A Classic Namibia Safari: With Private Chauffeur/Guide
Tour Introduction
Designated a classic Namibia tour and rightly so, this expertly guided itinerary shows off the breathtaking beauty and diversity of the manifold landscapes to be found in Namibia, with its desert-adapted animals and flora, the towering dunes of the Namib Desert, bountiful marine life, extraordinary Damaraland and the exceptional wildlife of Etosha National Park and Okonjima.
Your private chauffeur-cum-expert guide will enhance your experiences immeasurably while at the various locations, ending at the exemplary AfriCat project based at Okonjima. This makes for a fantastic all-round tour of Namibia’s major highlights which will reveal a great deal about this beguiling and scenic southern African nation.
Full Itinerary
Met on arrival at Windhoek Hosea Kutako Airport and transferred by private driver to Olive Grove Guesthouse. Hire car and holiday briefing delivered later today or early tomorrow. Optional short city tour if time allows.
Staying at Olive Grove Guesthouse. Includes No Meals.
Depart Windhoek on a guided scenic drive through changing landscapes into the Namib Desert. Visit Sesriem Canyon, a deep gorge carved by the Tsauchab River over two million years ago, best explored on foot. Overnight at Desert Homestead Lodge.
Staying at Desert Homestead Lodge. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Morning excursion to the towering dunes of Sossusvlei and the surreal clay pan of Deadvlei, where 500-year-old trees stand in stark contrast to the white salt pan and red sands. The dramatic desert scenery offers superb photographic opportunities. Optional activities include hot air ballooning, horse riding, guided walks and a sundowner drive.
Staying at Desert Homestead Lodge. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Drive north via the scenic Gaub and Kuiseb Canyons, with a stop at Solitaire for refreshments and a taste of its famous apple pie. Continue through desert landscapes and past ancient welwitschia plants before arriving in Swakopmund, a charming seaside town with colonial architecture and a distinctly German flavour. Time to explore the town’s cafés, shops and coastal atmosphere.
Staying at Cornerstone Guesthouse. Includes Breakfast.
Day at leisure to enjoy Swakopmund and its coastal surroundings. Optional excursions include a scenic flight over the Namib Desert and Skeleton Coast, quad biking in the dunes, marine wildlife cruises from nearby Walvis Bay, and visits to local museums and cafés. The town’s colonial charm and relaxed atmosphere make it a pleasure to explore.
Staying at Cornerstone Guesthouse. Includes Breakfast.
Scenic drive north along the coast before turning inland at Henties Bay and continuing past the towering Brandberg Mountain into Damaraland. Afternoon guided visit to Twyfelfontein’s ancient rock engravings, followed by stops at the Burnt Mountain and Organ Pipes.
Staying at Camp Kipwe. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Morning 4x4 nature drive in search of desert-adapted elephant herds in the Aba Huab River valley. Afternoon at leisure to enjoy a guided walk or relax at Camp Kipwe, set in dramatic surroundings with panoramic views and striking sunsets.
Staying at Camp Kipwe. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Drive northeast from Damaraland to southern Etosha National Park, Namibia’s premier wildlife destination. Afternoon game viewing by vehicle or relax at the camp’s renowned waterhole, where elephant, rhino and lion often appear after dusk.
Staying at Okaukuejo Camp. Includes Breakfast.
Depart after breakfast and journey east through Etosha National Park, game viewing along the way. Stop at Halali rest camp for lunch and a break. The eastern side of the park is dominated by vast open plains and the expansive Etosha salt pan—an iconic, shimmering expanse visible even from space. This remote region teems with wildlife, including lion, elephant, black rhino, giraffe, and prolific birdlife such as flamingos, ostriches, and eagles.
Staying at Mushara Outpost. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Enjoy a full day of game drives in eastern Etosha, with chances to spot black rhino, elephant, lion, leopard, and large herds of antelope. Birdlife is abundant, including ten endemic species. Between drives, unwind at Mushara Outpost, a welcoming lodge set beside an ancient dry riverbed just outside the park.
