The Wonderful Wildlife and Nature of Namibia: Self-Drive
Tour Introduction
With some super scenic drives, lovely lodges and incredible wildlife, this itinerary is our most popular self-drive tour of Namibia. Visiting first the magnificent dunes of Sossusvlei you will then stay in the quaint coastal resort town of Swakopmund with its Germanic colonial architecture and exciting activities in the nearby dunes or along Namibia’s Skeleton Coast.
Next comes stunning Damaraland, renowned for its desert adapted elephants, ancient rock engravings and beautiful scenery. From there you drive into another world again, with Etosha’s woodland, great white salt pan and abundant wildlife. Spend a good amount of time on safari at Etosha before your big cat finale learning all about AfriCat’s exemplary conservation efforts at Okonjima.
The impossibly beautiful and varied scenery, the abundant wildlife and the friendly people of Namibia make this one of the best value self-drive adventures in the world, one which works equally as well as an adult tour and as a family holiday with older children.
Full Itinerary
Arrive Windhoek, met on arrival and transfer to the centre of Windhoek. There will be a briefing and information given before the hire car is delivered.
Staying at Galton House. Includes Breakfast.
Self-drive over the scenic Khomas Hochland to your lodge next to the Namib Naukluft National Park. The National park encompasses the breath taking Namib desert, home to specialised flora and fauna and some of the largest and oldest sand dunes on earth. Optional excursions such as horse riding and guided walks.
Staying at Desert Homestead. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Self-drive to Sesriem and into the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Take a stunning walk (or optional shuttle) to Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. These two natural clay pans offer sensational natural wonders with outstanding photographic opportunities. The moon-like landscape includes sand dunes over 300 metres high and trees over 500 years old. Return to Sesriem and visit the Sesriem Canyon.
Staying at Desert Homestead. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Today drive to Swakopmund, perhaps visiting the Gaub and Kuiseb canyons, gravel plains and spotting welwitschia mirabilis plants en-route. Spend the rest of the afternoon and evening exploring this colonial seaside town.
Staying at Cornerstone Guesthouse. Includes Breakfast.
Today you will head out from Walvis Bay on a guided kayaking excursion to Pelican Point. There is a chance of spotting dolphins, seals and other marine wildlife. Spend the rest of your day at leisure in Walvis Bay or Swakopmund.
Staying at Cornerstone Guesthouse. Includes Breakfast.
Scenic self-drive via the foothills of Brandberg Mountain to Damaraland. Optional activities include visiting the Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings (World Heritage Site), Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes. On arrival at the lodge take a guided nature walk or relax in your beautiful surroundings at the lodge.
Staying at Camp Kipwe. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
A morning guided tour in Damaraland to look for desert adapted elephants in the parched Aba-Huab River valley. Then drive to Etosha National Park. Enjoy animals coming to you at the camp's famous waterhole.
Staying at Okaukuejo Camp. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Day to enjoy a self-drive safari in Etosha National Park. The Etosha pan is a large saltpan formed by wind action and supports a great diversity of flora and fauna. The park is known for its large concentrations of game, particularly around waterholes, and the attractive endemic race of black-faced impala and population of black and white rhino. Optional guided open vehicle safaris including the option for a nocturnal wildlife game drive from your lodge, which is in the park.
Staying at Okaukuejo Camp. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Take a leisurely drive eastwards through Etosha National Park, game viewing as you go. Exit at the Von Lindequist Gate.
Staying at Onguma Bush Camp. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Day to explore the eastern section of Etosha National Park.
Staying at Onguma Bush Camp. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Today drive to Okonjima,. Afternoon activities with the AfriCat project such as visits to the leopard and cheetah rehabilitation projects and after enjoy a guided tracking of local predators such as leopards, cheetahs, African wild dogs and spotted hyenas.
Staying at Okonjima Plains Camp. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Venture out on a thrilling leopard tracking excursion. After dinner, perhaps visit the night hide for viewing of nocturnal animals such as the elusive honey badger and porcupines.
Staying at Okonjima Plains Camp. Includes All Meals.
Return to Windhoek. Return your hire car. Connect with your onward flight.
Includes No Meals.
Tour Accommodation
Galton House
Overview
Situated at 72 Amasoniet Street in the upmarket residential area of Eros Park, Windhoek, Galton House offers quiet charm and easy comfort. Each of the eight guest rooms features a direct dial telephone, air-conditioning, satellite TV, safety deposit box, 100% cotton linen with down duvets and coffee/tea making facilities on request. The central lounge area is perfect for relaxing whilst the swimming pool and gardens offer welcome respite from the sun on hot days.
Wireless internet is available free of charge. There is a laundry service, guest lounge and full bar service, and a la carte light lunches and dinners are served daily in the restaurant with prior notice. Guests are also welcome to use the dedicated bathroom facilities for early check in or late checkout and secure on-site parking is available with remote access. Galton House is just a ten-minute drive from Windhoek city centre and within good proximity to the airport.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
En suite bathroom, direct dial telephone, air-conditioning, satellite TV, safety deposit box, on-site parking, free Wi-Fi, swimming pool, restaurant and laundry service.
Optional Activities
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.
Onguma Bush Camp
Overview
Onguma Bush Camp is a family-friendly lodge with pool and games room which is fenced for safety and security.
Accommodation consists of sixteen terraced rooms built around an active waterhole. The spacious air-conditioned rooms are spread around the fenced gardens in a small village design, allowing for both privacy and fantastic views. The main guest area also overlooks the rewarding waterhole and includes a reception area, lounge, games room, dining room as well as a swimming pool. Every need is attended to and the bush-chic styling ensures guests are cocooned in comfort.
Guests can relax in the comfortable lounge or in front of the fireplace. Children can enjoy the games room. All rooms have an en-suite bathroom, private outside shower and a private deck in front where guests can relax.
The camp is within the Onguma Private Game Reserve which protects 34,000 hectares of wilderness adjoining the famous Etosha National Park, home to abundant game including both black and white rhinos, various big cats and more than 300 bird species.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, restaurant, bar, lounge, swimming pool, mosquito nets, hairdryer, ceiling fans, tea and coffee facilities and laundry service.
Local Wildlife
Common plains game includes impala, besia oryx, wildebeest hartebeest and springbok and there is a population of both black and white rhino, which can be sometimes, be seen at water holes. Predators such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, jackals and honeys badgers are present in the reserve. While the nearby Etosha National Park contains greater concentrations of plains game, rhino, and big cats and also has a population of elephants.
Optional Activities
Safari game drives around the private reserve and Etosha National Park. Walking safaris are also available.
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:
January to January
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
This excellent value, self-drive circuit works really well as a holiday for families with older children, say from 10 years upwards, and for adults. Please get in touch with us for a definitive quotation based on the actual details of your party.
Upgrade to the Bush Camp at Okonjima to enhance your stay with AfriCat.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
Beautiful country with a wide range of opportunities on offer – wildlife viewing, varied scenery, culture and memorable sunsets. The colours, shapes and shadows of Deadvlei at dawn will stay with me forever. Very helpful and informative discussions with Alan Godwin before booking. Everyone in country did their bit at the right time in the right place. I felt very well looked after. The care and attention to detail was outstanding and this helped me to relax and enjoy the experience and enabled me to begin to make new but different memories.
