BRIEF ITINERARY
Day 1 | Arrive in Windhoek | Galton House
Upon arrival in Windhoek, you will be met by our representative and transferred from the airport by road to your guest house, the Galton House. You will also be provided with everything you will need for your self-drive safari; from your accommodation vouchers to a map marked with your route and a full safari briefing. At the guest house you will also receive your rental vehicle (a 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser HJ 200 4x4 Station wagon) and receive a full vehicle briefing
Days 2 & 3 | Sossusvlei Region | Hoodia Desert Lodge
Today you'll depart Windhoek in your rental vehicle and drive onwards to arrive at Hoodia Desert Lodge, where you will stay for two nights while you explore the remarkable sights of the Namib Desert. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure at Hoodia Desert Lodge to enjoy your scenic desert surroundings and relax by the pool. Lunch on arrival is included for you. At optional extra you can select to join a guided sundowner drive with Hoodia on their property.
On Day 3, you'll join a guide excursion into the Namib Naukluft National Park and the Sossusuvlei dunes.as arranged with Hoodia Desert Lodge. With the lodge’s guide and vehicle, you’ll enter the park at sunrise and capture the dunes while 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. You'll have plenty of time to hike among the giant dunes and learn about the ecology of the Namib Desert.
Day 4 & 5 | Swakopmund | The Delight
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, where you have the option to visit the lagoon to see the interesting mix of pelicans, flamingos and other sea-birds, before continuing north to Swakopmund where you can enjoy the pleasant seaside location and cooler coastal air.
Spend exploring Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and surrounding areas. You may like to climb the coastal dunes at Langstrand or Dune 7, explore Swakopmund’s shops, cafe's, museums and waterfront, or partake in any of the adventure activities on offer such as sand-boarding, boat cruises, kayaking, and scenic flights (all at extra cost).
Days 6 & 7 | Damaraland | Mowani Mountain Camp
Today you continue your self-drive journey, passing Namibia’s highest mountain, the Brandberg which peaks at 8500 ft above sea level, and take time to view game and absorb the vastness of the scenery along the way. Damaraland is typified by displays of color, magnificent table topped mountains, rock formations and bizarre-looking vegetation.
During your stay you can join a guided excursion to search for desert adapted elephants, visit the rock art at Twyfelfontein, and explore the many geologic formations in the area.
Day 8 | Etosha National Park | Safarihoek Lodge
Today you continue on your self-drive safari and drive to the western edge Etosha and to the Safarihoek Lodge. You’ll spend the next 2 days exploring Etosha Park either in your own vehicle or on game drives with the lodge’s guides. Etosha is a great park for self drives with many waterholes to watch game and an excellent network of gravel roads.
Days 9 & 10 | Etosha National Park | Onguma Tented Camp
Today you'll continue throught the Etosha National Park and explore and stop over at the various waterholes in the hope of experiencing some exciting wildlife sightings. You can have lunch (for own account) at any of the rest camps inside the park. After your arrival at Onguma the rest of the day is spent at your leisure (very often this is welcomed since you have spent most of the day in the vehicle game driving in the park). , and pay our respects to this great man. The Wild Coast remains a relatively untouched paradise with unspoiled stretches of dramatically beautiful coastline, open spaces and pristine forest areas.
Days 11 & 12 | Africat Foundation | Okonjima Bush Camp
After breakfast and freshening up you will depart Etosha and make your way to Okonjima located at the base of the Omboroko Mountains near Waterberg. You will arrive at Okonjima Bush Camp in time for lunch. Here you can enjoy the welcoming atmosphere, superb accommodation and fantastic activities; starting with a guided afternoon excursion.
The AfriCat Foundation is a wildlife sanctuary founded in 1991 that is dedicated to creating conservation awareness, preserving habitat, promoting environmental educational research of Africa's big cats. Activities include leopard tracking by vehicle, a visit to the cheetah welfare project, large carnivore tracking on foot including cheetahs, wild dogs and spotted hyenas, participation in the fun bushman trail and various self-guided walking trails.
Day 13 | Depart for Windhoek
You will rise early this morning for another memorable guided activity before you return to Bush Camp for a sumptuous breakfast. After freshening up you will depart for Windhoek in the late morning, via the town of Okahandja, to arrive back in Windhoek in the mid afternoon. If time allows, you will have the option to visit the Woodcarvers Craft Market in Okahandja for some last minute curio shopping before continuing on to Windhoek. Upon your arrival in Windhoek you return your rental vehicle, in time for your ongoing international flight back home. We can arrange accommodation in Windhoek if you’d prefer to spend the night in Windhoek and catch your flight the following day.