Namibia
Namibia - 12 night Dune & Safari Self-Drive Tour
This tour follows a classic circular route taking in some amazing sights and finishing in Etosha National Park where you can watch wildlife at some of the many waterholes. Driving is very easy for the most part as the roads are paved and in a good condition, and nowhere near as busy as you might find back home. Etosha's tracks are not paved though, so a 4x4 is necessary due to the uneven surface.
Fly from the UK to Windhoek and collect your 4x4 car. Just outside Windhoek is a wonderful lodge that makes a great base for the first night and has spectacular views of the surrounding hills and countryside.
Next morning, drive to the Kalahari Desert and a very special lodge situated by huge red sand dunes. There are lots of animals on site including meerkats, antelopes, zebras, oryx, and all of these are easy to spot. It's also a recognised site for conservation of cheetah, with the chance to get up close and personal to the orphans.
Next, it's a stunningly beautiful drive to your next lodge, looking out for oryx along the way. This is the base for visiting the iconic Big Daddy Sand Dune, one of the biggest in the world, and the bizarre and surreal Deadvlei, a clay pan with dead trees from 900 years ago that have not decomposed due to the extremely dry conditions.
The best way to visit Deadvlei is to get there EARLY - the light is magnificent first thing in the morning and you avoid the crowds. Drive as far as you can, and special 4x4 vehicles will take you the rest of the way
Next, drive north to the charming coastal resort of Swakopmund and it's a chance to stock up on any essentials you might be needing. There's a strange mist that often engulfs the town, which definitely feels much cooler than elsewhere. There are a number of pleasant beach walks close by.
The drive to Etosha National Park is quite long so this is another stunning place to break the journey. You can just relax and enjoy the scenery or perhaps visit some of the rock paintings. Look out for wildlife around the resort such as zebras.
Next, drive to Etosha National Park and enjoy world class wildlife watching during your stay here. The animals can be seen at several waterholes located throughout the park, so your day may be spent driving from one to the other. On a self drive, you can stay as long as you like by the waterholes which is a big advantage when there's something special to see.
The 3 night stay featured here gives you 2 full days, but this can be increased if you'd like to spend longer. For example after your stay at Okaukuejo Resort, you could move to the eastern side of the park for a couple of nights.
Sadly it's time to leave Etosha and drive back to Windhoek. The lodge you stayed in on your first night also makes a great base for the last night.
Then next morning take your car back to the airport for your flight home.
Guide Prices
As a very rough guide, this trips costs around £5,000 per person. It is essential to book early as many of the properties can be fully booked several months in advance.
What's Included?
- Flights to and from the UK
- Car hire
- All accommodation
- Meals as specified
Tom's Trip Report
Namibia has always been on my list of places to visit, so I was thrilled when we finally got there! On previous trips to Africa I'd always enjoyed safaris as part of a guided tour, so self driving was different. The roads were for the most part excellent, but with no mobile phone signal in some areas I did wonder what I'd do if we broke down.
I've seen Deadvlei in many photographic books and magazines over the years, but until actually you get there it's hard to appreciate the beautiful light especially first thing in the morning when the sun has just come up. Going at that time was a very good move as there weren't many people about.
Etosha was a bit more challenging in terms of the driving as the roads aren't paved and were quite bumpy. I was quite surprised how few other cars and vehicles were there (this was high season) compared to other game parks in Africa. Only once did it feel crowded, and that was when there was a long stand off between lions and elephants, lasting for a tense couple of hours, and nobody wanting to miss what happened.
Back at the camp, there was a waterhole just a 2 minute walk from our room with constant coming and going of wildlife. The location of it was unbelievable although it had by far the most basic rooms on the trip.
It's hard to think what I'd have done differently in terms of the itinerary. There is a ghost town being swallowed up by the sand which I wanted to try and get to, but it would have meant a couple of extremely long drives and of course an extra couple of days. Perhaps going to the other side of Etosha as well for a couple of nights would enhance the holiday. I didn't quite realise how good or easy the wildlife viewing would be.
For a selection of images from this trip, please see www.onyourtravels.co.uk/photo-collection/namibia.
More information
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