Staying at Mushara Outpost. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Travel south from Etosha to Okonjima, passing through Tsumeb and Otjiwarongo—ideal for a lunch stop or short break. Enter the Okonjima Nature Reserve via a scenic drive, watching for wildlife en route. In the afternoon, join the AfriCat Foundation for activities such as leopard and cheetah rehabilitation visits, carnivore tracking, or guided bush walks.
Staying at Okonjima Plains Camp. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Take part in the Leopard Tracking activity with a skilled guide (time to be confirmed the night before). Morning and afternoon excursions offer chances to spot elusive species like brown hyena, aardvark, and pangolin. After dark, visit the hide for possible sightings of nocturnal animals such as honey badgers and Cape porcupines.
Staying at Okonjima Plains Camp. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
After breakfast, drive south to Windhoek. Your guide will transfer you to Hosea Kutako International Airport in time for your onward flight.
Includes Breakfast.
Tour Accommodation
Olive Grove Guesthouse
Overview
Olive Grove is a lovely welcoming guesthouse situated close to Windhoek’s city centre in the quiet, peaceful suburb of Eros. The alfresco dining terrace, Jacuzzi, plunge pool and broad verandas invite you to unwind and relax under Namibia’s open skies. Facilities also include a comfortable lounge with guest internet, and the emphasis is one of simplicity and elegance.
The guesthouse was refurbished not long ago to provide an upmarket but homely atmosphere with stylish and colourful rooms. There are five standard and five luxury rooms and one suite, all with private bathrooms, satellite TV, mini bar, and a room safe.
The only difference between the standard and luxury rooms is that the former are closer to the reception area and thus a little less quiet and private.
Good buffet breakfasts are served, and lunch and dinner options are available. An award-winning chef prepares the meals, which feature traditional Namibian cuisine made with fresh, local produce.
The guesthouse provides massage services and there is a small swimming pool with sun terrace and bar service. Other facilities include laundry, free Wi-Fi, lounge and bar.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, swimming pool, massage service, lounge and bar, free Wi-Fi, laundry service, TV, room safe and mini bar.
Optional Activities
Massage; city tours of Windhoek.
Desert Homestead Lodge
Overview
The Desert Homestead Lodge offers relaxed rustic hospitality with a natural atmosphere. Accommodation in the form of traditional style houses is spread amongst a beautiful desert game reserve, providing comfort and style alongside total immersion in nature. Early in 2014 the lodge was renovated and upgraded with environment-friendly technology. Thus, solar power is now the only energy source for power generation and water heating.
Located 30km south-east of Sesriem, the Desert Homestead Lodge is the perfect starting point for tours to the Namib-Naukluft National Park, and to Sossusvlei and the Sesriem Canyon – an ideal oasis of relaxation after a day-trip to the world‘s highest dunes. The lodge is located in a private nature reserve close by the Unesco World Heritage site of the Namib Sand Sea.
There are 20 chalets decorated and built in the style of traditional farm buildings, creating quaint and cosy accommodation. There is also one Reiterhaus, or family house, which is slightly larger, incorporating a combined living area and bedroom which can sleep a family of up to four people.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
The main house offers a swimming pool with sundeck and shaded areas, bar and restaurant, safety deposit box at the reception, laundry service, Wi-Fi and souvenir shop. Each room has a private shaded sun deck, mosquito nets, air conditioning and standard amenities.
