Diverse Landscapes

When you arrive in Windhoek, drive to the capital. With 450,000 inhabitants, Windhoek is the country’s largest city and the political, economic and cultural center. The city lies at an altitude of 1 650 meters, nestled between the Auas Mountains in the south, the Eros Mountains in the northeast and the Khomas Highlands in the west.

After checking in at Hotel Thule, you have the opportunity to explore the city. Alternatively, you could book a city tour, where you could certainly learn a lot about Windhoek, Namibia and its history. The city tour visits the Christ Church, the Alte Feste, the gardens of the Ink Palace and the Klein Windhoek district and, as a contrast, the district of the Bantu-speaking population group – Katutura. You are also driving along Windhoek’s “boulevard”, Independence Avenue (formerly Kaiserstraße).
The rest of the day is at your disposal.

Breakfast and Overnight – Hotel Thule

After a leisurely breakfast, you leave the capital today and head south. Your first stop is the Kalahari Anib Lodge, which is located on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. This forms a large part of eastern Namibia and extends for about 500 kilometers from north to south. The Kalahari is commonly referred to as a desert because of its porous and sandy soil, which does not allow water to be absorbed. But, in reality, it is a very busy wilderness and huge herds of antelopes and other animals graze on its sparsely vegetated grassy plains.

After check-in and room occupancy, you have the opportunity to explore the area. There are several excellent hiking trails (self-guided). Alternatively, you could go on a sundowner game drive. Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Kalahari Anib Lodge

You have another day at your disposal in the Kalahari Desert. Game drives are also offered in the mornings, and you are sure to have a great opportunity to explore the wilderness of the Kalahari. Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Kalahari Anib Lodge

Your drive today takes you to the Fish River Canyon. First, however, you will drive through Keetmanshoop, and just outside of this town you will have the opportunity to visit the Quiver Tree Forest and the Giant’s Playground.

The Quiver Tree Forest is a few kilometers northeast of Keetmanshoop. The tree aloes usually stand alone, but here there are over 250 specimens between the black dolerite rocks, forming an unusual “forest”. Some of the large plants are up to 5 meters high and their age is estimated to be 200 – 300 years.

The Giant’s Playground is a bizarre rocky landscape. The piled up dolerite rocks look as if they were the work of giants, but they were created by block weathering. The rock blocks consist of basalt of volcanic origin.

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Canyon Village

Today you have the whole day at leisure. Numerous activities are offered from the lodge, giving you a great chance to explore the area.

The Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon on earth and one of the most significant scenic attractions in southern Africa. In some places the canyon is up to 27 kilometers wide and 500 meters deep. Few plants and animals can survive in the barren landscape. In addition to quiver trees, you can see the camel thorn tree and a few euphorbias, and wild tamarisks and hawthorns grow at the bottom of the gorge. Every now and then you can see mountain zebras, kudu, oryx and hyrax, with a little luck you might even see a leopard.

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Canyon Village

On the way to Lüderitz you pass Garub. This is a watering hole where a herd of wild horses resides, to which about 150 animals belong. They trot back and forth between the sparse pastures and the waterhole near Garub and have adapted to the conditions of the desert.

Upon arrival in Lüderitz, continue to the Lüderitz Nest Hotel, which is located directly on the beach.

In the afternoon you have the opportunity to explore the founding city of Namibia. It is the birthplace of old South-West Africa and makes a very leisurely impression. Lüderitz lies on bare granite rocks and has retained much of the charm of the early 20th century. The typically German atmosphere can be enjoyed by strolling through the streets. The Goerkehaus on Diamantenberg is one of the most impressive buildings in the city.

Bed and Breakfast – Lüderitz Nest Hotel

In the morning you have the opportunity to take a trip to Kolmanskop. The former diamond city is about 12 kilometers from Lüderitz. A black railroad worker found the first diamond in 1908 while working on the track here, and a little later the diamond fever broke out. During the heyday of Kolmanskoppe there were 300 professionals with their families and several thousand black workers. Today many of the buildings are silted up up to the second floor, others, such as the gymnasium, are still in excellent condition, even the gymnastics equipment is still there.

