Deserts and Dunes of Namibia
Namibia
10 days from $26,595 per person
* Based on double occupancy, incl. taxes & fuel surcharges, restrictions apply.
Namibia’s landscape is its defining natural asset, with each region filled with awe-inspiring wonders. On this flying safari, explore the wildlife sanctuary of Etosha, scale the iconic red dunes of Sossusvlei, and discover the raw and rugged beauty of the Skeleton Coast.
How Your Trip Matters
Scale the red dunes of Sossusvlei, sleep in a shipwrecked lodge making a difference, and marvel at the magnitude of your surroundings. Track black and white rhino, learn about ground-breaking giraffe research, and spend time with the Himba people, one of the last true nomadic tribes of Africa.
Highlights
Explore the remote Kaokoland, in search of desert adapted elephant, giraffe, lion, rhino, mountain zebra, and oryx. Spend time with the Himba people, one of the last true nomadic tribes of Africa, and learn about their fascinating way of life.
Discover the Skeleton coast, a raw and rugged slice of true wilderness. Sleep in one of Africa's most unique accommodations.
Experience Africa’s first designated International Dark Sky Reserve and one of the least light-polluted areas in the world. Enjoy a night under the starry skies in your open-air ‘star gazer’ room.
Enjoy guided game drives and nature walks in Ongava Private Reserve, home to endangered black and white rhino. Learn about the cutting edge research being done to making a difference to conservation not only in Namibia but throughout Africa.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences are conscious travel experiences chosen with great care based on the positive social or environmental impact they have both on their communities, and on those who experience them: our guests. You can identify these experiences across our trips by locating the MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience seal.
Accommodations
1. Am Weinberg Boutique Hotel
Namibia, Windhoek
Am Weinberg Boutique Hotel is the perfect destination to relax before or after your Namibian adventure. The intimate boutique hotel blends old-world splendor with modern lines and state of the art amenities, ensuring an unparalleled guest experience. Relax in the inviting courtyard, or in one of three upmarket lounge spaces, including the Sky Lounge, which boasts panoramic views of the surrounding valley. Two restaurants and a delicatessen cater to every whim, from lazy lunches to stylish dining. A tranquil Spa offering the very latest techniques and products, completes the hotel’s detailed guests focused amenities.
2. Kwessi Dunes
Namibia, NamibRand Nature Reserve
Kwessi Dunes is located deep in Namibia’s striking NamibRand Nature Reserve, a vast desert wilderness of over 200,000 hectares. With its rolling desert plains and backdrop of craggy mountains and iconic red dunes, this is a place where time seems to stand still. Here, it’s not about chasing big game but rather soaking up the beauty of the compelling landscape. Thatch-and-canvas air-conditioned rooms have en suite bathrooms with indoor and outdoor showers and a shaded patio. Each room has a separate ‘star gazer’ room, which is completely open to the sky for the ultimate celestial experience. At the heart of the lodge is the comfortable main area, with a well-stocked bar, small library area and plenty of sofas and armchairs, the perfect spot to relax, any time of day. Views from the rooms, the main area and the swimming pool are of the vast, desert vistas and when you can bear to tear your eyes away, enjoy quad biking, scenic drives and nature walks.
3. Hoanib Valley Camp
Namibia, Kaokoland
Hoanib Valley Camp is in the starkly beautiful Kaokoland, surrounded by towering mountains, sand dunes, and huge expanses of desert, scattered with unique wildlife and nomadic Himba settlements. The camp is a joint venture between the local communities and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, the world’s only Africa-wide giraffe conservation organization. The intimate camp blends seamlessly with the environment. The colors, textures and patterns are inspired by the experience of the Hoanib; the rich ochre of the dunes, the geometric patterns of the Himba people and, of course, the giraffe that inspired the project. The camp is a clean and green place, leaving virtually no footprint on this fragile eco-system. It’s entirely solar powered to ensure carbon emissions are kept to a minimum. Days are spent tracking endangered rhino, desert-adapted elephant, and of course desert-adapted giraffe, before retiring to your private veranda to marvel at the magnitude of your surroundings.
4. Shipwreck Lodge
Namibia, Skeleton Coast
There’s nowhere on the continent quite like Shipwreck Lodge. In fact, there’s nowhere on the continent quite like the Skeleton Coast, a raw, rugged and impossibly remote slice of African wilderness. Uniquely designed rooms resemble the enigmatic shipwrecks that line the Skeleton Coast. Each of the solar-powered rooms have en-suite bathrooms with showers, and a welcoming wood burning stove for those chilly mornings and evenings. At the center of camp, is an equally innovatively designed lounge and restaurant with a wide, wraparound deck and uninterrupted views across the sand all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. Spend your days on game drives in search of desert-dwelling fauna; discover the enchanting desert flora; watch the sun sink below the horizon from the top of a dune; comb the beach for whale bones and debris from centuries of shipwrecks; and marvel at the geologically-remarkable Clay Castles.
