An early departure this morning in order to maximise our time in Etosha National Park. Meeting our guide and departing Windhoek no later than 8h00, we travel north, aiming to arrive at the Andersson Gate, the entry to Namibia’s premier wildlife reserve, Etosha National Park. This park stretches almost 22,000sq kms and provides incredible wildlife viewing opportunities. On arrival at the gate, we game drive our way through to our lodge where we can check in and freshen up before heading out on a late afternoon game drive (time permitting). Returning to camp by sunset, after dinner, be sure to head to the waterhole after dinner where elephant, rhinos and more are often spotted coming in for a late evening drink.

A full day of game driving today through Etosha National Park. Discover the park by driving from waterhole to waterhole where wildlife tends to congregate and both prey & predators can be seen together. Time permitting, visit Etosha Pan, a saltpan so large it can be seen from space, and from where the park derives it’s name, Etosha meaning ‘great white place’ in the local Oshindonga language. For the lucky few, you might experience sightings of anything from predators including lions, leopards, cheetah and hyena to the megaherbivores such as elephant, giraffe and rhino, as well as plains game including zebra, wildebeest, hartebeest and more.

We leave Etosha behind this morning and depart the park just after breakfast. Whilst today is a long day, it also offers incredible insight into life for the rural Namibians and the chance to meet and discover the Himba, Herero and Damara people as we travel through Damaraland. This also allows us the chance to support these entrepreneurial women and purchase some souvenirs from there small roadside stalls. From Uis we then head west, across the gravel plains of the sparsely vegetated Namib Desert before arriving at the coast and can appreciate the refreshing cool breeze of the Atlantic Ocean. Our first stop here, is the Zeila shipwreck, the latest vessel to fall victim to the Skeleton Coast. We then arrive late afternoon in Swakopmund where we can check into our accommodation and relax before dinner.

Today offer the chance for a rare lie in, or alternatively get up early and head out for an optional activity. This could be anything from sandboarding or quadbiking on the dunes of the Namib Desert, a boat cruise around Walvis Bay, sky diving or a more sedate living desert tour. Either way, our departure is from the coast is no later than 13h00 as we have a long journey through the desert to the Sesriem area. Our stops include the Walvis Bay Lagoon, the Tropic of Capricorn, and Solitaire before arriving at our accommodation and heading to dinner at the nearby Sossusvlei Lodge.

Another early start today as we head into the Sossusvlei area to explore the dunes. An early breakfast at Sossusvlei Lodge, and then we enter the national park and make our way into the desert to explore, Deadvlei, Sossusvlei and enjoy endless photographic opportunities as the rising sun casts shadows over the dunes. As we travel the 60kms from Sesriem and meander along the Tsaucheb River, we learn about the animals that survive in this area, the intriguing mystery of the fairy circles of the Namib Desert, and how the dunes continue to shift depending on the winds. We have plenty of opportunity to climb the dunes, and for the energetic then we make our way directly to Deadvlei and up Big Daddy, the highest dune in the area that offers some of the most incredible views of the desert area. Returning to Sesriem mid afternoon as the day warms up, we then visit Sesriem Canyon where we can escape the heat by taking a short walk down into the canyon learning about the geological history of the area.

Today marks the final day of our tour and the option to enjoy a leisurely start, or rather opt for an early start and enjoy a flight over the Namib Desert in a hot air balloon enjoying this area from a different perspective. Departing the desert area no later than 12noon, we make our way out of the desert, passing the Naukluft Mountains, and through the small towns of Klein Aub and Rehoboth before arriving in Windhoek late afternoon.