Local Wildlife
Wildlife biodiversity is high in reptiles with around 70 species with 25 endemic or near-endemic to the Namib Desert. The wedge-snouted sand lizard, small-scaled sand lizard, web-footed gecko, barking gecko and Namib day gecko all dive beneath the sand when they sense danger. Small rodents include Grant’s golden mole which can ‘swim’ through the sand dunes, gerbils, the Namaqua dune mole rat, the Namib long-eared bat and Angola wing-gland bat which feed on the dune dwelling insects. This is also the home to Peringuey’s adder (Namib Desert sidewinder) – an ambush hunter that buries itself beneath the sand, with only the eyes and tip of its tail exposed, waiting for prey such as desert lizards. The Namaqua chameleon is also specially adapted to the desert, digging holes and changing colour throughout the day to help thermoregulation and excreting salt from nasal glands to conserve water. They stalk prey such as beetles, crickets, scorpions and lizards, and are in turn hunted by hawks, eagles and jackals.
Desert insects includes tiny endemic Namib Desert darkling beetles or “fog beetles” which use their bodies as fog collectors by assuming the characteristic fog-basking pose, while the ‘flying saucer trench beetle’ digs trenches to capture the fog’s moisture to drink.
Larger animals of the Namib include gemsbok (oryx) which can regulate their body temperature and survive for weeks without drinking, springbok, klipspringer, steenbok and Hartmann’s zebra towards the eastern boundary. Predators include spotted and brown hyena, cheetah, Cape fox and bat-eared fox. Other species such as baboon and leopard are mostly confined to the rivers.
Of the 180 bird species found in the Namib Desert, the most prominent is the ostrich. There are six endemic birds: the dune lark, Benguela long-billed lark, Gray’s lark, bank cormorant, tractrac chat, and Rüppell’s korhaan. As the environment is so harsh, most birds of the Namib are concentrated along the coastline, with hotspots in Walvis Bay and Sandwich Harbour areas.
Optional Activities
The Desert Homestead Lodge is famous for its guided trail rides in the Namib desert. Guided rides are offered twice a day in the early morning and close to sunset. Horse riding safaris lasting several days can be booked by experienced riders as well as beginners. Spending the night in a romantic tent under the starry sky of the Namib desert will be an unforgettable experience.
There is a well-marked 10km walking or running track from the lodge. Guided hikes between lodges in the Sossusvlei region combined with two overnight stays at Desert Homestead Lodge and Desert Homestead Outpost can be arranged, or there are also shorter walks available from the lodge itself. Sunset hot air balloon rides over the Namib desert are available.
Cornerstone Guesthouse
Overview
Just a short walk from the sea and Swakopmund’s town centre is this small, private bed and breakfast guesthouse. Occupying a quiet corner of Swakopmund’s ‘old town’ near the marine museum and the old brewery, Cornerstone Guesthouse offers the charm and intimacy of a family-run bed and breakfast combined with some of the amenities of a luxury hotel.
Accommodation is in seven en suite rooms, of which five are double/twins and two are family rooms. All are spacious with smart décor and attractive tile and wood flooring, table and chairs and private modern bathrooms. Facilities include digital safes, flat screen satellite TVs, WiFi and minibars.
Within a few minutes you can walk to beaches, cafés, restaurants, lively pubs, Swakopmund tourist attractions and a variety of interesting shops and markets, making this an ideal and welcoming base.
The town resembles a small, German coastal resort, nestled between the desert and the sea, combining colonial architecture with good shops, restaurants, museums, craft centres, art galleries and cafés.
The owners of Cornerstone also rent out a three-bedroom, fully equipped self-catering apartment practically on the seafront and very close to the famous Tug restaurant. Well appointed and decorated in a modern nautical theme, the ground floor flat has a patio and small front garden with views out to sea and a secure garage behind electronic gates to the rear. If renting the apartment, guests are still welcome in the main guesthouse, a short walk away, for an inclusive breakfast each day.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, digital safety deposit box, TV, mini-bar, laundry service, breakfast room and Wi-Fi Internet access.
Local Wildlife
A catamaran cruise in Walvis Bay gives the opportunity to see huge colonies of fur seals and white pelicans. The endemic Heavside’s dolphin and dusky and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are also often spotted on the cruise. Mola mola (sunfish) and leatherback turtles are less likely but also possible sightings.