5. Anderssons at Ongava
Namibia, Ongava Private Game Reserve
Designed as an extension of the landscape, Anderssons at Ongava engenders a deep sense of place. Using natural elements, the spacious suites reflect the environment, with décor reminiscent of a naturalist’s home. Scientific tomes, journals, a curated collection of published papers, and a digital archive are available to further pique your curiosity. The suites feature double indoor and outdoor showers, and private viewing decks with 180 degree panoramas. Gather for meals in the main lodge which encompasses the dining area, lounge and bar, a sunken observation terrace, and open fireplaces for chilly winter days. An underground photographic hide allows for unobtrusive game viewing of the camp’s waterhole. Additional amenities include a library, curio shop, complimentary Wi-Fi, and an inviting infinity-edge swimming pool. Game drives and nature walks are conducted on the reserve, and in Etosha National Park. The Ongava Research Centre is within walking distance of the camp, and guests are encouraged to meander through the self-guided exhibition area at the visitor center.
Itinerary
Day 1. Arrive Windhoek, Namibia
Welcome to Windhoek, Namibia’s capital! Transfer to your hotel for a relaxing evening before tomorrow’s exciting flight to the Namib Nature Reserve, and the start of your journey of discovery through this beautiful country. (D)
Am Weinberg Boutique Hotel
Day 2. Windhoek / NamibRand Nature Reserve
After breakfast, transfer to Eros Airport, where you will be met by your pilot for your scheduled light aircraft flight to Kwessi Dunes. The striking NamibRand Nature Reserve with its rolling desert plains and iconic red dunes offers an escape from the modern world and a chance to reconnect with the wild. (BLD)
Kwessi Dunes
Day 3. NamibRand Nature Reserve
Soak up the beauty of the area, the landscape is just as much of an attraction as the wildlife. Keep a lookout for springbok and oryx, as well as some of the rarer creatures like aardwolf. If you’ve got a penchant for birdlife, ask your guide to find the endemic dune lark, which is only found in Namibia. For an otherworldly experience, go on a sunrise float over the Namib Desert in a hot air balloon (additional cost). Tonight, watch the celestial show from the comfort of your ‘star gazer’ room. (BLD)
Kwessi Dunes
Day 4. NamibRand Nature Reserve / Kaokoland
After breakfast, hop back on the plane for a scenic flight over the famous Eduard Bohlen shipwreck, Conception Bay and Sandwich Harbor, before touching down in Swakopmund for lunch and to refuel. Continue over the dramatic Skeleton Coast and then inland to the beautiful interior of the country. Remnants of shipwrecks are still visible from the air, a stark reminder of nature’s power. (BLD)
Hoanib Valley Camp
Day 5. Kaokoland
The area is a mix of towering mountains and huge expanses of desert, scattered with unique wildlife and nomadic Himba settlements. Spend a fascinating morning or afternoon with the local Himba people, one of the last true nomadic tribes of Africa. Game drive through the sandy terrain in search of desert-adapted giraffe, elephant, lion and rhino. Learn about the giraffe research conducted in the area by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Later this evening, retire to your private patio, cocktail in hand, and marvel at the magnitude of your surroundings. (BLD)
Hoanib Valley Camp offers two unique opportunities to touch the lives of wildlife and people. In partnership with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, help monitor the desert-giraffe population and provide data to the organization that provides conservation and management for Africa's wild giraffes. Also consider spending time with the Himba people, one of the last true nomadic tribes in Africa. You'll learn about the tribe's resiliency in a harsh environment.
Hoanib Valley Camp
Day 6. Kaokoland / Skeleton Coast
Get ready to enjoy the best transfer drive on the continent! You’ll pass incredible rock formations and desert-elephant digging for water, before arriving at the crashing waves and rolling dunes of the Skeleton Coast. (BLD)
Shipwreck Lodge
Day 7. Skeleton Coast
Wake to the ocean fog rolling in over the stark landscape, and a chance to explore this raw and rugged slice of African wilderness. 4×4 drives along the Hoarusib River, provide a chance to spot some of the unique wildlife of the area. Visit Möwe Bay Seal Colony, go quad biking and sand boarding across the dunes, walk across lunar landscapes, or simply put your feet up and admire the views. (BLD)
Shipwreck Lodge
Day 8. Skeleton Coast / Ongava Game Reserve
This morning enjoy a scenic road transfer to Möwe Bay where your pilot and private charter plane will be waiting for you. Fly over the otherworldly Skeleton Coast to the famous Etosha National Park. Arrive in time for lunch. Later this afternoon, set out on your afternoon game drive in the Ongava Private Game Reserve. (BLD)
Anderssons at Ongava
Day 9. Ongava Game Reserve
Enjoy a morning game drive in Etosha National Park, meaning ‘Great White Place,’ the name refers to the Etosha pan, which makes up a large part of the park. Large mammals in the park include lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, giraffe, wildebeest, cheetah, hyena, zebra, springbok, kudu, gemsbok and eland. Return to the lodge for lunch and a siesta, or spend some time in the camp’s photographic hide. (BLD)
Assist with Ongava Research Center's white and black rhino tracking program and learn about the groundbreaking research being undertaken at the Carnivore Programme.
Anderssons at Ongava
Day 10. Ongava Game Reserve / Depart
After a short flight to Windhoek, you'll be transferred to a day room to relax, until your onward arrangements. (B)
Pricing
Land Arrangements (Price per person)
**Surcharges Apply Dec 20-31.
Air Arrangements (Internal Airfare)
Tour flights
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Add-Ons
Currently there are no add-ons for this tour