Then continue to the D707 country road. This route is known as the most scenic route in all of Namibia.

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Koiimasis Ranch

Continue to the Sossusvlei area. On the way you can take a short detour and visit Duwisib Castle. The initiator of Duwisib Castle was the Saxon Baron von Wolff, who in 1908 commissioned the Berlin-born architect Sander to build Duwisib Castle. The forts of the protection forces in Namutoni, Gibeon and Windhoek served as models. 22 rooms are grouped around a beautiful inner courtyard; apart from the building blocks, the building materials and furniture come from Germany. The stonemasons came from Italy, carpenters from Scandinavia and construction workers from Ireland. The castle is furnished with old furniture, pictures and weapons from the last century.

Continue to Sossus Dune Lodge and the rest of the day is at your leisure.

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Sossus Dune Lodge

Today, early in the morning, you drive to Sossusvlei. This is a large, drainless clay soil depression that is enclosed by dunes, some of which are over 300 meters high. Most of the time the valley is dried out, but in good rainy years, when the Tsauchab runoff carries enough water, it reaches the valley and creates a lake. From the dunes one has an almost unreal beautiful view over the dune sea of ​​the Namib Desert.

Afterwards you also have the opportunity to explore the Sesriem Canyon. It can be done comfortably on foot. The gorge of the Sesriem Canyon is particularly impressive. Here the Tsauchab runoff has dug a bed up to 30 meters deep through layers of rubble that were deposited here 15 to 18 million years ago in a wetter phase of the Namib. The canyon was formed 2 to 4 million years ago.

The afternoon is at your disposal.

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Sossus Dune Lodge

On your way to Swakopmund, it is worth stopping at Solitaire to check out the delicacies of the bakery. The bakery is known nationwide and even in South Africa for its apple strudel. Then continue via the Gaub and Kuisebpass to the coastal town of Swakopmund.

Following the check-in at Swakopmund Guesthouse, the rest of the day is at your disposal.

Swakopmund, a small, neat coastal town, has many beautiful buildings from the German colonial era. You will see the Hohenzollernhaus, the Woermannturm, the landing stage, the pier with the lighthouse and the naval monument as well as other Art Nouveau buildings. Many residents speak German and numerous promenades, palm alleys and parks give the small coastal town a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. Enjoy a stroll along the kilometer-long, secluded Atlantic beach or stroll through the wood carving market near the lighthouse. Optionally, you could visit the interesting local history museum, the maritime museum or the crystal gallery.

Bed and Breakfast – Swakopmund Guesthouse

There are numerous activities in and around Swakopmund and Walvis Bay that you can take part in as an option. These include boat trips on the Walvis Bay lagoon, quad bike rides in the dunes, and kayak tours in Walvis Bay or the very interesting Living Desert Tour.

Bed and Breakfast – Swakopmund Guesthouse

After a few days on the coast, we are heading inland again today. However, you still drive along the coast to Henties Bay, and from there to Uis. From Uis on to Vingerklip Lodge, located in Damaraland. The Damaraland and Kaokoveld in the dry north-west of Namibia form parts of the mosaic of ethnically diverse regions that make Namibia so varied and interesting. Until recently, Damaraland was a secluded region in which the lives of the people living here have hardly changed over the centuries. It is an area with strong contrasts: high mountains, grasslands and steppe. Those who are willing to accept the high temperatures and bad roads will be richly rewarded in this hostile area. On the one hand there is the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest point, on the other hand there are numerous rock paintings, such as the famous White Lady. Another open-air gallery can be visited in Twyfelfontein. It is one of the largest collections of rock carvings in Africa.

In the afternoon you have the opportunity to visit the Vingerklippe. The tip of this formation is 929 meters high, the rock itself is about 35 meters high and has a circumference of 44 meters at its base. The finger cliff was created by erosion from 30 million year old limestone layers.

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Vingerklip Lodge

Before you drive to Khowarib Lodge today, make a detour to Twyfelfontein. Here you have the opportunity to visit one of the largest collections of rock engravings in Africa. They have been carefully carved into the slabs of stone that litter the slopes of the flat mountain. The highlight is the “dancing kudu”, which is surrounded by numerous geometric patterns.