Optional Activities
Catamaran trips in Walvis Bay, sightseeing tours of Swakopmund, inland tours across the dunes to Sandwich Harbour, Tommy's excellent and amusing Living Desert tour which seeks out smaller desert adapted fauna, and visits to historical sites.
Camp Kipwe
Overview
Charming and full of character, Camp Kipwe lies in the heart of Damaraland and is ideally located for the local attractions. The camp is nestled amongst an outcrop of giant granite boulders, a stone’s throw away from the ephemeral Aba Huab riverbed, often traversed by desert adapted elephants.
Each comfortable thatched bungalow is simply yet tastefully furnished, with an en suite, open-air bathroom. In the centre of the camp lies a large alfresco dining area, bar, lounge and reception with an inviting fireplace nearby to relax beside in the evenings. A refreshing swimming pool and sunset lookout with lovely views also complement the camp.
Excursions are offered to Twyfelfontein’s boulders and slabs of red sandstone which hold some 2,500 prehistoric engravings depicting wildlife, animal spoor and abstract motifs. It was Namibia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and is perhaps the largest and finest collection of petroglyphs in Africa.
Geological attractions include the Burnt Mountain with its fantastic range of colours at dawn and dusk, caused by a chemical reaction that took place roughly 125 million years ago when molten lava penetrated organic shale and limestone deposits, resulting in contact metamorphism. In ordinary sunlight it is a dull black.
The Organ Pipes are another geological curiosity in the area consisting of a mass of perpendicular dolerite columns that intruded the surrounding rocks also about 125 million years ago and have since been exposed in a ravine due to river erosion.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, restaurant, bar, lounge, swimming pool, room fans, safes, mosquito repellent, hairdryer and private veranda.
Local Wildlife
There is a population of 600 desert adapted elephants in the region, though they roam over vast areas and are not easy to see. Other desert adapted mammals include black rhino, besia oryx, springbok, zebra, jackals and birds such as ostrich and bustards. There is also a colony of brightly coloured agama lizards around the lodge.
Optional Activities
Exploration of Damaraland. Safaris in search of desert adapted elephants, and other wildlife. Excursions to Twyfelfontein, Burnt Mountain and Organ Pipes as well as exploration of the dramatic landscapes of Damaraland.
Okaukuejo Camp
Overview
Okaukuejo was the first tourist camp to open in the now world famous Etosha National Park and is famous for its floodlit waterhole where visitors can observe myriad wildlife congregating and interacting at close quarters.
There are 104 chalets at the government-run camp spread across six accommodation styles. The most luxurious accommodation is in five premier waterhole chalets that have a lounge, fridge and upstairs a large double bedroom with queen size beds, separate washbasins, private shower, wardrobe and patio with sun loungers. There are also 30 standard waterhole chalets with views of the waterhole but are smaller and lack the spacious living area. For families, there are two large self-catering chalets with room for four and a kitchenette and lounge.
Located a little further back from the main camp are twenty bush chalets that have a small living area, private bathroom and comfortable beds plus a BBQ facility. Also within the Camp are 45 double occupancy en suite rooms and two with disabled access.
There is a buffet restaurant, bar, fuelling station, curio shop, post office and viewing tower. The camp also offers two large swimming pools and a separate, shallow children’s pool.
The camp was originally established by the military in 1901 and is located just 17 km from the Andersson’s entrance to the Etosha National Park. Game drives and nature walks are available and at night the shy and endangered black rhino regularly visits the waterhole. This is actually one of the most reliable places in Africa to watch black rhinos as they are well protected in Etosha and have few other options for drinking in the immediate area.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, restaurant, lounge, bar, swimming pool, curio shop, food shop, post office, viewing tower, fuel station, BBQ facility, air-conditioning, fridge and tea and coffee facilities.
