NAMIBIA SELF-DRIVE SAFARI

Day 1 Arrive in Windhoek

On arrival at Windhoek International Airport, you will be met in the arrivals hall by our Red Savannah representative. Jump into your 4WD hire car and drive to The Olive Grove Guest House, situated close to Windhoek city centre in a quiet, peaceful suburb. As the first step of your Namibian safari adventure, The Olive Grove offers all the necessary creature comforts to rest after your flight and prepare for the journey ahead.

Overnight: The Olive Grove Guest House

Day 2 Windhoek to Omboroko Mountains

This morning, make the three-hour drive (220km) to Okonjima, in the Omboroko Mountains. Okonjima's raison d'etre is the renowned AfriCat Foundation, whose work with local communities has ensured the protection of many carnivore species including lion, hyena, wild dog and leopard. Okonjima Plains Camp is a homestead-style property with 30 rooms, swimming pool, bar and welcoming main area where guests can dine and socialise. With a relaxed, informal and friendly atmosphere, it is an ideal base for those wanting to visit the AfriCat Foundation and enjoy amazing opportunities for big cat photography.

Overnight: Okonjima Plains Camp

Day 3 Okonjima Nature Reserve

Head to AfriCat's Carnivore Care and Information Centre, where you can meet the foundation's canivore ambassadors. While the foundation mainly focusses its energy on preseving Namibia's carnivore population, specifically researching leopards and brown hyaenas living in enclosed reserves, other projects aim to understand and protect smaller mammals such as pangolins and aardvarks. The 2200 hectare reserve offers a variety of other activities, including guided nature drives and walks, bushman experiences and cheetah tracking.

Overnight: Okonjima Plains Camp

Day 4 - 5 Ongava Private Game Reserve

Make your way north to Ongava Lodge. A further three-hour drive (250km) will take you to Ongava Private Game Reserve, a private concession adjoining Etosha National Park. Perched on a ridge with seemingly endless views across the plains, Ongava Lodge’s air-conditioned brick, rock and thatch chalets, each with en-suite facilities, offer a relaxing retreat in the African bush. The main lounge and dining areas offer impressive views over the lodge’s popular waterhole, where guests often sight lion, rhino, giraffe and more. Activities at Ongava Lodge include nature walks, rhino tracking and safari drives.

Overnight: Ongava Lodge

Day 6 Twyfelfontein, Damaraland

Continue your Namibian road trip, driving to Camp Kipwe which will take approximately three to four hours (325 km). 'Kipwe', meaning 'blessed' in Swahili, is built creatively into the large granite boulders, facing out onto the grasslands and mopane trees along the Aba Huab riverbed. The nine rooms have large outside decks and open bathrooms. The main area is raised and consists of four thatched domes, all with amazing views. An outside boma area is also sometimes used for dining under the stars.

Overnight: Camp Kipwe

Day 7 Damaraland

Activities at Camp Kipwe include nature drives with the possibility of seeing the desert-adapted elephant in the dry season, and guided walks close to the camp with Kipwe's experienced guides. A trip to the nearby UNESCO World Heritage site of Twyfelfontein will allow you to discover its intriguing rock paintings and carvings. Inhabited first by hunter-gatherers and then by Khoikhoi herders, Twyfelfontein has long been a site of shamanist rituals and worship. Over 2,500 rock carvings and paintings have been discovered here, one of the largest concentrations of petroglyphs in Africa. Weather permitting, you can also enjoy the thrill of a sunrise balloon ride.

Overnight: Camp Kipwe

Day 8 Swakopmund

Continue your drive to Swakopmund, with a journey time of approximately four to five hours (360km). Swakopmund Guest House is situated in the town centre, just a five-minute walk from the beach and main shopping area. There are 4 standard rooms, 7 luxury rooms and 1 family suite. Wallpaper portraying a peaceful view of the ocean adds to the clean and neat atmosphere of the guesthouse, which is perfect for a simple, overnight stop.

Overnight: Swakopmund Guesthouse

Day 9 Sossusvlei

Make your way from the coast into the Namib Desert. The drive from Swakopmund to Sossusvlei Desert Lodge will take five to six hours (385km). This beautiful lodge is the perfect launch point for your exploration of the vast dunes of Sossusvlei. With 10 stylish-designed villas it sits against the backdrop of the Namib Desert with stunning views in all directions. After your long drive, relax by the pool or in the privacy of your own villa, with a private deck and outdoor shower. If you have time, enjoy some afternoon quad biking and, after sundown, let the resident astronomer reveal some of the secrets of the starry African night sky.

Overnight: Sossusvlei Desert Lodge

Day 10 Sossusvlei to Wolwedans

After a morning excursion to Sossusvlei and its dunes followed by breakfast back at the lodge, drive the relatively short distance (55km) to Wolwedans, a fabulous collection of stylish camps located in the awe-inspiring NamibRand Nature Reserve. Wolwedans Dunes Lodge is perched atop a dune plateau, with panoramic vistas in all directions and captures the beauty of the desert in a most memorable way.

Overnight: Wolwedans Dune Camp

Day 11 - 12 Wolwedans, NamibRand Nature Reserve

Awake each morning to enjoy coffee/tea on your private verandah before a delicious breakfast. Experience the unique NamibRand Nature Reserve landscape during morning and afternoon excursions by Land Rover through the dunes, endless grassy plains and around mysterious mountain formations. You could encounter large and small desert animals, learn about their unique habits and explore the ancient hunting spots of the Bushmen.

Overnight: Wolwedans Dune Camp

Day 13 Windhoek

Today, after a leisurely breakfast, set off on your return drive to Windhoek - which will take approximately five to six hours (400km).

Overnight: Olive Grove Guesthouse

Day 14 Departure

Make your way to the Windhoek Airport, where you drop off your hire car and fly home.