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Khowarib Lodge

Today your journey goes north to Opuwo. Meet the Himba and Herero women in this small place. Continue via Ruacana and then on to Swartbooisdrift. In the evening your camp will be set up on the banks of the Kunene River.

Full Board – Khowarib Lodge

This morning you will visit the Momument of the Dorsland Trekkers before continuing along the river. There is a chance to see crocodiles and many different bird species. The camp will be set up near the Epupa Falls and then we will enjoy a sundowner with a beautiful view over the falls.

Full Board – Khowarib Lodge

Explore the area and visit a Himba village and learn more about the culture and way of life of these people.

Full Board – Khowarib Lodge

Today drive through Okongwati and Opuwo. After arriving at the lodge, you have the rest of the time to relax.

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Khowarib Lodge

After breakfast you leave the Khowarib Lodge and drive to the southern border of the Etosha National Park today. Here you will spend the night in the interesting Etosha Safari Camp.

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Etosha Safari Camp

Today you can visit the Etosha National Park. This park in northern Namibia is one of the most beautiful nature reserves in Africa. As early as 1907, Governor von Lindequist had declared Etosha a nature reserve on an area five times larger than today’s national park. The current size of the Etosha National Park is 22 270km². Large herds of springboks, impalas, zebras and wildebeests can be found in the national park, as well as elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, cheetahs and black rhinos as well as various species of birds and reptiles.

Dinner,Bed and Breakfast – Etosha Safari Camp

Etosha-National-Park-3

You have another day at your disposal in the Etosha National Park. In the late afternoon you leave the park on the eastern border, near Namutoni, and drive to Mushara Bush Camp.

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Mushara Bush Camp

Today you slowly but surely turn back towards Windhoek. However, there are still some interesting stops along the way. On the way to the Waterberg Plateau you can visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund. This is an organization that takes care of the protected cheetahs in Namibia. Since the cheetahs cause considerable damage to the commercial farmers, they are either shot or captured. The organization tries to avoid this by offering the cheetahs a natural home where they can catch their game themselves.

Then continue to the Waterberg Plateau Lodge.

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Waterberg Plateau Lodge

The day is at your disposal. The Waterberg Plateau is one of the most impressive landscapes in northern Namibia. The plateau of the national park is 50 kilometers long and around 16 kilometers wide and, as a table mountain, towers over the surrounding area by around 200 meters. The arid plateau of the national park is covered by tree and bush savannah, but at the foot of the plateau the vegetation is very diverse. In addition to wild fig trees, the flora includes several types of acacia, tiger lilies and the coral tree.

Some endangered animal species have been resettled here, so there are, in addition to water buffalo and leopards, several breeding pairs of the rare Cape vultures, ibex, klipspringer, sable and eland antelopes and other mammal and especially bird species. Historically, the area is important due to the decisive battle in 1904 between the imperial protection force and the rebellious Hereros. The military cemetery at the foot of the mountain is a witness of what happened back then.

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – Waterberg Plateau Lodge

After a leisurely breakfast, you will make your way to Windhoek today, where you will spend the last night at the Hotel Thule.

Bed and Breakfast – Hotel Thule

In time for your flight home, you will drive to Hosea Kutako International Airport today.

The best time to visit is between May and September, during the dry season, when wildlife viewing in Etosha National Park is at its peak and the weather is cooler.

While the canyon has various viewpoints that can be enjoyed, the most popular hiking route takes 4 to 5 days. However, shorter scenic hikes are also available.

Yes, the Kalahari is home to diverse wildlife such as springbok, oryx, and cheetahs. Guided game drives offer great opportunities to spot them.

Lüderitz offers a variety of activities including tours of Kolmanskop ghost town, visits to the Goerke House, and scenic coastal walks.

Swakopmund offers a range of activities such as quad biking in the dunes, boat tours in Walvis Bay, skydiving, and visits to the local history museum.

Yes, visits to Himba villages are arranged with respect to their traditions, providing an authentic cultural experience that supports local communities.