the incredible otherworldly surroundings.

Please Note: Option to include a sunrise balloon flight before you depart for Swakopmund (optional extra at additional cost). Please note that if making use of this offer, it will need to be booked exclusively with Nali Safaris in order to fit in with other timings for this day.

The fascinating drive today takes you northwest through awesome and ever changing desert landscapes of the Namib Naukluft National Park, including the impressive Gaub and Kuiseb canyons. You will meet the coast at the port town of Walvis Bay and then continue north to Swakopmund where you can enjoy the pleasant seaside location and cooler coastal air for your next two nights. There will be time this afternoon to explore the town and wander along the waterfront on foot, before heading off for dinner at a popular restaurant which specializes in locally harvested seafood.

Swakopmund: Swakopmund resembles a small, German coastal resort nestled between the desert and the sea. It boasts a charming combination of German colonial architecture blended with modern hotels, shops, restaurants, museums, craft centres, galleries and cafés. Swakopmund had its beginnings as a landing station in 1892 when the German Imperial Navy erected beacons on the site. Settlers followed and made attempts to create a harbor town by constructing a concrete Mole and then an iron jetty – which attempts were ultimately unsuccessful.

The advent of World War one halted developments, and the town sank into decline until half a century later when infrastructure improved and an asphalt road opened between Windhoek and Swakopmund. This made reaching the previously isolated town quicker and easier and it prospered once again to become Namibia’s premier resort town. Although the sea is normally cold for swimming there are pleasant beaches and the cooler climate is refreshing after time spent in the desert. All lodge activities are on clients own costs.

Today is a free day. The idea is to allow time for everybody to do their own thing. Swakopmund is a very pleasant seaside town with lots of shops, a good stretch of beach (although the Atlantic here is quite cold) and an open-air curio market. There is also a very good museum and the Namibian National Marine Aquarium is located in Swakopmund.

Alternatively, there are various optional activities that can be arranged. These include airplane and microlight flights over the desert, scenic drives, fishing trips (both from the beach or in a boat), four-wheel motorcycle (quad bike) trips into the desert and over the sand dunes around Swakopmund, sand boarding trips (also in the dunes), skydiving, surfing, bird-watching and many other activities are available.

Your tour guide will discuss all the possible options with you before you reach Swakopmund and will offer to make bookings in advance of your arrival. (Note: All extra activities and excursions in Swakopmund are subject to availability and are made at the clients own risk and expense). All lodge activities are on clients own costs.

Today we follow the salt road along the coast northwards towards Henties Bay, before heading inland on the gravel to Damaraland via Uis and the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain. As you near the Ugab River, look out for the striking Herero women with their colourful stalls. Your overnight stop, Damara Mopane Lodge, is 30km east of Khorixas. Built-in a semi-circular labyrinth design with a turquoise pool at its centre, the lodge is a charming surprise. Each chalet has its very own garden with fresh vegetables, sunflowers and the occasional scarecrow peeking out. Stroll up the koppie in the late afternoon to watch the sunset and appreciate the expansive view over the mopane woodland before the inviting aromas of dinner call you back to the lodge.

This is a day to enjoy the ancient rock engravings at Twyfelfontein and to explore the surroundings. Here, hunter-gatherer, traditional healers spoke to their gods asking for healing, rain, and luck for the hunt. The Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain are other interesting sites to visit in the area, as is the Damara Living Museum for some local culture. On your return journey, consider a stop at the Petrified Forest to view ancient, fossilised tree trunks. After a full day of memorable discovery, make your way back to the warmth and comfort of Damara Mopane Lodge.

After breakfast we depart to Etosha National Park reached via Outjo town, a convenient place to stop for fuel, coffee, and snacks. After checking in to Etosha Safari Camp, if time allows, we drive 10km into the national park to sit at the large Okaukuejo waterhole, which is often frequented by wildlife, or take a drive to the surrounding waterholes. For those just wanting a siesta, put your feet up and relax with a book at the lodge pool. Etosha Safari Camp’s colourful Shebeen restaurant has become a highlight of travellers’ itineraries. Modelled on Namibia’s ‘shebeens’ (informal township bars) of old, it’s an enjoyable lively venue. The dinner feast is enjoyed outside in the courtyard to the sounds of the musicians strumming their guitars and singing local melodies.

Explore Etosha at your leisure, visiting the many waterholes throughout the park. After experiencing the incredible and renowned wildlife sightings Etosha has to offer, return home to the easy-going warmth and friendliness of Etosha Safari Camp for your final night’s stay. Guaranteed to be the perfect end to a fulfilling trip.

After a leisurely breakfast, we make our way back to Windhoek city. You can opt to either spend an additional night in Windhoek or continue to Hosea Kutako International Airport for the departure of your scheduled outbound flight.  Please note that check-in times for departures is at least 2 hours before the flight departure time.