Mushara Collection
Overview
Situated between 8km and 10 km from the eastern Von Lindequist entrance to the world famous Etosha National Park, the impressive and varied Mushara collection of privately owned properties includes Mushara Bush Camp, Mushara Lodge, Villa Mushara and Mushara Outpost.
The mid-range Mushara Lodge is perfect for an overnight stop once you have arrived from the south of Etosha. The main area has a library, lounge, bar and restaurant, and there are 10 spacious chalets, one family unit, and a triple and two single rooms. One particular feature is the large swimming pool surrounded by gardens often grazed by passing warthogs.
Resembling an old farmhouse, the attractive Mushara Outpost’s open main building houses the dining room, lounge and bar and has a wraparound verandah, and an outside fire site with seating for sundowners. The accommodation is built on stilts and constructed like a traditional safari-style tent – light and airy with comfortable beds mounted off the floor on wooden decking. All of the tents have private bathrooms and glass fitted hot water showers, air-conditioning, mini-bar, safe, tea and coffee facilities and telephone: electricity power points are also available.
Villa Mushara is the choice for those seeking privacy. The two exclusive 140 square metre villas have a/c, private plunge pools and outdoor covered salas with day beds affording views of the bush. Each villa has a lounge area, small library and music system, and meals can be taken in your villa for maximum privacy.
Mushara Bush Camp is the Collection’s budget offering, particularly suitable for families. It can accommodate 32 adults and 8 children in tented rooms, and the main building is thatched with a true bush camp feel to it.
Mushara makes a good base from which to explore the eastern side of Etosha National Park. or for an overnight stopover after a day spent traversing the park and before heading off to your next location.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Facilities
Mushara Lodge has 10 x thatched chalets, one family chalet, one triple room and two single rooms. There is a thatched public area which includes a small library, a bar and wine cellar, a lounge with a fireplace, dining area and curio shop. There is also a central swimming pool. Each chalet includes air-conditioning, en suite bathroom alongside a separate toilet, mosquito net, mini-bar, safe, tea and coffee station, sockets for charging, and direct telephone connection. Wi-Fi is available in each chalet as well as the public area.
Villa Mushara consists of two villas. Each has a small private library, a plunge pool, en suite bathroom mini bar and CD collection.
Mushara Bush Camp has a restaurant, swimming pool and 16 custom made en suite tents, built from canvas, wood and local limestone. They each have a private veranda, and four of the tents can accommodate two children as well as two adults. In each tent is a coffee station, safe deposit box, mosquito net, hairdryer, floor fan and power sockets. Wi-Fi is available in the main communal building.
Local Wildlife
Etosha National Park is one of the greatest wildlife refuges in southern Africa. There are large concentrations of springbok, kudu, impala, gemsbok, giraffe, and elephant and there is still a reasonable population of black rhino and a smaller numbers of white rhinos. Lions and spotted hyenas are seen on most game drives and even hunting is occasionally seen. A total of 114 mammal species inhabit the park and there have 110 reptile species recorded too. The park is also superb for birding and several endemic species can be tracked down.
Optional Activities
Game drives and nature walks in Etosha National Park.
Okonjima Bush & Plains Camps
Overview
The delightful accommodation at Okonjima Bush Camp consists of luxury thatched chalets, spaced widely apart for privacy in the tranquil bush surroundings, plus a main “lapa” area in the form of a camelthorn pod where meals and drinks are taken and activities commence. Each exclusive en-suite chalet is completely private and the green canvas ‘walls’ can be rolled up to give you a 180-degree view so you can watch life in the bush going on around you whilst you lie in bed and relax in total comfort.
The accommodation at the larger Plains Camp consists of 14 Standard en suite terraced rooms and 10 new View Rooms that are set further apart: all rooms overlook the savannah. Two of the View Rooms and four of the Standard Rooms can combine to make a family unit. Each unit has a verandah, a wheelchair-friendly ramp, two double beds, desk, chair, mini bar, coffee/tea facilities, ceiling fans, twin basins, twin showers, safe and internal telephone. The main building, the Barn, contains the restaurant, pool, shop and lounge.
