On arrival at Windhoek International Airport, we will meet our guide and transfer through to Windhoek. After checking in to our hotel, we can then head out to get our first taste of the Namibian capital on an optional 3hr City & Township Tour, exploring with our local guide and learning all about the history and the people of Windhoek. After our tour, we will be dropped off at our hotel, where we can relax by the pool or take an early dinner (own expense) at any of the nearby excellent restaurants, all within walking distance.

We leave Windhoek mid-morning to allow us enough time to get to our destination before sunset. From Windhoek, we are heading southwest, first through the Khomas Hochland Mountains before descending onto the plains of the Namib Desert. The Namib Desert, the oldest desert in the world, stretches some 2000kms along the west coast of Namibia, with varying types of terrain. Still, it is here, in the Sossusvlei region, that is known for its enormous dunes and breathtaking photographic opportunities. On arrival at our lodge, we can enjoy a walk and prepare for a relaxing sundowner drink before dinner.

A very early start this morning for our Sossusvlei guided excursion. We aim to leave our lodge well before sunrise to ensure that we are one of the first to enter the national park. From Sesriem, we drive further into the desert area, where the early morning light provides excellent opportunities for photography. Once we arrive in the 4×4 carpark, we can then explore this area on foot, with a walk around Dead Vlei and Sossusvlei, and for the adventurous, a hike up Big Daddy, the tallest dune in the region, offering breathtaking views of the sand sea that is the Namib Desert. By midday, we make our way back towards Sesriem with a stop at Sesriem Canyon, a small but important landmark for both the human and animal residents of the area. We then make our way back towards our accommodation, where we’ll have time to rest and relax before dinner.

Our drive today takes us through to Swakopmund via the Gaub and Kuiseb passes. Our first official stop is Solitaire, a small but important outpost for tourists and locals alike and a popular place to stop and enjoy more unusual photographic opportunities. From Solitaire, we continue through the ever-changing desert landscapes before arriving in Walvis Bay, the main harbour in Namibia. Here we have the opportunity to visit the Walvis Bay Lagoon, a RAMSAR listed wetland site, famous as the feeding ground for many bird species, including the Greater & Lesser Flamingos, as well as the endemic Damara Tern, among others making it an ornithologist paradise. From Walvis Bay, it’s just a short drive to Swakopmund, where we will spend the next two nights.

Today is a free day and the chance to explore at your own pace. For some, this will mean joining a boat cruise in Walvis Bay, where you have a good chance to see some seals and dolphins. For others, this will mean a morning of sandboarding before exploring the dunes on a quad bike or enjoying a scenic flight before skydiving. For others, it might be something a little more calm as a leisurely breakfast, a visit to the aquarium before an afternoon scenic flight along the Skeleton Coast. Swakopmund is the adventure capital of Namibia, and there is certainly something to satisfy everyone. The town itself, an unusual mix of German and Namibian culture, offers a relaxed and walkable town centre to enjoy at our own pace. There are good restaurants in both towns, with seafood, of course, being a specialty.

We start our day early as our drive takes us northeast into Damaraland. Today, we head north up to Henties Bay, where we can spot the most recent shipwreck to fall victim to the Benguela current. We then turn inland, travelling across the gravel plains of the Namib and then north from Uis, with the chance to meet the local people, the Himba, Damara and Herero, that call these areas home. If time allows, in the afternoon, we will visit Twyfelfontein (literally translated means ‘doubtful spring’), a UNESCO World Heritage site that is home to over 2500 rock etchings, making it one of the worlds largest collections of rock ​petroglyphs (alternatively, we explore Twyfelfontein tomorrow after elephant tracking).

We start the morning with a big breakfast before heading out on an excursion along the ephemeral rivers to explore this remarkable area and search for some animals, including the elusive and amazing desert-adapted elephants. These animals have amazingly found a way to become accustomed to this semi-arid area. This opportunity to find free-roaming desert elephants is unique, with these incredible creatures only being found in Namibia and Mali. In addition to the desert elephants, this unique environment offers breathtaking landscapes, and with a local guide, we will have some incredible landscape photographic opportunities.

After breakfast, we say goodbye to Damaraland and head northeast for Etosha National Park, one of Southern Africa’s premier game parks and wildlife enthusiasts paradise. We enter the park via the Andersson gate, on the southern boundary of Etosha and spend the next 3 days exploring. The park itself covers 22,270 sq kms and gets its name from the salt pan that makes up approx 23% of the park. Once a massive lake, the Etosha Pan is now mostly dry, except for good rainfall years when the pan fills up enough to become a breeding ground for flamingos that migrate between Walvis Bay and Sua Pan in Botswana. This afternoon we enjoy a game drive from the park gate, stopping at some popular (animal) waterholes, before arriving late afternoon at our lodge. Tonight we can relax by the floodlit waterhole, an excellent chance to view those creatures that prefer to be active during the cool of the night.

Today will be devoted to exploring the park and maximising our chances for amazing wildlife sightings. We start with an early breakfast before heading into the park for a full day of game driving. From Okaukuejo, we will drive from waterhole to waterhole (especially in the winter months), as they support a rich diversity of animals. These waterholes are one of the most unique aspects of Etosha National Park, and a major attraction for wildlife photographers and animal behaviour experts as the different species of animals, both predator and prey alike, can often be captured (on camera) drinking at the same waterhole. We make our way east across the park, checking in at Halali and then Namutoni before exiting the park late afternoon and arriving at Onguma Private Reserve.

After an early breakfast this morning we hit the road, making our way south back towards the capital. Our drive today takes us south through some small farming towns and just before we reach Otjiwarongo we make a detour to the Cheetah Conservation Fund where we join a 1hr cheetah drive. From here, we continue on through Okahandja, where time permitting, we make a short stop at the Wood Carvers Market, an informal market for local craftsmen and a good place to bargain for some last minute gifts for those you left at home. We aim to arrive back in Windhoek no later than 17h00, and you will be dropped off at your accommodation in Windhoek, or at the International Airport for your onward flight.