Okonjima is home to the AfriCat Foundation, a wildlife sanctuary founded in 1991 that is dedicated to creating conservation awareness, preserving habitat, promoting environmental educational research and supporting animal welfare. Their main focus is Africa’s big cats, especially injured or captured leopards and cheetahs.
AfriCat runs the largest cheetah and leopard rescue and release programme in the world. In the last 17 years over 1000 of these predators have been rescued with over 85% being released back into the wild. Close encounters with leopard and cheetah are an unforgettable highlight here. Activities include leopard tracking by vehicle, a visit to the cheetah welfare project and a visit to the night hide where nocturnal animals such as porcupine, caracal, honey badger, eagle owl and even leopard may be seen.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Bush Camp: 8 luxury thatched chalets; 1 luxury honeymoon suite (two double beds next to each other). Plains Camp: 14 Standard en suite rooms and 10 new View Rooms. Other facilities include restaurant, bar, boutique shop, swimming pool,
Local Wildlife
Rehabilitated and wild carnivores - in particular cheetah and leopard - can be tracked in the reserve. Spotted hyena, African wild dog, lions and commoner plains herbivores such as impala, springbok, zebra and wildebeest. There is a hide overlooking a floodlit area where cape porcupines and honey badgers are frequently seen and caracal and leopard are also possible.
Optional Activities
Visits to the big cat rehabilitation and welfare centre, visit nearby REST (rare and endangered species trust), night excursion, tracking of wild big cats and other wildlife and bird walks.
Route Map
Departure Dates
Travel Information
Are International Flights Included?
No. Please contact us for a quote if required.
Best Visited:
April to November
Are you ATOL Registered?
Yes. This means we are legally able to book your international flights in conjunction with your ground arrangements so you can book with us with complete confidence. Read more about our ATOL license here.
Alan Godwin
Area Specialist
For a truly unforgettable experience at Deadvlei, rise early and reach the pan just after sunrise when the towering red dunes cast dramatic shadows across the bleached clay and ancient camelthorn trees. The interplay of light and colour is at its most striking during this time.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
This was our second visit to Namibia in just over 12 months, with Reef and Rainforest and our seventh consecutive wildlife trip with them. I think that speaks for itself. This year we were particularly keen to try and observe some desert adapted Lions. The Lions found in ‘The Namib Desert’ are genetically identical to those found in the rest of Southern Africa but have adapted to live in one of the harshest environments on earth. They number around 150 and have a huge range, and are rarely seen. They came to prominence in the outstanding documentary film ‘Vanishing Kings’. The best chance of observing members of this subset of Lions is during a stay at Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, although sightings cannot be guaranteed and weeks can pass by without any success. Therefore a stay at this camp was at the heart of our itinerary and we were very lucky to spend time with a Lioness and her niece who had killed an Oryx in the conservancy. The camp itself is absolutely outstanding in every respect and the location is just spectacular.
Visitors should be aware that this is not ‘The Serengeti’ and that the wildlife is quite thin on the ground. However you would have to be very unlucky not to see Elephant, Giraffe and several other species. Whilst we were out in the desert we were lucky to bump in to Dr P. Stander who has dedicated the whole of his adult life to the conservation of The Desert Lion, what a thrill. The day trip out to the coast was pretty special as well.
The rest of the itinerary worked very well and we were very pleased to have three full days in Etosha N.P. where we recorded 25 mammal species, including 32 individual Lions, observed the aftermath of 4 zebra kills, 11 Rhinoceros (both Black & White), an African Wildcat and the rarely seen in Etosha, elusive Leopard.
So a big thank you to ALL at Reef and Rainforest, another highly successful trip, you certainly delivered again.
